Monday, June 17, 2013
GRACEVINE ONLINE BIBLE SCHOOL
GRACE VINE SCHOOL OF ON LINE -MINISTERIAL ARTS
MICHAEL BENSON AJAYI( affiliate of Gracevine ministries international Inc.)
MICHAEL BENSON AJAYI
Monday, June 3, 2013
FREE ONLINE BIBLE SCHOOL IN THE MONTH OF JUNE 2013
Do you want to know more about God based on experiencial knowledge founded on sound doctrines authenticated by infallible proofs, are you tired of going through the motion of the vicious circle of lifeless religious dogmas, do you sense a call of God in your life and seeks for proper preparation , then avail yourself of this golden opportumity in the Gracevine school of ministerial arts run by Pastor Michael Benson Ajayi a seasoned minister of the word of grace for over 25 years years.it starts on the 22 nd of June 2013. Indicate by sending us a mail to : gracevinemin@yahoo.com
Monday, May 20, 2013
HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD
HEAR GOD’S VOICE.
God speaks all the time (Rev2:7, 3:22) but unfortunately, we do
not hear him most times. To hear means to receive information and immediately respond
to it. Someone tells you a very funny joke and you immediately respond with
hilarious laughter because you heard him. If you didn’t laugh, you would or may
have been listening but did
not hear. Response is the proof of hearing.
We need to hear from God. Matt. 4:4. Man
…. lives by every word that has been
spoken and continuous to be spoken by the mouth of God. God wants us to
dwell in (ever surrounded) and walk in (2
Cor. 6:16), living epistles …..2 Cor
3:2-3.
A) To know God’s pattern for your life.
God builds your ministry with fragments of your life experiences and your
personality. Paul was a teacher of the law before becoming a teacher of grace. Peter
was a fisher of fish before he become a fisher of men.
B) No two ministries are the same.
No two ministries are the same. It
is foolish to seek to do it like someone else. Seek to discover your pattern. Heb. 8:5b. God shows everyone a
different pattern. Joyce Meyers does not need to work miracles and yet
multitudes are reached. This is different for Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonkke. Rev.
Mike teaches with prophetic anointing which is different from others. Discover
yours.
You are unique, be unique in
your praise, teaching, evangelism etc .GOD
does not always win soul the same way. There are so many ways to catch a fish.
A wise evangelist or student etc. that needs you and is ready to receive you”
HINDERANCES TO HEARING GOD. GOD’S eyes are moving to and fro to help his
servants. The heart is the centre of 1) emotions or affections. 2) the motives
and (3) the intentions.
A) AN IMPURE
AND IMPERFECT HEART: this include
1)
Worldly
affections 1 Jn 2:15 we keep ungodly relationships. This
blocks
our ears against GOD’S word.
2)
Impure
motives: our motivations is some times evil like the prophet
Baalam.
Numbers 23.It is wrong when we are motivated to do GOD’S work for money, fame
and prestige.
3)
Wrong intentions Acts5 Anannias and sapphira
had the wrong
intentions. Their plan was not to give but keep the
money to themselves.
B) HARDNESS OF
HEART: Set aside a day out of the
week to soften your heart. I have done this for over twenty years and it has been
of tremendous blessing to me as it makes you very flexible to opinions and
changes. Heb.4:7 say not harden your
heart.
1)
unforgiveness
stops GOD’S VOICE
2)
forgiveness bring
back GOD’S voice in our lives.
3)
Habitual sinful life stops GOD’S voice .you must
be born again and not be a mere Christian practitioner. Rom8:16, 1john5:10. the
unregenerate heart
Blocks out GOD’S voice for such a heart is controlled by satan the anti-
christ.
Rom8:6-7 the unregenerate mind has
intellectual agreement but does not and can not obey a preacher of the gospel
due to spiritual deafness and blindness James
2:19 GOD demands saving faith and not intellectual agreement because it is
possible to know that you are saved. Rom10:9,10TLB.
