THE CRUCIFIED LIFE - Pastor Abel Oyewale Sunday

Pastor Abel Oyewale Sunday and his wife Margaret in Nigeria

THE CRUCIFIED LIFE

Pastor Abel Oyewale Sunday

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

 Romans 6:1-14

1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

MESSAGE 

From the onset of the early Church, different people have tried to describe the crucified life. My understanding of the crucified life is one that is wholly given over to God in absolute humility and obedience. It is a life of sacrifice that is pleasing to the Lord and has its roots in Christ’s atoning work on the cross of Calvary, focusing on the death of the flesh to worldliness and sin.

Living a crucified life implies being dead to sin and being alive in God in holiness and righteousness. Children of God living this way are transformed in character into the image of God that they possess within them through Christ.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6

 “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” Galatians 5:24

These two passages confirm that the subjection of the flesh to the cross of Jesus Christ is not negotiable for us as Christians. To be born again means to put our old way of life in the flesh to death on the cross, and to thereafter receive a new kind of life which is yielded to God in righteousness, made available through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After you become born again, you need to enforce the power of the crucified life that you possess inside of you continually by not yielding your natural body as an instrument of sin. The crucified life destroys the power of sin over God’s children. Galatians 5:24 says clearly that those who belong to Jesus Christ by being born again have crucified the flesh with its affection and lusts. You need to believe this and walk in its reality.

Moreover, the crucified life is absolutely committed to following the footsteps of Jesus Christ. It wants to love like Him and be more like Him in thoughts, speech, and action. The whole essence of spiritual perfection has everything to do with mirroring the image of Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our faith. We attain this level of grace by daily walking in the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us. He continually ministers the mind of Christ to us on what to do at every point in time. When you consistently follow His guidance, the life of the resurrected Christ will show forth in you and sin will no longer be an issue in your life. 

PRAYER POINT:

Father, I receive the grace to walk in your truth that my flesh has been crucified; help me to daily walk in the life of the resurrected Christ in Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL. Shalom,

PASTOR ABEL

Nigeria

'The Stuff of Movies': A Battered Wife's Journey from Islam to Christian Pastor - CBN News Dale Hurd

'The Stuff of Movies': A Battered Wife's Journey
from Islam to Christian Pastor

01-03-2019

CBN News Dale Hurd

STOCKHOLM – No one would have thought a Muslim woman in Iran who was simply trying to stay alive in an abusive marriage in Iran would one day lead two churches in Sweden, bring more than a thousand former Muslims to Christ, and be invited to speak before the Queen of Sweden.  

Living in Darkness in Muslim Iran

As a young woman in a Muslim culture, Annahita Parsan was powerless and insignificant. Her only hope was that she might one day find a good husband, and she did. But he died suddenly in an accident, and then she found herself trapped in a second marriage so violent, she expected to die.
 
She told us that during her abuse, "I didn't know anything. It was darkness. It was a really bad life."

And although she writes about the abuse in her book, Stranger No More, Parsan doesn't like to talk about it now. 

"It's not that easy speaking about that."

Beaten with a Shovel and a Suicide Attempt

Parsan admits being beaten with a shovel by her then-husband. As a battered wife, with bruises and cuts all over her body, Parsan eventually tried to kill herself with pills, but she survived. 

Her daughter Roksana remembers when her father threatened to slit her throat when she was just a small child.

"We wanted more cookies. Supernormal, and we ran up and we like said, 'More cookies! More cookies!' And he came up with a knife, put it to my throat and he said, 'Ask for cookies again.'"

About her mom, Roksana said, "She was striving to just survive for us, just survive to make a better life for us. And maybe that was something God had implanted in her so that she would have something to hold onto."

Fleeing Iran Only to Land in a Turkish Prison, Then to Faith in Christ

Annahita Parsan's journey to Christ and across two continents is the stuff of Hollywood movies, one that would include several brushes with death.
 
Parsan, her husband and her children fled Iran through the mountains to Turkey in 1984, where she and Roksana faced more danger, before landing in a Turkish prison. They would finally make it to Denmark where she divorced her still-abusive husband, and also heard the gospel for the first time.  Then she moved to Sweden where she and her two children walked into a church and prayed, "We are Christians, from now on."

Her 'Beautiful' Ending: Becoming a Pastor in Sweden

Annahita entered the ministry and has led more than 1,500 Muslims to Christ. She leads two churches and trains other churches how to reach out to and disciple Muslim background believers.  Former Muslims hungry for 'the God who loves' fill her church each Sunday. Parsan believes this was foretold in Jeremiah chapter 49, verse 39: "But in the latter days I will restore the fortunes of Elam, declares the Lord."

