Sunrise Spring 2018 by Sunrise

SPRING 2018

£2.50 Where Sold

The Magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, United Kingdom

Spring Time, New Beginnings “See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:19a

SONGS OF

VICTORY

- Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Blessings of the

7th Season -Pastor Agu Irukwu

GENERAL OVERSEER

FAITH

FAMILY

COMMUNITY

CONTENTS 4 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 27 28 30 31 32 34 36 37 38 41 42 45 46 47 48 50 52 62 63

SONGS OF VICTORY FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE EDITORIAL NOTES BLESSINGS OF THE 7TH SEASON BIRTHDAY: GENERAL OVERSEER BIRTHDAY: MOTHER-IN-ISRAEL REVIVAL THINK ON THESE THIINGS COMMUNITY EVANGELISM AND SOCIAL ACTION CHURCH PLANTING TRAINING THE CROSS PRAYER SCHOOL HELPS MINISTRIES GREATER HEIGHTS DIAMONDS AND RUBIES RELATIONSHIPS MATTERS OF THE HEART JB4 REDEMPTION HOUSE GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GARDEN FASHION DRAMA HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH RCCG SPORTS DAY GROW YOUR BUSINESS BOOKS YOU JUST MUST READ CALL BY HIS/HER SIDE COVENANT PARTNERS PRISON MINISTRY YET TO BE REACHED AREAS RCCG EVENTS VOLUNTEERING RCCG MINISTRY CALENDAR

ISSN NO: 2042-6542 EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief: MODUPE AFOLABI Managing Editor: YINKA ODUWOLE Editor: ANDREA ONDUKU Photographer (RCCG Events): KUSH Designed by: IFE SAMUEL Published by: The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Central Office, United Kingdom facebook.com/rccguk twitter.com/rccguk youtube.com/rccguk instagram.com/rccguk All Correspondence to: Sunrise Magazine, RCCG Central Office, Redemption House, Gunnels Wood Park, Gunnels Wood Road Stevenage SG1 2TA The views expressed by contributors to Sunrise are not necessarily a reflection of the official doctrinal positions of RCCG. The publisher, editors, contributors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organisation or parties on the basis of reading information, stories or contributions to be found in this publication.

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SONGS of Victory By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Exodus 15:1-3 says: “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name”.

hen God created man, the original plan of God is that man will sing the praises of God. As a matter of fact everything God created, He created them to make music to Him. In Revelation 4:11, it says, ‘He has created all things that were created for His pleasure’. Even trees, according to the word of God, are to clap their hands (Isa. 55:12). By listening to the song that a man is singing constantly, you can tell what is going on in his life. When you hear a man singing: “we will overcome, we will overcome, we will overcome one day”, you know that fellow has just lost a battle. If somebody is in the midst of a tough battle; his song will change, you will hear him singing: “Let God arise and His enemies be scattered...” When somebody is having problem in the office and his boss is giving him a

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tough time; his song is likely to be: “In Jesus name every knees must bow, in Jesus name every knee must bow.” When somebody has just won a victory, the song becomes different: “Now the battle is over, now the battle is over, now the battle is over, I am more than a conqueror.” Victory is to win, to overcome in a contest or war.

The only thing is that in war there is no question of a drawn game, it is either you win or you lose. You are either a victim or a victory, in war it is winner takes all. Goliath said, ‘I am a Philistine; you are Israelis, send me your champion; let us fight and whoever wins takes over all of us’. Now, as a child of God you need to know you have a determined enemy, he wants to take all. He wants to steal, he wants to kill, and he wants to destroy. But thank God, you have been told you have an ally and that ally is also determined (John 10:10). Your enemy, the devil is well organized and he has an army that is well organized. According to Ephesians 6:12, in the devil’s army are principalities, powers, rulers of darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places. But the good news is your ally is far superior to him. In Psalm 24:7-10, the Bible calls Him the Lord of hosts, the Commander of all the hosts in

heaven, on earth and underneath the earth; even the devil himself has to take permission from Him as to how far he can go, therefore you are already guaranteed your freedom in Jesus’ name. It is wise for you to know about the techniques of your adversary the devil, so that when it is time to pray you will be able to pray correctly. 1. When the devil wants to attack, the time he loves most to attack is when you are celebrating as he knows that this is when you are relaxed. In 1 Samuel 18: 5-11, the Bible says that when David was returning from the conquest of Goliath, everybody was celebrating him. The women sang that Saul has killed thousands but David had killed ten thousands. The Bible says from that day onward David was in trouble with Saul. In Joshua 7, Joshua was rejoicing over winning the battle of Jericho. Unknown to Joshua at very moment, Achan had stolen something that God had said should not be stolen and brought sin to the camp. The next attempt Joshua made to take a little city was met with defeat. In 2 Kings 2:9-24, Elisha requested for a double portion anointing of Elijah and he got it. Jordan parted for him and the sons of the proph-

GENERAL OVERSEER ets came to bow down before him. He started using his anointing to destroy the curse upon Jericho. Immediately, Satan arranged for some children to begin to mock this man. Therefore, whenever you have a celebration, keep on praying. 2. When the devil wants to attack, when he wants to attack directly, he does it massively, not little or bit by bit. In Exodus 14:5-28, the Bible tells us that when Pharaoh was coming against the children of Israel, he came with a mighty host, he came massively. But thank God, as massive as they were the Almighty God drowned them massively. In 2 Chronicles 20:1-25, it took three kings working together to attack Jehoshaphat. Thank God that at the end of the day, they all lost their lives. Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemies shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will rise up a standard against them”. 3. At times the devil does not attack directly; he will attack in a subtle way. Ephesians 6:11 says that you have to put on the whole armour of God to be able to withstand the wiles of the devil. This is because at times when he wants to attack, he will attack in a manner that it will be difficult for you to even fight. The devil discovered that when he sent the lion against David, the boy killed the lion; he sent a bear, the boy killed the bear; he sent Goliath, the boy cut off his head. Next he raised up an enemy that is the father in-law. How do you fight your father in-law? When your father inlaw is the one throwing the spear at you; how do you handle this case? Not only was Saul, David’s father in law, but he was also anointed by God.

In 1 Samuel 24:1-6, David had an opportunity to kill Saul but David said, ‘How can I’? ‘He is not just my father in-law; he is an anointed man of God’. As a matter of fact he cut just a little bit of his clothes and the Bible said that for doing that alone, he almost had a heart attack. How do you fight such battles? David told us in 1 Samuel 25:1-11, ‘I won’t raise my hand against him, God will do it Himself’. 4. When the devil wants to fight at times, he will use a combination of forces. Matthew 10:36 says that a man’s foes will be that of his own household. In Judges 15:1-19, it was the enemies of Samson within his own family, three thousand of them who went to bind and then hand him over to the Philistines! Three thousands family members handed him over to the external enemies! But thank God there is an anointing that can destroy yokes; that will cause the internal enemies to be disappointed and destroy the external enemies also! 5. If the devil tries direct attack and he fails; if he tries to come in quietly like cancer and he fails; if he combines internal enemies with external ones and he fails; then he tries to turn God Himself against you. In Numbers 23:1-23, a king hired a prophet to come and curse the nation of Israel but as the Prophet opened his mouth, blessing kept coming instead of curses. Why? He said, God had looked at these people and found no iniquity in them. As there was no perverseness in them, no curse or enchantment would work against them. So, the Prophet went to the king and said this is what you should do: ‘Invite these people to your parties and when they come let your daughters dress scantily; let them expose what they should not expose; that

is all; leave the rest and God Himself, the One who is defending them will destroy them. The king took the advice, the Israelites came; they saw the girls and they began to fornicate. The Almighty God who had been defending them against evil forces turned against them. He sent a plague and the Bible said 24,000 of them died. If God is defending you, He can take care of internal enemies; He can take care of external enemies; He can take care of any method the devil may want to use. As long as God is on your side you have nothing to fear. If God is against you, then you have a problem. There is something called the Final Victory. The Bible tells us that the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Your victory is not complete until you make it to heaven. Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, ‘I have finished well; I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith’. Revelation 15:2-3 tells us of the Assembly of the Overcomers before the throne of God. The Bible says they sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. Our victory is only total, and absolute when we make it home. The greatest victory; most important victory of all is to finish well. My prayer for you is that, it does not matter what the devil may try, may you finish well.

Website: www.eaadeboye.com Twitter: @PastorEAAdeboye Facebook:www.facebook.com/PastorEAAdeboye

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FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE

A NEW THING T

here are few whose hearts are not warmed by God’s promise in the Scriptures to do a new thing (Isaiah 43:19a). There is something that makes our hearts to become filled with joyous anticipation again and again whenever we hear this wonderful prophecy from the Almighty. This is as it should be. Every word of God is true, tried and tested (Proverbs 30:5). We must come to the word of God with faith, because He who has promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23). May all the appointed promises of God to you come to pass in due season in Jesus’ name.

