The Wonderful Works of Patience

 James 1:2-3 & 4:

(2)  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

(3)  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

(4)  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

It says the trying of our faith works patience. In other words, the objective of every trial that we may go through as believers is to work out that golden virtue called "Patience" in us.

And What is the Essence/Value of Patience?

#1.  Patience Builds Character

Verse four (4) of our text says:

“But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

It’s clear that patience works out the perfection of our character. Perfection in the text is referring to the perfection of our character; so that we may not be found wanting in Character.

So let's conclude this point: patience builds Character and Character decides our Destiny.

What’s more to say on the essence or value of patience?

#2. Patience is Key to Obtaining God’s Promises in our Lives

It is key to fulfillment of God’s counsel towards us.  Scripture said to follow those “…who through faith and patience obtained the promises” (see Heb 6:12). 

Our Patriarchs through faith coupled with patience obtained God’s promises spoken into their lives (Referring to the Patriarchs of Scripture such as Abraham,  Isaac, Jecob and others). Abraham for instance, had to wait patienly for 25years to see God’s promise of fruitfulness delivered in his life against all odds. So no matter how far-fetched or far-reaching God’s agenda for anyone may seem, as we believe, patience will deliver it. Will you say a loud amen!

Meanwhile, God’s promises are the heritage of His Children. And we become children of God by accepting God’s Son Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord (John 1:12) . If you would like to accept Jesus Christ into your life right now, then we can say a simple prayer.

LETS PRAY:

I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I confess Him as Lord and Saviour.  Thank you Lord.

Amen.

Congratulations! if you said that prayer. The Word of God says you are now a new creature and old things are passed away. All things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other-words, God will never call your past life (sins/faults) to remembrance. They are totally forgotten. Check this:

 

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12 ) 

 

You are also encouraged to join a Bible Believing Church near you, in case you're not in one already, where you can grow in the Lord (1^st Peter 2:2 and 2^nd Samuel 7:10) . And keep following on our social media platforms (Facebook:@josephmasiam, YouTube:@josephmasiam).

 

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!

A Lasting Legacy

 2Timothy 1:5:

When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

The greatest legacy you can leave for your children is your Faith (it’s a spiritual force that passes from one generation to another).  So Timothy, the first named Bishop in scripture, inherited his faith from his mother who had also inherited it from her own mother (I.e. Timothy’s grandmother). That means spirituality is genetic.

Testimonials of this truth abound in scripture.  Timothy is not the only example there is.  We saw that Abraham walked with God.  Isaac, a seed of Abraham also walked with God. Then Jecob a direct seed of Isaac continued the family legacy. His walk with God resulted in the birth of the great nation of Israel.  Joseph, a direct seed of Jecob (now Israel) walked with God until he became the most important statesman in ancient Egypt (which became the ruling economy in the entire world in the days of Joseph).  And yet one more outstanding example: David a seed of Jesse from the tribe of Judah, a seed of Jecob/Israel.  David’s walk with God re-positioned him from being a simple shepherd boy to becoming the greatest king Israel ever knew.  His greatness continued until from his lineage came the messiah, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World.

Therefore do not belittle or downplay your faithful walk with the Lord today; it’s an inheritance you’re passing on to generations yet unborn.  And in case you do not have such a relationship with God or made such a commitment to serve Him all the days of your life, you can do so today and leave a great legacy for your children and generations after them.

LETS PRAY:

Please say this prayer:

Jesus Save my soul; and wash my sins with your precious blood.

Thank you Jesus for saving me.

Amen.

Congratulations if you said that prayer. The Word of God says you are now a new creature and old things are passed away. All things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other-words, God will never call your past life (sins/faults) to remembrance. They are totally forgotten. Check this:

 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12) 

If you have said this prayer, we encourage you to get into a bible believing church near you where you can grow in the Lord (1st Peter 2:2 and 2nd Samuel 7:10). And keep following us on our social media handles:

Facebook@josephmasiam

YouTube @josephmasiam

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!

