Contributor: Alex Kokobili

INTRODUCTION
To seek His will is to know His purpose and surrender God to be involved in the affairs of their lives. This means our expectations must be harmonious with God’s will in our lives. Also, this is an attempt to uncover something that is not visible which could involve a process that results in finding a solution, knowledge, or an answer to a question, concerning our purpose in life

Text: Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

TYPES OF WILL
1.God’s Absolute Will for Humanity. This is God’s supreme desire for us His esteemedcreation.
Ephesians 2: 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”
For instance, the salvation to all people (John 3: 16-17), Life of Holiness (Hebrews 12: 14, without Holiness, we cannot seek or see God), Life of Thanksgiving as God’s will for humanity (1 Thessalonians 5: 18), To prosper humanity (3 John 2), etc.

2.God’s Permissive Will Borne Out of Human Persuasion to Have Their Way
Psalm 81: 11-12, “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.

3.The Human Free Will (But God Expects Us to Synchronize our will to His Absolute Will to Guide Our Choices
Psalm37: 5 "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass"
Deuteronomy 30: 15-16 says:
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”

Seeking God’s Will Does Not Mean You Are A Religious Fanatic As Many Assume!
A. God understands our needs, feelings, and humanity, so don’t live in delusion or fear about involving God in every area of your life.
Hebrews 4: 15
For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.

B. When we seek God’s will, it is a sign that we are not just earthly residents but also thirst and hunger for the kingdom.
Mathew 6: 33
Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.

C. As long as your expectation is with God’s word, He will bring it to pass.
Proverbs 23: 18 For surely there is an end, and your hope will not be cut off.
Psalm 16: 3 Commit they work unto the Lord and He shall bring it to pass

D. Never be afraid to pray for God’s will to be done (Surrender to His will).
Mathew 6: 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Isaiah 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

How Do We Seek God’s Will In Pursuance Of Our Purpose In Life?
1. THE WORD OF GOD.
The Word of God is the revealer of all truths and mysteries of life. Don’t make vague decisions, but study to know the mind of God on all things.
Psalm 119: 105 “They word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”
2 Tim 2: 15 ”Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Daniel 9: 1-3  “In the first year of Darius the son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
Through the Word of God, you would find the need for wisdom, knowledge, and direction.

a. The Word of God gives us an understanding of life.
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”

b. The Word of God is wisdom
Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

c. The Word of God is knowledge.
Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

2. FAITH IN GOD.
Once you study God’s word in relation to any area you need answers in your life, be ready to accept His will and believe (have faith) that he will never mislead you.
Hebrews 11: 1-3
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

3. FASTING, PRAYER, AND PERSONAL RETREAT
Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

(i) Pray all manner of prayers
Ephesians 6: 18
And pray always with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit: and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints.

1 Corinthians 14: 14-19
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

(ii) Add fasting to the prayer from time to time
Mathew 17: 20-21
“Because of your little faith,” Jesus told them. “For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible. 21 But this kind of demon won’t leave unless you have prayed and gone without food”

4. COMMUNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.
Don’t isolate yourself from a Bible-believing Church as the experiences of the believers have a way of pointing us towards God’s will. Unfortunately, lots of people don’t realize the harmony in fellowship as a church. We learn from ourselves, pray and study God’s word, provide counselling, etc.
Psalm 133:1-3
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”
Hebrews 10: 25 “not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.”

5. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY/ MENTORSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP
It is dangerous to live yourself without the guidance of a shepherd. Even a true shepherd also looks up to another Shepherd. (Avoid being critical of your pastor or a spiritual shepherd who can guide you).

Hosea 3: 7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing unless He revealed His secret unto His servants the prophets.”
1 Corinthians 11: 1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”

6. THROUGH THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We have to be spiritually sensitive and deliberate because God can reveal His purpose to us through diverse manifestations
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 e.g., Word of Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous happenings, Prophecies, Spiritual discernment, Praying in Tongues.
However, be careful not to be a prophecy seeker, but if you seek God in a genuine fellowship, he would send a word of hope, healing, power, assurance, etc., to you.

7. IN DREAMS AND VISIONS
Don’t be quick to trivialize certain dreams or visions because that might be God speaking about His purpose for your life.
Judges 7: 13-15
“When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.” When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.”

Daniel 2: 19
“Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”

CONCLUSION
The bedrock of discovering God’s will starts from knowing Him and building a genuine relationship with Him. We will discover from the main text that it is easier to seek God’s will if we surrender to our will to Him. An example was David who inquired of the Lord after becoming King concerning the Philistines despite being skilful in the act of war.
2 Samuel 5: 17-19
Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? “And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

We are advised to always seek God’s will regardless of our mood, or assurance of decisions, wealth, spiritual might, etc. because His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and He is not unfaithful to forsake those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11: 6).

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
God has a plan and purpose for us; one we can find by following His plan for our lives. Learning how to follow this plan is the reason for these series of studies. In the second and third lessons we studied His Original Plan – to have dominion (Genesis 1:26), and what He expects of us, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly (Micah 6:8)
And in the last four, we have looked at four vital plans He has for man. Abundant Life (John 10:10), Health & Wealth (3John2), Fellowship, to love Him and love people (Matthew 22:37-39) and finally, Eternity, to be with Him in heaven (John 14:3)
Why these topics are important as a foundation is that they keep us aligned and guided in His will. And it is true that by looking into what God’s original plan for mankind, and walking in it, many have found their purpose in life!
In today’s study we are taking a closer step to following His plan for our lives by looking at ways of identifying our purpose in life. There are several different examples in the Bible of the many ways people have found and fulfilled their purpose in life. One of them is by making use of the gifts and talents you have been blessed with and getting the Lord’s approval as we see in today’s text.

1. MAKE USE OF YOUR TALENTS/ABILITIES
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. . .” Matt 25:21a
From this text we can also infer that this parable teaches that some of us are five-talent people, some are two-talent people and some are one-talent people. Matthew 25:15 says: “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability”
And even more importantly, that a “no talent” category does not exist. So you and I have been blessed with at least one talent, or an ability.
In Genesis 1:28, when God blessed Adam and Eve saying “Be fruitful and multiply.”, He empowered them to prosper. God’s plan for us is to be productive! And in no small measure!
He did not make anyone "empty". He created and wired us to be fruitful and implanted the ability we need to multiply in us by pronouncing His blessing!

