Sunrise october 2015 by Sunrise

AUTUMN 2015 £2.50 Where Sold

PRINCE

F Peace PEACE, BE STILL! - PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

MOUNT CARMEL PRAYER VILLAGE OPENS

PASTOR AGU UNVEILS UK REPORT AT RCCG ANNUAL CONVENTION

AFRICA MISSIONS PROVIDES MEDICAL AID TO NEEDY

THE GENERAL OVERSEER

COMMUNITY

RELATIONSHIPS

FAMILY LIFE

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CONTENTS 4 FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER 6

FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE

EDITORIAL NOTES

MISSION REPORT

10 AFRICA MISSIONS - MEDICAL MISSION FIELD REPORT 12 MOUNT CARMEL PRAYER VILLAGE

OPENS TO THE PUBLIC 14 COVENANT PARTNERS 15 MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT

20 THE 10 INDISPUTABLE QUALITIES ISSN NO: 2042-6542 EDITORIAL BOARD

22 WHEN LAST DID YOU VISIT THE DOCTORS? 27 YOUTH 30 TECHNOLOGY - DARKEST CORNERS ON THE INTERNET 31 WORSHIP - 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WORSHIP LEADERS 32 INTERVIEW - MUYIWA 36 REVIVAL 38 RELATIONSHIPS 42 MATTERS OF THE HEART 44 THE ESSENCE OF BIBLICAL THEOLOGY 46 PARENTS DON’T SWEAT IT !! 48 FINDING YOUR PLACE 52 MANCHESTER WORKERS’ RALLY 54 MANCHESTER FOL

Editor-in-Chief: MODUPE AFOLABI Managing Editor: YINKA ODUWOLE Editor: ANDREA ONDUKU Photography (RCCG Events): KUSH Photographer (RCCG Events): FEMI ONATUGA Designed by: MARLON ADEKOYA & IFE SAMUEL Published by: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Central Office, United Kingdom facebook.com/rccguk twitter.com/rccguk youtube.com/rccguk All correspondence to: Sunrise Magazine, RCCG Central Office, Redemption House, Station Road, Knebworth, SG3 6AT The publisher, editor, 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. Tel: + 44 (0) 208 171 1030 Email: info@sunrisemagazine.org Web: www.sunrisemagazine.org www.issuu.com/sunriseuk

56 SPORTS DAY 58 GOOD WOMEN FELLOWSHIP 60 TEEN & CHILDREN’S WORKERS’ TRAINING 65 RCCG WORKERS RALLY

66 COVENANT PARTNERS & FESTI VAL OF LIFE RECEPTION 68 AUTUMN RECIPES 70 POEM

FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER

PEACE BE

STILL I

n Mark 4:35 – 41, we read of a storm that was so ferocious that the disciples were so scared for their lives that they woke up Jesus who had been sleeping. Jesus commanded the storm to be still and the storm ceased. There are seven lessons we can learn from this story: 1. Having Jesus in your boat does not mean there will be no storms. Jesus was in the boat and yet a storm arose. However, when you have given your life to Jesus Christ, you can have the assurance that no matter how ferocious the storm you will never sink. John 16:33 says: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me, you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”. Don’t let anybody deceive you that once you give your life to Jesus you won’t have problems, that’s not what the Bible says. Isaiah 43:1-2 says “…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass

through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you”. This tells us that after you have been redeemed, when you walk through the river it won’t overflow you and when you walk through the fire, it won’t burn you. Notice the word ‘when’ and not ‘if ’. In other words it is a matter of time, sooner or later in life, there will be a storm, but if Jesus is in your boat when the storm comes, you can be sure your boat will not sink. 2. The storm does not always give notice of its arrival. If there had been notice of a storm, the boat would have waited for the storm to pass before setting sail. Likewise, often, the storms of life do not give notice. For example, in Isaiah 38:1, King Hezekiah woke up in the morning and suddenly a prophet of God came to him and said in ‘thus saith the LORD put your house in order, for you shall die and not live’. Can you imagine how Hezekiah felt? He wasn’t expecting that bad news, but suddenly a storm came. Likewise in 2 Kings 5:1, imagine how Naaman felt the day it became

clear to him that what he thought was an ordinary boil was leprosy. Furthermore think of how Joseph felt in Genesis 37:23-28 when he came to visit his brothers and suddenly found himself sold into slavery. 3. Whenever a storm arises, we should call on Jesus. The disciples spent a lot of time using their own strength, using their own wisdom, using their own ability and using their own experience but that didn’t solve the problem.The problem was solved only when they called on Jesus. Psalm 46:1 tells us that Jesus Christ is an ever present help in times of trouble. Also Proverbs 18:10 says the name of the LORD is a Strong Tower, the righteous run into it and are safe. 4. One word from Jesus and there will be peace. Jesus got up from His sleep and said ‘peace, be still’. He didn’t have to repeat Himself - just one word and all the storm ceased. Isaiah 9:6 says Jesus is the Prince of peace, so when He speaks, p[eace is spoken into the situation. John 1:1-3 tells us that in the beginning was the Word, the

Word was with God, the Word was God and by Him were all things made. Therefore when He spoke a word, the wind and sea recognized the One who was speaking as the One who made them and so they obeyed. All you need is one word from Him. 5. Jesus has stilled all kinds of storms before, no storm is too difficult for Him to still. • He can still physical storms. In Mathew 8:1-3, a leper came to Jesus, that leper was in a storm, he was carrying an incurable disease but Jesus spoke a word to him and the storm was ceased. In Mark 5:25-34, the woman with the issue of blood was in a storm but the day she came in contact with Jesus Christ the storm was over. • He can still material storms. In 1 Kings 27:8-16, the widow of Zarephath was in a storm. She had only enough food left for one meal for herself and her son and she knew that after that she would die, that was a storm. But then, unknown to her while she got ready to prepare the last meal, help was on the way.

• He can still marital and family storms. Luke 7:11-15, it tells of the widow of Nain who had an only son and that only son had died. She was on her way to bury that only son when the Prince of Peace met her on the way. • He can still spiritual storms. Mathew 15:21-28, tells us the story of a woman who had a spiritual problem. She came to Jesus, fell at His feet and said ‘please have mercy on me, my daughter is at home grievously vexed of the devil’ and the Prince of Peace healed her. 6. When Jesus stills a storm, the storms remain forever still. In Mark 10:46 - 52, Jesus opened the eyes of Bartemaeus who had been born blind and he never begged again. When Jesus Christ rescued the demon possessed man of Gadara from the tomb by casting out the demons, he never went back to live in the tomb. Again when He healed the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-9, he never returned to that place. When He stills a storm in your life you will never experience that storm again.

7. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call on Him while His near”. That tells you there is time factor when it comes to surrendering your life to Jesus. If you delay too long it may be too late. Call on Him today and He will still every storm in your life.

“HAVING JESUS IN YOUR BOAT DOES NOT MEAN THERE WILL BE NO STORMS. JESUS WAS IN THE BOAT AND YET A STORM AROSE. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU HAVE GIVEN YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST, YOU CAN HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT NO MATTER HOW FEROCIOUS THE STORM YOU WILL NEVER SINK.” ( From a message delivered by Pastor E.A. Adeboye at the Holy Ghost Service, Redemption Camp, Nigeria )

FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE

Perfect Peace BY PASTOR MODUPE AFOLABI

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

he verse above comes from one of three chapters commonly referred to as the ‘Book of Songs’, being Isaiah 25 to 27. The 26th Chapter of Isaiah is also appropriately known as the ‘Song of Salvation’, having been written to prophetically celebrate the future victory of Judah over its enemies. In truth, great treasure is often found in the least likely places, just like these inspired songs penned by a prophet who is not normally associated with music! Interestingly, the meaning of Isaiah is ‘Salvation of Yahweh’ or put differently, ‘Salvation of the Lord’. In this regard, Isaiah 25:1 remains a captivating piece of scripture sung by Christians in praise of our great and all-powerful God: “O LORD, You are my God, I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Any Christian with a love for songs would cherish the Holy Bible. What with its many inspiring songs and countless verses that are continually put to music. One recalls with fondness, for instance, the

Song of Moses penned in the Book of Exodus 15:1-21 following the miraculous and exceptional deliverance of Israel from Egypt: “I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!” (Exodus 15:1b)

“

Who is like You, O’ LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearless in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

”

Prince of Peace in this edition of Sunrise, we declare that God is putting a new song in your mouth, a song of praise and thanksgiving to Him who is your salvation. Many will see and fear; and they will trust in the Lord. For anyone going through a particular trial, we declare to you: God is turning your mourning into dancing! The Lord is commanding His loving kindness upon you in the daytime; and in the night, His song shall be with you. He is establishing peace for you in Jesus’ name. Rejoice! Shalom and God bless you. Twitter: @MoAfolabi

If we fast-track to the Book of Revelation authored by John the Beloved, we find yet another delightful song, this time one ceaselessly sung by heavenly beings in adoration of God: “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For you created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

Spring Forth

As we celebrate Jesus Christ the

Pastor Modupe Afolabi, the Editor-in-Chief of Sunrise Magazine and Executive Administrator of RCCG UK Central Office

EDITORIAL NOTES

EDITORIAL NOTES Andrea Onduku

t’s amazing how quickly and completely our thoughts can change our moods. Negative thinking of any kind can steal my joy and causes a variety of bad moods. When we are negative and gloomy no one wants to be around us. Our moods, countenance, conversation, and even body language can begin to droop in a downward position. Negative people are usually unhappy. Even if something exciting happens they find something wrong with it. They concentrate on the negative, fixing their minds on it. They don’t realise that they could be happy if they would only change the way they think. We have the ability to make ourselves happy or sad by what we choose to think. The Bible says we must be satisfied with the consequences of our words, whether they are good or evil. (Proverbs 18:20) In the next verse (verse 21) we see that our words can bring life or death, our choice. You could add, our thoughts hold the power of contentment or discontentment, joy or sadness, peace or uneasiness, again it’s our choice. The battle is in our minds and discipline of thought life is crucial. We have self-control (Gal. 5:22) and we can be intentional in our thinking. We can choose our thoughts. Philippians 4:8-9 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,

and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you”. There is no doubt that God is a God of peace, He is the Prince of Peace and as such once He dwells in us, we should have peace but we have to understand that we have to think peace and talk peace to have peace! Be bold in receiving and walking in the peace of God. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:35 “Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward”. Why would we be told not to fling away something that we never had? What I understand from this is that we have had fearless confidence at some point. Fling is a forceful word, it means to move or push (something) suddenly or violently. It denotes anger. Why? For those that are born again, we received that confidence when we became a Christian, remember the feeling that you could do anything in His name? You could tell anyone about Him? Where has that gone? Hebrews 10:32-34 says “Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to pu-

blic ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever”. So what is Paul saying? Because you have suffered and gone through a lot, your confidence has been shaken but do not fling away your confidence in Him. Do not fling away your peace. Do not be dissuaded that God can and will do what He said He will do in your life. Hebrews 11:1, just the next chapter tells us that “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hallelujah! This edition of Sunrise is once again packed full of features that will encourage you to hold fast to your faith and see the manifestation of God’s peace in your life. Enjoy the magazine and as always remember that it is your magazine, if you have any contribution, or question please get in touch. God bless you richly, Shalom, Andrea Onduku

PASTOR AGU IRUKWU PRESENTS ANNUAL REPORT AT RCCG CONVENTION

he yearly Annual Report for RCCG United Kingdom (UK) was presented via video at the Annual Convention held at the Redemption Camp in Nigeria by the Special Assistant to the General Overseer and Chairman of RCCG UK Board of Trustees Pastor Agu Irukwu. Themed ‘Transformation’, the Report contained details of significant achievements during the just-concluded mission year. The RCCG mission year is from September to August each year. Expressing appreciation to the General Overseer Pastor E. A. Adeboye and Mother-in-Israel Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye for their continued support for the RCCG mission in the UK, Pastor Irukwu explained to delegates from across the 188 nations where RCCG is currently active, that a strategic shift was underway with a view to strengthening efforts aimed at evangelising and making disciples across Britain.

across the four nations of the UK, namely England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Pastor Irukwu also informed Ministers at the Annual Convention of steps being taken by the leadership of the mission to assist RCCG parishes with acquiring church buildings across the UK. These properties will provide parishes with stronger foundations from which to meet the needs of their communities. RCCG’s Christian Social Responsibility initiatives also received detailed mention in the Report by the Special Assistant to the General Overseer. The RCCG, he stated, keeps showing God’s compassion to the less privileged and vulnerable through acts of kindness. As part of RCCG UK’s Social Action ministry, parishes, for instance, partnered with Samaritan’s Purse UK on a project supported by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) to provide much-needed clean water for the people of Karamoja in Northern Uganda.