Test: Pray
this prayer from your heart: lord Jesus I confess you are my lord I believe you
bore my sins to calvary’s cross to save me from sin. I believe you rose from
the dead and are enthroned at the father’s right hand in heaven.
I trust you and your blood alone to be the full payment for
my sins. I renounce and turn from my sins. I receive your holy sprit to bear
witness with my spirit that I am a child of GOD. All this I ask in the name of
my lord Jesus Christ amen.John10:27, Eze36:27
tlb.
DISOBEDIENCE STOPS GOD’S VOICE: Faith means to be obedient actively to what GOD says.
Therefore faith comes by hearing the word of god that is hearing and obediently
responding to what god has said
Pride is the greatest enemy
to obedience it is a demonic spirit that repeatedly says “what will people say”,
it comes with shame whenever you are ashamed the pride is standing near by
prov.11.2. Paul says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” Rom. 1.16 you need to say the same
every day and cast out that demon called pride and be free to express your
gifts in Jesus name pray: I cast out of my mind the fear of man in Jesus name.,
I receive boldness to declare God’s counsel in Jesus name. I confess that I
have the spirit of boldness and I am not afraid of what man will do to me.
Our carnal minds thinks if we
try what God is saying and fail, what will the people think, my friend won’t
understand me. My social club will not agree with what God is telling me to do.
All these thoughts have their
root in the fear of man – PRIDE. It hinders men from fulfilling their calling.
PRECONCEPTIONS HINDER OBEDIENCE: God does not always follow the same pattern, one
moment Jesus heals by speaking, another moment he lays his hands and another
time he mixes up mud and saliva to heal. In 2 kings 5. Naaman nearly lost his miracle due to
preconception .Most people like Naaman would want to instruct the man of God on
how to fulfill the work of ministry forgetting that every man of God has his unique
pattern of ministry for God has his unique pattern of ministry. For Elisha, Naaman
could only be healed by bathing in the dirty river Jordan.
Preconception is deeply
rooted in pride the spirit of preconception says “I know everything I can
conceive things before they happen- as they will happen” and whenever things do
not happen according to our plan we abandon church and become resentful and
angry with God for not working according to our expectations .
God has a pattern for your life Heb. 8.5 “that thou make all things
according to the pattern showed to thee (not someone else)”. You’ve got to do
it the way God shows you. Noah built the ark because that was God’s pattern for
Noah, Moses built a tabernacle because that was Gods pattern for Moses, Solomon
built a temple because God told him to. You must not do it the way somebody did
it but according as God has shown you.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
marriage promises that work.
Claim God's Promises for Your Marriage
- Thursday, May 26, 2005
Claiming God's promises together will unleash His power in your marriage. Here are some ways you can claim God's promises of ...
Answered prayer: Honestly consider what excuses you've been using not to pray. Identify the one that's most obvious in your life, and ask God to help you overcome it. Make a list of people and things for which to pray. Then record answers as they come. Memorize one of the Scripture verses that describes God's promise to answer prayer (such as Matthew 7:7-8). Talk and listen to God throughout your day, even in the car and the shower. Commit to praying with your spouse daily. Set an initial goal of praying together for five minutes each day, then gradually increase that time as appropriate.
Change: Know that God isn't interested in preserving the status quo; He specializes in bringing about transformation. Ask yourself and your spouse: "How has my life changed since accepting Christ?" and "How has my marriage changed since becoming a Christian?". Thank God for those changes. Then ask, "What further changes does God want me to make in my life that will better reflect that I am His child?" Ask God for help to make those changes. Finally, ask your spouse or another trusted person to share any positive changes he or she has observed in your character or conduct recently, and what changes you may still need to make.
Comfort: Rely on God's comfort when you're suffering. Know that He is always available to help you, no matter what your circumstances. Trust that God will also use your pain as tools to bring about positive growth in your life; ask Him to reveal what He wants you to learn from your troubles. Develop a compassionate heart for other people and share the comfort God has given you with them - through encouraging words, acts of kindness, hugs, etc. Don't lecture, sermonize, accuse, or criticize hurting people. Instead, remember when you were hurting yourself and recall how God encouraged you. Keep in mind that hard times can deepen your faith, teach you patience, develop your maturity, build your wisdom, force you to pray, and remind you of what's truly important.
