Sunrise Autumn 2019

AUTUMN 2019

£2.50 Where Sold

The Magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom

PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE:

STOKING FIRES OF REVIVAL ACROSS THE UNITED KINGDOM

FESTIVAL OF LIFE still impacting the Nation MIDLANDS & NORTH OF ENGLAND

AND THE NATION

- PASTOR AGU IRUKWU

GENERAL OVERSEER

FAITH

COMMUNITY

FAMILY

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FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE

W

Choices

e all make them everyday. Choices, that is.

Your decision to stop and read this piece is a choice, one that I hope is a good and profitable one. It is what makes us human, a manifest demonstration of the grace and goodness of God to us all. Apart from the choice made by most of our parents to have us, the responsibility for most of the rest of our lives lies with us. Our lives are determined by the choices we make. Daily. Weekly.

Monthly. Yearly. You are what you choose to do.

Seeing the vital impact which choices have on our lives – past, present and future – perhaps it is helpful to ask what appears to be a mundane question but is actually a really important reflection: how do we arrive at our choices? How do we decide? What influences our decision-making? Our feelings? Emotions?

Friends? Reason? My sense is that for most, the answer lies somewhere in-between fact and feeling.

Permit me to make one more suggestion: why not add God’s word to the mix?

Personally, one of the guiding principles for living, which I believe the Lord has helped me understand is that it does matter to be spiritual, sensitive and sensible. Put differently, one framework for reaching decisions, especially pivotal ones which will have lasting impact, is to approach such matters with spiritual insight, be very sensitive to what God’s Spirit is saying to you in that situation and be sensible by applying sanctified thinking to doing whatever needs to be done.

A Biblical illustration might help to illustrate the point. The story of humankind’s relationship with God took a nosedive at Eden when the first couple acted

foolishly. The scriptures tell us that Eve’s choice that fateful day led to a hugely costly error: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” (Genesis 3:6). Which food was Eve actually lacking in the garden? It had all been given to her and her husband, except for the tree which God placed out-of-bounds to them. What beauty could that tree have had which would not have comparable rivals in the beautiful garden city of Eden? What wisdom was Eve lacking, when her husband named just about everything in Eden?

It is obvious that Eve became distracted, the more she engaged in conversation with the serpent who was subtly sowing the seed of doubt in her heart about the best intentions of God for her and Adam, with regard to obedience to God’s word. The Devil’s tactics have changed little since Eden. John the Apostle admonishes Christians that the trickery of the serpent in Eden continues till today: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

(1 John 2:16). With hindsight, Eve failed to act with spirituality, sensitivity and sensibility. We do not have to make a similar mistake. Choose life.

• Pastor Modupe Afolabi

is the Editor-in-Chief of Sunrise and Executive Administrator of RCCG Central Office.

Twitter: @MoAfolabi

October 2019

CONTENTS 6

FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER: GOOD NEWS

8

52ND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: PASTOR & PASTOR (MRS) E. A. ADEBOYE

10

EDITORIAL NOTES

11

FOL THEMES SINCE 1996

12

BREXIT AND THE NATION: PASTOR AGU IRUKWU

14

FOL RETURNS TO MANCHESTER

18 THINK ON THESE THINGS 21

RCCG FASTING

22

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

24

ROUTINES: THE POWER OF DAILY HABITS

26

BUSINESS: THE ENTREPRENEUR IN YOU

28

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

30

HOW TO WIN

32

CHAMPIONS

34

PASTOR ADEBOYE AT WILDFIRES FESTIVAL

38

PRAYER LIFE OF A CHURCH PLANTER

40 THE HOUR OF PRAYER 42

EVANGELISM MATTERS

44 THE POTENCY OF FAITH-FILLED WORDS

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46

RELATIONSHIPS: EVERY PROBLEM HAS A SOLUTION

48

MATTERS OF THE HEART

49

JB4

50

DON’T GIVE UP

52

WINTER WARMERS

56

RCCG EVENTS

12

18

34 38

ISSN NO:2042-6542 EDITORIAL BOARD

50

52

The views expressed by contributors to sunrise are not necessarily a reflection of the official doctrinal positions of RCCG.The publisher, editors, contributors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organisation or parties on the basis of reading information, stories or contributions to be found in this publication.

Editor-in-Chief: MODUPE AFOLABI Managing Editor: YINKA ODUWOLE Editor: ANDREA ONDUKU Photographer (RCCG Events): KUSH Designed by: IFE SAMUEL Published by: The Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG), Central Office, United Kingdom facebook.com/rccguk | twitter.com/rccguk youtube.com/rccguk | instagram.com/rccguk

facebook.com/sunrisemagazine twitter.com/sunrisemaguk instagram.com/sunrisemagazineuk Tel: +44 (0) 208 171 1030 Email: info@sunrisemagazine.org Web: www.sunrisemagazine.org www.issuu.com/sunriseuk

All Correspondence to: Sunrise Magazine, RCCG Central Office, Redemption House, Gunnels Wood Park, Gunnels Wood Road Stevenage SG1 2TA

Sunrise Previous Issues: Please read digital version at www.issuu.com/sunriseuk 5 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

GOODNEWS

BY PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

T

here are some people that have been called barren.

The good news is that God says you will not be barren and when Jesus says ‘yes’ nobody can say ‘no’!

Next time somebody looks at you and says, ‘you are barren’, tell them, ‘you are the one saying so, not God because God says I am not barren. Tell them, Physically, I am not barren.

Biologically, I am not barren.

Mentally, I am not barren.

Financially, I am not barren.

Spiritually, I am not barren.

“Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle” (Deuteronomy 7:14-15).

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GENERAL OVERSEER Who said so? God said so!

Everything about Jesus is good news! ⁃ His conception was good news!

When the Angel came to tell His mother that she would have a Son, He told her that the baby she was about to conceive would be great.

(Luke 1:26-33) ⁃ His birth was good news! When He was born, Angels came to announce the birth which they described as good tidings, of great joy (Luke 2:10-11) ⁃ When He was going to be introduced to the public, it was good news! John the Baptist said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world’ (John 1:29). ⁃ When He was going to introduce His ministry to the world, it was good news! (John 2:1-11) ⁃ Before He went to the Cross, He gave good news to the Disciples.

He said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In other words, it doesn’t matter what you are going through, all will be well. ⁃ On the Cross, He gave good news.

He said, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30). ⁃ On the resurrection morning, it was good news (Mathew 28:1-6). ⁃ Before He ascended to heaven, He gave good news. He said that Power is coming (Acts 1:8). ⁃ Even after He ascended, there was good news! In Acts 1:9-11, the Angels told the Disciples that Jesus would return. The good news for every Christian is that Jesus is coming again!

Whatever your situation, know that there is good news for you.  There is good news for the barren 1 Samuel 1:9-20 tells us the story

of Hannah who had been going to Shiloh for years. But one day, as she was praying, the man of God noticed her, and said to her in verse 17, ‘My little girl, don’t weep anymore because your prayers have been answered.’

In Judges 13:1-5, an Angel came to a woman who had been barren for a long time, the wife of Manoah, and the Angel said to her, ‘Not only are you going to conceive but you son will not be ordinary.’

2 Kings 4:8-17 tells us about a wealthy woman who had everything, except a child. When the man of God said to her that she would have a son within a year, she didn’t believe it. Although she didn’t believe it, she still had a son. Likewise, Genesis 18:9-14 tells us of the case of Sarah.

When God told her she would have a son, she laughed because she thought it was too late, but she discovered that with God nothing is impossible.  There is good news for the sick In Mark 5:25-34, the Bible tells us the story of a woman with the issue of blood, who had been sick for several years, and had been transferred from one doctor to another for years and instead of getting better, she got worse. Then she met Jesus Christ and she got her healing!

In Matthew 8:1-3, the Bible tells us about a leper who came to Jesus.

He said, ‘I know you can make me clean, I know you have the power, what I am not sure is whether you will be willing’. Jesus told him that He was willing and healed the man.

John 5:2-9 tells us the story of a man who had been sick for 38 years. He had tried and tried to be the first person to get into the pool of Bethesda to be healed. He tried and failed for 38 years. Then he met the One who is good news, and he had good news. While he was still trying to tell Jesus the story of his problem, of his sickness, Jesus ignored the story and just gave him the solution and said, ‘Be well, get out of this place’.

 There is good news for the poor 1 Kings 17:8-16, there was a widow who had only one meal left. She was destitute but she had a single divine encounter and what was it that she heard? She heard good news that said to her – your poverty ends today.

In 2 Kings 4:1-7, there was the case of another destitute widow.

She was so poor that the creditors wanted to sell her sons. She also had a single divine encounter, and she got good news. In less than 24 hours her debts were paid, and she would never need to borrow again.  There is good news for those in bondage The good news is that they shall be free! John 8:32 says “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” and John 8:36, says “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”.

Luke 13:11-13 tells us about a woman who had been bound by Satan for 18 years. The day that she met Jesus Christ and He said to her, ‘Woman, thou art loosed! She was loosed immediately.  There is good news for the hopeless Ecclesiastes 9:4 says that if you are still breathing, there is hope, as a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Are you still breathing? Then there is hope for you! Let somebody shout hallelujah!!

www.eaadeboye.com @PastorEAAdeboye 7 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

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EDITORIAL NOTES

FRESH FIRE Don Moen

Fresh fire let it fall Send Your Spirit like a O God hear our call rushing wind Send Your Spirit like a We need fresh fire rushing wind We need fresh fire We have left our hearts unguarded We are hungry we are We confess we’ve thirsty walked away Crying out for more of Lord take us back to You where we started Lord we are desperate Where we first found for Your mercy love and grace Let us burn to know Your Light a flame in us now Truth Send Your holy fire down Light a flame in us now Send Your holy fire down Fresh fire let it fall O God hear our call Fresh fire let it fall Send Your Spirit like a Oh God hear our call rushing wind

We need fresh fire More of Your love More of Your power Send a revival We need it now Stir up a fire Let it burn brighter Let the flame burn higher higher higher Fresh fire let it fall O God hear our call Send Your Spirit like a rushing wind We need fresh fire Revive us again

I

believe that the above song lyrics describes our desire for this Festival of Life in Manchester and indeed our lives, churches and nation. When we look all around us, we see people that need a wake-up call, whose hearts need to be stirred and revived. Many need to be jolted out of stagnation and inaction whilst many need to be reminded that God is alive and needs to be worshipped by all. At the moment, the nation seems to be confused, our leaders are confused, and many have become ‘yes men/women’ to the agenda of the enemy. The Almighty God is a God of order and not confusion. 1 Corinthians 14:33 says (KJV) “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace”. He needs to be given His place in this nation for there to be peace and order. Let us cry with one voice for God to send His Fresh Fire upon us and that we will be ready vessels to receive it and spread His fire until this whole nation is burning for Jesus! Remember that 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

As usual this edition of Sunrise is packed with inspiration, encouragement and wisdom that will help you on your journey. When you apply the knowledge within these pages wisely, you will be unstoppable in God’s Kingdom and you will be a tool of revival! Hallelujah!!

