Explanation by the contributor (Curvyice):
Shades of Praise are the different colors of praise. The different ways that we can praise God are shades of praise. A diamond has different cuts, but is still a diamond. A color can have several shades, but it is still one color. So is Praise.

Praise is anything that glorifies God.
If I wear yellow pants and it is bringing glory to God, then that is praise (quoting T). Praise is a sweet-smelling aroma unto God. In prayer, there is a segment of praise, in vows, there is a segment of praise. Praise is something that has many layers like an orange that you have to peel. Offerings is like the peel, singing songs of worship is like the seeds of the fruit, but at the end of the day, there are different layers that make up the whole. So also, there are different layers of praise. Remember the Casting Crowns song, "Let my Life song sing to you," in the same way, the stories of our lives can serve as PRAISE to God.

Anything you do that glorifies God is your praise, 'let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, O Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer" Psalm 19:14

Also, in Psalm 103:1, "Bless the Lord O my soul, and ALL that is within me, bless His holy Name." Let ALL that is within us glorify His Name. Everything about you must glorify God.

Can we find examples in the bible? Yes, there are numerous examples. One example which shows that our sacrifices praise God is the story of Abel's sacrifices in the book of Genesis.

Praise is a spiritual offering.
Hebrews 13:14, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name."

Prayer and Praise work hand-in-hand:
Illustration by T: You may be really hungry, and there may be rice and beans, you would rather prefer to eat them together, even though they are separate types of food. They complement each other. So also, Praise can serve as an intro to your prayers, so prayer and praise go hand in hand.

Music is not all that is praise:
Music sung unto God is praise, but praise is not only music. There are numerous ways we can praise God besides reveling in musical notes. Music is praise but is not the totality of everything that praise is.

T: works with three other students who are atheists. They were having a discussion about music, and T was led to tell them about gospel music. They asked her, "what do you think about Christian rap and Christian rock???" Hmmm...what a thought to ponder on.

If you don't understand the lyrics or the meaning of a song, regardless of who made the track you won't understand how to praise God through that medium. Worship and Praise are really about the words (the intricacies of the lyrics, and they must be glorifying to God). Not all songs that the world terms as "gospel music" glorify God. Because a song merely has the Name "Jesus" in it doesn't necessarily mean that song is glorifying, praising, or worshipping. But know that whenever the Name of Jesus is pronounced, every knee must bow! Rap may work for some, hard rock may work for some, metal may work for some, yet still R & B may work for others. You have to worship God in the way you know how, but make sure your entire words are glorifying God. If you're listening to a rock song and all they are doing is screaming and banging heads against drums, then you may walk out with a headache and won't have done anything else but listen to noise. Not everything is praise, but still even in certain rock songs, the musicians glorify God and pull millions closer to Him, especially those who are used to rock and actually like rock music (not everyone likes rock music). Those who worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. It's all about your spirit...your spirit may not feel every music or every pastor, but let your spirit find your own connection to God. Yet still, don't undermime any 'type' of music because it may be changing someone else's life.

Make a JOYFUL sound unto the LORD:
It doesn't matter 'how' you make your own joyful sound, if it is joyful then it is giving praise to God. Imagine if you were there when Joshua and the Isrealites walked around the walls of Jericho while blowing loud trumpets. Trumpets for one do not necessarily sound nice when played by itself, yet when one plays a trumpet unto the Lord, it is PRAISE to God. God will delight in his praise if it's from the bottom of his heart, because God is a God that looks at our insides and not on our outward appearances. The book of psalms even talks about praising God with clanging cymbals. I mean why would my cymbals be clanging? Isn't that noise. But yet, when the people did it unto God, He accepted it as praise. Naijabloke briefly gives an example of one of his friends (a girl) who invited him to listen to "fuji" Christian music and everyone laughs (Fuji is a popular Nigerian musical genre. It arose from the improvisation Ajisari/were music tradition, which is a kind of Muslim music performed to wake believers before dawn during the Ramadan fasting season. Were music/Ajisari itself was made popular by the likes of Alhaji Dauda Epo-Akara, the deceased Ibadan-based "awurebe" founder and Ganiyu Kuti or Gani Irefin. Fuji is a percussive style of music, relying on complex interlocking rhythms played on a variety of traditional drums, while also incorporating drum machines and keyboards in its modern incarnation, wikipedia). Popular fuji stars are King Sunny Ade and Ebenezar Obey.

People who enjoy the so-called Christian fuji music may have been listening to fuji all their life, and hence this is what their niche is and how they know how to sing. Indeed if they sing fuji unto God, then it will be PRAISE to God.

Summary so far: Basically praise is everything that glorifies God. The preferences of praise: what may appeal to you may not appeal to someone else, but that does not mean they are not glorifying God. When we are glorifying and praising God, it just needs to be straight from our heart, giving the highest encomium to our loving Father.

When the Holy Spirit Visits:
When the Holy Spirit visits a particular place, sometimes there is chaos. People begin to do 'crazy' things. Take the cue from David who ran out naked praising His God (not to say you should blind eyes with your nakedness), but yes, David praised God in this way at a particular point in his life. You come to that place where you literally lose it, running around the walls of a house, rolling on the floor in worship (e.g. Jaycee), and running down the street several blocks from your house in a strange neighborhood (e.g. ms. "T"), or the day naijabloke closed his eyes in bliss as he listened to the yoruba worship song by Lara George as she called out the Names of God (until his co-worker asked him if he was ok...lol). Spelling out the Names of God can make one go crazy, because you call out the names of God according to the different ways that He has expressed Himself to you in your past (Jenhovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Lord of Hosts, the Uncreated Creator, the One Who is, Who was, and Who is to come). There is really no such thing as "outrageous praise." People praise God based on the way they see God.