RCCG UK, he added, remains committed to transforming the nation spiritually and socially for God’s eternal purpose. The Lord, he emphasised, continues to shine His light upon the RCCG, enabling the church to keep making inspired interventions in the lives of people and communities. With church-planting being central to fulfilling RCCG’s mandate to reach the world with the gospel, sustained efforts were made to plant more churches in the country. In the outgoing mission year, 47 new churches were planted in the UK as part of Project 120 launched in April 2015 with the aim of establishing 120 new RCCG churches.

Furthermore, RCCG churches are engaged in activities such as Food Banks, distribution of gifts to the needy, debt counselling and care for the elderly. Other Social Action projects in communities where RCCG parishes operate include educational programmes, vacation Bible Schools, Talent Shows for young people, Youth Clubs for teenagers, support for Women’s groups, fundraising for charitable causes, support for people with genetic disorders, assistance to Armed Forces Widows and Prison Ministry, amongst other socially-beneficial projects. RCCG churches, therefore, continue to contribute to social capital in the UK.

These new parishes, along with existing RCCG parishes on the mission field, should bring in a harvest of souls

For the detailed Annual Report by Pastor Irukwu, please visit our website at: www.rccguk.church

MISSION REPORT

PASTOR AGU IRUKWU CHAIRMAN, RCCG UK

MISSIONS

AFRICA MISSIONS UK MEDICAL MISSIONS FIELD REPORT

“Matthew 25:35,36 : For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in, naked, and ye clothed me:I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me,” o the glory of God, the recent mission trip made to Zambia by African Missions UK was very successful.

The outreach was in the Lwimba Clinic at Chongwe District in rural Zambia from August 17-21 2015. The mission team from the UK comprised of two RCCG Pastors, one of which is a medical doctor and the other a biomedical scientist/teacher and an additional medical doctor while another Pastor with a PhD in Chemical Engineering (Water purification) joined us from South Africa.

reach the Lwimba Clinic where we worked! In addition to the medical care there were sessions of preaching, evangelism, counselling and prayers as several individuals gave their lives to Christ and received divine healing. To God be the glory! The approximate total expenditure on the trip was £4,790. 25% of this

was provided by donations from individuals and parishes while the remaining 75% was contributed by the 4 individuals who travelled from the UK and South Africa. We also took clothes and shoes donated by individuals to the Nakonde Orphans.

We trust the Lord to provide through African Missions UK and donations from individuals

and parishes to help fund this project that will make a huge impact in the lives of thousands of people in Chongwe. In addition, we are trying to negotiate with the Ministry of Health in Zambia so that some doctors and nurses from the UK may be able to go to Zambia for short term volunteer work (between 2 weeks and 1 year) at their own expense with the Zambians providing local accommodation and transport and some minimal living expenses. More details about this will be made available once we get more information about this.

Future Project: In addition several local Zambians joined the team including an orthopaedic surgeon, Clinical officers, Nurses, Midwives, a theatre nurse, a pharmacy technician and a laboratory technician. The trip was very impactful and involved treating about 750 people including general medical and surgical cases in men and women, pregnant women, children and individuals living with HIV. There was a particular young 7 months pregnant woman who had walked over 3 hours to

Thank you for all your support both financial and in prayers. Through divine favour while there we were able to meet with Permanent Secretary of the Zambian Ministry of Health and have requested for a piece of land to build a rural health post at Chongwe district to reduce the distances people have to walk to access medical care. We have been assured that this will be granted. The total cost estimates for the project is about £50,000 but the initial cost estimate for the main health post building is about £20,000.

Dr. Adekunle Olowu, Pastor, RCCG Abundant Life Church, WithamAfrica Missions UK Medical Missions Tel:07799845124

PASTOR (MRS) FOLU ADEBOYE FOUNDER, AFRICA MISSIONS

prayer

MOUNT CARMEL PRAYER VILLAGE OPENS TO THE PUBLIC

he General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church God (RCCG) Pastor Enoch Adeboye and RCCG’s Mother-in-Israel Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye have unveiled a magnificent prayer mountain located in South West Nigeria known as Mount Carmel Prayer Village.

and numerous prayer huts strikingly set out on a hill, overlooked by bigger residential blocks.

God has now used them to provide the Body of Christ with such a Prayer Ground, news of which is being received with great joy and gratitude internationally. The Prayer Village was opened and dedicated to the Lord at a fairly quiet ceremony. Invitees included Pastors and dignitaries from Ifewara which is close to the well-known university town of Ile-Ife in Osun State, Nigeria.

Location of Mount Carmel Prayer Village:

Open to Christians from across the nations, the vision is that as people visit its grounds to pour out their hearts to God in prayer without distractions, they will receive answers just as the Prophet Elijah recorded a miraculous answer and outstanding victory over It was in 1985 that the dream for a prayer mountain God’s enemies while on Mount Carmel as recorded was birthed in the hearts of Pastor and Pastor (Mrs) in the Book of I Kings 18 in the Holy Bible. Our prayer E. A. Adeboye Mother- in-Israel, following a visit to is that life-changing experiences will be the glorious a conference hosted by Pastor David Yonggi Cho testimony of all who journey there to pray. in South Korea. The vision was to establish a place of prayer where people from all over the world can Indeed, Mount Carmel Prayer Village is a great blessing to the Body of Christ in Nigeria and internationally. come to seek God’s face fervently.

Mount Carmel Prayer Village possesses an impressive assembly of sanctuaries, dormitories, chalets

Oko Eso (Along Ife Road), Ifewara, Osun State P.O. Box 15, Ifewara, Osun State To Contact Mount Carmel Prayer Village Tel: +234 815 877 8513 Email: mtcarmelprayerv@gmail.com Website: www.mtcarmelprayer.com

COVENANT PARTNERS

Be a part of the great commission: become a Covenant Partner with

PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE

Calvary greetings in Jesus’ name. I want to thank you all for your continuous support for this work of the Great Commission ordered by our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world and the Son of the Most High God. I have prayed for you, I am still praying for you and I will continue to pray for you always until victory is yours on all fronts in Jesus’ name. I also pray that you will grow as I grow too in Jesus’ name. Amen.

to give us more grace to do this work. I promise you also that I

For

will fast and pray always for you too and I believe as we join

,we have the following

our faith together in prayers, all

GROUP 1: Those who pledge

will be well with you and with me in Jesus’ name. Amen!

this

new

contribution

partner’s

programme

pledge groups:

£10 per month GROUP 2: Those who pledge

Another thing is that as God gives you grace, my partners can choose to belong to any of the groups below to contribute to the work of the Great Commission and as the Spirit leads.

£100 per month GROUP 3: Those who pledge £500 per month GROUP 4: Those who pledge £1,000 per month GROUP 5: Those who pledge

This time around, those who

£5,000 per month

choose to be my Covenant Partners in the work of the Great Commission will have to set aside at least two days in a month to fast and pray for me. Your prayers, among other things shall include telling God

GROUP 6: Those who pledge £10,000 per month GROUP 7: Those who pledge £50,000 per month

To become a Covenant Partner, please contact the Central Office of the Redeemed Church of God in the United Kingdom for your membership form: Email: covenantpartners@rccg.co.uk Tel: 0208 171 1030 Address: RCCG Central Office, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Redemption House, Station Approach, Knebworth SG3 6AT 14

SUNRISE MAGAZINE ADVERT RATE CARD Sunrise is a lifestyle magazine endorsing a Christian perspective on issues of faith and public life. Published quarterly by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) United Kingdom, Sunrise seeks to inspire many to keep practising the Christian way of life, enlighten people on matters relating to the Christian faith, and encourage others to consider embracing Christianity as their personal faith. Sunrise is published in print, online and digital versions. Why Advertise in Sunrise? • To reach an estimated combined minimum audience of 50,000 readers across our print, online and digital versions. Visit: www.sunrisemagazine.org www.issuu.com/sunriseuk • To reach an audience spread across the United Kingdom where the RCCG has parishes, thus increasing the reach and reputation of your product, service or activity. • RCCG members are multi-ethnic, multicultural, 1st, 2nd and 3rd-generation immigrants who have very deep roots in their various communities in the United Kingdom, Africa, Europe and America. Advertising your product in Sunrise will showcase your product, service or activity to many thousands internationally.

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RCCG IS MAKING DISCIPLES ON THE SURE FOUNDATIONS LAID BY JESUS CHRIST OUR 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

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THINK ON THESE THINGS

FAITH AND REASON

here is a place for reasoning in the scriptures. Of course, our Christian faith is a simple and humble acceptance of the fact that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Following the disobedience of Adam and Eve at Eden, all of humanity are born into a sinful state. No other foundation can be laid besides that already put in place by our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ through His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. In the divine plan, the Church is the divine agent for the evangelisation, conversion and discipleship of the nations. The Church, incidentally, is not a building or denomination; it is an assembly of people who have been called out of the spiritual darkness that has blanketed the world into the marvellous light of Jesus Christ. All the five-fold ministry offices of the Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher were designed to work in tandem from within the framework of the Church. The Holy Scriptures are our dependable guide. As Christians, there is a place for sanctified reasoning within our faith. By this, one is referring not to the many vain philosophies of men which seek to complicate the simplicity of the gospel. Rather, it is a reference to the grace given to us by the Holy Spirit to not only understand the Scriptures as a result of diligent study, but to be able to also intelligently make a robust defence of what we believe. It is the ability to make reasoned arguments to sceptics who are ever willing to ridicule our faith in Jesus as the incarnate God.

The Book of Acts tells us this about Apostle Paul: “And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18:4, emphasis mine).

only come to saving faith in Jesus Christ through fervent, effectual prayer and engagement with the Holy Scriptures. The gospel is the power of God to those who are perishing; we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel must be preached intelligently, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18:4 ) By this, it is meant that the gospel must be shared rationally, even in its simplicity. This is why the Scriptures instruct Christians to study to show themselves approved of God; becoming workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The gospel has power, even in its simplicity. Instruction in Christian Apologetics must become a part of our discipleship programmes in the Body of Christ. Discipleship Courses may well consider equipping Christians with the skills to reasonably share and defend their faith. At no time is this more imperative than in an era of post-modern relativism which we now find ourselves. A lot of people have questions about spirituality, faith and God; and they will be expecting answers when we encounter them. Just think what success is possible when these seekers meet Christians who are saved, growing in their discipleship journey and committed to sharing their faith in an inspired, simple and rational manner. We must be ready to give everyone a reason for the faith that we have given ourselves to.

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

As it was in the beginning, so is it in our time; many will

PSYCHOLOGY

The 10 Indispensable Qualities of Emotionally Intelligent People

umans are 100% emotional. Emotion is not what just happens to us, it is simply an integral part of our core essence. It is the motivation behind everything that we do, have or become. Emotion is necessary because we are highly relational by design.

We are creatures of relationships. And if we must thrive in our various relationships, we’ll have to master how to manage our emotions personally and relationally. The difference between those who excel with people and those who do not is the quality of their emotional intelligence. Below are the top 10 qualities of emotionally intelligent people - these are what separate them from the rest!

They always recognise that “thoughts” are causes and emotions are “effects”. Highly insightful people understand that we live in a world strictly governed by the law of cause and effect, which says that “To every effect, there is a cause.” Therefore, they are fully aware that the thought that they permit to dominate their mind determines the emotion relationships that they produce within them. So, they constantly take control of their thought patterns in order to ensure that the feelings and the emotions they produce are consistent with their goals and ideals. As such, they habitually screen out negative thinking and only allow positive thoughts to germinate within their psyche, thereby producing the emotions that motivate, and not depress.