Yet, there is a paradox surrounding the promise of anything new: old things must make way. It is this tension between the old and the new that often makes change a stressful process; the more foundational the change that is on the way, the greater the stress experienced by those involved. This is true even for the best-manged change processes. Change is awkward. It could be discomforting. The way we are wired as humans, most of us display some measure of apprehension when faced with change, including changes that will prove positive for us. So, how then do we prepare ourselves ahead of the new things promised to us by God in the Holy Scriptures and prophetically through His ministers? A few suggestions may prove helpful. First, we must believe that if the oncoming change was engineered by our loving Heavenly Father, it cannot but be beneficial in the long run. We are children of a good, good Father who loves us in ways www.sunrisemagazine.org

we could not even begin to imagine. God is love. We were created to worship Him in loving devotion. We are children birthed out of love. God’s thoughts towards us are thoughts of good and not of evil. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”, He told His prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 29:11). God is thinking of your well-being right now. (Psalm 8:4)

Second, for us to walk into the new things God is rolling out for us, you and I should be ready to let go of the former things. In fact, the scriptural counsel from the lover of our souls is this: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.” (Isaiah 43:18). This divine guidance applies to not just a past that we would like to forget if, for instance, the times have been trying; it equally applies to ‘forgetting’ the good things or successes of old in order not to become captives to a glorious past. Sometimes, past successes can become a hindrance to going forward, attaining the next level of success God has ordained for us. Third, we must step into the future God is unfolding right before our eyes with faith. A ‘new thing’ implies that whatever is coming is novel to us, unfamiliar in our peculiar circumstances. If it is all too familiar to us, it is not ‘new’. Walking in the new thing the Lord is doing in your life this season means you must suspend your doubts and submit limited human reasoning to divine omnipotence. God is not a man. (Numbers 23:19). “With God, all things are possible”, the angelic mes6

senger Gabriel told the young Jewish girl Mary that fateful day she became enlisted in that once-in-eternity miracle that placed God in a woman’s womb. Trust God. As you clean out the old and usher in the new this springtime, I encourage you therefore to be persuaded that new thing God is doing in your life is for your good, be willing to let go of the longstanding in order to receive the fresh, and have faith in God. For us at the RCCG Central Office, we began 2018 in the new headquarters building God has blessed with us in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. Redemption House, Knebworth where we spent eight years was indeed a blessing, but Redemption House, Stevenage is an even bigger blessing! All the glory is to God who makes all things new. We also hope you like the new foil masthead for Sunrise; it looks good to us and we really hope it is also to your liking. More new things are lined up in the Sunrise family. Stay tuned.

Pastor Modupe Afolabi is the Editor-in-Chief of Sunrise and Executive Administrator of RCCG Central Office. Twitter: @MoAfolabi

EDITORIAL NOTES

YOU ARE NOT YOUR

MISTAKES! R

ecently I have been meditating on the fact that we must separate ‘what we do’ from ‘who we are’. What do I mean? When we become defined by our current circumstances or even the job that we do, we lose touch with who God has made us to be. Let’s say you have a great job, you are engaged to be married and everything is looking great. When people ask you to introduce yourself, you say ‘My name is____, I work for___and I am engaged to be married to this amazing person, my wedding is later this year, it’s going to be so great, you must come’. Now what happens if some time after, your courtship breaks down and marriage for now is off the cards. To make matters worse, you make a careless mistake at work and lose your job. Now how do you see yourself? If care is not taken, such a person will begin to see themselves in light of what has happened to them. They will begin to see themselves as a failure, unlovable, worthless, careless and going nowhere! Is that who they are? Of course not! What has happened to you or even the mistakes you have made does not define who you are! God has created you for a great purpose, mistakes you have made just means you have deviated off His course and you can get back on track if you don’t let these mistakes get inside you. Learn from every event and move on! 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light”. When I hear of the tragic deaths amongst young people in London and elsewhere, I come to the conclusion that there is a huge identity crisis amongst our youth. They do not know the value of life, they

do not know their identity, they do not know their purpose! Not only do they live the gang culture lifestyle but it has become them, it has got into them. They no longer know anything else. The only way out is to teach them that they matter, it is to teach them that they are not defined by where they live or what they have done. “Tom Isaac, a youth worker who supports stabbing victims at a paediatrics unit in South London, told The Independent that the young people referred were usually aged between 11 and 18. Often from households where parents are out working most of the time, he said they are deprived of youth services in the community which have been “cut to shreds”. Oasis Youth, the service Mr Isaac heads up in St Thomas’s Hospital, has seen a spate of referrals this year, with 2018 set to be the busiest year since it began. He said there were four stabbing referrals over Easter bank holiday weekend alone. “Poverty is a big systemic issue. If a young person’s mum is working nights as well as days, and hasn’t got time, they’re left in the flat on their own. A lot of the time the parents don’t know what’s going on. They don’t have the time or the capacity,” Mr Isaac said. “People don’t realise how much the youth sector has been decimated. The youth and community sector has been cut to shreds. Since the recession, we’ve had cuts year on year. Now we rely on competing for funding bids. It’s really hit this year, we’re at crisis point.” (Source: The Independent, 3rd April) The blood of these young people is crying out that something must change! What are we doing? The church must step up and fill in the gaps that are being left by government cuts. However, how can we help our youth if we ourselves are walking around with identity crises of our own? We must take time to know who we are in Christ so that we can model security in Christ for our children.

children and young people. School is all about academics, who is teaching them about identity and purpose? Parents, Youth Leaders and Pastors should encourage children to do well at school, yes but more than that we must strive to help them see themselves as more than the jobs they do or the grades they attain. What purpose does God have for them? Encourage them to seek God for this revelation early so that when the devil comes with the thoughts and suggestions that they are nothing, they will be prepared with revelatory ammunition straight from God. Why not take time today to really consider your identity, how do you see yourself and check whether you are perhaps unknowingly passing this on to your children. It is never too late to make corrections with God’s help. As always there are articles within this magazine that equip you to be that confident man or woman of God that you have been created to be so that you can model this for the children and young people that are around you. There is also lots of information about training programs that the church is offering, please take advantage of these great opportunities. God Bless you richly!

Andrea Onduku Editor

Then as churches we must figure out how to get this message out to our 7

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The Blessings th of the 7 Season “The enemy knows that a prophetic Word by the Spirit of God is like a flowing river. If you allow the river to carry you along, it will take you to your destination. The enemy’s plan is to introduce enough debris into your ‘prophetic river’ to obstruct your progress and stop the river from flowing freely.”

nspired by the deeply instructive story of Prophet Elijah praying persistently for rain on Mount Carmel, Pastor Agu Irukwu has written a short book which is encouraging many to stand strong, believe God and break through to what God has promised them! This publication – The Blessings of the 7th Season: Seven Steps to Your Breakthrough - is the fall-out of a prophetic word which Pastor Agu received from the Lord regarding the certainty of answered prayer.

www.theblessingsoftheseventhseason.com

“The good news is that this is your seventh season. That’s the prophetic word that the Lord gave me”, says Pastor Agu, adding: “This book will tell you what to do, how to wait, and will encourage you that God is going to answer your prayer in this seventh season.” The servant of God believes those who take the time to read the book will receive encouragement to persist in the place of prayer, especially when waiting on God for a breakthrough He promised them or they have been praying for something and are yet to receive the desired result. Indeed, the premise and teachings in Blessings of the 7th Season are firmly rooted in the Scriptures. As our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ taught us, ‘men ought always to pray, and not to faint’ (Luke 18:1). Jesus’ parable on importunity in prayer is echoed throughout this book by Pastor Agu, a truth emphasised by Apostle Paul when he encourages us to ‘Pray without ceasing’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). “The 7th season is a season of answered prayer”, asserts Pastor Agu in the publication. We agree. Some Excerpts from the Book “You are trying to birth something already exists in another realm and your prayers should show that. God has promised it, so it already exists, albeit in another realm – the spiritual realm.” “To activate your breakthrough, you need to speak out God’s Word to you. We underestimate the power of the tongue. At creation, God spoke the entire world into being. ‘Let there be …’ He said, and there was. We are made in His image and likeness, and also have the ability to affect our world by what we say.”

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A REVIVAL

PROMISE “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. One shall say, I am the Lord’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel” Isaiah 44:3-6.

ing sons of men; this is an omen of better times. “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” Searchings of heart, anguish, groans which cannot be uttered, and abounding intercession are the heralds of blessing! They are the sound in the tops of the mulberry trees which calls believers to bestir themselves in hope of victory! May the movement among the saints continue and deepen till it brings forth a movement among sinners far and In the Christian church at this wide! moment there is a very general desire for a revival of religion; you At this time, also, there are manimay go where you may among fest the most pleasing signs that Christian people, and you will God is about to work among His find that they are mourning over people. A very notable gaththe present state of things, and ering of converts has taken saying, one to the other, “When place in the town of Newcaswill a greater blessing come? tle, and the two brothers whom How can we obtain it? When God honored to be the means of shall we make some impression it have now moved to the city of upon the masses of the ungodly? Edinburgh. There the ministers When shall our houses of prayer of all denominations are united be filled with attentive hearers? in helping them, and in earnestly When will the Lord’s kingdom imploring the divine blessing of come and His right arm be made the gracious visitation which has bare in the eyes of all the peo- already come upon Edinburgh ple?” I am delighted to hear the is such as was probably never inquiry! My soul magnifies the known before within the memory Lord as I discern tokens of grow- of man! The whole place seems to ing anxiety about the cause and be moved from end to end! When kingdom of Jesus, and the perish- we hear of many thousands com-

We “ not;

ing together on weekdays to quite ordinary meetings, and crying, “What must we do to be saved?” there is, we are persuaded, the hand of God in the matter! Now, there is among earnest Christians a general feeling that what has been done for Edinburgh is greatly needed for London, and must be done for London if prayer and earnest effort can obtain it. Our prayers must go up incessantly that God will be pleased to send forth His saving health among the people of this great city of four million souls and turn many to righteousness, to the praise of the glory of His divine grace! Our growing anxiety for Christ’s glory and our faith in the energy of His Spirit will be two hopeful signs of a coming blessing. As a church we have always felt a delight in any work which has to be done for God of this kind, and we have enjoyed, for many years, a continuous visitation of the Holy Spirit. That which would be a revival anywhere else has been our ordinary condition—for which we are very thankful! By the space of these 20 years, almost without rise or fall, God has continued to increase our numbers with souls saved by the preaching of His

need the Holy Spirit poured upon those who have Him upon the dead in sin that they may be quickened; upon the desponding that they may be consoled; upon the

ignorant that they may be illuminated, and upon seekers that they may find Him who, alone, is our peace!

