God’s Promises Are ‘Yes And Amen’

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” A promise is a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance of a specified act. God’s absolute trustworthiness has been consistently demonstrated over a long time. The Scripture record shows unequivocally that God keeps His promises.

They are His commitment to us, His guarantee to do what He says He will do. God has promised to us this year that every step we take shall be blessed by His glory, we will move from one level of glory to another level of glory. All of God’s promises are sure because “God cannot lie.” Hebrews 6:18 declares that God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. God’s declaration this month is that His promises are “Yea and Amen.” God Himself declares in Isaiah 55:11, so shall my Word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. If we could actually take the Word of God and believe it according to what it says, we can come to only one conclusion; and that is the fact that every promise of God spoken regarding the believer is still available today, still in effect, has not been revoked or canceled and can still be accessed by all those that are born again.

God’s promises are “Yes” and our response should be “Amen.” God promises that He will never leave us nor forsake us, but that He will be with us always, even unto the end. He promises us the presence of His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, He promises to give us a way of escape when the burdens of life seems too hard to bare, He promises to keep him in perfect peace who’s mind is stayed on Him. The word “yes” is Greek and means certain and true. Someone has said that God’s favorite word is “yes.” “Amen” is Hebrew and means “so be it” or “it’s already done.” It can also mean “fully accomplished.” All of God’s promises are fulfilled in the person of Christ.

We could say that all of the conditional promises are kept by Christ. Since He has fulfilled all of the Father’s conditions, then all God’s promises come through Him because Immanuel is God’s Amen. These promises come through Christ but must be claimed by us (“spoken by us”). One must know Christ in order to claim the promises that come through the Promised One. God is looking for people who say “Yes” and “Amen” to Him. These promises are given for the glory of God, not just for our good. The problem with most Christians today is they fail to keep going to the next level they become comfortable with where they are now they have become ease in Zion when the Bible declares Woe to them that are at ease in Zion. There is more beloved, your level must move up this year in Jesus name. Shalom.

Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk

Yemisi Onanuga

THE MONTH OF FAVOUR

It is exciting to know that this is the month of favour and with excitement I would like to welcome everyone to this month of favour. Our texts are taken from Psalm 30:5 and Luke 2: 52. “For his anger lasts only a moment but his favour last a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5 Favour generally does not depend on merit and would always draw opposition and enmity. The favour of man is limited; it often depends on circumstances and the mood of the benefactor. On the other hand, the favour of God lasts for a life time, sometimes beyond (1 Chronicles 17:10-14). When a man finds favour before the Lord, doors of favour before men open, even before his enemies (Prov. 16:7). God’s favour terminates sorrow and restores joy, replaces frustrations with breakthrough and turns confusion into clarity.  His favour abolishes every form of barrenness and brings in fruitfulness and multiplications. The Lord’s favour ushers in peace because the Most High subdues our enemies in such a way that wars and struggles become history to us. This was the case for King Solomon who throughout the period of his reign had no wars to fight because he found favour before the King of Kings, quite unlike other Jewish kings. King Solomon’s fellow contemporary kings would rather bring him gifts than fight him (1 Chronicles 9:22-24) In this month of favour, the Lord who has remembered you will give you an unmerited favour. May HIS favour lift you above your dreams and last beyond your life time. May HIS favour give you peace and make kings bring tribute to you. May HE terminate every sorrow in your heart and keep you rejoicing. “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.” Luke 2:52. May you grow in this favour both before the Great King and men? Amen.   Shalom

