Sermons
EASTER MESSAGE
HOW CAN THIS BE?
I would like to draw your attention to the most genuine and profound question which the mother of Jesus posed to the Angel. This question wasn't only relevant during the announcement but also relevant concerning the resurrection. It is the question which comes to mind when God calls and commands us to do things which are beyond our strength and resources. In all the calling and sending to missions, we always find that the task is far greater than our resources and our means of accomplishing it.
After the vision, God normally delays the provision so as to put us on our knees and thereby prepares us for the task. The other deeper underlying reality is that God wants us to be first in that particular undertaking. We ask, “How can this be?” because we have not seen someone else doing it. There appears to be no footsteps to follow.
During the announcement, the Virgin Mary asked this same question because she was a virgin. The answer she got from the angel was beyond her imagination “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” said the Angel. “And the power of the most high will overshadow you. So that the one to be born will be called the Son of God” So, not only would Mary be the first to have this experience, but she would be the only one who would have this experience in the entire history of the human race.
The Angel assured Mary that “For nothing is impossible with God”
When God command us to do what is far beyond our resources and strength, we need to listen to the message of the Angel, “For nothing is impossible with God” We should also respond in the same way, “I am the Lord's servant, may it be to me as you have said.”
The Easter story has this same message. Even though Jesus had repeated over and over again about his death and resurrection, the disciples’ response was “How will it be?” For them it was impossible for the Messiah to die and then rise again. Besides, their Scriptures stated, “…cursed is he who dies on the cross.” Yet God wanted them to witness the first and greatest event so as to be the FIRST witnesses. More than likely, each one of them was first in something. We are indeed a community of the first day of the week.
Mary Magdalene, representing the women, became first to go to the tomb. She was first to see the empty tomb. She was first to see the angels and first to see and hear the voice of the Risen Lord and first to report to the disciples. When Peter (who was in the afternoon of his life) and John (a young man) ran to the tomb, John was first to reach the tomb and to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. Peter, representing the elders, was first to enter the tomb. Thomas, representing the skeptics, was first to worship Jesus as God: He hailed Him: “My Lord and My God.”
I have learned that the greater the undertaking, the greater the deprivation of the required resources. This is particularly happens when we are preparing for overseas missions and other ministries which require taking risk. I still remember the challenges we had, many years ago when I led an overseas mission which brought so many people to the Kingdom of God. As I was preparing the mission team which was comprised of Christians from different church families, I was accused by the Lay Pope (a leader of the church which thought that they had hired me) of being too ecumenical and not spending enough time with the small clique which had “hired me”. Consequently my salary was cut by one third. When we arrived in Kenya, I went to my bank to get some cash and I was told that my account was frozen and inactive. When I returned to the USA and went to my bank which had just merged with another back, I was informed that I had money, but it was not accessible to me at the time. Despite this deprivation the Lord did great signs and wonders during and after the mission. When you are going through trials and tribulation, remember that our Lord Jesus underwent intense social, psychological and physical anguish before he arose with a glorified body.
You may be in a situation in which you are asking: “How will it be?” The answer to this question is to listen to the message of the Angel: “for nothing is impossible with God.” If you allow the Holy Spirit to fill every fiber of your being, you will be greatly blessed and you will be a blessing to the nations.
You will experience eternal Easter. Your humiliation will lead to exaltation. Thus, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5:11 (KJV)
Have a blessed Easter!
Patriarch John & Rev. Mary Githiga ....................................... Copyright Dr. John Githiga
RETURN TO GOD Amos 4:6-11(6) " Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
(7) " I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. (8) So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
(9) " I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
(10) " I sent among you a plague after the manner of Egypt; Your young men I killed with a sword, Along with your captive horses; I made the stench of your camps come up into your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
(11) " I overthrew some of you, As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.God's people were very busy making money, accumulating things, and practicing their religion. But God was also very busy—sending famines, droughts, blights, locusts, epidemics, warfare, and possibly earthquakes in judgment for their unrighteousness (Amos 4:6-11). He hoped that they would heed these "minor" warnings before He sent the rod of His anger against them (Isaiah 10:5).
Rain fell on one part of the country and not on another. When it rained, it rained too much, causing floods. In other places just enough rain fell to deceive the people into feeling a sense of hope—that it was not so bad after all.