We can be fruitful in one or all of the following
• Our Mouths - The fruit of our mouth (Prov. 18:20)
"From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied." (E.g. Motivational speakers, and other orators)
• Our Lips - The fruit of our lips (Heb. 13:15)
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (E.g. worshippers and singers)
• Our Minds - The fruit of our thoughts (Jer. 6:19)
“Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it." (E.g. Inventors, designers, etc.)
• Our Hands - The fruit of our hands (Prov. 31:31)
“Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (E.g. Everyone who works!)
This list is not exhaustive. Can you mention any?

a) HOW CAN I IDENTIFY MY TALENTS/ABILITIES?
There are two types of talents: Inborn and Learned
Inborn: This comes naturally to people; like running, singing, drawing, painting, etc. Exodus 31:1-6, Bezalel and Oholiab gifted craftsmen, Daniel 1:17b “And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds”

Learned: Abilities acquired by learning; the ability to learn is also God given. Daniel 1:17a
“To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.”

Some gifts that do not come naturally, can be learned; in that case, it becomes an ability.
Your talent represents your gifts, skills (inborn or acquired), time, energy, education, intellect, strength, influence and opportunities. So everyone definitely has something to offer to God.
There several ways to identify your talents; but for the purpose of today’s study we will consider just three.
• Identify Your Interests
• Identify What You Love to Do
• Identify What You Find Easy to Do (what feels like second nature)

2. DIFFERENT WAYS OF IDENTIFYING ONE’S LIFE’S PURPOSE
In our quest of identifying our purpose in life, history has proven time and time again that there is no one size fits all approach that is remotely applicable. So in this section, we will consider a few

a. By Prophecy
Some people may have theirs spelt out to them right from birth and they simply walk in it.
• Samson, in Judges 13:2-5 gives us this account
“2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You are barren and childless, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean. 5 You will become pregnant and have a son whose head is never to be touched by a razor because the boy is to be a Nazirite, dedicated to God from the womb. He will take the lead in delivering Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”
• John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25)
• Jesus (Luke 1:30-33)

b. By Divine Intervention
• Saul of Tarsus who was yanked from his self-appointed life purpose onto his God given purpose. Acts 9:1-6 gives this account
“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” 6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

• Abraham was pulled away from his uneventful way of life in Genesis 12:1, 4

• Cyrus king of Persia in Ezra 1:1 was moved by God Himself to make a proclamation

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by  Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

And then the Lord declared of him in Isaiah 44:28 & 45:1
“who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid."’

“This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut:”

c. By Following the Lord
There were others who found theirs by simply following Jesus. Peter and the other faithful disciples of Christ. Matthew 16:17-19
“17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

d. By Serving the Lord
Others still by simply serving the Lord diligently.

• Joshua, Moses’ aide who served faithfully in Joshua 1:1-5
“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. 3 I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. 4 Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. 5 No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

• Elisha who served the prophet Elijah in 2 Kings 2:9-10
“After they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken away from you?” “Please, let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. 10“You have requested a difficult thing,” said Elijah. “Nevertheless, if you see me as I am taken from you, it will be yours. But if not, then it will not be so.”

e. By Revelation
God revealed His purpose for Joseph through his dreams. Genesis 37:6-7, 9
6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.”

9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

f. By Asking in Prayers
Saul of Tarsus, when he encountered Jesus on the way to Damascus asked in Acts 9:6a; And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

And the response was in Acts 9:15

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel”

And confirmed in Rom. 1:1

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God”

g. The Wild Card
If at this point there is still no clarity of your purpose in life, don’t despair! Just go ahead and continue to serve the Lord with sincerity of heart; not religiosity or show off but instead in uprightness and fairness (Amos 5:24). This is important because there are many that have walked in their life purposes without realizing it because they served the Lord with sincerity of their heart! The story unfolds of Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus in John 12:1-12 & Matthew 26:6–13
“6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

CONCLUSION
Finding one’s purpose is one of life’s greatest blessings. It helps a person live a guided, focused and purposeful life. But the quest for it should not be treated as a “ticking the box” exercise or completing a check list. Because it is not about knowing God’s plan and purpose alone, but walking in it, fulfilling it and finishing well!
The Bible gives us examples of those who knew their life’s purposes but didn’t finish well; Samson, King Saul, King Solomon, just to name a few.

There are many today that have also missed the mark because what they want is to be in the lights, they want the front row seats, to be applauded, to be seen, and to be known; but this pursuit of life’s purpose is not meant to be an exercise of being in the lights but being the light

Matthew 5:16 “. . . let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

So the light we shine is not for our glory but for His! You have been created for His Pleasure (Revelation 4:11). What greater way then is it to fulfil one’s purpose in life other than to give Him pleasure?

Contributor: Okwudili Prince-Isaac

INTRODUCTION
Eternity to Eternity is the study of God’s plan for man through the ages from eternity past, through eternity  present, to eternity future. I believe that this study of God’s plan for man from eternity past to eternity future is the most important subject of human existence. The study of God’s plan for man through the ages may be called the backbone of the Bible because it takes in all the ages and dispensations and all the important subjects of the Bible from eternity past to eternity future.

Text: John 14:3
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also”.

Reference Scriptures: Ephesians 1:1-10, Ecclesiastes 3:9-11, Ephesians 3:10-11, 2 Timothy 1:9-10, I Timothy 6:6-7, Matt: 6:19-24, James 5:1-3, Rev 22: 1-5
To have a clear understanding of what God's Purpose is for us would certainly change our whole outlook on life (and eternity) and our commitment to God's service. Our life would take on a whole new dimension!

Ecclesiastes 3:11: “He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.” -AMP Version

1. Predestined Adoption - Ephesians 1:1-6 (NIV)
Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, starts, not with the fall of man, but with the “Eternal Father.” And, he states that God's purpose began “before the foundation of the world.” Paul goes on to teach that God’s purpose for the entire universe is to be realized through, and centering in, His Son, Jesus Christ! To get a grasp of God’s eternal purpose, spoken of by Paul, we must realize that it was determined in God's “Father-heart” – not because man sinned, but before the world was made. In Ephesians 1:1-6 (NIV) we read:
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Chris! For He [God, the Father] chose us in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will - to the praise of His glorious grace, which He [Father] has freely given us in the One He loves” (verses1-6).