“

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REVIVAL truth! Unto Him be all the praise! But now we are anxious to take a part in a yet further advance—we want a greater blessing! What we have had has not decreased, but rather stimulated our appetite! Oh, for more conversions! More hearts for Jesus! Would God that the dews of heaven would fall in sevenfold abundance upon us and our fellow Christians—and the past be put to the blush by the future! That this desire may be fanned to a flame in all our hearts is my earnest prayer! I have taken this text as one which is full of encouragement, that we may be all moved with hope and excited with expectation. I shall handle it in this way. First, we have before us the great covenant blessing of the church; secondly, we have the glorious result of that blessing described. And when we have spoken thus, we shall spend the rest of our time in speaking of the conduct which is consistent with the desire that this blessing and its results may come to us. I. In our text we have THE GREAT COVENANT BLESSING OF THE CHURCH. It is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Whatever metaphor is used, this is the meaning of it; He is the refreshing, life-giving, fertilizing water—the living water of which Jesus spoke. The first promise of the text, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground,” is explained by the second, “I will pour My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring.” While speaking upon this, it is well for us to remember, first, that this blessing has been already given. We must never underrate the importance of the ascension of our Lord and the gift of the Spirit which followed. God forbid that we should think lightly of Pentecost—the Holy Spirit then descended, and we have no record that the Spirit has since ascended and departed from the church. He is the church’s perpetual heritage and abides with us always! I like to sing—

“The Holy Spirit is here, Where saints in prayer agree, As Jesus’ parting gift He’s near Each pleading company. Not far away is He, To be by prayer brought nigh, But here in present majesty, As in His courts on high.” He is permanently resident in the midst of the church! But when are have received that truth of God, we may still go on to use the language which is very frequent among us, and pray for the outpouring of the Spirit. If the language is not exactly accurate, the meaning is most excellent; as far as any one assembly or person is concerned, we may request the Holy Spirit to be poured forth upon us in His gracious operations. We desire to see the Spirit of God working more mightily in the church—we long, each one of us, to be more completely subject to His influences, and more filled with His power, so that we may be full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit poured upon those who have Him not; upon the dead in sin that they may be quickened; upon the desponding that they may be consoled; upon the ignorant that they may be illuminated, and upon seekers that they may find Him who, alone, is our peace!

promise. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour My Spirit up on your seed, and My blessing upon your offspring.” We may always be confident of receiving those blessings which are promised by the Lord! The general promise, “No good thing will I withhold from them that walk uprightly,” is very comforting; under its broad cover we are encouraged to plead for many favors for which we have no special note of promise; but when we can put our finger upon a plain and specific Word of God, by which a certain good thing is guaranteed to us, our faith rises to full assurance and we feel confident of receiving an answer to our prayer! “You have said, ‘I will pour My Spirit upon your seed,’ therefore, O Lord, fulfill this word unto Your servant, in which You have caused him to hope.” You have God’s Word for it—place your finger upon it, and on your knees beseech the Lord to do as He has said. He cannot lie; He will never revoke His Word! Has He said and shall He not do it?— “As well might He His being quit As break His promise or forget.” He has spontaneously made the promise and He will make it good. Upon every promise the blood of Jesus Christ has set its seal, making it, “yes and amen” forever! Test Him here, then, and you shall find Him faithfulness itself! A promise of God is the essence of the truth of God, the soul of certainty, the voice of faithfulness, and the substance of blessing. What a right royal promise it is! How lofty and full of assurance is the language, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” It is for God to say, “I will” and, He will!

We, being evil, give good gifts unto our children, and therefore we are persuaded that our heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. We do but enlarge upon the prayer of the apostolic benediction when we cry for the blessing peculiar to the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit Who quickens— neither the letter of the word, nor the energy of our manner can give life! Therefore we feel that when we have prophesied to the dry bones, we must also prophesy to the wind, for unBY C. H. SPURGEON less the divine breath shall come, An excerpt from his sermon delivered on the dry bones will never live! Sunday, January 11, 1874, at The Metro-

Notice, beloved, that this great politan Tabernacle, Newington. covenant blessing of the Spirit is, in our text, the subject of a 13

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Knowing God

t a recent pastors’ retreat in the United Kingdom, one of the speakers remarked, in passing, that the biggest cultural gap in contemporary society was between those who know God (as in those who through genuine repentance of heart, have had their sins forgiven and are now serving the Lord) and those who do not yet know Him. He might have said it in a moment of divine inspiration as oft happens when one speaks before a live audience, but those words have stayed with me ever since. There is truth in that preacher’s statement, even if, understandably, it carries its own evangelical fervour.

between those who have experienced what John Wesley described in 1738 as feeling his ‘heart strangely warmed’ by God’s Spirit and those who are yet to have this life-transforming spiritual experience? In other words, there may be an analytical sense in which society can be understood as the creative interplay of people who have come to know God and those who are yet to know Him, played out amidst an underlying tension. A few anecdotal examples may suffice. The religious extremist who either self-pursues his faith to the point of radicalisation or becomes radicalised by those with rather hateful agendas could be said to be in this unfortunate situation because he or she has not really met the God that is described as Love. Anyone who has genuinely encountered the loving God-Man introduced to humanity as Jesus Christ will know that God is Love! Jesus Christ was such a man of compassion that the gospels almost always attribute the immediate motivation of many miraculous works to His having been moved by empathy.

The evangelist’s assertion of course set me thinking. Is it not plausible that the ever-widening fissures we see in society today can all be tracked down to a fundamental chasm www.sunrisemagazine.org

THINK ON THESE THINGS

Anyone who has genuinely encountered the loving God-Man introduced to humanity as Jesus Christ will know that God is Love!

Perhaps one of the most concerning issues of our day is that of identity. The cultural wars over identity which used to be fought on the peripheries of society have spilled out into the open, upturning centuries of settled socio-cultural norms and traditions. Identity is the hot-button issue of the 21st century and it does appear we are only witnessing the tip of the iceberg at this time. For those who have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the question of our identity is sorted: we are God’s children; we are created in His image to worship Him and manifest His glory; we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; and we have been reconciled to God the Father. Our identity is rooted in Christ.

of season to as many people as possible. Those who know their God must arise and do exploits for Him by sharing the good news that Jesus Christ is the way to God. As a church, the vision of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) is essentially evangelical: to ensure every member of the church makes it to Heaven; to take as many people as possible with us to heaven; and to have at least one member in every family of all nations. In the United Kingdom, official statistics for 2016 put the number of families in the country at 18.9 million. Of this number, 12.7 million were married or civil partner couple families, being the most common type of UK family. Cohabiting couple families were, however, the fastest-growing family type between 1996 and 2016, more than doubling from 1.5 million families to 3.3 million families, according to government figures. Going by the RCCG vision, our target is, therefore, to have at least 18.9 million committed UK Christians anytime soon. This is why you and I must not just know our God, but tell others about Him.

A rather curious development in modern society is the rise of the ‘spiritual but not religious’ tribe. Often, identification with this segment of the population is a protest of sorts against organised religion, sometimes for difficult-to-dismiss reasons. For other spiritually-conscious but religiously-averse people, their membership of this fragment of society is the result of a seemingly irresistible pull to follow their spirituality, wherever it takes them. It is not so difficult to understand the ‘spiritual but not religious’ members of society: there is a void in every man or woman which only God can fill. That space is what they are overpoweringly pulled to fill with various forms of New Age-spirituality. To bring all the aforementioned together, what may be helpful for us as followers of Jesus Christ is an acknowledgement of the suggestion that at the heart of the culture wars being waged on different fronts in society is the troubling gap between those who know God and those who are yet to do so. The incontestable response from our camp should be to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, in season and out

Dr yinka oduwole is the Managing Editor of Sunrise and Pastor of The Risen Christ, Knebworth. Twitter: @YinkaOduwole 15

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“

Church is not the four walls of a building. Church is everyone who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and saviour

“

Pastor Emmanuel Isiaka Amazing Grace, Leicester

he hallmark of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ was not only the teachings, healings and transformation in the lives of those who encountered Him in the temple, but also the smiles He brought to many on the streets. On the streets of Capernaum, sick people were laid, and He healed them all. At the pool of Bethesda, the Lord Jesus Christ healed the impotent man who had been there, helpless for 38 years. On the street in Jericho, blind Bartimaeus cried out for help and Jesus responded by restoring his sight, and His attention and power did not elude the woman with the issue of blood despite the crowd. Also, by the sea shore, Jesus, despite the thronging crowd sat on Simon’s boat and taught the people. While His disciples thought the crowd should be dismissed so they could go and get food for themselves, Jesus had compassion on them and miraculously multiplied loaves that fed the 5,000 and 4,000 men besides women and children in Bethsaida, Galilee, Gerasenes, and Decapolis respectively. Compassion moved the Lord Jesus Christ to impact lives regularly. Desiring to follow in His footsteps, RCCG Amazing Grace Parish (AGP) reaches out to the community on Queens Road Leicester. Street Fairs are held on Queens Road Leicester bi-annually in June and December, providing unique opportunities for individuals, corporate bodies and businesses located around the Queens Road, Clarendon Park and Victoria Park Road areas to showcase their products and services. www.sunrisemagazine.org

COMMUNITY

Seizing the Moment:

Impacting the Community through Street Fairs

As this usually takes place on Sundays, AGP seizes the opportunity by taking a stall at the Fair to showcase the love and compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ to members of the community.

some at the fair. Over the years, we have received amazing testimonies from people in the community about how they have been impacted by the participation of AGP at the Queens Road Street Fairs. Some have testified of healing in their bodies and others of deliverance from addictions and suicide. A lady testified that a family member who had been in the hospital for weeks received healing after she dropped the prayer point in the prayer box at the Street Fair. Other testimonies in the past have included healing for loved ones, peace in homes and comfort after bereavement. People have also come to know Jesus as a result of the outreach.

