Right Hand Of Fellowship, Evans Olang

Galatians 2:1-10, vs. “8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” ESV 

Who we link arms with is very important because who we are, what we believe, what we stand for can partly be traced to those we link ourselves with. One popular example, in the last few years there has been a drive for unity for a common cause in many areas with Evangelical and Catholics Together (ECT).

The True Asset You Need, Evans Olang

Matthew 19:23-26, “23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

In business there are things looked into for the health and the growth of the business. They look at ASSETS and LIABILITIES columns as part of their analysis for the health and growth of business. Assets are properties or things or people of great value. In accounting, they are items on balance sheet that constitute the total value of an organization. Liability has a different description, for the sake of the point I would like to make, I will describe it as something that holds somebody back (organization, business) or causes trouble.

The Pillar And Ground Of The Truth, 1of2, Evans Olang

1Timothy 3:14-16, “14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”

As I think of qualifications of a minister and the model by which the church is to run, I count on Paul’s epistle to Timothy because of its depth and clear instructions. This epistle appears to have been written to Timothy while he was at Ephesus facing numerous challenges as a young pastor. Paul wrote to instruct him in the choice of proper offices in the church by keeping to mind the right qualifications he outlined, as well as in the exercise of a regular ministry.

Who We Are In Christ, Evans Olang

Philippians 4:11, “…, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content”

I always find it exciting when I discover something new. Electronics always fascinate me. When I discover more of what they can do than what I anticipated brings a smile on my face. Of course there are times I have had something for so long, limited it’s use because I did not know it could do more and I wondered why I did not discover this a head of time, I could have made use of it long time ago. We as Christians also know what we can do, how about those times we are unable to discover what we are made of because we have not learnt to unlock them?

Living A Lie, Evans Olang

Genesis 32:28, “And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

It’s very easy to be crippled by your own opinions of yourself. Some people tend to add salt to this wound you have created. Instead allowing yourself to be healed, you inflict more pain to yourself. You just can’t see yourself living any way better than the way you already know about yourself. Everything God wants to do in your life is assassinated by what you think of yourself. You keep bringing back to memory what God already forgave you for.

He Takes Pleasure In Providing, Evans Olang

Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”

Our Heavenly Father takes pleasure in providing for His children. He is the God of too much, the bible says, “A thousand cattle on the hills belongs to Him“, “Riches and Glory are His“, The God of the impossibilities. He knows each of His children in and out and He knows all their needs. He knows how to give good things to His children. Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”. He gives good things, not corrupt, broken, despised, or rejected. He gives the best to His own. He does it with joy, pleasure and gladness, and He gives with all of His heart. Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack (AMP)”. The work of a shepherd is to feed, guide, protect, inspect His sheep.  With Him being the Shepherd He guarantees His provision.

To Be Saved …, Evans Olang

Acts 17:30-31, “30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Paul in one occasion brought the gospel to the Athenians in Acts 17, very religious people. They believed that there was a force, a being beyond their ability to understand who made all things. In their state, they lacked understanding of who God truly was (is) though they were very religious. Paul says to them vs. 22 “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”.

When To Contend, Part 2of2, Pastor Phil Sessa

Acts 15:39, “Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another “

This account is the famous argument that took place between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. In part 1 of “When to Contend”, Paul and Barnabas were in agreement and contended together against the Judaizers (Acts 15:1 – 5). However, now in Acts 15:39 they had such a disagreement that they ended up going their separate ways. So the question remains who was right in this contention, Paul or Barnabas? They had worked together for so long.

I Am An Ambassador, Evans Olang

1Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise your youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in purity”

According to the dictionary definition, an ambassador is a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and credited as representative in residence by one government or sovereign to another. Also an ambassador can be defined as an authorized messenger or representative. Let’s look at how it is presented to us in the bible, this name is used by the apostles as designating those who are appointed by God to declare His will”.