2. Conform to Image of His Son - Ephesians 1:7-10 (NIV)
Let’s consider this purpose that was in the Father's heart before the foundation of the world! The fellowship between God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the eternities past was so prized, so amazing, that God desired to have many sons conformed to the image of His Son. With great anticipation, God planned that His “eternal Son” would become the incarnate Son, robed in flesh, and share His vital life with the human family, yet to be created! God planned to visit planet Earth, by the incarnation of His Son, not because man sinned, but that Jesus became the very life of man. Paul does points out in verse 7 that, because man would sin, he needed redemption and this provision was also in Christ Jesus. He writes, “In Him [in Christ Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.” Verses 8-10 continue,
“He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."

Don’t miss this all-important fact, God, the Father, determined that His Son should become mankind incarnate as the means of bringing a vast family of sons into the glorious measure of full stature.

3. Display His wisdom for All Eternity - Ephesians 3:10-11
Apostle Paul sees the eternal Father yearning for a vast family of sons conformed to the image of the eternal Son, in whom He found such delight. Just think of it, from very beginning, “before the foundation of the world,” the Father planned to share His life, through His Son, and express Himself throughout the universe during all ages to come! Ephesians 3:10-11 states that, “His intent [God’s intent] was that now [in this day and age] through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus or Lord.” God's eternal purpose and intent is to display to the entire universe, for all of eternity, His matchless wisdom by conforming “many sons” into the image of His Own dear Son, Jesus Christ. This is addition to the obvious: displaying man as the master-piece of His creative power as earlier seem in creation (garden of Eden) and redemption (garden of Gethsemane).

4. Growth
“What difference does it make?” The ‘problem’ is that we have placed the emphasis on the “crisis act” of believing that, “Christ died for our sins,” and have neglected to understand the continuous work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. “Salvation” is a crisis act and necessary because of man’s sin. However, a “process of growth,” is God's eternal purpose! God's plan and eternal purpose was to share His life with man and to bring him to perfection, spiritual maturity. It was not man's sin (or, defection) that determined this purpose of God sharing His life, but rather, it was in the Father's original (eternal) planning. “Before man was ever created, before he ever sinned,” God determined to share His life through His Son. When man “turned to his own way,” God did not suddenly change His plan. He still would share Himself through His Son, only now He would provide “redemption” by way of the Cross (in pursuit of His eternal plan for man). When God redeems man out of his predicament, it is a crisis act. Here man “believes” in the finished work of the Cross, and receives the divine life God intended for man! Interesting, that is not the end of the story. God designed a continuous work of the Holy Spirit, making possible a daily, receiving, or “sharing,” of God's life – having a continuous and present participation of God’s life! Growth.
Redemption is only the initial step in realizing God's ultimate intention for mankind. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 teaches, the [God, the Father] has;
(1) Saved us, and
(2) Called us to a holy life

5. Immortality
None of the above (salvation, and call to holy living) could be attributed to anything we have done but “because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, [vs10] but it has “now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” When God created man, He had an ultimate purpose in mind, which did not necessitate man’s fall into sin. However, man did sin and, therefore, must be lifted from “fallen condition”
and brought back to the position Adam lost. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 tells us that God's called is twofold:
(1) The first issue; God dealt with the gateway to bring man back to God’s original holy calling. God must deal with man’s fallen condition!
(2) The second issue; God's original desire for a family, “before the world began,” to impart the life of His Son, and conform man into His image.

6. Rest
Rev 22: 1-5 – “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever”.

Present Reflection
Think about this, “When God created man and placed him in Garden of Eden, was Adam, freshly created, all God intended for man? Was Adam the Full Stature” that God wanted man to become?” i.e. complete without God? His design for man, was that Adam become a son in full stature, through inner spiritual development. Like a flower bud moving to full blossom, God designed Adam for development. This, in no way, necessitated sin for its accomplishment. Man was given the choice between two trees in Garden of Eden, representing two ways. He could choose God's way or he could go his own way. Opportunity for development was along two mutually exclusive lines. He could go his own way (soulishly - refers to man living only by the powers of his soul – his mind, will and emotions); by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, choosing the development of his soul powers, independent of God or (spiritually), he could choose God's way by being in union with the tree of life, and thus, develop spiritually.
May God help us to see His eternal purpose is to develop us into Full Stature. Hence our walk of perfection with the Father should be an eternal endeavour.

Relevant Meditations
Closing Scripture: Matt: 6:19-24 “Lay up for yourselves”, “Lay not up for yourselves” – Contradiction or contrast? With the consciousness and awareness of greater prospects in eternity;
1. Where are our resources being invested? Matthew 6:19-20
2. How do we use some of our resources for living life? I Timothy 6:6-7
3. What is our attitude toward our resources here on earth? - James 5:1-3
4. Do we hoard all income for our own temporal existence or invest much of it in eternity & eternal things for God’s glory?
5. Where are our desires being invested, bearing in mind that what we desire in life we will make room for, and this will ultimately be the focus of our lives? - Matthew 6:21-23
6. The desire of our hearts is what all of life are made of? - Proverbs 4:23-27
7. Where are our lives being invested in, bearing in mind that serving, worrying and seeking all requires about the same energy and time? Matthew 6:24-34

CONCLUSION
As it were, we were placed here (earth) to train for eternity. Our bodies were (each) only intended to be a house for our immortal spirit. It’s ignorant to think we are physical beings headed for a spiritual place. But the reality is, we are spiritual beings living temporarily in a physical place. Are we busy preparing for our rewarding experience in eternity (heaven)?
Jesus stated “….. prepare a place……,come again…….receive you to Myself; .. where I am, there you may be also”

Think eternity……….

Contributor: Martins Olubiyi

Introduction: What is biblical Fellowship? The word fellowship is derived from the Greek word Koinonia. Koinonia can be defined as “holding something in common” and is specifically used 20 times in the New Testament (e.g., Phil. 2:1-2, Acts 2:42, 1John 1:6-7). Freddy Cardoza maintained that Koinonia is the unity of the spirit that comes from Christians’ shared beliefs, convictions, and behaviours. When those shared values are in place, genuine Koinonia (biblical fellowship) occurs. However, going by today study text, we may conclude that what is capable of sustaining these shared values is rooted in the love of God that bind believers together. Therefore, our focus will be on love as exemplified in our reading text.