• Andrea Onduku Editor

Instagram: @andrea_onduku www.mattersofheart.org.uk

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‘We are asking for God’s purpose, God’s plan and God’s agenda for our nation’ PASTOR AGU IRUKWU

A

s the clock ticks towards the likely exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, there is perhaps understandably, much apprehension in many quarters across the land and in Europe. In such uncertain times, the hearts of many are troubled. Yet, the scriptures teach us to pray, particularly when faced with daunting circumstances. It was, therefore, heartwarming when our UK Chairman Pastor Agu Irukwu sent out a very timely call to prayer for the nation in the days leading to the end of October 2019.

Below is a transcript of his prayerful intervention.

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:

O

n the 31st October at 11 pm if nothing changes, the UK is set to leave the European Union. It has been a very difficult time in the run up to this date for our nation. We have seen more bitterness in our politics; we have seen the nation become more tribal; we have seen extremity rise in various areas of our society.

purpose and God’s will to be done even in the midst of this uncertainty. We have a responsibility. 2 Chronicles 7:14 puts that responsibility on us.

God says, if we will call upon him, if we will turn away from our wicked ways, if we pray to Him, He gives us a guarantee that He will heal the land.

But in the midst of all this seeming confusion, I just want you to know, as you know, that God is in absolute control. And what God will have us do, especially in the next few weeks, is intensify our prayers.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land”.

What are we asking for?

We are asking for His Kingdom to come, for His will do be done. We are asking for the soul of the nation to be healed. We are asking for reconciliation between the various warring groups. We are asking for God’s purpose, God’s plan and God’s agenda for our nation.

This is a time to call upon God. Let’s not shirk our responsibility in the place of prayer. Let’s persevere, let’s push through. Let’s believe that God answers prayer. We have an assurance from him (Jeremiah 33:3). We believe God for great and mighty things in this nation and we have to stand strong in the place of prayer.

I would like to encourage you to pray: pray on your own, pray as families, set a prayer group, and certainly pray as churches. Within the Redeemed Christian Church of God, our pastors and leaders will be mobilizing and galvanising prayer in the run up to this important date in the history of our nation. In the three days running up to 31st October, we will be organising a number of prayer initiatives using technology and gathering physically in places that will be designated for the prayer.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”. “

Please be encouraged, as you press through in this most critical time for our nation. If we pray, God’s will will be done, for we have an assurance from our Father in Heaven that He is listening to our prayers and He will answer our prayers.

We are grateful for the partnership that we have with Christians in Government UK, another group God bless you. of people who is passionate like us for God’s

PASTOR AGU IRUKWU CHAIRMAN RCCG UK

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To the glory of God, FOL again returns to Manchester, with Pastor E. A. Adeboye ministering, along with other ministers of God.

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The Holy Ghost Festival of Life (FOL) is one of Europe’s largest gatherings of Christians for a night of fellowship, praise and prayers.

Hosted by the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E. A. Adeboye since 1996, FOL has since then served as a platform for Christians and non-believers from far and near to experience the mighty power of God. Organised to mirror the monthly RCCG Holy Ghost Services in Lagos, Nigeria, FOL holds biannually and projects a commitment to advancing the Christian faith in the United Kingdom by impacting lives and transforming communities.

FOL is led by people who have: Faith – a belief in God and a commitment to the Bible as His infallible word.

Excellence – a commitment to exceptional practices that lead to exceptional results.

People – a commitment to spiritually impacting people and transforming communities.

Unity – a commitment to building relationships that foster and support a collective purpose.

Generosity –a commitment to giving of our time, talent and treasure to serve God’s Kingdom.

Kingdom Orientation – a commitment to using our resources to serve the body of Christ.

Revival - a belief in God and commitment to seeing revival birthed in the United Kingdom.

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FIND THE

KEY

A

key is mostly an access-control device.

It can also be a couple of other things.

For instance, it could be the solution to a problem, or a symbol of authority such as when the ‘Key’ to a city is symbolically handed over to a deserving person. Whatever their use - practical or symbolic - keys are very important parts of our daily lives.

Yet, one could argue that even as an accesscontrol device, every key is solving a particular problem. By regulating access, they prevent unauthorised admission to something considered valuable and thereby prevent loss or damage. Think of online password keys or hotel room key cards.

So, keys are important. That door you may be trying to open right now will grant access to a particular key. The task before you is to find the right key in order to gain access. All doors to valuable things have very secure locks that require special keys. They cannot be opened by ordinary keys. The more valuable what lies behind a door, the more unique the key will be.

The search for the right keys to the issues we face therefore requires wisdom. God is the source of all wisdom. He knows the solution to that seemingly intractable challenge before you. The Bible famously declares that Jesus of Nazareth has the ‘Keys of David’, thus permitting access to Heaven’s resources for everyone that believes. Jesus also said He is the ‘door’ to a fulfilling relationship with God. Every obstacle we confront must be correctly discerned, with God’s help. After all, legal problems require legal solutions. Health issues require medical remedies. Spiritual matters therefore require divine solutions.

Find the right key to open that door today.

By Dr Yinka Oduwole

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THINK ON THESE THINGS

DESTINY T

Helper s

here are at least three critical parties necessary for success in life. The first of these is God. Whether you are aware of Him or not at this material time does not negate this spiritual reality.

Without Him, we can do nothing of lasting significance. If you do not yet have God in your consciousness, open your mind to Him today. If you already are aware of Him as a Spirit Being, seek to cultivate and deepen that relationship. God is the most important person in your life. He controls the Universe.

The second crucial party to your success is yourself. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Incidentally, that unshakeable Law of Progress is also true for you if you are a woman. Yes, you can smile. Life is good, no matter what it’s dealing to you at the moment. You need a right self-perception to become all God designed you to be. Your soul and mind must come into agreement with God about who you are. You are whoever God says you are. Really? Yes. Read the Bible daily and ask God’s Spirit to show you who you are.

The third party to your ultimate success in life are a select group of persons we can refer to as ‘Helpers of Destiny.’ Destiny

Helpers are those people God programmes into your network, the ones who provide a helping hand on your journey to destiny and fulfilment. Every piece of good literature over the ages recognises their input. They are those helpers in the great stories of print and screen who help the hero or heroine reach their goal. God is so resourceful in this area that even when men, for one reason or the other, are slow to playing their roles as destiny helpers, He can deploy animals (yes, remember the Disney movies?), or wait for this, even your adversaries to help you.

As you read this, why not take a moment to pray and reflect on getting the right alignment among these three critical success factors. Ask, ‘Am I out of sync in any area?’ If so, make adjustments from today. You could even say a prayer right now: ‘O God, connect me to my destiny helpers in Jesus’ name.’

Dr Yinka Oduwole is the Managing Editor of Sunrise and Pastor of The Risen Christ, Knebworth.

Twitter: @YinkaOduwole

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NOVEMBER FAST

FASTING NOVEMBER

1ST - 30TH

30DAYS 10DAYS (NORMAL FAST)

(DRY FAST)

@rccg_pr

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH In the United Kingdom, Black History Month is observed annually throughout the month of October in recognition of the central role of blacks in history.

The contributions that people of Afro-Caribbean and African background have made to the United Kingdom have been celebrated nationwide for nearly 40 years. Below are some facts you probably did not know:

Did you know that?

Ignatius Sancho (1729-1780)

Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)

Ignatius Sancho was a very influential figure in the arts.

Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa.

He was born on a slave ship and was brought to England by his owner as an orphan, where he worked as a butler. However, the man for whom he worked saw how clever he was and supported his creativity. Sancho wrote plays, poetry and music, and eventually ended up setting up his own shop in London, where other creative people like him could meet up.

Aside from his creativity, he is also the first known black British voter. Black people didn’t use to be able to vote when white people could, because they were not treated the same.

When she was a young girl, she was put on board a ship and sent to the US, where she was sold as a slave to a family called the Wheatleys. She was named after that ship the Phillis.

While Phillis was a slave, she was taught to read and write, which was unusual at the time. She wrote her first poem at the age of 14. At the age of 20, she moved to England with her son and within a year, published her first book. This made her the first AfricanAmerican poet to be published, with her first volume of poetry in 1773.

The fact that her writing was so brilliant proved that women who were slaves could have amazing intellectual ideas, when people hadn’t thought that they could, and this contributed towards the anti-slavery movement.

Ignatius Sancho Source: bl.uk Copyright: National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Phillis Wheatley

Source: poetryfoundation.org

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James McCune Smith (1813 – 1865) James McCune Smith was born a slave in New York City. He was the first AfricanAmerican to hold a medical degree and graduated at the top of his class in University of Glasgow. He was also the first AfricanAmerican to practice medicine in USA.

Dianne Abbott (1953 – today) In 1987, Diane Abbott made history by becoming the first black woman ever to be elected to Parliament.

Her career in politics began in 1982, when she was elected to Westminster City Council, before being voted into the House of Commons five years later.

It made her part of the first group of black and Asian people to sit in Parliament for almost a century - but back then, only men got the jobs.

James Mccune Source: nyhistory.org Engraving of James McCune Smith by Patrick H. Reason New-York Historical Society

Lilian Bader (1918 – 2015) Lilian Bader was born in 1918 in Liverpool and went on to become one of the very first black women to join the British Armed Forces.

Dianne Abbott Source: www.theguardian.com Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

Starting out as a canteen assistant at an army base in Yorkshire, she eventually trained as an instrument repairer, before becoming a leading aircraftwoman and soon afterwards earning herself the rank of Corporal.

Sir Learie Constantine (1901-1971)

Three generations of her family served in the armed forces.

This means he was allowed to sit in the House of Lords and take part in important political debates.

When she left the army to have children of her own, she retrained and got a degree from the University of London to become a teacher.

Born in Trinidad, Learie Constantine would go on to become England’s first black peer because of the work that he did for politics and racial equality.

Sir Learie Constantine Source: www.english-heritage.org.uk Copyright: National Portrait Gallery

Lilian Bader Source: blackhistorymonth.org.uk Photo Credit courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

We want to hear from you. Tell us more about black figures who inspire you and what do you feel is the best thing about being black.

E-mail: Communications@rccg.co.uk Source: BBC Website

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ROUTINES THE POWER OF DAILY HABITS Having routines in place can create great habits for us and our children. Routines are incredibly important for children as they grow up and they can be a real lifesaver in your home not only for your children, but also for the parent

I

and for the family.

remember when my first child started school many moons ago, rushing out of the house every morning became a regular occurrence that it got to a point where we had to rethink strategies. One of these strategies was for us to make a list of all our daily activities to help us create some form of order. In other words, having a routine.

