What is Faith?

Scripture Reference:
Hebrews 11:6  “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

The word of God says that anyone who desires to come close to God must first believe that He exists. If someone, whom you are not in good terms with, gives you a gift, what would your reaction be? You would probably ask yourself many questions because of the lack of trust existent between you. 

Your relationship with God is also similar. You must have faith in Him. When you are praying, singing, you should do it in faith. You should see Christ seated on His throne. This is because when you believe the one you are praising, it brings you to forget all the circumstances and trials that you may be going through. Jesus Christ becomes the solution to all your problems. Your Faith and attitude in the one you are praising is what will make all problems, sicknesses and diseases lose power in your life.

The enemy of faith is fear. When Peter saw Jesus Christ walking on the water, He said: “Lord, if it’s you tell me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 14:28). The answer Jesus gave Him is the same He is giving to you today. He said: "Come". 

Always remember that the waves are not greater than the one who made the sea. God existed before your problems.

For three days,  Abraham walked with his son, filled with sadness and grief wondering how he was going to sacrifice him to the Lord.  He must probably have thought: "After all these years that I waited to have a child, now I am the one who is going to kill him". But what He did not know is that the answer was already prepared for him. There was a lamb that God had set aside, to be the answer to his problem.

Another factor that fights our faith is doubt. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, told Jesus “if you had been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11:21). Although Jesus talked to her about her brother rising, she was still limited in her understanding that He was able to do it immediately. 

Jesus said to her : "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25)

He is also asking you the same question today. Stop doubting. He is never too late. The sisters of Lazarus thought Jesus was late and didn't know that He did that on purpose because He knew that He could resurrect even the dead or what is dead to life. If God has not done it yet for you, it is because He wants your testimony to speak for itself. Stop saying that it is dead, that it can't be repaired. He allowed it for a reason. He knew about it before it happened. Problems can hurt you but they have no power to kill you. He wants you to have a testimony that will speak for itself.

Be encouraged, Let go of your fear, doubts and believe in the Christ that you have received. 

Have Faith in God!

Sermon preached by Pastor Christophe

  

The Third factor that can hinder you from getting to your Promise Land

We have said at the beginning of the year that 2014 is the year of enlarging our tents. We have seen the different factors that can hinder one to get to their promise land (for instance disobedience and lack of repentance). Today we are going to look at another factor that can prohibit people to enjoy the great things that God has prepared for them and it is impatience.

James 1: 2-4 says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Being patient while going through trials is very important. We have many characters in the bible that either failed their mission on earth or brought chaos as a result of their impatience. Cain, because he was not willing to wait and work on a better offering that could be accepted by God chose to kill his brother Abel and this brought a curse upon His life. Esau was hungry and because of his impatience, He chose to sell his birthright to Jacob in order to satisfy His hunger.  Another example is Abraham who because of his impatience chose to sleep with Hagar and created a conflict that we still witness on our TV sets today between Jews and Palestinians. There are many other examples like Lot, Moses and even Judah who unlike Peter could not bear with His sorrow but chose to kill himself. If He had waited, he probably would have repented and received the grace of God after seeing Jesus Christ resurrected.

Having said this, let’s go to the book of 1 Samuel 1:1-28 (Kindly read this passage). Hannah could not bear children because her womb was closed; interestingly by God. Probably sometimes people would see Hannah and feel sorry for her because of this problem. What is interesting is that she was getting a double portion from Elkanah. The patience/perseverance of Hannah was preparing her for a great miracle.

Maybe people have been seeing you going and coming from church. Nothing seems to be happening in the physical realm and they wonder why you continue to go; where is your God? They don’t know the blessing you are receiving from God and the path you are taking that will generate great things in the future.

The greater the miracle, the greater the patience it requires. God himself had chosen to close the womb of Hannah for such a great miracle as giving birth to Samuel.  There are doors that God closed in your life for a great testimony ahead. Hannah sought the Lord more than Peninnah, she was close to God.  When someone is going through such a time, they pray, so that they can get a testimony. There is a place that sometimes you have to go through, not because God has forgotten you but because He is shaping you. Wait on Him. Don't give up. After this, you will see the great future that He has prepared for you.

