TUNDE OLADUNNI
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Thursday, 26 January 2012
BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE- STRIVING FOR GOD'S ATTESTATION
BIBLE STUDY
TOPIC: STRIVING FOR GOD’S ATTESTATION
TEXT: Luke 3: 21-22
“Now when all
the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and
praying, the heaven was opened, 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily
shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art
my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” KJV
INTRODUCTION – Sometimes,
we have doubts about many things, (what we eat 1 Cor. 10: 25, about our sins 1
John 3: 20). These doubts sometimes are good, we need to address them. Each of
us must get God’s attestation on himself/herself. It is only when Heaven has
attested to us that whatever we offer can be accepted. The offering of Abel and
that of Cain was mentioned in conjunction with their persons (Gen. 4: 4b, 5a)
If God would put His attestation on any man, it is more than the entire
universe. If we consider the people that God attested to in the Scripture then
our hearts may be helped that we too can be attested to. In the Old Testament,
Daniel was a man greatly beloved (Dan.
10: 19), Enoch walked with God, God was so
pleased with him to the extent that He had to take him. Elijah triumphantly
went to heaven in the Chariot of fire. In the New Testament John was the beloved, and in this our text Jesus is
God’s BELOVED SON in whom God is WELL PLEASED. Oh how I wish God would bear
such testimony about me. This study shall be divided into three parts. Part A-
Jesus as our example on Attestation, Part B – How can we be His beloved? Part
C- Benefits of being His beloved.
(A)
JESUS AS OUR EXAMPLE ON ATTESTATION
God did not only declare Him to be a son but beloved Son. Furthermore, He says in Jesus He is well pleased. Some things came to my
mind as He was addressed as His beloved Son.
i.
He perfectly represented His
Father.
ii.
He perfectly presented His
Father.
iii.
He perfectly obeyed His Father
iv.
He was dutiful
v.
He was humble
vi.
He was wise
vii.
He was holy
viii.
He loves righteousness
ix.
…
x.
…
xi.
…
xii.
…
xiii.
…
xiv.
…
xv.
…
xvi.
…
xvii.
..
(B)
HOW CAN WE BE HIS BELOVED?
None of us can be His beloved except we first pleased Him. We should
strive to please Him well. Let us also take note that many people particularly
those that journeyed from Egypt to Canaan God was not well pleased with them (1
Cor. 10: 4). We must therefore not lose
sight of what God say pleased Him. It is important to study to show ourselves
approved unto God. (2 Tim. 2: 15) We shall examine few of them.
i.
Presentations of our bodies.
(Romans 12: 1)…
ii.
Our walk (Col. 1: 10)…
iii.
Obedience (Eph. 6: 1)…
iv.
Jesus as our example on
Attestation
v.
Isa 42:21 (The LORD is well
pleased for his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it
honourable)…
vi.
Isaiah 42: 1-4…
vii.
Heb. 13: 16 Jesus as our
example on Attestation
viii.
Isa 42:21
ix.
The LORD is well pleased for
his righteousness' sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable
x.
Heb 13:16 (But to do good and
to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased).
xi.
John 8: 29…
xii.
…
xiii.
…
xiv.
…
xv.
…
xvi.
…
xvii.
..
(C)
BENEFITS OF BEING HIS BELOVED
i.
Prov. 16: 7. Our enemies will
be at peace with us
ii.
Psalm 37: 37. Our enemies shall
be at peace with us
iii.
John 8: 29. God’s continuous
abiding presence.
iv.
Isaiah 42: 6.
HYMN FOR
MEDITATION
BH 436
SATISFIED
WITH JESUS
1. I am satisfied with
Jesus,
He has done so much for me:
He has suffered to redeem me,
He has died to set me free.
Chorus:
I am satisfied, I am satisfied,
I am satisfied with Jesus,
But the question comes to me,
As I think of Calvary,
Is my Master satisfied with me?
2. He is with me in my
trials,
Best of friends of all is He;
I can always count on Jesus,
Can He always count on me?
