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Henry testing the blog
Hello the wonderful Lape - are you fine and how is Akin.

Henry

Welcome to Chapter & Verse!

Feel free to air and share your thoughts and ideas. Discussions are intended to be inspiring, enlightening, encouraging and fun.

God bless you as you join in.

'Lape

Responses (24) Add Comments

And so the lady was arrested for making racist remarks 'in public'. She was at least bold enough to express her true feelings, albeit wrong. Interesting to note how many will be arrested in the heavenly courts today for words equally as bad, expressed in the mind as opposed to the mouth; shrouded in blatant hypocrisy with actions, inactions and sometimes, even a smile. In the eyes of God, the one who says it and the one who thinks it, are one and the same. For this reason, David, a man after God's heart, one who understood the mind of God; cried in Psalm 19:14: 'may my words and my thoughts be acceptable to You, my Refuge and my Redeemer'........worth bearing in in 'mind' in our dealings with fellow men.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 30 November 2011

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Ah! All the euphoria over the royal wedding....can't deny being caught up in it myself. We held a Bible study house group meeting the day before and I remember quite vividly, the intensity of our prayers when we touched on the wedding. Alas! My joy knew no bounds as I heard the 'Word' standing undiluted and tall at the Westminster abbey on the day. The two Bishops at different occasions declaring to the world: 'Jesus, the Saviour of all'. They declared God's original intention for marriage, they declared how all men will give account on the day of judgment. Indeed, many were fascinated with different things on the day, as for moi, I didnt miss the obvious. What was the obvious? God spoke to the world through that ceremony. It's not about our will, it's about 'His'.....our flesh will always lead us astray (Romans1:28-32). Our will has thus far led us to the perversion we see today, the divorce rate we see today, the suicide rate, the moral decadence et al. Also interesting to note how the weather experts got it wrong on the day. What was the obvious here too? - that God reigns supreme over all; even over the weather. He is the 'Creator', we are His creation. He does as He pleases and we can never know more than Him, we shouldn't dare to - He'll put us in our places (Exodus7:10-12, 2 Kings 7:6 -7). He is God all by Himself and no one can ever share that position with Him (Acts 12: 21 -23). He created us and gave us His manual: the Bible. Make time for the Manufacturer's manual, read it, study it; and it will bring you into His best for your life (Psalm 1: 1-6). I wish I could say to William and Kate that it's all hunky dory from now. I'd be delusional. It's not the wedding that counts but the marriage and marriage is hard work. I'm a 'bit' of a veteran and must be permitted to say a word or two :-). The challenges will surely come but when under the guidance of the Author of marriage between 'man and woman' (Genesis 1:21-25), you will overcome. Most instructive - we must love with the intention of bringing the best out of each other. I pray that God will bring William and Kate to a place of total surrender to Him, that God will make this marriage reflective of the love between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-33)..... a love that is not fickle but sacrificial, determinate and stands the test of time.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 07 May 2011

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Oh nan! undoubtedly, a woman to be celebrated! Speaking to her yesterday, she went on about how she had to make one thing or the other up to the children.....always thinking of others. A wonderful and delightful English woman.....unpretentious, true and sacrificial.....reminiscent of the spirit in the missionaries who left the shores of this land to seek for souls. Nan reinforces the fact that a remnant remains of those who care about the things of God in this land. A woman who doesn't see colour but regards all as children of the most high God. A woman who refers to the children she fostered many years ago, many of whom are of African descent including my husband; as 'her children'. I remember driving her down to the school to pick the children up on one occasion, seeing the excitement in her as she trod along with her walking stick, couldn't wait to see her 'grandchildren'. A woman who despite having her own biological children still seeks the welfare of the children she fostered many years ago. A woman who still sends £10 to my husband on every birthday...my husband is now in his forties and she won't hear of it when you tell her not to. Nan has been a bit poorly of late, had to deal with cancer, undergone a few operations but still in high spirits, ever grateful to God. She's recuperating and it's amazing how she's pulling through. Then again, she does serve an amazing God and we keep praying to Him. Celebrating nan comes naturally and easily for this is so well deserving. Seeing nan with tears of joy in her eyes as we gave her something that will in no small measure assist in her present state of health brought immense pleasure to us. We thank God for a woman who is an epitome of sincere and sacrificial love; a woman who is truly enlightened, and a woman who knows what truly matters in life. A woman I pray will have the heavenly host welcome her some day (not just yet) as the Lord says, 'well done my good and faithful servant, you lived your life for others, now come into my rest'.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 14 April 2011

