For Christian believers, love is the truest test of genuine faith. 

Agape love is only made possible by the Holy Spirit. That is the love which the Holy Spirit manifests in believers. 

This love is not a compensation, reward or reciprocity  for a good thing or deed. 

Not I love him because he provides for me.

 Not I love her  because she is very respectful and makes good meals. 

Not I love my daughter  because she is an A student, etc. 

If you check the dictionary, it will tell you love is  intense feeling, great interest, deep affection. Agape is not a feeling, but a deliberate  choice. 

It is the choice to be kind, to sacrifice, to consider the needs of others as  greater than one’s own (Philippians 2:3). 

It is a choice to love like Jesus does.

One of the first lessons at the early stage of tennis training is called “Eyes on the Ball.” A  similar idea is evoked when trying to construct a long ridge that must be straight. 

You must  fix your gaze pointedly on the target that connects you to your starting point. To live like a particular person is to emulate or behave like that person. 

To do this successfully,  we need to work and walk very closely with Him. Where the person is not physically available,  even by any physical or electronic medium, the next best alternative is to understudy the  person through the documented records of his life, teachings, behaviours, and  writings/speeches. 

Thus, in trying to get ourselves to live like Jesus, we must focus firmly on Him. To do this, we  need to take a look at His lifestyle, teachings, and exemplary actions/behaviours. Therefore, today, using the above scriptures, we shall briefly look at what Jesus taught about  Love, Service, and Sacrifice.

Living like Jesus is the only way we will not be afraid on the day of judgement but be able  to face Him with confidence because we lived like Jesus here on earth. Therefore, let us  Step into His footsteps; Trust in Him; Be empowered by His word; and Pray without  ceasing as He did.

In the late 70s it was a fad among Christians to use the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” or the  acronym “WWJD”; today we hardly hear anyone say that. Is living like Jesus old fashioned,  impossible or outright boring in the 21st century? Scott Stein, the author of “How to Live Like Jesus,” explained living like Jesus as “approving of  what God approves of; wanting what God wants; calling good what God calls good, acceptable what  he calls acceptable, and perfect what he calls perfect.” (Romans 12:2)  Living like Jesus is relevant in all generations because that is the very reason for which Christ  came: to show us the way to the Father and how to walk with Him in love and obedience. (John  14:6; Philippians 2:8) When we live like Jesus, we will have confidence when we stand before God  on the day of judgment because we will be perfect in His love.

The Lord has been gracious to us. We are grateful for how He has touched our lives in diverse  ways in the past months and brought us into April 2022. Our theme for the month of April 2022 is – “LIVING LIKE JESUS” (1 John 4:17; Romans  8:11). 

This theme by the grace of God will help us to consolidate on the Lord’s work of revival in our  lives and connect to the essence of the sacrificial love that Christ’s death and resurrection  represent.  I pray the Lord will help us and grant us grace as we cultivate living every moment like Jesus.  

I pray we all catch the depths of the revelation of ‘living like Jesus’ at all times, in all things,  under all circumstances for the surpassing glory of being with JESUS

Reflecting on your personal journey in the last two months, have you had personal  encounters with Christ (experienced revival in your prayer, bible study and witnessing  life)?  What has changed? Will you go back after this month fishing like Peter did after Christ  left? Jesus is looking for you today to transfer into reality (everyday life) your encounter in  the last two months (REVIVAL). He is asking you the same question He asked Peter: “DO YOU LOVE ME?”

CONNECTED. FUELLED. IGNITED :  WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022

Ministration at the Installation Ceremony of Acting Zonal Superitendent Jesutedo :Rev Peter Ameadaji

Spiritual practices or disciplines are means to an end, but not the end; they are the  pathway to the goal. Prayer, fasting, worship, tithing, offerings, sacrifices, etc. are useless if we are not  committed to the pursuit of righteousness, mercy, love, and justice. 

(See examples in  Isaiah 58:1-12; Malachi 2:13-16; Matthew 23:23; Mark 7:1-13) 

We can easily turn the spiritual practices/disciplines into legalistic empty religion if  we:  

• Forget that they are a means to an end, not the end. 

• Observe them without required humble and repentant hearts. 

• Observe them to achieve our own ends rather than God’s purpose.  

The Pharisees were experts in observing religious practices and disciplines, but they  were not on God’s agenda.  The Pharisees’ testing question and Jesus’ answer.

Every Christian can find himself/herself in one or more of these ministries. Today we shall look at these ministries, consider their purpose and significance to the church and society, and shed a light on how we can begin to get back into our own ministries (revived to edify the church and the society).

Keying into the five-fold ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ will help the Christian immensely in personal revival. Let us strive to be at our duty post when the Lord appears.