CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH ORISUN AANU
(FOUNTAIN OF MERCY)
(FOUNTAIN OF MERCY)
2014 Watchword
Psalm 85:8
I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly.
Emi o gbọ́ bi Ọlọrun Oluwa yio ti wi: nitoriti yio sọ alafia si awọn enia rẹ̀, ati si awọn enia mimọ́ rẹ̀: ṣugbọn ki nwọn ki o má tun pada si were.
J'écouterai ce que dit Dieu, l'Éternel; Car il parle de paix à son peuple et à ses fidèles, Pourvu qu'ils ne retombent pas dans la folie.
Psalm 85:8
I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly.
Emi o gbọ́ bi Ọlọrun Oluwa yio ti wi: nitoriti yio sọ alafia si awọn enia rẹ̀, ati si awọn enia mimọ́ rẹ̀: ṣugbọn ki nwọn ki o má tun pada si were.
J'écouterai ce que dit Dieu, l'Éternel; Car il parle de paix à son peuple et à ses fidèles, Pourvu qu'ils ne retombent pas dans la folie.
News and Information
Evang. S.K. Abiara @ on live preaching the word of god
order of programmer for the week
Article: A Call To Integrity – Oyelami Babatunde Oluwatobi
CALL TO INTEGRITY
The word 'Integrity' highlighted in green with felt tip pen
In this article, Oyelami Babatunde Oluwatobi examines integrity as a godly virtue and encourages men everywhere to pursue its values.
What is integrity?
Integrity can be defined as the quality of having strong moral principles.
Internal consistency or lack of corruption.
Integrity is doing what is right even when it’s difficult.
Integrity comes from the root word “integer” which means “oneness”
Being a person of integrity means you are the same person no matter the circumstances/the person you are relating with.
INTEGRITY IS A NEED OF THE MOMENT BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO MAKE MORE EFFORT TO BE A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
ü More effort for our “yes” to be yes and our “no” to be no.
ü More effort to keep our words.
ü More effort to keep our covenant vows.
ü More effort to be prompt to meetings of the body and other appointments.
ü More effort to be whom we claim to be.
INTEGRITY IS AN ATTRIBUTE THAT EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST MUST STRIVE FOR, BECAUSE JESUS WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
integrity (2)
Matt 22:15-17
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
ü The Pharisees, who are Jesus’ critics noticed His integrity.
ü They noticed his consistency.
ü They noticed he wasn’t swayed by men, because he paid no attention as to who they were.
ü They noticed the impartiality of Jesus, even when they found it difficult to agree with him.
ü A man of integrity treats people equally regardless of who they are.
The Word sway can be defined as a move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; the trees swayed in the breeze.
v Integrity demands that we do what is right whether it is popular or not.
v Integrity demands that our morals and standards are consistent depending on the situation, people and circumstances.
1 Chronicles 29:17a
I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
The very reason why it is important for us to work on our integrity is because God is pleased with it………
P1-001
ü GOD IS PLEASED WHEN SHOW INTEGRITY WITH OUR TIMING.
ü God is pleased when we resolve to be prompt to services, meetings, appointments and workplace.
ü God is pleased when we show integrity with money matters.
ü God is pleased when we resolve not to cut corners.
ü When we resolve not to cut back on your contribution to God, no matter how tough it is.
ü When we say no to stealing and cheating at work/business dealings.
ü When we resolve not to join others in cheating government but to pay appropriate tax.
ü When we refuse the temptation to inflate the amount on the receipt/for the job offered.
ü When our “yes” is “yes” and “no” is “no”.
ü God is pleased with us when we live as faithful men of God.
integrity (6)
Illustration: A story about integrity
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over his business. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO and I have decided to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
A year went by and the CEO asked the young executives to bring their plants to work for inspection.
When Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot, she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My young executives, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He asked Jim to come to the front of the room. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer — Jim!”
Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.
“All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”
Brothers, let’s keep striving to be men of integrity even when:
Integrity-1-Thought-Shapers-Creating-My-Best-Life
ü It makes you feel like a fool, or a failure or unpopular among your peers
ü Let us resolve to say no to any temptation to grow a boiled seed as we learn from the illustration.
Proverbs 10:9 says, Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
CONCLUSION:
ü God is looking for trustworthy people
ü Men of integrity, who will affirm the truth and resist the lies of the devil
ü Men who can be trustworthy witnesses through whom more people can be saved through faith in Jesus.
