THE WISDOM AND POWER THAT COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD GRANTS US THE INSTRUCTION AND THE INTELLIGENCE TO MAKE CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRESS
IF GOD DOES NOT COME TO HELP A MAN, YOUR EFFORTS WILL ONLY AMOUNT TO FUTILITY AND FRUSTRATION
IF ANY MAN RISES, IT’S BECAUSE GOD LIFTED HIM. IF ANY MAN EXCELS, IT IS BECAUSE GOD GRANTED HIM THE GRACE
WHEN WE LOOK UP TO HIM AND BEHOLD HIM, WE ARE CHANGED FROM A VERSION THAT REPRESENTS SHAME AND REPROACH TO A VERSION THAT REPRESENTS DIGNITY AND HONOUR
THE BIBLE CALLS JESUS CHRIST THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. THE “AUTHOR” MEANS THE ONE WHO ORIGINATES AND STARTS AND “FINISHER” IS THE ONE WHO SUPERVISES ITS SAFE CONCLUSION
GOD HAS THE POWER TO PROTECT, PRESERVE AND TO KEEP BUT HE ONLY KEEPS WHAT IS COMMITTED UNTO HIM.
I WANT TO SINCERELY HONOUR AND COMMEND HIS EXCELLENCY FOR HIS OUTSPOKEN DEPENDENCE ON THE GOD OF HEAVEN EVEN IN GOVERNANCE
TO LIVE A VERY MEANINGFUL LIFE, YOU MUST BE GOVERNED BY 3 FACTORS; FEAR OF THE LORD, CONSCIENCE AND A SENSE OF POSTERITY AND LEGACY
- Apostle Joshua Selman at Special Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service to Celebrate Akwa Ibom at 35 || Ibom Hall Grounds, Uyo.
Hallelujah. Congratulations to Akwa Ibom state on your 35th anniversary. I celebrate with you. It will only be for you from glory to glory, in the name of Jesus Christ. And I ask that the Lord himself will bless our hearts even as we listen to the word. Church Gist. Let us pray.
Father, thank you for yet another opportunity to hear you speak to us. Thank you for 35 years of your faithfulness in this state, and lord I pray that you will charge our hearts and give us wisdom even through your words, that tehe moments we share together from the scripture will be most enlightening and that you will challenge us to even press further. Church Gist. We decree and declare that at the end of this sermon, Jesus himself will be revealed and glorified for in Jesus name, I pray.
Your Excellency, Governor Emmanuel Udom, thank you very much for the invite, I appreciate everyone, I stand on the existing protocol.
I believe in the power and the word of God and I believe that the power of God makes. The wisdom and power that comes from the word of God grants us the instruction and the intelligence to make constructive progress. Church Gist. So, the lord has put something in my heart to share even on this occasion.
Psalm 127:2. If God does not come to help a man, your efforts will only amount to futility and frustration. Reason number one why we must look unto God, setting our gaze upon Him and relying upon His wisdom and His ability.
The second reason why the Bible encourages us to look unto Jesus is found in Romans 9:16. Our world is full of people who have everything in place, politically, intellectually, academically and so on and so forth and within a moment, issues happen around life that was within or beyond their control and ended their lives and relevance overnight. Church Gist. It is pride for any man to believe he can be self sufficient outside of the mercy and the assistance of the God of Heaven. Romans 9:16.
2 Kings 5:6-7. When I read that scripture, it blessed man because the man was a king and you know that kings are people of authority, stature and influence and yet this man had the unashamedness to admit that this kind of result only resides within the power of God. It is my prayer that the higher we rise, the more we acknowledge that no matter how great we are, we are still limited. Church Gist. It will only take God and His power and wisdom to become the completion of our lives. If you’re still with me, say Amen.
Why do we need to look unto Jesus as the Bible mandates? Psalms 62:11. Power belongs to God. If any man rises, it’s because God lifted him. If any man excels, it is because God granted him the grace. 2 Chronicles 26:5,15. Power belongs to God. Church Gist. Psalms 113:1-9. So, Jesus Christ that the Bible mandates that we look upon is a lifter. He can lift men from any background regardless of the conclusion of men, this is one profound quality about the God that we serve. He is not only a great God, it is within His power to enthrone and even dethrone. Church Gist. Psalm 18:29, may that be your testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Exodus 15:11-19. It is called the song of Miriam, this was after the nation of Isreal crossed through the red sea on dry land, Miriam was so touched by that experience and she penned down a few things, and she said, “who is like unto you?” and she began to describe the grace and the majesty of God. Church Gist. Only the God of Heaven is able to part a sea and grant men access on dry land.
Why does the Bible mandate that we look unto Jesus? 2 Corinthians 3:18. When we look up to Him and behold Him, we are changed from a version that represents shame and reproach to a version that represents dignity and honour. When we look up to Jesus, we never remain in shame. Church Gist. Now, listen very carefully, this is a message for the people of Akwa Ibom but then it extends to as many who are listening and following. I can guarantee by the integrity of God’s word that nobody looks unto Jesus sincerely and wholeheartedly, and remains in shame. It may take time but the God of Heaven who is a lifter and a blesser will always turn your night to day.
- May that be your portion, in the name of Jesus Christ.
So when we behold Him, we are changed. When a poor man beholds him, he is changed, when a sick man beholds him, he is changed, when a mediocre and a weak man beholds him, he is changed and the Bible says that we are changed in to the very image we are looking upon.