Take Heed to Thyself (A Word to the Minister)

1 Timothy 4:16 (KJV)

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; Continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.

This is how to secure the salvation of your own soul as a minister and guarantee you a place in the last flight.

The same Apostle Paul who is instructing Timothy, his son in the faith in this Epistle, said elsewhere in another epistle, "...lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (See 1 Corinthians 9:27). Which suggests that it is possible for the minister ("the man of God", "the Servant of God") to preach to others, and yet miss it (lose his own salvation) in the end. But do you desire to save yourself and those who hear you? Here's God's counsel through the ministry of Paul:

First, He said to Take heed to yourself. What does it mean. It's simple: pay attention to your own walk with God. As you're pointing others to God, be sure you're not missing it yourself in your walk with the Lord. As you encourage others to give attention to personal prayer and word study for their spiritual development, are you doing same yourself? Or have you neglected these vital aspects of your walk with the Lod? Have you gotten so busy with the work of the ministry that you no longer pay attention to your personal time with God? Or have your time spent in the Word been reduced to times of preparation to preach? Do you only study the Word to get a message to preach? "Take heed to thyself..." is the Lord's warning.

I fell into the same error many years ago during my pastoral ministry (By Grace, the Lord brought me into the apostolic phase of my ministry barely two years ago). As a pastor, I spent some good time in the Word and prayer but it was mostly preparation to preach my next message or teach the next bible class. I preached many powerful messages that drew many applauds and commanded great results, but I realised I was not growing up spiritually. I was a very dedicated Pastor, but spiritually, I was lacking. After some time, it began to show in my poor relationship with people (getting offended, harboring grievances/bitterness, etc). It's worth noting that the issues that can disqualify the believer, even the Lord's servant from making heaven in the final analysis, are not big issues at all; they are the little foxes that spoil the vine, such as the ones mentioned above. God’s Word says clearly to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see God (Heb 12:14). But the change for me came when one day this light came to me. It suddenly dawned on me that I was so busy with the Lord's work that I neglected my personal spiritual growth. So I began to read/study the bible and anointed materials just for my personal spiritual edification. One of such books I read that transformed my life and ministry was Growing Up Spiritually, authored by God's General Kenneth E. Hagin of blessed memory. Another one which made no small impact on my life and ministry was Love the Way to Voctory, by the same author. I began to experience a great ease in the ministry the kind I did not experience before. My overall relationship with people got better as I began to love God’s people better. I also realised that my time spent preparing a message became shorter because my spirit was already fed on a good Word nourishment. Preaching became much more exciting because the Word was flowing from a healthy spirit. My life and ministry was significantly blessed.

The next counsel the Lord gives to guarantee the salvation of both your flock and yourself is to Take heed to the doctrine, that God has given you. He said to continue in them. Every ministry has a message given to preach. But as a minister of God, do you practice what you preach? Are you taking heed to your own doctrine? Or do you point the flock one way and go the other way? 

Do you desire to make the last flight together with your flock when our Lord Jesus returns? Then heed His counsel: Continue in the doctrine.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; Continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee (1 Timothy 4:16)

As a servant of God, if you can identify with this message; if you realise where you are falling short, it's never too late to make amends like I did years ago. Go ahead and talk to God. Renew your walk with God today. You can rededicate your heart to Him again. He's waiting with open arms to receive you. And we have an assurance from the Lord:

 

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12 ) 

 

You are also encouraged to join a Bible Believing Church near you, in case you're not in one already, where you can grow in the Lord (1^st Peter 2:2 and 2^nd Samuel 7:10) . And keep following on our social media platforms (Facebook:@josephmasiam, YouTube:@josephmasiam).

 

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!

Joy! The Sustainer of Health

 Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)

A merry heart doeth good like medicine...

A merry heart is a joyful heart. Just as sugar attracts ants, bitterness and depression attracts demons of oppression. We're told in the book of Acts that Jesus went about doing good and healing those who were oppressed of the devil (see Acts 10:38). That means sickness is an oppression of the devil. And until you're depressed, you cannot be oppressed.