Purpose

Proverbs 19:21 “Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand (be carried out). – Amplified Version. Thomas Carlyle wrote, “A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder – a waif, a nothing, a no man.” Everything in life begins and ends with purpose. Everyone on this planet was born with and for a purpose. Without purpose, life is an experiment or a chaotic journey that results in frustration, disappointment and failure. Without purpose, life is subjective, or it is a trial and error game that is ruled by environmental influences and the circumstances of the moment. Likewise, in the absence of purpose, time has no meaning, energy has no reason and life has no precision. Therefore, it is essential that we understand and discover our purpose in life so that we can experience an effective, full and rewarding life. The Master Manufacturer of all created things has made all His creations for a definite purpose and has established that purpose as the ultimate definition of success. God says your plans for life, your ideas, your dreams, desired career, and your business should come after discovering His purpose for your life. God is therefore only concerned with His purpose and not your mere plans. Until purpose is discovered, existence has no meaning, for purpose is the source of fulfilment. Your purpose is different to the purpose of anybody else on the face of this globe, before you were created, God had the end in mind, He knew your purpose. God did not start with your creation, He started with a purpose and He designed you uniquely and specifically for that purpose. Your existence is evidence that this world needs something that only your life can offer. In other words, your purpose is the uniqueness and the value that you bring to this world. When you embrace your God given purpose, you unleash your God given potential and turn God’s purpose into your passion. Miles Munroe says that the greater tragedy is not death, but life without purpose. The greater tragedy is not the unfortunate and untimely death, as terrible as that is, of a loved one in an accident. It is the millions upon millions who die every year having squandered their potential and their purpose by doing something else. Life is not simply lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by day, in all the thousands of ways in which men and woman live their lives without purpose. There is nothing more satisfying than to know what you are meant to be doing, and to commit yourself to do that faithfully. Fulfilling your purpose is not so much about what you do as it is about how you do it. You do not need to do great things to fulfill your purpose but do little things in a faithful way. Your gifts and talents were given you by God to help you accomplish your purpose. Beloved, you cannot walk in the richness and righteousness of your purpose while you are tied to the pain and failures of your past. So my dear friends let go your past in fulfilling your God’s given purpose. Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk Pastor Yemisi Onanuga

Possessing Your Possession

Obadiah 1:17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.” Looking at Obadiah’s prophecy through an eye of faith, you realize that this promise wasn’t just for the house of Jacob, but it’s for everyone who loves the Lord and is struggling through this world. The promise God gave to them is good for you and I today. Our way may be dark sometime, our load may be heavy, but there is a promise for the faithful, there will be deliverance, there will be holiness and there will be an inheritance. God’s promise of deliverance is actually an assurance of salvation for the faithful. The Psalmist offers this reassurance to the faithful in Psalm 91, “He that dwells in the secret place of the Most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty….” Not only does God promise deliverance, but He promises us holiness. The promise of holiness is really an assurance to the faithful that God will set us apart for a special purpose; the promise of holiness is really a promise of justification. I can’t be holy on my own, but holiness is available to me through His gracious justification, which is extended to me when I have accepted His salvation in Jesus and I am faithful to Him. God’s promise to the house of Jacob was that they would possess their possession i.e inheritance. An inheritance is simply that which someone has set aside for you to enjoy. And when you think about an inheritance from the Lord, you know that He has set aside some wonderful things for us. He has set aside companionship (Matthew 28:20), He has set aside authority for us (John 15:7). He has set aside protection for us (Isaiah 41:10), He has set aside provision for us (John 4:14), He has set aside power for us (Acts 1:8). But more than anything, the inheritance we should be looking for is what awaits us on the other side. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you will be also.” Beloved, when you know what God has promised, then you’re able to keep your faith in hard times, we can rest in that promise; we can plan for heaven but in order to plan for heaven, we must do something here and now; we must respond to the invitation. Scripture is very clear as to who will have access into heaven, Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Is your name written in the book of life? As you prepare for Easter, remember Jesus’ resurrection has brought us salvation and the fulfillment of the promise; your own action is to accept His invitation; beloved there is no other way or mid-way. Shalom and Happy Easter. Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk Yemisi Onanuga.