They never put a fence down until they know why it was put up in the first place. Whether in a conversation with someone they know very well or someone they barely know, emotionally intelligent people never try to alter, correct, change, or judge anybody or anything unless they fully understand why that thing or person was in that situation or state in the first place. Instead of trying to fix people’s problems before they hear them speak, emotionally intelligent people focus on understanding the emotions, motives and logic behind everything before 20

they ever attempt to alter it or improve it - if it’s ever necessary. They know humans never do anything that is not motivated by emotions - whether positive or negative.

They never solve a temporary problem with a permanent solution. Emotionally intelligent people always calibrate their reactions in proportion to the problem at hand. They do not over-react in the face of uncertainties. They never deploy a permanent solution to solve a temporary crisis. Rather, they carefully consider their feelings and emotions before making any crucial decision. An example of solving a temporary problem with a permanent one is to tell a friend never to speak to you again because he misses your appointment. Another example is when someone commits suicide because a friend walks away from him. Emotionally intelligent people are highly objective and hopeful people. They like to give life and people more chances than the average person.

They always demonstrate intensified self-awareness. Emotionally intelligent people are constantly aware of their own feelings and emotions - what triggers each emotion and feeling they experience, and are also cognisant with how they react to different stimuli in different situations. Likewise, they are able to trace, identify, and modify any suspected defects in their attitude, as well as any hidden agenda behind any of their responses and behaviours. As a result, they have the ability to self-correct, manage and regulate their emotions.

They understand that real love is not emotions. How many times have people confused emotions for real love? People often mistake romantic emotional feelings for real love. This is what separates the emotionally intelligent people from the rest - they recognise that real love is built only on commitment and not emotions. They recognise that emotions are unreliable chemical substances that are subject to change very frequently - sometimes every few minutes. As a result, when they choose to get into a relationship, they understand that that relationship will be full of ups and downs - and if they are to prove their love in that relationship, it will be down to their commitment to that relationship, especially 20

in hard times, and not their feelings. They never let their emotions define their interpretation of love. This protects them from emotional bankruptcy due to emotional over-withdrawal. Even if they decide to walk away from any relationship, they do so because of sound knowledge, and not as a result of overwhelming emotions.

They never make a major decision based on feelings. Emotionally intelligent people allow sufficient time to pass before they make a life-changing decision. When they are angry, upset, disappointed or broken, instead of making irrational decisions based on how they are feeling at the time, they self-regulate and exercise tremendous amount of self-control and personal power to refrain from saying or deciding on anything which they might later regret.

They are willing to adequately process their bad feelings. Emotionally intelligent people recognise that the cause of several psychological and emotional disorders is repressed and unexpressed negative emotions. Therefore, they never bottle-in their bad feelings. Rather, when life or someone deals with them harshly, they accept that they are hurting and then choose to do whatever it takes to ensure that they adequately process the root-cause of their hurts. They are not afraid of calling for a dialogue or write a letter to resolve a dispute or even letting people off their mental prison in forgiveness in order to free their own soul and sanity.

telligent people are like a flowing stream that refreshes and replenishes everyone it comes in contact with as it flows through many villages and cities.

10.

They anticipate and prepare for disappointment before it becomes obvious. Emotionally intelligent people place a high value on people, their potential, as well as their possibilities. But they intentionally lower how much they expect from people. They do this in order to avoid being always heartbroken, disappointed and betrayed by the fallibility of others. They know that as long as we live, humans will continue to be humans. And as such, they anticipate people to fall short, make mistakes, disappoint or never measure up to their ideal standards. And since they are continually preparing for this in advance, they are never caught off-guard - even when those that they love dearly let them down. This kind of outlook about life, however, never make them pessimistic or negative at all. They simply hope for the very best in every person and situation - but they are also emotionally smart enough to prepare for the worst.

They have the ability to delay gratifications. One of the hallmarks of emotional intelligence and personal greatness is oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to delay gratifications. Whether it is in the area of finances, relationships, health and diet, communication, sexuality, career, food, feelings, or any other important areas of life, emotionally intelligent choose never to allow immediate and short-lived pleasure to jeopardise their entire life-time life satisfaction. They invest todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pain so that they can cash in on tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pleasures. They work today and enjoy later. They never allow their distorted and selfish instant gratification and desire for things to ruin their systematic plans and investments for the future. For example, they never go all out overly spending the money they do not have, having been caught up in the emotions of the Christmas or other festive seasons. They cherish their long-term gains much more than short-term pleasures.

They recognise that everyone they meet is hurting somewhere. Emotionally intelligent people are great listeners. They listen with their heart, not just with their ears. They connect from the heart with whoever they are talking to, constantly in search for any brokenness, hurt, stress, frustration, or anger in order to provide some healing. They recognise that everybody hurts somewhere - and that every conversation is an opportunity to heal somebody of his emotional wounds. Emotionally in-

By: Wale Oladipo

Wale Oladipo is a Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Counsellor and Psychotherapist with an intense passion to help others achieve their maximum potential and live life to the full physically, emotionally, socially and psychologically. You can contact him via www.waleoladipo.com

HEALTH

When last did you visit the Doctors? KNOWING YOUR HEALTH

ealth is like money; we never know the true value of it until we lose it. Not to rue its loss, we must value it. To know the true value of your health, you must check it. Hence your doctor and the National Health Service are promoting a healthy lifestyle through health awareness programs and health check. Health check is an assessment that is carried out by a health professional (doctor or nurse) with the view of giving you a picture of your current health status, iden-

tify any future risk and advise on practical steps to prevent ill health and live a healthy life. The Majority of the common medical conditions that we hear of every day like diabetes, hypertension and strokes are very easily preventable by follow-ing a healthy lifestyle. Most of the common cancers like cancer of the lungs and bowel which are known to cause major changes to peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives or ter-minates peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives can be prevented if they could make changes to some of their habits or lifestyles. For those that are not preventable or not related to lifestyle, the 22

overall health impact it has on the sufferer would be minimised by a healthy lifestyle. Almost all medical diseases including cancers if detected early are curable with the person living a normal healthy life thereafter. Research has shown that 1 in 3 cancer deaths are related to being overweight or obesity, inactivity and poor nutrition. Over 60% of bowel cancer death could be prevented if everyone over 50 attends screening programs regularly. Therefore, one cannot over emphasise the importance of having your health checked regularly

by your doctor. Some say what you do not know does not kill you. In case of your health, that is wrong. What you do not know kills you before you know it. At some other times, when the doctor identifies a health issue, some would says, it’s not my portion, I reject it and hence they do nothing about it and only to seek help when it is too late. The proper step is to take action when your chances of a complete treatment and cure is highest there are now national screening test your doctor would also invite As its main goal, the oppor- you to have carry out like mamtunities to detect a medical mogram, smear test, stool test illness at its earliest stage while for bowel cancer and NHS health they are curable, easier and less checks for the over 40. expensive to treat. Before you arrive for the appointHelps to identify the risk ment, your doctor would have factors (certain habits and read through your medical record health conditions that put you at he keeps so as to identify any medrisk of developing disease). Risk ical concerns. factors like high cholesterol, obesity, poor nutrition (unhealthy During the consultation, he would diet) and lack of physical activities ask you questions relating to your can put you at risk of developing general well being, your lifestyles diabetes, high blood pressure and and habits and any concerns you may have about your health. He even cer-tain cancers. may also inquire about your famLaboratory test which ily history. It’s important to note would throw up some ab- that your doctor is not prying into normalities that are point-ers to your personal affair but rather to existing medical disease condi- help him identify any medical contions or indicators to possibilities ditions that may be linked to the family. of future illness. Health checks offer you:

Health check would normally start by you making appointment to see your doctor to request that a health check be carried out on you even if you do not have existing medical condition. However, if you are registered with a GP and have existing medical condition, there are annual checkup your doctor will invite you to the surgery for. If however you do not have existing medi-cal condition,

unaware of it and hence goes unnoticed for many years until discovered accidentally through health checks or when the per-

“Diabetes and hypertension are the most common diseases in UK” son suffers its complications like stroke or heart attack.

If we have routine health checks and follow certain preventive measures like, physical activities (walking, jogging etc), healthy eating, keeping a steady ideal weight (BMI), keeping within the recommended blood pressure and choYour doctor would likely proceed lesterol levels, maintaining a posto carry out some physical exami- itive mental health (psychological) nation like measuring your weight, and a good emotional and social blood pressure, heart rate and supports, then you are able to live send you for some blood test like a very healthy life even to old age your blood cholesterol, sugar and and when disease arise, it is deother test identified as necessary tected earlier when the cure is at during the consultation. its best. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common diseases in UK; majority of the sufferers are 23

By: Dr Francis Oladimeji

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BE ‘ONE IN A MILLION’ AND PACK A SHOEBOX THIS CHRISTMAS WITH OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 124 million children in over 150 countries. Reaching more than 11 million children with Christmas joy takes a massive, year-round global effort as generous volunteers across the UK partner with Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Children’s Christmas project. Samaritan’s Purse UK Executive Director Simon Barrington explains that every person who lovingly packs a shoebox or who volunteers for Operation Christmas Child is ‘one in a million’ to us. “This year we want to reach a million more precious children with a simple shoebox gift and help them to know they are loved and not forgotten. So we are asking, will you get involved, will you be ‘one in a million’ and pack a shoebox gift for a child in need this Christmas? It’s a great way to make a difference in a child’s life and to share God’s love with them, whilst sharing the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ.“ If you have ever packed a shoebox – we want to hear your story. Where and when did you pack it, what did you include, was there something particularly special you remember about your shoebox? Help us encourage others to be ‘one in a million’ and get involved in this year’s campaign - pack a shoebox this year and tell us your story at www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/ yourshoeboxstory.

Be one in a million Share the love of God with a shoebox full of gifts and be one in a million to a child in need this Christmas Get involved at operationchristmaschild.org.uk

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#oneinamillion 08/09/2015 08:57

YOUTH

YOUNG SWIMMER MAKING WAVES Mide Olajide (Age: 10 years) has a passion and talent for various sports. He was introduced to the world of competitive swimming at the age of nine, he is a member of the Thurrock Swimming Club Squad and has represented Thurrock at various swimming galas.

t the age of nine, Mide was crowned the Essex County Champion for his age group in six events; 100m individual medley, 200m freestyle, 50m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 50m freestyle. Mide also holds the nine year old 50m freestyle County Record.

strives to maintain a high level in all sporting activities. His coach says that through his phenomenal success, his dedication, passion and exemplary behaviour, he has become a role model for many young black athletes in the Thurrock community. In 2014 he won the TruLittle Leadership Award 2014 Sunrise wanted to learn more about this young man who is inspiring others with his achievements and so we decided to ask him a few questions: •Mide, it’s good to talk with you. What age were you when you started swimming and is it something you have always enjoyed? I started going for swimming lessons at the age of 5, the usual 30 minutes per week class, it was part of the PE lessons at school. When I was 6 years old, my school swim coach advised my mum to register me for additional swimming lessons to help improve my skills in the pool. Mum registered me at my local swimming club and everything changed, I became a keen swimmer and enjoyed my time in the pool. •How did you get involved in competitive swimming?

