Second Part of the Sermon: Giving your life to Christ

Sunday 25^th August 2013

Speaker: Pastor Christophe

Before coming to this earth, our Lord Jesus Christ existed in Glory and Honour. He was not under sin, or the curse of the Law. So, the Victory He received when He resurrected from the dead, was not for Himself, but for us. Today, Satan has been defeated. We are not alive because He wants it, we don’t fear the enemy thinking that if we rebuke him or come against Him,we will be provoking him and he will now kill us. No, He has no power to kill you. You are not alive because He wants it, but because God determines everything that happens to you.

It is your right to Command and Reign as a Child of God. In Eden, God told Adam, I am giving you the authority to reign over all that I have created. But because of sin, that dominion and authority was lost to the devil. When Christ came, He came to restore that place of authority for mankind, that He shall reign over what is seen and unseen. And the victory that Christ received cannot be lost; it is for generations to come.

The Jesus we’ve come to know is able. Jesus told the sisters of Lazarus: “I am the resurrection and the life”. There is nothing impossible to Him. The problem is that you want to fight for yourself and you think He is not able. When Christ fully reigns in your life, He will give you the capacity to see things properly, like blind Bartimaeus who fully recovered his sight and could see people as people and not people as trees.Our Jesus has not changed. He is still the same. The problem is the place we give him in our lives.

Wednesday, 21/08/2013
Giving your life to Christ
Pastor Christophe

Scripture Reference: John 12:24-36

- Paul said that He was crucified with Christ, that He no longer lived but Christ lived in Him. He also told the Corinthians to imitate him, as He was imitating Christ.
- Paul also said that He was dead to the World, and that the World was dead to Him.
- When we give our lives to Christ, The peace of Christ never leaves us. Nothing has the power to steal that peace.
- When we pray to Christ, we don't talk to him as a stranger as though He is not aware of everything that is happening to us . On the contrary we should remember His promises and authority and thank Him for our victories.
- When we go through hard times, we sometimes can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit telling us to be still/ to calm down even though we don't have a precise solution to our problems. This is because He knows the end, and you don't.  Trust in Him!
- Give your life to Christ, and don't wait for Him to resemble or be what you want Him to be. But rather, seek to be like Him.

Second Part of the story of the Prodigal Son

Scripture Reference: Ezekiel 37:1-10

Speaker: Pastor Christophe

The Holy Spirit wants to counsel you and wants you to live a life of Joy. Rejoice each time the Holy Spirit counsels you. Sometimes we have weaknesses and it opens the door to other things. When the Holy Spirit shows you this, it’s because He wants to change it.

He showed Ezekiel things He (Himself) could do. He already had a solution. The sisters of Lazarus told Jesus, we know you heal the sick and do great things, but now it’s too late, He is dead. But Jesus said, there is something you do not know, I am the resurrection and the life.

Jesus is able to do all things. Don’t be scared because of how things look like, where people no longer trust you, parents have left you, but your creator loves you and He will come close to you because of His heart of love. Jesus was not disgusted by Lazarus whose body was already stinking in the tomb.

This is the same Jesus who decided to pass through Samaria and go to the well at noon time. Drawing water at noon time was reserved for people with issues, who wanted to avoid others (like lepers and the like). Jesus had the purpose of moving someone from noon time to 9 am! And He did it for the Samaritan woman.

Having a good relationship with Jesus brings you to a new position and adds value and Glory to your life. The anointing of God changes things around you.

 The bible shows that when Ezekiel had done what God instructed Him to do, each bone found its flesh. When you come back to the Lord and obey that voice inviting you to return to Him, the Holy Spirit will put you back where you belong. Today, you might be in a place that is not yours, yes you have not lost your identity in Christ. But God wants you to come back and He does not show favoritism. The anointing of God is not for pastors, intercessors but all those who have a great relationship with Christ.

Sunday 11^th August 2013

How can we walk in the Glory of God?

How can the Glory of God be manifested in our lives on a daily basis?

Humbleness is what brings us into the Glory of God. The glory of this world is based on proving to others that you are great and better than them but with God it doesn’t work like that. Proverbs 18:12 says “Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.” Being in the presence of God is not asking Him to bring His Glory and Honour in your life, but it’s giving God the place to reign. That’s why Jesus instructed us not to judge others. That’s a sign of pride. When you do not recognize that it is the work of

God that has brought you this far, you are missing it.

When someone does not have an attitude of humility, he cannot enter into the Glory of God because He is always comparing himself to other people.  It is when you recognize that without God, you are nothing , that you are best qualified to be in His Glory. It is not your mother or father that brought you to this world but God himself.  He could have decided to put your mouth on your feet and you would not have negotiated!