Praise comes with INTIMACY.
Knowing who God has been to you in times past. Your experiences will cause you to debase yourself in praise in front of the Almighty God. Because of Job's experiences, He called God the One who gives and takes away. When you are hungry and God gives you food, there is an extra sweetness on your lips when you call Him Jehovah Jireh. It is with the revelation that you have that you can praise God. Arugbo Ojo, the Ancient of Days. Breaking down the Names of God can mess one up (in the words of Niyi). There is a saying that "the language you pray in is your first language" (because that is how you know how to express yourself best)~by Allied.

Perhaps some who see that word will cringe. Perhaps some will be very uncomfortable reading this entry at first. I am certain many will read it out of curiosity – to find out exactly what a bunch of early risers would have to say about this issue.

Sex – some are addicted to it, some are disgusted by it. Very many are clueless about it in its true essence. The picture the world has of it today is very distorted. It seems like it’s spoken about, sung about, even preached about everywhere – except in Christian circles. We who are supposed to be a light, even concerning the issues of sex and marriage, seem to want to shy away from it the most. But God said by the mouth of King David that a generation yet to be created would praise His name (Psalm 102:18). And at TERC, that’s what happens – the LORD is praised in every aspect of our being, in every issue of life, even when it comes to sex.

Hopefully, now that the word sex is all over the first two paragraphs, everyone is a little more comfortable with it. It is going to come up a whole lot.

This TERC meeting was as thought-provoking as it was enlightening; as convicting as it was encouraging. It was a time for sober reflection, and that was how we knew the Spirit of the Lord was there – for the same Spirit that convicts us also comforts us. What we thought would be a session entirely on sex turned out to be one in which we learnt and were reminded about so much more: God’s mercy, forgiveness, omniscience and perfect plan.

It was initially suggested that we talk about the distinction between the spirit, soul and body but that seemed too heavy a topic and while we were all trying to figure it all out, someone piped up, “Why don’t we talk about sex?” And thus it began.

What is sex?

It is impossible to discuss something without first knowing what it is. The medical definition of sex was agreed upon as the most accurate definition. Sex is any genital contact – hand to genital, mouth to genital, or genital to genital. Sex goes beyond just the penile-vaginal penetration that gets a woman pregnant. It is impossible to talk about sex without including relationships as well as marriage.

Of Fires and Delicious Smells

Some people have defined sex to be anything that can cause a man or woman to be sexually aroused. We found this definition to be flawed in many respects, since arousal is a normal physiological reaction to certain circumstances and is occasionally unavoidable. To expect not to experience it at some point before marriage would be unrealistic. The male and female bodies give warning signals that indicate that barriers have been crossed. Before marriage, arousal is a warning sign – it says, “You have gone too far. Stop right now.” Arousal, the raging hormones and sex drive are normal and are wired into us by God. Sex within the confines of marriage is a beautiful thing and is a gift from God. It is what we do when we’re aroused that is of consequence. Several analogies to illustrate what was said were given. Fire is a wonderful source of heat during the winter, if contained in a fireplace. However, that very same fire if not controlled could spread to burn the house it was supposed to warm. There is nothing wrong with parking a car, but it would be out of place if the car were parked in a living room. There’s a Nigerian proverb that says you don’t smell something you know you’re not ready to eat. Arousal is like that fire, or that car, or that aroma of a deliciously tempting meal.

SEX IS NOT EVIL. It is a gift from God.

The topic of relationships was briefly touched on. God in all his sovereignty commanded us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor 6:14). It is easier to abstain from premarital sex if we form relationships with people who are rooted in the Word of God – people who believe what we believe, provided it is based on the Word of God. When Christ is the foundation of a relationship, both parties are able to run to Him when temptation arises.

1 Corinthians 6:17-20 (King James Version)

17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Any contact with the genitals brings about pleasurable feelings to the body, causing you to bring glory to your temple which does not glorify God. Pre-marital sex tends to glorify the flesh and it defiles the body, yet the Bible clearly states that God will not share his glory with any other person or thing (Isaiah 42:8, Isaiah 48:11). We were created for his glory, to worship him always, in all areas of our lives. Pre-marital sex goes against this and it turns into idolatry because the flesh (body) has been highly esteemed. Remember that as children of God, our bodies have been bought with an expensive price, his son’s precious blood. Marriage is designed by God Himself and is supposed to be an earthly representation of the relationship between Christ (the bridegroom) and the church (the bride of Christ). Engaging in premarital sex distorts this representation.

Verse 17 emphasizes that once we become born again, we’re already joined to God and we’re one in spirit with God. The God we serve is holy and He expects us to live holy lives (Leviticus 19:2). The Holy Spirit will not dwell where sin is. The Bible says we should not grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30). Sin serves as a barrier between our spirit and God’s spirit dwelling within us causing spiritual death, so that spiritual connection we once had with God would’ve been lost. The only way to maintain the status quo would be to confess and truly repent from sin.

Conclusion:

We are living in the last days and this is not a time to fool around. God is calling a remnant to himself, a people who will refuse to compromise in order to be seen as acceptable from the worldly standpoint. Just like in Gideon’s days, God’s people are still outnumbered by the people of the world – the number of people on the straight and narrow path is smaller than those on the broad way. Although we live in a sex saturated society, we have absolutely no excuse to sin. Jesus said that the last days would be as the days of Noah. Even though Noah had no Bible, he still managed to live a holy life. Enoch was his contemporary, although much older, yet he lived such a holy life and walked with God and “was not, for God took him.” Now is the time to sit tight and stop being lukewarm Christians that still play church.