"It is about Elam and Elam is Persian," Parsan said, "And when I read that I know that it's about us. It's about all their life and it's amazing. God told Jeremiah at that time, and it's happening just now." 

But Muslim immigration has also made Sweden a home for dangerous radicals, and Parsan told us she has received death threats and lives with the knowledge she could be killed. 

Parsan said Sweden "…is a free country. But it's dangerous, too." She says she sometimes wonders if she will be killed by Islamists in Sweden.

As a young woman living what seemed like a hopeless existence in Iran, Annahita Parsan saw no plan and no purpose in her abusive marriage, only random violence. But God had a plan.

"God loved me and he was in my life from the beginning," Parsan said. "Sometimes [when reflecting on her life] I think, wow, it's beautiful."

Watch interview here: From Islam to Christianity

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Francesca Battistelli - O come, O come, Emmanuel

Francesca Battistelli - O come, O come, Emmanuel

Dec. 23, 2018

Dear LoveMusic! listeners,

May our heart's cry be that the Savior of the World, Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, reveal Himself continually to His Chosen Ones, the Jews of Israel, and those yet to make aliyah (immigrate to the Promised Land).

And thank you, Francesca, for your beautiful gift of music!

Come again, Lord!

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People ministry

Charlotte, NC USA

O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny From depths of Hell thy people save And give them victory o'er the grave Rejoice! [...] O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer Our spirits by thine advent here Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death's dark shadows put to flight.

thenewesthere

Published on Oct 20, 2012

Francesca Battistelli - O come , O come , Emmanuel Christmas songs 2012

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Serve the Lord today. Do it with ALL your heart.

Serve the Lord today. Do it with ALL your heart. 

Who or what else are you living for, that will be worth it in a year, a decade, an eternity?

Will you remember the World Series winner? Will the NFL football games really have been worth all that time sitting in front of the TV? (I am including myself...) Are the movies and the TV shows really worth watching 3-4 hours a day? Where is our time going?

If we are not walking in the purposes and plans that the Living God of Israel has in mind for each of you and I, then what else are we spending all our time on? And your finances? And your very existence?

We have been created to know, love, and receive all that God our Father has for us, with His Son Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) and the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh).

The adventure is with Him. Live your life for the Lord.

In the end, that will be the only one worth living.

Peace and love (shalom and ahava),

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

P.O. Box 414

Pineville, NC 28134

loveforhispeople@gmail.com

www.loveforhispeople.blogspot.com

The Real Reason Jerry Falwell Supported Trump for President—And Why He Doesn't Regret It - STEPHEN STRANG CHARISMA NEWS

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell (Joel Coleman)

The Real Reason Jerry Falwell Supported Trump for President—And Why He Doesn't Regret It

10/24/2018 STEPHEN STRANG  CHARISMA NEWS

This July, Charisma magazine published a cover story about Jerry Falwell, president of Liberty University. Charisma took an in-depth look at how the university is raising up the next generation and training America's young people to be champions for Christ.

If you don't already subscribe to Charisma, click here to get that issue.

Falwell was one of the first evangelical leaders to support Donald Trump for president—and he received flak for it from both liberals and conservatives. In the foreword he wrote for my new book, Trump Aftershock, Falwell explains why he made the choice to support Trump so early on and why he thinks Trump Aftershock is an important book in our day.

I decided to share with you what he wrote, as I believe it will encourage and enlighten those who read it. The following is an excerpt from the foreword of Trump Aftershock:

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For over two years now people have been asking me why I supported Donald Trump as a candidate for president of the United States and why I continue to support him now in his role as the chief executive of our great nation. After all, I was one of the only people from the evangelical camp who endorsed Mr. Trump even before the Iowa caucuses. I determined early on that what ailed the United States would require more than a PR and policy bandage. And if Trump were to get elected, he would need more than bandwagon support.

But to answer the question about my support, much of my motivation came from my background in business. My father came from a family of businesspeople who were not Christians, including my grandfather. But a series of personal tragedies resulted in his early death at the age of 55. My dad was only 15 at the time, and he became a Christian because of those sorrowful events. I think he might have gone into the family business if those things hadn't happened. The point is that though the world knows the Falwell name chiefly in the context of my famous clergyman father, most Falwells have been successful entrepreneurs—businessmen and businesswomen.

Even in the context of a nonprofit organization such as Liberty University, I have seen firsthand what applying business principles can do to save an organization. In the late 1980s and 1990s, when donations dried up, we had to create a business model that would keep Liberty alive. In the end not only did we eliminate the debt; we also prospered enough that we've now fulfilled many of the original visions my father had for this university. But Liberty's success didn't come through hazy or lazy leadership.

