INTRODUCTION: Last week, we learnt from chapter nine that salvation is in Jesus Christ alone. We also learnt the importance of understanding the context of scriptures as we study. Today we will be discussing and learning from ten. Text: Romans 10 Memory Verse: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:10) NIV God must be served with knowledge (Romans 10:1-5):  Paul continued to express his desire for the salvation of his fellow Israelites. He acknowledged their zeal for the Lord, but noted that they were going about it the wrong way because their zeal was not founded on knowledge of the truth. This shows that zeal is not enough – we must be zealous for the right thing and in the right way, for only the truth can set us free (John 8:32). Looking for salvation outside of Jesus Christ is a futile venture. The Israelites were zealously doing the wrong thing, and that could not save them. In their ignorance, they tried to establish their own righteousness instead of submitting to Jesus to receive the righteousness that He freely gives (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:9). This was Paul’s condition until he was saved. He spearheaded the persecution of the church, thinking he was pursuing a righteous cause, but unknown to him, he was fighting against God (Acts 22:3-8). God does not want us to try to impress Him with our “wonderful” ideas; He simply demands obedience to the revealed truth of His word and nothing else (1 Samuel 15:22). This means that being an active church member without confessing Jesus Christ as Lord amounts to nothing. It also applies to the way we serve God after salvation. It must be with knowledge. We should not run off and do things the way we think they should be done, but we should search the scriptures and expose ourselves to teachings in our local church to gain knowledge of how God wants to be served (Ephesians 5:10). Uzzah was zealous for the Lord and genuinely was trying to help by stabling the ark, but he lost his life because he did it without knowledge (2 Samuel 6:5-10). The same goes for David, who, out of his zeal for the Lord, went to bring the ark, but without the right knowledge, and he ended up frustrated. He, however, went to learn the right way to transport the ark, and the story was different (1 Chronicles 15:11-15). We don’t dictate to Him; we take orders from Him (Hebrews 8:5; John 2:5). The word of God as documented in the bible is the standard, and it is settled forever (Psalm 119:89), so we have to adjust our lives to align with what it says. It will never change to accommodate our ideas. Believe God’s word (Romans 10:5-13):  Paul went on to compare two types of righteousness – that which is by observance of the law and that which comes through faith in the finished work of Christ Jesus. He noted that trying to obtain righteousness through the law would entail fulfilling every detail and being subject to the curse that follows when one defaults, even on one point. This is hard work, and it is unattainable (Galatians 2:16). Jesus has done the hard work by paying the ultimate price for our redemption. More than that, He also made salvation readily accessible to all. Salvation does not require some form of complex procedure or exertion; rather it comes when we genuinely believe the word of God preached to us and we go ahead to confess the same word, acknowledging Jesus as Lord (1 John 4:15; Romans 10:9). The way to salvation is clear: believe in the Lord Jesus (Acts 16:31). That is all it takes for the transformation to take place in our hearts. This is the message we should declare to the unsaved. God also expects us to continue living the same way after salvation. In the same vein, instead of following signs and dramatic displays, if we can believe the word of God, and declare it in faith, we will always be saved from whatever comes our way (Mark 9:23; John 11:40; 2 Corinthians 4:13). God’s word will always deliver to those who genuinely believe it (Hebrew 4:2). The story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:9-14 gives us a picture of how swiftly the word works when we believe it and act instead of waiting for a dramatic display. God answers when we call (Romans 10:13): Paul made a reassuring statement in verse 13. He said, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” God does not ignore a call from someone who needs help, and the greatest help we can seek is salvation. It is good to know that we have a God who responds to the cry of the lost who need salvation and to his people when they are in trouble (Psalm 18:6; Psalm 50:14-15; Psalm 86:7). Peter cried out to Jesus when he was sinking, and Jesus reached out and saved him. If we call upon Him, He will be right there to save (Matthew 14:28-31). We have access to a hotline direct to Jesus – He does not place our call on hold to enable Him to attend to others. He has the capacity to attend to everyone at the same time, 24 hours every day. This means that any lost soul can be saved at any time and anywhere. All they need is to call on Jesus. The unsaved only have access to this hotline for the purpose of salvation, but the believers have access to it for anything we need in life (Proverbs 15:8; John 16:24). Therefore, when we preach, we should make the unsaved understand that making the first call for salvation qualifies them to call for any other form of help, and they will receive answers. Salvation of souls involves a process, and we all have parts to play (Romans 10:14-21): Paul asked some pertinent questions which painted a picture of what can be referred to as the salvation “value chain”. People can only be saved when they believe