It may seem like we have no escape, but we do – and God will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but with every temptation, like the Loving Father that He is, He will provide a way of escape. We must take heed and restrain ourselves. We should be sober and watchful because our adversary prowls around like a lion – constantly, and without taking a holiday – seeking whom he may devour. From the days of old, till today the devil has always been after God’s glory. That’s one of the reasons why he was kicked out of heaven when he was still Lucifer. He has so infiltrated the society with sex, because he knows if he can get God’s children to bring pleasure and glory to their own temple, then that instant gratification would take away the glory from God. The devil tactic is to try to bring blemish to God’s purity. Ignorance is no excuse.

You can still engage in sexual acts without your hymen being broken, technically you’ll still be a virgin. LET’S BE REAL, IT’S NOT ABOUT THE VIRGINITY!!!

This does not mean you must not have a girlfriend/ boyfriend until you are ready to get married. You just MUST have boundaries and respect your individual sexual limits.

Yet, for those who may have made the mistake of having sex outside the confines of marriage, the blessed answer is the same as for anyone who has committed any sin. Our God is a forgiving God. The Blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sin, YES, any sin and Jesus is always making intercession for us – He reconciles us to His Father - our Father. The everlasting father who knows our down sitting and uprising, who understands our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our ways, knew before the foundations of the earth every single sin we would commit – and yet still chose to send His Son to die at Calvary and buy us with the price of His own Blood. He knows – and He forgives.

Every failure, every weakness, has been factored into the plan and purpose God has for us. He is, “a proactive God, not a reactive one.” Nothing takes Him by surprise. He is Omniscient and he never said we would not make mistakes. Abraham, his friend, messed up in a moment of impatience that led to him to having sexual relations with Hagar and getting Ishmael as his first biological son. David – the man after his own heart was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up sinning and forcefully getting Bathsheba for a wife. He committed adultery, and then lied and murdered to keep the woman to himself. Yet when he confessed and repented, he was called a man after God’s own heart. Tamar tricked Judah. Rahab was a prostitute. We see all these people forming the lineage of Christ.

This does not mean we should be careless and irresponsible. Romans 6:1 says, “Shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound?” If we continue grieving the Holy Spirit, it will get to a stage when we begin to have a reprobate mind (Romans 1: 28) and cannot hear the Holy Spirit speaking. We are still going to be accountable for our actions. Because of the blood, we can go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Rather than rationalizing our mistakes and weaknesses out of pride, we should humble ourselves to acknowledge it when we sin. We should confess our sins – and make a complete U-turn from

The ever-loving God is able to forgive us and cleanse us of all (not some, not most, but ALL unrighteousness). May his name be forever praised for that.

A Sneak Preview of the next session

We are wired differently.

Men are visually stimulated.

Women are emotionally stimulated.

Hmm!!! Deep!

Written by Pea (wendwa.blogspot.com)

Speaking in tongues is a wonderful mystery of God. It is a sign that follows believers, according to the word in Mark 16: 17-18, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So today, as a people who are like the sons of Isaachar (who, in the bible, tried to understand the mysteries of God by all means) we put our heads together and discussed about the mysteries of "speaking in tongues." God's wisdom was seen, and we really learnt a lot of new information. It was a beautiful experience.

Introduction:
Speaking in tongues was first seen on the day of Pentecost, in Acts chapter 2, where the Holy Spirit came down and each man began to speak in tongues of other nations. Those who were passing by began to hear their languages spoken, and they understood the words that God was saying to them in their own LANGUAGE, and they were stupified. On that beautiful day, THREE THOUSAND SOULS gave their lives to Christ, because they received the word of God and they believed. After that, they were baptized. After studying more of the word of God, it also shows that speaking in tongues does not have to be a language that is spoken on earth (it is a heavenly language just like 1 corinthians 14:2 says that "For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries," and also Romans 8:26 backs this up by saying that you can speak in tongues in 'groanings that cannot be understood'; therefore, speaking in tongues is also multi-dimensional, and it can come in several different ways. God cannot be placed in a box.

Question #1: We have all heard that speaking in tongues is 'communication with God,' but when we pray with ordinary words, aren't we already communicating with God?

Speaking in tongues does not erase the fact that we cannot communicate with God in ordinary language (e.g. English). Speaking in tongues is another means of communication where our spirits communicate with God's Spirit.
* Read 1 corinthians 14: 1-21. Short summary: He who speaks in tongues does not communicate with man but with God (this means that speaking in tongues is more for the edification of your spirit; it is a process wherein our spirits communicate with God's Spirit, and in this process our SPIRITS are edified). It is good to speak in tongues, but this passage talks about the fact that when you speak in tongues in a PUBLIC setting like a church, there should be the necessary interpretation to follow, that the CHURCH may receive EDIFICATION. If there is no interpretation after the speaking of tongues in a public setting, then it isn't useful because it does not edify the congregation. When people stand up in church and they start speaking in tongues, it does not edify the church (if there is no interpretation). But if you continue studying the word further, Paul also talks about the fact that you should not prevent such ones from speaking in tongues publicly. But if a person can avoid it, then it is better to avoid it because it does not edify anyone else in a public setting except oneself, unless there is the gift of INTERPRETATION to go along with it. This interpretation can either come from the person who spoke in tongues, or from someone else.