Routines form part of our daily lives. They are part of the school day and also a part of our work day as adults, so it only makes sense that we make them a part of our home life also.

Many of us already have our daily routines without really setting them in place. We tend to do the same things in the morning, after school or work and before we go to bed. Having these routines in place makes our lives a lot easier. We do not even need to think about what we do, we just do it, and this is exactly what we want our children to get into the habit of doing. The younger they are, the quicker they will learn and adapt to routines.

Routines should not make us inflexible and robotic, we can still be spontaneous at times but when routines are there, life becomes easier, more organised, less rushed and more relaxed.

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Be sure to set or review routines for the new academic year and ensure that everyone understands what is expected so that everything goes smoothly once school reopens. By setting routines right at the beginning of the school year, you and your child are really aiming to start the school year right.

The Benefits of Routine and How it Makes Life Easier ꞏ When routines are in place, our authority as parents is more respected by the children. By maintaining these routines, it is easier for us to teach our children good habits. They will therefore come to an understanding that there is a routine in place that we must all follow.

• Sometimes our children have that momentary feeling that everything revolves around them. Routines teach our children that life does not revolve around them alone and how they feel at that moment. ꞏ Children are happier when they know what to expect. A more organised and predictable home environment helps children to feel safer and more secure, particularly in stressful times. I know that many of us must repeat the same thing again and again, day in, day out to our children. In the mornings we ask them to get up, get into the bathroom, get dressed, have breakfast… and so it goes on. If these things are written down

“

Children are happier when they know what to expect. A more organised and predictable home environment helps children to feel safer and more secure, particularly in stressful times

to facilitate them. ꞏ Lastly, having routines in place makes surprises more special because you are doing something which is different from the norm, and breaking away from the routine.

What happens when there are no routines?

The consequences of having no routines in place can become evident very quickly: Children can become unruly They will want to do whatever they want, whenever they want. This is when we end in a power struggle with our children. Everything becomes a big deal and parents have to waste a lot of time and energy and by the time you are finished, both yourself and your child are tired. So, to save energy and to have a productive use of your time, have a routine in place.

Children are less likely to listen Children will start to wonder where all your from

requests

because

are coming

they

are

not

expecting them. ‘Why do I have to do this?’ and ‘Why do I have to do it now?’ may become regular

“

and displayed somewhere, after a while, you will not have to keep repeating yourself. Instead, your children will understand that you have an expectation that they will do certain things at certain times, and so all you would need to do is

questions in your household. But if your children know that this is the way it is, this is what needs to be done, and that there is something else to follow on from it, e.g. time to watch TV or to relax, then they are more likely to just get it over and done with.

mornings? What do we do when we

Children become upset and can even get teary

ing, get the pens ready. Different

This can sometimes become quite overwhelming especially when children start to throw tantrums because you have asked them to do something.

There may also be times when your children may ask, ‘Can I do that in 10 minutes?’ And that is fine. We don’t have to be rigid. We can also be flexible with routines, especially when the day has been a bit of a rough day. You can give allowances, but because they know that the routines are there, they will still eventually get on and do it with little fuss.

How to Get the Children On-Board with Their Routines My advice as well as my encouragement to parents would be to go ahead and start to set the routines.

I would encourage parents who haven’t already, to sit down at some point this week and make it into a family activity for the week. Make it fun.

Get lots of coloured paper, coloured pens and just ask your children to brainstorm. What do we do in the

come back from school? What do we do before we go to bed?

Don’t say to them that we’re setting a routine, we’re going to be organised this school year because that could scare them off and make them lose interest. Make it fun, make it excitcolours for different sets of routines, and as a family, come up with all the things you do at particular times, and then draw up a routine.

You can come up with some routines with your child, test these and help them keep to it. You will be surprised the difference it makes to your relationships.

I’d like to conclude by encouraging us to focus on helping our children with setting and keeping to routines.

I once read this - ‘what we repeatedly do, becomes a habit’. Let’s make great habits for ourselves and our children.

In my book, ‘Parents Get Organised: A handy planner’, I give further support on how to set and keep to daily routines and what things to discuss with your child. You can get a copy at: www.sholaalabi.com/book I wish all of our children the very best in this new school year.

Shola Alabi 25 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

DISCOVERING THE Entrepreneur in You

I

love entrepreneurship: the art of starting and running a business for the purpose of making a profit and creating wealth. I hope more Christians can step out in faith to start their own business as God directs them. God is a creator and I believe that as Christians, we have the creative force that will produce great businesses that honour and glorify God. We must however place our devotion to God at the centre of all that we do and ensure that the business opportunities we explore honour God in all aspects.

Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV) says: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today”.

H

ave a Vision and a Plan Genesis 1:1 says: “In the

26 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters”.

God had a clear picture of what He desired from the start but the first thing he created was light.

His ultimate goal was to create man and create an atmosphere for fellowship with man. But God developed a plan which was progressive over the 6 days of creation. The plan ensured that his ultimate goal was realised within a time frame.

If you are going to start or run a business, it is important to define a vision. What do you want to achieve, what kind of company do you want to run? You must also create a progressive plan to get to your vision. It is the reason I recommend developing a business plan because it enables

you think about important elements of your business.

Strategic thinking can often ensure that you are successful in the end.

D

evelop a Godly Mindset

Often there are limiting beliefs and ideas that stop Christians from exploring entrepreneurship or indeed the concept of wealth.

It is important that we reject some of these beliefs. I will mention a few: Money is Evil: This often comes from the scripture about the love of money being the root of all evil in 1 Timothy 6:10. Money is a neutral force like technology, the internet and other tools that are constantly being developed to make our life easier. It is the wrong use of money or the obsession with or love for money that is evil. Godly wealth is an important tool for the expansion of the gospel and money can be

a great blessing in the hands of Christians to people around us.

There are however core principles that will enable us to become effective in affecting those around us positively.

Profit is wrong: Those who promote this refer to Old Testament rules that talk about God being against “usury” the word used in the old testament to signify profit from lending money.

God’s major concern was that the lenders were exploiting the poor and that is why he instituted that after a certain period, such debts had to be cancelled. The parable of talents shared by Christ shows that God desires for us to invest and profit from our earnings if it is reasonable and not exploitative.

We must look at wealth from a positive viewpoint and understand that God wants us to be a model of his goodness. Businesses create jobs and work is encouraged in the scriptures, so I believe Christians are in the best place to model Christ in the workplace and in their enterprise ventures.

B

e Strategic

Strategy is often the recipe for success. It defines what type of business you want to run and where you will pitch your tent. It elevates you from the plain fields to unique heights. Develop a secret recipe that makes your business stand out and that inspires people to want to do business with you.

Be confident of your ability and take pride in your service because people are attracted to that thing that makes your business special, often described as your unique selling point.

Do not be lured into running a business simply because someone else has succeeded in it. Find something that suits you and that compliments your experience, education and skills set. Develop your own unique way of doing things and put your stamp of your idea. If you are a cake designer, create something that your competitors will find difficult

to duplicate. Recognise that God has put in you something special that no one else has. Find that advantage for your business and develop a strategy to make people appreciate that difference.

B

e Diligent

Proverbs 22:29 (KJV) says: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men”.

Diligence is essential for success.

secret “Develop a

recipe that makes your business stand out and that inspires people to want to do business with

you”

Pay attention to every aspect of your business and commit to excellence in the way you treat your customers and your suppliers.

Diligence also means that you refuse to cut corners and you play by the rules. Standing before kings demonstrates that if you run your business well, it will produce honour and recognition that will often fast track you to significance.

S

tay the Course

As an entrepreneur, I will be honest to say that running a business can be extremely challenging, just like any other thing in life. Business success often brings great fulfilment and joy and it is important to stay the course. With a good plan, success will become easier as you go. One of my businesses is a tutoring company that has been running for almost 4 years. This last couple of weeks, without any extra marketing, we have seen a phenomenal rise in enquiries from existing and past tutees. It is becoming a lot easier

business to market because we have stayed the course. Don’t give up easily, perseverance will pay off if you are delivering a consistently good service. The more people get to know you, the more opportunities and success you have.

B

e People Centred

If you are in business, you must make sure that you never take people for granted. Integrity and consistency are important so people can over time trust you to deliver a great service and/or product. Do not take advantage of or exploit people who come to you.

I Corinthians 9:24 (NIV) says: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize”.

In conclusion, remember that you have the spirit of God and all it takes to be outstanding and unique. Invest quality time in improving yourself. If you want to grow a world class company, you must be world class. Your business will never grow bigger that your knowledge and ability. Improve your knowledge, read widely, socialise and network with other successful entrepreneurs. Have a dream that you want to be the best in your sector and work hard to make your business that vision and that dream God has given you.

Let God lead you but importantly also step out in faith and trust God for his help.

You will succeed.

Jonah Ulebor Jonah Ulebor is the Director of Webstrat Consulting a Web Design and Digital Marketing Company Webstrat Consulting. He is also the author of a new book: “Success Not Design” which can be purchased at www. successnotdesign.com. Jonah also runs a blog at www.fullcrush.com and can be reached by email to jonah@webstratconsulting.com

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W

S

OMEN IN LEADERSHIP

ome time ago, God ministered to me that He will use women in these last days, but they will be women who know their place. I enquired what the Lord meant by women who know their place and He responded that they will be women who are in submission to authority and will not usurp authority, women like Deborah (Judges 4) and Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20 & 2 Chronicles 34:22-28). In the case of Deborah, Barak requested that she followed him to battle and she did. It is important to note that verse 10 specifically mentioned that the army was under Barak’s command which meant she only went in order to support Barak not to take over. Similarly, Huldah simply delivered God’s message to the king’s emissaries, she did not build a ministry out of the incident. She was after purpose not prominence.

submitted to the authority of their husbands and to God. They did not use their positions as Prophetesses as a licence to step out of line. They knew their places and stayed within the boundaries of God’s purpose for their lives.

At critical times in the history of the people of Israel, God could entrust leadership roles to these women because they knew who had the ultimate authority. They were

Jesus is our perfect example of a leader and He can save us because He submitted and subjected himself to human frailty as purposed by God. Hebrews 2:18

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Then the Lord gave me the incident of the Centurion in Matthew 8:513. This man knew his place and recognised the authority of Christ over sickness and diseases. He understood how leadership worked and that made it easy for him to submit to Christ’s authority.

The Lord said to me that figuratively, the woman is like the Centurion.

She has authority but she is also under authority and unless she understands and submits to the authority over her, she will not be able to lead effectively in whatever sphere God has called her to. The truth of the matter is, if you don’t serve well, you won’t lead well.

says: “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

Beloved, you cannot take people to where you have never been.