Prior to every Street Fair, we pray over the community, asking for God’s peace and protection over everyone in the community and specifically for those who would attend the Fair from far and near. On the day of the Fair, we display and give out several Christian materials such as Christian magazines, tracts, and fliers. On our stall, we provide snacks, sandwiches, hot/cold drinks, and lots of balloons, sweets, and chocolates, all of which are given complimentarily to everyone. Members of AGP are all encouraged to get involved and take time to speak Church is not the four walls of a building. Church is to people about the love of Jesus, which is what we everyone who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ all need in our world today. as their Lord and saviour and together we are the ‘Body of Christ’. The body of Christ is not and cannot The Amazing Voices which is the music department be circumscribed to a building, therefore, we enjoin of AGP also takes the opportunity to sing melodi- you all to take the compassion of Christ to the comously, thereby bringing healing and hope to every munities, streets and parks where you are located heart in the community. The atmosphere is usually as a local church. Church is about love and impact. ecstatic, especially during the summer Fair in June, The love is already in our hearts, all we need do is as everyone comes out to enjoy the bright beautiful step out to impact others with the love. Let us be sunny summer. Our ‘Amazing Children’ are not left contagious Christians. behind, as they also participate in sharing bags of hope, wrist bands, sweets and chocolates to other children at the Fair. At some points papers and pens Ovo Imoedemhe are distributed to people to write out prayer points Amazing Grace Parish, Leicester of their needs and what they would want God to do for them and opportunities are taken to pray with 17

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A DIFFICULT DAY IN THE LIFE OF

JESUS

hen all things seem blurred, when all ways seem to be closed, when life is not taking shape, the solution is look unto Jesus. We can learn so much from looking at how he managed situations.

plied and was enough to feed the large crowd. The key here is that He looked up to Heaven and a miracle followed. He did not appear to be stressed out by the situation, he was calm and practical. He knew that His father was able to take care of feeding the people.

In Matthew 14 we read of how John the Baptist was beheaded. When Jesus heard the news he immediately wanted to be on his own.

This is the attitude we must also maintain no matter the demanding situation we find ourselves in which may not even be our own creation. The people had forced themselves on Jesus when He had wanted to be alone but yet He was still gracious and compassionate to pray for them and also feed them at the end of the day.

Matthew14:13-14 says “As soon as Jesus heard the news, he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Now what is the first thing Jesus did after an answer to prayer, a great miracle? Matthew 14:22-23 says “Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.”

We can see here that Jesus put aside his own grief and anger that his cousin had lost his life in such a violent way in order to heal the sick. The key factor here was compassion. Jesus was able to put the needs of others above his own.

He insisted on having some alone time with God. Notice the first time in v 13 the Bible says Jesus wanted to be alone but v 23 says that Jesus wanted to pray. He was not in a place of discouragement anymore because He had seen the wonders of God through all the miracles of healing and multiplication of food. However, He knew that He had to go and fill up for the next challenge. He didn’t bask in the glory of the moment.

When we are faced with challenging life circumstances or times of loss, one of the things we should do is see how we can be a blessing to others. This may be the last thing we feel like doing but it will bring back a sense of purpose to our life. Whatever you are going through today, God can use you in the middle of that situation. You don’t need to wait until everything is on the up before yielding yourself to God’s plans.

You must insist on having time to pray. At times victories can even be a distraction from prayer. You don’t know what challenge may be on the back of that victory so you must be prepared in the Spirit.

Matthew 14 continues telling us about this difficult day in the life of Jesus. In the evening the disciples came to tell Jesus that the people who had forced their way in to his quiet time should now be sent away so that they can go and buy food! They even said Jesus should be the one to send them home! I suspect it was actually the disciples who wanted to eat, not the crowd! Jesus didn’t want to send the people away hungry and so He looked up to Heaven, blessed five loaves and two fish and the food was miraculously multiwww.sunrisemagazine.org

While he was praying, immediately the next challenge came. A storm arose and the disciples were in trouble. Full of renewed power from His time in prayer, Jesus walked on the water to meet them and reassured them not to be afraid. Now we must remember that at this point Jesus is in human flesh yet He was so full of God’s power that He was able to walk on water! 20

This shows us that we must always spend time with God in prayer in order to be empowered. Peter decided that he could do likewise and began to walk on the water until fear got the better of him and he began to sink. Peter had not spent time in prayer the way Jesus had done. Prayer boosts faith because it is talking one to one with the Almighty God. Jesus reached out and rescued Peter while admonishing him for having doubt instead of fear. When Peter and Jesus got into the boat the wind stopped. The disciples had now seen the extent of who Jesus was and proclaimed ‘You really are the son of God!’ Looking unto Jesus will always bring revelation of who He is! Hebrews 12:2 (AMP) says: “looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. When we look at Jesus that means we are looking at the throne of God because that is where Jesus is! Looking unto Jesus requires us to first look away from all that distracts us away from Jesus. He is the source of our faith and as long as we keep looking to Him, He will bring us to maturity and perfection. So we are to look to Jesus, what did He do? 1. He was focused on obtaining the prize, a quality that was echoed by Apostle Paul: 1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it”. 2. He endured the cross: To be like Jesus there are many things that we are going to have to endure, trials and persecution. Psalms 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.” 3. He ignored the shame: There are times that we have to ignore shame and get on with our lives for a season, secure in the knowledge that it will be removed in God’s timing. Don’t spend all your time justifying your life to others, God will take away that shame. Just look at what happened to Jesus, He endured the shame and at the end is seated at the right hand of God with joy. Andrea Onduku www.mattersofheart.org

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Greater Heights

n life, with effort and grace, every person is able to attain great heights of success. There is a widely known expression that says ‘no pain, no gain’. Life struggles often propel many to great accomplishments. There are many that work hard with utmost determination to achieve great goals while many climb the ladder of success by special grace. It is said that “successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.” Attaining greater heights in one’s chosen field or calling comes at a price. The question is, are we willing to pay the required price? Our Lord, Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price, even by death at the cross to accomplish His greatest height of glory, despising all the shame, frustrations, denial and ridicule. He submitted totally to the Father. In Luke 22:42 (NLT) Jesus says, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Jesus submitted to God’s will in its entirety. Submission is not defeat; rather it is an act of trust to accomplish God’s purpose. By His submission, He is saying, ‘Lord, I don’t understand everything, but I know you do’. By submitting, He is willing to disallow every human intervention to deny him of fulfilling the will of God. In John 18:11 (NLT), the Bible says “But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?” Philippians 2:9-11 says “Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus did not exalt Himself (although He could have), but the Father exalted Him, thus putting His stamp of approval on Jesus’ death as the satisfaction of the penalty for our sins. Beyond the life of Jesus Christ, one

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case that we can easily identify with in the scriptures as someone that rose to greater heights from obscurity is that of Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons with Joseph as the eleventh. Certain qualities stood out in the life of Joseph that took him from obscurity to greater heights. 1. He was loved and good looking. The Bible says in Genesis 37:3 that “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colours.” Continuing the Bible also says in Genesis 39:6b that “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.” The young Joseph was handsome and dearly loved by his father and was given a coat of many colours. This made him special and outstanding.

“Attaining greater heights in one’s chosen field or calling comes at a price. The question is, are we willing to pay the required price”? 2. He was hated and envied by his elder siblings. Genesis 37:4 reveals that “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.” His siblings demonstrated an intense dislike for him because of the love of his father towards him. 3. He was a ‘dreamer’. Genesis 37:5 says “Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.” Most people dream at night, but few take their jumbled dreams seriously. It is said that the way we dream, mimics the mechanism that produces all of life. We must know that life itself is a dream. It is said that life is like a movie projected on the cosmic screen of space and our nightly dreams are like little movies within the

big movie of life. In Genesis 37:11, the Bible says “But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant.” My prayer for you the reader is that all your positive godly dreams shall come to pass to take you to greater heights in Jesus name. 4. He was sincere. Genesis 37:6 says “So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:” Sincerity is considered in life as one of the most important qualities of a true seeker of God no matter the complexity of life and circumstances. He was not arrogant about his divine encounters but sought their audience and attention. He explained to them with no ulterior motive. Insincerity is the most common and fundamental flaw of the human personality and, as such, is also the major obstacle on the path to greater heights. Believers who wish to evolve into their pure nature must make a conscious effort to transform it and this comes through a process of sanctification (Romans 12:1-2). 5. He had Godly character. Genesis 39:2-3 says “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.” The rewards of developing the fear of the Lord are emphasized throughout Scripture. Proverbs 22:4 states that “by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and long life.” God rewards those that fear Him with wisdom, contentment, faithful provision, prolonged life, strength to turn away from evil and strong confidence and refuge. By Genesis 39:7-9, we see that “And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.