Question #2: Is speaking in tongues a gift that only certain people have? Or must every born-again child of God have this gift?
1 corinthians 12 talks about the fact that 'speaking in tongues' is a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides who is worthy of receiving such a gift. The fact that the Holy Spirit bestows this gift on certain people does not mean that EVERYONE cannot seek this gift. The scripture talks about how we should ALL seek good gifts from God, (1 Corinthians 12:31 " But earnestly desire the best gifts), and speaking in tongues is one of such gifts that we CAN seek if we desire it.

Rinsola's testimony: I tried speaking in tongues by my own self and it would not flow. But when God was ready to give me this gift I started speaking in tongues and I just could not stop. I knew that something had come upon me. Speaking in tongues is not just an ordinary gift, usually from my experience God causes a person to speak in tongues when He needs to send a warning to a body of people or to a single person, usually the interpretation may come on the same day, or later in the week. But from my experience, because God wants to communicate with someone, there must be an interpretation from God. When God has a word for you, there will be an interpretation.
1 corinthians 4:22: Tongues is not a sign for believers, but for unbelievers to know that the presence of God has descended upon a particular people in a particular place. In Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they began to speak in different tongues, it was a sign to unbelievers that passed by that something out of the ordinary was happening.

Question #3: when I am having my quiet time and I am praying and then I start speaking in tongues, when God wants to speak to me, how do I know and understand what God's spirit is saying to me? Is it that when I speak in tongues, the spirit knows what I am praying for and He is interceding for me, in other words does speaking in tongues help us not to pray amiss?

When you are speaking in tongues, your spirit is communicating with God. Speaking in tongues is BUILDING UP YOUR SPIRIT (1 corinthians 14:4 uses the phrase, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself"). According to the dictionary, to "edify" means to INSTRUCT (when speaking in tongues, your spirit is being instructed. Instructions come from the word of God, and the bible also says that it is the Holy Spirit brings the Word into your remembrance ~ John 14:26); To edify also means "to BUILD up": when you are being 'built up' by the Holy Spirit you feel very energetic (think of muscle training exercises that build up your muscles), and at this point you feel like you can speak into any mountain and command it to be thrown into the sea, and it will. To edify also means, 'to STRENGTHEN one's self.'

Therefore, the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are diverse and cannot be placed in a box. It may or may not come with an interpretation. Speaking in tongues is also a sign that the Holy Spirit has manifested (Mark 16:17: "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;"). Speaking in tongues is a sign that follows believers.

When speaking in tongues in church, there should be an interpretation (according to 1 corinthians 14), but when you are having your personal time with God and you start communicating with God, speaking in tongues can produce an interpretation (you will know what God is trying to tell you), but also speaking in tongues also serves to build you up, strengthen you, and instruct you in the SPIRIT (so there may not be interpretation at that point, but God will still be building you up in your spirit).

Cherub (Bijou) explained that if God really has a Word for you, He will send you an interpretation, but if He just wants to build you up in the spirit, then He does not need to send you an interpretation. Sometimes we don't even know fully what we are supposed to pray for (according to Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered"), the Holy Spirit understands what you need and will communicate with God concerning that by helping you to speak in tongues.

Niyi's beautiful summary: God is SOVEREIGN, and no matter how much we try, unless God allows it we cannot attain anything by our own physical abilities; God is the One who ultimately determines what we attain, and He is also sovereign in the sense that He cannot be fully explained (He is omniscient "knowing all things") ~ Romans 9:16 says that "So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy."
Psalm 127:1 says,
"Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain."

Niyi and Diamond go on to give us a 'unified conclusion':

In conclusion, "Speaking in tongues is one of those dichotomies that cannot be fully explained, you cannot place God in a box. You can desire it and get it, but still you may not desire it but yet God will choose to bestow this wonderful gift into your life. It can go both ways and it is a mystery that we will keep learning more about as time goes on."

To Listen to the full version of TERC's last conference:

Dial this number: 641-715-3437

Access Code: 161292#

Last TERC fellowship was a fun and spiritually enlightening session about salvation and all it entails. We had a full house (11 participants…. Yeah!) And our brothers in Christ came on strong to represent. Following is a transcript of our discussion and relevant bible verses from the New Living translation. Enjoy!

SALVATION
Q: Our first question was about the necessity of salvation. In this world, people believe that as long as we are “good” people and do harm to no one, we will eventually end up in heaven. So is it safe to say that good morals are equivalent to salvation and being born again?
A: To answer this, the bible was used in reference; specifically

Matthew 7:21: "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ` Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven.

Salvation is more than being morally right; even though most laws go with the word of God, salvation is a personal walk with God. It begins with openly confessing that we are sinners and that Christ died Jesus died for our sins. The difference between being morally right and being a saved Christian is quite strong. As babies we are born into iniquity; just from being born we have already taken on the sins of the world and absolutely nothing can take it away except the blood of Jesus.

Q: Another deep question raised was the notion that “Once saved always saved?”
A: It was unanimously agreed upon that this philosophy was a false one. The second a person leaves the path of God, salvation is lost. There are instances where people who were once saved and manifesting different gifts of the spirit (i.e. speaking in tongues) find themselves without the gift because they are no longer in communion with God. Salvation is a thing you have to work out daily with fear and trembling.

BAPTISM
Q: Scripture says we need to be baptized of water and spirit. This brings up the question of Do we need to be baptized? Some churches preach full immersion while some just the sprinkling of water. Who decides?
A: This was a very touchy topic to tackle because of the eclectic background we all share. While there was a period of intense disagreement, we had to go back to the truth, the word, for an answer.