Text: Matthew 22:37-39 
"37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

The root of the word Love- The word love is shrouded with misconception in many languages. Love is communicated deeper in Greek words (Eros, Storge, Philia, and Agape). These four unique forms of love are found in the Scripture. They are characterised by romantic love, family love, brotherly love, and God's divine love.

Eros: Love in the form of Eros seeks its own interest and satisfaction—to possess the object of love. God is very clear in the Bible that eros love is reserved for marriage. (1 Corinthians 7:8–9). Eros love should be within the boundary of marriage, eros love is to be celebrated and enjoyed as beautiful blessing from God: "Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." (Proverbs 5:18–19; see also Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:5; Ecclesiastes 9:9).

Storge: Storge is the Greek word that describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters. Many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the mutual protection among Noah and his wife, the love of Jacob for his sons, and the strong love the sisters Martha and Mary had for their brother Lazarus. Rom. 12:10 portrayed Storge love clearly

Philia: It originates from Greek term Philos, meaning beloved, dearly loved intimate way; a trusted confidant held dear in a close bond of personal affection. It expresses experience-based love. For instance, the love between David and Jonathan in 1 Sam. 18: 1-3.

Agape: Is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. It defines God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. Jesus Christ demonstrated this kind of divine love to his Father and to all humanity in the way he lived and died: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). After His resurrection, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him (agape). Peter replied three times that he did, but the word he used was phileo or brotherly love (John 21:15–19). It is important to know that Peter was incapable of agape love because he had not received the Holy Spirit baptism. But after Pentecost, Peter was so full of God's love that he spoke from his heart and 3,000 people were converted.

What is Love in the Bible?
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away”. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

The personality of God: God is love (Agape). God is omniscience (all knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and Omnibenevolence (supremely good). His attributes are: God is a Spirit, is eternal, is infinite, unchangeable, is wisdom, is power, is holiness, is justice, is goodness and is truth.

Love is sacrificial: Agape love is sacrificial. It is putting yourself in a position where you are easily taken advantage of by another person. John 3: 16; John 15: 12-14

The covenant aspect of love: Agape love is unconditional. However, elements of covenant are involved: commitment, mutual respect, promises or oaths, witnesses and seal. John 3:16; Luke 22:19-20; Rom. 8:32; Heb. 9:13-14; Heb. 5:8; Luke 1: 68-73. As we partake in His blood via communion, we are sealed with Holy Spirit of Promise. 2Corin. 1: 21-22. Therefore, Agape love is more than feeling of emotion.

The nature of God of God is love: But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love 1 John 4:8. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in God are in love, for God lives in them.
1 John 4: 7-21 reveals God’s loving nature. God’s sole make up is love. His love is complete and perfect. Loves come from Him. He is the source. Since God is love then, we, His redeemed children must also love one another. In other words, a genuinely born again who is saved by love and filled with God’s love, must live in love toward God and others. God’s love is unconditional. It is not based on feelings. The Lord taught us how to show His love to others, to our friends, to our enemies, and to our families. God does not love us because we please Him. But He loves us just because He is love personified.

We are partakers of His divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:4). This means that the characteristics of God’s nature become my own- through His creating work in me. Love is the hallmark of Christianity. Our character and disposition must be rooted in love. We receive God’s love in our relationship with Him. We experience God’s love in our relationship with others. God’s love is a gift. God’s love is a life-giving, energizing force. It was demonstrated in Christ Jesus. We are commanded to abide in His love John 15:9. See John 15:13; Romans 5:8; Eph. 2:4-5; 1 John 4:7-88 (NLT); 1 John 4:17-19; Jere. 31:3

The contention- my human nature: In James 1:13, Scripture says God cannot be tempted by evil. Human being as a corporeal substance, has a flesh containing lusts and desires, or the inclination to sin, which causes us to be tempted. That is our Adamic nature. However, if I am faithful to overcome when I am tempted to sin, step by step I can develop, so the sin in my flesh is put to death. Then these Godly characteristics, which are pure and perfect, can be created in my life by the creator. It is a process of transformation. As I progress, the fruits of the Spirit, which is divine nature, starts to replace the sin in my flesh (Gal. 5:16-26).

You can disarm sin. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these…. (Gal 5:20) But God said, “do not let sin reign in your mortal body to fulfil the lust thereof. Rom. 6:12. He further commands, “be ye holy, for I am holy”. 1 Pet. 1:16. Lev. 19-20. The word for holy in Heb is “qadash”, which means to be sanctified, consecrated, and dedicated or to be separated from the world and worldliness. However, if holiness is not a possibility, it will make God to be an unjust God. But holiness is attainable if we are ready to pay the price! How? Lay aside every weight, and the sin which do so easily beset us…” Heb. 12:1. We must consciously die daily (1Corinth. 15:31) by crucify the flesh (Gal. 5:20, 24). In other words, by mortifying the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5). By building yourself in the most holy faith by praying in the Holy Ghost (Jude. 20).

Remain in Fellowship with Him- When we remain in fellowship with Him, we shall continually walk in love. “If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanse us from all sin”. 1 John 1:6-7.

Conclusion: Love is one of the most powerful emotions human beings can experience. For Christian believers, love is the truest test of genuine faith. Through the Bible, we discover how to experience love in its many forms and to share it with others as God intended. To walk in love is not a choice! It is a command we must obey. However, it is a matter of willingness. (Isa. 1:19). The power to become is already vested in us. (John 1:11-13). We ‘ve got to yield our vessel in an honourable way to Him so as to eat the fruit of the land. (Phil 2: 13).

Reference: message partly culled from: www.active.org ; www.seminary.grace.edu. Reference (Addendum)- Dynamics of holiness. (Dr. David O. Oyedepo); Radiating His glory. (Zac Poonen); Four Kinds of Love. (C.S. Lewis); Confession. (St. Augustine of Hippo); Leviathan. (Thomas Hobbes); Love is a feeling to be learned (Walter Trobisch).

Contributor: Esther Alajiki

INTRODUCTION

When we talk about prosperity and health, 2 things immediately come to mind, money and physical health.