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I was addressing a few envelopes at the shopping centre when an elderly woman walked over with a smile. I returned the smile. 'It's quite cold today' she said, sitting beside me. 'It sure is' I replied, 'but we can't complain, some are having to deal with earthquakes as we speak'. Have you noticed how the English just love to talk about the weather...God bless em. I digress. I can't really remember the sequential order of our conversation but by the time she was through, I knew she had recently done a urine test and was given the all clear, that she dyes her hair herself, that she lives alone, that she loves her make-up and that she turns 70 this year. 'You don't look it' I said 'God sure has been good to you'. 'Thank you' she smiles unsurely. I think the 'God factor' unsettled her a bit. I chuckled within, you've not heard the half of it. As I embarked on a journey of bringing the conversation back to what really matters, I asked,'do you have a bible?' 'no' she said, giving me a bit of a queer look. 'Then I must get you one' I responded. 'When next are you here?' 'Oh don't bother!' she said off handedly, 'I won't have time to read it anyway'. She begins to hum. 'When you love someone or something, you always make time, don't you Pat? you must come to the place of loving the Saviour who gave His all for you....' I ignore the humming.....(the reproach of the gospel was setting in. Christ suffered much worse I thought, Hebrews 13 vs 13). 'Tell me something you love doing'? I asked. This brought a smile, she probably thought I had taken the hint to change the subject. 'I love shopping ' she answered. Show me one woman who doesn't I thought, even moi. Having said that, shopping should always be balanced against one's resources (not credit cards!) and one's priorities/needs. I digress again. I continue to gently persuade my new found friend to acknowledge and reverence a God who loves her dearly. As we parted ways, she had assumed a much more sombre look as a few friends joined her. 'Take care', she said to me. I looked into her eyes and said 'God is with me Pat, God be with you'. I prayed for Pat this morning asking God to work on the seed planted in her heart and to ultimately bring her to a place of surrender. Will you join me in remembering Pat in your prayers and also reaching out to the many Pats within your sphere of influence.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 01 April 2011

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Political correctness gone awry! Watching Sky News on the 14th of March, 2011 invoked mixed emotions in me. Immense thoughts and prayers for the victims of the tsunami and secondly; one of excitement as the reporter ended his account of events by saying things should get better 'God willing'. ....rewind, 'God willing?' Indeed, my ears have not deceived me, precise words! Alleluia!!! Amos chapters 4 &5 show that the ultimate purpose behind every disaster God allows is to bring men to their Maker in repentance. The perversion of Israel then, is no different from what we see today, if not worse.'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown' they say, how I wish I could have David Cameron sit and ponder on these words....how I wish! God is a just God and because He is just, He must react to iniquity and perversion. The gospel may be an offence to many but it's 'the Truth' and the Truth cannot be suppressed! Somewhere in the recesses of our minds, we know there is a God: a force beyond our greatest imaginations. Little wonder when the chips are down, when kingdoms are humbled, when the foolish things of this world confound the wise, God is then acknowledged as sovereign Lord. AW Pink says "He is not only Priest to be trusted, but is also Prophet to be heeded, and King to be subject unto. Before He can be truly ‘received,’ the heart must be emptied of all those idols which stand in competition with Him. It is not the adulation of our lips, but the affection of our souls, which He requires; it is not an intellectual assent, but the heart’s surrender to Him which saves." This is the begininng of things to come, the bible cannot be faulted. More than ever before, as a believer, it's a time to give due diligence to make our calling and election sure; and a time to seek the lost in earnest.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 18 March 2011

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The kids are back from school and it's after school prayer time. We hold hands as we form a circle, taking turns to pray. My son begins by thanking God for a good day at school and a safe journey back home. He prays that God will bless his siblings and that they'll grow up 'to do the word of God'- his exact words. He prays that mum's second cd will be 'absolutely good without any mistakes' - his exact words. He prays that daddy will be so rich that he'll be giving thousands of pounds to the poor - his exact words . We chorused an 'amen' as he concluded. Looking at him quizzically, I said, 'you prayed for everyone but yourself'. 'I'm fine mum' he responds; 'fine? we all need prayers darling, please pray for yourself. 'Thank you Lord for all that you've done for me' was all he said. I later mused over that little scenario and quite instructive it was. 1) A prayer that focuses more on the needs of others than self 2) A prayer that excludes endless requests on self but thanksgiving for what He's done already. I wonder if such prayers do not actually receive prompter attention due to it's inherent selfless nature. I wonder if this is not an encapsulation of the commandment to love God above all and to love our neighbours as ourselves - Matthew 22:37-40. I wonder if indeed such prayers do not actually reflect a heart of gold.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 02 March 2011