John 3 vs 5 say “Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”

Even with this as a guideline, the topic couldn’t be fully settled but the general conclusion was that although our salvation was the priority, when it comes to baptism we need to follow Christ wholly. We are Christians which means “Christ- like” and with this in mind, we should do all Christ did without question. Before Christ began his ministry, he went to be baptized by John the Baptist and although, we may not necessarily agree on why he did it, we must all agree upon the fact that he saw it important to do. We as Christians do not have the right to pick and choose the acts of Christ we should follow. This is enough reason to do it. Salvation can be seen as having a inward and outward part. The inward is us showing the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5 vs 22) while the outward part can be likened to water baptism. With this said, the topic was left for individual ministration from the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3: 13 -17
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The last bit for the session was about works and salvation. This was the question raised

Q: Does being active in church assure your place in heaven even if you are not saved?
A: The house was again under unity in answering that works without faith is dead. Regardless of how much you do, unless you know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, salvation is not guaranteed.


Well Praise God, for a wonderful session, we look forward to having God in the house again next week and we also look forward to having all of you …

Keep God first and he’ll do the same….

Recap done by Toyin. (Thanks, gal u're a life saver :)

Bwongiono,

Greetings from Italia.

The Early Risers Call (TERC) - is a meeting of like minded people, and we meet in the hope to share the word of God, and base our testimony on His Word, and not on our opinions or what we feel or think is right.

The Word of God is clear and has no confusion in it, lets bear that in bind whenever we meet to always base our discussion on the word of God, and not how we think it should be or our interpretation of the matter.

At this juncture..loll.. I would like to say a big thank you to all for coming on on TERC, and visitng our blog, and we promise to update it shortly.

Ciao.

Last Friday's TERC started off at the proper time and after a wonderful time of praise and worship, it was time for the sharing of the word. Due to the fact that our predestined speaker was unavailable, we had to choose a new topic on the spot. Trust God to always come thru. He's most definitely an "on-time God." We spoke on the topic of “Entertainment and the modern day Christian” and it was such a blessing and challenging (but uplifting topic).

Does it matter what i watch on TV? Afterall, it's just entertainment...

Are there shows that we shouldn’t watch as Christians and do the contents matter as long as we didn’t act out what we saw? The simple answer to this is that we need guidelines to what we watch. A yardstick one could use is, if u could not imagine watching a show in the presence of Christ, then u're not supposed to be watching it at all. To further explain this we spoke of the popular show FRIENDS. “It is one thing to laugh along with cute chandler and funny Ross but their lifestyle of casual sex and immoral sense of humor is something we can’t ignore. In this present day and age, it is hard for Christians to try to find the right kind of entertainment. Although we love most of these shows, “it was time for a change and for us to stand out for Christ no matter what." Bible verses in support of this includes 1 Corinthians 8-end.
Our lifestyles are part of our testimonies and no matter what we said; if we didn’t “walk the talk” our testimonies may be rendered useless. Although a lot of Christians claim to be “strong” and impenetrable by issues of life, but when other “baby” Christians see us in places we ought not to be, they may be fooled into thinking that they also can be in the same situation and cause their own down fall. There are some things that are out of our control as Christians since we are living in a sin riddled world but of the things we can control, we had a responsibility to supervise.

Now, let's talk about movies and music…

Certain kinds of secular music have contents that are degrading, immoral and sinful. Let's not ignore the fact that music is such a vital and powerful tool. It has the power to influence life and because of this, we should ensure that we listen to music that strengthens us and draws us closer to God. Ephesians 5.19 tells us the type of music that should be found “within” a Christian.
Ultimately one thing we all can agree on is that we need God’s guidance, mercy and the holy spirit's conviction on this issue. Loving God with all our hearts is not enough but it is our duty to profess this love with our thoughts, speech and actions.

We will continue our discussion on Dressing and the modern day Christian… what we are supposed to wear(or not) and how it influences our Christian walk? We believe this topic is too important for us to brush past. We are trusting God to keep us and bring us all back next Friday, especially our brothers. We need everyone's input, backed with biblical references and personal experiences, on this topic.

*** This was shared at the TERC meeting of Friday April 27th, 2007 ***

We're going to be talking on the issue of faith for a while, until we've learned all we need to know on it. I pray as we dig deeper into the word, our faith will be strengthened in God- Amen.
Hebrews 11 is the model chapter on faith and verse 1 defines faith as, "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Why is faith important?

1. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6)
2. Everything we do without faith is sin (Romans 14:23)

Some examples, amongst many, of people who walked by faith include:

** Moses' parents who hid him for 3 months, despite the fact that they were going against the king's decree that he should be put to death (Heb. 11:23, Exo. 2: 1 & 2). They could see with their "faith eyes" that Moses was going to be great in future.

** David, the little shepherd boy, in slaying Goliath, the Philistine giant soldier, with just a sling and stones. But the thing here is that he went to fight against Goliath in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel (I Sam. 17)

** Abraham, in sacrificing his only son Isaac (Gen. 22, Heb. 11:17, James 2:21)

** The 3 Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, activated their faith that even if they were thrown into the blazing furnace, the God they served was able to deliver them from it, hear this, "But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Classic act of faith! (Dan. 3: 19 - end).
To show u how hot the fire was, the soldiers putting them in were burned to death from the intense heat of the flames (v. 23). If u read further down to the end of the story, u'd realize that the 3 of them were bound when thrown into the fire, but when the king looked he saw 4 people unbound and unharmed and this pagan king even realized that the 4th person didn't look normal, but looked like "a son of the gods." (v. 25). Right there and then, the King's mentality changed and he went through a 360 degrees total transformation, and started calling them servants of the most high God, singing praises to the one true God, and he didn't just stop there, he even abolished his former decree and made a new one. Today, i pray that as u activate ur faith in that seemingly impossible situation, God will come through for you and a new decree will be made by the King himself on ur behalf in Jesus' name -Amen.