Text: 

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

Definitions

Health: is defined as the state of being free from illness or injury, a person's mental or physical condition, there are different spheres of health, physical, emotional, spiritual, health is God’s will for his children.
Wealth: is the state of being rich, prosperous, having plentiful supplies of a particular resource, a plentiful supply of a particular desirable thing:

Prosperity: From our definitions we can deduce that there are different spheres or realms of prosperity, the prosperity of the soul is spiritual prosperity (as your soul prospers) and material prosperity (that you may prosper in all things and be in health) “All” connotes more than one instance.

Prosperity of the soul: Man is made up of the Body which is our flesh, the soul which is our conscience our reasoning that carries our character and personality to a degree. And the spirit which is the spirit “inner man, the invisible part of man.

The Soul is your decisive part – the deciding factor of our thought process, it is to be controlled by the “New Man” the regenerated spirit, your soul must be saved, sanctified, dominated, and influenced by the regenerated spirit of Man that is regenerated by the Holy Ghost and the Word of God. But our souls determine a lot of our influence. Your character is a reflection of how much influence our soul has.
Our soul can prosper, when we deliberately infuse the Word of God into our spirit man, the stronger our spirit, the more it influences the capacity of our souls to make godly decisions and vice versa. Our souls will begin to align with the truth of God’s Words and it will begin to prosper. We must receive the Word of God, submit under the authority of God’s Word, whatever it says we obey, we must believe that this Word of God has the power to perform what it says it would perform, and exercise our faith in the Word of God. The reason many don’t prosper is because many don’t believe. The word is activated by faith, and then your soul prospers.
We must proclaim the blessing of God over the facts of life. The truth of God’s word will always prevail over the fact of man’s word and situations.

Evidence of Spiritual Prosperity: You live in truth , you dwell in God and God in you. The Bible refers to this as good Success Joshua 1:8. You walk in truth Psalm 1:1-3. You are a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.
Evidence of Physical prosperity: relates to material possession, the Bible also recognises the prosperity of the wicked,
Psalm 73:3 - For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Proverbs 23:17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD.

It is God’s will to bless our physical bodies, our families, our homes, our jobs, our nation, His eyes are not dim, His hands are not short and He can never run out of resources.
When our pursuit is spiritual prosperity, physical prosperity will follow.
Matthew 6:33 says: seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
2 Chronicles 26: 5. And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

When the glory of the Lord is upon you:
Isaiah 60:5 “Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will tremble [with joy] and rejoice Because the abundant wealth of the seas will be brought to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you.

It is the will of God for us to be healed and whole.
The Lord wants to make us whole in every area of our lives, spiritually, physically, emotionally/mentally/psychologically, maritally, relationally, vocationally, socially, nationally in every sphere you can think of. The Lord wants to make us whole . He wants to minister total healing to us.

The Lord wants to heal us spiritually

We must be prepared and willing to receive His healing. Jesus asked the man who was an invalid for 38 years whether he wanted to become well. We should not allow prolonged suffering to rob our hope, confidence, dream and desire. Once we are delivered by God we will have to take responsibility for our life. We will face drastic changes in our life. And once God delivers us, we must be careful to walk in obedience to God lest a worse tragedy occurs in our life. He wants to heal our backslidings. He wants us to live in close fellowship to Him.

The Lord wants to heal us physically.

The Lord is a healer. When we walk in obedience to Him, He promises to heal our sicknesses. we must claim the promises of God and experience His healing in our lives.

The Lord wants to heal us emotionally.

He wants to heal our broken hearts and wounded emotions and painful memories. We must not live all our lives with a broken heart because of a painful experience in the past. The Lord wants to reassure us that He will do a new thing in our lives and therefore we should be willing to forget the past and face the future with confidence.

The Lord wants to heal us relationally.

He wants to mend our broken relationships. The Lord wants us to be free from bitterness and anger and malice. He wants us to be kind and tender hearted towards each other and forgive one another. Just as God has been merciful to us and forgave our sins , we must be willing to forgive others . When we obey His commandments we will experience loving relationships in our life.

The Lord wants to heal us vocationally.

He wants to bless the work of our hands and cause us to prosper in our endeavours. The disciples had tried all night to catch fish and failed to catch any . But the Lord gave them instructions to fish and they caught more fish than they could handle and had to get help from others. The Lord wants to bless us in our vocation and bring healing in the areas where we have failed in the past.

The Lord wants to heal us socially.

He wants to use us to bring healing to our society and community. The prophet Elisha healed the waters of the city and brought healing to the community. The prophet Elijah prayed for rain and brought prosperity to the land. The Lord wants us to carry a burden for our society and community and use our spiritual authority to bring the blessings of God upon it.

The Lord wants to heal us nationally.

He wants to bring healing to the nation. When God’s people humble themselves and pray and seek the face the God and turn from their wicked ways , the Lord will hear their cry and heal their land. Our prayers for the nation can bring peace and prosperity to our land.

CONCLUSION
But 3 John 2 goes beyond money and health. 3 John 2 talks about God’s desire to make you a complete individual, if your soul does not prosper, you will not have a good testimony as a Christian - 1Timothy 6:18,19 -That they do good, that they be rich in good works. It is his will for us to be prosperous, spirit soul and body. Ps 35:27 Let the LORD be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.
When you prosper and you are in health you will be able to do more exploits in the kingdom. Never adjust yourself to a life of paralysis, spiritually, physically or emotionally.
Do you want to prosper and be in good health? God is right here in our midst. He's prepared to hear our requests and heal our afflictions if we are willing to receive and follow Him.

John 5:6 -Wilt thou be made whole?

Contributor: Peter Folikwe

INTRODUCTION
As we know we are treating the series “Following God’s plan for your life". The sub-theme for tonight’s study is “abundant life”. God’s purpose for our existence is to extend his kingdom here on earth. Ps 24:1 says: “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Gen 1:28 reiterating what other speakers on the topic had emphasized in the last 3 studies. God created us to dominate our world.
Anytime we tend to lose our domineering nature, we are uncomfortable and sometimes act abnormally. E.g. Loss of financial independence
Proverbs 22:7 attests to this “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.”
No one wants to serve ‘another of equal standing’.
The fight for dominance is from our mother’s womb.We were created to achieve divine purpose; our dreams. Until purpose is discovered, life will be a struggle.

Text: John 10:10
“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Back to Gen 1:28 God commanded us to be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, subdue and have dominion.
Man started very well at the beginning: with abundance of resources and the authority to dominate his world. Read Gen 2:13-20.