We see this in the United States. Natural disasters—insurance companies call them "acts of God"—are growing more frequent and more intense, killing many and causing billions of dollars in damage. Floods ravaged the Midwest in 1993, while drought killed crops in other areas. After a year or so of good rainfall, California fell back into drought conditions—only to suffer from floods a year later! Fires rage over thousands of acres after periods of drought, destroying forests and homes. Sudden earthquakes, storms, tornadoes, and extreme temperatures destroy homes, businesses, and lives.
It never seems to get quite bad enough to send the nation into a real tailspin, but it is just enough that, like the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Exodus (Exodus 7:13-14), we continue to harden our hearts. We fail to repent. If the unrepentant attitude continues, the "natural" disasters will intensify, bankrupting the nation economically. Since money seems to be the nation's foremost god, the true God will hit where it hurts most.
The vast majority of Americans have become so far removed from God that they lack the eyes to see and the ears to hear the warnings He sends. Educated in a system that fundamentally denies God, they lack understanding. They interpret God's warnings as natural events—just nature running her course. An earthquake or flood or drought is viewed as "nature doing her thing."
Rather than heed the warning and repent, Americans turn to their other false gods—science and technology—to bail them out. "Design better levies to protect us from floods," they cry. "Seed the clouds to produce more rain." "Engineer stronger buildings to withstand more powerful earthquakes." "Science will someday give us the ability to predict—even stop—earthquakes." Americans have eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15).
In these disasters, God is saying something quite different—something vitally important. He is warning the people that they have a responsibility, and if they fail to live under their covenant with Him, He has the power to correct them so that they will repent. So, in fairness and mercy, God lays a simple choice before them: "Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (Amos 4:12). Their choice is either to face their sins and repent, or face the wrath of a just God.
To bring about His purpose, God is active in His creation, especially among His people, whether physical or spiritual Israel. "If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?" (Amos 3:6).
Is God involved in our lives? Do things happen by chance to the people of God? This world would have you believe that God really is not aware, that He does not care or even exist! But He says, "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7). Is God involved? "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:29-30). Do we see God working in our lives? Events do not happen accidentally to God's people, of whom God is very aware. He is very concerned and thus very involved.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Excerpted from: Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part One)EzraDevotionalMinistries.com
Rev. John Mwaniki
1003 Westford St
Lowell, MA 01851
THE FEAST OF TERESA OF AVILAAs we celebrate the feast of Teresa of Avila, we also commemorate the enormous contribution made by women in salvation history and reformation. While Moses is honored as one of the greatest prophets and law givers and we remember it was his mother, not his father, who hid him in the river and it was his sister diplomatically connected her mother with pharaoh’s daughter and Pharaoh’s daughter who reared him in the palace. It was Hulda the prophetess who initiated Josiah’s reform. Timothy’s mother and grandmother grounded him in faith. As Paul wrote: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2Timothy 1:5.
Teresa, Spanish nun and mystics was not so “heavenly minded” that she was “of no earthly use.” Although she was a deeply spiritual and intuitive person, she resisted the temptation to dismiss the rational, mystical and practical. Her powerful mystical experiences with God made her to love people and gave her great concern for the welfare of the human race. Her deeply insightful autobiographical writings caused Frederich Heiler to call her a modern “psychologist among the saints.” Like great prophets such as Jeremiah, Teresa’s openness to change and her reforming spirit raised the suspicions of the Inquisition and she found herself the center of much controversy.
Her most famous pupil was John of the Cross. Her most famous book is The Interior Castle. As we commemorate this great saint, let us honor the women of God who are making great contribution in building up the Kingdom of God and improving the human condition.
Patriarch John
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THE FEAT OF ST. FRANCIS
As we celebrate the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, this week, we ought to emulate his life and to totally dedicate ourselves to God’s service. Francis, the son of prosperous merchant was born in 1182. His early youthful life was spent in revelry and fruitless attempt to win military glory.
He was, however transformed by Christ through his encounter with beggars and lepers. At one occasion, he was on his horse when he met a leper. He descended from his horse and embraced the leper. The leper's face changed to be the face of Christ. Hence he decided to embrace a life devoted to Lady Poverty. Eventually, he became one of the boldest and most spirited figures in history. Not only that he became controversial “social activist”, he was one of the greatest preachers of all time.
