“Empowerment for Spiritual Conquest” DLCF Seminar 1 TAPPING THE SUPERNATURAL NATURE FROM CALVARY ISAIAH 53:4-10; MARK 15:22-39. Calvary is the place where Jesus was crucified. In Latin, it is called Calvary while in Hebrew, it is called Golgotha. It is also called the Skull (the place of Skull) (Luke 23:33). Jesus, though not found guilty, was crucified. He was crucified for our sake. A close look at the scriptures will show that He came into the world purposely to save us from sin (Matthew 1:21; I John 3:5). He chose to suffer for our sins to enable us have access to the Father and so be delivered from not only our sins but also the consequences of sin. The Old Testament prophets predicted His death at Calvary and at the right time, it was fulfilled (Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10). Jesus was subjected to all kinds of torture at Calvary so that we will have the right of sonship. The guilt-laden sinner who comes to Him in faith can enjoy this privilege. Jesus’ death became necessary because of the privileges taken away from man when he yielded to the devil’s temptation at the Garden of Eden. This supernatural nature can be experienced by all who willingly surrender their will and self to Him now. As you tap into his nature, your empowerment for spiritual conquest will frantically start today. This seminar will be considered in three perspectives, namely: 1. Undeserved Death of Sinless Jesus at Calvary 2. Universal Mercy of the Saviour to all Sinners. 3. Unalloyed Privilege of Redemption and Victorious Christian Living. 1. Undeserved Death of the Sinless Jesus at Calvary Matthew 27:22-25; Luke 23:1-2, 4; Hebrews 7:6; I Peter 2:22-25; Matthew 27:33-54; John 19:19-22. A holy and sinless Jesus was still crucified. Men and women of His days benefited from His good work of preaching the holy gospel, healing the sick and providing for their needs yet they nailed Him to the cross instead. The witness of Pilate, the Roman Governor that tried Him confirmed that He was righteous. “When he was reviled, he reviled not again”. After crucifying Him, they shared his clothes (Matthew 27:35). Let’s read John 19:19-22. He did not deserve to die for any cause, yet the religious leaders of His day moved that He should be crucified. When He died at Calvary, darkness came over the land at midday and the veil of the temple was torn into two (Matthew 27:45). Though a man that “did no sin”, He was crucified in-between two thieves, one of whom also derided Him but in mercy, He saved the penitent right on the Cross. The passers-by mocked at Jesus on the Cross, though He was guiltless. They addressed our Holy Jesus thus: “Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the son of God, come down from the cross.” He bled on the cross though He was not a transgressor. His death on behalf of all will not be vain if only mortals will respond to His call to salvation. 2. Universal Call Of The Saviour To All Lost Sinners Hebrew 9:28a; I Corinthians 15:3; Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 1:8, 11; Acts 4:12; I John 3:5. The scriptures stated that Jesus’ death was aimed at saving us from our sins (I Corinthians 15:3). Since He could not be overcome by the devil to commit sin, there would not have been any reason for Him to die, were it not to bruise the head of the devil (Genesis 3:15). As a result of Jesus’ death, there is a door of salvation open for all sinners. He is now the Mediator between God and men (I Timothy 2:5,6). That Jesus died for our sins is a fact that stands true from the time of His death till eternity. Anyone who disbelieves this fact exposes himself or herself to eternal curse and shame. Jesus is the way that leads to God. He said “I am the way the truth and the life”. No man can save himself from sin except he manifests faith in Christ’s death at Calvary. Salvation from sin is absolutely the work of God, given by grace and received by faith. We cannot atone for our own sins nor appease God by our own personal efforts no matter how righteous we think we may be; our punishment would have been eternal suffering in hell if our sins were not atoned for, forgiven and blotted out by the blood of the Lamb. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb appointed and approved of the Father, made an acceptable atonement for our salvation. Through His vicarious death and resurrection, we can receive the grace to turn from evil and live right. The grace of God brings salvation, and faith is the condition for receiving and enjoying it. Before Paul the Apostle, for instance, came to the saving knowledge of the Lord, he “was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and injurious” (I Timothy 1:12-15). However, he was saved by the grace when he received by faith the atoning sacrifice of the Lord on the cross for his sins. This is not only true of Paul the Apostle but also of everyone (including you) that will call on the name of the Lord today. 