There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” Thank God, Joseph did not short change his belief with short term pleasures. We would be wise to pray along with the psalmist David, “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11). May God uphold you when the enemy comes around to distract your focus in Jesus name. 6. Joseph had divine insights. He was not just a dreamer, he was a dream interpreter. He interpreted the dreams of the baker and the butler while in prison and was called upon to do same for Pharaoh. Genesis 41:15 “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream last night, and no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” This singular gift along with strong godly character promoted Joseph to the palace from the prison. 7. He was hard working and obedient to instructions. In Genesis 37:1214, it is said, “Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.” So he said to him, “Here I am.” Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.” He did not grumble or murmur even though like Jesus, his obedience led to his sojourn to slavery. By his attitude to work, on so many occasions, he was favoured, and he commanded respect even as a foreigner due to his excellent organizational skills (Genesis 39:4-6). This tells us all that you can live above the ordinary. You can be chosen for a menial service and still become a mighty, great and extra-ordinary individual. Demonstrate absolute dedication, commitment and excellence in that little task and God in due season will take you to greater heights. We saw this in Joseph’s life, after interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, he was promoted to the palace (Genesis 41:37-41). The scriptures remind us that if a man’s ways please the Lord he will make his enemies to be at peace with him. Also, if you are truly competent, skilled, diligent and excellent in what you do, you will grow to serve or sit amongst kings rather than working for ordinary people (Proverbs 22:29). 8. Joseph was merciful. He forgave his brothers and lived a long life, seeing 3 generations of his children (Genesis 50:22-23). Genesis 50:20 says “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive“.This emphasises that we must not repay evil with evil, instead we should show forgiveness and mercy. My prayer for you the reader is that you shall live to see and bless your children’s children even up to the third generation and beyond. As the dreams of this dreamer boy Joseph came to pass, may your life dreams too be fulfilled in Jesus name. Just like Joseph, as you exhibit these qualities, you shall rise to greater heights in Jesus name.

Dr Akpo Onduku Pastor, Chapel of Grace Bradford Twitter: @AkpoOnduku

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IT IS NOT A CONSPIRACY The Book of Ruth starts with 3 widows..... All miserable All in pain All childless

Job did absolutely nothing wrong but lost everything....! Naomi concluded the lord was dealing with her and lost everything....! The blind man’s parents did nothing wrong yet their child was born blind and had nothing....! So I have good news for you... IT IS NOT A CONSPIRACY! You might just be going through because God made has decided to make you a specimen of His glory.

Crisis is such a normal incidence in Naomi’s life that she seemed to transfer it to all who came her way in spite of her name meaning Pleasant!

For those of you who are quick to judge or just hate Orpah for leaving, well I say give her a break! All I see is a deeply emotional moment and a lucky escape for a girl who loved an un- If he doesn’t take you out of adversity: lucky mother-in-law which most can’t do. It’s not because he can’t afford it! I have often wondered why the book wasn’t just It’s because there’s a purpose in your pain. called the book of Naomi! That woman went Someone was set to benefit from her pain. A through hell, loss, pain, bereavement and pov- moabitess who was cursed from birth became erty. great great great grand ancestor of Jesus!

Isa 8:12-14 says: “Don’t call everything “a conspiracy”, like they do, and don’t live in dread of what frightens them. Make the LORD of Heaven’s Armies holy in your life. He is the one you should fear. He is the one who should make you tremble. He will What I find intriguing is ... she makes up her keep you safe…..” mind to go back to the same God she feels “has dealt with her” The next time someone looks at you and wants to offer unsolicited advice for your current preWhen you are going through tough times peo- dicament, let them know: ple are quick to offer their critique, responses or even leave you. They say: oh maybe it’s your EXCUSE ME: IT IS NOT A CONSPIRACY!! wicked step mother, oh maybe it’s the witches in your village, oh maybe it’s an ancestral curse. Sometimes the way to stop adversity is to get No one really offers the answer Jesus gave in up, go up and be all you were created to be. the book of John 9 about the guy by the road side that was blind from birth, broke, broken NAOMI GO BACK HOME! and begging. “Neither this man nor his parents Oluwatoyin Ajala sinned, Jesus answered but that the lord might THE WORDSMITH be glorified “ Yet in... Recession Depression Oppression

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PLEASE, BE KIND... WE ARE ALL BROKEN

ver since the fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, things never remained the same again for God’s most beloved Creature. Sin entered our world, and tainted and contaminated everything and everyone that was pure at the beginning. You will recall that at every point during the creation of everything in the beginning, God would look and affirm that it was good. During all the six biblical creation days, the conclusion from the perspective of The Creator was that everything was “Good”. Then, everything was perfect, including man and his world. However, after the Man and his companion Eve disobeyed God’s instruction, and chose rather to obey the Serpent, everything went horribly wrong. It deteriorated to the extent that a time came when God made a statement in Genesis: “And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth,

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and He was grieved in His heart.” mans: Genesis 6:7 (NKJV) “When Adam sinned, sin entered That was it! The tares were sowed the world. Adam’s sin brought among the wheat. Spurious and death, so death spread to everydeleterious genes were intro- one, for everyone sinned.” [NLT] duced into the human genome. Moreover, still in the Epistle to the New human traits that were not Romans, chapter Three, verses there at “the beginning”, began nine to twelve, the Bible says: to appear. Imperfections in forms and functions of the human na- “Well then, should we conclude ture began to show up. that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have Sin put down its roots deep into already shown that all people, every fibre of man’s being, perwhether Jews or Gentiles, are fectly putting an end to the puunder the power of sin. As the rity of everything that was good Scriptures say, “No one is righin the beginning. In that instance, teous- not even one. No one is every creature was no longer truly wise; no one is seeking good. And the present sad realiGod. All have turned away; all ty is: we are all broken, damaged, have become useless. No one tainted and contaminated. The does good, not a single one.” Bible confirmed this in the Book of Romans chapter three verse Again, the present sad reality is: twenty-three: we are all broken. Everyone and everything is damaged, tainted “For everyone has sinned; we all and contaminated. That includes fall short of God’s glorious stanyou, and my humble self, unfortudard.” (NLT) nately. It further affirmed in verse twelve Now, having this reality thrown of Chapter five of the Book of Rointo our faces, why then do we all 28

RELATIONSHIPS

behave as if we are perfect and righteous, and everyone else is imperfect and unworthy? What then gives you and me the right to condemn anybody and feel that we are more superior and better in all the areas of our lives? Wake up to reality, dear friends! You and I have no right whatsoever to sit in judgement over anyone. In fact, our Lord Jesus Christ instructed his followers, in one of His landmark teachings in the “Sermon on the Mount”; He said emphatically: Matthew 7:1-2 NLT [1] “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. [2] For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. Further down in that same passage, He admonished us to never be quick to sit in judgement over anyone. He wants us to check our lives first before we try to bring correction to others. If we fail to do this, we become hypocrites,

and glaring bedfellows with Phar- reverse position. Therefore, it is isees, Sadducees and Scribes of important that we always temper Jesus’ days, with whom He had a justice with mercy. Our Lord said, running battle. Matthew 5:7 NLT [7] God blesses So, as leaders of people, and as those who are merciful, for they fellow Christians, what should be will be shown mercy. our attitude when we find ourAs followers of Christ, we must selves in a position in which we refrain from sitting in judgement need to bring corrections? over people. Many of us are very I believe it’s important that we re- quick to jump to conclusions frain from the urge to jump into over the lives of others. We usuconclusions and deliver quick and ally judge a book by its cover. We insensitive judgements. We must forget that everybody, including be careful of the “standards” we ourselves, has one or two issues are applying because our Lord in our lives that are not “presenttold us that the same standard able.” If that is the case generally, would be used to judge us too why should you think you are in a if we also ever fall foul of the re- better shape than someone else? quirements of the Lord. Please, imbibe a humble attitude I have been given the privilege at all times and be merciful as you of knowing a leader, who was in consider the circumstances and a position to deal with a situation situations of your fellow human that required a junior person to being. So again, please be kind bebe disciplined. This leader came cause we are all damaged articles. down very hard on this individual and inflicted very punitive actions on him. However, a couPastor Akinola Soroye ple of years down the line, this RCCG Victory Centre, London same leader found himself in the 29

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MATTERS OF THE rea

d Dear An

HEART

My husband and I are always arguing. What can we do to stop arguing on almost everything as it is not helping our marriage?

they can seek counsel from a trusted mentor or Pastor.

In your question, you state that you ‘always’ argue. If you find you are always arguing, it may be necessary to decide to minimise any smaller issues so that you can concentrate on the central issues facing you both. This will prevent bickering over small irritants and help you to focus on the bigger picture.

Lastly remember Colossians 3:13-18 which says: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Taking this kind of organised approach to solving conflict reduces the bickering that can be endless when someone feels that they have not been listened to.

Once the fundamental issues are dealt with, you will even find that many of the smaller things you both argue about are not actually that important after all. They are being magnified at the moment because of the overall atmosphere in the marriage relationship.

My spouse doesn’t seem to find me attractive anymore and we have not had sex for over a year now. Has your spouse said that they don’t find you attractive anymore or is this presumption on your part? Obviously you are searching for answers and may feel that it must be because he doesn’t find you attractive. I would caution against this thought process. Your self- worth must not depend on how another person sees you, this will affect your confidence and make the situation more difficult again. Confidence and being secure in who God made us to be is in itself attractive more than someone who is constantly tearing themselves apart. Often we project our own feelings onto another. Perhaps I don’t feel attractive and so I believe others must see me as not attractive and this is seen as the main factor.

In order to deal with the smaller irritants, it is useful to have a mindset of acceptance towards your spouse. It gets to a point where you either accept your spouse as they are or continue to be unhappy. We are all different and we will all have our differing opinions and ways of doing things. You have to give them the space to be who they are. 1 Peter 4:8 says “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins”. Try to focus on the positive aspects of each other. When we are upset with one another, we tend to only see the negative aspects. We forget the 20 things that are good while focusing on the 5 that are not good.

I would ask if you have both talked together about what is happening? There may be other issues that you haven’t considered. Whilst it is a difficult subject to raise and discuss openly, you must take time to discuss what the problem is and bring it out into the open. Try to do this in a calm, gentle and prayerful way, not making any accusations or laying down blame but tackle the issue together.