Occupy Till I Come

Luke 19:13 “…Occupy Till I Come” You may think of the word occupy in several different ways. If someone told you to occupy their house, that would mean a slightly different thing from what it would mean if some good friend of yours had a large business operation or a large estate somewhere and they turned it over to you and said, “Occupy till I come.” In the case of just a house, about all it would mean for you to occupy till he came again would be just to stay there in his house or to live in his house and take reasonable care of it. But in the case of the large estate or in the case of a large business operation that some special friend turned over to you to operate or to take care of and said, “Occupy till I come,” it would mean a lot more than just sitting there taking care of the business and seeing that no one carried it off. It would mean a lot more than just staying there. Well, that’s what we need to recognize about this business of “occupy till I come,” in the work of the Lord. It means a more than just sit here and be faithful to His Word until He comes. It means, go out and reproduce, go out and grow, go out and do something about it. Jesus has entrusted us with much as His servants. We know salvation and freedom from sin; we know the power of His word to change lives. We know the truth of the Gospel and the eternal hope that if brings. We possess all these valuable things and more yet what are we doing with them? Have we taken the time to invest ourselves in Gods Kingdom? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Are we busy building for the Kingdom on earth or are we like the third servant burying what little we have in the hope that it is enough. We are to be busy with the things of God. We are to build on our numbers as Christians and grow the kingdom. I know it might be a very difficult task these days because many are turning away from the truth of the Gospel. Will you have kept busy winning souls and living for Him or will you grow tired and weary and just hold to the little you have? Press on; keep up the fight for winning souls at home, at work and on vacation building His kingdom on earth until He return to reign over it. We all have our God given place and so where ever we find ourselves, be it as a business man, pastor, teacher, student, homemaker, etc, let us occupy till He comes. Every day, let us make our prime purpose in living to glorify Christ and to witness to others about Jesus. Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk Pastor Yemisi Onanuga

Double Grace

John 1:16-17 “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John said that we have received “grace upon grace” because John understood that it was by God’s grace not only that Christ came to save us but also that His grace keeps us from sins and preserve us to the end of life. God’s grace is unique, when God decided to extend His Grace; He made it free and exceedingly available to everyone. In the entitlement society that we live in, you would think that everyone would want to get in on something wonderful and free wouldn’t you? With Grace, the mindset though of most people says there has to be strings attached to it; everybody knows that there is no free lunch. While some may not realize or understand, God’s Grace sustains us and keeps us. It goes before us, it carries us, His grace is our sufficiency. Once we have it, we can depend on it to be there, it never leaves. God’s Grace never stops working. When we fall, God’s Grace picks us up, when we have lost our joy, Grace can restore us. Whatever we will ever encounter, Grace has already been and is already there waiting on us to arrive at, with the solution and provision for the need, before its ever encountered. Is it any wonder that Gods grace is called Amazing? When God sent His Son from heaven to save us, He also brought with Him a grace that was greater than any grace that God had ever shown before. But that does not mean that God had never before shown mankind any grace. The grace given in Christ was grace on top of grace, and this is the “grace upon grace” that John said we have received from God’s fullness. May God make us all partakers of that grace while it may be found? Beloved, grace doesn’t come through religion, or a beautiful building, or someone else’s relationship with the Lord because if it did, more people would be experiencing it to an overflowing level in their lives. It can only be found, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is in the life changing business. He has a plan and a purpose for your life and wants to give you hope if you can surrender to Him today and let Him release His double grace upon you. Grace of God upon on you my brothers and sisters in Jesus mighty name. Yemisi Onanuga.