THE THIEF

In the course of our second study, we were given an expose of the thief. Sin came in Gen 3:1-6. Man and wife hid themselves from God in verse 8 (‘shame’ took hold of these glorious creation of God). Then came ‘fear’ in verse 10 (they were afraid of God). From verse 14 and 16-19 heavy burdens of curses came upon them and they became homeless in verse 24.

Since God is a loving and kind God, in Gen 3:16 despite their sins, He made provisions for restoration. He promised that the son of man (Jesus) shall crush the head of the devil. Despite the authority and power were lost to sin in the garden of Eden & God sent Jesus for the singular purpose to restore our dominance over all of God’s creatures.
2 Cor. 5:17 says “If may man be in Christ. .  . . 
Satan realized the restored plan of God for man on resurrection day. Satan is doing everything to return man back to our adamic nature. 1Jn 3:8 says “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Back to the “thief” in Jn10:10. The context in which Jesus spoke these words were preceded by Him painting a picture of a true Shepherd (Jesus) and false/fake shepherds (thieves/robbers). In verse 1 the true shepherd enters through the door of the sheepfold, thieves climb over the wall or through the window. In verse 3 the sheep knows the voice of the true shepherd. In verse 4 the sheep follows the true shepherd as he leads them, but in verse 5, Jesus stated that the sheep will not follow, but flee from strangers. By the time we get to verse 9 Jesus stated “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture”.
As children of God, we have the responsibility to discern between the thief (false teachers) and the good shepherd. Some so-called Christians who are loyal to false teachers don’t know the true Shepherd.

Heb. 10:26 says "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,"

2Pet 2:20-22 concluded that it is dogs that return to their vomit.

ABUNDANT LIFE

Long before the coming of Christ, God spoke through several of His prophets, one of whom was Joel.

Joel 2:25-27 says: "And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. 26. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. 27. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed."

God promised restoration of blessings ‘thief’ has stolen, dreams he has killed and the destinies that have been destroyed.
James 4:7 says "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
One of the oldest tricks of the devil is creating an illusion of fear, just like it happened in the garden of Eden to deprive us of abundant life in God.
1Jn 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
We are told the word “Fear not” appeared 365 times in the bible. One for each day.
2Tim 1:7 says “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and a sound mind”. The power to rule our world in soundness of mind.
We also need to exercise the authority we have in the redemption blood of Jesus to enjoy abundant life.
Job 22:28 “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways”.
Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

CONCLUSION:
3rd John 2 says “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
God Almighty desires for us to live in prosperity: physically, spiritually, financially, emotionally and indeed in every facet of life.

Contributor: Wale Abiona

INTRODUCTION
Last week, while studying God’s Plan for Man, we understood that His original plan for man and location He placed man was to replicate what was present in heaven here on earth. The Lord’s Prayer in Mat. 6:10 gives us this insight …“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
Rev 4:11 also tells us that God created all things for His pleasure
Gen. 3:8 revealed to us that God walked with man in the Garden for fellowship, and after the fall of man, He didn’t put man off but He sought to keep His original plan by giving us instructions on how to maintain the fellowship.
The book of Micah revealed three things that will help us with that and continue to give God the pleasure He desired in our daily fellowship with Him.
As we go through this verse of scripture, I want us to ask ourselves one question and as we progress in today’s today, we should individually answer the question
What does God want from me?

Text Micah 6:8
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"

A. TO DO JUSTLY

Acting justly, or doing justice, is “the quality of being impartial or fair.” Our world is full of injustice and God wants you and I to be different. This could be achieved by questioning our actions
1. Who will suffer the consequence(s) of my action(s)?
2. At what cost am I getting this done?
The 4 way test of the rotary club comes to mind
• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

In Proverbs 12:3 the Bible says: “Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots..”

Proverbs 12:19 also says: “The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

Perhaps some people try to accomplish things and advance in life through deception. But it is clear that it will not last! What is done right is what will stand at the end.
Jesus spoke about the two houses, the house that was built on the sand and the one built on the rock. The house on the rock was not shaken when the storm beat against it. Everybody encounters the storms of life, the elements of life, both the righteous and the ungodly. But the house of the righteous is built on a rock; it is built on righteousness and it stands firmly.

So, what does the Lord require of you?

To choose righteousness and goodness in all your ways! To try and gain something for yourself in an ungodly way never pays. There is no blessing in that.
Doing justice is helping the needy around us. Jesus said the poor you will have with you always. Mat.26:11
In Proverbs 21:13 we learn that God’s Word shows no impartiality. It says, “Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need”

B. LOVE MERCY
The next command offered by God in Micah 6:8 is “to love mercy.”
This means to show compassion. It is a combination pity and love that produces a kind reaction towards others.
Mercy refers to God’s loving kindness to us. It is interesting to note that God wants us to show mercy—having compassion for those in need. This is not always easy, as we see so much human need; it is on our streets and are bombarded daily by social media. It is easy for our hearts to harden and our minds to judge.
“As one of my people, I hope you love mercy—for that is what you have received.”

There is the story of the founder of Food for the Hungry Organisation (Dr. Ward) whose core value is mercy. He had learned that 10,000 people worldwide were dying of hunger every day and was distraught over the number, begging God for an answer to how he could help. “I’m just one person,” he prayed.
He sensed God saying to him, “But they die one at a time, my son, they die one at a time.”
Dr. Ward realized that if people die one at a time, we can help them one at a time. He founded FH on the concept that mercy can be shown to one person at a time, by one person at a time.

Moved by compassion, each of us can take the step of showing tangible mercy to a person in need.
One of the challenges we face is the thought of the numbers needing mercy and this has prevented us from doing what is expected of us. One at a time, that is all that is required. We cannot solve the world problem, but you can help one person. And he will later help one person and so on and so forth.

C. WALK HUMBLY
The third command in Micah 6:8 is “to walk humbly with your God.”
The “walk” is used often in Scripture to describe the overall direction one’s life is heading. The adverb “humbly” moves us away from arrogance and the egocentric need to always be better than others, to the simple acceptance of the gifts that God has placed within us
In Deuteronomy, there are a number of references to walking in the way of the Lord, several psalms refer to a walk being blameless, and 1 John 1:7 encourages us to walk in the light.
This gives us an insight into what type of relationship God is calling us to, a life that fits into that path. Humility is what helps us to trust and obey God.
Humility is the hallmark of our walk with Him. To acknowledge that without God’s grace, we are nothing, we are poor but He is rich and became poor so that we may become rich in His love. To understand that we’ve been saved by His grace is a sign of humility.
Walking humbly with God is of key importance when relating with people especially those who are below us. On many occasions, we often forget that we were once in their shoes and it was only by His grace that we are who we are today.
The hymn “Trust and Obey” comes to mind as the first verse reads
“When we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.”