He was part of a team of Thurrock Swimmers who won 2 gold medals at the Relay Championship; Relay County Champions for 4x50 m free and 4x50m Medley - 9/10 year old age group 2014. In addition, Mide also represents his school in other sporting tournaments and

When I joined my local swimming club, I attended a 30 mins per week class. The swim coach saw the potential in me and invited me to join the club’s swimming academy. I jumped at the opportunity and followed the club’s training programme. I trained hard, improved my techniques

and gradually attended additional training sessions. I was then invited to join the club’s swimming squad and eventually I attended my first competition at the age of 9. •How many hours do you need to train? At present, I train for approximately 12 hours a week. It might seem like a lot but I had a coach who always said, ‘Champions always take the hard option’. Training is important in any competitive sport. •What has been your greatest swimming achievement to date? Although I have won a number of medals at County level and qualified to swim at the East Regional Championships, my greatest achievement remains being the Essex County Record holder for 50m freestyle for the 9 year old age group. It was my first County Competition and that was one of my goals, I am thankful I was able to achieve it. •What other sports do you like to participate in? I enjoy sports, they are fun and keep you fit. I participate in a number of sports including fencing, football, rugby, cross country, water polo, karate and cricket. •What other activities aside from sport do you like to do? I enjoy playing both the piano and drums. For fun, I enjoy hanging out with my friends, listening to music and playing computer games. •How do you stay focused on the training that you need to do? Staying focused is important in order to achieve your goals, they go hand in hand. So I try to set weekly training goals, achieving those goals keep me focused. My goals are reviewed by my coach on a weekly basis. •What advice can you give to other young people your age who may want to get into competitive sports, where should they start from and what is the process? We are all blessed with a talent, try different sports to discover yours, once you do, be prepared to stay focused and to put in the hard work. You must be dedicated and

above all enjoy it. If you find it difficult to stay focused, remember, ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win’. Find a club, a coach or a mentor who can help you improve your skills and work together. •You recently won the TruLittle Leadership Award 2014, do you know who nominated you? Yes, Mrs Moji Omole nominated me. Thank you for nominating me Aunty Moji! •What was it like to win the award? It was an awesome feeling and a truly humbling experience. To have an award like this which recognises and rewards the hard work and dedication of young individuals, creates a platform to propel yourself to even greater heights. The Trulittle Awards is also an avenue to inspire young individuals, to show them what is achievable. Thank you to Mrs Titi Omole for her vision and for empowering young boys and girls to strive to be the best they can be. •What goals do you have for the future? One of my goals is to swim at Nationals. That’s amazing Mide! Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. We pray that you continue to excel in Jesus name.

The Trulittle Hero awards is an award event to celebrate the achievements of young people. Do you know a young hero? You can nominate a young person from age 5 years to 16 years in various categories depending on their achievement. For more information about nominations or to attend the award ceremony on the 28th November please visit www.trutalk.co.uk

BIBLE TRIVIA

Bible Trivia by Titi Omole

Protection (God cares and protects us) Staying within God’s protection is very important for our well-being. The bible tells us that He is our shield and without His protection upon our lives, many of us would have been harmed and possibly dead. Staying in God’s protection also bring peace and guidance to fulfilment of God’s will for our lives. Below are some of God’s promises of protection for us in Psalm 91. Fill in the gaps with the words in the table to complete these promises.

THOUSAND

SHIELD

FORTRESS

ANGELS

REFUGE

BUCKLER

I will say of the LORD, He is my __________________and my _______________: my God; in him will I trust. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy _____________and _________________. A _____________________ shall fall at thy side, and ten ______________________ at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. For he shall give his _________________charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Darkest

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

on the

Internet

he Internet is a global computer network that carries an extensive range of resources and services including the World Wide Web that lets you access millions of pages through a system of hyperlinks. We rely on the internet for so many parts of our lives, our friends and material goods are just a click away. The internet seems to have no limits.

weapons, child pornography, services for assassins, anti-Christian Jihadist forums and anti-government bloggers inspired by Satanism. These kinds of Web sites require you to use special software, such as The Onion Router, more commonly known as Tor. It is astounding and sickening just how many paedophiles prowl behind these curtains. Herein, activities are taking place which even some of humanity’s worst would consider too dark and definitely not accessible via Google search!

A word of caution though, not all the information on the internet is edifying! There are dangerous and emotional potholes in the cyberspace! The devil is watching, when we fall into certain moods or we are overcome by various kinds of emotions, he steps in to defeat us; to lead us into sin. But thanks to God for instructing us to put on His whole armour in Ephesians 6:11 that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Like the human spirit, the internet is morally neutral, it’s how we use it or abuse it that makes the difference. Never before has it been so easy to access Christian resources. The Internet is a tool for Christians to use to the glory of God while at the same time employing discernment.

So many souls are quickly sinking to the depths of a bottomless, thrashing sea and worst of all, this is occurring right next to us, invisibly. The Dark Web will not disappear, but will be fuelled by our ignorance. We soon could live in a society where the Dark Web could expand to our everyday lives. The question begging for an answer is what should we as Christians do with this knowledge? According to a former subscriber of the Dark Web, Christians have two choices:

Do you know that only a sliver of the World Wide Web is easily accessible? Yes! The World Wide Web comprises of the Surface Web (which we easily access) and the Deep Web. The surface Web consists of only the data that traditional search engines such as Google and Bing can retrieve. A lot of data is buried in the Deep (undernet, invisible, hidden) Web which may be 400 to 500 times bigger than the Surface Web and is a place where online information is password protected, trapped behind paywalls, or requires special software to access. The Deep Web offers some relief to people who prize their anonymity. Data in the Deep Web is hard for search engines to see, it includes user databases, webmail pages, registration-required Web forums, etc. The Deep Web contains a further hidden world called the Dark Web or Darknet. It is a smaller but significant and anonymous community where malicious actors unite in a common purpose for ill. This medium contains several of the darkest corners within mankind. There are huge numbers of such pages, and most exist for mundane reasons such as the marketing of illegal goods and stolen credit card numbers, human trafficking,

“will we plunge in hoping to help, or will we simply, in fear, direct our gaze to the horizon and distract ourselves with the sunset above the chaos that will consume many?”

We can help by: raising awareness, praying for those within, creating a Christian presence and illuminating our light within the Deep and Dark Web. But we must guard ourselves spiritually and emotionally lest we become complacent (1 Peter 5:8). God bless us all.

By: Haruna Isah

7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE WORSHIP LEADERS Whenever you lead worship, do people leave talking about your talent? Or are they amazed by the greatness of God?

HABITS YOU CAN DEVELOP AS A WORSHIP LEADER

. They Study God’s Word They are people of the Word. When they begin to sense boredom with the Bible, they know the problem is with their own heart. They press in to the truth. They realize they can’t lead where they’re not going.

. They Equip People For Ministry Effective worship leaders don’t just focus on the advancement of their careers. They advance others. They find joy in sharing the spotlight. They don’t simply lead worship, but inspire others to lead as well. Their life is about equipping, not just doing.

They Serve Within the Vision of the House Don’t get me wrong. Worship leaders are vision oriented, but they realize that in order to have an effective team, everyone has to serve the same vision. They execute the lead pastor’s vision because they know God has appointed him or her to lead.

. They Build Teams Great worship leaders make room. They recruit others. They get people involved. They are constantly building, growing, expanding.

. They Cast Vision To be lead by a great worship leader means that you are infused with vision. You know the “why”

behind the “what”. If you’re not sick of hearing your own vision, you don’t share it enough.

. They Love to Worship There’s a difference between loving to lead worship and loving to worship. Nothing wrong with either, but something is wrong when you’re a professional worship leader who doesn’t love to worship. The best worship leaders guard against this. They answer altar calls. They cry in the presence of God. They worship in secret.

. They Study the People They Lead Effective worship leaders aren’t just great singers and musicians. They have people skills. They are experts at serving the people they lead. Never stop loving people. Never stop crying out to God. Never lose your innocent dependence on His strength. Your church doesn’t need more talent on stage. They need more invisibility. Success as a worship leader isn’t just about improving yourself, your methods, or shining a greater spotlight on your talent. It’s about loving Jesus first, serving your church with excellence, and making disciples wherever you’re sent. David Santistevan is a Worship Pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, PA. Visit www.davidsantistevan.com/

MUSIC

One of Britain’s biggest gospel artist Muyiwa has announced the release of his first all-African album Èko Ilé out on October 30, 2015, with a UK tour announcement to follow.

unrise wanted to learn a bit more about Muyiwa as a person and also what this latest album is all about. Keep reading to find out more. Thank you for talking to Sunrise Muyiwa, I READ THAT YOU HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IN BUSINESS BEFORE YOU WENT ON TO STUDY MUSIC AT WESTMINISTER UNIVERSITY. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT MUSIC? WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO STUDY MUSIC? Well yes, I have always been passionate about music, I think like most kids that grew up around music, there was music in the house. My mother actually was a radio broadcaster and a singer as well. I can remember as kids, we would sit around at night, me and my two sisters before my younger brother came along and we would sing about all kinds of things, we would make up harmonies around phrases. My first song that I remember writing was about food! By the time I got to East London University which is where I did Business studies, music was what I actually wanted to do but my parents wanted me to do business studies so I did that and in my final year of my business studies degree, I started my first year of my music degree. DO YOU THINK THAT EVERY RECORDING ARTIST SHOULD STUDY MUSIC TO BE SUCCESSFUL? I don’t think that every recording artist

needs to study music in order to be, we have seen many successful artists who were janitors or who worked on aircrafts, in toilets etc. But what studying does is give you a level of competence and confidence which you can get from practicing, it is not essential but it certainly doesn’t hurt. AFTER YOUR STUDIES, YOU WORKED AT CHANNEL 4 AND SUBSEQUENTLY SONY’S INTERNATIONAL PROMOTIONS AND YOU DID VOICEOVER WORK UNTIL 2003 WHEN YOU BECAME A RECORDING ARTIST. WHAT LED TO THAT TRANSITION TO RECORDING ARTIST? DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A RECORDING ARTIST OR DID THAT DESIRE COME LATER? Let me tell you the truth, I always wanted to be a recording artist, the reality is I wanted to do pop music. I’ve been in church all my life, I gave my life to Christ at a young age in my teens but even prior to that I was in church as my family were Anglicans so that was a part of life for us. When I grew older and stumbled into Pentecostalism, I went to this vibrant church, All Nations Centre in Vauxhall, it was full of young people, lots of singing, it was just vibrant. I became a worship leader but actually in terms of music, I wanted to do pop music because I had heard so many people say ‘I was doing so well in my career and then God called me’. I understood that to mean that God was a spoilsport and I said ‘God, you’re not going to spoil my sport’. So I wanted to do pop music and being a recording artist was always on my radar but I finally listened to God’s voice because He had

been calling me and I found out later that my mother was in a covenant with God which meant I was really just wasting my time thinking about pop music! YOU HAVE RELEASED 5 ALBUMS SO FAR, WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE SONG TO PERFORM FROM THE 5 ALBUMS? Well, actually there were 6 albums, we started with Restoration from where you get ‘And we will say our God is good…’ then there was Declaring His power where you have ‘Hallelujah Lord I honour you’ then we went to Declaring His love where you get ‘God of miracles…’. Next was the Live at the O2 album followed by Declaring His name All Around the World which is where you get the song ‘Oh, oh, oh, only you be God oh’. The next Album was Live at the Apollo which was a concert with 5000 people at the Hammersmith Apollo. My favourite song to perform, I have to say is ‘Safe in His Hands’ and the words say ‘Safe from every storm, come whatever may, one thing is for sure and remains the same, friends I thought I had, they all come and go, family also gone, only you remain. I am safe in his hands, He will keep me from all harm’. It’s a song I wrote out of a set of distressful circumstances. My father was assassinated and I lost my mother in a horrific car crash. My younger brother who people call my son and is now an RCCG Pastor was shot by an AK47 rifle. Coming out of all that made me to write that song and so it’s probably one of my favourite to sing. But with over 70 songs, how do you have a favourite