The Blood Of Jesus

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Beloved, the life of a creature is in the blood, the word of God declares this in Leviticus 17:11. Blood as we know is essential to human life and the Bible tells us the most powerful cleansing agent in the world is the blood. In fact, God created blood to be a cleansing agent. In your body blood takes oxygen and other supplies to cells and removes waste and impurities from those cells. Blood literally cleans out the filth from your body. There is no other cleansing agent known to man that can purify our bodily system as well as the blood that courses through our veins. So also, there is no other cleansing agent known to man that can rid your soul of its filth and shame than the blood of Jesus. We need to be cleansed from our sins because of our nature. The prophet Isaiah writes that “…there are none that doeth good…” and the apostle writes “there are none righteous, no not one…” and that “…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…” Without Christ’s ongoing cleansing, enduring fellowship would be impossible, for the guilt resulting from sin destroys fellowship. We clean a lot of things regularly. We need to clean our lives through the precious blood of Christ regularly. Sanctification is possible because of the blood of Christ; submit to the Holy Spirit to sanctify you. God’s wrath will be poured upon the unbelievers but the blood of Jesus saves us from the wrath of God. It saves us from the eternal fire of hell. God has graciously granted us several blessings through the blood of our Jesus Christ. I challenge you to put the Word of God into practice by ceasing to live a sinful life and begin to walk in the light of God through the obedience of His word. You are redeemed not to go back to your old, sinful lifestyle but to live a life which brings glory to God. Let’s be grateful for the Lord’s awesome sacrifice. There is wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. If you are still not saved, repent and give your life to Jesus who has paid the highest price any one can pay and the gift is free, all you need to do is to accept it today. You are welcome to the month of September and the blood of Jesus avail for us daily in Jesus mighty name. Shalom. Pastor Yemisi

YEAR OF GLORIOUS STEPS

2 Corinthians 3:18 “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.” Welcome to 2018 and thank God that you made it. Because you made it despite all odds in the past years shows that God is interested in you moving into your glorious destiny. This is a year that each step you take is taking you to a glorious place as long as you allow God to hold your hand and walk with Him. Before man was ever created, God had a plan for him. His plan for you was settled before He brought you forth, and you are entering into the manifestation of your destiny this year in Jesus name. Your ultimate destination has been predetermined by God and no devil can truncate except yourself. Climbing on hills or going through steps to get to a higher level is not an instant thing but a process, it is gradual. It will take time but the good news is that you will get there. God knows what He has planned for you and He will not abandon you because He is taking you to the glorious future He has designed for you. You are the only one that can stop your glory, and the easiest way is through sin. Sin destroys destiny, God desired for King Saul and his generation to accomplish a glorious future but sin and disobedience stopped it, he lost that place of glory, he was unable to take another step of glory, including his children. God wants us to grow from glory to glory beholding Him daily but He cannot do it if there is still sin lying within us. He cannot behold iniquity. Are you tired of struggling to climb the hill of glorious future? It does not matter who you are in the society or in the church, if you are living in sin, you cannot have a glorious future. Are you sure of growing from glory to glory? You need to allow God to hold your hands, enough of ‘I can do it by myself’, allow Him to hold you, have a relationship with Him and walk with Him. He is more than ready to help you, defend you, and make your steps glorious; moving from one step of glory to another. However, if you are confident that your hand is in His hands and you are allowing Him to lead you on the way, congratulations because you are a step to the glorious future He has planned for you. Begin to thank Him in spite of negative things happening around you, you are going to sing songs of victory because He has made you to be victorious. Happy New Year, it shall indeed be a glorious year each step of the way in Jesus mighty name. Shalom, Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk Pastor Yemisi Onanuga.