Completion: Trust that God will continue to work in your life until He has completed all the good work He has begun in you. Take heart that God isn't finished with either you or your spouse. View yourselves as works in progress. Pray about your specific needs individually and as a couple. Make every effort to grow continuously in your walk with God, and be confident of His help to do so.
Courage: Know that God will give you the courage you need for whatever battles you face - in your marriage, and elsewhere. Read your Bible daily, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read. Decide to stand up for Christ in public, at work, and at home. Strive to model godly character to one another and others, fulfill your role in your family, guide your family out of worldliness and into holiness, speak up for morality at your children's school(s), and live a consistent life for Christ, regardless of the cost. Discuss your fears with your spouse and support each other in prayer for newfound courage.
Deliverance: Expect temptations as a normal part of life in our fallen world. Know that God promises to help you avoid giving into temptation by providing a way to escape it before it hurts you. Be aware of people or situations that tempt you - a shortcut, an attractive man or woman, a bigger house, etc. Run from your areas of weakness. Pray before you act. Read God's Word. Consider the consequences of giving into specific temptations. Build a support system of other Christians who can encourage you and keep you accountable.
Forgiveness: Know that the forgiveness God gives is complete and permanent. You can't ever use it up. It's meant to be shared (since God has forgiven you, show mercy to your spouse and others). It changes you. Regularly confess your sins to God, accept His forgiveness, embrace His mercy, and trust that He will help you move on with a clean slate and second chances. Make a list of the people you need to forgive, then pray about each one. Make another list of the people you have wronged, beginning with your spouse. Take the first step to make things right between you and each person you've hurt. Let go of bitterness and embrace kindness. Praise God for the gift of forgiveness.
Grace: Trust that God's grace is sufficient for your salvation and to shape you and your spouse into the people He wants you to be. Rely on God's grace to see you through any trial you experience. Thank God that you are under grace and not the law. Extend grace to your spouse and others by sharing the gospel, showing forgiveness, and shouldering their burdens.
Guidance: Depend on God for the knowledge and wisdom to know what to do in all situations. Recognize the limitations of your own wisdom. Always seek God's will, for decisions both great and small. Examine the values and priorities you and your spouse have, and seek to align them with God's. Use your God-given abilities to reason, but never rely solely on your own reason; consult God, one another, and other people. Listen to wise advice and be willing to be corrected. Be patient and wait to act until God's will becomes clear to you.
Hope: You can be confident that God is working out His good plans for your marriage and your entire life. Know that the hope God offers you is real because it's grounded in His power. Realize that He can transform even the most tragic situations to help you grow. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by something in life, remember God's words of hope and encouragement in His Word. Trust in God's faithfulness. Recall how God has come through for you in the past. Rejoice that, no matter how bad things become, God has a plan for good and will be with you in your every hour of need.
Life: Understand that life is offered only in Jesus, is found only in Jesus, and is abundant because of Jesus - right here and now, and also in the life to come after you leave this world. If you haven't already, begin an eternal relationship with Jesus by asking Him to be your Lord and Savior. Live each day with all your heart, recognizing that it is a valuable gift. Be grateful to be alive. Don't worry about losing eternal life once you have it, because nothing can snatch you out of Jesus' hands once you've truly given your life to Him. Share the good news of God's gift of life with other people.
Love: Since God chooses to love you no matter what, choose to love your spouse and other people no matter what. Decide to serve God and others. Look for opportunities to do so. Stay close to God through prayer and a pure life of obedience so His love will flow freely through your heart to others. Make love your highest goal. Enjoy acting in love often!
Peace: Know that peace comes through trusting God and living in obedience to Him. Take whatever issues are troubling you individually and as a couple to God in prayer, turning them over to Him. Confess sins that may be blocking your intimacy with God and the peace that results. Whenever you're tempted to worry about anything, pray about it instead. Rely on God's guidance and strength to work through your problems together.