the word of God, but they will need to hear before they can believe. For hearing to happen, someone has to preach, and for someone to preach, he has to be sent. Believing is not our responsibility, as the unsaved have to decide for themselves. However, we do have a responsibility as believers to preach to those around us and to pull resources together and support people to go to places we cannot go physically. It is good Christian practice to support missions. There are several mission platforms that we can channel resources to: TV ministry, print media (i.e. magazines and Bibles for distribution), and internet platforms. We can promote the gospel using our social media profiles. The gospel costs money. For instance, organising a gospel crusade will require all sorts of inputs, including staffing and hiring of venue and equipment. Paul was able to travel freely to preach the gospel because the church supported him (Philippians 4:10-19). In the same vein, missionaries who devote their lives to the gospel should be supported by fellow believers (1 Corinthians 9:13-14). When we do, God releases a blessing on us (Philippians 4:19). Don’t stop preaching (Romans 10:17):  Salvation is by grace through faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8), and faith comes by hearing God’s word. This means that it is the word deposited in the heart of the unbeliever that will produce the faith required to receive the free gift of salvation. Therefore, if we continue making deposits of the word in their hearts through preaching, it will eventually produce faith for salvation. We must not relent or be weary for planting always precedes harvest (Psalm 126:5-6). There will be a harvest of souls if we don’t stop preaching. If they don’t believe your message today, preach again and continue until faith comes. Summary: We can see from our study that we can be sincerely wrong, but if we seek to know what pleases the Lord, we can avoid errors.

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we discussed the eighth chapter of the book of Romans. We learnt that all things work together for our good because we love the Lord. Today we will be discussing and learning from Chapter Nine. TEXT: Romans 9:1-33 Memory Verse: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) KJV We are saved to win others for Christ (Romans 9:1-5): Paul expressed the deep sorrow in his heart for his fellow Jews who were still unsaved. The Jews are natural descendants of Abraham, and it was Paul’s earnest desire that they would accept the free gift of salvation through Christ Jesus. This teaches us a very important lesson about our Christian walk – God saves us to bring others into the fold (2 Corinthians 5:18). Paul was already saved, but he refused to be content with just having his own salvation while his relatives remained unsaved. As a result, he was willing to do whatever it would take to win them for Christ. His love for his people was so strong that he did not mind losing his own life and salvation for their sake. That would not have made any difference, as no other person is qualified to die for the sins of man except Christ Jesus, but it shows the extent of his passion for the salvation of his relatives. He was an apostle to the Gentiles, but he never forgot his people. The question we should all ask ourselves is, does it matter to me that some or all of my relatives are still not saved? Once we are saved, it is our responsibility to present the gospel to our relatives and those that God has placed around us (Matthew 28:19). We should love them enough to pray for their salvation and preach to them. After Phillip was called to follow Jesus, the first thing he did was to find Nathanael (John 1:43-45). This should be our attitude. We must not lose compassion for the lost, but like Paul, we should be willing to do whatever it takes to get the gospel across to the people in our sphere of influence. Romans 9:6-29: After expressing his concern for his fellow Israelites, Paul acknowledged that their refusal to embrace the gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ does not imply that God’s word has failed. Scripture already makes it clear that the true Jews are not those who are natural descendants of Abraham, but those who have embraced salvation by faith – the children of promise. He used examples of God’s choice of Isaac over Ishmael and God’s choice of Jacob over Esau to buttress his point that God has never really followed the natural order of things on this matter, but He has always chosen someone to be the custodian of the blessing that was passed on until Jesus came. However, in making his point, Paul made some statements which, if taken out of context, would suggest that God created some to be saved and some for destruction. That would contradict his statement in chapter 8. There are a few lessons we can learn from this: Always read the context when studying God’s word: Many erroneous teachings have arisen as a result of people picking a verse of Scripture and building a doctrine on it or even a movement. That is why it is important to understand the context of the scriptural verse. Reading the background story helps us to put things in proper context. Therefore, it is important that we develop the habit of reading and studying the bible. Reading enhances the quality of your study. In our text, Paul was emphasising the need for salvation for the Jews through faith in Jesus Christ. In making this point, he tried to show that God has never followed the natural order in His salvation plan. Every illustration in the text was to make his point clearer and therefore should not be generalised. Sadly, people