Like St. Francis we should preach the Word in season and out of season. We should also give generously to support the ministry to the “least” of God’s servant. It is indeed edifying to pray and practice the pray and praise of Saint Francis below
PRAISE
Most High, Omnipotent, good Lord,
To thee be ceaseless praise outpoured,
And blessing without measure,
Let all creatures give thanks to thee
And serve in great humility.
Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen
We praise God that All Nations Christian Church International is devoted to feeding and clothing ministries from Philippines to Kenya. Below are the testimonies of “least”of God’s servants whom we feed and clothe in Nakuru Kenya:
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Please make you check payable to All Nations Anglican Church, P.O. Box 79805, Amarillo, TX 79114
For more information visit >allnationsanglican.com> and click on “ news” then scroll to the House of Praise Church International
May the lord richly bless you.
Patriarch John Githiga
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM TYNDALE
Do you recall a time when you did noble job which was misinterpreted and resulted to misjudgment? As Archbishop of All Nations, I have had several incidents where this has happened. One was at the Memorial Service of my mother. My younger brother who is a bishop and elder brother who is a canon had decided that I will be the preacher. Before we had to go to the sanctuary, the Diocesan bishop popped in. When he was informed that I was to be the preacher, his quick reaction was: “He cannot preach. This is the time when I give directives in my Diocese.” With a sharp pain in my umbilical cord, I remembered the philosophy of my mother. She used to advise us: “The way you deal with an insecure person is to edge through. She used a Kikuyu word: gwicekehia meaning “Shrink yourself that you may enter” So I immediately told the Diocesan: “I will give the tribute to my mother.” He agreed. When the time came for the tribute I took a Bible with me and preached for thirty minutes. And then before I sat down I asked my wife to give her tribute which she did for thirty minutes.
This painful experience does not compare with what William Tyndale went through while implementing his fervent hope of translating the Bible into English so that every Englishman may read the Bible for himself. At Oxford, as a student, and at Cambridge as a teacher, he had found great truth and guidance for his life from the scriptures, which were then available only to those who could read Latin. As he once said to a prominent Churchman: “If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more scripture than thou doest.”
In spite of Tyndale’s piety, scholarship, and good intentions, his hard work brought nothing but wrath from the English authorities. He was captured, tried as a heretic and schismatic, strangled and publically burned in 1536.
So whatever you are going through immerse yourself in God’s word. As the Bible tells us: “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.” 1Corinthians 10:13
As we remember this great scholar and translator of the Bible, let us form the habit of reading the Bible every day. Let us also be bold in responding to God’s call to do whatever he has called us to do regardless of the cost. Those of you who are called to be a deacon, a priest or a bishop, you need to set a time for study of theology. If you have not registered in our seminary, you need to register today. Visit >www.anaseminary.org> and fill in the registration card.
With love
Patriarch John
FAITH
· Can you drive an automobile without fuel?
· Can there be a human being without a soul?
· Can you be a Christian without faith?
· Claiming to be a Christian without faith is just as claiming that you can drive a car without fuel or claiming you can be a human being without a soul.
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· The Bible tells us that “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”
WHAT IS FAITH?
· The Bible defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”
· For instance, “by faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear.”
· Faith entails believing in something without having to see it with your own eyes.
· Through faith you see something which others do not see.
· You hear a voice which may not be heard by other people.
· Faith requires that we believe in what we perceive through our hearts.
· Yet what we believe, though invisible, it is a Being who is there.
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· Faith results in experiencing or even being grasped by a Higher Being.
· Paul Tillich defines faith as “being grasped by that toward which self-transcendence aspires”.
· For Tillich “Christian faith is a state of being grasped by New Being as is manifested in Jesus Christ”
·When we are grasped, Like Paul we may ask: “ Who are you Lord?” and then we heard the voice:
“I am Jesus “
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· When we experience Jesus through faith we say like Thomas: “ My Lord, and my God.”
· Like John the Baptist we say: “He must increase and I must decrease.”
· When we are grasped by a Higher Being’ we talk about God.
· We become aware of the presence of God in us.
· We sing a new song emanating from our experience with God
· The living faith results in worshipping God in Spirit and in truth.
· When we worship God in Spirit and truth we bear the fruits of the Spirit which are:
· love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
· The living faith is effective. It has feet.
· When we have a living faith, not only do we become new creation, but we are compelled to change our environment to reflect the divine will.
· The Spirit of God within us give us what Jesus promised to the Samaritan woman:
· “everyone who drinks this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I gave him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
· The woman actually asked Jesus to give her the water; “Sir, said the woman, “ give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty.”