one? ON YOUR VARIOUS ALBUMS, YOU HAVE COLLABORATED WITH VARIOUS ARTISTS, WHO HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY? Let me tell you, I think the one artist that blew my mind when I worked with him was Darwin Hobbs. When you talk of someone who knows their craft, he was just supreme. Vocally he did amazing things with the song, ‘I love you Lord’. This was the album that was produced by the Grammy Award winning Kevin Bond who produced Kirk Franklin and Donnie McClurkin’s breakthrough albums. Darwin Hobbs came to sing a simple song ‘I love you Lord, with all my heart, to be with you is all I want’, that’s all there was to it, but by the time he finished, and we were recording it in Atlanta, Georgia, my Lord, in that studio, I have to borrow those words.. Heaven came down and Glory filled my soul! HAVING TOURED IN BOTH THE UK AND THE US, HOW DO THE TWO GOSPEL SCENES VARY? They are quite similar really to be honest, it’s just having a worship time with Jesus and with Christians. The only thing is that of course the American scene is much bigger so for the American tour, we would do on average, venues with 5000 or 7000 people. There was one venue with 15,000 people. Whereas in the UK, a venue outside London would be 1000 people and in London the largest crowd was 5000 in the Hammersmith Apollo. But it’s the same Jesus and same lovers of Jesus who respond to you in the same way. YOUR NEW ALBUM ÈKO ILÉ IS OUT ON OCTOBER 30TH THIS YEAR. WHAT DOES ÈKO ILÉ MEAN? Well, for those who don’t come from my village, Èko Ilé literally translated means Lagos home but for it to make sense, it is ‘Lagos my home’. So the album is talking about my displacement as a black British young man and my quest for identify and how God took me on that journey back to my home. YOUR MUSIC IS ALWAYS UPLIFTING AND POSITIVE, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THIS ALBUM? WHAT IS THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE ALBUM? What you can expect is a feast of music, musically this is the best we have ever done. We do a journey of Yoruba, my native Nigerian tongue, with Swahili, Zulu, Soto and Pidgin English. It’s my first all-African album and it’s full of colour and unapologetically full of the Bible. What I do a lot of is the spoken word and I take text out of the Bible so whilst you are singing the chorus of the title track - Èko Ilé Ilé omo, then I start reading Psalms 137 ‘By the Rivers of Babylon, there we sat down’ and then I weave it with my own story. It’s a kaleidoscope of great experiences mixed in with Bible, testimonies of my journey and with Holy Spirit infusion. It’s not a straight

obvious praise and worship album but it’s an album that opens your mind. YOU’VE ALWAYS HAD AN INTERNATIONAL FLAVOUR TO YOUR MUSIC, INDEED YOUR 2012 DECLARING HIS NAME ALBUM FEATURED SINGERS FROM INDIA, CHINA, AFRICA AND AMERICA, WHAT INFORMED YOUR DECISION TO RETURN TO YOUR ROOTS IN THIS ALBUM? I think it is where I am at the moment as a person. I’ve gone through the journey as a young boy and a young man almost despising being an African due to being abused because of it, they would call you all sorts of names because you were African. I wanted to change my identity to be maybe West Indian. Years later I realised that those who were giving me the hardest time were Africans themselves who were confused about their own identity. I went through that to the place of finding myself where I would walk around saying ‘my name is Oluwalomueleyiwa Adebayo Olarewaju Ishola Omo Erin Tin Jogun Ola’. I’d be sitting on BBC 1 on one of their programs as I have done a few times over the last few years wearing my Ankara scarf to let people know that ‘Yes, I am African’. I’ve gone through all that and that is where I am at the moment, a place where I am saying, you know what God made no mistakes making me an African. In the work that I do in the church world, I hear a lot of people make comments which suggest that us Africans are very enthusiastic but we don’t really have a clue, we lack depth theologically, and spiritually we are a bit shallow. I hear a lot of that all the time and then of course when you look at the media, the picture painted is that we are nice people but we are corrupt and bad leaders but I want to celebrate who I believe we are as Africans and to shout out to the whole world Jambo, like they do in Kenya! The cover of the album gives a sense of vibrancy, which I guess is reflected in the music of Africa which is very vibrant and passionate. What styles of music will we experience on the album? You will get a taste of African reggae which is very different from Jamaican reggae, there is also a taste of Zouk, highlife and the whole gambit. We will take you to South Africa where you have the deep concoction of harmonies and chanting. You will get vibrancy and energy. AS WELL AS BEING A RECORDING ARTIST, YOU DO A LOT OF TV AND RADIO WORK, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? It is a real testimony of God’s kindness because I fell into radio and I fell into TV. Right now I do a show called Turning Point which is a sister show to the 700 Club which CBN say is their biggest show worldwide. It just happened that we made our CD Restoration and Premier Radio where I am now station director wouldn’t play the CD but they had a small sister station called

Talk Gospel and they played the CD and invited me in for a interview about the CD. At the same time, they had been looking for a presenter for a year. The Chief Executive heard my interview and invited me in to be a presenter on the station. I was just coming to terms with my identity and I would come on the radio and be my African self. A lady was listening and she told her brother in America, who happens to be the presenter on Turning Point. He did research on me and found out I do music so he invited me and Riversongz to be guests on Turning Point in America. That was 7 years before I became a presenter, when they needed a presenter they searched me out and the rest was history. I also do BBC shows and TV and Radio for Airlines. One opportunity led to another and that’s how it was. Over your years of presenting Turning Point where people share their testimonies of turnaround since they encountered Jesus, which story stood out the most and has had the biggest impact on your personal life? I have to say it would be one of the most recent ones where I did an interview with the current Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo who is also a Pastor in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. That interview was the first that he granted to any international media. Just listening to his story, it spoke to me of patience, of reliance on God and of God rewarding in due time and how there is responsibilities within that reward to be a blessing to other people. YOU JUGGLE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES BETWEEN YOUR MUSIC AND PRESENTING, WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST MOTIVATION TO KEEP ON GOING? My biggest motivation is captured by the words of a song by The Winans ‘If I can just make it up there, and if I can walk through that city bright and fair, there’d probably be a thousand things I want to tell the Lord on that day. On that day, that day, I’ll just begin to cry, You’ll wipe the tears from my eyes. I’ll say thanks, You’ll ask why. This will be my reply, You know millions didn’t make it but I was one of the ones who did’. My motivation is to work while it is day, to make it there before Him and to take as many as I can with me. YOU HAVE A UK TOUR COMING UP. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT ON THE TOUR? ANY SURPRISES? Yes loads of surprises, it will be different, full of worship, yes but full of colour, vibrancy, stories and the best musicians from around the world. You can keep up with the tour dates by visiting our website http:// www.riversongz.com/ or following us on twitter: @officialmuyiwa

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REVIVAL

THE MIZO OUTPOURING

hen news of the Welsh Revival of the early nineteenth century reached India, many Christian missionaries began praying for a similar outpouring on their own field of service. As a result, a significant revival broke out in the Khasi Hills which eventually brought an end to paganism in that region. It was news of that indigenous Indian revival that first stimulated interest in revival among the Mizo Christians in Lushai, India. Early in 1906, ten dedicated young Christians hiked through a mountain jungle for two weeks to get to an outlying district church. When they arrived, they quickly became disappointed, because the entire ministry was in Khasi, a language which none of the Mizo Christians understood. They observed and sensed a strange power at work in the meetings, but with no one to explain what was happening, it had little apparent impact on their own life. They left the meetings to return to their homes, pausing at Chatlang to pray. During that prayer, they “felt their hearts filled with a strange joy.” Some regard this as the beginning of the Mizo outpouring. When they got home, they gathered Christians every night to pray for revival. After a week of intense prayer, nothing had happened. “Perhaps God would not send revival after all,” they reasoned. It was easy to assume God would withhold revival blessings because of the widespread paganism in their region. As the Mizo Christians were saying farewell to three friends, revival came. As the group sang the hymn, God Be With You Till We Meet Again!, “the Spirit was poured upon them in a remarkable manner.” Others living nearby joined them as they continued in a time of prayer and praise. God had not abandoned them! Revival had come! The outpouring quickly spread throughout the region “creating extraordinary interest.” Missionary D. E. Jones prophesied that revival would break out in Phullen, a large village several days away. A teacher was sent to be a carrier of revival to Phullen. When he arrived, he discovered the revival had already begun. It apparently began about the time of the missionary’s prophecy. This initial Mizo outpouring resulted in an increase in church membership and inquirers. It was primarily marked by conviction of sin among church members and adherents. It also helped prepare the church for difficult days ahead.

Pagan village chiefs responded to the threat from the revival by severely persecuting the church. Christians were awakened at midnight and driven into the jungle by angry neighbours. The 1907 persecution was followed by a “revival of paganism” which mocked the Christian revival with their own pagan hymns and festivals. This anti-revival “spread like wildfire, with demonstrations in every village.” Church leaders despaired as they saw their church decline under intense persecution. Life for the believers in the Hills got worse before it got better. In the winter of 1911-12, the flowering bamboo attracted hordes of rats. The rats devoured their stores of grain and the grain growing in the fields almost overnight. Believers subsisted on roots. Multitudes died of starvation, they poured out of the hills to the plains, looking for something to eat. Missionaries responded with help. Relief offerings were collected in Wales and distributed throughout the Mizo church. Despite the persecution they had experienced, the Mizo Christians chose to share their food ungrudgingly with their hungry pagan neighbours. These acts of kindness demonstrated in the midst of distress brought an end to the pagan revival and created a renewed interest in the Christian gospel. In 1913, revival fires were rekindled. The Mizo church was once again energized for evangelistic ministry. Six years later, “an even greater revival broke out,” rapidly sweeping through the region and impacting the neighbouring states of Tipperah and Manipur. At the end of the twentieth century, Mizoram (formerly Lushai) is undoubtedly India’s most Christian province. Despite its poverty, it is also the most zealously evangelical region in India. This province first visited by missionaries only a hundred years ago now sends out hundreds of its own missionaries to other provinces in India and neighbouring nations throughout Asia. Commenting on the effect of the Mizo outpouring, one observer notes, “The Hill Tribes set forth in indisputable evidence, the power of the gospel to transform a primitive people.” By: Elmer L. Towns and Douglas Porter http://www.phpreston.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/10_Greatest_Revivals.pdf

RELATIONSHIPS

BREAK BARRIERS TO

MARITAL BLISS

In the summer 2015 edition of this magazine (SUNRISE) we stated that: “We are certain that God wants marriage to be enjoyed and He puts everything in place for that purpose. It needs to be said however that anyone coming into marriage must be aware that s/he has got some work to do so that marriage will be enjoyed.” In this edition we are continuing in that same spirit; and we want to suggest that everyone who wants marital bliss should be prepared to break every barrier that will work against their marital enjoyment as intended by God. One principal thing that we believe every believer in Christ will readily mention in breaking barriers to marital bliss is prayer. We are unshaken in our conviction that prayer is very potent and should not be handled with levity in any marriage relationship that wants to enjoy bliss; we are aware though, that many homes talk more about prayer than praying. We however like to say that couples should have a very strong ‘praying together’ programme, for God’s word says that when two agree in prayers they will have great results (see Mt. 18:19-20). But friends, we will like to say right away that, as important and potent as it is; prayer alone doesn’t sustain love relationship. Hence, you might have seen or heard people said they prayed and fasted but their marriage still collapsed. We are of the opinion that for couples to enjoy marital bliss, both God and the individual person must work together. No wonder, the Holy Bible talks of faith without works being useless (James 2:14ff) and that there is the need to work out one’s salvation diligently (Philip. 2:12b). We discussed a number of barriers that the devil regularly throws at love relationships aimed at preventing marital bliss in our book “Enemies on Ram-

page: Fire Back”. In the Foreword to that book, our mentor (Pastor E.A. Adeboye) wrote: “The devil uses so many antics – in-laws, friends, finance, and so on; – to find a way of disrupting the harmony in a Christian home.” We’ll discuss some of them here. 1. IN-LAWS & “OUT-LAWS” In some situation the barrier could present itself in the form of relatives (in-laws) or friends (out-laws) not wanting to let go. They still want to have the same level of attention and/or privileges that was there before an individual gets into marriage. It could also be that it is even a person in marriage relationship who still have a very strong attachment to relatives/friends; not coming to terms with the fact that his/her level and status have changed. Some others may fall into the trap of allowing some “spiritual” or “experienced” people to turn them against each other by discrediting or giving false “revelation/prophecy” to one partner against the other. In our opinion, it is alright for couples to take advice from relatives and friends; but they should be careful not to allow themselves to be ordered around, bearing in mind that the scriptures say “and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ “(Mt. 10:36 NKJV) Furthermore, couples should not renege on their vows of sticking to each other in line with Biblical injunction in Genesis 2:24. 2. MONEY MATTERS Many couples have been torn apart today due to their failure to handle money matters in love. For some it was due to financial mismanagement, for others their problem was insufficient flow of money; while it seems that for a vast majority, it is jettisoning the covenant of oneness they both entered into. As covenant partners, couples should be able to place their money on the altar of

