THE CHURCH

HYMN: Now Thank We All Our God

1 Now thank we all our God

with heart and hands and voices,

who wondrous things has done,

in whom his world rejoices;

who from our mothers' arms

has blessed us on our way

with countless gifts of love,

and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God

through all our life be near us,

with ever joyful hearts

and blessed peace to cheer us,

to keep us in his grace,

and guide us when perplexed,

and free us from all ills

of this world in the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God

the Father now be given,

the Son and Spirit blest,

who reign in highest heaven?

the one eternal God,

whom heaven and earth adore;

for thus it was, is now,

and shall be evermore.

Before we go further, let us examine the word “CHURCH” This word was derived from the Greek word “EKKLESIA” meaning “ASSEMBLY” In English language. The early Christians did not see themselves as an ordinary assembly of people. They went into their mother tongue (Hebrew language) to find a suitable word to describe their assembly and found a word “Oahal” which was considered TOGETHER. So, we can actually say that the Church is “The Assembly of the CALLED OUT” However we need to note that the church should not be limited to this meaning. The church is a divine force originated from the Lord’s love for humanity and need of fellowship. It could also be seen as the Body of Christ, a loving and active organism, the Universal Body bought by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the Church is not a building or Place of Worship, the Church is the Assembly of the Called Out. When Jesus said He will build His Church in Mathew 16:18, certainly He did not mean building a “Kuwakon” which means” A House of Worship” but an assembly of the called-out people of God.

The Church was founded through the agency of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room in Jerusalem during the celebration of Pentecost, with about 120 members (Acts 2)

If Called Out, it means we came out of somewhere that is from a multitude and we  became regenerated Spiritually, the Bible records that Old things passed away that is the Adamic nature we were born with is put away and we take on a new nature, the nature of the family we were adopted into;

PRAYERS

·      Let us thank God for the body of Christ, the love of God that made Him to call us out from the Multitude.

·      Thank God for the finished work of Calvary, that gave us membership of the new family and a new name. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son” john 3:16a

The Church of God is meant to be the Light of the world, to dispel every darkness and all the works of darkness “You are the light of the world, A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden” Mathew 4:14

We are sons of God and the world is waiting for us to reveal the Personality of God” For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” Romans 8:19

·      Pray for repentance on behalf of the Church, that we have  not manifested as light, nor revealed His personality through our attitude, utterances, acts etc Lord grant us grace to be who we should be and take our rightful place in our homes, communities, work places and nations, Help us to represent you well Lord.

In order to be what we ought to be, we must become Living Sacrifices “ I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” Help us to bring forth sweet smelling Aroma, because otherwise our lives would not be acceptable.” Now thanks to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place 2 Corinthians 2:14

·      Pray that the Lord will by the help of the Holy Spirit help our lives to be acceptable to the Lord. No more half measures, double standards (different person on Monday to Saturday and a different person on Sunday).

·      Lord visit your Church, declutter Her of every form of little foxes that spoils the vine, baggage that hinder us in our walk with you and work for you, every spiritual glaucoma, that is hindering sight and spiritual wax hindering our hearing divine instruction “Catch us” the foxes that spoil the vines” Songs of Solomon 2:15a.

Bethren we should not be fooled, we should walk circumspectly, knowing that our adversary is looking for whom to devour, he attacks the Church especially the leaders in various ways i.e.  Prayerlessness, lack of Zeal for the great commission, Affliction both physically and Spiritually, temptation in various ways, sexually, falsification of reports, financial misappropriation,  they preach sermons that are not Calvary centred, because they don’t spend time with Him The owner of the Church. “He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot carry out their plans” Job 5:12.

·      Father we stand on behalf of the church we de programme every plan of the adversary to frustrate the labour of God on the Church. His labour shall not be in vain.

·      Lord come for your church come and heal your church of every virus and symptom of decay, revive us ooh Lord and let your kingdom come.