From Nobody to Somebody

By Pastor Chi Emenike- (Luke 8:43-48)

In life many people have found themselves in a critical situation whereby they are now identified and referred by issues they are going through. They have lost their names. Verse 43 of Luke 8, emphasised on a woman having an issue of blood (haemorrhage) for 12 years. This is nobody. No name, no family name, no kindred or lineage and finally, not even town or country. The bible just called her by what she was suffering. Everybody has an issue. One thing is for a person to have an issue and another thing is for the issue to have you. When what you are going through gets to the point that you have lost your name and identity then the issue is having you: And you cannot fulfil destiny. According to Mark’s record in Mark 5:25-34 in vs 26 the bible says ‘‘And had suffered many things of many physicians and had spent all that she had...’’ We could deduce 3 vital information:

1. She has consulted so many doctors. Doctors keep records of their patients. So they ought to know her name, because she consulted many of them.

2. She was wealthy before. But now it has finished in the hands of the doctors. This woman’s case was so sympathetic in the sense that one will ask where is her mother, father, siblings, relations? This woman did not fall from the sky.

3. When her money finished she became an outcast. Nobody wants to relate with her anymore. In Luke 5:18. A man that was sick of palsy whose name got lost had friends at least who brought him to Jesus.

But I have good news for someone who is being called ‘‘a nobody’’ Today in the name of Jesus you are ‘‘a somebody’’. If only you will do exactly what the woman did.

In Mark 5:27-28

1.      She said to herself ‘‘if only I can touch the cloth of Jesus’’. If nobody is encouraging you, go ahead and encourage yourself.

2.      Take the first step towards Jesus today by genuinely giving your life to Jesus.

3.      Don’t be bothered about the crowd. Press through. Some will be saying ‘‘hey you are smelling’’ you know what, they are the ones that will give way. Don’t give up, keep pressing. Doubt is saying that, your case is not possible, just press on.

4.      Touch Jesus. God ahead and touch Jesus today with your prayers by faith.

When You Touch Jesus

*People around you might not be aware, but Jesus will.

*You will not only be healed, but you will be made whole. Total restoration! Everything she lost, money, fame, friends, relations etc will be fully restored.

*Your name will change. Just as Jesus ministered to the life of that woman; from a nobody, she became a daughter of the Kingdom in split of seconds. No matter what they have used to replace your name be it poverty, fruitlessness, joblessness, sickness etc, today in the name of Jesus you are getting your name back.

*Your level will change

Prayer Points

1. Father in the name of Jesus, as I touch you today with my prayers by faith let me have my name back. Let me move from nobody to somebody.

2. Father as many that have rejected me today, as I touch you by faith, let them come back rejoicing with me.

3. Father, everything I have lost by the reason of what I am going through now, as I touch you by faith through prayers let me have total restoration- make me whole.

4.  Every obstacle that will hinder me from fulfilling my destiny, father take them away.

5. Father touch me with your hands today and speak a word into my life 

Chioma Emenike is 2, Praise the Lord.... Abridged Video of Thanksgiving Service at the Church auditorium 4th Dec 2011

Church & the Premise of Discipline

From the Alter


The writer of the Book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that God disciplines His children on the basis of His own fatherly love for them (Hebrews 12:4-13). As the church wrestles with the important questions related to the discipline of its members it must consider the truth that love and discipline are inextricably linked together (Revelation 3:19). God disciplines His children because of His infinite love for them. When a believer is experiencing divine discipline it is because their heavenly Father is treating them as “sons.” It is the evidence of a true relationship with God.


Historically, certain confessions of the church have posited three characteristics which identify a church as a true church. These characteristics include the preaching of pure doctrine, the administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the exercise of church discipline.Unfortunately, the church at large has either given itself over to libertine doctrines or legalism, and in doing so, have either abandoned the third mark by foregoing church discipline altogether or they have gone completely overboard, disciplining their members unnecessarily. Disciplining for the wrong reasons has led one writer to charge, “The church is the only army that shoots its wounded.”


The process and purpose of discipline must necessarily be defined lest the church be torn apart in its dealings with the sins of its people. With the ever increasing problem of lawsuits and litigation it is incumbent upon the church to understand clearly what her role is in this area. Why should we discipline? What offenses should we discipline for? How far should we go in the process?


The Purpose of Discipline
    
Both Jesus (Matthew 18:15-17) and the apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 5:1-13) commanded the discipline of sinning members within the church, because foremost in their minds was the purity of the church of God which is the very bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27). In his writings, the great figure of the protestant reformation, John Calvin, referred to church discipline as the “sinews of the body of Christ,” without which the body would not hold together. In other words, without the chords of discipline holding the churches together, its cohesiveness and its purity could not be ensured. Ironically, the Reformed church of which Calvin was a part has difficulty enforcing this truth because one’s profession of faith is not part of being a member.


Within the church, discipline is designed to restore to the community of believers one who has fallen into heresy, gross immorality, lack of punctuality (late-coming), indecent dressing, disrespect to the Pastors & elders of the church, or a habitual pattern of sin in their life. The word “restore” in the Greek language contains the idea of “mending,” as one would do to a fishing net in order to return it to its functional use (Cf. Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19). Church discipline was never intended to drive a sinning saint away or to execute judgment on fallen saints. Instead, inherent within its purpose, is the idea of restoring such individuals to the body of Christ in a spirit of gentleness, through repentance and forgiveness, thereby mending the relationships that have been torn within the community of believers. The Apostle Paul made this purpose clearly evident when he said to the churches of Galatia,
 “Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).