love. Their attitude should not be like the story of the guy who claimed to love Jesus but turned his back at Jesus when he was asked to place his money on the line (Mt. 19:16-22). Couples who claim that they know the Lord should not become covenant breakers because of money. Their attitude should be that their oneness should be maintained even in money matters, such that they should be able to plan their budget and execute same together; including what to give to their relations. (Read Mt. 19:5-6) Married couples should take time to discover their true financial position and make up their minds on how to keep control, dropping certain luxuries as at when necessary. They should also avoid wrong use of credit cards or loan facilities. (Read Luke 14:28ff) 3. ACT OF LOVE Neglecting acts of love is another major barrier that disturbs marital bliss. It could be that one party is said to be over demanding, or that one is denying the other. In some situations it may be the demand for unwholesome attitudes or that one party or both were indulging in extra marital affairs. As we stated in our Book referred to earlie, act of love or act of marriage (which God instituted for the mutual benefits of couples must not be allowed to become a missile in the enemies’ hands. Every married couple should therefore work and ensure mutual enjoyment and satisfaction of the act of love with his/her wife/husband. They should therefore let ‘making love’ be their attitude. Do not deny each other and don’t use it to punish one other. Any form of perversion should be avoided like a plague; no inhibiting cultural taboos should be allowed to interfere and extra

marital affairs should be treated like atomic bomb. Flee fornication and adultery to save your soul. But enjoy intimacy within the confines and sanctity of a monogamous marriage as God intended. Follow the scriptures and you cannot err. – And from the Holy Bible we have injunctions on intimacy in marriage. Friends, just as it is written in the Holy Bible, we pray that all will go well with you (3 John 2). But we are aware that doing your part with Jesus as the Lord of your lives is the only combination that can break barriers and deliver marital bliss to anyone. A good and enriching life is in Christ Jesus alone. (John 10:10). Let Him be the Lord of your marriage relationship and all will be well with you.

“WE ARE CERTAIN THAT GOD WANTS MARRIAGE TO BE ENJOYED AND HE PUTS EVERYTHING IN PLACE FOR THAT PURPOSE. IT NEEDS TO BE SAID HOWEVER THAT ANYONE COMING INTO MARRIAGE MUST BE AWARE THAT S/ HE HAS GOT SOME WORK TO DO SO THAT MARRIAGE WILL BE ENJOYED.”

Bayo and Funmi Eesuola are Pastors at RCCG Love Assembly, North Peckham, London

RELATIONSHIPS

SETTING PRIORITIES - A KEY TO HAPPY RELATIONSHIPS

ing how to set right priorities will lead to a healthier, balanced and more fulfilled life.

’m often asked what the important factors to make a relationship strong are. One central one is making your relationship a priority. At the beginning of the relationship, the other person takes centre stage, sometimes even to the detriment of other things in your life. Because of this, the other person feels like they really matter and that’s what makes the initial stages of a relationship so special. Once you become committed, the partnership gets deeper and closer and you get more relaxed. That is good at first but what generally happens is that the relaxation turns into taking the relationship for granted. It is of course not our usually our intention to let our relationship slide but it is just so hard to find time for everything. We prioritize other things believing that our spouse will understand. But what if there was a way to make time for everything? The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven”. Is your life controlling you or are you in control of your life? One the highest profit sources for retailers are the purchases that are made while waiting in the checkout line. Impulse buys. These are items that were not on the shopping list, things that were not pre-planned on being purchased and were grabbed at the last minute. Your life is the same way. People spend the majority of their life living off of what was purchased in the checkout line rather than what was preplanned. Not planned, not orchestrated and not intended. Look at your life today. Your life has been mapped out by your priorities. Consciously or subconsciously! Learn-

Most of us act as “Reactionaries” meaning that we simply react to everything that happens; then we do our best to work our way out of the circumstances where we find ourselves. You just don’t see very many “Proactive” Christians. Proactive Christians are those who prepare their hearts and minds ahead of time for the trials that they know are surely coming; and by doing so they learn to set proper priorities in their lives. According to Stephen Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, reactive people, are those who believe that whatever they do in the present can have no effect on their circumstances. Proactive people, on the other hand, simply will not accept that there is nothing that can be done, they will point out that there are always choices. It is by the decisions we make, our responses to people, events and circumstances that proactive people can and do affect the future. We may have no control over what life throws at us but we always have a choice about how we are to respond. Without a doubt, our first priority needs to be our relationship with God. I believe that Paul had his priorities straight. What was most important for him was the knowledge of who it was that he was serving, and of the will of God in his life. In Philippians 1:21 Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He was saying that while he was alive,

his priority was to serve the Lord, so that when he died, his reward for faithfulness would be gained. What are the priorities in your own life? What’s the most important thing to you right now? These questions can always be answered by looking at where you spend most of your time, and what are you doing with the time that you have. Too many people are seemingly just wasting the precious minutes of life on trivialities that have no eternal consequence except to cause them to miss out on God’s best. If we never or rarely feast upon the Word of God, then our priorities need some work. If we are going to be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”, like Paul taught us in Ephesians 6:10, then we need to make those things that give us spiritual strength a much higher priority than those things that give us physical strength. What will further help us to prioritize tasks is to know the purpose of God for your life. Here we refer again to Stephen Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His 2nd habit is titled ‘Begin with the end in mind’. Many people identify with the frustration of success. Being successful at their chosen career and committed to its progress they come to realise that it does not, in the final analysis, bring any sense of real satisfaction. The reason for this ultimate dissatisfaction is that they did not begin with the end in mind. For many people, it is not just that they did not begin with the end in mind; it goes a bit deeper - they did not ever get around to defining the end itself and so they simply could not begin with the end in mind. So what does all this mean? The end represents the purpose of your life. Until you can say what that purpose is, with assurance, then you just cannot direct your life in the manner that would bring you the greatest satisfaction. To engage in this habit, you need to have a dream, define your own vision and get into the practice of setting goals which will allow you to make measurable progress toward the dream.

Now I know my purpose, how do I practically prioritise tasks? There are several concepts which are helpful. Note that it is commonly recognized that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your success (The Pareto Principle). Pareto’s Principle, the 80/20 Rule, should serve as a daily reminder to focus 80% of your time and energy on the 20% of you work that is really important. Don’t just “work smart”, work smart on the right things. Hence, if you have 100 tasks in your task list, probably about 20 of those will be the key ones to focus on.

Hence, whatever prioritization method you use, you should ensure it helps you pinpoint these tasks. a) Three dos of setting priorities 1) Do what will make a difference rather than what will make a dent. Prioritize your life around the things that will make a difference. Involve yourself with things or people that will help make an impact. Absorb yourself with things that will leave a legacy to those coming after you. 2) Do what is important rather than what is urgent (Mary and Martha). Allow your life to be governed by what is important rather than what is urgent. Ye, they are two different things! Begin to learn how to set your day, and to the best of your ability stick to it. Do you have a planner? Do you make a to-do list? If you don’t prepare your day before hand, your day will tell you what to

do. Do something with life or life will do something with you. 3) Do what is purpose-motivated rather than what is impulse motivated. Only involve yourself with people and things that are related to your purpose and plan. Stop wasting your time, money, and energy on things and relationships that don’t have long term effect. Plan your day, your week, your month and the years ahead of you with purpose in mind. b) Covey’s Quadrants Stephen Covey describes a high-level prioritization scheme in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. In this scheme, tasks are categorized by four quadrants: QI - Important and Urgent QII - Important but Not Urgent QIII - Not Important but Urgent QIV - Not Important and Not Urgent

in.

Dr. Covey notes that highly effective people make time for the QII activities, and that doing so can reduce the time spent in other quadrants. While QI - QIV prioritization doesn’t help you decide which QI activity to do first and which to do second, and so on, it can be very enlightening to find out which quadrants your tasks are

c) The Payoff versus Time Method With this method, you weigh each task by the payoff you expect from it versus the time it takes to do it. Tasks that have high payoff and that take little time are the ones you would do first. Correspondingly, tasks that have low payoff and that take a lot of time are ones you would do last or not at all. When you prioritize tasks effectively, you will find that you have much more time for your spouse and family than you previously thought and this will lead to a much more fruitful and fulfilled life. By Andrea Onduku www.mattersofheart.org info@mattersofheart.org.uk,

Matters of the heart ea Andr r a e D

A problem is only a problem until you find the solution. Are you searching for a solution to a problem that has so far remained elusive? Maybe you need a second opinion or some advice concerning a situation you are facing? Whatever the need, here at Sunrise Magazine, we want to help, whether it be a problem, an irritant, a matter of the heart, a situation at work, dealing with children, youth issues, suicidal thoughts, finance, the stress of day to-day living or any other issue. We believe at Sunrise Magazine that God has called us to bear one another’s burdens. (Gal 6:2) With this in mind Sunrise has created an Agony Aunt Problem page. This is a space for you, the reader, where you can write in with your questions or problems and receive honest and non-judgemental advice concerning your situation. Thank you to those who have already written in with your questions, the questions and answers are printed below, if you would like further input, feel free to get in touch at info@mattersofheart.org. WHAT DO YOU ADVISE SOMEONE WHO IS UNDER PRESSURE TO BE MARRIED? ANON Thank you for this question, I believe it is an issue that many people today are facing. In general people are getting married later in today’s society due to studies and career but at times those around such a person do not understand what is taking us so long. My parents for example were married when my mum was 19 and my dad was 21. On the other hand, my husband and I married when he was 35. Therefore much pressure can come from parents who want their children to settle down quickly so that the grandchildren can come along before they themselves get any older. Then pressure can also come from friends who have already married and want you to join their ‘club’ probably because they don’t see you as much and want you to be able to do ‘couple things’ as a group. The point is that when pressure comes like this, it is because the person pressuring you most likely wants something out of it. If you getting married did not affect them, then would they be so bothered? You, however, cannot live your life for other people, the only person you need to live your life for is God. What does He say about it? Is He pressuring you to make a step that you are not willing to take? If God is pressuring you to make a move, then do it without fear but otherwise stay put until He says so. You are the one who will have to live with your choice for life and so don’t let others make it for you. Practically speaking though, what should you say when people ask you what is happening concerning marriage? Once you know where you stand, you need to communicate this to your friends and other people your intentions. Explain to them that you do not want to do what it is they are asking for you to do. Give them reasons on why you feel this way. Be willing to answer

MATTERS OF THE HEART

their questions so they understand where you are coming from. Constant communication with family especially is extremely important. Be clear but at the same time, don’t be defensive and rebellious with your parents. It is only going to aggravate the situation. Be patient in explaining your position. Then be firm in your decision and show confidence. Some people will continue to argue with you and this is where you need to show that you mean business. Do not give in to their arguments. Do what is best for you and stand with your decision. Lastly, hang out with supportive people. If your friends really like you, they need to respect you. Nobody wants to be with people who are trying to get them to do something they don’t want to do.

In marriage how do you handle restrictions to serve in the House of God (say choir) because of negative experiences of others known to your husband who is not in the country with you permanently? Anon I believe that an important factor in long distance relationships is trust. Trust is built through communication. Talk often about how you feel toward one another and what is happening in each other’s lives. It sounds like he heard some things from other people and has drawn conclusions based on that. Make sure that he is hearing every detail of the goings on from you, don’t hide things from him that he will hear from others later as it will make him to question why you didn’t tell him and give room for him to draw his own conclusions. For now, you need to work within the restrictions he has set because going against what he wants you to do would worsen the situation. To build trust, make sure your words and actions always match. This shows you are an honest person who has nothing to hide and who always keeps their promises. I would also suggest however that you ask your husband if you could both have a meeting with the Pastor perhaps over Skype or the next time he visits. This would enable you to discuss the issues and the Pastor would be able to respond to your husband’s concerns. The situation cannot go unchecked as it is clear that you want to serve in the House of God and indeed there are blessings attached to service that would benefit you and all your affairs including your marriage. Therefore seek counsel and above all pray. There is nothing that pray cannot do, pray for your husband and pray for the communication lines to be open in your marriage so that trust and understanding can be built. I am sure that with prayer, counsel, communication and patience, all will be well.