Power: Understand that Jesus doesn't promise you worldly positions of power and authority. He promises you something greater - spiritual power. Realize the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit and relying on the Spirit's constant counsel in your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to guard against sin in your marriage and other parts of your life. Witness to others by letting them see God's powerful work in your life. Follow God's call into service opportunities with the confidence that He will empower you to fulfill them well.
Presence: Trust that God will always be present with you, no matter what. Don't worry about your spouse when you're apart, and don't lean too much on each other when you're together. Remember that God is looking out for both of you. Be aware of God's constant presence with you, and communicate with Him throughout each day in prayer.
Provision: Thank God for the ways He has provided for you, physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially, etc. Take heart that He has promised to give you everything you truly need. Remember that you and your spouse have the responsibility to be good stewards of all God has entrusted to you; strive to do a good job. Be content with what God has given you. Give back to God a portion of what He has provided to you. Develop and stick to a budget. Discuss how you can cut expenses. Wait on major purchases until you pray about them.
Purpose: Know that God's purpose gives meaning and significance to your marriage and entire life. Recognize that His plans are unique for you. Patiently wait for God to fully reveal His purpose for your life. Be faithful where you are in life right now as you await His guidance for your next steps. Understand that it's part of each person's purpose to come to repentance for sins, live a pure life, act as His witnesses to other people, and be transformed more and more into Jesus' image. Know that part of each spouse's purpose is to love and respect his or her partner. Realize that part of each parent's purpose is to care for and spiritually train his or her children.
Rest: Recognize that rest is a gift from God that is important for a balanced life. As a couple, evaluate your schedules to determine whether or not you're each getting adequate rest. Cut back on anything that's preventing you from getting the sleep and recreation you need. Take regular vacations and cultivate a hobby that has nothing to do with your regular job. Through prayer, give your burdens to Jesus - the only One who is strong enough to carry them.
Self-Discipline: Rely on God's promised help to control your attitudes and actions so you can be faithful in your marriage and entire life. Actively seek to develop godly discipline. Deal promptly with sin such as anger and laziness. Memorize Scripture and meditate on it to renew your mind. Monitor what you see and dwell on, since your eyes are the gateway to your mind. Avoid media that corrupts your thinking. Keep your body fit. Ask God to help you achieve a healthy balance between your work and home lives. Develop and stick to a budget.
Strength. Understand that Jesus is the source of your strength; He is the reason you can do all things in the spiritual realm. Stay closely connected to Him through prayer and living an obedient life. Surround yourself with people you trust who will help hold you accountable in your walk of faith. Exercise your faith by trusting God for your needs, praying and anticipating God's answers, relying on God's strength in your weakness, believing God's promises in the midst of trials, being a consistent witness to your beliefs, and standing up for your faith in all situations.
Success: Celebrate the fact that you can be successful in your marriage and every other aspect of your life, by God's measurements, if you: study the Bible consistently, ponder what it says, and apply it completely. Survey your heart and honestly assess the standards by which you may be judging your own level of success. Then allow God to align your values with His. Evaluate your level of obedience to God's Word. Surrender your practices that don't reflect the faithfulness God desires of you.
Victory: Rejoice that God has given you and your spouse certain victory over sin and death if you each have a saving relationship with Jesus. Acknowledge that your current spiritual setbacks are only skirmishes in the larger spiritual war of resisting evil and growing closer to Jesus. Recognize that sin in your life is an affront to a holy God, and deal with sin seriously. Acknowledge the strong hold evil can have over you and others, and don't be caught off-guard. Pray often for God's strength to do the right thing. Know God's Word and recall verses that apply to situations in which you find yourself. Flee temptation. Be accountable to your spouse and others you trust and respect. Ask them to pray for you to be faithful in your attitudes and actions. Remember that you and your spouse are a team, and if God is your coach, you'll win in life.