Like the Hebrew boys, by activating ur faith, u are ministering to the people around you, even Kings. Just imagine if the boys were crying and begging the king? They would've just spoiled the work God was about to do in the life of the king.

Faith, together with prayer, is another weapon we can use in fighting the devil (Eph. 6:16). Paul urges Timothy to fight the good fight by holding on to his faith and a good conscience, so he does not shipwreck his faith as others have done (1 Timothy 1:17 - 20). By pressing on and fighting the good fight of faith, we're going to get to our desired destination. Our mind is so limited to the extent that if we begin thinking with our human mind and walking by sight, we'll fall by the wayside and limit God's blessings in our lives. When u let circumstances and situations around you choke ur faith, and things begin to go haywire, then u start blaming God and every other person but urself. LEARN TO TRUST GOD by activating ur faith in him.

How much faith must i have?

God has given each and everyone of us a certain level/ amount of faith. You just need faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains, to uproot trees and plant them into the sea (Mth 17:20. Luke 17:6). Don't compare yourself to others, in other words, know ur level. Don't say because Cherub has the faith to run her car on an empty gas tank, i'll also try it. Listen up now, u'll just be stranded for no reason. Just as each person is expected to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, i'd say we should do the same with our faith.

Before u begin to ask for mountain-moving faith, first activate the little you have. U can begin with very basic things. I'm hungry and i want Chinese food, but i don't have the money for it, but i'm trusting by faith in God that i'll eat Chinese food for lunch. It works, trust me.

Sorry about the lateness of this post but I trust it will minister to those with questions about God's promises for their lives and for those that need reassurance that though it may tarry, God's word will never return to Him void (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Many times when we are faced with compounding situations that never seem to cease, we start to question the promises God has made in His word. We wonder why things are so difficult and why of all people, we are constantly the victims. The word of the season is to remain focused on the promise of God for your life and in His word. In order to expound on this we shared based the story of Elijah and Elisha. The reading can be found in 2 Kings 2: 1-18. (you'll need to read the passage)

Here are a few things that stand out in that passage

1. Elisha was persistent : On four occasions, Elijah asked Elisha to remain behind (in the city of Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho and Jordan) and on those four occasions, Elisha refused. Elisha understood the season and the time. He knew Elijah's time on earth was almost over and any minute from that time he could depart.
Note: If God has made you a promise, it's important you pray for the revelation of time. Without the revelation of time, it will be tough for you to know when and how to prepare for the manifestation of God's promise for you. That revelation gives you the clarity of mind to know that regardless of what situations may come your way, the harder they are, they make for a greater and sweeter victory. Notice that the boxing fights that command the highest premiums are those people expect to be the toughest fight. So when situations come your way, Smile and remain confident that your victory is coming. I am yet to see a tunnel without light at the end.

2. The fifty men of the sons of prophets: On each occasion Elijah told Elisha to remain behind in one city or the other, he was not alone but accompanied by 50 men of the sons of prophets. These men knew the time had come for Elijah to depart. They continually mocked Elisha in every city.
Note: You would expect that the sons of prophets would have known better than to stand back and taunt Elisha. More than likely these were people that were brought up understanding the precepts of God and more than likely had heard of or even witnessed great men of God that had walked the earth before Elijah. You would expect them to chase after Elijah to seek blessing but they stood at a distance. Don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise about what God's promises pertaining to your lives are. Along the way people (friends, colleagues even family) will mock you as you wait upon God's promises for your life. They'll come to you with compelling arguments and suggestions on how to get results here and now. These days people miss out on God's promises for their lives because of the RIGHT NOW mentality. They want answers NOW, they want action NOW. Each time I watch Nigerian movies, I always find it amusing when you see for example a couple looking for the gift of the womb (a child) and after believing in God for the longest, there is always that notorious friend or family member that would profess to know a medicine man that can bring about a quick resolution to their desire. Have you noticed how even after the couple eventually have their baby the issues that come with the baby and the conditions? My people after you've prayed and done all that the Lord requires of you and you see no resolution, STAND!

3. Elisha's request: Elijah asked Elisha what he wanted and Elisha answered " Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me".
Note: Elisha could have asked for anything and everything. He could have pulled a long list of items. He could have asked to be rich beyond imagination, asked to be a ruler e.t.c but he asked for something that would be of service to the people. This reminds me of the story of Solomon also...clearly you see a certain similarity in their requests.....Solomon asked God for a gift that would allow him serve his people better but with all that came other blessings that I bet he hadn't imagined. In James 4:3 the bible says "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts". It's important to understand the value of your request and understand that you've been placed in this world to serve. Through your service, you obtain a reward. When I think about the story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, it leaves me in awe of the God we serve. (John 13:1-20)

4. The whirlwind: After Elisha had made his request known to Elijah, Elijah responded " You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so." As they talked, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha saw it, and cried out "My father, my father the chariot of Israel and its horsemen".
Note: So in order to get a true understanding of what Elisha had to go through in order to obtain his request, I decided to check out the meaning of "Whirlwind" -A rapidly rotating, generally vertical column of air, such as a tornado, dust devil, or waterspout.
In order for Elisha's request to come to past, He had to have his eyes open to see Elijah rise through the Whirlwind...Think of that for a second... if a whirlwind came your way, more than likely with the dust particles that would accompany that whirlwind, your immediate action would be to either take cover or shut your eyes but Elisha kept his eyes open. I see the dust particles as situations, trials, tribulations we may face as we wait for the fulfillment of God's promises for our lives. You should welcome those particles and stand firm, knowing that at the end of the day when the dust finally settles that victory will be yours. So when challenges come your way, rather than crying and throwing a pity party, return to the Lord and remind him of His words....I am yet to see the righteous forsaken or beg for bread. If he fed the Israelites as they travelled for 40 years through the wilderness, realize that your request is nothing to him.