QUESTIONS TO PONDER
1. What does the Lord desire for me?
These we have seen through our study today
2. What gifts and abilities has He given me for that?
The power and ability to make right choices and the Holy Spirit is available to guide us
3. How can I step outside my comfort zone to other areas the Lord may be desiring for me? (obeying God rather than my flesh)
By taking a step of faith, trusting God by holding unto His Word
4. What are ways I can make Micah 6:8 an action in my life?
By purposefully doing what we learnt today, always desiring to do His will.

John 1:12 tells us that for as many that believes, to them He gave power to become what they desire in line with His plan, according to the power that work in us.
Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”

CONCLUSION
God’s expectations are actually very simple, there is no beating around the bush with Him. His desire is that His children should be like Him, have the same mind, the same thoughts, and the same life, and the same godly sorrow over unrighteousness in our hearts. The same honesty and straightforwardness in every areas of our lives.
Disciples of Christ are characterised by integrity and honesty. There should be no deceitful, or hidden agenda in our behaviours. Everything should be direct and straightforward, as we follow in His footsteps.
God’s desire; what He requires from us is to do what is just, show mercy and be humble.

Contributor: Clem Roberts

INTRODUCTION
God has knowledge that will bring results in our lives. Knowing His plan will yield tremendous outcomes to our journey that He has predestined for us all. When God created Heaven and Earth in Genesis 1:1, He created the heavens and the earth because He wanted two places where He could have fellowship. A place to Fellowship comfortably in Heaven and also comfortably on the earth. You are on this earth to become better, to know God, and to find happiness. And as you follow God’s plan and His commandments, you can experience joy now and throughout your life.

Text Gen 1:28 -

"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
•God's will is what He desires;
•His plan is what He desires we follow.
•His will is that we keep His commandments
•So that we can become like Him and experience everlasting joy

God's Original Plan Was For Man
•To live forever on earth
•Live without sin
•Be in perfect health
•Of a sound mind and body

God's Wants To Talk - He Craves Communion
That why He says in Isaiah 1:18
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."

Man's Deviation From The Original Plan Brought:
•Loss of communion and fellowship with God Isa. 59:2, Eph.2:11-12.
•Death - Spiritual (Rom.6:23a); physical (Heb.9:27); Eternal (Rev.20:15).
•Received the nature of sin and debt to sin Gen.1:27 and Gen.5:3.
•Transferred our fatherhood to the devil (Jn.8:44).
•Slavery to Satan (Col.1:13, 2 Tim.2:26).
•Loss of God-given authority to the devil – Jn.14:30, Lk.4:5-6; Eph. 6:10-18
•Loss of Dominion over all the works of God’s hand Gen.1:28.
•Loss of freedom from diseases, sorrow, hardship and sufferings, Gen. 3:16-19.
God's Plan Does Not Include:
•Being religious or churchy – Acts 10:1-9, Jn. 3:1-3
•Keeping the Law – Rom.3:20, Gal.2:16-21
•Being self-righteous – Isa. 64:6, Phil.3:8-9
•Educated and cultured – 1 Cor.1:18-25, Matt.15:2-3, 8-9
These things are good and important but they will not Substitute for the plan of God

Salvation – God’s Realignment To His Original Plan
•It is the redemptive process put in place by God to rescue man from theprecipice of eternal separation from Him.
•It is God’s life-line to save His creation from the helplessness and devastationof man’s treachery against his Creator.
•Salvation therefore is the comprehensive road map designed by God to redirectman from his fallen nature to the embrace of the newness of life.

God’s original plan made provision for joy and eternal bliss. The more you understand and follow His plan, the more you realize you can only make it back to Him not by following your own plan by His own plan alone.
•He made it possible for every sin and every mistake you make to disappear
•He made possible for your sin be forgotten through Jesus Christ.

How To Follow God's Plan
•Sincere Repentance.
•Baptism and Receiving the Holy Ghost.
•Constant and Continuous Effort to Return to God.
•Acknowledge that Jesus Christ and only Jesus is the Center of God’s Plan

Benefits Of Salvation
•You become a new creature in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17
•You receive the spirit of adoption into the beloved sonship of God - Rm 8:15;Eph 1:3-6
•God makes His domain in you - 1 Cor 3:16
•You become Heir with Christ - Rm 8:18
•You are entitled to all of the blessings heaven has - 1 Cor 3:21-23
•Demons flee from you- Mark 3:15, 16:17-21
•Angels assist you - Heb 1:14, Psalm 91:6-7
•Your name is written in heaven - Heb12:23
•Eternity awaits you as a priest and as a king - Rev:1:5-6
•You have access to the throne of grace - Heb 4:14-16
•You carry divinity in your humanity - 2 Pet 1:3-4

CONCLUSION

Proverbs 19:21 says:

"There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand."

The Bible directly tells us that no matter what our plans are, the Lord's plan is what will come to fruition. And the conclusion of the whole matter is for us all to fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty(“plan”) of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah. 1:4-5

INTRODUCTION:

Welcome to our bible study sessions for 2022. I strongly believe that the Lord will use this series of studies to help us know Him better for ourselves, allow God to take note of us and eventually make God known to our world by shinning His light through Christ Jesus. I will encourage us to take the studies of this year more seriously than we have ever done, because this will practically affect the directions of the rest of our lives, individually and collectively. Let us be like the Berean believers in Acts 17:10-11

“Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”

The studies will practically be focusing on God’s purpose, plan and pursuit. This will take us into different aspects that will help unfold the mind of God through scriptures to us. 

God’s Big Picture; Matt. 6:10
Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The above scripture gave us insight into God’s supreme agenda in our world since the beginning and the fall of man. We need look no further than Jesus, who was in every way the complete and full expression of God’s will in action. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus prayed,
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”

The propagation of God’s kingdom and the doing of His will on earth can only be perfectly realised when each one of us can discover his/her purpose, embrace His plan and be willing to pursue His plan to the end. Jesus Himself discovered God’s purpose, embraced His plan and followed it to the very end.