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Thank you so much for your very wise counsel Femi. I note with keen interest the words; 'compromise' and 'contentment'. As a worship leader, I tend to ponder on the lyrics of most of the songs I sing and have a bias for songs with a message and much depth. 'Everything' by Tim Hughes, which incidentally is our song of the month is one of such songs. Christians have been called to a life of setting uncompromising standards with regards to sin and a life of total submission to God; Ephesians 5:1-21. A while back, my husband introduced me to the life of a wonderful man of God called Jim Elliot. Jim Elliot was one of five missionaries who went to the natives of Ecuador with the gospel. On the first visit, they presented the natives with gifts, to indicate their peaceful intentions. On the second visit, Jim Elliot and the four other missionaries were matcheted and killed by the natives and their bodies thrown into the waters. To the amazement of many, the wives of these missionaries went back to the same natives and continued from where their husbands had stopped; preaching the gospel!.....Oh! how we need that kind of passion and drive today.... Christ in me the hope of glory, be my everything (90% of these people are Christians today). On a seperate note, the 26th of December, 2010 saw me meeting with Mrs. Ladele, the mother of Ms. Lilian Ladele, the registrar who refused to join two men in marriage. The same way I'm sure she would have reacted if she had been instructed to commit some fraudulent act in the office. Ms Lilian chose the applause of heaven over the applause of men Romans 1:21-27. Today, she stands persecuted for choosing to go the way of the Lord and she's out of job. But like Joseph, Ms Lilian, because you dared to do the will of God despite the overwhelming odds, you will be vindicated, James1:12, 1Peter 3:13. Truth is always in the minority in this world and when your faith is tried and you suffer for what you know is 'truth' then you can truly sing 'Christ in me, the hope of glory, He's my everything'. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ never made earthly gains, approval or possessions a central pursuit, never! Everything of this world is temporal, this, being the reason Jesus admonishes us to set our hearts on things above. The new age doctrine of prosperity and enjoying this world at the expense of our souls is definitely a counterfeit Christianity. We must always seek the Face of God not His Hands, never the other way round, otherwise, our motives become tainted. Even in these challenging times, He will meet us at the point of our needs ('needs' not 'wants') as long as we tow the party line of godliness above gainfulness, 1 John 2: 15-17. I wish everyone a 'Jesus my everything' year. Let's stand for the truth at all times, be content with whatever we have, remembering that authentic Christianity seeks to please God alone and not men.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 05 January 2011

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Hi Friends 2010 is almost over and to God be the glory. Our dear government has declared a challenging year ahead. While I do not deny this yet I know that the Almighty God will manifest His glory with the very elect. Let us continue to pray for UK that the hearts of men will turn to God. Brethren, do not give up or compromise in 2011 becasue of what you will eat or drink. Jesus has already provided for our needs. Be content with what you have and give God all the due praise. Love Femi

Posted By: Femi on the 30 December 2010

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'Sepp Blatter says the English are bad losers'....hmmm, made very interesting reading. A more glaring point to me however, not based exclusively on this football palaver; but on trends observed over the years is undoubtedly a 'positional shift' in authority and power. In Judges chapter 13, Samson's hair was cut off by Delilah after so much ado on discovering the source of his strength. Not realising that his strength had been totally sapped as a result of his carelessness, compromises and foolishness, Samson thought, 'I shall arise and fight like always'. Business as usual Samson thought but alas! his anointing had gone while he was 'busy sleeping' - slumbering in the arms of a strange woman, slumbering in the temple of a strange god. No wonder he was humbled, disgraced and ridiculed. Eventually, like the prodigal son who came to himself, he sought for GOD'S SAVING GRACE in REPENTANCE. Only then did he regain his positional authority and power, albeit, for a very brief moment. Going back to the Fifa bid, my husband was so certain that Russia was winning the bid. I, on the other hand, had my sympathy hat on, having listened to 'the future king of England' as aptly described by Mr. Cameron. What is the conclusion of the matter for me then? May England come to a place of seeking the face of God in repentance, may England come to a place of embracing the ways of God in repentance, may the remnant that know the Lord in this land teach their children His ways, may 'the Most High God' take centre stage in the affairs of this land...that's the cry of my heart.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 14 December 2010