Again, the Bible says in Philippians 2:7-9 (NKJV) “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,” For Jesus, it was not about position, it was about purpose. The pathway to receiving the crown is through the cross.

When we look closely at the lives of Eve and Miriam, we will notice that they did not stay in their places. Consequently, they lost their authority - Eve was banished from the garden forever and Miriam ended up with leprosy till she died. With the benefit of hindsight, knowing how the devil targets the weakest link in a team, we realise now that the devil knew what he was

doing when he went to Eve rather than Adam. Remember, Adam was the one that God instructed directly not to eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, not Eve. She could have consulted her husband, Adam but she chose not to. The devil knew he could not deceive Adam because he was sure of God’s instruction and 1 Timothy 2:14 corroborates this when it said, “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into sin.” My point is that God has placed us under authority for a reason so let us stay there and function accordingly.

This does not mean only married women can be in leadership, for unmarried women, God has placed you also under authority such as your pastors and if you are unsure, then seek the Lord and let Him guide you. God instituted order in the Body of Christ, we are the ones who need to align ourselves to fit into His order.

As I observe more and more women coming to prominence now, both in the church and in the society at large, I realise what a great opportunity and responsibility has been given to us. Women will need to stay fully and rightly connected to God and maintain their submission under whatever authority God has placed them in order to fulfil God’s agenda and purpose. It is not about position rather, it is about purpose. Therefore, it is not the time to be frivolous and live carelessly. The way up in God’s kingdom, is down. The Bible says, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” – James 4:6. Jeremiah 9:24 also says, “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the

earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!”

It is those who know their God that shall do exploits. We must do things God’s way and not our way or else we will miss the plot. We may receive people’s applause but not God’s approval.

“I have come to discover that you don’t have to be at the helm of affairs to wield great power and influence, you just need to know your place in God’s plan”.

What women also need to understand is that one doesn’t have to be prominent to be powerful, but you need to be rightly placed. Take the example of two other women in the scriptures - Acsah, the daughter of Caleb (Joshua 15:16-20, Judges 1:12-16) and Jael, Heber’s wife (Judges 4:17-23). Both women were just wives, but they were wise women who stayed in their place but recognised their power and influence and used it for great exploits.

Also, it is God who determines the scope and sphere of our leadership.

Deborah and Jael couldn’t be more different in their leadership roles, but both served the purpose of God for their lives. Some of us are called to lead a large crowd while some just a few. What matters is fulfilling the will of God and not seeking our own interests. Success is not measured by how many accolades one receives but how much of life’s purpose (as designed by God) has been achieved.

It is also important to note that we all lead at various seasons and levels as purposed by God. This was what Saul refused and failed

to understand and it cost his family the dynasty of rulership including his life and the life of his sons.

By God’s grace, I have come to discover that you don’t have to be at the helm of affairs to wield great power and influence, you just need to know your place in God’s plan. Good examples of this are Joseph and Daniel. They both rose to prominence, but they were under authority. They were put in charge of many things, but they were not the overall boss, the buck did not stop with them. Daniel even served under a hostile environment because the other non-Jewish leaders were jealous of him, yet he excelled.

Beloved, you don’t have to be the number one person to be a leader or for you to be able to lead; what is needful is for you to discover your purpose in God and as you walk in it, you will become established and then an influence in the sphere that God has placed you. It is sad that many miss the opportunity to be developed by God because they are waiting to be discovered and launched into leadership. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his (God’s) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Discover your place in God and walk in it.

It is my firm belief that as we align ourselves with God’s plan, we will discover our place and purpose in Him and do great exploits. It is my prayer that at the end of it all we will hear, “well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter now into the joy of thy Lord.”

Morin Carew

www.rightimpressions.org.uk

https://rightlyrepresentingchrist.blogspot.com 29 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

“ HOW TO WIN

Integrity means doing what we say will do and doing it to a standard of holiness and righteousness

Of course, this is relevant in sport, but I like it because it let’s us know that to win is something you do. It is a target you smash, a goal you reach. To be a winner is not passive and no matter how many times you have failed, you as a person cannot be defined as a loser because each activity gives you a new chance to win. Below are some tips that will help you to win in your next assignment.

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1. Stand strong in the face of persecution In Acts 6-7 we read about a great man called Stephen. He wasn’t one of the Apostles. He was selected to help serve food to the widows so that the Apostles could spend more time in prayer. He didn’t seem insulted by this. He was selected because he was deemed to be someone of wisdom and faith who was full of the Holy Spirt. Even though he was basically a food server to widows, he performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. I imagine lines of widows turning up to receive their food but

“

T

here are many definitions of the word ‘winner’ but what that I like a lot is from the Cambridge dictionary. Winner - a goal or shot that wins a match or point.

in addition to being given food, blind eyes were being healed and the lame were walking.

Could this be you or you are waiting to be married or waiting until you have a ministerial title or a level of education?

Anytime someone is enthusiastic for God, next thing, persecution comes.

Some men from the synagogue started to debate with Stephen but found that they couldn’t beat his wisdom. If we translate this into today’s setting, some people in the church were jealous of what Stephen was doing and tried to bring him down

a peg or two. When that didn’t work, they decided to make up lies about him.

how can we be used by Him?

Of course, they didn’t do the dirty work themselves but instead persuaded others to do it for them, to say that Stephen had blasphemed against Moses and God. This got Stephen arrested. Rather than fight, he preached a sermon to his accusers.

Galatians 1:1 says “This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead”.

He stood strong despite the persecution. As a result, the Heavens opened, and he saw the Glory of God! He even asked God to forgive his killers before he died!

We would have respected Stephen for not denying God, but he went the extra mile and preached to his accusers.

How was he able to stay so strong?

He was full of the Holy Spirit and Power.

As soon as we are not full of the Spirit, if we are empty, we will flounder. He knew that death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a person, eternal separation from God is.

You are never a loser with God. Even in the face of persecution, you are a winner in God. 2. Go where God sends you Being in the will of God is a sure-fire way of being a winner. This means going where God sends you. In Acts 9:1-19 we read how Saul who had been persecuting and killing Christians, encountered God powerfully on the Road to Damascus. Just after this, God told a man called Ananias that he should go and lay hands on Saul so that his sight would return. Ananias was horrified and even argued with God because he was afraid of what Saul would do to him! But in the end, he obeyed and was used powerfully by God to restore Saul’s (now Paul) sight and baptise him. If you have been blessed at all by Paul’s writings, then you owe thanks to Ananias for his obedience!

I am sure he never knew that his actions would have had such an impact on future generations.

Think of your biggest physical enemy, now picture God asking you to go and minister to the person, what would you say?

Being a winner is to be used by God but if we don’t go where He sends us then

3. Exercise your authority

If the people around you witness you continually walking in defeat, overwhelmed by your circumstances, discouraged and angry with yourself and others, will they want what you have? If you can’t claim authority over your own life, why would they allow you to tell them how to claim authority over their own issues?

On the other hand, if people see you are generous, encouraged, energised, joyful despite difficult circumstances and peaceful, they will get the impression that you have something that they want.

When you exercise the authority that Christ has given you, your lifestyle becomes irresistible to others.

4. Swim against the tide 1 Peter 4:1 says “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin”. Vs 4-5 says, “Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you.

But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead”.

Swimming against the current is extremely difficult. In this instance it means leaving our past behind and not doing the sinful things that everyone else insists is ‘normal’. Without a rock to hold onto, we would float away which is why we must cling to Jesus. Swimming against the tide in an unrighteous world is hard but don’t give up and go with the flow. God is a steady immovable rock, cling to Him. 5. Model Integrity Titus 2:7-8 says, “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8 Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized.

Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us”.

Jude 1: 3-4 says “Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4 I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives.

The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ”.

Integrity means doing what we say will do and doing it to a standard of holiness and righteousness. Rather than waste our energy throwing stones at those who lack integrity, let us invest energy into modelling it and praising others who do the same.

6. Be emotionally stable Many of us will have heard about IQ which stands for Intelligence Quotient and it measures intellectual ability.

There is also EQ which stands for Emotional Quotient. EQ measures the ability of a person to control their emotions and manage their anger and actions so that they don’t destroy the things they have invested in. To be a winner we cannot be controlled by our emotions. Neither can we be prone to emotional outbursts and temper tantrums. Rather, we must be emotionally stable so that we will be successful.

Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare”. Also, Ephesians 4:26 says, “And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry”.

Remember that you have a choice when to be silent. If you know that you will speak unwisely because of heightened emotions, then it is better for you to refrain from talking at that time. Additionally, have an understanding of who you are and whose you are. This should put your emotions into perspective.

Andrea Onduku

31 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

Champions, Record Breakers and Trail Blazers

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s a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ, it is important to understand that our divine potential can be likened to potential energy or kinetic energy.

When potential is dormant there is a failure of realization or under performance with respect to our God-given capacity. Every true child of God has the capacity to operate as a champion, record breaker and trail blazer.

A champion is defined as one who shows marked superiority, who battles for the honour of another, is a militant advocate or defender and warrior or a fighter (Merriam-Webster dictionary). A record breaker is a person who achieves a better result or a higher level than has ever been achieved before (The Oxford Learners’ dictionary). A trail blazer is a person who is a leader in a field, especially one who does something before anyone else does (Collins dictionary).

If you desire to be a champion, record breaker and trail blazer, there are certain spiritual laws that you will need to follow.

1.

The Law of Love –We must love God deeply and passionately. It is this love depth that sets us apart in our walk with God and this will eventually turn you into a wonder or an extraordinary expression of God’s grace. In 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him”.

is key because it produces spiritual strength and the required inspiration to do exploits.

The holder of Divine secrets will make you a star. Divine ideas are obtained via a concerted study of the word. The revelations of scripture keep believers ahead of their contemporaries when properly accessed and applied. In Psalms 119:130 says, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”.

3.

The Law of Prayer – “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing” (Martin Luther King Jr).

Prayer must be your nature because without prayer you can’t achieve much. In the place of prayer, you can exchange your weakness for God’s strength (2 Chronicles 14:11) Every victory comes from God and prayer is vital.

4.

The Law of Vision – without vision it is impossible to do extraordinary things. Vision allows you to see things before they are accomplished (Jeremiah 1:11-12). Vision gets the dreams started. Emmitt Smith said that “dreaming, employs your God-given imagination to reinforce the vision. Both are part of something I believe is absolutely necessary to building the life of a champion, a winner, a person of high character who is consistently at the top of whatever game he or she is in”. Habakkuk 2:2-3 tells us that we must write down our vision so that we can run with it and it will come to pass at the appointed time.

2. The Law of the Word – The word of God 5. The Law of Planning – Anyone who fails 32 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

to plan is planning to fail. A plan is a documented course of action. People who plan are people who accomplish a lot. It is impossible to win and achieve great feats without a plan.