Andrea Onduku You can contact Andrea with your questions via info@mattersofheart.org.uk

RCCG UK

SCHOOL OF PRAYER for all nations

FEATURE

The Essence of Biblical Theology

PREAMBLE:

and practical theology.

o a considerable extent, Biblical Theology has been seen as a subject in severe decline over the past few decades within some scholarly quarters. An understanding of critical approaches to Biblical Theology challenges us to a literal and ‘fundamentalist’ approach to scripture that have hitherto guided the Western intellectual tradition since the mid-nineteenth century.

The philosophy of truth is a step closer to an understanding of pluralism which is all about truth. In the context of theology, pluralism says that all the world religions are true and equally valid in their communication of the truth about God. Every viewpoint is seen to be equally valid since everything is relative. This reinforces the thinking that there is no such thing as a study of the Bible with complete objectivity. The challenge this in itself presents is that one’s thought cannot be easily put above others. Whereas, the Christian Bible tells us that there is only one way to God and Biblical theology is utterly dependent upon the her- that is through Jesus Christ and therefore there is only meneutics of the theologian. Simply hermeneutics is one truth (John 14:6). the theory and practice of interpretation of the Bible. Every interpreter brings certain presuppositions to John MacArthur writing on The Truth War (2008) posthe task of interpretation. These biases have consid- ited that the Bible teaches truth as that which is conerable influence upon the process of interpreting the sistent with the mind, will, character, glory, and being Scriptures. Consequently, it is argued that Biblical of God. Even more to the point: Truth is the self-exTheology must be strictly a historical study of what pression of God. That is, the biblical meaning of truth was believed and taught in the various periods of bib- because the definition of truth flows from God. Hence, lical history, independent of modern denominational, truth is theological. Furthermore, truth is also ontologdoctrinal, philosophical, socio-political or cultural con- ical, which is a fancy way of saying it is the way things siderations. really are. He stresses that reality is what it is because God declared it so and made it so. “Therefore God is The concept of Biblical Theology seeks to under- the author, source, determiner, governor, arbiter, ultistand the parts in relation to the whole. Biblical theolo- mate standard, and final judge of all truth.” gy is the study of the doctrines of the Bible, arranged according to their chronology and historical back- CRITIQUE ground. Biblical Theology focuses and requires us to A key theme in Biblical Theology is the different perstudy the biblical narrative and reflect on scriptures spectives drawn from a devotional study compared with an ‘eye’ from within rather than from an external with an exegetical study of the Bible. This greatly perspective. Understandably, theology has to do with influences personal spiritual development, theologia set of beliefs about a particular religion and the cat- cal awareness and approach to ministry. As a field egorizing or putting themes into a system is referred of study, Biblical Theology opens up new possibilities to as systematic theology. Beyond this is historical for an understanding of the Bible thematically. At the 44

same time, the methodological spectrum of exegetical work has provided a whole range of broad understanding. The Bible in 2 Timothy 2:15 admonishes us to “study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV). It is considered here that the ministry of the Word of God is a work, and those that are assigned to perform it are worthy of honour and esteem. In fact, the NKJV version puts it that “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The compelling factor is that, it requires diligence, dexterity, skill and application, and the grace of God. Furthermore, it is expected that those who are employed in it are workmen but workers together with God, and labourers in his vineyard; and those who are faithful and diligent ones, “need not to be ashamed”. More succinctly, the next verse urges such to “avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly” (2 Timothy 2:16, NIV). Consequently, the painstaking search for the original meaning of scriptures will help in putting into perspective the scriptures back into the past completely so that its intentional meaning is not overtly distorted and an appreciation of its actuality is not considered a farce. Simply put, concepts like exegesis has enhanced the sustenance of originality and strived to have opened up possibilities for coherence in biblical interpretation amongst scholars. It is understood that while a devotional study of the Bible is one that is geared towards a personal growth of faith, exegesis as a concept is when we allow the context of the scripture to explain the text. Furthermore, while a devotional study helps in cementing or confirming our relationship with God, an exegetical exercise helps to broaden our knowledge capacity. It helps in establishing what the text meant to the original hearers of the message. More precisely, exegesis is technical and grammatical exposition, a careful drawing out of the exact meaning of a passage in its original context.Exegesis means a critical study of a text rather than a revelation study which is based on one’s relationship with God. Exegesis is the exposition or explanation of a text based on a careful, objective analysis. The word exegesis literally means “to lead out of.” That means that the interpreter (the exegete) is led to his conclusions by following the text. In an exegetical study, the contextual analysis may revolve around the historical, cultural, political, economic, language and geographical underpinnings of the chosen text.

The words in 2 Timothy 2:15 above commands us to use exegetical methods. The opposite approach to Scripture is eisegesis, which is the interpretation of a passage based on a subjective, non-analytical reading. The word eisegesis literally means “to lead into,” which means the interpreter (the eisegete) injects his own ideas into the text, making it mean whatever he wants. Although in some way dangerous, this allows everyone to have a different interpretation of a text. Exegesis in a post-modern world is greatly constrained by time and opens us up to regularly challenge our tradition and pre-suppositions. One clear concern of an exegetical study is that it may lead to a head knowledge of the Bible rather than a spiritual, heart bound understanding. Furthermore, an exegetical study can lead to arrogance or pride. On the other hand, we need an exegetical study so that one’s subjective views are tested and challenged regularly. THE WAY FORWARD: Biblical theology helps us in tracing themes and guides the motives of the narrative. Biblical theology seeks to understand a certain passage in the Bible in light of all of the biblical history leading up to it and later biblical references to that passage. It helps us in undergoing an inductive and deductive interpretation of scriptures, therefore it is systematic, historical and dogmatic theology. In a post-modern world like ours, we must know that experiences can be deceiving therefore, we need to be honest in our interpretation of scriptures. Although, Pentecostalism has been very successful in enthusiasm but this has come with some errors due to the seeming lack of in-depth study of scriptures which has made it open to heresies and avoidable theological flaws. Exegesis is a means to an end and not an end it itself. To a considerable extent, exegesis will make us better in our devotionals. In all, it is my utmost reasoning that a frugal commitment to hermeneutics will help in narrowing the lacuna created in modern Pentecostalism by avoiding many flaws often associated to charismatic preaching of the Bible rather than a rigorous study of scriptures before presentation. Effort should also be made to identify where the balance should be between exegesis and devotional study. In this way, we will be able to identify new approaches to the proselytization of the far ends of the world. Shalom! Dr. Akpo Onduku Pastor, RCCG Chapel of Grace Bradford pastor@chapelofgrace.org.uk www.chapelofgrace.org.uk 45

PARENTS DON’T SWEAT IT!!

PARENTING

How to remain still in the face of adversity “AS PARENTS IN CHRIST WE NEED NOT FORGET THAT GOD KNEW OUR CHILDREN ‘EVEN BEFORE THEY WERE CONCEIVED’ IN THEIR MOTHERS WOMBS. HE HAS PLANS FOR EVERY CHILD AND HE NEEDS US TO BE COURAGEOUS BY PLACING OUR CHILDREN IN HIS HANDS INSTEAD OF FRETTING OVER NEGATIVE SITUATIONS AROUND US”

ith time I have come to realise that God does not want us to think that if we don’t do anything, then nothing will happen. God has proven this to us through the teachings of Christ, that HE loathes our self-reliance and self-effort on issues that He alone can approve or disapprove. In fact God wants us to know that when He is in the picture, He changes every situation. On this occasion I would like us to explore the traits and actions of three parents in the bible. These parents were faced with adversity, yet made a conscious effort to trust God in complete faith that God would, by his infinite wisdom and grace, turn their ominous situations around. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born. He and his wife Sarah, had thought it was impossible for Sarah to bear children at her age. As God had promised, Sarah bore a son. One day, God called Abraham, instructing him to take his son to the mountains and offer him as burnt offering. The Bible does not record that Abraham ever doubted God. In fact when Isaac asked him why they had wood to burn and no lamb to sacrifice, Abraham reassured Isaac that God would provide the Lamb when they got to the top of the mountain. Just as Abraham imagined and hoped, God

stopped him just as he was about to sacrifice his son and a lamb was provided in replacement; Abraham didn’t sweat it! He was absolutely sure God had a reason for his instruction. Abraham exhibited his commitment to God. He knew

God who blessed him with a child after so many years of delay was always to be trusted. You see, when you are resting in God, He works on your behalf at all times; And when he works, you end up with more than you can ever achieve on your own. Being ‘still’ in Christ, requires parents to be courageous and brave. During the reign of Pharaoh, he was concerned that the Israelites in Egypt were growing stronger and multiplying in numbers, giving them the advantage of over-powering their slave masters at any point in time. Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all Israelite sons at their pregnant mother’s birth-stool. The midwives defied Pharaoh. It was at this time Moses was born: His mother Jochebed, knew she could not hide him in her home, so she took a brave step and placed him in a water proof basket by the swampy area of the Nile, safely hidden by overgrown 16 foot reeds. This was an act of a courageous woman who probably knew her son would be safe despite what her physical eyes and ears could see and hear around her. As parents in Christ we need not forget that God knew our children ‘even before they were conceived’ in their mothers wombs. He has plans for every child and he needs us to be courageous by placing our children in His hands instead of fretting over negative situations around us. When we possess this courage, we hand over our children’s destiny into Gods hands, to do as He wills. Joseph is another parent in the bible that portrayed the value of obedience. He had learnt that Mary whom he hadn’t laid with was with child. If the public were privy to this situation, Mary could have been stoned but Joseph listened and obeyed the angel of God who gave Joseph the option to go ahead and marry Mary. Joseph was ‘still’ in the presence of God, his action revealed four admirable qualities: (1) stern principles, (2) discretion and sensitivity, (3) responsiveness to God and (4) self-discipline. With these qualities, Joseph discovered that Gods plan for him and Mary was good and she bore the Messiah. Unlike Joseph, many parents today would probably have thought of alternatives to discard the shame the unborn child would bring to them. God often shows us that there are more options available than we think, if only we are ‘still’ and seek Gods wisdom in all situations.

cerned about her child who tried everything he could to pass his maths mock exams. His results came back ‘ungraded `so he told his mother he was worried he might not pass his GCSE exams. His mother knew she couldn’t physically open his head (so to speak) to deposit answers in his brain. Instead she took the matter to Gods feet. She recalls that she didn’t panic, instead she reminded God that he created her son and he was bound to succeed. Whilst she waited on God, she kept getting the urge to enquire about all the level of exam entries within the examining body. It was as though God was leading her to various people. She soon found out that her son could take the foundation tier level in maths. Within 8 weeks of exams, her son practiced the foundation maths past questions. Her son gained confidence as he progressed. When the results were released, He succeeded! He had a C in his GCSE results! The foundation level was an alternative she never knew existed and he was the only child in the whole school year that took this level of math paper. Some are re-sitting maths, but the child who was ungraded 2 months prior to his GCSE, passed!! When we are troubled by conflict; sometimes when difficulties arise, we try and force our will on God, forgetting that only His will is good for us. When conflicts come and we are untroubled by them because of our faith in God, only then can we know peace. My fellow parents, let us stop striving and be at rest by praying and reading and meditating scripture to give ourselves time to ponder on Gods promises , because that is truly when He communicates with us on the next steps to take. Shalom

By: Abigail Adeyanju

So, when does God require us to be STILL? When you recognise your situation is bigger that you; God expects us to perpetually remain in His rest. The bible states that things we do are never by our power nor our might, but by the Spirit of God. This means that in every situation we find ourselves, God is ready and willing to instruct and guide us if we are willing to listen. A mother who feels she cannot cope with her autistic child, only has to realise that when she invites Christ into her situation, He always has options to make our burden lighter. As parents and mere humans, we sometimes find ourselves faced with little or no choice in certain situations. It is, at times like this that we need to feed our faith and remain focused on God promises concerning our situations. I once heard the story of a mother who was terribly con-

Abigail is a member of the National Early Years Trainers and Consultant (NEYTCO) UK and the founder of the ‘Value Added Parent Project’, a social / community initiative encouraging parents to instil and teach children positive virtues. She is also the co-founder of Fink Africa, an organisation that specializes in providing developmental (for early years aged 0 – 6 years) and business skills training (for the youth aged 14 – 25 years) training and coaching for organisations that have children as their clients. 47

SINGLES

FINDING YOUR PLACE

enesis 28:10-12, 16-17 10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place (somebody say, there is a place) and stayed there all night, because the sun had set.

constantly feeling out of place and not really knowing why I was on the earth. I felt that there was nothing that I was good at and no reason for me to be breathing. However, looking back, the problem was that I lacked direction. I didn’t know who I was and no-one was guiding me to find myself.