have used Paul’s illustrations in this text to teach all sorts of heresy. But we must understand that a message can only be considered a doctrine if it is consistent throughout scripture. For instance, Paul's illustrations are not supported by the doctrine of free will, which is consistent throughout scripture. God has given man the freedom to choose whom to serve and what kind of life to live (John 7:17; Joshua 24:15; Mark 8:34; Revelation 3:20; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; John 3:16; Titus 2:11). If we take Paul’s illustrations out of context, it would suggest that there is no need to preach the gospel since God just chooses people arbitrarily. But we know from Scripture that God has commissioned every believer to witness to the lost (Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:18; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19). He loves man so much that He wants all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4; John 3:17). Because of God’s great love for mankind, He waits patiently, delaying His wrath to give men more time to repent (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:32). Any teaching contrary to this would be inconsistent with God’s character of love and justice (1 John 4:8; 2 Thessalonians 1:6). If you study the lives of Esau and Jacob, you will realise that God choose Jacob based on His foreknowledge of their choices in life. Salvation is in Jesus alone (Romans 9:30-33): Paul’s concern about the Jew was that many of them were holding onto the old and refusing to embrace the new thing that God is doing – salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. But the real Israel are those who have embraced the grace of God through faith and not the natural descendants of Abraham. The Jews wanted salvation, but they were going about it the wrong way. The truth remains that salvation is found in Jesus alone (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5). Jesus is not one of many ways to salvation; He is the only way (John 14:6). That means that we are not all serving the same God as some claim. Like the Jews, people who try to find salvation in any of the several religious figures and practices in the world will end up in disappointment. But those who humbly receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will be saved, and they will not suffer shame (Romans 10:12-13; Romans 9:31-33). Summary: Jesus is the answer for the world. Every other so-called god is dead and therefore has no power to save.

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we learnt from the seventh chapter of the book of Romans that we did not only die to sin, but we also died to the law. Therefore, we are no longer under obligation to keep the law, but we naturally produce the fruits of righteousness through our union with Christ Jesus. Today, we will be discussing and learning from chapter eight of the book of Romans. TEXT: Romans 8:1-39 Memory Verse: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6) KJV You are not condemned (Romans 8:1-4): Paul concluded chapter seven by establishing that we have victory over sin through Christ Jesus. He then continues in chapter eight by stating that one of the results of this victory is that anyone who is in Christ Jesus is free from condemnation. This means that there is no adverse sentence against us according to God’s records. Therefore, we are free to live life to the full. Any believer who still walks in condemnation is either condemning himself or is being condemned by the devil (Romans 8:33-34; Revelation 12:10). Condemnation produces guilt. When we feel the weight of guilt, it has nothing to do with God, for He does not condemn us. The law came to make us see how guilty we were before God (Romans 3:19), but all our guilt and shame have been transferred to Christ and nailed to the cross. Therefore, from the moment we got saved, our guilt and shame were taken away because the righteous requirements of the law were fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Now, there is a difference between guilt and conviction. Guilt is a heavy weight that the devil places on people to make them feel worthless and unworthy before God. It takes away boldness and makes believers want to quit, and it also comes with punishment. This is the devil’s handiwork, but conviction, which comes from the Holy Spirit, prompts us when we stray and encourages us to get back on track with God. Conviction leads to godly sorrow, which in turn results in repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). As believers, we must be able to distinguish between these two. Be spiritual, not carnal (Romans 8:5-8): Although the righteous requirement of the law has been fulfilled through Christ Jesus, we have a responsibility to be spiritual and not carnal. Carnality gives the devil an opportunity to use the law of sin and death against us to condemn us. Paul exhorts believers to conduct themselves in line with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A carnal Christian is one who, although saved, always has his mind on things of the flesh. Carnal Christians have no sense of spirituality. They rely solely on their physical senses to make judgments, and as a result, they think like the world. On the other hand, walking in the spirit means to set our focus on spiritual things, and Philippians 4:8 provides a guide for keeping our minds on spiritual things. To be spiritually minded is simply thinking in line with God’s word. A spiritual Christian operates by God’s word. Our minds influence our actions (Proverbs 23:7); therefore, thinking carnally will result in a