Chorus:
3. I can hear the voice
of Jesus,
Calling out so pleadingly,
"Go and win the lost and straying"
Is He satisfied with me?
Chorus:
4. When my work on
earth is ended
And I cross the mystic sea,
Oh, that I could hear Him saying,
"I am satisfied with thee."
Chorus:
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
BAPTIST CHURCH BELIEFS
THE UNIQUENESS OF A BAPTIST CHURCH
What is so unique about a Baptist Church?
The Baptist Church is different from other denominations in many respects; these
peculiar characteristics have endeared the denomination to the heart of many
while several others are wary of some of these features. This uniqueness is what
we call: BAPTIST DISTINCTIVE. The fact that many Baptist are un-Baptistic in their approach to some
issues makes this write-up on Baptist distinctive relevant and timely. Moreover
that many who were once dissatisfied with one thing or the other in the church
and left Church and now returning shows that the denomination despite seemingly
imperfections is still relevant in this end-time Revival.
Our History
Our history could be traced to the spiritual
revolution started by on a young monk named Martin Luther on October 31,
1517. Joining Martin Luther in efforts
to return Christendom to a historic faith were a group of people who would be
called Separatist. These individuals longed to separate themselves from any
vestige of Rome. They knew they could never reform the Catholic Church or the
newly created Anglican Church of England and so they must separate from both.
Out of this separatist movement came the Baptist.
The forerunners of our present day Baptists were the
Anabaptists of the Reformation period. Some Anabaptist congregations were settled
in Holland in the early 17th century when groups of Puritan Independents, or
Congregationalists, fled from England to Holland. Influenced by the Anabaptists, some of these Independents were persuaded
that Christian baptism was appropriate only for adults with a personal faith
and commitment. Returning to England, this group formed the first
Baptist congregation in 1611. Shortly thereafter, Roger Williams formed (1639)
the first Baptist congregation in Providence, RI. The Baptists grew rapidly in
the United States.
Thomas
Jefferson Bowen was used of God to start what we called; the Nigerian Baptist
Convention, in 1850. Our denomination, according to official report, has grown into over 10,000 Churches
with about 3,000,000 baptized members and up to 6.5 million non-baptized
members spread across the nation.
Let
us now examine these unique features one after the other.
Biblical Authority
Beginning with the letter “b” the first distinctive is that of
Biblical authority. Baptist are committed to the Bible as the ultimate and final authority in all matters of faith
and practice. Let other churches use any other Rule of Order if they
dare. Let others create in-house bylaws if they must but Baptist will argue
that the Bible alone must be final
place to appeal faith and practice. Faith in the Bible is well placed. Like the anvil it has stood the test of time.
Autonomy of the
Church
The next letter in the word “Baptist” is “a” which stands for the autonomy of the local church. In many denominations there is an ecclesiastical hierarchy. While every denomination is free to organize itself as it believes it is proper Baptist see in Scripture the local church.
The next letter in the word “Baptist” is “a” which stands for the autonomy of the local church. In many denominations there is an ecclesiastical hierarchy. While every denomination is free to organize itself as it believes it is proper Baptist see in Scripture the local church.
Priesthood of
Believers
The letter “p”
comes next in the word “Baptist” and
refers to the priesthood of the believer. During the period of the Old Testament there was a specialized
priesthood consisting of Aaron and his descendants. In the New Testament economy every believer is a priest before God with
certain rights and privileges. There is a wonderful truth. Any man, woman or
child can come into the direct presence of God in a personal way. Consider the
grand exhortation of Hebrews 4:16. “Let
us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need.”
Two Church
Ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Following the letter “p” is the letter “t” in
the word “Baptist and this letter stands for “two ordinances.” (An ordinance is obedience to a command that Christ has
given us, Sacraments refers to activities
God uses to impart salvation or a means of grace to the participant). The Catholic Church has established seven sacraments
but the Baptist tradition recognizes two special ordinances for the church
which are believer's
baptism and communion. Simply put the term “believer’s
baptism” is used because Baptist do not sprinkle or immerse babies because
we are not willing to give the sign of salvation to someone who has not been
obedient to the gospel command to repent and believe in Christ.