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'He that is without sin amongst you, let him cast the first stone' says Jesus in John 8:7. A most profound statement to the judgmental folks of the day. What does this tell me: that I must cultivate a less critical approach to people and activate a more biblical approach. This is a season to focus on the snow and not the stain, focus on the 'potentials' in a person....Isaiah 1:18. So remember, don't throw the stones, throw some soft snow...and if it's gonna be snow balls, do remove the rocks. In all, speak the TRUTH, show the TRUTH in LOVE.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 06 December 2010

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'Self' can be a highly exalted god in our lives as opposed to the 'true and living God'. Today, many give excuses for honouring self above God but you know what? the truth is the truth, it will not lie...for God requires truth in the inward part and He says worship me in 'Spirit and in TRUTH'. I sometimes tremble at the thought that many of us have created a 'god of convenience' whom we worship thinking we are serving the 'Most High'. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, it's not all who call me Lord, Lord who will enter into my kingdom but those who 'Do' what MY FATHER IN HEAVEN WANTS THEM TO DO. Obviously these were so called Christians who talked the talk but didn't walk the talk. These days everything convenient is applauded, no one wants to suffer, endure or persevere, it's all about 'ME' getting what 'I' want now and everything centred on me, myself and I. True Christianity is not about 'self', as a matter of fact, its a walk of self denial. Self denial in love and in discipline. That word, 'discipline'....no one wants to hear that either, forgetting that discipline embedded in love is of God. I remember receiving a letter from one of my kids; 'Dear Mum, I am really so sorry for taking crisps without asking, am I still punished and do you still love me?'xxxxxxxxx This was my reply: 'My darling...., I love you so much and will always love you. It's because I love you that I must punish you and I MUST punish you whenever you do wrong because this is a Christian home and I want you to be a wonderful person. You are still punished darling. Love you lots Mum.' xxx

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 16 November 2010

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When a church or people begin to compromise on the truth in God's Word, it begins to build an altar to a strange god.... with time, a man made god is erected and being worshipped; as opposed to the true and living God. My greatest concern today is that I do not fall into this delusion. Therefore I watch and pray!

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 15 November 2010

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I just must share this very quickly. It's study time and I'm calling my son down. 'Mum I'm reading my Bible, I want to hear from God' he kept saying. 'There's time for everything darling and it's study time now, you can read your Bible later' I said. He finally comes down looking quite distraught; 'Mum I thought you loved the Bible and said nothing was more important than the word of God'? Now, how do I respond to that.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 21 September 2010

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Missed you blog!! nice to be back. Boy do I have a lot to share. A sneak preview: I managed to fight back the tears as we landed at the Lagos airport.........will get back to you when I'm through with unpacking, missed you!

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 12 August 2010

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*My prayer for you this morning is that you'll be a doer of the Word. *My prayer for you this morning is that you'll embrace the grace of God which gives the strength to be an overcomer. *My prayer for you this morning is that your eyes will be opened to see the sting behind the temptation and finally* my prayer for you this morning is that you'll find the place of worshipping your Creator in spirit and in truth. Love you all!

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 11 April 2010

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Easter service was great! different but beautiful. It was a great privilege and honour being invited to lead worship at the Grove Green Christian Fellowship in Maidstone, Kent. Four things which are note worthy struck me about this assembly: (i) A very balanced mix of African and British descents, (ii) no dedicated time for taking offering, simply advised to drop this in basket as you leave the church (iii) Pastor in charge (PIC) sat with congregation in the course of service (to be precise, he sat on the stairway in the hall) (iv) Apart from my voice which for obvious reasons had to be loud during worship, PIC's expression of worship was the most vibrant as he played the keys. Hmmm, learnt a thing or two from all these, there was indeed a 'real factor' about this assembly, akin to what I could see Jesus doing if he were here with us physically. PIC later preached a sermon leaving us with this question: 'how do you respond to the love of Christ?'. He gave an illustration of a man saying 'I love you' and the least expected response being 'I kind of like you too'. He based his sermon on Romans 5 vs 8, how God loved us while we were yet sinners. I later re-echoed the same message at the Hackbridge concert in the evening: The best way to say we are grateful for all He's done on the cross is by the way we live our lives. It's more than words, more than the lifting of hands, more than the dancing and shouting, it's definitely by the fruits we bear. At this easter season, may the power of the risen Lord enable us to live lives which constantly attest to being grateful for all He's done.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 05 April 2010

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Thank you Mike, this is deep but I'm sure Aunty Vivian wasn't saying we should condone sin at the expense of being united. Her contribution was tailored more in the general light of embracing one another as a family of God and allowing the love of God to rule our lives and ways. In otherwords, when we correct and discipline like you said, it's still the love of God that should motivate us to do this. You've made some sound scriptural points here, more of this please. The video link is just something else, love it!! If you are reading this, please watch it, it's definitely a must watch. May the Lord help us as believers to embrace the truth in its entirety, for therein lies the true power of God. This is real preaching, not fine words. God help me!