· Did the woman believe in Jesus? Yes. This is why she said: “Sir, you are a prophet.”
· She was give the water at the very moment she believed in Jesus.
· She immediately became a new creation.
· She changed from being a user to being useful.
· She became an effective evangelist.
· The spring of the living water in her brought the Jews and the Samaritan together.
· It is this spring of water that is attracting many people to All Nations Anglican Church.
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· When God gave us the vision for All Nations, the guiding words were: “Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we preach the Gospel to all nations.”
· We are awed by the way God has brought so many different communities, peoples and languages to All Nations
· Another guiding scripture which God gave us is from 2Corinthians5: 17-19
· “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,
· the old has gone, and the new has come!
· All this is from God who reconcile us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
· That God was reconciling the whole world unto himself in Christ. Not counting men’s sin against them.”
· Like the Samaritan woman who was given the living water, the community of faith is called to tear down the walls of hostility and replace it with peace, joy and love.
· PARTICIPATION
· Faith entails participation and reflection which leads to talking about God. We tell other what God is doing in our lives.
· This process is called theology.
· Prof. John Macquarrie, a leading Anglican theologian, defines theology as: “the study which, through participation in and reflection upon a religious faith, seeks to express the content of this faith in the clearest and most coherent language available.”
· I am inviting you to participate.
· First, Participate in Spirit
· This means being conscious of the presence of God and opening all the doors of you inner being so that the Spirit of God may fill every fiber of your being.
· Second, Participation means propagating the good news.
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· That is- empowered by the Holy Spirit, everybody must tell, so that every creature is told.
· It doesn’t matter how young you are, or how old you are. You have to tell starting with the members of your family, your neighbor.
· Third,Participation means, being moved by the Spirit in whichever place he wills.
· This is the very meaning of the greatest promise:
· What is the greatest promise in the Bible?
· This is the promise which Jesus made to his disciples before he ascended to heaven.
· “But you shall receive power when they holy Spirit has come upon you,
· And you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
· You must tell, so that every creature is told.
· This promise was fulfilled few days after the ascension.
· Fourth, Participation in spirit means empowerment.
· Through the Holy Spirit we are given power to preach the good news.
· We are given power to heal and cast out demons.
· We are given the power to cross cultures- from Judea, to Samaria and to the end of the earth.
· We are give power to be the witnesses of Jesus Christ
· The New Testament writers used the Greek word marytreo, from which we get the word Martyr. A martyr is someone who says: “ It does not matter what you do with my body, as long as I have breath, I will not cease to proclaim that Jesus is Lord.”
· Fifth, the living faith entails Participation and reflection in a small group. Living faith entices us to be a part of a small group which meets on weekly basis for bible study, fellowship and prayer.
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· If you have no desire of fellowship with a small group, it is more than likely that you are at the church but not in the church.
· Said differently: you may have a lamp, but you do not have oil in your lamp
· And thus no one, including your self can see
· And when the son of Man comes with his glory, you will be left behind.
· You have a form, but you do not have the substance
· Weekly fellowship is vital to me for it is in the fellowship that I found Christ.
· One of our ministries in South America is known as Forth Dimension International Charismatic Ministry which was founded by Bishop Fabianos and it was born from weekly fellowships,
· These fellowships brought Pentecostals, Presbyterians, Baptists and Anglicans together.
· After fellowship for some time they discovered that they agree on fundamentals of faith as stated in the five solas of the reformation: sola Christus, sola gratia, sola fide, sola scriptura, and sola Deo Gloria.
· They discovered that they had unity of the Spirit and unity of purpose.
· They all agreed that they were called to fellowship together, and to plant churches in South America, Europe and African.
· Interestingly, we received this ministry on the feast of St. John who writes more about fellowship than any other writers in the New Testament.
· Fascinatingly, brothers and sisters who led the fellowship which led me to Christ were from different church families.
· Their sole concern was to win the soul for Christ and help us to grow in holiness.
· Your weekly fellowship should focus on winning souls for Christ and nurturing the people of God in faith.
· Sixth, Living faith leads you to spiritual partners, with whom you can meet as often as possible for mutual encouragement.
· Jesus had Peter, James and John, Martha and Mary and Lazarus
· David had Jonathan.
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· Paul had Titus. At one time the door for the Gospel was open for Paul but he could not enter because Titus was not there.