Sermon preached by Pastor Nahimana Dieudonne

The Mercies of God

Scripture Reference 

Ephesians 2:1-6 : "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,"

This passage shows us that we were dead in the past. The reason why Christ gave us life is because we had no life. Christ took His own life and transferred it to us. In this life, death does not exist. The simple fact that the giver of this life Christ, cannot die again, we cannot die too. Paul says that in the past, we were enslaved to another king. There was no other name or person who could save us from him. It took Christ who was from another and greater kingdom to remove us from that kingdom. By accepting him in our lives as Lord and Savior, we entered into another kingdom and as we know, every kingdom has rules and laws.

In this kingdom of light or of God, which we now belong to as disciples of Christ, we are saved by God's grace and not our strategies or works. In this kingdom, all of our old nature is removed as the word of God says :"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become totally renewed and born again. Even our bodies become the temples of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:4 tells us that our God is rich in mercies. It is because of this richness that we were able to become His children. He is the one who came to look for us first and gave us His one and only son Christ Jesus to die for us on the cross. This is what enabled us to become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ Jesus. It is out of the riches of His mercies that all this happened.

If we look at the book of Acts, we see that Paul knows a thing or two about the mercies of God. Look at how God encountered him on the road to Damascus; at the time, he was full of wickedness and evil plans. But He was changed into a different person because of the mercies of God.

The mercies of God are unconditional. They are not based on anything you do. God no longer remembers your past. It is only Satan who reminds you of your past so that he can stop you from moving forward. When he does that, Look to your High Priest and to his sacrifice. The Kingdom that you belong to has nothing like condemnation reserved for you (Romans 8:1) and by the way, you are already seated now with Christ in heavenly realms.

Pastor Christophe

The Power that is found in Repentance

When you study the bible, you notice that there is a difference between Sin and Sins. There is a sin and there are sins. Sin is a nature that came as a result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Romans 3:22-23 says: "There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  It is only when you repent and receive Christ Jesus in your life that this nature is removed from your life and you become a child of God. This repentance that takes place here is done only once.

Then, there are sins.This is when a believer or born again person does what is contrary to the will of God. This is what attracts accusations from Satan and can cause a person to live in condemnation. When you hide such sins, it becomes like a rotten thing in your life and it affects your daily living (especially because of the condemnation that you feel in your heart). Now what will take away this condemnation from your heart is your repentance (acknowledging that it is wrong and turning away from it) and receiving your forgiveness from God.

Isaiah 59:1-2 says : "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."

Is there a place where you need to repent today? Remember that once you repent, the enemy has no legal right to continue accusing you. The bible says that:  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

Repent and Enjoy the Mercies of God Today.

What is it that can hinder us from fulfilling the plan of God for our lives?

It's easy to think that just because we are in Christ (or the simple fact that we are born again) will get us to fulfill the plan of God for our lives. The bible is full of characters, men and women who failed to get to their destinies... It is  true that some were able to fulfill their purpose and finish well but it is equally true that some were not.

Let’s go to the book of Deuteronomy 34:4, it says: “Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob I would give to their descendants. I have let you see it, but I will not let you go there”.  This wasn’t the plan of God for Moses. If we go to Numbers 20, we see God instructing Moses and Aaron to speak to the rock so that water will flow from it and the Israelites would drink. However, Moses disobeyed God and hit the rock twice (Numbers 20:9) and water came out of it. God was displeased. He said: “Because you did not believe me, and because you did not honor me as holy before the people, you will not lead them into the land I will give them.”

Another example is in the book of Joshua 7, where the children of Israel, though they had been promised victory over their enemies, in the land God had given them, they lost miserably because of the sins that people (especially Achan) had committed.

To summarize this, there are three things that one must watch out for, in order to remain in a covenant relationship with God. First of all, one must be obedient to God and keen to follow his instructions at all times. 

Secondly, it is important not to hide your sins from God. When you fall into sin, be quick to acknowledge it and repent from it. God is merciful and just, He will forgive you.

Lastly, one must also be zealous to get rid of that sin that so easily entangles (Hebrews 12:1). That sin that you easily find yourself doing or always fall into it without knowing it. Get rid of it! If need be, speak to men and women of God, so as to help you overcome it, but don’t sit on it. The bible says: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

Finally, remember that all this applies to those who already have a relationship with God the Father as a result of the fact that they have received Jesus Christ in their life as their Lord and Savior. Without Christ, you cannot get to God. Have you made that commitment to God yet? Have you been washed by the blood of the Lamb of God?

For more information on why and how to get born again, kindly check out this link:
www.egliseoasisburundi.blogspot.com/2013/12/thanking-god-for-christ-whom-he-sent-to.html

Have a great week!!