3. Unalloyed Privilege of Redemption and Victorious Christian Living John 5:14; Galatians 2:20; Titus 2:11-14; I John 3:7-9; Isaiah 53:3-9. We can tap into the supernatural nature from Calvary today by accepting His work of redemption. The campus community should know that the glorified Jesus that was once crucified is their standard and not any scientist. Redemption brings us forgiveness, cleansing and remission of sins. Thus, we have eternal, abundant and victorious life that can last through eternity if we can hold on to the Lord. We have eternal inheritance that is reserved for us in heaven. We can be sure of redemption right here on earth. At redemption, you are brought back from the slave market of the devil, and everything you did that tied you to the devil is cancelled. All your evil deeds are cleansed away and now you have “forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.” No matter what you have done, the riches of the grace of God are without measure. As you tap the supernatural nature, you will still live in that community that is filled with myriads of sinful populace and not be defiled like righteous Daniel was not defiled in idolatrous Babylon. The death of our Jesus, the Lord of Glory will bring solution to all the effects of sin in your life and you sincerely beckon on Him for unmerited pardon. “Empowerment for Spiritual Conquest” DLCF Seminar 2 PRODUCTIVITY, CREATIVITY AND FRUITFULNESS IN LIFE Genesis 1: 27, 28; Psalm 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1: 4-8 At creation, God gave man all the potentials and resources needed to succeed. With these in built potentials in man God expects his children to make progress in all areas of live be spiritual, academic, career etc. Unfortunately, most people have their potentials locked up or underutilized while they go through life in mediocrity. Success and social recognition do not come by chance. They have to be worked for. You need to have achievable goals and pursue them with diligence. This calls for productivity and creativity which are essential ingredients of fruitfulness in life. 1. Priority Of Productivity Proverbs 6:6-8; 14:23; 12:27; 10:4; Genesis 39:1-4; Daniel 2: 48, 49 Productivity is the key to successful achievement in life. In economics, productivity is defined as the ratio of output to inputs. It is a measure of the efficiency of production. With regards to human endeavours, productivity implies doing or achieving a lot from the input of resources like time, talent, capital, skills etc. It is a measure of how efficient we are in utilizing the God’s given potentials. The basic foundation of productivity and successful achievement is hard work. We must resist laziness with all the strength in us. It takes industry and hard work to excel in any field of endeavours. Joseph was hard working and productive anywhere he found himself. Likewise, Daniel excelled because he was productive in Babylon. The following steps will aid you to improve your productivity. a) Review the past. A critical and sincere analysis and review of the past will aid you in identifying areas of improvement (Luke 15: 17-18). b) Recognize that success is within reach and resolving to make efforts to attain it (Luke 14:28-32; Philippians 4:13; Daniel 1:8). c) Rely completely on God’s strength (Psalm 37: 3-5; Philippians 4:13; 2 Chronicles 20:20). 2. The Power Of Creativity Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 23:7; Colossians 1:10; Philippians 4:8 The universe is ruled by creative God and the world is ruled by creative people. Individuals who have significantly influenced their generations are those who have had vision and the power of creativity. Creative thinking simply means the ability to do original thinking (Proverbs 23:7). It is taking imagination and organizing it through self initiated plans. A creative person gathers ideas from many sources and integrates them until they become a finished product. Creativity can be applied to all aspects of our tasks be it spiritual, academic, research work, career, business, etc. After setting your goals or targets, it is your responsibility to create initiatives to achieve them. To become a creative person: a) Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you what to do (John 14:26). b) Be interested in things God created and what others have done. c) Overcome the natural resistance to change d) Be open to new and unusual ways of doing things e) Be ready to embark on an adventure f) Try to introduce variations to already existing methods 3. Pathway To Fruitfulness Genesis 26:12; Psalm 107:37; 126:5; Ecclesiastes 11:6 God created us to be fruitful in life (Genesis 1:26-27). The fruitful life is a source of deep satisfaction and fulfillment of purpose. However, the fruitful life is made possible by abiding in Christ and Christ abiding in us (John 15:7).The practical tips necessary for fruitfulness includes the following. a) Sow the seeds (Genesis 26:12; Ecclesiastes 11:6) b) Sow in good soil. Avoid rocky ground and soil filled with thorns and thistle (Mathew 13: 7,8). c) Take care of the seeds (Genesis 2:15). d) Be vigilant and watchful because of the enemy (Mathew 13:24,25) To enter into fruitfulness, see the condition of your life now, believe you can do more through God and ask Him to help you (Ephesians 3:20,21). “Empowerment for Spiritual Conquest” DLCF Seminar 3 THE LIFESTYLE OF AN EARNEST AND FAITHFUL BELIEVER II Timothy 2: 1-7; I Peter 2:9; Matthew 5: 13-16 In every area of human endeavour, there is a particular way of living in which we can easily identify them. We recognize farmers, doctors, athletes, and soldiers by their adornments, in