I know this message is for someone out there who is almost losing hope...asking why me? what have I done to deserve this? Where is this God they've told me about? Our God is not a sleep...the bible says that he neither slumbers nor sleep and today I declare that in your situation, God will awaken all dead bones as it pertains to you.

what is your priority in life. what is that thing that motivates you. Are there any questions that you're wanting to get answered.... questions about your purpose in life? your direction?

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Matthew 6:33 states SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE AND LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED. (The most popular version that we know is But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added onto you)

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Have you ever tried doing things your own way? Ever wondered why you struggle with certain things...especially when it comes to the word of God....it's because in most instance we're after our own agenda...instead of seeking God's agenda.

Think about this... if our will was God's will...it will ALWAYS be done

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1. In breaking down the verse of Matthew 6:33...the first thing that stands out is the verb TO SEEK

• it means to active puruse
• to go in search of
• to discover by searching or questioning

Notice that it's in present tense. It is something that you do NOW... and your NOW moments are continious

[an example to illustrate seeking]

Imagine you're home and you have a show that you want to watch on TV but yet you cant find your remote control. You search and search to no avail. What do you do...you rest for a while... grudgingly go up to the television and manually tune it to the station you want to watch...you'll find it later

Now imagine you have to be at a very important meeting at a certain time...you must leave home within the hour and you cannot find your carkeys. Tell me what you do. You begin to search frantically for your keys....you track your steps back...tried to think of the last place you may have placed them....you HAVE to get going and you cant do so without your keys....

This is the way we should seek God...constantly...

Seeking God should be our first priority because when we have that in order, our lives in turn will be in order...

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2. To gain understanding of the kingdom, the first thing to do is seek the king...it will follow logically that if you want to know about the kingdom, the best person to ask is most likely the king

God says in His Word... "Draw near to me and I will draw near to you"

Jeremiah 29:13 states YE SHALL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YE SHALL SEARCH FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Also in seeking the king, it is important to understand that it must be done with faith.
[FAITH is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen]

In Hebrews 11:6 it states that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD WITHOUT FAITH

Now we know HOW to seek...WHO to seek...but WHAT are we seeking

Matthew 6:33 states to seek the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is simply defined according to Romans 14:17 as righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

Being righteous in simple terms means having a right relationship with God. It is not in what you wear... it isnt in who you know... and it most definitely isnt in how much you know. It is basically acting out your faith

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3. The last part of the verse states that ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU

what are all these things

Read Matthew 6: 19 to 28
God talks about providing for your needs...your finances...your food...He talks about your stature (fitness)...fashion....

in Verse 32 it sums it all up: YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS ALL OF YOUR NEEDS... so dont worry like an unbeliever would

this is WHY we're seeking God...

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my challenge to YOU (and me): If you're like me and havent been actively seeking... for ONE week...try this. Seek first God's kingdom. Read your bible daily...even if it's one verse...one passage....(check out A WORD A DAY on the top left corner of this blog]. Schedule time to read the bible if you have to. medidate on the verse of Matthew 6:33 and what it means... The bible encompasses everything. It tells you to love...it says BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY... it gives you basic living instructions... it's just a matter of us searching it out.

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just to a little note to share: a year ago when I wanted direction in reading the bible...I asked a close friend what she does and how she decides where to read...she told me she relies on the direction of the holy spirit. So I went home and I tested it. I said okay...Holy Spirit tell me show me where to go...I went where I thot the Holy Spirit was leading me...and what do you know...when I went to church on sunday the guest preacher was a woman...who preached on somn that has been on my heart...but most importantly...her sermon was based on the passage I had just read...the same one that I felt led by the Holy Spirit to read. I thought that was amazing...infact I was so excited at the church service. My wish for you is that you experience what I did as well :-)

Our Lovely Bijoux aka Cherub aka child of the most high God has given a great summary of what we covered in Fridays TERC meeting. What I’ve summarised below is in its entirety similar to her write up, but I wanted to focus on – if we followed a negative report - we still have the hope of staying on track to our vision, purpose or plan.

1. We need to follow instructions
2. Possess the promise – read His will, please God in our wait
3. Not to listen to negative report, as it will make us continue in circles, and so we need to stop doing this. And believe me when I say this, the report of whom we listened to will be there to blame us, condemn us, ridicule us, make us out to be fouls and then abandon us. We didn’t need to listen to them! will be what they will constantly remind us of.
4. But God is faithful and merciful, He will always give us another chance – Like He did to all who have gone before us.
5. But we need to remember this, that He never changes and is no respecter of persons. And if God can save David – a lair, rapist and murderer – by giving him undeserved chances, He would do it for us too whenever we fall short.
6. So for us to be successful in our walk with God, we need to:
1. Read the Word of God
2. Quote it
3. Think it
4. Obey it
5. Do it, then we will have good success – Joshua 1 – 10.
7. We also need to do a self examination, circumcising our hearts, taking communion and knowing our history i.e. our mistakes, so we learn from them and not repeat them.
8. So Even though God will forgive our disbelief and give us a fresh start, we still need to cross over to our blessings from God. That is, we need to make our mind up to cross our Jordan.
9. Then lay hold of the promises. So let us list our promises and dig deep for our treasures. When God brings us into our promises, let us do well in it. Make sure not to touch what belongs to Him – the things He has devoted to Himself, First born, Tithe – as disobedience will bring about catastrophic changes in our life.
10. Therefore let us make sure before we make our move into our promises / purpose to consult God, and acknowledging Him in our ways.