Sunday 19/January/2014

By Pastor Nahimana Dieudonne

HOW TO PREPARE FOR BATTLE 

On Wednesday we looked at Joshua chapter 2 and saw that Joshua secretly sent 2 spies to investigate and find out as much information as possible about the land they were going to conquer. They stayed with Rahab and she became their source of information. And we concluded that we as well, must be determined to look for our "Rahab" (it could be a person who is already performing well in the area that God is calling you to, google,a book, etc.), the one who will give us information and enable to inspect the territory that we are going to conquer.

Today we are looking at how to prepare for battle 

Joshua chapter 3:5-12 is our scripture reference (kindly read the passage to understand the rest of the sermon). The people who are able to take over the land and be conquerors are those who are sanctified and don't do things contradictory to the will of God. That's why Joshua told the Israelite to consecrate themselves. Hence because of the ark of the covenant, the Israelite were required to believe in God and do what the word says. 

 This also applies to us as children of God: each time we want to see victory, we need to obey what the Holy Spirit tells us to do. 

Ephesians 6: 10-18 (kindly check it out) talks about the full armor of God that we must put on at all times to resist the attacks of the enemy. It's not God who will dress us up with this armor, but we must put it on at all times. So we required to put on:

• Truth as a belt around our waist: Walking in sincerity and not hypocrisy. When we hide our weaknesses and try to act righteous and yet we are struggling with sin or weaknesses, we are giving a way to the enemy. It is good that we acknowledge that we need the Grace of God, that we are able to win and do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
•   The breastplate of righteousness:  Walking in the righteousness that we have received from Christ. That is, our behavior manifesting who we are. What we are spiritually must be manifested physically.
• Our feet sandaled with readiness for the Gospel of Peace: Being ready to testify of Christ at all times, so that other people can be saved
• The shield of Faith: Faith is our shield. There is always a word from the bible that we have to believe/ stand upon and confess when we are going through tough times. This is what will defeat the enemy
• The Helmet of Salvation:  being assured that we are saved  and not doubting our salvation because of one thing or another
• The Sword of the Spirit: The word enables us to attack the enemy and cause us to chase him away from a given territory. 

Whatever your Goliath is today, you need to make a step of faith like David and throw the stone at him. It is not the small stone that David threw at Goliath that killed him because he fell on his face and not on his back. Goliath was killed by the power of God that worked through the faith of David. The battle is the Lord. Make a decision not to allow the enemy to use his malice in your life again.

  First Sunday of the Year
5/01/ 2014

Enlarge your tents...what does it mean?

Last year, our theme as a church was centered around the book of John chapter 1, where we are told that: "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1: 16-17).

2013 was the year of Grace upon Grace and we witnessed tremendous transformation as a church in many ways, as testified by many brethren during our overnight prayer session on  New year's eve. This year we are moving on to greater heights and to another theme found in Isaiah 54:2 where it says:

"Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes."

This is our theme as a church for this year. So, what does it mean to enlarge your tent? It means many things. For instance:

• Getting to another level of faith and believing what you never dared to believe before. What you always thought was impossible...
• Thinking and conceiving ideas that you never conceived before                                                          We also mean that:
• This is the year of going to places that you've never been before
• The year of seeing what you had never seen before
• The year of accomplishing what you had never accomplished before
• The year of overcoming the battles that you had never overcome before
• The year of Conquering souls for Christ like you had never done in the past

And the list goes on...

 However, here is what you have to remember- this is not just our desires for this year or our wishes for 2014, this is what God desires for us as His children to experience this year.

In Joshua 1:2-3, God said: " Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. ."

As believers in the new covenant, God has given us the privilege to reign in His Kingdom. Jesus said: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). 

In 2014, God is saying that it is time for us to stand up and enlarge our tents. It is not time for us to wait for manna from heaven but it is time for us to do something.  It is time for us to embrace our identity in Christ and reign for Him on this earth. It is time for us to conquer territories- It is time to expand. 

As His children, God has given us the power to dominate on this earth (Genesis 1:27-28), Christ Jesus has given us the right and authority to use His name. He has made us Kings and Priests and more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). He was pleased to give us the Kingdom so that we can represent Him.

So, don't wait for this year to turn out to be like last year. But confess and declare with your mouth, what you are expecting to see this year. The bible says that : "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits" (Proverbs 18:21).

This shall be your year of Greater Victory and Breakthrough... the first among many others to come.

Have a blessed 2014!

From the Sermon preached by Pastor Dieudonne Nahimana

Picture retrieved from byheartbysoul.wordpress.com