· I am most blessed to having Mary, my wife as Spiritual partner; we hold fellowship every day before dawn. We normally spend one hour. We read from four books of the Bible one of which must be the book of Psalms.
· We also have ++Doyle and Carolyn and we visit at least four days a week. We pray with and for each other and encourage one another and ask for God’s guidance with regard to All Nations ministries.
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· BENEFITS OF LIVING FAITH
· 1. Divine healing. Jesus told most of the people he healed. “Your faith has made you whole.”
· 2. Forgiveness of sins- another formula that Jesus used for healing was: Your sins are forgiven.
· 3. Being blessed and becoming a blessing. When Abraham believed in God, God promised to bless him and to make him a blessing.
· This is what the Lord said:
· Leave your country, your people and your father’s house
· And go to the land I will show you.
· I will make you a great nation
· And I will bless you;
· I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
· I will bless those who bless you,
· And whoever curses you I will curse,
· And all people on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3
· Better still, we are Abraham’s children through faith. Paul put it this way: It is not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith (Rom. 4:12-19)
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· So we are children of Abraham because we walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised
· As children of Abraham we have inherited world.
· God promised Abraham that “I had made you a father of many nations”
· So one of the greatest benefits you have for having Abraham’s faith is that, “God has given you nations for your heritage”.
· And by faith you can claim all God’s promises in Old and the New Testament
· 4. Prosperity- this doesn’t always means money; it means spiritual children, brothers, sister, fathers and mothers with persecution.
· We indeed prosper in all ways and from this prosperity we find contentment.
· 5. Being filled with the Holy Spirit- God will give the Spirit without measure.
· Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we preach the Gospel to all Nations
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·Amen
Patriarch John
All Nations Christian Church International
May, 2011
THE REJECTED & CRUCIFIED
HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNER STONE
Dear friends
I would like to share with you the Easter message which has touched the innermost part of my being. The words come from the Apostle Peter: It is by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, who God raised from the dead that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone (NIV). The rejected and crucified has become the chief corner stone. He is the most important stone. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by whom we must be saved. (Acts 4:11-12). Being the bearers of Christ, we have to be rejected and be crucified with him just as it happened to the Apostles. Peter spoke these words after he and John were seized from the temple and put in Jail. Yet the Apostle became the rock on which Jesus builds his church. You may be going through tribulation for your faith and testimony. You should, however remember that if you die with him, you will also be glorified with him. You are also bearing fruit which will remain for ever. As Peter and John were being put in Jail, Luke reports: But Many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (ICor 15:58)
Finally, we ask your continues prayer the financial support for the mission to Philippines (May 10-19). As we have informed you before 0ur ministry will include- medical, dental, feeding the hungry, evangelistic preaching and pastor’s conference.And now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep you heart and minds in the knowledge and the love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you, and remain with you always. Amen.
Patriarch John
MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE
Mark 9:1-13
The story of Christ’s transfiguration is one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible. If you read, mark and inwardly digest it you will not remain the same.
It is a story of the Glorified Lord. It is about how Jesus will appear in his second coming and it is about how we shall be glorified with Him. In the word of J.C. Ryle, Anglican Bishop: “The first things which demands our notice in this marvelous vision, they contain glory which Christ and his people will have at his second coming…..It was meant to teach the disciples that though their Lord was lowly and poor in appearance now, he would appear in such royal majesty as fitted the Son of God. It was meant to remind them that though reviled and persecuted now because they belong to Christ, they would one day be clothed with honor and share in their Master’s glory”
So, if you are being persecuted for righteousness sake, you need to see your situation in the light of this greatest story ever told.
My wife and I had had mountaintop experiences during Bible study and fellowship. We have been having this remarkable ministry for many years. The attendance is usually between three to ten people.
One of these transformation episodes occurred when I was Chaplain/Faculty at Grambling State University. As in the case of Peter, John, and James, we were three. It was Mary and a professor of the graduate school and me.
I still remember how the professor entered our house and how he sat.
His facial expression was of a man who had been bitten up by the evil forces.
He sat in a full-fetus position with folded hands. His vice was low. As we started discussing the Written Word, the Word-Incarnated appeared suddenly. The enemy who was tormenting disappeared as a rat in the presence of a cat. Gradually, the professor's sitting position changed. He sat upright. His hands were no longer folded. His eyes were now shining with hope. The Lord encouraged the three of us. The Creator of all that is, seen and unseen, was among us. He used His written word to encourage us. We could now sing with the Psalmist:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation,
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life,
Of whom shall I be afraid?