In this very letter Paul, through divine inspiration, included a list of sins which can be divided into sub-categories (Galatians 5:19-20). A summary may provide clarity in understanding which types of sins require intervention from individuals or the church. These include, but are not limited to, sexual sins (v. 19), false doctrine and worship (20a), sins of anger and related acts (20b), factiousness (20b-21a), and sins related to self-control (21a). These categories are not exhaustive as indicated by the phrase which follows, “and things like these” (21b).


The Process of Discipline


Our Lord left little 'ambiguity' as to the process which He desired the church to follow in restoring a lost sheep to the fold (Matthew 18:12-18). The first step in the process of discipline should involve a private reproof of the offender from an individual (15a). If the offender continues in the sin then the second step should involve a private conference with two or three witnesses (16). This second step mirrors the Old Testament requirement for multiple witnesses for the conviction of a crime (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). At this point the sinning saint should recognize the seriousness of their offense. If, after this step, repentance is not demonstrated by the offender, then the third step requires that a public announcement be made to inform the church (17). The church body is then to purse that individual, attempting to convince them to turn from their sin. The church in this context is best understood to mean the local assembly. Finally, if the offender even refuses to listen to the church, the next step is to treat them as a Gentile and a tax collector, placing them outside the circle of God’s people (17). This fourth step involves removal from the membership roster of the church, and discontinuation of fellowship and communion celebrations. 


Communication with the wayward sheep should only occur in attempts to call the individual to repentance. Ex-communication may seem harsh and severe on the surface however, the ultimate goal of the process is to bring about such a sense of loss in the sinning individual that they are brought to their senses and led to a desire to walk in fellowship again. The church’s leadership must pray earnestly for the wisdom to know how long to wait in between these four steps as there is no defined protocol. Adequate time should be allowed for repentance and change, knowing that the Lord Himself is slow to anger and patient, abounding in loving-kindness (Exodus 34:6; Numbers14:18). If at any point in the process the offender repents the Scripture says, “You have won him,” and the process should be discontinued.


In summary, the premise of church discipline is founded upon the eternal love of God for His children and His desire that they share in His holiness. The purpose for corrective discipline is the restoration of individuals who have strayed from following Christ and have fallen into such sins as those listed in Galatians 5:19-20. The ultimate goal in corrective discipline is always the restoration of the individual who is entangled in sin, both to God and the church, thereby mending the body of Christ. The process of discipline which the church should follow involves the four steps which our Lord Himself outlined in (Matthew 18:12-18).
These are indeed sobering and serious matters and these waters should not be entered into lightly. However, for the purity of the church and the good of the sinning saint, if the situation calls for it, discipline should be administered without reservation.

The role of the church in Nation Building

From The Alter

Very many years ago, when Africa was simply geographical statistics to Europe; when the land was divided and passed from on european Nation to the next as gifts regardless of the diversity of those who lived in that geographical region, the church stood alone as a body that had a singular role of developing and building the region.

Missionaries from different parts of the developed world stormed the then jungles of Africa bringing with them a message of salvation through Jesus Christ and education as an essential tool for development.

In times when the colonial masters and native government of the African people couldn’t be bothered about the responsibility of education, rather, they were encumbered with acts of milking the land dry of its rich resources and making gains by that, selfless missions started schools to educate Africans and teach them how to read and write.

So focused where these missions, that they shouldered funding almost completely, getting no funds from the colonial masters or the native leaders in the building of the school structures or payment of the teachers who actually doubled as missionaries then.

With time, the schools moved from single class schools to multiple class schools. Curricula were drawn up and very soon, africans started competing on almost level grounds with European students all around the world.

Teaching the African man to read was the first step in the direction of his liberation and that responsibility was taken on by the church.

Now, there are schools everywhere in an african country like Nigeria. Government has gotten involved though on a paralytic level in education. The church has shirked its responsibility and is focused on making profit especially now that churches have millions of naira come in by way of offerings, tithes and other giving vehicles or projects from the upwardly mobile professionals and middle class citizens who must attend church because religion is a culture.

The church now is involved in financial blessing seminars and faith conventions featuring night vigils with prayer requests of financial abundance and prosperity at the expense of National development.

Church members have grown a thick skin against the deep poverty that is eating the land and have turned their face away from other members who are in church to come in contact with their “angel” (who will probably provide their next meal). Loads of young lads and ladies have no one to pay for their education and are stuck as a result at secondary school education and forced to go do manual labour. Some are even jobless

Yet, in most churches in the land, the congregation gathers, enjoy worship with scintillating music and dancing, listen to the word, pray and go home while the Nation regresses in illiteracy and bondage. Pastors now live a “larger than life” life especially in an environment where “God gives the power to get wealth”. A large percentage of them can not give proper account of the monies that they spend as they have an unhindered access to the church account and spend at will.

The church is sleeping is why a Nation’s government is killing innocent citizens in the niger delta and not much noise is being made about it. After all, the vice president dines with the leadership of the church associations regularly and they wouldn’t want to corrupt the goodwill that is between them till date. 

Loads of youths have dreams to be successful in the arts (music, graphic arts, dancing etc) and even sports but lack an enabling environment and a platform to launch and the doors of the church are locked from monday during the day to friday during the day with so sort of empowerment going on. 

How long shall this neglect and wickedness continue. If this nation, Nigeria must develop, the church must take it’s rightful place again in taking responsibility for the building of this nation academically, spiritually, financially and even politically.

Our values are flawed because the church is sleeping. LET THE CHURCH ARISE AND LET THE ENEMIES OF NIGERIA BE SCATTERED.

Abridged video of Deacon & Mrs Segun Oladejo's Child Dedication (06-11-2011) The Redeemed Christian Church of God, House of Destiny, Plot 1137, Cadastral Zone, Mabushi, Abuja

Pictures of Deacon Okafor Okeke's Birthday (23-10-2011)

Abridged Video of Deacon Okafor Okeke's Vote of thanks for a Successful Birthday celebration (23-10-2011)