Jesus spoke clearly about planning.

In Luke 14:28 he said, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Planning begins with sitting down to thoughtfully document a course of action. Planning saves time during implementation and it also makes the process of implementation seamless and efficient.

6. The Law of Purpose – When the

purpose of a thing is unknown, then abuse is inevitable. Purpose refers to the reason for existence. The ideals of functioning require that purpose is known. You must understand and walk in your purpose to achieve mindblowing feats. Success is much easier when you walk in your natural estate (your purpose). According to Rick Warren, “the greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose”.

7. The Law of Focus – Focus is key

to our progress as true champions.

Focus begins with identifying your destination and pathway, it also involves eliminating every other competing interest and investing all your energy in your identified assignment. The Bible records in Proverbs 4:25 “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.” Keeping your eyes on the goal increases our chances of hitting the target and making indelible marks on the sands of time. Ralph Marston stated that “the direction of your focus is the direction your life will move. Let yourself move toward what is good, valuable, strong and true.”

8.

The Law of Passion – Passion refers to a burning love and zeal for what one does. We must get to the point where we have a deep passion for our assignment. The Bible speaks about passion in Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as

to the Lord, and not unto men.” You can never be truly successful in any endeavor without a great passion for it.

9.

The Law of Integrity – Integrity refers to the quality of being absolutely honest and applying sound moral principles in all you do. Men and women of integrity are in very high demand in every sphere of life and human endeavour. Those around the prophet Samuel were able to testify “Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand” (1 Samuel 12:4) Bob Marley said “the greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.”

10.

The Law of Diligence – Diligence is defined as careful and persistent work or effort (Lexicon Dictionary). Our work must be both careful and persistent. Proverbs 12:24 says “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.” And in Proverbs 22:29 we are also told: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean [men].” Note also that Miguel de Cervantes stated that “diligence is the mother of good fortune, and idleness, its opposite, never brought a man to the goal of any of his best wishes.” There is no substitute to diligence in the pursuit of a glorious destiny. To become a true champion diligence is a must.

11.

The Law of Discipline – In today’s world there are a lot of distractions. These distractions could be internal – like our appetites and desires; they could also be external like social media and other activities.

The distinguishing factor is discipline.

Discipline is defined as the ability to carry out a required task whether we feel like doing it or not. It was Harvey Mackay who said, “It doesn’t matter whether you are pursuing success in business, sports, the arts, or life in general: The bridge between wishing and accomplishing is discipline.”

One of the men of old that moved the frontiers of the gospel beyond previous bounds was Paul the Apostle.

He stated in 1 Corinthians 9:25, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things...” Discipline is key to exceptional and striking accomplishments.

12.

The Law of Courage – Courage is not the absence of fear, rather it is the ability to keep moving on despite fear. True champions are very courageous. A trailblazer must be extraordinarily courageous because he or she would tread paths that have never been trodden in the past. Nelson Madela said “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”In his farewell speech, Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 31:6 –“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

13.

The Law of Perseverance – The quality of not giving up easily is called perseverance. Those who give up easily may never accomplish great feats in life. Those who give up deny themselves the experience of reaching great heights. Persistence makes us continue in the hope of success and even when success seems elusive we stick to it until we seize it.

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did” (Newt Gingrich).

This means that those who persevere continue despite tiredness. They have a way of re-motivating themselves even after they have been demotivated.

Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

It is time for believers to rise up, engage these laws and obtain results that would shake our generation.

Dr. Obasi Odefa 33 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

Pastor Adeboye at Wildfires Festival:

Stoking Fires of Revival across the UK

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traw and fire. One can’t escape the imagery, even if that is your desire. The spiritual metaphor stares one squarely in the face, wherever you turn. The symbolism of being surrounded by square, straw bales scattered across a huge tent in the striking, West Sussex countryside sets one’s heart racing, given that this gathering of about 3,000 are awaiting just one thing: fire!

Of course, it’s a spiritual fire they yearn for, the kind that strangely warms the hearts of men, women and children, quenching a need within the soul. It’s a fire many travel in search of, far and near, to be deeply warmed by.

From all indications, it’s going to be a great night and expectations are very high indeed, as participants at the Wildfires Festival look forward with barelycontained excitement to welcoming their conference guest speaker Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and a widely-acclaimed apostolic father to the nations.

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The 3-day camping festival which brings together between 2,000 – 3,000 people of all ages, with a heavy family presence, is taking place from the 27th to 29th May 2019 at the historic Wiston Estate in West Sussex and Pastor Adeboye is speaking in the middle of the programme on the 28th. Launched in 2018 as a joint adventure between 24/7 Prayer, Worship Central, Pioneer, Fusion, Big Church Day Out and Tearfund, the theme for the 2019 Wildfires gathering is REVIVAL: it could not have been more apt.

With attendees drawn from different church denominations and faith expressions, they are all united at Wildfires by a common hunger: revival! Their expectations are not misplaced, as the spirituallycharged atmosphere goes up a notch when Pastor Adeboye makes his modest entry. Building on the warmest of welcomes from festival hosts Mike Andrea who is the Lead Coordinator and Overseer of Wildfires Festival and his wife Stella who together lead Global Generation Church, the Chairman of RCCG in the United Kingdom Pastor Agu Irukwu also formally welcomes Pastor Adeboye.

Hearts are deeply stirred by the Spirit of God as Pastor Adeboye shares a passionate, evangelical message about the need for Christians to be revived by the fire of Holy Spirit, as a precursor for revival in the United Kingdom.

When it is time for prayer, the huge tent is saturated with such spiritual energy, that hardly anyone is left in doubt that there has indeed been a divine visitation this evening, with sparks of conviction fanned into flames.

As Pastor Adeboye makes his quiet departure, after leading so many in prayers for a fresh impartation of God’s empowering fire upon their lives, one can only give the glory to God for such a blessing from the Holy Spirit. The prayer is that this fire of revival that has begun to burn in hearts will speedily sweep through the nation in Jesus’ name. Wildfires 2020 will hold from 25th – 27th May 2020.

By Yinka Oduwole

www.wildfiresfestival.com Instagram: @Wildfires_festival Twitter: @wildfiresfest

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THE PRAYER LIFE OF A

Church Planter T he Bible that the realm we controlled spiritual realm.

tells us physical live in is by the

Daniel 10:12-13 says: “Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia”.

THE BEGINNING The Bible gives us an account of what happened in heaven before the fall of Satan.

Revelation 12:7-9, 12 says: “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who

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leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him…Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

The devil is called the god of this world and his activity is to blind the minds of unbelievers.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says: “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God”.

Satan is the major influencer of the ideas, opinions, hopes and views of the majority of people. He has a major influence on the world’s education and financial sector. The thoughts, ideas, and false religions of the world are under his control which all spring up from his resources, lies and deceptions.

John 8:44 says: “you belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”.

SPIRITUAL MAPPING Spiritual mapping is understanding the forces in operation and the

events in the spiritual domain (realm) that manifest in the material world.

Through spiritual mapping we learn to see things as they truly are and not simply as they appear to be.

For a church planter to succeed in his or her mission, they must learn to see whatever community they are engaging with as it really is (spiritually) and not as it appears to be (physically).

Knowing that the devil is the master of deception, the church planter must also know that the strong man in the community must first be bound in other for the community to be set free.

Ephesians 6:12 says: “for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.

WHY A CHURCH PLANTER MUST PRAY 1. It is only in the place of prayer that a church planter will find out which community the Lord has called them to. Acts 16:9-10 says: “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them”.

2. It is only in the place of prayer the church planter will find out the purpose and the mission (vision)

For a church planter to succeed in his or her mission, they must learn to see whatever community they are engaging with as it really is (spiritually) and not as it appears to be (physically)

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prayer

of their assignment community

to

the

Example: Moses Exodus 3:10 – “Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Exodus 12b – “when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain” Exodus 3:17 - “and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”

3. Its only in the place of prayer that the church planter would be able to find out the spiritual atmosphere and climate of the area / community and deal with it appropriately.

Example: The city of Jericho was cursed Joshua 6:26-27 – “Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”

A man named Hiel laid the foundation of the city at a much later date at the loss of his two children because of the curse on the land.

1 Kings 16:34 – “In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the LORD, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun”.

the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the water is bad, and the ground barren.”

The curse on the city is dealt with 2 Kings 2:20-21 – “And he said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it. So, they brought it to him. Then he went out to the source of the water, and cast in the salt there, and said, “Thus says the LORD: ‘I have healed this water; from it there shall be no more death or barrenness.’”

4. In the place of prayer the church planter locates destiny helpers.

Luke 6:12-13 – “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles”: Acts 18:9-10 – “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”

5. It is also in the place of prayer that the church planter receives power for the assignment given him for the community.

Acts 1:8 – “but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

6. It is in the place of prayer that the enemy is bound and the community is set free.

The city of Jericho, still under the curse

Mark 3:27 – “Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house”.

2 Kings 2:19 – “Then the men of the city said to Elisha, “Please notice,

7. It is in the place of prayer that great effective doors for

evangelising opened

communities

are

1 Corinthians 16:9 – “for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

8. It is in the place of prayer the church planter wins the battle of the community.

Exodus 17:8-9 – “now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim, Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”

Exodus 17:11,13 “and so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed…

So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword”.

9.

Deep Intercessions for communities are gained in the place of prayer by the church planter.

Numbers 14:19-20 – “Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word”.

10. In the place of prayer God speaks mysteries to the church planter about His assignment for the community.

Revelations 4:1 – “after these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

Pastor Ken Sakutu

Director of RCCG Uk School of Prayer

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The ofHour Prayer Pray without ceasing and do not cease the prayer of seasons.

F

anny Cosby left us an undying evergreen hymn which always resonates an awakening clause to the soul - “O the pure delight of a single hour that before thy throne I spend, when I kneel in prayer… I commune as friend with friend’’

What then happened to the season of prayers observed in the early days after Pentecost?

The ever-potent admonition of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - “Pray without ceasing” means we are to pray nonstop; and by extension means to pray in season and out of season.

We can deductively but delicately conclude that the 3pm prayer watch is for dealing with lameness. Perhaps if we utilized this hour of prayer, we could soon bid goodbye to all the

We are told the Apostles cultivated a routine called ‘the hour of prayer’.

The exact timing of these hours of prayer is not always mentioned but the resultant effects of this habit is This hymn describes the prayer abundantly evident in scriptures. routine cultivated by the early church which was a way of making One example is listed in Acts 3 which prayers ‘’the key of the day and the paints the vivid picture of a certain lock of the night’’ (George Herbert). man who was at a gate called Outstandingly, many orthodox Beautiful at ‘The hour of prayer’ which churches around the world have in this case was 3pm. It was at this sustained this routine of set hours of time that “his ankle bones received prayer but not a lot of this practice strength” and before the end of the can be found in more recent church hour he could be seen “walking, and leaping, and praising God.” plants and denominations.

