BISHOP ELIJAH BANKOLE
[biblegateway passage=”Romans 12:1″ display=”Romans 12:1″]; [biblegateway passage=”Luke 14:26″ display=”Luke 14:26″]; [biblegateway passage=”Philippians 2:7″ display=”Philippians 2:7″]; [biblegateway passage=”Proverbs 23:26″ display=”Proverbs 23:26″]; [biblegateway passage=”Galatians 2:20″ display=”Galatians 2:20″];
The call of God requires the right response. After Paul’s writing on Chapter 9,10 and 11 where he showed the Roman church how they were included in the Family of God through adoption, he begged and implored the Roman Church to present themselves as living sacrifices offered to God.
Sacrifices are meant to be presented dead, but God is telling us to present ourselves as living sacrifices. The single way we can discover, desire and do the perfect will of God is by being surrendered totally as living sacrifices and not being conformed to the world.
The present church today, assumes the church to be an alternative to Hospitals, Herbalist, etc. The hope for Christ has been misrepresented, different churches now seek to compete with each other; promoting different things God never promoted.
The summary of our lives as believers is in Christ. Outside Him, we are nothing and finished. We were chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world. Before Adam was created, we have been chosen.
When you get deep enough in intimacy with Jesus, you will know why Jesus accepted to be crucified on the cross, God got the glory and Jesus got the cross.
[biblegateway passage=”Ephesians 1:1-5″ display=”Ephesians 1:1-5″]; [biblegateway passage=”John 1:11-12″ display=”John 1:11-12″]; [biblegateway passage=”Galatians 4:4″ display=”Galatians 4:4″];
There was a reason why God chose Abraham and his descendants. It was in order to show to the world a different kind of people that has been adopted as His children. Similarly, the reason why God chose us in Him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.
When we are born again, it is according to the will of God. It pleased God to adopt us through Jesus so that the world would praise the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6). We are God’s own by His will to the praise of His grace.
[biblegateway passage=”Romans 8:13″ display=”Romans 8:13″]
God is looking for praise for His grace and not the other way round. According to the riches of God’s grace, we have forgiveness of sins and redemption through the blood of Jesus. If you cover your sins, you will not prosper. When we mess up, we continue our fellowship with God through repentance.
[biblegateway passage=”Colossians 1:1-8″ display=”Colossians 1:1-8″]; [biblegateway passage=”Colossians 1:28″ display=”Colossians 1:28″]
The mystery of the gospel is Christ in you, the hope of glory. The question is this, what is the gospel? Who did the Apostles preach? Christ. But, how many people today came to the church as a result of Christ being preached? Jesus is the message. The message is that the job has been done. He has died and paid the price of sins for our sakes. There must be a shedding of blood for remission of sins. No blood of animals could cleanse sins of man, it took the blood of Jesus to cleanse the sins of the past, present and future sins.
Our High priest, Jesus took his own blood into the Holies of Holies, entered once, God accepted it and that was why he resurrected after the third day. This is the reason why we are accepted in the beloved (Jesus). When we are in Him, we are complete in Him.
The good news is that by believing Jesus we are free from death into life. We have nothing to answer for as far as the issues of sins is concerned.
[biblegateway passage=”Philippians 3:7-11″ display=”Philippians 3:7-11″]
A personal relationship between Paul and Jesus was seen in these verses. Righteousness is a position that we are placed in; by the blood of Jesus. Until righteousness of Christ is attained by believing in Him, nothing can be credited into our account.
[biblegateway passage=”John 1:1, 14″ display=”John 1:1, 14″]; [biblegateway passage=”Hebrews 10:5″ display=”Hebrews 10:5″]
“Therefore, when He came into the world He said: Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you have prepared for me”.
Seeing that Jesus is the gospel. Who then is Jesus?
In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The spoken word created the world, but that same word could not save man by being spoken, the word had to come in flesh. So, God decided to prepare a body for Himself. The word needed blood, since blood must be shed. After nine months, the word of God now became flesh. This is because man must die in place of man, as the Devil himself is a very legalistic person.
When we say yes to Jesus, we are adopted to the Family of God, Jesus is our elder brother and our whole life is in Him. We are in Him and He is in us.
[biblegateway passage=”Ephesians 3:19″ display=”Ephesians 3:19″]
This was one of the prayers of Paul to the Ephesians; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. If it were not possible to be full of God, Paul would not have prayed that prayer.
When God created us, he created in us the capacity to contain God. We get filled or not, it is our business. We believers have so much belittled ourselves that even witches scare us. It is no longer about us, it is now about who is inside us (Jesus). He said that when we eat deadly poison and we would not get harmed not because of us, but because of He that is in us.
Paul prayed this prayer for the Ephesian Church because the only thing God is expecting of us is to do is Love Him. Until we know Him properly we cannot Love him as we should.
In this love relationship (intimacy with God), God cannot afford an undisciplined child. If you don’t know God properly, after God disciplines you, the Devil comes and accuses God before you saying He is wicked.
[biblegateway passage=”John 17:3″ display=”John 17:3″]
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”.
We live for Jesus because He died for us and He is alive for us. We should come to a situation where it is not about what people say, but about the will and pleasure of the Father.
No man can get far with God without the Holy Spirit and love for God. You must be able to waste yourself on Him, you must really be fanatical and crazy about God. These are things we cannot do except we love the Lord.
The less of the world, the more of the Holy Spirit is seen by people, and vice versa. By the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God sheds His love in our hearts.
Philippians 2:21
“For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”
God is looking for a few who will truly be concerned about Him. He wants people who can be selfless.
Lord, help me to know you.