carnal lifestyle. As believers, we are not in the flesh (Romans 8:9), but we can choose to walk in it. Carnality makes believers struggle through life because the Christian life can only be lived by yielding to the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 11:6; Galatians 5:16). The power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer (Romans 8:9-17): It is impossible to live a successful Christian life on earth without the Holy Spirit. So, Paul saw the need to spend some time explaining what His operations are in our lives and why. The good news is that He resides in every believer, so we do not have to look for Him. When we get saved, God puts His Spirit in us to help us live the Christian life victoriously (Ezekiel 36:27; Ephesians 1:3; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). Let us discuss some of His operations as identified by Paul: He is the quickening Spirit (Romans 8:9-13) - Our bodies are weak due to the corruption that came from sin (Mark 14:38), but through the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the weakness of the flesh. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, He empowers our bodies to walk in line with God’s word. The Holy Spirit also empowers our bodies to do things that we normally would not be capable of doing. The Holy Spirit injects the life of God into our mortal bodies, and when this happens, sicknesses and diseases are crushed (John 6:63). He leads us in the way we should go (Romans 8:14) - God has graciously sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in our journey here on earth. This supernatural guidance helps to put us in the centre of God’s plan for our lives. If we give attention to His leading, we will avoid every pitfall (Acts 16:6-7) on our path and enjoy the glorious life that God designed for us (John 16:13). Jesus had a successful earthly life because He was constantly being led by the Spirit (Like 4:1). He will give us the right words to counter every accusation or challenge of the devil (Matthew 10:19-20). Through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can be in the right place at the right time (Acts 8:29). If we are led by the Spirit, we do not need the law (Galatians 5:18). He can lead us through God’s word, an audible voice, a still small voice or gentle impressions in our hearts, visions and dreams.   He processes our adoption as sons of God (Romans 8:15-17) - Jesus is called the first begotten son of God because He has brothers and sisters all referred to as sons in a generic sense (Revelation 1:5). Through the activity of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, God adopts us into sonship. This means that we can relate to Him as our father – the same way Jesus did while He was on earth. It also means that we can now share God’s spiritual blessings and inheritance with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:18-20). The relationship takes away the fear of the coming judgment from our lives so that we can anticipate the return of Jesus Christ with joy. It also takes away every other form of fear – fear of failure, fear of the future and the like. The Holy Spirit also puts a connection between us and God, which causes a longing for Him. It is that connection that pulls us back to God when we stray. That is what powers our worship and makes it genuine. He gives us the assurance of salvation (Romans 8:16) - One of the commonest strategies of the devil is to place doubts in the minds of believers about their salvation. He does this to steal our confidence and make us ineffective. You will notice that the temptation of Jesus was more about his identity as the Son of God than anything else (Matthew 4:3-7). Knowing this, God has graciously put His Spirit in us to constantly reassure us in our spirit man that we are sons of God (1 John 5:10 -13; 1 John 3:19). It is a “knowing” in our spirit that we are connected to God as sons and daughters. He gives us a foretaste of the glory that is yet to manifest in full (Romans 8:18-25) - The challenges we go through on earth because of our faith in Jesus Christ cannot be compared to the glory, which we already share with Christ, but will be manifested when Christ returns (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:20-21). Although this glory is yet to manifest fully, the Holy Spirit gives us an experience of it (Hebrews 6:4-5; the context here is the experience that the Holy Spirit gives), pending the time our mortal bodies will be changed to immortal – the redemption of our bodies (1 Corinthians 15:52). The Holy Spirit helps us to experience heaven on earth. The entire creation is earnestly waiting for the manifestation of this glory that we already carry. We are not ordinary people – we carry the glory of God, and we can enjoy this glory through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray in line with God’s will (Romans 8:26-27) - There are times in our Christian walk when we cannot fully express the deepest needs of our hearts in the place of prayer. This often happens when our hearts are sorrowful. In such a situation, the Holy Spirit comes to help us. He overrides our finite minds and begins to pray in accordance with the will of God through groanings. Although such prayers are not expressed in words but in deep groanings, the Father understands every bit of it and will answer (Psalm 102:20). The Holy Spirit can do this because He always has access to the mind of God and thus cannot pray amiss. Summary: The importance of the Holy Spirit to a believer cannot be overemphasised. If we can cultivate and maintain a relationship with Him, we will never live ordinary lives.