Individual Soul Liberty
Following the letter which speaks of the
two ordnances is the letter “i” in “Baptist”. This letter teaches the individual liberty of the soul. There was a time when the
Church would not allow the individual to read the Bible. The word of God was hidden in the Latin language, the
language of scholars. But then God put into the heart of men such as William
Tyndale and John Wycliffe to translate the Bible
into the language of the people. Since they were English they would
translate the Bible into the English
language so that a ten year old plowboy armed with the Scriptures could know
more than the highest church official without them. “Outrageous!” came the cry but the Baptist pressed on and declared
that every individual had a right and a responsibility to study the Scriptures and be guided by them in his
own conscience.
Separation of Church and State
Such independent thinking would lead in time to another argument that even the state should not dictate to the soul what it is to believe and thus for Baptist the letter “s” stands for separation of Church and State. If you read the story of the original colonies you will find that various church denominations either founded or ruled politically the colonies. Men of conscience such as Roger Williams (c. 1603-1683) were cast out of the colonies. Williams in particular was banished during the winter of 1635 from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the will of God he found his way to some Indians and in time established Rhode Island. The principles of liberty of conscience and separation of church and state were honoured.
Two Church
Officers: Elders and Deacons
Finally, according to Baptist tradition there is the letter “t” in the word “Baptist” which speaks of the two offices of the church, Pastor and Deacon. The two offices the Bible clearly established which we Baptist believe is that of Elder or Pastor and that of Deacon. 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” Paul follows this remark with specific qualifications for an Elder and then he says, “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre… etc” (1 Timothy 3:8). Baptist feel they are on holy and biblical grounds by arguing for the office of Elder and Deacon.
Finally, according to Baptist tradition there is the letter “t” in the word “Baptist” which speaks of the two offices of the church, Pastor and Deacon. The two offices the Bible clearly established which we Baptist believe is that of Elder or Pastor and that of Deacon. 1 Timothy 3:1 “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” Paul follows this remark with specific qualifications for an Elder and then he says, “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre… etc” (1 Timothy 3:8). Baptist feel they are on holy and biblical grounds by arguing for the office of Elder and Deacon.
In
conclusion, the Baptist Church also has some seemingly imperfections. The
Baptist are known as men of the Book and may I say that we know the book and books so
much. Our freedom of speech during the Church –in- Conference in some
churches was practically a display of how
much grammar I can blow irrespective of logicality or otherwise of our
position. We speak freely as often as it feels good whether we are permitted by
the Holy Spirit or not. More importantly our substitution of Pneumatocracy for
Democracy is a weapon we have used to the grieving of the Holy Spirit in some
cases. I have seen this in few cases and have grieved. Although, the Baptist
Church has some imperfections from the human point of view but if Christ loves
his Church, who are we not to love the Church and since Salvation is by grace
and denomination is by choice. That you choose to stay in a Baptist Church means
that you love the Church. Yes I do, I love being a Baptist. Don’t you?
Sunday, 22 January 2012
THIS BLOG IS FOR YOU
Hello friends.
I have decided to create this blog for you.
Yes, just for you. By the grace of God. I shall give yo
inspirations as God enables me.
I will aslo inform you about the what make the
men of old enviable... We share together, the good
the bad & the ugly. Instruction for livings.
Also, get ready to laugh as I intend to bring
Moral Jokes...
I promise it is going to be interesting,
but let me beg of you to please visit me
blog regularly, as you do God bless you.
I have decided to create this blog for you.
Yes, just for you. By the grace of God. I shall give yo
inspirations as God enables me.
I will aslo inform you about the what make the
men of old enviable... We share together, the good
the bad & the ugly. Instruction for livings.
Also, get ready to laugh as I intend to bring
Moral Jokes...
I promise it is going to be interesting,
but let me beg of you to please visit me
blog regularly, as you do God bless you.
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