The Integrity in Man

Job 1:8 “The Lord God said unto Satan, ’Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that fears God, and eschews evil?’” I believe we have all started walking in the grace of God and will never walk out of it in Jesus name. The month of June is the 6th month of the year and number 6 as Bible Scholars put it is the number of man. In Genesis 1:26, God said “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness….” And verse 31 says “…so the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” The number six is symbolic of man in many ways because man was created on the sixth day. For another thing, men are appointed to work for six days and after six days of labour, they are to rest on the seventh day; also the sixth commandment prohibits the murder of man. Just as six is an imperfect without the seventh day, mankind is incomplete or imperfect without God and without the atoning work of Christ on Calvary. This shows that man is not perfect but he can become righteous in God’s eyes because of what Jesus has done on the cross when He became sin for us. Integrity is best defined by some synonyms, such as, ”honesty,” ”faithfulness,” ”sincerity,” and ”innocence.” It means having a mind free of dishonesty and deception. But can we truly find a man as this in the society? Today, integrity is a word that’s losing a lot of its meaning. It means to be sound in moral principles, being upright, honest or sincere but you and I know that without the fear of God and Christ in man’s life it is a difficult aim to achieve. God asked Satan if he had considered the integrity of Job. But how could Satan know of Job’s integrity unless it was demonstrated in Job’s life? God could know because He was omniscient but Satan could only know because of observation so Job’s integrity was a demonstrated integrity. Do those who work with you on a daily basis see your integrity? Does your family see your integrity? Do they see the sound moral principles, the things that happen in your life that prove that you’re a person of integrity? Do people in your church see it? Job teaches us about the demonstration of integrity. He was a man who demonstrably was perfect and upright in all his ways. Integrity is largely a matter of determination. It’s largely a matter of our will. If you want to remain morally pure, if you want to have a pure conscious, if you want clean hands and a pure heart that’s largely up to you. And the best way to acquire this is to be transformed into the image of God in which you and I have been created by accepting you cannot do it all on your own except through the help of the Holy Spirit. Today, accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, believe that He has been made sin for us so we can be made perfect in Him and the Holy Spirit will be your companion leading you in the right path of integrity and righteousness.   Shalom, Yemisi Onanuga.

Contentment

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” Paul wrote these words while in prison waiting for his death sentence to be pronounced and executed. And yet in such dire circumstance he was the most joyful and content guy on the planet. Consider all that Paul went through in his life: he was whipped and beaten several times, stoned and left for dead; he suffered shipwrecks, threatened with death by both the Jews and Romans, and was suffering through an incurable disease. And yet was able to content through it all. Webster defines contentment as the ability to rest satisfied, to be positive and well pleased. It’s freedom from care or discomfort. Our English word comes from the Latin meaning to contain and be satisfied, happy, and filled. Contentment is being satisfied with what we have and that what we have is enough. But when it doesn’t seem to be enough that’s when discontentment sets in. If you’re single and feel lonely, there is nothing wrong with seeking a godly mate, as long as you’re not so consumed with the quest that you lack the sound judgment that comes from waiting patiently on the Lord. If you’re in an unpleasant job, there is nothing wrong with going back to school to train for a better job or from making a change to another job, as long as you do so in submission to the will of God. You must learn how to be comfortable in whatsoever state you’re in. When you do, you will experience a supernatural peace in the midst of the storm by being inwardly sufficient, knowing that He never leaves you or forsakes you. Beloved, I want you to know that contentment for us as Christians does not mean self-sufficiency because our sufficiency is in Christ, neither is it complacency in which we find most Christians these days. As Christians we are supposed to show the glory of God in all sphere of life thus we strive for excellence in all circumstances as we have opportunity. Our contentment is an inner sense of rest or peace that comes from being right with God and knowing that He is in control of all that happens to us. It is having our focus on the Kingdom of God and serving Him not on the love of money and things. Contentment also means not being battered around by difficult circumstances or people, and not being wrongly seduced by prosperity, because our life is centered on a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. So no matter what happens to us or what others do to us, we have the steady assurance that the Lord is for us and He will not forsake us. If you are a Christian, the greatest blessings in life are already yours, heaven is your home and God is your Father. He has promised never to leave you (Hebrews 13:5), and He will supply your every need (Philippians 4:19). So thank Him for all that He has given you and be content. When you have such an attitude, you will learn to appreciate how green the grass is on your side of the fence. It’s a lesson we all need to learn beloved. Shalom, Pastor Yemisi - RCCG Potter's House Edinburgh - http://rccgpottershouseed.org.uk Yemisi Onanuga.