Resolve today you will be one.
CALL TO INTEGRITY
The word 'Integrity' highlighted in green with felt tip pen
In this article, Oyelami Babatunde Oluwatobi examines integrity as a godly virtue and encourages men everywhere to pursue its values.
What is integrity?
Integrity can be defined as the quality of having strong moral principles.
Internal consistency or lack of corruption.
Integrity is doing what is right even when it’s difficult.
Integrity comes from the root word “integer” which means “oneness”
Being a person of integrity means you are the same person no matter the circumstances/the person you are relating with.
INTEGRITY IS A NEED OF THE MOMENT BECAUSE GOD WANTS US TO MAKE MORE EFFORT TO BE A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
ü More effort for our “yes” to be yes and our “no” to be no.
ü More effort to keep our words.
ü More effort to keep our covenant vows.
ü More effort to be prompt to meetings of the body and other appointments.
ü More effort to be whom we claim to be.
INTEGRITY IS AN ATTRIBUTE THAT EVERY FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST MUST STRIVE FOR, BECAUSE JESUS WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY.
integrity (2)
Matt 22:15-17
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
ü The Pharisees, who are Jesus’ critics noticed His integrity.
ü They noticed his consistency.
ü They noticed he wasn’t swayed by men, because he paid no attention as to who they were.
ü They noticed the impartiality of Jesus, even when they found it difficult to agree with him.
ü A man of integrity treats people equally regardless of who they are.
The Word sway can be defined as a move or swing from side to side; or backward and forward; the trees swayed in the breeze.
v Integrity demands that we do what is right whether it is popular or not.
v Integrity demands that our morals and standards are consistent depending on the situation, people and circumstances.
1 Chronicles 29:17a
I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
The very reason why it is important for us to work on our integrity is because God is pleased with it………
P1-001
ü GOD IS PLEASED WHEN SHOW INTEGRITY WITH OUR TIMING.
ü God is pleased when we resolve to be prompt to services, meetings, appointments and workplace.
ü God is pleased when we show integrity with money matters.
ü God is pleased when we resolve not to cut corners.
ü When we resolve not to cut back on your contribution to God, no matter how tough it is.
ü When we say no to stealing and cheating at work/business dealings.
ü When we resolve not to join others in cheating government but to pay appropriate tax.
ü When we refuse the temptation to inflate the amount on the receipt/for the job offered.
ü When our “yes” is “yes” and “no” is “no”.
ü God is pleased with us when we live as faithful men of God.
integrity (6)
Illustration: A story about integrity
A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over his business. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO and I have decided to choose one of you.” The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, “I am going to give each one of you a seed today – one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
A year went by and the CEO asked the young executives to bring their plants to work for inspection.
When Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot, she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My young executives, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He asked Jim to come to the front of the room. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer — Jim!”
Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.
“All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”
Brothers, let’s keep striving to be men of integrity even when:
Integrity-1-Thought-Shapers-Creating-My-Best-Life
ü It makes you feel like a fool, or a failure or unpopular among your peers
ü Let us resolve to say no to any temptation to grow a boiled seed as we learn from the illustration.
Proverbs 10:9 says, Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
CONCLUSION:
ü God is looking for trustworthy people
ü Men of integrity, who will affirm the truth and resist the lies of the devil
ü Men who can be trustworthy witnesses through whom more people can be saved through faith in Jesus.
Resolve today you will be one.
THE ETHIC OF HONOUR
In today’s modern world the culture of giving honour to people is not very popular except after the person dies. It is so sad today that what we see is a stock of people who are more prone to peddle criticism than honour. All over the world the media derives huge viewership and listenership most especially when one “important figure” is under fire. One of the fall outs of this trend is the emergence of an increasingly critical breed of believers who are flushing out the golden ethic of giving honour to whom honour is due. This way of life is built on the solid democratic concept of an egalitarian society.
On the other hand the bible is replete with instructions of how we should give honour to whom honour is due and they fall within several ranks. Consider the following people the bible say we should honour.
We should honour the King 1Peter 2:17
Honour all people
We should honour fellow believers Rom 12:10
We should honour the man that does good Romans 2:10
We should honour our father and mother Matthew 15:4
We should honour widows 1Timothy 5:3
We should honour Jesus and our heavenly Father John 5:23
Most people won’t have any difficulty agreeing with these scriptural injunctions. But, do you know that there is one person that the bible says we should give “Double Honour” to?