And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it…..16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (somebody say, there is a place) 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (somebody say, I have to get to that place)

You can see from the passage that we read that Jacob had to get to a place of revelation. He got to a place where He was able to see what no-one else around him could see. It was as if he had found a doorway to Heaven. That is what revelation is like, it is as if God has opened up the door to Heaven and shown you a great truth.

Have you considered where your place is in life? Growing up as a teenager and young person was a horrible time of emotions I didn’t understand,

I grew up in church but it was just all Bible stories and about other people. I became a Christian at an early age and loved God but didn’t understand my place in it all. It wasn’t until I was invited to a church that taught me who I am in Christ that things began to change. You see before then I was looking for identity in my talents or skills which I felt were lacking. What I should have done was ask God who I am and what my purpose is. I needed to get to the 48

place of revelation before I could get to any other place. A place need not be geographical, indeed if f you look at the Hebrew word translated as place in that passage, it can mean position. You need to find your right position which as a believer is a place of trust in God, a place of faith, a place of meaning, a place of fruitfulness, a place of peace, a place of obedience and a place of authority and dominion. Where are you currently? •Perhaps in a place of despondency or discouragement because of delay or sickness or disappointments? Galatians 6:9 says “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up”. •Perhaps in a place of loneliness? Genesis 32:24, 28 says – “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day”. See loneliness just an opportunity to wrestle with God, you can’t do that when your friend is there Jacob was in a place of guilt and fear running from

Esau, just because you are going though stuff does not mean that you can’t wrestle with God but let it push you into the arms of God. •Perhaps wondering what is your place in God’s plan? What is your purpose? Proverbs 20:5 says “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” •Perhaps you feel afraid of the future? Afraid of what you sense God is calling you to do in life? Worried that your ‘place’ is too difficult? Job 42:2 says “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails” He is right with you helping you to fulfil your purpose, you are not alone. •Perhaps things have gone wrong in your life, maybe you failed at something important, or your life has gone off course because of trouble that came your way? Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” The Lord and His purposes are perfect, but we are not. We are assailed by doubts and fears that many times keep us from living out the purposes that He has established for us. However, we can overcome this by consistently reading and studying His word so that our faith will be made stronger day by day. As we learn of God and pray to Him regularly, we become bolder to accomplish great purposes in His name. Job refused to confine God to the place of His suffering Job 36:15-

16 says “He rescues the afflicted in their affliction, and opens their ears [so that they pay attention to His voice] in times of oppression. “Then indeed, He enticed you from the mouth of distress and confinement, into a broad place where there is no constraint or distress; and that which was set on your table was full of fatness (rich food). •Perhaps you feel that your life is just too unstable for you to find your way right now? Psalm 26:12 says “My foot stands in an even place; in the congregations I will bless the Lord”. Confess this over your life and you will reach a place of Divine Revelation and stability. How do we get to the place where we want or need to get to? •There must be an activation of your faith. In Hebrews 11 we read of how Abraham was called to go to a place that he didn’t know, he just followed in faith. When you live your life accidentally, just meandering along, don’t be surprised if your life becomes an accident. Drifting produces depressing results. If you neglect relationships, you’ll see people walking away from you; if you neglect personal growth, you’ll see others pass you up on the ladder to success. To not decide is to decide, but often the results are tragic. Instead, decide that today you will see life through new eyes. See your future through eyes of faith. •Integrity - Psalm 26:11 says “I don’t care what anyone else is doing or saying, I will keep my integrity and receive deliverance”. Your deliverance will come when you remain obedient to God and demonstrate reliability. Zechariah 3:7 says “Thus says the LORD of 49

hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here”. •Find your identity and significance in God. What makes up your identity? Confidence is linked with how you see yourself and who you think you are as a person. Most people define their identity by the job they do so we introduce ourselves as ‘Hi my name is _______ and I am a student, sales assistant, dentist, doctor, administrator, engineer or [insert job title here]’. What happens if tomorrow, the job is no more? Maybe you become a mother and have to stay home for a while or maybe you have to re-train as the job market in that field reduces? Find your identity in who you are in Jesus Christ and who He has created you to be. At each moment and season, the assignment He has given you will be different, some may sound more important than others but all are equal assignments in God’s eyes, all He needs is your obedience. So no matter what season you are in, always try to see your identity in Him and find yourself in the centre of His will. Decide to be successful in each season. Your place is seasonal. Don’t be discouraged about this phase in your life. Don’t put off life until later, there is an assignment for this time in your life. There is a place for you now Lastly in Genesis 28:15, God told Jacob “I will keep you in all the places you will go” - get to that place in Him and he will get you to all the other places and be with you. By: Andrea Onduku www.mattersofheart.org

RCCG EVENTS

RCCG Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rally

he Manchester RCCG Workers Rally took place at the Event City, Manchester on Thursday 16th July. The Workers Rally provides a forum for all workers in the RCCG to be exhorted and encouraged by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God.

RCCG Festival of life

estival of Life Manchester took place on the 17th July in the Event Centre , Manchester. It was an evening of Worship, Prayer and Impartation hosted by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God

GCCR efil fo lavitseF

STAR Conference July 2015 T

he Pastors, Trustees and Key Staff Conference 2015 was held in RCCG Victory House London - Saturday 25th July 2015. Training was given on issues such as HMRC, Sponsorship Licence and Immigration, Child Protection/Safeguarding , Governance/Filing of Accounts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SORP Rules, Property Matters and an Introduction of the Regulatory Support Standards. There was also a Questions and Answers Session with the RCCG UK Board of Trustees.

RCCG EVENTS

Sports day 2015

he Annual RCCG UK sports day took place on the 1st August 2015 at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London. The dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events included football, athletics and a health clinic. Participants came from across the UK including Scotland and Wales.

RCCG EVENTS

Good Women Fellowship, England

he RCCG England Female Ministersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Retreat took place from Friday 25th - Sunday 27th September 2015 at Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire. The theme was The Female Shepherd.

RCCG EVENTS

Teen & Children’s Workers’ Training

he Teens and Children’s Workers Training took place on Saturday 11th July 2015 in RCCG Jubilee Church Manchester and was co-ordinated by the RCCG UK National Youth Directorate.

he Pastorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seed Family ( UK) held its Annual Conference in London this October. It was another opportunity for the children of pastors and ministers in the RCCG UK Mission to bond and grow together in their faith.

2015 GRADUATION ceremony

he class of 2015 gathered for the Graduation Awards of the School of Disciples (SOD) and Christ the Redeemer College (CRC) at Jesus house London on the 10th of October 2015.

The event also featured the Annual Academic Lecture of CRC. Special Guests of Honour were Pastor E.A. Adeboye and Pastor (Mrs) Folu Adeboye.

RCCG Workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rally

astors, Ministers and Workers in RCCG UK assembled under the leadership of the Genereal Overseer Pastor E.A. Adeboye at ExCeL London on the 13th of October 2015.

Workers were taught from the Holy Scriptures and all took the Holy Communion together. Prayers were offered for all workers in the Mission by the General Overseer.

RCCG EVENTS

Covenant Partnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; & Festival of life (fol) partnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reception

ovenant Partners and FOL Partners came together at a joint reception with Pastor E.A. Adeboye in London on the 8th of October 2015.

At the event held at Jesus House, Pastor Adeboye thanked the partners for being co-labourers in the call to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He prayed for the partners and asked the Lord to continue to bless them in all their endeavours.

Prayer Day Wonders of

2015

THEME: THE TIME IS "NOW" JOHN 4:35

9AM-12 NOON 14TH OF NOVEMBER 2015

WALES: RCCG GARDEN OF T H E LO R D, CA R D I F F UNIT 1, CLYDESMUIR INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, C LY D E S M U I R R O A D, TREMORFA, C A R D I F F, C F 2 4 2 Q S

SCOTLAND: FOUNTAIN OF LOVE 3 1 PA L M E R STO N ROAD ABERDEEN AB11 5QB 67

NORTHERN IRELAND: PLACE OF VICTORY FOR ALL NATIONS 2, AMELIA STREET BELFAST BT2 7GS 67

ENGLAND: ROYAL CONNECTIONS 9 0 M O N I E R R O A D, OFF WICK LANE, B O W, F I S H I S L A N D, LONDON E3 2ND

AUTUMN RECIPES

Hearty and Comforting recipes for autumn Autumn vegetable soup with cheesy toasts

into the vegetables with the chickpeas and parsley. Gently heat through, stirring now and then. For the toasts: rub both sides of the bread with the garlic. Grill on one side until golden, turn the bread over, cover with edam and grill until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bubbling. Serve at once with the piping hot soup. Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2002

Simple Squash Risotto

Ingredients: 1 leek, chopped quite small 2 carrots, chopped quite small 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 potato, chopped quite small 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary Â˝ tsp sugar 410g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 2 x 400g cans chopped Italian tomatoes 425ml/Âž pint vegetable stock For the toasts 8 slices of baguette, cut on the diagonal 1 garlic clove, cut in half 50g edam, finely grated Method Put the vegetables into a large saucepan with the garlic, rosemary, stock and sugar. Season well, stir, bring to a simmer and cover. Cook gently for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Preheat the grill to high. Whizz the tomatoes in a food processor or blender until smooth, then tip 68

Ingredients: 1 butternut squash 4 tbsp light olive oil 600ml vegetable stock 50g unsalted butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 bay leaf 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, picked 140g risotto rice (we like carnaroli) 100ml white wine 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated Method Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Peel the squash

and separate the bulbous seed-bearing section from the slender end. Chop the slender end into 2cm cubes, toss in half the oil, season lightly and roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and soft in the centre, about 30 mins. Cut the bulb in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon – you can keep these to toast in the oven and sprinkle over salads. Chop the flesh into 2cm pieces. Warm the vegetable stock in a small pan, set over a low heat. Drop in squash and leave to gently poach. While the squash is roasting, warm a medium-size frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the remaining olive oil and half the butter, followed by the onion. Cover and cook for 3 mins until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the celery, garlic, herbs and a few turns of pepper (no salt at this stage). Cover again and cook for a further 2 mins. Increase the heat slightly and stir in the rice. Stir, uncovered, for about 5 mins – this will help to develop the toasty aroma of the rice without burning the veg. Reduce the heat and start adding the stock. Add one ladle at a time, stirring gently but constantly during each addition. The idea is to encourage the rice to absorb the liquid and soften, but also give up its starch to thicken the remaining broth. Don’t stir too aggressively or you will end up with a pan of mush. When the stock has been absorbed, it’s time to add the next ladleful and so on. It will take about 15 mins to reach the final ladle of stock. By this time the squash in the stock should have softened. Mash it up with the remaining stock and stir into the risotto. Turn off the heat, dot the top of the risotto with remaining butter and most of the Parmesan, cover, leave to rest for 2 mins, then stir through and check the seasoning. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and sprinkle the roasted squash and leftover Parmesan on top. Serve with crusty bread and Sautéed spinach

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2009

Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients Serves: 4 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 15g butter 1 clove garlic, chopped 4 shallots, chopped 2 small fresh red chillies, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass 500ml chicken stock 350ml coconut milk 475g peeled and diced pumpkin 1 bunch fresh basil leaves In a medium saucepan, heat oil and butter over low heat. Cook garlic, shallots, chillies and lemon grass until fragrant (be careful not to burn the garlic). Stir in chicken stock, coconut milk and pumpkin; bring to the boil. Cook until pumpkin softens. In a blender, blend the soup in batches to a smooth or slightly chunky consistency, whatever you prefer. Serve garnished with basil leaves From: http://allrecipes.co.uk/ 69

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