That's why joy is the sustainer of your health. "A merry heart" it says, does good like medicine (Prov. 17:22). So don't wake up in the morning sad. Because whatever depresses you (steals your joy) is targeting you for satanic oppression. Therefore, do all you can to keep a joyful atmosphere around you by getting into God's presence. In Psalm 16:11, the great psalmist of Israel referring to God almighty said:

...in thy presence is fulness of joy...

God’s presence injects joy into your atmosphere. And one way to His presence is by listening to Gospel music (Singing His praise). Praise and Worship is door opener to His presence (see Psalm 22:3).

Finally, do yourself a favour and avoid joy breakers (that is, anyone and anything that take your joy away from you). Compared to eternity, no matter how long one lives down here, life here is still too short to live it gloomy. Therefore, cheer up and embrace a lifestyle of joy and rejoicing for a most buoyant and healthy life.

One more key to joy is salvation. It's called the joy of salvation (see Psalm 51:12). Everyone that has tasted salvation or new birth in Christ Jesus has been innauculated with this strange order of joy which does not depend on the happenings around you but fueled by the Living Christ within you. If you desire this encounter, you can say a simple prayer.

LETS PRAY:

I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I confess Him as Lord and Saviour.  Thank you Lord.

Amen.

Congratulations! if you said that prayer. The Word of God says you are now a new creature and old things are passed away. All things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other-words, God will never call your past life (sins/faults) to remembrance. They are totally forgotten. Check this:

 

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12 ) 

 

You are also encouraged to join a Bible Believing Church near you, in case you're not in one already, where you can grow in the Lord (1^st Peter 2:2 and 2^nd Samuel 7:10) . And keep following on our social media platforms (Facebook:@josephmasiam, YouTube:@josephmasiam).

 

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!

God is Bigger Than Your Battles

 2nd Chronicles 32:8A

with him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles...

No matter what may come against you in this life, as a child of God, know by the assurance of God's Word that it's only the arm of flesh, and it's bound to fail.

No matter how terrorising the situation may seem, no arm of flesh can withstand the Lord Our God who is always by outside to help us and to fight our battles for us. If you doubt this, then ask Goliath, that terrible champion of the Philistines army (a man of war from his youth) who fell by only a sling and stone hurled at him by a little boy (teenager) David because the Lord our God fought for His people (see 1st Samuel 17:1-54).

Therefore, never allow any situation or battle of life to scare you. Know that it's only the arm of flesh which is no match for the Lord our God.

Meanwhile, for the Lord our God to be on yourside, you must be one of His Children. And that is by confessing His Son Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. If you're yet to do that, you can say this simple prayer.

LETS PRAY:

I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I confess Him as Lord and Saviour.  Thank you Lord.

Amen.

Congratulations! if you said that prayer. The Word of God says you are now a new creature and old things are passed away. All things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other-words, God will never call your past life (sins/faults) to remembrance. They are totally forgotten. Check this:

 

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12 ) 

 

You are also encouraged to join a Bible Believing Church near you, in case you're not in one already, where you can grow in the Lord (1^st Peter 2:2 and 2^nd Samuel 7:10) . And keep following on our social media platforms (Facebook:@josephmasiam, YouTube:@josephmasiam).

 

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!

The Prayer That God Will Always Answer

1John 3:22

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

It can be really frustrating when our prayers are not answered. Isn't it?

But the good news is, now we have an assurance from God's Word that there's what we can do so that our prayers will always be answered by the Lord. It says clearly in our text that whatever we ask, we will receive if only we keep God's commandments and do those things that are pleasing to Him (paraphrased).

This clearly shows that the nature of our walk with God is what determines whether or not our prayers are answered. You'll agree with me that a child that pleases his father well and obeys the father will always have his/her way with the father. In other-words, the father does not hesitate to give them whatever they want.

It is the same in our walk with God. That is, when we live in obedience to God and do the things that gives him pleasure, He does not hesitate to give us what we want whenever we ask.