So that's why I supported Donald Trump early, because the United States is drowning in $21 trillion of debt. Trump is a businessman. We haven't had many businessmen who have become president. Instead, we get career politicians who are short on transformative thinking and long on political career preservation. Even though Trump hadn't even decided what all his political views were at that time, I knew that a pragmatic businessman with common sense would come down on the right side of issues. Trump wanted to do what was best for the country. And if you start with that desire—to do what's best for the country and for the common man—then you have no choice but to be a conservative. It's that simple.

I'm proud I supported Donald Trump. And since he's entered the White House, I've stayed in close touch with him, talking to him about once a month. It has become a close friendship. I'm so pleased with how he's kept his promises. He's appointed justices to the lower courts and the Supreme Court who I believe will uphold the Constitution. On matters related to religious liberty, the president has been a godsend. And his deregulation strategies have brought about prosperity for businesses and the American worker. He's done all the things he said he was going to do—even with all the attempts to thwart his administration by fake Republicans in the Senate and all the folks on the left who will stop at nothing to overthrow a duly elected president.

Related Articles

• Jerry Falwell Jr. Undergoes Massive, Life-Saving Surgery
• Jerry Falwell Jr.: Here's What the NYT Got Wrong About Liberty University

You see, we needed somebody with resolve and backbone. Republicans and Democrats—the parties had become so much alike that you really couldn't tell the difference. Many of them were—and still are—so scared of their shadow and criticism from the press that they waffle on every issue. They put their finger up and see which way the wind is blowing.

But Trump just marches ahead. He doesn't care how much criticism comes his way. And the people don't care either. The people don't care what the press say anymore because they've lost all credibility. That's what Americans have longed to see in their president—somebody who will stand up for the country, stand up for what's right and not back down in the face of adversity.

Like Stephen Strang does in this book, I compare Trump to Winston Churchill during World War II. Everything looked lost in the face of the onslaught of Hitler's military might. Churchill had to resolve to move ahead anyhow and to never quit. That's what I see in Donald Trump, and I think that's why people support him in spite of all the negatives that get thrown at him.

In this new book by my friend Stephen Strang, you will come to a great understanding of all that has been happening since election night. Strang shows how President Trump has exceeded the expectations of his supporters. And Strang reveals how the left, instead of acknowledging the genuine successes of the Trump administration, are growing in their animus toward the president. Refusing to acknowledge the roaring economy and a renewed sense of optimism and national pride, some on the left (and some on the right) are succumbing to "Trump Derangement Syndrome." And so the rift between the left and the right has grown deep, and our national politics are more polarized than ever.

But Strang's book strikes a chord of hopefulness because he believes (as do I) that these days are some of the most extraordinary times in the life of our nation. You'll enjoy Trump Aftershock. But even more, it will prompt you to pray and work in your own community to "make America great again."

—Jerry Falwell Jr.
President, Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

I hope you enjoyed Falwell's powerful message. I was honored he allowed me to put his name on the book's cover. If you haven't ordered Trump Aftershock yet, just visit trumpaftershock.com or stores like Amazon, Walmart, Barnes&Noble, Books-A-Million or The Christianbook Group. If you order the book before Nov. 6, you'll receive a package of free items, including two e-books and a subscription to Charisma.

Listen to my podcast below to hear more of my thoughts on Falwell's insights!

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Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is coming back through the Golden Gates of Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach) is coming back through the Golden Gates of Jerusalem...

...His soon return will be seen by the world as He promised. For He was crucified, dead, buried, and then rose from the grave. The Son of God, Yeshua, is the Messiah, HaMashiach.

Maranatha Lord Jesus! Come quickly!

(Photos by Steve Martin in Jerusalem Oct. 21, 2018)

 Garden of Gethsemane olive tree. Possibly from 2,000 years ago at time of Jesus.

An olive wood crucifix of Jesus, in the Church of All Nations,

across the Kidron Valley from the Golden (Eastern) Gate.

Mario Lopez Gets Baptized in the Same River as Jesus Christ - WILL MAULE/FAITHWIRE

Actor and TV host Mario Lopez is currently on a tour of Israel, visiting various holy sites and reconnecting with his Christian faith. (Mario Lopez/Twitter)

Mario Lopez Gets Baptized in the Same River as Jesus Christ

3/23/2018 WILL MAULE/FAITHWIRE

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

---

Actor and TV host Mario Lopez is currently on a tour of Israel, visiting various holy sites and reconnecting with his Christian faith. The father of two recently stopped at the Sea of Galilee to explore the very area where Jesus walked on water, the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus is thought to have delivered his famed "Sermon on the Mount."