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8; I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Ps. 40:7-8

1. Understanding God’s Purpose; Jer. 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
The purpose or reason why anything exist can only be defined by the creator. Our purpose was already programmed into every creature of God and nobody can discover purpose outside the creator. Our complete identities, compositions and assignments were in God before we were created, and nobody can change that original intention of God except Him. There are two reasons why it is important for everyone to discover their purpose in life;

a) Your sense of purpose is important to your well-being; Ps. 82:5
"They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable."

Our individual identity is rooted in our purpose. Maybe you know someone who bases their identity on the things they own, their partner or even a job, what happens if they lose any of those things? Their sense of self quickly crumbles and they’re left trying to figure out what to do. Our well-being and self-acceptance is rooted in discovery of purpose. Finding your purpose in God doesn’t carry that risk. God never changes and so we can be sure that when we ground our identity and purpose in Him, the foundation remains firm.

b) It is God who gives you purpose; Isa. 43:7
"Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory, I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

God specifically created everyone of us for His glory and only the people who discover and fulfil that purpose can bring glory back to God. Every man must find out their purpose from God.

2) Embracing God’s Plan; Jer. 29:11
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peaceand not of evil, to give you a future and a hope"

A plan is a product of several thoughts. God’s plan is His thought-out steps, with details of timing and resources to accomplish our purpose in life. His ways are not always the way we like to go, but only His plans can take us to His desired destination for our lives.

3) The Pursuit of God’s Purpose and Plan; Prov. 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

When we embrace God’s plan, then we have simply put our trust in Him. We must now be ready to pursue that plan of God for our lives. The Holy Spirit is ever committed to lead us all the way through the journey of our individual destinies.
Ps. 32:8-9 says:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you.

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
We have finally come to the last study of an incredible journey that has been spotted with amazing revelation offered in this letter to the Hebrew Christians.
Although not confirmed anywhere in the scriptures, we have come to “loosely” accept that this letter was written by the Apostle Paul because of certain styles of writing/argument spotted in different chapters of the letter.
Today’s topic, following on from verse 15, touches on the Apostle’s Final Admonishment, Benediction and Greetings to the Hebrew Christians and consequently us.

I. FINAL ADMONISHMENT (VERSES 16-19)
Verse 16: Pleasing Sacrifice
And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

In verse 15, we were admonished to offer a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name through Jesus. Here in verse 16, we learn that praise is not the only sacrifice that pleases God.
We also please God when we share with those in need. Praise and worship are important, but the Christian’s obligation does not end there.

Verse 17: Obey Your Spiritual Leaders
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

This is a very sensitive command that has been used for manipulation and control over the years and so, we must be careful. The KJV says, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves . . .” the NIV says, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority”

How can we be careful about this?
We are to be submissive to the leaders God gives us (assuming they have the character mentioned in Hebrews 13:7). “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.”

Simply, their lives and character must model that of Jesus Christ and whatever it is that they ask from you must align with the Word of God. A teacher should teach us to submit to God, not to himself.

The second part of the verse is even more delicate.
Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God.

The responsibility God placed on spiritual leaders is a “huge” one and with what we are seeing around the world today, we realize that many of the spiritual leaders themselves don’t seem to understand the gravity of this responsibility. Of course, this does not relieve individual responsibility (every one of us shall give account of himself to God Rom.14:12) but it puts an additional accountability and responsibility upon leaders.

The third part is an appeal as well as a profitable advice.
Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

The responsibility is a huge one, we should not make their task any more difficult or burdensome but create an environment where they can joyfully fulfil their calling. This cooperative conduct is not only a joy to leaders, but it is profitable for the whole body. It is for our own sake that we should obey and submit to God-appointed leaders. Because to do otherwise is akin to biting your nose to spite your face.

Verses 18-19: A Request For Prayer
“Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honourably in everything we do. And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon”

When we studied the book of Romans we came across a similar request from the Apostle Paul in chapter 15:30-31 as we see in these two verses where he called for the believers to pray for him. In both contexts, we see a leader who is clearly humble in making this request.
Very interestingly, his request for prayer was not just a cliché that we hear these days when someone says: “Please pray for me” without giving the prayer point. Here we see the Apostle being very clear about what the believers needed to pray about; again, a clear indication of his humility.

(i) We want to live honourably in everything we do
(ii) And especially pray that I will be able to come back to you soon

To live honourably (especially as a spiritual leader) is very important. Being honest with yourself, others and ultimately God! Paul understands this that is why he was coveting the prayers of the saints for he and the other leaders to be able to live honourably in “everything” they did.

The second prayer point implies that there were certain obstacles preventing him from returning to the recipients of this letter. He knew that prayer could remove those obstacles; so he urged the believers to specifically pray about this; showing how much he regarded their prayers for him.

II. BENEDICTION (VERSES 20-21)
Verses 20-21: A Blessing Is Pronounced.
“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

After asking his readers to pray for him, Paul prays for his readers.

Verse 20: “Now may the God of peace”
This is a blessing in the style of the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:22-27: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

In this blessing God is first recognized in His attributes: His Peace, Power (brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead), Loving Care (that great Shepherd), and Ever Giving Love (the blood of the everlasting covenant).

Verse 21: “equip you with everything good for doing his will”
Other versions say “Make you complete in every good work”
This expresses the ultimate reason for the blessing of God. It is for fulfilling God’s will as He works in us through Jesus Christ.

III. FINAL GREETINGS (VERSES 22-24)
“Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly. 23 I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you. 24 Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.”

Verse 22
“. . . bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly”

At this final stage of the letter, the Apostle reminds us of his purpose. His desire was to write a word of exhortation to encourage discouraged Christians, both then and now.

Verse 23
“I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.”

This final statement also “loosely” hints us of the writer’s identity. Although, they only tell us that the writer knew Timothy, but which other writer in the entire Bible ever mentioned Timothy in their writings except for the Apostle Paul?

CONCLUSION
Verse 25
“Grace be with you all.”
This is a definitely a fitting end for a book that documents the passing of the Old Covenant and the institution of the New Covenant.
And as we conclude this year’s Bible Study, I say, “Grace be with you all indeed, under what God has given through the superior Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen!”