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 26 March 2010

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I'm taking you up on one point Vivian. I will not undermine your very sound point on unity because it is scriptural. However, are you sure once a person confesses Jesus as Lord and Saviour, he becomes a believer. A person believes, repents, confesses and forsakes his sins then he becomes a child of God. It's really by your fruits that we know whether you are a Christian or not (Romans7:4-6). There are loads of people who claim to be born again and 'they are not born anything'. The bible says by their fruits you will know them and not just by their confessions. Yes, I agree, confession is one of the starting points but the fruits confirm the confession. In otherwords, the fruits you consistently manifest tells me whether you are truly born again. In terms of semantics, I know you are either a believer or an unbeliever but in actual fact, as Olufemi alluded to, these are people who consistently work in disobedience (by choice) not 'immature believers'. They are well grounded in the Word, yet, they choose to deviate from the Word. Yes, we must live in peace with believers (as a matter of fact, with everyone Romans 12:18) but may I say that we must allow the Holy Spirit to help us sift out those who are indeed 'true believers and untrue believers'. Admittedly, we have babes in our midst but we also have 'wolves' in our midst. If we are to just accept everyone and anyone in the church, why were we told to cast out a brother who consistently chooses to live in disobedience. A brother cannot call himself a believer and be commiting acts of fornication all over the place. Much as we are to pray for this one to come back to 'the Way', we are NOT to accept the person as a brother. The bible clearly teaches what should be done here - 1 Corinthians 5:1-13...Paul is saying here that this person 'calls' himself a brother but is he really a brother because his 'fruits' do not testify to this, consequently, what should we do? vs5 ' ...deliver such a one to satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus' note, 'that his spirit may be saved', so was he really saved, No! but did he confess that he was saved, Yes! because, Paul says, he called himself a brother. A born again Christian, a regenerated soul abhors sin, though he is not perfect, this one will always run to God for mercy and strive to live above any sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. A person who calls himself a brother/sister, living an unchecked life, choosing to live as he/she pleases, though in the church, even though that person claims to have confessed Jesus as Lord and Saviour, I'm afraid is no Christian. We must deal with sin 'in love' for the ultimate redemption of the person through discipline. Even our heavenly Father disciplines us or chastises us as the bible says in Hebrews 12:5-11. We must reject sin as Jesus did, and not on the basis of love and unity allow apostasy in the church of the living God. This is one of the ways, we would bring power back into the church. Yes, love covereth a multitude of sins but lets read that in context, we must forbear, forgive each other when we offend ourselves. Ephesians 5 sums it up by telling us what we must and must not see in the life of a believer. Please note that he starts by saying we must walk in love and unity as believers but in vs 6 he starts:' let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye partakers with them....and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them' -remember he was talking to the CHURCH here. Yes, we must walk in love and unity, encourage one another, build each other up, help others grow, bear each others burden etc, but by no means are we admonished to accept so called brothers/sisters who live in sin and have deviated from the truth at the expense of being united. In my quest for true exposition on who a true believer is I discovered this video link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cncEhCvrVgQ). I implore you to watch it from beginning to end, you will thank God that you came across it. Shalom! Mike

Posted By: on the 23 March 2010

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I don't think there is anything like 'true' or 'untrue' believers, you are either a believer or an unbeliever. However, there are levels of maturity amongst believers which is directly linked to our attitude towards one another and the type of fruits we bring forth. Once anyone has confessed Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, that person(s) has earned the right to be called 'children of God' John 1:12 however says the child of God goes through developmental stages just like any new born baby. While going through these stages a newly born again Christian might exhibit carnal/fleshly behaviour, 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Heb. 5:12. This does not mean we have to condemn these people, but to correct them in love. Heb.5:14 says 'But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil'. Those who are of full age in Christ need to help others as it is written in Eph.4:11-16. Jesus gave gifts to the body to edify ... till we all come to the unity of faith... knowledge... measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;..no longer be children... by which every part does its share. If you are mature in Christ you have a part to play in making sure that those who are still babes come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We are one body, though many members and every member has a part to play in the growth of the body. Are you playing your part? To answer your latter questions Ojuolape, I will just refer to 1 Cor.12:25, which says 'there should be no schism in the body' rather we should imbibe Paul's admonition to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:2-6. God bless you all. Vivian

Posted By: on the 23 March 2010

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Hi Ojuolape, To start the ball rolling on 'untrue believers', let us see what was happening in the church of Corinth. From 1st Corinthians chapter 4 to chapter 9, Paul was rebuking the church on diverse issues. These were believers that knew the truth but did not walk in it. I will like to have more opinion on this from other Saints. Stay focused.