But perhaps the most significant moment of his trip so far came when the Extra host decided to get baptized at the very location where Christ himself was submerged by John the Baptist, as described in Matthew 3:13-17.

Related Articles

• Francis Chan: What All Believers Need to Know About Baptism in the Holy Spirit
• Israel Vows to Clear 4,000 Landmines From Sacred Site of Jesus' Baptism on the Jordan River

"We are at the Jordan River where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ. I'm about to get baptized," Lopez announced before he took the plunge. "It's a beautiful day. There's a really cool Catholic priest that's gonna do me the honors. And there's a sermon going on right now. So I'm going to join these fine folks and then, bam! It's on!"

Click here to read the rest of this story and see the incredible videos from our content partners at Faithwire.

Today. Tomorrow. For Eternity.

For Salvation.

For Life.

For Miracles.

For Love.

For Provision.

For Health.

For Goodness.

For Him.

We give thanks every day 

to our Saviour

the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yeshua HaMashiach.

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People

Charlotte, North Carolina

USA

He Speaks In Many Ways - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

He Speaks In Many Ways

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Give ear and hear my voice, listen and hear my speech.” (Isaiah 28:23, NKJV) 

The Lord didn’t stop creating after the first seven days of creation. In fact, He likes being creative in how He speaks with us. He chooses to do that in many ways.

Each one of us hears differently. Each one receives from others in ways that may not be the same to the others.

There was a book written several years ago describing how each person receives love by unique methods, unlike what another may prefer. That is because we are all specially created. Each one of us has been put together and gifted with special receptions through our senses. Because of His amazing mind, and His continuing loving thoughts toward us, they come our way as such.

I can say that is how the Lord ministers to us as individuals, in His speaking to us. One of His delights in His relationship with us, as an individual, is through Him using creative ways. And each one of us will hear and respond accordingly.

Ever hear the story of the spider web in the corner of the red barn? (Having been raised in the center of America in the Midwest, in Iowa no less, I did!) When three different people looked at the insect hanging high above in the rafters, one person said immediately, “Kill the spider.” Another grabbed a camera and took different shots from different angles, noting the symmetry and beauty of the spun web. And yet another said to leave it alone, for it was catching bugs that we don’t want around anyway.

Each one perceived and responded differently to what they saw, because each of us have unique qualities about and within us. The Lord, the One who created these in us, has even chosen to share His thoughts to us in ways that we can relate to, based on our makeup.

For me, I like numbers. I guess I always have, even when I would go buy a candy bar as a little kid and base the choice purchase on the weight of the bar, getting more for the money, rather than if I really liked one better than another. I know, I know. But that’s the way I have been created.

Because of this numbers thing, here is a true story that occurred the day I retired from my Accountant’s job (surprised?!) on October 31, 2017. It reveals how the Lord loves to speak to me in a way that I fully comprehend.

As I drove that early Tuesday morning (6:00 am) north on I77 interstate in North Carolina, from my
home in Pineville to my job in center city Charlotte, I knew that my odometer would hit “8888” on the way. That in itself meant something to me. Here the Lord was going to have my car, a Hyundai Elantra, turn the mileage reading over to that specific number on my last day before my retirement. (I turn 63 on Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2017.)

Knowing that the number “8” in the Judeo-Christian Bible represents “new beginnings”, I was so looking forward to this day, this month, this year in my life’s journey. He knows that numbers are a big thing in my life - clocks, spreadsheets, calendars – you get the point. And that is how He was speaking to me.

What made this extra special was the fact that at Exit 8, Remount Road to be exact on the interstate, was the one I came up to when the odometer turned over to “8888.” Now isn’t that something! I can’t make this stuff up!

The fact that my Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, chose to speak to me in this way was even more extra special. With four eights, “8888”, in front of my eyes on the dashboard when the odometer turned over at Exit 8, now there were “5” eights. This said to me that this day marked a new season of my life, and that the five eights represented the extra grace (5 means grace) that would start me off in this new beginning. And not only to begin afreash, but complete, the full purpose and calling on my life.

I give thanks that the Lord speaks to us. I rejoice that each of us can hear, see and feel His presence in the way that we can best relate to Him.

 

The Lord God Almighty, Creator of the Universe, choses to show Himself to us, individually and also collectively (see those signs in the heavens lately???) in ways that we can know for certain that He is living, He is active, and He wants us to know Him personally, being the Father that He is.

Need a word from the Lord? Ask Him even now. And be prepared to receive His unique way of speaking to your heart, your spirit, even your body, in a way that you can know for certain of His love for you. Trust me, He will.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 

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Now Think On This - in the Year of our Lord 11.02.17 - #327 – “He Speaks In Many Ways”

Thursday, 5:30 pm