1Peter 5: 6 to 7 says: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Do you want to be a great person? Agree to be humble under God’s hand. When you are humble before God, You live a life of faith and prayer to God. You can’t live or be in anything and feel it is all right without having spoken to Him first. It is you attitude of prayer to God that is Humility. Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God himself went to the mountain to pray. I am sure He didn’t pray standing. There are people who can never kneel before God.  Sometimes we seek the Glory of God but we don’t want to lower ourselves before Him.

Philippians 2:3 says: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves”. Obey and Serve others like Jesus Christ washed the feet of others.  If you still think that you are greater than any human on this earth, you are wrong because we were all created by God. And if there is something of value in your life that can hinder you from serving God, there is a place where you have not reached in the Glory of God. Whether it is lacking shoes or clothes and you feel that you must have that before serving God then there is a place where you have not reached.

Sermon by the Senior Pastor: Nahimana Dieudonne

Third and last Day of the Conference Days Of Glory

Speaker: Senior Pastor, Nahimana Dieudonné

Scripture Reference: Romans 8:28-31

God prepared our salvation ahead of time that we may look like His Son, Jesus Christ, our elder brother and the Head.

In verse 29 it says “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." The word of God says that as Jesus Christ is, so are we in this world.

In verse 30, the Bible says that we have already been glorified, even though we might not see it naturally; Spiritually it has already taken place. So the question is: Are you living it out? Do you manifest that Glory?

Joy and Peace are the Key manifestations of that Glory. God is not looking for the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us but the Fruit of the Spirit in us. The bible didn't say that you will know them by their gifts but by their fruit because it manifests the intimacy you have with Christ. So seek to have a relationship with God. The bible says that the Father is pleased when you bear much fruits, not by the many works you do.

Galatians 5:22-23 says: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." God wants to see His love overflowing in us and this will happen through worship and adoration. True Joy comes from the Holy Spirit. It’s a joy that is already available in our spirit. And When you are in the presence of God, you feel such a joy that does not take into account your circumstances.

Shalom/ Peace is abundance. Lack of peace means lack of something. When you have a relationship with your lover, He satisfies you. God wants to satisfy us with everything we need. It’s in that presence that you receive a revelation of provision in your life and projects and strategies start coming. Peace in Christ also means Trusting in God. Stop fighting with many things. When you are living a life of intimacy with God you can't miss the way because you have a good connection.

All you need is the Glory of God. The more you are connected, the more you can download it in your life and make it a reality.

Pastor Elhadj Diallo from Canada. 

Days of Glory, Day 2:

Guest Speaker

How to walk in the Glory of God: STEP OUT OF THE THRONE

God told Moses in Exodus 25:8 “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” God loves us so much, that one day the time came that he wanted to come dwell among us.  Moses did many great things, prayed many prayers, but He never asked God for this. It is God Himself, who decided without anyone asking Him. The Perfect God one day told Moses, I have decided, I want to come down and dwell in your midst.

Today, God is talking to somebody. He is saying “I miss you.” Jesus misses you. We will never understand what the Glory of God is until we enter into intimacy with Jesus Christ. The Glory of God is not clouds and all, but JESUS CHRIST REVEALED TO MANKIND.

As Christians we are so busy, doing so much for Jesus but we don’t spend time with Him. We are always in “Jesus do this”, “Help me”, We know God as Jehovah Raphah, Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi. When Moses saw God in the burning bush, He asked “Who are you?”and God didn’t answer Him, I am Jehovah Nissi, or Jehovah Jireh, no He said “I am that I am”.

We need to get to that level, where we worship God as I am that I am. We should be able to say, other people are looking at your hand, I am looking at your Heart I am that Iam.

If you want to see Jesus, you need to do as He says. God is not your servant. He is the Most High. In Revelations 4, John went to heaven and saw the house Moses was told or described by God. When John entered into the House of the Lord, he saw the throne.

Jesus Christ is King. When you want to see Jesus, you need to see the throne, the power and authority of Jesus Christ. John didn’t see provision, money, He saw the Throne. Stop wrestling with Jesus. You don’t debate with Jesus Christ, you obey. Where are you today? Are you living in disobedience? He keeps on telling you, don’t do this, but you have one foot in and one foot out. If you want to live in the presence of God, you must obey and do what He says. If you love me, obey my commands, He said.

Know that I am at the throne, I am King and I reign. The Throne belongs to Jesus. STEP OUT OF THE THRONE.  If you look a little bit further, you will see that the man John saw on the throne was not you, or me. He didn’t look like us. So what are you doing sitting on the throne?