As we can now see that the answer to our prayers solely depends on us and not on God, we want to know what specific commandments we're to obey and the things to do that please God.

In this brief message, we will learn about three (3) vital things we are to do.

The next verse that follows in our main text gives us two of them. Our main text being the 1st Epistle of John Chapter Three (3) verse Twenty-Two (22). Now verse Twenty-Three says:

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment

So,

Commandment #1: We Should Believe on the Name of His Son Jesus Christ

Under the dispensation of the New Covenant (I.e after Jesus died, rose again, and ascended to heaven) every prayer that will be anwered by God must be said in the name of Jesus. John 16:23 says:

And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you (see also John 15:16 and John 14:13 &14).

Meanwhile, what day was Jesus referring to in this text when he said "in that day ye shall ask me nothing... "? He was referring to the days we're in now; the days of the new covenant. He made those statements under the old covenant (before His death and ressurection). So that's the contract (the agreement) we have with God now; every prayer after Jesus died and rose again (now seated in heavenly places at the right hand of God The Father) must be said in the Name of Jesus before anything will happen.

So question is do you believe in the name of God's Son Jesus Christ? (See also Acts 16:31, 1st John 5:13, 1st John 5:5)

Commandment #2. The 2nd commandment mentioned in 1st John 3:23 that will guarantee speedy anwer to our prayers is to Love One Another. 

Once again, under the new Covenant, we do not have so many commandments to keep/obey. We have only one (1), which is to walk in love towards the brethren. Scripture says when we obey this single commandment of love, then we have fulfilled all the law. Lets examine a few verses of scripture to validate this. 

Jesus said in John 13:34&35,

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. ³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John the beloved also wrote in 2nd John 1:5,

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another

Now let's conclude this point with Romans 13:8-10 which says,

⁸Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. ⁹For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

The Holy Spirit by the hand of Paul the Apostle was trying to say that when we obey this commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves, then we donnot need to worry about any other commandment that God gave under the old covenant/testament to curb sin. Those commandments are all automatically fulfilled. 

This includes loving unsaved souls. Our love for souls will compell us to pray for and witness to them about Jesus Christ. If you cannot preach the gospel, simply give them your testimony of what the Lord has done for you since you were saved (born-again). Otherwise, simply pray for their salvation.

Before I sign off this section, let me shed some light on the subject of walking in forgiveness, which is another aspect of walking in love. Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26,

²⁵And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Clearly, we see that when we fail to walk in love towards others, it constitutes a hindrance to answered prayer.

Last but not the least of things to do in pleasing the Lord for speedy answer to our prayers is Living the life of Thanksgiving. 

Psalm 69:30-31 says,

³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song,

And will magnify him with thanksgiving.

³¹This also shall please the LORD Better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

God is pleased with a prayer life that overflows with thanksgiving and praise to Him. He is displeased with a lifestyle tainted with murmurings and complaining. 

So let us embrace thanksgiving as a lifestyle  and see how things turn in our favour when we pray. 

In conclusion, we have established that the prayer that God will always anwer is a prayer  born from a grateful heart, a heart full of love for humanity and coming from a life that reverences the name of Jesus.

Meanwhile, prayer begins with relationship with God the father through Jesus Christ the Son. If you’re not certain that you have that relationship established, you can say this prayer:

LETS PRAY:

I believe that Jesus died for my sins and I confess Him as Lord and Saviour.  Thank you Lord.

Amen.

Congratulations! if you said that prayer. The Word of God says you are now a new creature and old things are passed away. All things are become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). In other-words, God will never call your past life (sins/faults) to remembrance. They are totally forgotten. Check this:

 

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)

 

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 8:12 ) 

 

You are also encouraged to join a Bible Believing Church near you, in case you're not in one already, where you can grow in the Lord (1^st Peter 2:2 and 2^nd Samuel 7:10) . And keep following on our social media platforms (Facebook:@josephmasiam, YouTube:@josephmasiam).

 

Remain ever blessed.

Jesus is Lord!