I would also advise you to remove blame and tackle issues together. See the arguments as a joint problem that you both have to solve. Then thirdly, don’t allow arguing to fill every moment of your time together. Set aside time to air disagreements and set an agenda for how the time will be spent, aiming to reach solutions rather than just air grievances. I call this ‘Fair Fight For Change’. It’s called Fair fight because no underhand tactics are used such as pouting, whining, slamming doors, spiteful words, withholding sex etc. It is called Fair Fight for Change because the emphasis is on change, on finding a solution rather than merely stating grievances and scoring points against one another.

I would also strongly suggest that you seek counselling to help you navigate through this. I am aware that couples don’t like to talk about the most intimate part of their lives with anyone but seeking out a Christian counsellor will help you to gain perspective and solve whatever issue may have caused this separation in your intimacy for so long. Remain strong knowing that there is no problem too big for god to solve.

As a couple sit down together, one of you can state your issue calmly and state how it makes you feel and what you would prefer instead. The other person has to reflect back what they heard to check they heard correctly. They state whether they can comply or if they need some adjustments. The conversation has a time limit. If anyone feels themselves getting very angry they can request time out, again with a time limit. If an issue cannot be resolved then a compromise has to be reached or if not

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Andrea Onduku Send your problems or questions, which will be treated in the strictest confidence, to info@matteroftheheart.org

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To the Glory of God, RCCG Central office has moved to our new offices at Redemption House, Gunnels Wood Park, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2TA

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YOU ARE GOD’S GARDEN Personal Growth to Function Effectively in Your Relationships

postle Paul uses many different figures of speech to describe the church and individual believers. In 1 Corinthians 3:9, he describes the members of the Church as being fellow workers and partners together in the service they render to God. He then describes the church, that is the individuals that make up the church as God’s field, God’s Garden, God’s Building. “For we are God’s fellow workers [His servants working together]; you are God’s cultivated field [His garden, His vineyard], God’s building.” 1 CORINTHIANS 3:9 AMP Today’s modern families miss out on the concept of farming and raising our

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own food to eat. In our modern society, if we are hungry we go the restaurant or go to the supermarket and everything is nicely packaged and easy to buy. Less than a hundred years ago, many people grew up on farms that planted crops that not only fed them but were used to sell to others to earn a living. The modern farm has everything heavily mechanized and machines take the place of what use to be done by hand. These large corporate giants have eliminated the need for people to grow their own food to eat and have created a population that is totally dependent upon someone 34

else for what they eat. For thousands of years, farming and growing food was the normal everyday life style of the majority of people. When Jesus was physically present on the earth he taught many lessons using principles found in farming and raising crops. Even though we don’t normally grow our own food these days, it does not mean it is not important to fully understand these concepts. Everyone who is born again has been planted in God’s garden. His garden is also an orchard. In this garden, or orchard, there is a variety of trees. The Bible calls us trees.

There are many scriptures which describe Christians as trees, for example Psalm 1, Psalm 52, Psalm 92, John 15 etc. The most clear definition of us as God’s Garden is that we are a cultivable field.

preparation is vital to producing a crop. Our hearts must revive it with Joy. Preparation in a garden means removing undesirable elements. Burning, plowing, and digging may be involved. All of us on this level have experienced all these things as the Lord prepares certain areas of our life to receive seed. We have to allow Him and cooperate with Him.

There are several dimensions of understanding this. On the first level, we, as individuals are a garden. In our personal walk with the Lord, He is constantly working in our lives in the same way as one would work in We have to remove all the Thoughts a garden. He is digging up weeds, and words that don’t agree with killing insects and rodents, plow- God’s Word. ing, fertilizing, planting, and water2. As God’s Garden, we need ing (John 15:2). to cultivate the struggling One of the first things to acknowlplants. edge is that a field/farm belongs to its owner. We are God’s by Cre- Gardens do not grow accidentally ation and by Redemption. We must or automatically. The plants need therefore allow Him to have full to be cultivated, encouraged and nourished. We need to spend time control of our lives. working on those areas where we Because He is the Gardener, know have weaknesses or new areas that this for absolute certainty, that the that the Holy Spirit leads us into. Lord will start every work in your life in the form of a seed! It may start out small but it will grow. You might not be where you want to be in your spiritual walk but the seed has been planted. As you work in partnership with Him you will get closer to perfection. God is eager for our lives to be both beautiful and productive. Receiving His Divine Truth as authoritative will produce transformation in our lives, that means trusting His Word as the final Word in our life. He has the final say.

3. As God’s Garden, we need to be on guard against the enemies of growth. Experienced gardeners know that pests such as groundhogs, moles, rabbits and a great variety of insects threaten both the beauty and the productiveness of a Garden. Likewise there are many enemies of spiritual growth and these must be guarded against. We must guard against sin and destructive thoughts, discouragement. We must watch so that we don’t allow idols into our lives as little foxes spoil the vine (Song of Solomon 2:15).

As we put the following principles into practice in our lives, we will grow into a beautiful garden that 4. As God’s Garden, we need will provide a beautiful setting for to enlist as much assismarriage. I always remind that to tance as possible. have successful relationships, we must first work on our own charac- Even experienced gardeners someter. times need expert advice on problems associated with the growth of 1. As God’s Garden, we have plants. Similarly, each of us needs to receive the good seed the assistance of mature brothers of His Word with dedica- and sisters in Christ to grow totion. wards Spiritual maturity (Proverbs 11:14). Matthew 13:3-8 tells us that the sower sowed into a variety of We need the inspiration and moground conditions but, only the tivation that can come as a result good ground yielded a crop! Some of hearing the testimony of those a hundred fold; some sixty fold; and who have lived through some of some thirty fold. So we see that the crisis of life that are bound to 35

come to each of us. 5. As God’s Garden, we need to fertilise as we have opportunity. There are many different kinds of fertilisers that stimulate growth and in producing a great harvest. Likewise believers should be given to prayer and respond to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and be worshipers (Philippians 4:6-7). 6. As God’s Garden, we can look forward to the harvest when we produce much fruit for the Glory of our Lord. John 15:5-8 ““Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” We shouldn’t become weary in the struggles of life if we want to reap a harvest that will be pleasing to God (Galatians 6:9). God is at work in us to help us to be both a beautiful and a productive garden. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 NLT You can be beautiful in the eyes of God in the eyes of others and in your own eyes as you respond to the opportunity to be God’s Garden.

Andrea Onduku www.mattersoftheheart.org

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A Fashionable Cause

ukola Babalola Peter is a fashion designer who has been using her skills since 2011 to raise money for charity with her brand: House of BOJ. Fashion is her passion, she loves to create, style and beautify people with her designs. Uniquely however, each year she organises a stage fashion show to raise money for specific charities; Rainbow Hospice and Compassion UK. Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People is a registered charity and ‘provides specialist respite, palliative and end of life care to children and young people with life limiting or life-threatening conditions and support to their families and friends’. Rainbows has 12 beds and aims to provide 1:1 care wherever possible. According to their website, they need to raise £5.5 million every year to stay open and rely on donations. Compassion UK is a registered charity working in partnership with local churches in developing countries that links children in critical need with a sponsor. Each sponsor enables the charity to provide exceptional care for their sponsored child through every stage of their childhood.

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We asked Bukola why she chose to raise money for these charities: “The reason I raise money and create awareness for Rainbows is because I lost a child with Edward Syndrome in Rainbows. For three months we stayed at Rainbows and they took care of me and my family without taking a dime from us. I support Compassion UK because I want to create an awareness for people to be able to support their work. I have an adopted child that I am sponsoring in Rwanda and I have seen firsthand the great work that they do”. When asked of her future goals, Bukola replied: “If I have the privilege or opportunity, I would love to continue to put smiles on the faces of the less privileged. Also it would be a honour and a thing of great joy and fulfilment to see my designs as a household name”. For more information about the work of Rainbows visit: https://www.rainbows.co.uk For more information about the work of Compassion UK visit: https://www. compassionuk.org House of BOJ: bookizbabs@yahoo.com

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THE

HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH

he 21st century church is characterized by dynamic trends orchestrated by the structuring and restructuring of the society influenced by the constant changes in the political, social and economic milieu. The church is thriving to accommodate these changes in order to maintain its relevance in the midst of the fast and evolving shifts taking place almost on a daily basis in our society. Churches have invested so much in technology to make the church environment welcoming in a bid to become compliant to the upswing that is typical of our modern day society. Some churches have centrally controlled heaters and air conditioners that keep you warm in the church when there is harsh weather and keep you cool in God’s presence when the weather is hot. The church hall is embellished with ornaments, accessories, and flowers in a variety of colours that portray the beauty of our awesome God. The seats are well cushioned for a comfortable relaxation www.sunrisemagazine.org

whilst in God’s presence. In spite of these investments and the different measures put in place to make the church environment inviting and attractive, there are still empty seats in the church of God. This has become a common phenomenon is our modern day churches. The question is where are the people who ought to occupy the empty seats? Why did they come and go? Love must be at the centre of all we do. In the book of Songs of Solomon 2:15, it is written “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes”. Recently I got a message that was posted on my WhatsApp, I got the same message twice on the same day from different people. The summary of the message was that people should delete from their contacts those that do not add value to them and it went on with a long list of different categories of people that should be deleted from their contacts in the dawn of the New Year. It went further to give the name of the ministry that posted the message and amazingly, the minis38

try is being run by women. In John 15:5, Jesus was speaking to His disciples and He asserted “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruits...” Churches are made up of all kinds of fruit; some are tender grapes and need to be nurtured. Some may be old in age but very young in faith while some may be very young in age but mature in the things of the Spirit. This calls for the application of wisdom and a lot of prayers when delivering messages so that our words and language are not misconstrued by those who are particularly young in faith. There are some use of words or terminologies that are popular in the secular world and sometimes we employ them in church to drive home our points. The language of the Kingdom of God for the children of God is love, the use of some words and terminologies from the outside world sometimes may not be appropriate in the church of God. The word ‘delete’ in the above WhatsApp instance connotes ‘exclusion’, it suggests a social group that is not inclusive in nature.