All our fears evaporated. We were filled with joy.
The story of transfiguration is pregnant with meaning. No one can unfold the mystery in the story. It is a story of ineffable experience of Jesus and the three disciples. It is also a story of the numerous uplifting experiences of the followers of Christ. Can you deduce something in the numbers in this story? It occurred after six days. There were six persons. Three of these persons have tested the glory of God.
Are you seeing the greatness in few in number? As Brentius rightly observed, this was the best attended synod. He puts it this way: “No Synod on earth was more glorious attended than this. No assembly was ever more illustrious. Here is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Here are Moses and Elijah, the chief of the prophets. Here are Peter, James and John, the chief of the apostles.”In this glorious synod, Jesus was revealed as the Son of God. The appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white, whiter than any earthly bleaching could make them. And the cloud overshadowed them, and the voice came out of the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
As All Nations is responding to God's call to plant Churches, we should never worship the numbers or close the church because we are few. As was with Jesus and his disciples, there is a time when God wants us to be few. Remember Jesus started with 70 disciples. Then eventually He had to concentrate on only 12. But at the holy mountain, he had only three.
As a follower of Christ, you are glorified with him whenever you attend His Synod. The synod may be comprised of only you and the Holy Trinity. There, you are strengthened and affirmed.
While this precious work is taking place you hear the echo of the words of the Psalmist:
"The Lord is my light and my Salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
Of who shall be afraid?"
As you face the storms of life, speak to your soul using the words of the psalmist:
"Wait for the Lord;
Be strong,
And let your heart take courage,
Yea, wait for the Lord."
Do you hear the affirming words of the Loving Father?
“You are my beloved daughter/son with whom I am well pleased.”
Patriarch John
THE MESSAGE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
3nd Advent 12/2010 Luke 3:1-6
Today we have a great message because we are pondering the message of one of the greatest prophet ever lived-John the Baptist whose ministry was to prepared the road for the Messiah. Jesus, talking about John asserted, “Of all that were born of women, no one was a great as John the Baptist, Yet in the Kingdom of God, he was the least of all”. John was a water shade between the Old and the new covenant; between the old Israel and the new Israel. He paved the way for and introduced Jesus who was to usher in the Kingdom of God where: “the blind receive sight, the lime walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” Luke 11:4-5
What made John great was his preaching. His career was one: Preaching. He was a prophetic preacher. He was a mouth piece of God. He did not say: I think” or I suggest, but “Thus says the Lord!” As someone has said “His message was swift and strait as the lightning. It had the blazing and shadow less intensity of the desert noonday sun.” He focused on two things: repentance and forgiveness. He was a symbolic expression of repentance and forgiveness.
This message is relevant to us today as it was in John's time. The Spirit of the Lord is calling us and convincing us of our sins. Repentance is more than being sorry because you were caught committing sin. It is making an about turn. That is: You were heading this direction but now you are moving to opposite direction. What must be your starting point?
1. You must know you sin. You must mourn over them, forsake them and abhor them. Unless you do this you will never enter the Kingdom of God. You must realize and acknowledge the grave consequence of your sin the word of God says; for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. When you decide to remain in sin you have chose death. God cannot hear your prayer: Your sine separate you from the loving Father; Prophet Isaiah puts it this way: But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sin has hid his face from you so that he does not hear,(Isa. 59:2) The Apostle John tell us that there is a way out! First step: admit that you are a sinner. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Sin is spiritual decease. As you admit when you are physically sick that you are sick; you must admit that you are sick.
The Second step is confession. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sin.
The third stage is cleansing: You cannot purify yourselves. It is the Spirit of God who does the cleansing. To attain this stage you must let the Spirit of Christ in your heart. As Ryle, Anglican bishop put it: “We must carefully bear in mind that no repentance can make atonement for our sins, the blood of Christ, and nothing else, can wash away sin from man's soul.” The word Blood of Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit. It is only by letting the Spirit of God into our lives that we can obtain salvation.
Do you hear the Spirit of the Risen Lord whispering to you? Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and open the door, I will come to him and eat with him and he with me.(Rev. 3:20) Do you hear the loving Savior insisting: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is wet with dew, and my hair is damp from the mist (Songs of Songs 5:2b