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We have been instructed to pray without ceasing but not to ditch the hours of prayer

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‘lameness’ lurking in and around our matter of necessity. As Christians health, finances, marriages etc. we must not take these practices for granted or look at them as outdated We find another prayer watch at religious practices. Whilst we can 12am in Acts 16:25. Two imprisoned pray at any and all times, there are gentlemen “sang praises unto God: specific watches of the day that we and the prisoners heard them.’’ This should stop and pray, and we will hour produced a sudden drama see miraculous manifestations. of earthquake and commotion, because ‘’then, without warning, Christian theology also let us know a huge earthquake! The jailhouse that the early Christians and even tottered, every door flew open, all the Jesus Christ prayed around these prisoners were loose.’’ It is interesting specific times - 12am (Acts 16:25), to read further that ‘’Startled from 3am (Acts 3:1), 6am (Mark 6:48-50), sleep, the jailer saw all the doors 9am(Acts 2:15), 12pm (Acts 10:9), swinging loose on their hinges”. I 3pm(Acts 10:30) and 6pm (Matthew am tempted to conclude that the 14:23), 9pm (Luke 12:7-38) David 12am prayer watch specialises in also told us that he prayed seven creating a dramatic intervention of times a day (Psalm 119:164) the supernatural. Might it be that if we prayed at the same hour, we can We have been instructed to pray experience a dramatic intervention without ceasing but not to ditch the in circumstances that seem to chain hours of prayer. and tie us down in everyday life? No wonder Jesus said, “My house This may well be the remedy for was designated a house of prayer” those jailed and imprisoned with evil (Mark 11:17) The church is not and unstoppable habits and vices of meant to be a rentable hall for smoking, binge eating, pornography, events, conferences and parties as homosexuality, gambling, sexual is now modern practice. We are too perversion and allied situations that busy to pray and have now put our seem to imprison men and women prayer rooms out on sale. in our contemporary time.

What a beauty it will be if the liturgy For brevity of page we cannot of the hours can return to our homes, consider other interesting accounts churches and businesses; just like of the results of ‘the hour of prayer’ the days of Pentecost, we might be but we must realise that this welcoming a new revival in the land. phenomenon is still very important, so much so that a certain other religion has adopted and adapted Oladoke Oke their own version of the liturgy of the hours and prays 5 times a day as a Oladoke.oke@gmail.com 41 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

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EVANGELISM MATTERS

he importance of evangelism to God’s Kingdom and how to carry it out fruitfully continues to form the foundation of our evangelism strategy. Hence, RCCG UK has put tremendous effort into utilising every opportunity to enable culturally-appropriate evangelism throughout the mission, as we also resource those called into the evangelism ministry in RCCG parishes.

We have successfully built relationships with established evangelism ministries and supported vibrant evangelism initiatives. Our hope and prayer is that the Church of God in the UK will continue to work in peace and unity and will yield a great harvest for the Kingdom.

Gospel Grenades Ministry

Last August, RCCG UK Central Office hosted one of our ministry partners – Evangelist Andrew Canon of Gospel Grenades Ministry - at Redemption House, Stevenage. Accompanied by his wife, Evangelist Andrew shared his heart for witnessing to people. His coming-to-faith story was a testimony to the mercy of God and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

www.gospelgrenades.com In 2020, a collaboration with Gospel Grenades Ministry is being planned which will enable Evangelist Andrew to hold Evangelism Training Days with RCCG Parishes across the United Kingdom. Watch this space!

The Turning

Rev Yinka Oyekan of ‘The Turning’ shared this praise report on Facebook a few hours after the mass street evangelism in London on Saturday 28th September 2019 to launch ‘The Turning London’: “1144 responses to Christ in seven hours of outreach. Thanks be to God for a successful launch of the turning mission to London. Thousands of lives have been touched in just seven hours of outreach on the streets of London. Thanks to all the leaders and the churches involved in this year’s launch; may the Lord bless our plans for next year.” The mission to London recorded a harvest of souls, to the glory of God. At RCCG UK, we give God the praise for what He is doing through ‘The Turning’ and commend our parishes participating in ‘The Turning’ hubs for disciple-making in the boroughs where our churches are located.

The vision now is to see, over the next three years, every Believer in London equipped to share the Gospel and trained to disciple those who respond. The plan is for denominations and city leaders across London to create multiple hubs in many of the Boroughs. Get involved. www.theturning.eu 42 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

evangelism

TOWARDS ‘ADVANCE 2020’

RCCG is an active partner in ‘Advance 2020’, the inter-denominational evangelism movement that is working to mobilise churches, Christian ministries and individuals to reach the whole of the United Kingdom with the gospel in 2020.

RCCG is collaborating with other major Christian denominations and ministries to promote and stir up the gift of the Evangelist in the United Kingdom (UK) Church and mobilise for a huge year of outreach throughout the UK in 2020. Advance2020 will give churches, ministries and individuals opportunities, encouragement and support to reach the UK with the gospel.

To prepare for the harvest, our Pastors and evangelists were mobilised and supported to attend the ‘Advance Summit’ on Saturday 12th October 2019 at Bethel Convention Centre, West Bromwich, Birmingham. The Summit equipped UK churches to commit to the vision of Advance 2020, dream and plan together for all the ways the UK Church will bring in the harvest in 2020.

Other key partners in Advance 2020 are the Church of England, Evangelical Alliance, The Message Trust, HOPE UK and the Luis Palau Association UK.

www.advance2020.org

AMPLIFY – YOUTH EVANGELISM INITIATIVE

11 to 17-year-olds from RCCG parishes joined their counterparts drawn from various Christian denominations for a transformational weekend retreat at the Whitemoor Lakes, Lichfield in September 2019. ‘Amplify’ is the youth arm of Advance 2020, the evangelistic movement promoting and stirring up the UK Church for a huge harvest of souls in the UK next year.

Amplify exists to mentor a select group of young people in evangelism through a year-long programme. The initiative brings together young people from ages 11 to 18 who are actively living out what it looks like to share their faith by confidently speaking with peers, inviting friends to church, setting up Christian Unions and taking any opportunity to share their faith.

The programme offers opportunities for evangelism in a variety of settings – offering accessible models of what it means to share faith in this contemporary youth culture.

www.advance2020.org/amplify

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The Potency of Faith-Filled Words

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ords have power more than we realize, yet we often speak them as though they are harmless and ordinary.

The words of Eliphaz easily comes to mind, after the sorrowful and pitiable lamentations of his friend Job concerning the afflictions that have befallen him. He says, “When someone stumbled, weak and tired, your words encouraged him to stand” (Job 4:4). Simply, Eliphaz was reminding Job, his friend, that his words have stood men on their feet. Therefore, he should not undo the potency of his words due to what he is going through at the time.

We must make it a habit to speak not just words but the Word of God at every instance. Joshua 1:8 says “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth…” We must consciously meditate on the Word of God and speak it into every situation we encounter and believe God for the expected favourable results.

In this discourse, let’s look at some few aspects of the potency of faith-filled words: i. Pay attention to your words: It is not just the words of others that matter but what you speak yourself. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) says “The tongue has the power of life and death”. Your words have power, either for life or death. They can be used to build others up or tear them down. A fire that is not dealt with will double in size every minute. Therefore, we must frugally, choose our words in every circumstance of life.

Job 4:4 (NLT) says “Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees.” Always speak faith-filled words. 1 Peter 1:23 admonishes that the word of God lives and abides forever. What you say comes from the abundance of the heart. Luke 6:45 says “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out 44 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

is power “There in words and

greater power in words filled with faith.

Words can knock you down, put you down or put you on your feet

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The Message Translation narrates Job 4:1-6 this way. “Then Eliphaz from Teman spoke up: “Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it’s hard to keep quiet. You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit. Your words have put stumbling people on their feet, put fresh hope in people about to collapse. But now you’re the one in trouble— you’re hurting! You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow. But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now?

Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope?”

of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks”. ii. Faith-filled words have creative abilities: You can create or kill by your words. Matthew 12:36-37 says, “But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Idle words are non-productive words that you speak but don’t really mean or believe. For example, you might say, “I’m sick and tired of this situation ....” You really don’t mean you’re sick, but you say it anyway to describe your condition.

Andrew Womack says that, “every time you say things that you don’t really mean, it begins to numb your heart. Unconsciously, each idle word is making it just a little bit harder to believe what you say will actually come to pass when you mean it and it really counts”. In Romans 1:17 the apostle Paul makes the following statement, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” Let’s quickly look at what was said concerning Paul and Barnabas in Lystra while they were preaching the Word of God. “... they were preaching the gospel there.

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.” (Acts 14:7– 10).

The man had faith to be healed through hearing Paul speak. Paul said, “Stand up straight on your feet” and there was a miracle. Let’s always speak words of faith and afflictions are bound to disappear. iii. Faith-filled words change the natural world: Yehuda Berg said that “words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of

encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble”. Andrea Gardner’s book ‘Change Your Words, Change Your World” brings to the fore the fact that an individual can harness the power of words to grow his or her human endeavour. God created everything by words. Genesis 1:3 says “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” Simply, there is a transformation power attached to words.

If we want to start seeing the power of God manifest in our lives, we just must be conscious with our words.

Jesus certainly understood the power of words, and He used them to change the natural things around him. Mark 11:13-14 and 20-24 we read about how He came across a fig tree and seeing no fruit on it, he cursed the tree and said, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” and to Peter’s surprise he later pointed out to Jesus that the fig tree had indeed withered. Peter may have been surprised at the fate of the fig tree, but Jesus too was amazed at Peter’s surprise because He expected Peter to have more faith. Jesus went on to explain that faith filled Words can even move a mountain! Hallelujah! iv.

Faith-filled words creates miracles: The word of God has unlimited power. Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had

by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Words are the parent force for miracles. Words have authority. As earlier stated, everything we see will respond to faith-filled words.

In Matthew 8:8, the centurion in responding to Jesus Christ said, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

He knew the power of faith-filled words. The Bible records that “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I

say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! ... 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.” Matthew 8:10-13 (NKJV). v. Faith-filled words pleases God: Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” You may ask, how does faith come? First, God has given to every believer a measure of faith (Romans 12:3). In addition, Romans 10:17 says, “... faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (NKJV). The same way faith for salvation comes by hearing and believing God’s Word, so comes faith for healing.

We can see this in the case of the woman with the issue of blood that said if only she can touch the hem of the garment of the Lord she will be healed (Luke 8:43-48). Another was the Syrophoenician woman that said, even dogs can eat from the crumbs of the Master (Mark 7:24-37). By this act of faith, she also received her testimony. In the Old Testament, we have the case of the Shunammite Woman. After being blessed with a child through the Man of God Elisha, the child died. She decided to go and meet the Man of God so that he could pray for her son to come back to life.