Wisdom: Know that God is the ultimate source of wisdom. Desire the wisdom He gives, and pray for it. Continue to seek it every day, since your marriage and other parts of your life are constantly changing.
Worth: Realize that you are of great worth because you're one of God's beloved children. Base your worth on your identity in Christ. Thank God that, even though the physical materials of your body aren't worth much, He has given you a priceless soul. Understand that your limitations are actually gifts because they force you to trust God. Accept your limitations and use them as reasons to rely more on God's strength. Know that God never makes a mistake, so you can trust His work in your life and that of your spouse. Understand that your marriage is worthwhile because it helps you both learn to love more deeply.
Adapted from Powerful Promises for Every Couple, copyright 2004 by Jim and Elizabeth George.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
GOD LOVES GAYS AND HAS GREAT PLANS FOR THEM
UNDERSTANDING HOMOSEXUALITY &
LESBIANISM
The sanctity of sex: The act of marriage is that beautiful and
intimate relationship shared uniquely by a husband and wife in the privacy of
their love. It is holy or sacred experience and was designed by God to be so in
any relationship.
The writer of the book of Hebrews in
the Bible declares in Hebrews 15:4 “Marriage is honourable in all and the bed
undefiled”. The term the bed undefiled is indicative of the truth that marriage
is sacred experience just as worship is. The act of lovemaking is therefore a
very holy experience.
The Holy Spirit’s word for ‘bed’ in
Hebrew is the Greek Koite (pronounced Koy Tay) meaning ‘cohabitation by
implanting the male sperm’ koite comes from the root word Keimai meaning to
lie’ and is akin to Koimao which means ‘to cause to sleep’. The commonly used
word describing sex is the word coitus which comes from the latin word coition,
the Greek word Koite has the same meaning and signifies the relationship a
married couple experiences in the bed that the cohabit’ Based on this meaning
of the word, Heb.13:4 could be translated, ‘Coitus in marriage is honourable in
all and undefiled.’ It is God’s privilege for partners to create a new life,
another human being, as a result of the expression of their love.
God, who created sex describes it as
very good (Gen. 1:31) and was intended for the purpose of mutual enjoyment by a
man and his wife 1Tim.6:17 and also to bring about the propagation of a godly
human race. It is against this backdrop that all form of ungodly acts of sex
are highly condemned by God.
The word of God clearly spells out
God’s design for sexual expression. The restrictions he placed on sexual
expression protect the purity of that design.
God has set boundaries on sexual expression
because of his holiness and as a means of protecting us from physical and
emotional harm. By living within the borders of sexual purity, we can
experience this wonderful gift from God as he intended.
The abominable sex acts as enumerated
in the Bible includes incest – sex with near relatives Lev.18:10-18, immediate
family Lev.18:6-9.fornication i.e. sexual act outside marriage e.g. promiscuity
Deut.22:23-25, adultery, Deut.22:22, prostitution Deut. 23:17-18; perversion
i.e. Homosexuality and lesbianism Lev.18:22, prov.1:26 bestiality i.e. sex with
an animal Lev.18:23 practitioners of these act are in violation of God’s
righteous laws and stand judged by God’s word Pro.1:32 and in danger of eternal
damnation.
WHOLISTIC SEX EDUCATION: Gen.18:22-26 God created sex to be an intimate bonding
experience between a husband and wife. Homosexual and lesbian practices
violated God’s design. We must not take sexual sin lightly; indifference about
it only conveys acceptance and God does not want us to accept sin. Parents need
to teach their children that God has made provision for sexual union within the
bonds of marriage between a man and a woman (Gen.2:23-24). Don’t wait what
friends and schools to teach them to accept what God calls sinful behaviour. In
your comments and attitude towards homosexuals, model love for the person – because
God loves all people (Jn.3:16) along with hate for the sin. Parents should be
the one to introduce God’s design for sex to their children. God’s word is the
standard for truth and is ultimately reliable. It reveals God’s standard about
life and human sexuality. In Romans1:24-27, we can see four moral and spiritual
truths about homosexuality and lesbianism.