Why does the Bible mandate that we look unto Jesus? The Bible calls him the author and the finisher of our faith. This is very powerful. The “author” means the one who originates and starts and “finisher” is the one who supervises its safe conclusion. Church Gist. The Bible says Jesus Christ is the author and finisher. That can be true for an individual, that can be true for a family, that can be true for a career person, that can be true for a state, that can be true for a nation. Now, listen, there are many people who allow Jesus Christ to be author of their lives but they never work with Him to be finisher. Church Gist. There are others who never allow him to be author but eventually, they discover their mistake and they allow Him to be finisher. My charge is that it is best for an individual to allow the God of the Bible, even Jesus to be author and finisher – the author of your life, the finisher of your destiny. The author of Akwa Ibom, the finisher of your destiny. The author of every political career, educational career, family career and the finisher of the same. Church Gist. This is what the Bible mandates.
2 Timothy 1:12. God has the power to protect, preserve and to keep but He only keeps what is committed unto Him. He does not keep what is available, He does not keep what you want to be protected, He only keeps what is committed unto Him against that day. Hallelujah. God is able to keep and protect. He is able to keep a man’s legacy, He’s able to keep a man’s influence, He’s able to keep a man’s relevance, He’s able to give you longevity, provided you commit unto Him. Church Gist. Committing unto God demands humiliry on your own part. That you realize and acknowledge that unassisted, “I am limited” and sincerely without any playing with words, I want to sincerely at this juncture, honour His Excellency for His outspoken dependence on the God of Heaven even in governance. Church Gist. It is worthy of commendation even in a state like this.
You know I’m not a politician, I’m a man of God, a communicator of truth and righteousness, and as far as my eyes can see, if it is worthy of commendation, I will commend with honour, if it is worthy of rebuke, I’ll rebuke in love, this is my assignment as a man of God.
Let me try to conclude. Governments will come and go, leaders will come and go, business will come and go, kings will come and go, investors will come and go, politicians will come and go, everyone of us here including the preacher will come and go. Please hear me, everyone will come and go, the awareness of the transitory nature of man should give us a level of wisdom and intelligence. Church Gist. Psalm 90:12. That means, there’s a level of wisdom and intelligence that comes into the heart of a man when you take cognizance to the fact that “no matter how long I stay, whether in politics, business, even as royalty”, it is given unto men to only be within the space of their relevance for a season. Church Gist. The law of seasons is a law that comes upon all men. What does that mean? It means that to live an impactful life, you must be governed by 3 things, this is my charge, respectfully speaking to His Excellency, as he approaches his final day of his tenure as the governor of Akwa Ibom state, this is also a charge that extends to every politician, business man, man of God and indeed every wonderful son and daughter of the soil. Church Gist. To live a very meaningful life, you must be governed by 3 factors;
- The fear of the Lord. The basis for an excelling life is the fear of the Lord. Psalms 9:10. Church Gist. That when an individual coordinates his life, making reference to his fear for God, the word “fear” there means reverence. It is important that we live our lives to honour God knowing that one day, we will stand before God.
- You must be guided by conscience
- You must be guided by a sense of posterity and legacy. Back in the seminary, we used to sing a song that said, “thus we will we pass from the earth and its toiling, only remembered by what we have done”. We are not the first to be in this position, any position you choose at all, and we will not be the last. Church Gist. In this state, leaders will come and go, business people will come and go like I said earlier. My charge with every sense of respect and honour to the leaders, His excellencies here present, the men and women of God, the businessmen, stakeholders, captains of industries is that we must make up our minds that we will live a legacy that is worth it, if and when we are no longer here.
I made up my mind as a man of God that I will live my life serving the purpose of God will sincerity and truth, making my own contribution as far as the revelation of Jesus is concerned and helping to contribute the quota that I can make in nation building without any sense of prejudice or bias, with a sense of judgment and the fear of the Lord. Church Gist. This has been my creed and it remains so. I count an honour to be here to celebrate with Akwa Ibom on this 35th anniversary and it is my prayer and prophetic declaration that by 70, we will still be here to celebrate, in the name of Jesus Christ.
We are going to do two things with the time I have left, and please I want you to lend me your time. Church Gist. I am a man of God and a preacher, that means I believe in Jesus Christ and His entire plan and any opportunity that God provides for me to share with God’s people, it is always an opportunity to not only reveal Jesus but to connect someone back to Jesus who is the God of the Bible. The Bible already told us to look unto Jesus, calls Him the author and the finisher of our faith. Church Gist. The Bible also said that God will only keep that which is committed unto Him. I believe wuth all my heart that standing and seated here among the thousands of people and the thousands watching, I believe there’s someone in this place that is saying, “Apostle, on hearing you teach, I confess that I do not know this Jesus you’re talking about. I have heard about Him from preachers, my governor, I have heard about Him from visionary leaders, I have heard about Him maybe by way of television or Internet but I have not made a personal decision for Jesus”. May I please request that you give me a two minutes allowance to make this call. Even if it is one person who would come to Jesus today, I believe it’ll be an honour, and a completion of a faithful assignment done. Church Gist. I do not want to just come and lend my voice with the beautiful people of Akwa Ibom and even His Excellency, to celebrate the mighty hand of God over this state, which is a noble task, but I want to give an opportunity for someone. Please hear me, in making this call, it doesn’t matter if you’re a politician, a business person or a captain of industry, one day, we are going to stand before this Jesus. Church Gist. The Bible clearly says that this same Jesus will return even as we have seen Him ascend. He’s the reason why we’re celebrating 35 years but I want you to know that one day this life will be over with all its activities. Scattered across are people who are being convicted of the Holy Spirit and I’m going to make an altar call right now.
ALTAR CALL
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