When we begin to differentiate between those that can add value and those that cannot add value to our lives, we segregate people based on the value they can offer. When we start deleting people from our contacts, then who are we going to invite to church? The church of God is the body of Christ and it is inclusive in nature because Christ died for the redemption of all and not for an exclusive few. The word ‘value’ itself is a relative term. Often times when we say people cannot add value, it simply suggests that they are not of the same status, standards and tastes like us. We choose to only relate with those that are the same as us and yet we want to see the church of God filled with living souls! Many have attended churches a few times and decided to ‘do’ church in their homes because of what they have heard, while some have migrated to other churches. A few of those that ‘stay put’ are probably those that have attained some level of maturity in Christ and have their personal convictions and are not moved by what they hear. The church of God should not be seen as operating a class system but rather a congregation of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds irrespective of status or social standards working together in the unity of faith and in the Spirit of love as a body of Christ occupied with the business of the kingdom till Jesus Christ is revealed. There must be a functional welfare system. The word ‘functional’ implies that the structure that is put in place is actually working for its expected outcome. A functional welfare system is therefore imperative to meet the physical and spiritual needs of members of the congregation. This is why various departments and groups are encouraged in the church particularly when it’s a big church with large congregants to ensure that every member can be reached. Members should also be encouraged to be a part of a group in church so that when any issue arises they can get in touch with the group leader who can relate their issues to the welfare department to take the necessary action. It is unacceptable to hear that a member of a church

falls sick and is in the hospital and no one from the church could reach or visit the person. Even if the person is not a regular member of the church, we still have the responsibility to look out for them and extend a hand of love to them at their time of need. The welfare department as a unit could be split into different subgroups depending on the needs of the congregants. Sometimes some issues are beyond the capacity of the church and in such circumstances there would be need for counselling within the church to direct such people concerned to seek help from different services and agencies that are available in the community while the church keeps praying for them and checking on them. Touching Lives must be our focus. Sometimes when people are faced with challenges, monetary assistance in not always the way out. What people need often times is just a touch of love or a hand of fellowship and encouragement when faced with the storms of life. It is not enough to call them on the phone, it would be much more appreciated when we visit and hold hands in prayers and pray together in faith believing God for His divine interventions. Your physical presence sometimes makes a whole lot of difference. When people come to our churches for the first time, how do we follow them up? Do we just pray with them and expect them the next Sunday? What about the new converts that gave their lives to Christ in our very presence? A sister and her family once visited a church for the first time, there was the usual welcome and a powerful reception for new comers. On their way home after the service, she received a phone call and it was from one of the ladies that had attended to them in the church. The lady and her team were already at their door at home waiting for them to arrive. They waited for them just to give them a warm handshake at the door and asked if they were blessed and enjoyed the service and they left without entering the house. Before the end of that week, the visitors had received two phone calls and of course the next Sunday there was no hesitation to return to the church even when it was quite a journey from home. 39

The church of God should be a place of refuge where people can find comfort and an extension of the hand of love. People desire to hear the word of life that builds up, lifts up, and brings healing to broken hearts and words of encouragement to move on in the midst of the challenges that life throws at them. The ones that are still young in faith like the tender grapes need our love and patience to grow unto maturity. We have to continue to use the language of love to retain them so that we don’t lose them to the enemy. For those that have left the church, let’s look for them and find them, those that have decided to “do” church in their homes, let’s motivate them to come back to the household of faith and those that have migrated to other churches, let’s pray that God will establish them in the right place of worship where they can receive the engrafted word of God that is able to deliver their souls. The work is enormous and God is still looking for labourers that would populate His kingdom here on earth. The Pastors cannot do it all alone. We have all been saved to serve in His vineyard. The work is not only to some designated set of people in the church, all hands must be on deck. We don’t need a title to be able to reach out to other people, we all have to be involved in being our brother’s keeper. Let’s look out for those that have not been regular in church, let’s call them on phone and if possible visit them to know how they’re faring. What about the widows and single mothers in our congregation? Let’s support them and let them know that they are not alone. Let’s reach out to our community and demonstrate the love of God to them through giving and invite them to become part of the family of God. As the scripture rightly admonishes in John 9:4 “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work”. God is counting on us all to be diligent in this ministry of reconciliation; I believe we’ll not let Him down. Ekpen Happiness Onasanya

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CALL TO ACTION

Are you a professional sports person?

Do you know anyone who is a professional sports person? If so, please send their name and their sport to: sports@rccg.co.uk PS: A professional sports person is someone participating in any given sport professionally and at an elite level representing a club or their country at recognised national and international competitions. Tel Contact: Pastor Daniel Akanmu (RCCG UK Sports Director) - 07932402037 Bro Sheriff Tajudeen - 0208 171 1030

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BOOKS YOU JUST MUST READ

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ENGAGING WITH THE PRISON SERVICE How Prisons work in the UK In every prison, there is an allowance for faith and pastoral care for every inmate. This is organised by the National Offender Management Services (NOMS). The faith and pastoral care is facilitated by the Chaplain(s) and Chaplaincy teams. The team is often multinational and of different religious beliefs and even multi-denominational within the same faith. They can either be full time or parttime and they can either be paid or voluntary. The chaplains are nominated and endorsed by NOMS faith adviser. The managing Chaplain is in charge of the whole department. There is a current drive for a multifaith approach by the NOMS. Individuals from RCCG Parishes should apply for positions within the faith team in every prison. Why? Engaging with the prison service is deemed as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

in prison and you came to Me”. Matthew 25: 36 By engaging with the prison, the inmate’s needs and wants can be satisfied since this is the core value and mission of the church. Some of the Needs include: • Family support • Spiritual support • Trauma support and counselling • Family visit support and encouragement What to Do Next

• Even where there is no vacancy you can still volunteer; the work (faith and pastoral care for inmates) is never finished. • Identify charity organisations (inside or outside of prison) within your local area and engage and volunteer with them in their activities both inside and outside of the prison such as: I. Princes trust – www.princes-trust. org.uk

• Find Prisons near you.

II. Apex Charitable Trust – www. apextrust.com

• Engage with and Apply for Chaplaincy posts within identified Prisons. You will need:

III. Women in Prison www.womeninprison.org.uk

I. To be Ordained (with certificate to prove).

IV. Mentor Me – www.sixty-one.org/ mentoring-mentorme

CSR itself originated within the Church:

II. A letter of support from a church recognised by NOMS.

“…I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was

• Regularly monitor job advertisements at NOMS, through the web-

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site “Working for Ministry of Justice” (MOJ): www.gov.uk/government/ organisations/ministry-of-justice/ about/recruitment.

Pastor Osien Sibanda

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RCCGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VISION IS FOR CHURCHES IN EVERY COMMUNITY. PRAY WITH US AS WE FOCUS THESE PARTIALLY REACHED AND UNREACHED AREAS IN THE UK Avon Bradley Stoke Clevedon Keynsham Nailsea Portishead Thornbury Yate

Runcorn Sandbach Widnes Winsford

Bedfordshire Ampthill Biggleswade Flitwick Kempston Potton Sandy Woburn

Clwyd Buckley Colwyn Bay Denbigh Flint Hawarden Holywell Llangollen Mold Prestatyn Rhuddlan Rhyl Ruthin

Berkshire Crowthorne Sandhurst Thatcham Borders Coldstream Duns Eyemouth Galashiels Hawick Innerleithen Jedburgh Kelso Melrose Peebles Selkirk Buckinghamshire Beaconsfield Marlow Olney Princes Risborough Wendover Winslow Cambridgeshire Chatteris Godmanchester March Soham Central Alloa Bridge of Allan Callander Dunblane Grangemouth Tillicoultry Cheshire Alsager Bollington Congleton Frodsham Knutsford Macclesfield Middlewich Nantwich Neston Northwich

Cleveland Redcar Yarm

Cornwall Bodmin Bude Camborne Camelford Falmouth Fowey Hayle Helston Launceston Liskeard Looe Lostwithiel Newquay Padstow Penryn Penzance Redruth Saltash Torpoint Truro Wadebridge County Antrim Antrim Ballycastle Ballyclare Ballymena Ballymoney Bushmills Carrickfergus Crumlin Larne Lisburn Newtownabbey Portrush Randalstown County Armagh Armagh Craigavon Lurgan Markethill Newry Portadown

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County Down Ballynahinch Banbridge Bangor Castlewellan Comber Donaghadee Downpatrick Kilkeel Killyleagh Newtownards Portaferry Rostrevor Saintfield Warrenpoint

Long Eaton Matlock New Mills Ripley Swadlincote Whaley Bridge Devon Ashburton Axminster Barnstaple Bideford Bradninch Brixham Buckfastleigh Budleigh Salterton Crediton Cullompton Dartmouth Dawlish Exmouth Heathfield Holsworthy Honiton Ilfracombe Ivybridge Kingsbridge Lynton Moretonhampstead Newton Abbot Okehampton Paignton Salcombe Seaton Sidmouth South Molton Tavistock Teignmouth Tiverton Totnes

County Fermanagh Enniskillen Lisnaskea County Londonderry Coleraine Limavady Londonderry Magherafelt Portstewart County Tyrone Castlederg Clogher Coalisland Cookstown Dungannon Fintona Fivemiletown Omagh Strabane Cumbria Alston Appleby in Westmorland Barrow in Furness Carlisle Cockermouth Grange over Sands Kendal Keswick Kirkby Lonsdale Maryport Penrith Staveley Ulverston Whitehaven Windermere Workington