Her husband and the servant of Elisha interrupted her on the way but all she said was ‘it is well’ and she received what she said (2 Kings 4:8-37).

Know that there is power in faith-filled words. Speak it and see situations change for good. A miracle awaits you!

Shalom.

Akpo Onduku

Pastor, Chapel of Grace Bradford.

Twitter: @AkpoOnduku Facebook: Akpo.Onduku

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EVERY Problem has a

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SOLUTION

e live in a day and time that is loaded with problems but hasn’t there always been problems or is that we pay them more attention these days?

What is a problem? I’m sure we could all have a definition, but the dictionary says it is any question or matter that involves doubt, uncertainty or difficulty. It is a perceived gap between the existing state and the desired state, or a deviation from a norm, standard, or status quo. It is a gap between what is and how we would like things to be.

When I counsel people, what often comes up is that their reactions to their personal problems causes conflict in their relationships and marriages.

What I mean specifically is that the way we react to others is usually ‘clouded’ by other circumstances that we are facing. Our worried emotional state can cause us to react in a way that we wouldn’t have if those worries were not there.

Therefore, if we are to deal with conflict in our relationships, perhaps the starting point needs to be resolution of other problems or at the very least, a change in our attitude towards them.

A problem is a problem if you believe it to be a problem. Your perspective matters a lot.

Although many problems turn out to have several solutions (the means to close the gap or correct the deviation), difficulties arise when such means are either not obvious or are not immediately available.

In other words, there is an answer to the problem out there, but for some reason, you either can’t come up with the answer or you don’t have the means to get to the answer. The good news is that there is someone who knows the solution to every problem!

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His name is Jesus! Nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Matthew 28:18 says Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”. Acts 10:36 tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

Sometimes life can seem to be almost out of control. But it’s not. Take hope!

There is a “Lord” who been given “all authority” on this earth as well as in heaven. Let’s look at only a few examples of His Lordship.

Jesus is Lord over sin Even before Jesus was born, the angel announced to Joseph that Jesus would “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). John the Baptist identified Him as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Our sins separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). But as the apostle Peter wrote, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). To all who will believe in Jesus, the message is, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

Romans 6:11-14 says, “So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus”. Guilt can be suffocating and cause all sorts of residual damage in our relationships.

You must believe that Jesus is Lord over sin, you do not need to be trapped by it. He has given you freedom!

repeatedly healed the sick. No one who came to Him in faith for healing was refused. He healed them all!

Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

The apostle Peter wrote: “[Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24, NKJV). He fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, as Matthew wrote in Matthew 8:16-17: “That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick.

17 This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, “He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases.””

So, as you encounter sickness, or diseases, remember the words of Psalm 103:2-3 “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.so beautifully fulfilled centuries later in Jesus: “…forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases” Jesus is Lord over demons

“If we are to deal with conflict in our relationships, perhaps the starting point needs to be resolution of other problems or at the very least, a change in our attitude towards them”.

Jesus is Lord over sickness In His years of ministry on earth, Jesus

In His ministry on earth, Jesus cast out demons from many people. Acts 10:38 tells how “how God anointed [Jesus] with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.”

Part of Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth “was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). Before He returned to heaven, Jesus gave to His followers, to those who believe in Him, authority

relationships

m e can see f i l s e m i t “Some control. f o t u o t s o to be alm t. Take hope! o But it’s n ord” who been a “L on this There is ” y t i r o h l aut given “al ll as in heaven”. we earth as over the devil and his demons. In Mark 16:15-17, Jesus said, “…Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.

But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages”.

Because Jesus overcame the devil at the cross, and because He passed that victory on to us, you can successfully resist the devil’s efforts and strategies against you.

Jesus is Lord over captivity to habits Because of the weakness of our flesh, we can become captive to all kinds of sinful habits. However, a child of God does not need to remain captive for Jesus has set us free! Whatever habit you want to get rid of, however it is affecting your relationships and/or marriage, you only need to lay it down before Jesus. One of the primary reasons Jesus came from heaven to earth, that is, to bring “freedom for the prisoners” (Luke 4:18) Come to Jesus. Be open and sincere, crying out to Him: “Help!” He will give you grace to overcome any habit that has you captive. Remember, Jesus is Lord over all captivities, habits, and addictions of mankind.

Jesus is Lord over depression

To all who battle with depression, Isaiah said that the Lord would “give unto them…a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3, KJV). Praising the Lord is a powerful antidote to depression. When a “spirit of heaviness” tries to overcome you, turn your heart towards Jesus, and begin to praise Him for His goodness, love, and mercy to you.

prophecy brings hope here, too. He says of Jesus, the Saviour to come, that He would “bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1, KJV). That means He will pick up all the pieces of your broken heart and tie them together, allowing your heart to heal! Glory to God!

I read an inspiring story from a Canadian evangelist.

He was conducting a Gospel crusade in Haiti.

One night in the meeting, he saw in the spirit a band of demons surrounding the tent. Rather than let a spiritual heaviness come over the meeting, the evangelist shouted, “Hallelujah!” [which means, “Praise the Lord!”]. He saw the circle of demons back off a step or two. Being inspired by that, he shouted “Hallelujah!” again, and the demons fled back a few steps more.

As he continued to praise the Lord in a loud voice, that circle of demons disappeared into the night. But another circle, a circle of angels, came in and surrounded the tent where the demons had been earlier. Halelujah!

I have mentioned a few major areas covered by the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We have seen that He is Lord over sin, sickness, demons, captivity to habits, depression, broken hearts, and more. Remember (Acts 10:36, NKJV), Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all. Whatever your problem or need, Jesus’ victory in His death, burial, and resurrection is the source of victory for you! Remember, “No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Jesus is Lord over and healer of broken hearts Do you feel that your heart has been so broken in the past that you are struggling in your current relationships or perhaps it is currently being broken more and more each day? Isaiah’s

Jesus is Lord of All! There is nothing that His “all authority” does not cover

Whatever your need is, take it to Him who has all authority in heaven and earth, to Jesus Christ who is Lord of all. Come boldly to His throne of grace to find mercy, grace, and help in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). He will hear and help you! And you in turn will be able to boldly testify, “The Lord is my helper” (Hebrews 13:6).

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MATTERS OF THE ndrea Dear A

Dear Andrea, My husband and I want to start a business together, but friends have been advising us that it is not a good idea for us to work together. They tell us that working together will only cause conflict in our marriage. Do you agree? What should we do?

Thank you for asking this question, it is good to get counsel from different perspectives, but the final and best counsel is always from the Word of God. In this instance we can go to the scriptures to read about a married couple who worked together, in fact they appear to do everything together. Their names are Priscilla and Aquila. Acts 18:1-3 says: “Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla.

They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.” This showed that Priscilla and Aquilla worked together as tentmakers.

It is true that not every couple can work so closely. It takes a mature relationship to work so closely with all the pressure that a job often generates. However, it is possible as we can see from Aquilla and Priscilla.

Perhaps the clue to how they did it is that they walked in unity as one of their names were never mentioned without the other. This means that they were ‘one flesh’ as the Bible instructs us to be in Mark 10:7-8 – “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh”. When a couple are united to the point of being ‘one’ then there is no competition or need to prove yourself right and your spouse wrong.

In addition to working and living together, they also grew spiritually together. Apostle Paul lived with them and so it is likely that they would have gone with him to the Synagogue when he reasoned with the Jews and Greeks, encouraging them to put their faith in Christ.

Acts 18:11 lets us know that Apostle Paul stayed there for 18 months. That would have meant that Priscilla and Aquila were having Bible Study on a regular basis with the great writer of the much of the New Testament!

Herein lies another key to being able to have a strong and mature marriage relationship. Both spouses need to commit to studying the Word and growing in faith individually and together. Go to church together, read a devotional together and pray together.

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HEART

Later Apostle Paul travelled to Ephesus and he took Pricilla and Aquila with him. He left them there as he continued his journey and God used them to counsel and mentor a man named Apollos who went on to do great exploits. Later in Romans 16:3-5, Apostle Paul says, “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house”. This tells us that despite their busy work schedule, they opened their home to host a church.

Herein lies the final key, which is that they served God together.

My advice is that if you can walk in unity, grow spiritually together and serve God together then you will be able to work together, and your business will flourish in Jesus name.

Dear Andrea, What is some practical advice you have for family devotions? We are finding it difficult to be consistent.

Firstly, don’t try to do it alone, there is a lot of useful devotional material out there, here are books, online material and even Apps that you can use. Using Apps might help the children to engage better as they often have short animated videos that discussion can be based around and they even give incentives like online reward badges for completing the devotional or doing it regularly.

Secondly, keep it simple. Doing a really long family devotion for a week and then giving up because it’s too long and it’s too hard to prepare is where many families go wrong. Keep it simple and just commit to doing it regularly and expect that God is going to work much more over a long period of time. Don’t overestimate what you can do in a very short period of time but also don’t underestimate the impact of that short devotional time over the years. When you maintain consistency, you will see that what you have invested will take root and bring forth fruit in all your children’s lives.

Andrea Onduku Send your problems or questions, which will be treated in the strictest confidence, to info@mattersofheart.org

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DON’T GIVE UP! “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses?

And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan”?

Jeremiah 12:5

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he above scripture is a proverbial statement of rebuke from the Lord to Prophet Jeremiah for his impatience in the face of storms, implying that there are greater trials of faith ahead of him.

We live in an age where we have developed a penchant for accomplishing our desires and needs in a short time with just a click from our comfort zones. A generation where things must move ‘fast’ before it can be considered appropriately to be appreciated.

Technological advancement has streamlined our ways of life, making almost everything obtainable at our beck and call. This ‘get it quick’ syndrome has crept into the church of God; the body of Christ. The concept of the ‘waiting period’ seems to be gradually eroding and considered old fashioned. The ‘get it quick’ paradigm does not have a basis in the Scriptures. We need the wisdom of God to be able to simplify the truth of the gospel with a ‘wholistic approach’, balancing scriptures with scriptures to meet the diverse needs of the people of God. Many have become frustrated

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because they are running with ‘half-truths’ that cannot take them anywhere.

In the above scripture, you would wonder why a Prophet of God should deserve such a rebuke from the Lord. Prophet Jeremiah was highly used of the Lord, he was God’s mouth piece to Israel, a man of God. This suggests that anyone can become discouraged and run out of patience. Another man of God in the scriptures that became discouraged was Elijah who pleaded with God to take his life because he couldn’t take it anymore (1 Kings 19:4). There are times when the journey may look so cumbersome and there seems to be no strength to forge ahead. You could be in the ‘waiting period’ in an aspect of your life and it seems the wait is lingering for too long.