The bible says we should “count” “worthy” of “double honour” the elders that rule well amongst us, especially those that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Timothy 5:17. This is one of the key functions of our man of God. He brings the word of God to us. He labours not only in doctrine but also in ensuring that Christ is formed in us. The bible also said that we should “esteem” such people “very highly” 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
We must do these with a background understanding that the honour that we owe the man of God is not to be given as a matter of duress but that this honour is that which has first being conferred upon him by the Lord Himself. For the bible made it abundantly clear that this honour can no man take upon himself except it is given by God. Hebrew 5:4. So it makes perfect sense for us to honour the man whom the Lord Himself has honoured.
We should be careful that we are not honouring the man of God for the wrong reasons.
We should not honour him because of his CHARM and CHARISMA. We should be careful not to value the man of God based on his natural abilities. They have their proper place in his makeup but the abundance or lack of certain abilities must not be the reason why we honour him as we do.
We must also avoid honouring him because of his CREDENTIALS. So many believers today belittle the gift of God in their man of God on the grounds of his meager credential which sometime may be academic, social or economical. When we do this we will have difficulties relating with the grace of God upon his life. Many years back, most of the leaders and pastors in church were either in the university or were already graduates when our man of God was just gaining admission in to the higher institution of learning. Yet, it was never the basis for measuring the potency of the grace of God he carried on him.
However, we should honour the man of God because
It is part of his CALLING .1 Timothy 1:11-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
It is a COMMAND. 1 Timothy 5:17
It should be our reaction to his CARE. ( He watches over our souls to protect and preserve)
The CONSEQUENCE of not doing so can sometime be fatal Hebrew 13:17
In conclusion, the bible says “…. Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper”.
In today’s modern world the culture of giving honour to people is not very popular except after the person dies. It is so sad today that what we see is a stock of people who are more prone to peddle criticism than honour. All over the world the media derives huge viewership and listenership most especially when one “important figure” is under fire. One of the fall outs of this trend is the emergence of an increasingly critical breed of believers who are flushing out the golden ethic of giving honour to whom honour is due. This way of life is built on the solid democratic concept of an egalitarian society.
On the other hand the bible is replete with instructions of how we should give honour to whom honour is due and they fall within several ranks. Consider the following people the bible say we should honour.
We should honour the King 1Peter 2:17
Honour all people
We should honour fellow believers Rom 12:10
We should honour the man that does good Romans 2:10
We should honour our father and mother Matthew 15:4
We should honour widows 1Timothy 5:3
We should honour Jesus and our heavenly Father John 5:23
Most people won’t have any difficulty agreeing with these scriptural injunctions. But, do you know that there is one person that the bible says we should give “Double Honour” to?
The bible says we should “count” “worthy” of “double honour” the elders that rule well amongst us, especially those that labour in the word and doctrine 1 Timothy 5:17. This is one of the key functions of our man of God. He brings the word of God to us. He labours not only in doctrine but also in ensuring that Christ is formed in us. The bible also said that we should “esteem” such people “very highly” 1 Thessalonians 5:12.
We must do these with a background understanding that the honour that we owe the man of God is not to be given as a matter of duress but that this honour is that which has first being conferred upon him by the Lord Himself. For the bible made it abundantly clear that this honour can no man take upon himself except it is given by God. Hebrew 5:4. So it makes perfect sense for us to honour the man whom the Lord Himself has honoured.
We should be careful that we are not honouring the man of God for the wrong reasons.
We should not honour him because of his CHARM and CHARISMA. We should be careful not to value the man of God based on his natural abilities. They have their proper place in his makeup but the abundance or lack of certain abilities must not be the reason why we honour him as we do.
We must also avoid honouring him because of his CREDENTIALS. So many believers today belittle the gift of God in their man of God on the grounds of his meager credential which sometime may be academic, social or economical. When we do this we will have difficulties relating with the grace of God upon his life. Many years back, most of the leaders and pastors in church were either in the university or were already graduates when our man of God was just gaining admission in to the higher institution of learning. Yet, it was never the basis for measuring the potency of the grace of God he carried on him.
However, we should honour the man of God because
It is part of his CALLING .1 Timothy 1:11-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
It is a COMMAND. 1 Timothy 5:17
It should be our reaction to his CARE. ( He watches over our souls to protect and preserve)
The CONSEQUENCE of not doing so can sometime be fatal Hebrew 13:17
In conclusion, the bible says “…. Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper”.