Dorset Blandford Forum Bridport Christchurch Dorchester Ferndown Gillingham Lyme Regis Poole Sherborne Swanage Verwood Wareham Weymouth Dumfries and Galloway Annan Castle Douglas Dalbeattie Dumfries Kirkcudbright Langholm Lockerbie Moffat Newton Stewart Stranraer

Derbyshire Alfreton Ashbourne Bakewell Belper Bolsover Buxton Dronfield Glossop Heanor Ilkeston 50

Wigtown Barnard Castle Bishop Auckland Chester le Street Newton Aycliffe Dyfed Aberaeron Ammanford Burry Port Cardigan Carmarthen Fishguard Haverfordwest Lampeter Laugharne Llandeilo Llandovery Llanelli Milford Haven Narberth Newcastle Emlyn Pembroke Tenby Tregaron East Sussex Battle Bexhill on Sea Crowborough Hailsham Hastings Heathfield Hove Lewes Newhaven Polegate Rye Uckfield Wadhurst Essex Brightlingsea Burnham on Crouch Coggeshall Maldon Manningtree Rochford Saffron Walden Thaxted Walton on the Naze Auchtermuchty Burntisland Cowdenbeath Cupar Inverkeithing Kinghorn Kirkcaldy Ladybank Leven Markinch Newport on Tay Pittenweem Fife Auchtermuchty Burntisland

Cowdenbeath Cupar Inverkeithing Kinghorn Kirkcaldy Ladybank Leven Markinch Newport on Tay Pittenweem Gloucestershire Chipping Campden Chipping Sodbury Cinderford Dursley Fairford Lydney Moreton in Marsh Nailsworth Newent Painswick Stroud Tetbury Tewkesbury Wotton under Edge Grampian Ballater Banff Buckie Cullen Dufftown Forres Keith Kintore Laurencekirk Lossiemouth Oldmeldrum Peterhead Greater Manchester Ashton in Makerfield Droylsden Dukinfield Horwich Hyde Westhoughton Gwent Abergavenny Abertilery Brynmawr Caldicot Cwmbran Ebbw Vale Monmouth Newport Newport Tredegar Usk

Gwynedd County Abergele Amlwch Bala Bangor Barmouth Beaumaris Betws y Coed Blaenau Ffestiniog Caernarfon Conwy Criccieth Dolgellau Holyhead Llandudno Llanrwst Penmaenmawr Porthmadog Pwllheli Tywyn Hampshire Alton Fordingbridge Gosport New Milton Petersfield Ringwood Romsey Tadley Totton Whitchurch Winchester Yateley Herefordshire Bromyard Hereford Kington Ledbury Leominster Ross on Wye Hertfordshire Berkhamsted Buntingford Buntingford Hoddesdon Potters Bar Sawbridgeworth Waltham Cross Ware Highlands and Islands Cromarty Dingwall Dornoch Grantown on Spey Kingussie Kirkwall Lerwick Nairn Tain Wick Humberside Barton upon Humber Beverley Bridlington Brigg Cleethorpes Driffield Goole Hessle Hornsea Howden Market Weighton Pocklington Withernsea Isle of Wight

Brading Cowes Newport Ryde Sandown Shanklin Ventnor Kent Broadstairs Deal Edenbridge Faversham Herne Bay Hythe Lydd Ramsgate Sandwich Southborough Tenterden Westerham Whitstable Lancashire Adlington Bacup Barnoldswick Burnley Carnforth Clitheroe Colne Darwen Failsworth Fleetwood Kirkham Leyland Longridge Morecambe Ormskirk Poulton le Fylde Skelmersdale Whitworth Leicestershire Ashby de la Zouch Hinckley Melton Mowbray Wigston Lincolnshire Alford Boston Bourne Caistor Gainsborough Grantham Horncastle Louth Mablethorpe Market Deeping Market Rasen Skegness Sleaford Spalding Spilsby Stamford

Newton le Willows Prescot Southport Wallasey

Worksop Oxfordshire Burford Carterton Charlbury Chipping Norton Dorchester Henley on Thames Thame Wallingford Wantage Woodstock

Mid Glamorgan Aberdare Bridgend Caerphilly Llantrisant Maesteg Merthyr Tydfil Porth Porthcawl

Powys Brecon Builth Wells Crickhowell Hay on Wye Knighton Llandrindod Wells Llanfyllin Llanidloes Llanwrtyd Wells Machynlleth Montgomery Newtown Presteigne Rhayader Talgarth Welshpool

Norfolk Aylsham Cromer Dereham Diss Downham Market Fakenham Hunstanton North Walsham Sheringham Thetford Wells next the Sea Wymondham North Yorkshire Bedale Easingwold Filey Harrogate Knaresborough Malton Middleham Pickering Richmond â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not the one South London Ripon Scarborough Selby Settle Skipton Tadcaster Thirsk Whitby

Rutland Oakham Uppingham Shropshire Bridgnorth Church Stretton Ellesmere Ludlow Market Drayton Newport Oswestry Shrewsbury Telford Wem Whitchurch Somerset Bridgwater Burnham on Sea Chard Crewkerne Frome Glastonbury Ilminster Minehead Shepton Mallet Somerton Wellington Wells Wincanton Winsford

Northamptonshire Brackley Burton Latimer Daventry Higham Ferrers Irthlingborough Oundle Thrapston Towcester

Lothian Bathgate Dalkeith Dunbar Haddington Linlithgow Loanhead Musselburgh North Berwick

Northumberland Alnwick Ashington Bedlington Berwick upon Tweed Blyth Corbridge Cramlington Haltwhistle Hexham Morpeth Prudhoe Rothbury

Merseyside Bebington Birkenhead Bootle Heswall Hoylake Kirkby

Nottinghamshire Bingham Eastwood Hucknall Retford Southwell Sutton in Ashfield

South Glamorgan Barry Cowbridge Llantwit Major Penarth South Yorkshire Bawtry Dinnington Hatfield Mexborough Penistone Wombwell Staffordshire Alton Biddulph Burntwood 51

Cannock Leek Lichfield Rugeley Stone Tamworth Uttoxeter

Monifieth Pitlochry

Strathclyde Airdrie Barrhead Bearsden Bellshill Biggar Campbeltown Carluke Coatbridge Cumbernauld Dumbarton Dunoon East Kilbride Gourock Greenock Helensburgh Inveraray Irvine Johnstone Kilbarchan Kilmarnock Kilwinning Lanark Largs Lochgilphead Maybole Milngavie Motherwell Oban Prestwick Rothesay Rutherglen Saltcoats Tobermory Troon

Warwickshire Alcester Atherstone Bedworth Coleshill Kenilworth Shipston on Stour Southam Stratford upon Avon Whitnash

Tyne and Wear Houghton le Spring Whitley Bay

Suffolk Aldeburgh Beccles Bungay Eye Felixstowe Framlingham Halesworth Haverhill Kesgrave Leiston Lowestoft Needham Market Otley Saxmundham Southwold Stowmarket Sudbury Woodbridge Surrey Camberley Egham Esher Farnham Godalming Haslemere Leatherhead Reigate Walton on Thames Weybridge Tayside Aberfeldy Brechin Carnoustie Crieff Forfar Kinross Kirriemuir

West Glamorgan Gorseinon Neath Port Talbot West Midlands Blackheath Bloxwich Halesowen Rowley Regis Smethwick Wednesbury Wednesfield Willenhall West Sussex Arundel Cuckfield Midhurst Petworth Selsey Shoreham by Sea West Yorkshire Batley Brighouse Castleford Cleckheaton Hebden Bridge Holmfirth Ilkley Keighley Morley Normanton Ossett Otley Pontefract Pudsey Todmorden Wetherby Yeadon Wiltshire Amesbury Bradford on Avon Calne Devizes Highworth Malmesbury Marlborough Trowbridge Warminster Westbury Wootton Bassett Worcestershire Bewdley Bromsgrove Evesham Kidderminster Malvern Pershore Redditch

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RCCG ANNUAL

GENERAL Meeting 2017

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Tuesday 17th October at the ExCeL Centre London and was attended by RCCG Parish Pastors and Ordained Ministers. The meeting was chaired by the General Overseer, Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

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RCCG EVENTS

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RCCG WORKERS’ RALLY OCTOBER 2017 At the RCCG Workers’ Rally, Workers from all RCCG parishes from across the country assemble at the ExCeL Centre London for an evening of Worship, Christian Drama, Bible Study, Prayer and the Holy Communion under the leadership of the General Overseer, Pastor E. A. Adeboye.

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FESTIVAL OF LIFE LONDON OCTOBER 2017

The Festival of Life London event is hosted by Pastor E.A. Adeboye at the ExCeL Centre London. It is one of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest gatherings of Christians for a night of fellowship, praise, prayers, drama, testimonies and life-changing Word, featuring a variety of guest ministers from within RCCG and from the wider body of Christ. More than 40,000 are in attendance annually and thousands more watch online from around the world.

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RCCG UK PASTORSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; RETREAT 2018 This event was organised for all our Parish Pastors and National Officers in the UK and took place from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th January 2018 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, B40 1PP. The retreat equips pastors for more effective ministry to the Church and Society; it is also an opportunity for bonding by pastors in our mission.

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HOURS MARATHON 76 MESSIAH PRAISE 76 Hours of Praise was organised to praise the Sovereign God as we celebrate His faithfulness to our beloved General Overseer Pastor E. A. Adeboye to mark his 76th birthday! The event took place between the 26th of February and 1st March, 2018. and broke new grounds as it held in 16 different countries. The UK slot took place on Tuesday 27th February 2018 at RCCG Royal Connections London.