Posted By: Olufemi on the 18 March 2010

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Thank you very much Olufemi for your comments. You've mentioned something really interesting here. '........to be in unity with true believers', are there 'untrue believers?'. Are there any categories of people in the church that we should not be in unity with? Are we commended to do this?

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 11 March 2010

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As ambassadors of Christ we must do everything through the grace of God to be in unity with true believers. Psalm 133:1 says it is good and pleasant for brethern to dwell in unity. Who are you in unity with? Do not forget that as a Christian we can not afford to be in unity with unbelievers - 2Corinthians6:14. God delights in our unity especially when it glorifies Him. Compare this to the story of the tower of babel where the people wanted to be in unity by having one language. However, it was not to glorify God. Unity can not portray pride, selfishness, unforgivesness or any work of unrighteousness. It is all about Jesus!! Afterall, Jesus is coming for His church - united in purpose and faith. Unity must start from our homes, between husband and wife, parents and children before it can be seen in the church. Shalom

Posted By: Olufemi on the 11 March 2010

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The issue of unity cannot be over emphasised because God is the author of unity and He admonishes us to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace just as He, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one - Ephesians 4:3-6. We also see from scripture that God moves mightily in an atmosphere of true peace and unity, He dwells therein, He thrives therein Acts 2:1-47. One of the benefits of the cross is that Christ became our peace; Ephesians 5:14, consequently, His peace has to reign in our lives at all times Colossians 3:15. Jesus specialises in the ministry of reconciliation and it behoves us to do the same. Firstly, We must go to a lost world and present to them their Saviour; secondly, we must attend to issues arising amongst us as believers with the sole aim of attaining peace ('If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men'- Romans12:18). The bible goes as far as saying even when we are wronged/defrauded, we must take adequate steps to ensure that peace prevails. In other words, even when I'm in the right, I must still maintain a position of humility and meekness Galatians 6:1-2, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The bible clearly highlights steps to take when aggrieved and having exhausted these steps, we need to rest our case with GOD. Offences will come but I guess the way we handle them is indicative of the measure of self and the Spirit in us. We must let God be true and every man a liar at all times; when it is convenient and when it is not, even at the expense of appearing foolish. James 5:8-9 sums it up; 'Be ye also patient, stablish your hearts:for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Grudge not one another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold the judge standeth before the door'. May the strength of God help us to 'walk the walk'.

Posted By: on the 11 March 2010

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Psalm 133, an interesting Scripture, also one we are running with in church this year. What is the correlation between unity and the blessing? any scriptural references for this. Can there be unity where there are failings and misgivings among brethren, what is God's position on this?

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 22 February 2010

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New CD Launch - I'm Grateful

Thank you Lord!! Ladies and gentlemen in sincere humility and with much gratitude to God, I present to you my first CD project, launched on the 7th of February, 2010 at the All Nations Centre, Kennington London. A glorious occasion it was and I was totally overwhelmed by the love and support, pictures to follow shortly.

This CD is an expression of the gift God has deposited in my life and an encapsulation of my response to His grace and goodness towards me. I pray it blesses you as you listen.

Please drop me your comments and feedback.

'Lape

Responses (7) Add Comments

Hello Lape - I love the CD I'm Grateful. So inspiring - Henry

Posted By: Henry on the 26 September 2011

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Awesome CD - "I'm Grateful" by Ojuolape. I ran across her music by divine appointment while searching for a song to sing with the lyrics The Father's Heart, and I found this beautiful diamond called "Father's Heart" by Ojuolape. I played it over and over because the beat and the style were exactly what I was looking for. And in addition to finding her wonderful music, I also found a wonderful friend in the Lord! As her testimonies and photos reveal, Ojuolape is a special daughter of the King, devoted wife and mother, and blessing to the body of Christ. I love her music and the anointed voice she brings to this CD. Mo Gbe O Ga/I Exalt You brings unity to the distance and the diversity of the Church.