You could be holding on to a word from the Lord and you keep wondering when it is going to come to fruition. In our walk with the Lord as believers, there will always be a time when we must go through ‘a waiting period’; a time of preparation, sharpening and pruning to become fit for purpose. The waiting period is never a rosy experience for any believer, it’s

like going through fire and coming out unhurt, because the purpose is not to destroy us in the fire but to refine us to become what he wants us to be. Below are a few hints for consideration as we patiently wait on the Lord.

Fight your own battle: In 2 Chronicles 20:15, the bible says “…for the battle is not yours but God’s”. We often take this scripture to mean that our battles belong to God and therefore, we have no part to play at all. What a fallacy! Jehoshaphat the king in this scripture went to present his case before the Lord. He engaged God to fight the battle for him. God gave him instructions which he followed, and he got the victory. Are you engaging God in the battle of your life? We have a responsibility to take the battle to the Lord in seeking Him in the place of prayer. In seeking Him lies our victory, when you seek Him relentlessly you will find Him. The scripture says that those that seek the Lord should give Him no rest until He establishes and makes you a praise on earth (Isa.62:7).

You don’t have to rely on others to fight your battle. It’s your life, it’s your destiny that is at stake, no one else can give the attention, the sacrifice, the zeal, the passion, that your life deserves. Go the extra mile in seeking the Lord and use every opportunity that comes your way. You don’t have to wait for the church to declare a time of fasting and prayer before you engage in one for yourself. Seeking the Lord could sometimes be hard work, but the Lord is the giver of strength and we must depend on him for strength.

Our God is a still a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. How diligent are you in seeking the Lord?

Know who you are contending with: The bible says, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood…” (Eph. 6:12).

The devil is our arch enemy and he can use anyone to discourage you; your loved ones, your fellow brethren in church, your close friends and associates. We lose focus when we begin to see people as our enemies; as the cause of our predicament. We’ll

need wisdom to relate with people that come our way without necessarily tagging them as our foes. The day you gave your life to Jesus and became a member of the family of God, you have literally drawn a line of battle with the devil who will not relent in contending for your soul. For some of us, our backgrounds have sold us out to the camp of the enemy through diverse covenants made on our behalf in ignorance and when we come to know the Lord, it becomes a tough battle to get loosed from the grip of the enemy (Is. 49:24). We’ll have to contend in battle to see the realities of God’s word being made manifest in our lives because the covenant of life in Christ Jesus supersedes all other covenants.

In our waiting period, he brings all sorts of temptation our way, just to lure us from the path of righteousness so he can unleash his arrows. Your salvation and all that comes with it is what he is after. You will have to make up your mind and be resolute that you will not sell your birth right in exchange for anything he offers as an alternative to waiting patiently on the Lord.

Despising your shame: In Hebrews 12:2 the scripture was speaking concerning Jesus, “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that is set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame…” Jesus despised the shame of the cross. What does it mean to despise your shame? Your challenge could be regarded as a shame; you will not let it stop you from moving ahead.

When you despise it, you make it look as if it does not exist. And what does not exist cannot stop you. Lack should not stop you from fellowshipping with the people of God, it should not stop you from serving the Lord. Apostle Paul in Romans 8: 35 asked a rhetorical question “Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” In verse 37 he says, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. When you despise

your shame, you have conquered it and you become unstoppable.

You have moved from the level of the natural to the supernatural. You become a wonder! People may no longer understand you anymore because your behaviour and actions are beyond natural expectations. You have despised and conquered what was meant to pull you down and keep you in perpetual alienation and sorrowing.

Our God is faithful; we cannot wait on Him in vain. In Hebrew 6:12, the scripture says, “…do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” The Bible is our manual for life. There are numerous examples in the scriptures of those that waited on the Lord and obtained the promise. In our day and in our very eyes, testimonies abound around us of God’s faithfulness in the lives of those that waited on the Him as an encouragement to you and to make the scriptures come alive to you. We are to emulate their faith in God and good works, so we know that we are not alone. God will never abandon His elect; He is mindful of you. You may think you have waited too long but God is never late in His interventions, He will surely come through for you at the right time according to His divine plan and purpose for your life. You will need to focus on Him and deliberately discard all manner of distractions so you can gain strength to persevere.

In Isaiah 40:31, the scripture says “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. You have come a long way with the Lord, you cannot afford to surrender to defeat, you cannot give up now, the journey is still far ahead.

The battle is not over until you win.

You will have to rise and take your place in destiny.

Ekpen Happiness Onasanya 51 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

W I NTER WARM ERS W

e’ve all heard that smoothies are nutritionally good for us, tasty drinks that are packed full of vitamins. What happens though if you’re more of a tea or coffee person, meaning you like hot drinks and not cold, especially in winter? Well here at Sunrise, we’ve found a solution just for you! Below are some winter warm smoothie recipes that can be enjoyed all year round!

Orange Carrot and Ginger Hot Smoothie

juice of 1/2 a lemon

Ingredients

1 tbsp honey

20 g (2.5 tbsp.) dried cranberries

200 ml water just boiled

1/4 tsp cinnamon

50 ml cold water

6 g (1cm) cubed piece of ginger peeled and chopped finely

Instructions ꞏ Add the juice of 1 large orange, the ginger, chopped carrot, lemon juice, honey, 50ml cold water and a splash of the hot water to your smoothie maker or blender.

350 ml just boiled water 1 sweet dessert apple I like to use Jazz apples, chopped Instructions

ꞏ Blend until everything is incorporated. Pour into a cup, stir in the rest of the hot water and serve.

ꞏ Place your dried cranberries, cinnamon and ginger into a cup and add 150ml of boiling water.

Give it a stir and leave to steep for 7-8 minutes.

Cranberry and Apple Hot Smoothie

ꞏ Place the cranberry mix and the chopped apple in your smoothie maker. Add in a splash of cold water if you think the liquid is too warm (see warning above about hot liquids and smoothie makers). ꞏ Blend on high for a minute or two until the cranberries and ginger have been incorporated.

(https://www.kitchensanctuary.com)

ꞏ Pour your smoothie into a cup and mix in the remaining 200ml just boiled water.

Ingredients Juice of 1 large orange 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 large carrot washed and roughly chopped 52 | Sunrise Autumn 2019

(https://www.kitchensanctuary.com)

ꞏ Drink as is, or you can put in the microwave for 30 seconds to heat a little more if required.

healthy living

Oaty Mocha Hot Smoothie

(https://www.kitchensanctuary.com) Ingredients 15 g (0.5oz - about 4 small chunks) dark chocolate, chopped 240 ml (1 cup milk) unsweetened almond milk 1 oz shot of espresso or 1 tsp instant coffee granules mixed with 2 tbsp water

ꞏ Add the dark chocolate to a jug, pour in the milk and the espresso.

Microwave until the mixture is warm and the chocolate has melted (you can do this in a pan if you prefer). ꞏ Place the oats, banana, hazelnuts, chia seeds, maca powder, the water and approx. a fifth of the milk mixture to your smoothie maker or blender. Add in an extra splash of cold water if you think the liquid is too warm (see warning above about hot liquids and smoothie makers). ꞏ Blend on high for a minute until the oats and chia seeds have been completely incorporated. ꞏ Whilst it’s blending, further heat the rest of the milk mixture until hot, but not boiling. ꞏ Pour the blended oat mix into your cup, stir in the milk/chocolate mix and serve.

3 tbsp rolled oats ½ a ripe medium sized banana 8 hazelnuts 1 tsp chia seeds 1 tsp maca powder optional 2 tbsp cold water Instructions

W I NTER WARM ERS

Hot Cinnamon Apple Smoothie

(http://cleancuisine.com) Ingredients 1 organic apple, cored and cut into large chunks (leave the skin on) ¼ cup black or yellow raisins ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons raw pecans Instructions ꞏ Place the apple chunks, raisins, cinnamon, and ¼ cup water in a small saucepan and heat over medium high for about 6 minutes, or until water boils and apples soften. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the apples cool for 2 to 3 minutes ꞏ Add the apple-raisin mixture to a high-speed blender. Add the pecans and ¾ cup warm water.

Process on high for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy.

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RCCG WORKERS’ RALLY JULY 2019

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orkers from all RCCG Churches in the UK assembled for an evening of Worship, Christian Drama, Bible Study, Prayer and the Holy Communion under the leadership of the General Overseer, Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

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rccg events

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FLAME

JULY 2019

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F

lame is the Festival of Life equivalent for the younger generation. This year’s event was held on Thursday 18th July at ExCeL Centre London and was hosted by Pastor E A. Adeboye.

Guests included Nathaniel Bassey, Andy Baker, Faith Child, L27, Social Beingz, Ozichi Omotade, Volney Morgan & New Ye, Emmanuel Smith and the NXGEN Choir.

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FESTIVAL OF LIFE JULY 2019

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he Festival of Life London event is hosted by Pastor E.A. Adeboye at the Excel Centre London and is one of Europe’s largest gatherings of Christians for a night of fellowship, praise, prayers, drama, testimonies and life changing Word, featuring a variety of guest ministers from within RCCG and from the wider body of Christ. More than 40,000 are in attendance annually and thousands more watch online from around the world.

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RCCG UK SPORTS DAY 2019

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his year’s Sports Day took place on Saturday 27th July 2019 at the Crystal Palace National Stadium. It brought together RCCG members from acroos the United Kingdom.

Highlights included: Football and Athletics for all ages, including Relays, Long & High Jump, Shot Put, and much more.

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RCCG UK SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2019

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t was a spiritually-stimulating encounter at the Annual Conference of the RCCG Sunday School Ministry UK from 13th to 14th September held at RCCG House of Praise, Camberwell, London.

Delegates including Pastors, Ministers, Workers, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders and all those involved in ministry of the word from across the regions of Scotland, London, Midlands, Manchester, Northern Ireland, Wales and beyond were addressed by renowned Bible Teacher Brother Gbile Akanni of the Living Seed Ministries, Nigeria.

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BOOKs YOU JUST MUST READ

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THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD

Mandate ° TO MAKE HEAVEN ° TO TAKE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WITH US ° TO HAVE A MEMBER OF THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD IN EVERY FAMILY OF ALL NATIONS ° TO ACCOMPLISH No. 1 ABOVE, HOLINESS WILL BE OUR LIFESTYLE ° TO ACCOMPLISH Nos. 2 & 3 ABOVE, WE WILL PLANT CHURCHES WITHIN FIVE MINUTES WALKING DISTANCE IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND WITHIN FIVE MINUTES DRIVING DISTANCE IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ° WE WILL PURSUE THESE OBJECTIVES UNTIL EVERY NATION IN THE WORLD IS REACHED FOR JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

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