Therefore my friends let us begin to expect great and mighty miracles from God. And as we wait, let us not link ourselves with the wrong people; not to be unequally yoked. Be careful not to be tricked by them into fighting battles that isn’t your’s to fight. So I charge you guys, do not fear, even if you’ve made bad decisions and found yourself in a bit of bother, do not despair for God will fight your battles. Put the Word of God in your life and it will be difficult for you to be defeated. Read also Psalm 109 to show you what God can do to your enemies on your behalf.

I hope this has been a blessing.

Vision, in this sense, is how we perceive our future based on what we know about ourselves (our abilities), our present circumstance and God's promises for us. Every child of God MUST have a vision. Proverbs 29: 18 says where there's no vision the people perish. There's nothing to motivate you, nothing to look forward to, and no real reason to live.

Having a vision doesn't necessarily mean u need a prophet or an angel to reveal stuff to you. It could simply be an idea about something God has deposited in your heart about your future.

WHY WE NEED TO HAVE A VISION.

** For direction- Catching a glimpse of where u're going in life, drives (motivates) u in what direction to go. Psalm 139: 16 says before we were even born, our days had been planned so we must not loose track on the already planned path we ought to tread. The only way to avoid that is to stay in tune with the master architect.

** Makes u a leader amongst ur peers and reveals ur true potential. Your eyes become open to things others don't see, that even u would otherwise have overlooked. Ur true potential becomes realized. Moses, a stammerer, was a shepherd until God showed him he could lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Joseph, the son of Jacob and Racheal, was dad's baby until God revealed to him that he was to be a leader amongst his brothers. Peter was a fisherman, until Jesus called him to be a fisher of men.

** Makes u unique- U're original, ur vision's unique to you . Be careful not to chase other people's shadows. Don't live the vision of others.

Once u begin walking in ur vision, u're satisfied and the Lord will bless the works of ur hands.

Any plan made outside of God's plan for you will end in total disaster. Therefore, examine the motives of your heart. Proverbs 14:12 says there's a way that seems right unto man but in the end leads to destruction/ death.

AFTER RECEIVING THE VISION

** Pray about it. Jeremiah 33:3 says call unto me and i'll show u great and mighty things u don't know. Remember Romans 9:16 says it is not of him who wills or runs, but it is of God that shows mercy unto us.

** Meditate on God's word. As u fill urself up with his word, his promises, his light shines brightly within you and u begin to get a clearer understanding of ur vision.

**Write it down and place it in a strategic location where u'll always see it. Habakkuk 2:2

** Be patient for the vision to come to pass at the appointed time. Hab. 2: 3, Ecc. 3: 1-8. Wait on the Lord to renew ur strength. Is. 40: 31

** Trust God to bring that which he has placed upon ur heart and said concerning you to pass. Is. 55: 8 - end

HOW DO I KNOW THIS VISION IS FROM GOD?

YES! Not all visions come from God. Even the bible tells us to test all spirits to make sure they're from God.
- The vision will always align with God's word.
- He's a God of Peace, the Prince of Peace (Jehovah Shalom). Peace will reign in your heart.

BEWARE OF DREAM KILLERS!!!

** Be careful not to tell ur vision to the wrong people. Negative people that have no way of bringing ur vision to pass. Especially people without a vision, referred to as NFA's (people with No Future Ambition).

** Nurture ur dream/ vision so it doesn't suffer a premature death.

Even though Joseph (Gen 37: 8 - 11) told his dream to his brothers, they were indirectly instrumental in the fulfillment of his God- given vision. We could easily call Joseph's brothers dream killers, but the good Lord turned that negativity (they thought) around in orchestrating his plans for Joseph's life.

Most times, we know in what direction the Lord's leading us, but we deliberately decide to go contrary to his leading. The Bible, our guide, has instructed us not to do certain things, but we deliberately decide to go our own way.

Why don't you decide today to follow after the one whose thots are higher than yours even as high as the heavens are above the earth?

Why don't you decide today to surrender to the one whose plans for you are to prosper you and not to harm you, and to give you hope and a future?

We also talked about covenants. A covenant is basically an agreement between you and God. To hold yourself accountable, make a covenant with God. It could go som'n like this, "Dear God, if you do ABC for me, i promise to do XYZ."

God always fulfills his part of the agreement.
Your covenant must cost u something. The "XYZ" u're promising to do, shouldn't be something that u do effortlessly. It has to be a sacrifice you make.
Even when u mess up and don't fulfill ur part, God is merciful, faithful and just enough for u to go back to him and straighten things out with him. He's ur heavenly father, remember?

WORSHIP SONG SHARED.

Here I am To Worship

Light of the world,
You step down into darkness.
Opened my eyes let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you hope of a life spent with you.

[Chorus]

And here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you're my God,
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days,
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above.
Humbly you came to the earth you created.
All for love's sake became poor.

[Chorus] again

I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.
I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross
And I'll never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross.

[Chorus] again

TERC attendees: If there's anything i omitted, please feel free to post in the comments section, and i'll include them in the post.

Others: If you have anything to share relating to the subject matter, please drop your comments and i'll be sure to post them.

Have a blessed weekend people. Feel free to join us for another exciting time next Friday 5a.m. EST, God willing as we share in THE WORD. Remember TERC isn't only for bloggers, neither is it restricted to U.S. residents only.