Homosexuality is a behaviour: The Bible never calls homosexuality
an identity or an alternative sexuality created by God. The Bible says ‘women……
indulged in sex … With each other. And the men…..doing shameful things with
other men……’Romans 1:26 - 27.
Homosexuality is a sinful behaviour: Sinful means that such behaviour is
displeasing to God. The word of God says; ‘God let them go ahead into every
sort of sex sin’ Romans 1: 24.
Homosexuality and Lesbianism is a substitute for God’s
natural plan: the word of God says that “even their women turned
against God’s natural plan (Rom.1:26). God created all people to be
heterosexuals even as there would be a male and female character among homosexuals
.. Homosexuality and lesbianism is a spiritual and emotional disorientation,
deviation and disorder of his plan.
As with all sin, the root of
homosexuality and lesbianism is caused and maintained by those who refuse to
honour God. “They know about him all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or
worship him or even thank him all his daily care” Rom.1:21.
All sin is a turning away from God
all healing comes from a return to God spiritually and morally, lesbianism and
homosexuality as a sinful behaviour that distorts God’s natural plan for human
sexuality. Loss of self worth, low self esteem, identity crises and a filthy
disposition and a high suicidal tendency are some of the traits in the lives of
confessed homosexuals and lesbians.
Homosexuality is not the unforgivable sin: It is important to understand that
homosexual behaviour has emotional and psychological roots. While homosexuality
is sin, it is not the unforgivable sin. God knows that all of us are sinners
prone to emotional wounding and disordered behaviour.
In the gospel of St. John 8: 1-11, we see the story of an
adulterous woman who was brought before Jesus. If this had been a homosexual person,
Jesus would have meted same act of kindness to such an individual. The word of
God says; Jesus loved the woman just as he loves all sinners including
homosexuals and lesbians popularly knows as “gays”. He forgave her and
commanded her to stop sinning. He said; neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no
more. (John 8:11). God loves homosexuals or gays and calls them to repent and
be healed. He seeks their conversion, not their shame and ruin.
How to overcome Homosexuality and Lesbianism:
There are six elements to an
effective healing program for individuals struggling with lesbianism or
homosexuality.
Firstly, the individual most open
his/her heart to the pure love of God. Only God can give a new heart through a
personal relationship through Jesus Christ. He or she needs to become a child
of God. Only Jesus can give the overcomer this real relationship to God because
as he says “no one can get to the father except by him (John 14: 6) “To all who
received him (Jesus) he gave power to become the children of God” (John 1:12)
Secondly, the individual needs a
personal devotional life that include regular study and meditation on God’s
word and a vital life of prayers and periodic fasting .
Thirdly, the subject needs to be actively
involve with a good Bible teaching and preaching church that offers fellowship
and nurture in Christian holiness.
Fourthly, the individual needs a good
Christian friend or married couple with whom to share burdens and be held
accountable.
Fifthly, the individual needs to be
committed to professional Christian counseling to learn about the root of
homosexuality and lesbianism, gain personal insight and work through emotional
healing
Finally, the individual needs to be
involved in a group support ministry with other overcomers. Such a group offers
weekly support and education provides Honesty, openness, prayer and
encouragement. God loves all gays and there is hope for those trying to
overcome lesbianism and homosexuality.
“Don’t you know that those doing such
things have no share in the kingdom
of God? Don’t fool
yourselves. Those who live immoral lives, who are idol worshippers , adulterers
or homosexuals will have no share in his kingdom. Neither with thieves or
greedy people, drunkards, slanderers or robbers. There was a time when some of
you were just like that but now your sins are washed away and you are set apart
for God; and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the
Spirit of our God have done for you” 1cor.6:9-11.
Prayer
Heavenly father, forgive me of my
sins of sexual immorality against you. Wash me clean from all unrighteousness
as I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Saviour. Amen.
Michaelbenson3000@yahoo.com,
viber call + 234(0) 8035536911
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