Posted By: Linda on the 23 September 2011

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Congratulations Once again, I quite agree that the CD is an expression of the gift God has deposited in your life. God's gift is always a blessing and this CD has been of tremendous blessing to me, especially 'Father's Heart'. It has really blessed me and it helps me to come into His presence most mornings. I sincerely want my heart to connect to His and for the blood of the Lamb to draw me near, keep me close to the Father's heart. May God bless and continue to inspire you to bring forth more Spirit filled praise and worship songs to help the body of Christ connect to the Head in Jesus name (Amen). Vivian

Posted By: Vivian on the 23 March 2010

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A truly anointed CD. The songs are actually sung from the heart as inspired by the holy spirit. The lyrics are powerful. Well done for a first project and God bless you for taking such a bold step!

Posted By: Helen on the 15 March 2010

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Well done and congratulations my sister. I have waited not in vain for the release of your album. Your songs have inspired me to continue to give thanks to God in everything.

Posted By: Olufemi on the 11 March 2010

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Congratulations, I thank God for giving the body of Christ a wonderful gift called Ojuaolape. I am so proud of you and what God is doing through you. You are a blessing to the world.

Posted By: Caleb on the 09 February 2010

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Congratulations!!!

Posted By: Akin on the 25 January 2010

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The Worship Experience

Worship, what is true worship? We express worship with the totallity of our being. It is more than just the lifting of our hands and voices. We are admonished to present our bodies as a living sacrifice as our reasonable worship to God. The aroma of our lives must rise as a sweet smelling fragrance to God's nostrils.

Please feel free to share your worship experience and what it means to you.

Responses (8) Add Comments

I've probably known this song all my life but here I am just loving it more and more as revelation deepens. I mull on the words and I'm drawn into worship again and again. Needless to say that I couldn't resist the urge to know a bit about the writer of this wonderful song. Reginald Heber (1783 - 1826) attended Brasenose College, Oxford and later became Rector at Hodnet, Shropshire, England. He died serving as Bishop of Calcutta in India. Most of his songs were published after his death. But indeed, he lives on through his songs and most importantly, to have died in Christ; he lives for eternity. Reginald Herb has so blessed the world with a song that pictures heaven as true worship is given to a holy God, a song that pictures the depravity of man and the great mercy of a sovereign God, a song that pictures the glory and majesty of an awesome God; a song that pictures man recognising the sole purpose for which he lives - to worship God. This is a song for all eternity - 'Holy, holy holy Lord God Almighty'.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 01 March 2011

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The early morning rush begins....this is way after our devotional time and great timing for my sweetheart to begin a sermon on 'the rest of God'. He was so determined to have me hear this word that even as he hurriedly got dressed for work; and I went about my bits n bobs trying to get the kids ready for school, he kept at it. No interruptions from the kids could deter this man....THIS MUST BE HEARD!! (love you so much darling). Putting things into perspective, yesterday saw me struggling a bit with joggling things around. A few unprecedented issues arose regarding a deliverable and he probably heard me snap one or two times at the kids (love them dearly but some days are quite challenging especially when they are bent on talking (shouting) at the same time). Anyway, back to this morning, as the day progressed, my mind kept going back to my hubby's 'short and spicy' message. Indeed, when Moses stood calmly before the red sea whilst he had a troop of enemies trotting towards him; he definitely must have known the rest of God (Exodus 14 vs 13-14). Also, Daniel and David readily come to mind, these guys remained undaunted in the face of highly intimidating obstacles and challenges. Hmmmm, I guess when it's all said and done, for those who worship this God, there's always a place of rest in Him, a place of quiet confidence, a place where the words 'be still and know that I am God' resonates in our spirit man. May I say to you, have a restful day in God...(Babes, I got the message!).

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 18 March 2010

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One of my favourite worship artist is Don Moen, love his songs to bits, no frills about him, very sound scripturally founded lyrics, a worshipper in songs and in deed. Listening to one of his songs this morning,('Hiding place'); I broke out into fervent worship, loving God and just appreciating Him for who He is. God holds the pillars of the earth in place - 1 Samuel 2 v 8, that's enough for me, who else can I run to? Peter says, where else can we go Lord, you've got the words of eternal life - John 6 v 68. God is our shield, refuge, strength, provider, help, wisdom, miracle worker, chastiser (yea and He does it for our good), comfort and much more. Acknowledging this and walking in the light of this truth is worship. Anything we do to exalt God in recognition of who He says He is, is worship. Run to Him today, His arms are wide open, when you get there, laugh if you want to, cry if you want to, just be yourself. Come to the hiding place described in Psalm 91 v 1 as 'the secret place of the Most High'. This morning, I present to you the God who never shuts His door at anyone....get to know Him. And if you know Him already, seek to know Him more and find means through the help of the Holy Spirit to present Him to others. Have a worship filled day!

