Pastor Lara Adesanya @ Sunday First Service
Marriage is not a cliché, neither is it something one gets into because of advancement in age or because it is what everybody is doing. Marriage is sacrificial love, and this keeps a relationship strong and solid. It is exciting but could also be destructive depending on how it is handled. It is not prostitution where one can go in and go out at will, nor is it the idea of anyone but that of God, and it is a covenant relationship which should never be broken. These were the words of Pastor Lara Adesanya at the August 26 Sunday first service.
Speaking from Ephesians 5:21-33, she said that marriage is not the union of perfect people but of two imperfect people coming together to become one and be perfect together. This, she said, happens when those involved grow daily in Christ. According to her, understanding, respect, trust, patience, prayer, sacrifice, contentment, forgiveness, love, effective communication, positive confession, and standing on the Word of God are major tips to having a successful and godly marriage. “Things might not be easy at the beginning but when you do these, you are doing the will and Word of God, and He will not leave you stranded,” she said.
She then implored all never to handle their marriages like the people of the world but to live according to the Word of God and follow His commands, which are usually different from the ways of the world, so as to make their marriage successful. “God will promote you to a new level of blessing and victory when you commit yourself purely to Him,” she stated.
“COVENANT REALITIES”
Pastor Jimmy Odukoya @ Sunday Second Service
Pastor Jimmy Odukoya during the second service said that the realities of God’s covenant to His people are predicated on their obedience in following the principles of that covenant. According to him, many believers are still in pain and anguish because they are living outside the instructions and principles guiding God’s covenant with them. “Covenant will take you beyond your physical limitations, but you need to position yourself where you must be found so that when the time of your blessings come you will not be found wanting,” he said.
Speaking from Genesis 6:18 and 2 Samuel 9:1-10, he said that covenant is generational and includes unusual acceleration, restoration and promotion, but it is for only the heirs of the Kingdom. He further said that a believer’s identity would always be under attack in a covenant when such is not aware of his identity. “You must be a son of God for you to inherit the blessings of God meant for His sons,” he stated.
“OUR FAITH”
Pastor Dapo Williams @Thursday Showers
Pastor Dapo Williams during the August 23 Thursday Showers service said that faith is a vital ingredient for believers in attaining victory in the world. According to him, faith requires meditation because that is what allows them know the mind of God. “What gives us victory in this world is our faith. So, as a child of God, you must have a time to sit and meditate on God’s Word,” he said.
Speaking from 1 John 5:4 and Hebrews 11:1, Pastor Dapo noted that faith is maintained by patience and sustained by the Word of God. Having faith in God, he further noted, will make believers get excited in the face of challenges because of their confidence in Him not failing. “You should be excited when you see a mess in a place because you have God and faith in Him. All you have to do is seek God, pray and think; then the solutions will come to you,” he stated.
He urged believers not to allow negative thoughts in their hearts because they are nails that build the prisons of failure. “You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God likes to refine His children because He won’t use a vessel He has never tested,” he said.
The full messages are available on CDs and DVDs at The Fountain of Life Church Tape Shop.