Jesus will not share His Glory with you. Step out of the throne.

Days of Glory: Wednesday 7^th /08/2013

First day of the conference

Scripture Reference:  2 Corinthians 3:7-18

From the time God created man; He always wanted to have a relationship with him. In Genesis, we see that God visited Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and that even after they sinned; He did not seize to relate with mankind, whether it’s Abraham or the House of Israel. God even instructed Moses to build a tabernacle for Him, all in the plan of restoring His relationship and reveal ing His Glory to mankind.

Jesus Christ came to restore the Glory of God, so that human beings will now individually have a relationship with God and experience His Glory. In our scripture reference today, we see that the ministry of death engraved on stones (that’s the law) had some Glory. That’s why the Israelites could not look at Moses when He came down from the mountain.

In this ministry, the Glory of God could not be experienced by everyone. Only the High priest had the privilege to enter into the Holy of Holies where the Glory of God was.  But, with the coming of Christ, ministries have changed. The ministry of Condemnation gave way to a much more glorious Ministry (The Ministry of Righteousness). Jesus Christ, came , died for us and saved us, making us righteous by His sacrifice. This made us Priests (as believers in Him), and gave us the access to the Holy of Holies.

When a person is not born again, there is a place where He cannot get to in the presence of God. He is limited. The Holy of Holies is the place of intimacy between man and God. This is the place where we receive revelations, understanding, a Rhema word, and even authority to start exercising a ministry. 

You cannot become a servant of God without having developed a relationship of intimacy with Him (God). Some of us focus on trying to be Holy but never get to live or experience the supernatural because we never developed a real relationship of Intimacy with God.  There are two things you need in order to get to that level:

-          Desire it: Many in the body of Christ, are looking or waiting for what God is going to speak to a prophet or a pastor about them (or on their behalf). This is wrong. You should not depend on other people word of Knowledge or revelations from God, when you have access to the Throne of God and His revelations as well. You should desire to develop your sensitivity to God.

-          You also need to avoid any distraction that can cause you to go far away from God or lose your time with Him.

One good example is the relationship between a man and a woman. The way they behave in the public, when they are walking on the road, probably holding each other’s hand, or sitting together in the car is not the same way they relate to each other when they are back home, sitting in the living room with their children, and it’s definately not the same way they relate in the bedroom. The bedroom is a place of intimacy, where even the deepest secrets are revealed. Hence, even with our relationship with the Lord, it ought to be like that.

Brethren, YOU CANNOT BUILD YOU MINISTRY UPON WHAT A RENOWNED MAN OF GOD HAS TOLD YOU WITHOUT HAVING HAD FIRST THAT REVELATION FROM GOD! The man of God can only CONFIRM what God has already deposited in you. And this is deposited or spoken to you in your time of fellowship with God.

In verse 18, it says: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” You cannot be in the Glory of God and lack Joy or Peace. You cannot die of Hunger or lack what your Heart desires in the Glory of God, because you are at the Source of Life.

So, How far have you gone in developing your intimacy with God?

The Glory of God

Sunday, 4th of August 2013

Scripture reference: 

James 2:1-6, 

2 Chronicles 5:12-14

This August, at Oasis Christian Center, we shall be talking about the Glory of God and How we can live in that Glory as believers.

Our God is a God of Glory. When you get saved, you are transferred from the kingdom of Darkness to a Kingdom of Glory. As Christians, we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord of Glory.

 In the book of James, we are told not to look at what a man has materially and call that Glory. The Glory of God is different from what we can see around us. In Psalm 1, David talked about the attributes of a blessed person, and so did Jesus Christ in Matthew 5: 3-11. This is because in this life, mankind is always looking for prosperity and blessedness or what we call “amahirwe” in Kirundi.

Jesus Christ came to restore the Glory of God. That is why we call Him the Lord of Glory. The Glory of God is His very presence.  In the Kingdom of light, the presence of the Living God is what makes the difference.

Nothing can bring us joy and blessedness in our lives like having a real relationship with God. The presence or the Glory of God is what can bring us satisfaction, true joy and fulfillment in our lives. Romans 3:23-24 says that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God , but it continues to say that all of us are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).

Our God, gave His Holy son, to die for us on the cross. There is nothing you can do to enter into the Glory of God but only believing what Christ has done for you at Calvary. This is what pleases God. Accepting Him in your life and letting Him Reign as Your Lord is what can fulfill your life. So, the question you should ask yourself is do you have that satisfaction, blessedness or Joy in your life? Only God can give you the peace and assurance that you are looking for.