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 17 March 2010

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Hmm.. a very interesting topic. It stems from a deep intimate relationship with God. It is all about a daily walk wtih God. Living a life of total surrender to God to the point that God becomes the central focus of all that we do; The bible says "In him we live, move and have our being" It is a state of totally falling in love wth the lord God almighty..." Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart, mind soul.....". Obedience plays a big part in this because if you say you love someone, you will always want to obey and please them. This is the same with God. He loves us so so much that he wants us to love him back in return. For some this is not easy as they still want to hang on to their old way of life or rather want to have their own way all the time but with God it is his own way. In a nutshell, it's not just about the time of praise and worship in church, but rather what comes out of me as a result of my deep relationship with God...It is essentially the very core of our being. Imagine God revealing himself in you and through you... It's incomparable! .....Helen

Posted By: Helen on the 15 March 2010

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I think it all boils down to apply oneself to walking the talk (as it were), whilst relying on God to enable one. I also think fellowship and accountability have their own parts to play. So much from me for now, Over to other contributors.

Posted By: Kehinde on the 22 February 2010

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Makes a lot of sense, worship is expression of love in obedience, the bible says he who loves God abhors evil. The life of a worshipper should be one where God takes centre stage, putting Him first at all times. A scripture I've been dwelling on of late is Psalm118v19, Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them and I will praise the Lord. Our God is a holy God and where He dwells is holy and anyone who wants to connect with this God in worship must be righteous, His eyes are too pure to behold iniquity. This is not a gate we enter into irreverently, our righteousness as believers is indeed of Christ, however, we are still to present our bodies as living sacrifices. This means always appropriating His grace to do what pleases Him, this is true worship. Yes, I guess its a huge challenge doing this in a world that resists holiness but we are overcomers, aren't we? How do we overcome these challenges as worshippers?

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 22 February 2010

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But for me, the important thing is to make pleasing God the guiding principle of one s life. In other words, to view the worshipful lifestyle as a compass rather than a checklist. Hope this makes sense.

Posted By: Kehinde on the 20 February 2010

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My understanding of worship is quite similar to the definition you gave above. It is more than what we do at church on a Sunday. It is factoring God, as it were, in all our decisions and actions. I have to admit it is a tough call when we really set out to practise this.

Posted By: Kehinde on the 20 February 2010

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The Rapture!
I have dreamt a couple of times about the rapture and every single time, I wake up in awe of the experience. What is your understanding of the rapture? what are the signs of the coming of the rapture? has it ever happened before? what would be the effect of the rapture on the world? What should the imminent coming of the rapture provoke in believers today? Anyone bold enough to tackle this :- )

Responses (3) Add Comments

Another incident comes to mind, Nan was spending the night and we were having dinner. The kids were quiet and there I was thinking they finally got the message about not talking at the dinner table. 'How old are you Nan?' came a whisper from my ever inquisitive boy. Oh help!I thought. Before I could say a word, Nan who was 79yrs old said, 'Oh I'm only 39'. Well done Nan I thought, that should keep him quiet but not my boy. A few seconds later, 'so what happened to all your teeth?' my son retorted. I almost choked on my food.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 13 May 2010

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Everytime I drive to the town centre with the kids, we always go past a cemetary and they usually would ask questions. I try to make it simple, 'when people grow old and they die that's where they get taken to'. Lo and behold, that fateful day, Grandma was in the car with us and we were driving past the cemetary. Somewhere from the back I heard the question, 'Grandma is it true that's where you'll be going soon?'.........Have you finished laughing?? It wasn't funny to me then and I had to quickly put things into context. Thank God, good old Grandma found it somewhat interesting and employed wisdom in further explaining things to the kids. It was an innocent question and to be quite honest, I'm not sure if those were the exact words but that definitely was the import. Bringing it home, the bible says the dead in Christ shall rise first when the rapture occurs; 1 Thess 4:16.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 13 May 2010

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I remember attending a bible study years ago. Our study was focused on the rapture. After a number of contributions, an elderly lady smiled and said; 'you know what, may we all just get to this heaven, that's the long and short of all this discussion'. Mama spoke well, it's either God calls or comes. Whichever the case, preparation is done here, one's ultimate destination is dependent on one's stand on the TRUTH (JESUS) - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

Posted By: Ojuolape on the 13 May 2010

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