the same vein, a true believer can be identified by the adornment of earnestness and faithfulness in their Christian life. Lifestyle is a way of living or the way we conduct ourselves in the affairs of this life, be it secular or spiritual. Believers are call to live a lifestyle of earnestness and faithfulness to God and to Christ immediately after conversion (I Peter 2:9). An earnest and faithful lifestyle, propelled by Christ-like love is the delight of heaven and acceptable to Christ and attracts the smiling face of God. The life we live and the depth of our devotion to God and His course would determine how far we shall go in the Christian race. The lifestyle of a believer should be able to influence the ungodly neighbours and persuade the saints to more godliness. His life should be like the salt that purify all the moral decadence around him and should shine as the light in the world of darkness. 1. Call To An Earnest And Faithful Lifestyle I Peter 2:9 Romans 12: 1-3 The clarion call to every believer in every generation is to live a lifestyle that glorifies God and to faithfully advance His kingdom on earth. We are to “show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into the marvelous light ” The believers are called to live: saintly lives (I Peter 1:15-16), sacrificial lives (2 Corinthians 1 | Page11: 22-30), single-minded lives (Philippians 3:14),Spirit-filled lives (Romans 8:1), selfless lives (2 Corinthians 5:14), separated life (James 4 :4), simple and sincere lives (Daniel 1: 8). The EARNESTNESS of our calling demands: Evidence of genuine Christian experiences, Abhorrence of all that pertains to evil (Romans 12:9), Renouncing every hidden thing of darkness and dishonesty (2 Corinthians 4: 2), not Neglecting the gift of God in his life and to present his members as living sacrifices to God (I Timothy 4:14; Romans 12:1), Evaluations of his/her words, actions, thoughts, characters and habits daily (2 Corinthians 13: 5), Strengthening the weak hands and the feeble knees (Hebrew 13: 1, 3) and always Take heed to himself in the place of prayer (Acts 20: 28). We are also call to be FAITHFUL which also demands that we should Fight a good Fight of Faith (I Timothy 6:12), Abide in Him so that we can Advance His kingdom on earth (John 15:4), Interceding for the lost and fellow believers (Romans 1:9), Testifying to others the saving power of Christ (Acts 20: 31), Hoping in His promises in the face of difficulties (Romans 4:18), Forgiving those that offended us (Matthew 18:21-22), Undo other people’s burdens (Isaiah 58:6-12) and Leaning upon the Lord at all times (Psalm 1:2-3). 2. Conspicuous Marks Of An Earnest And Faithful Lifestyle. I Timothy 3: 1-12 Every believer must bear in mind that he is accountable to God and must do everything possible to live an earnest and faithful lifestyle. Apart from being saved, sanctified and baptized in the Holy Ghost, he must also possess the following spiritual and social qualities to be effective in the service of the Lord. Abhorrent of evil and evil companions (Rom 12: 9); Biblically sound and always Beware of false teachers (I Timothy 4:13, 16); Compassionate, Caring and showing Concern for the lost ( Rom 9: 1-3, Matthew 9: 36-38); Disciplined, Dedicated Discerning and Diligent (I Corinthian 9:36-38); Enduring affliction and source of Encouragement to the persecuted (2 Timothy 2:3;4:5); Faithful and Following after Christ daily (Revelation 14:4); Generous and Gentle in his approach to others but firm against himself (2 Timothy 2: 24); Humble and Holy in conduct without Hypocrisy (James 4: 6-8,10); Inspiring, Illuminating and Idealistic; Just and sound Judgment; Kind-hearted and merciful (Colossian 3: 12,13); Lover of hospitality and Leaning on the provision of the Lord (I Timothy 3 :2; Rom 12: 9); Mild, Moderate and can Motivates others in the ways of the Lord; Neat and tidy in appearance; Observant; Patient in tribulation and Prayerful; Quiet and meek; Righteous and godly; Self-effacing, Self-controlled, Self-disciplined and not Self-serving; Teachable, Temperate and Thoughtful; Unblameable, Upright, and Unspotted from the world; Viable, Vigilant and Visionary; Wise and intelligent; X-ray his actions, thoughts and motives (2 Corinthian 13: 5); Yielded to God and to leadership (James 4: 7); Zealous of good works (Titus 2:14). 3. Commitment To An Earnest And Faithful Lifestyle. 2 Corinthians 6: 4-8; Luke 14: 28; I Peter 2: 21 All who come into contact with the Savior of the world must learn sooner or later that in Christianity, it must be everything or nothing. Our Lord can never be satisfied with only part of our lives. There should be no half-hearted allegiance and no divided loyalty. The price for an earnest and faithful lifestyle is so high that it takes the grace of God and faith in His words for anyone to attain. (i) Consistent and conscientious study of and meditation on God’s words (Deuteronomy 11: 18; Psalms 119: 43-47. (ii) Consistent prayer life (Luke 18: 1; I Samuel 12: 23) (iii) Complete consecration and yieldedness (Hebrew 10:7; Romans 12: 1) (iv) Perseverance in bearing the cross and enduring suffering (v) Commitment to the preaching of the gospel.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 23:56:36 +0000
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