INTRODUCTION:  Last week, we discussed the sixth chapter of the book of Romans. We learnt that we have died to sin and as a result, sin has no control over us.  Today we will be discussing the seventh chapter. TEXT: Romans 7:1-25 Memory Verse: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” (Romans 7:22)KJV   We are also dead to the law (Romans 7:1-6): In the preceding chapter, Paul focused on explaining victory over sin and how it should be appropriated. In chapter 7, he then moves his focus to the law. He explains that we also died to the law when we died to sin. Therefore, just as we are now free from the control of sin, we are also free from the law. We were once married to the law, so to speak, but the moment our sinful nature was crucified with Christ, we were set free from that union. However, we must understand that we were not free from that marriage to live as single people, but we were set free so that we can be married to Christ – serving Him in newness of spirit (Galatians 2:19; Romans 7:4). Now we are through with the law. We no longer seek to be right with God by observing the law. The law was made for the old man (with the sinful nature), but since he is now dead, it does not apply to us anymore (1 Timothy 1:9-10). If we fail to understand this truth, we would be living as if the old man were still alive.  Freedom from the law makes us fruitful for God (Romans 7:5-6): Our union with the law produced unrighteousness, which results in death. Since we are now united with Christ, our union should produce fruits of righteousness (1 Corinthians 6:17; John 15:2). God is interested in our fruitfulness because it distinguishes us from the rest of the world (Matthew 7:16) and through it, His splendour is being displayed for the world to see and come to Him (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 1:11; Titus 3:14). Galatians 5:22-23 encapsulates the fruit of righteousness which we are expected to produce as believers who are free from the law. The law cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit: It takes the Holy Spirit to produce such fruit. We can only bear fruit for God when we are free from the law. Freedom from the law helps us serve God better.  The law is not equal to sin (Romans 7:7-13): Having established the importance of freedom from the law, Paul goes on to explain that the law is not in any way sinful. He had to do that to balance his teaching and avoid people thinking that there must be something wrong with the law since sin increased through it. He explained that the law is good because it exposes sin. It only brought to light what has always been there – it exposed our depraved nature. Before the law came, sin was hiding inside man and harming him without being noticed because it knows how to cover up, but the law exposed it and its destructive potential (Romans 7:13). However, sin took advantage of the law to produce more evil in man. The natural man has an evil and rebellious heart (Genesis 6:5), so when the law came, sin took advantage of God’s standards that it set and the rebellious nature of man to lure men into more evil. You will notice that once a boundary is set, we are immediately enticed to cross it. Now, it is not the boundary or the commandment that is evil, but the sin that takes advantage of man’s weakness for its own ends. The truth remains that all God’s laws are perfect (Psalm 19:7; Romans 7:12).  How does sin function to achieve its objectives? Sin achieves its aim through deception (Hebrews 3:13). It deceives people into believing that they can find satisfaction by indulging in certain practices. Sin has perfected the art of making the grass appear greener on the other side. It makes us feel that we are missing out on something really good if we refuse to indulge (like he did to Eve in Genesis 3:1-5), but the bible refers to the pleasure is offers as fleeting (Hebrews 11:24-25). The pleasure that sin offers only lasts for a season, but destruction waits at the end. It provides excuses that sound reasonable to justify and encourage evil. For instance, sin may suggest that things are really difficult and presents an evil act as the only possible way out, or that everyone else is doing it anyway. It also suggests smart ways of escaping punishment. But we can escape all its traps through the knowledge of the truth (John 8:32). The answer to sin is in Jesus (Romans 7:14-25): In the concluding part of the chapter, Paul highlighted man’s helplessness with regard to the struggle with sin. Although he had taught in the preceding chapter that we should not lend our members to sin, here Paul acknowledges that we cannot resist the pressure to sin by self-will. Now that we know how dangerous sin is, we always want to live right, but flesh, in its weakness, would always want to go the wrong direction (Matthew 26:41). After painting a picture of the struggle with sin, Paul concludes by thanking God for the victory we have through Jesus. By looking to Jesus, we can do all things, including overcoming sin (Philippians 4:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9). Jesus gives us the inner strength we need to overcome the power of sin (Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:1; 1 Timothy 1:12). Jesus has sufficient grace to match any level of pressure to sin (2 Corinthians 12:9). If we look to Jesus, we will always live above sin (Hebrews 12:2). Summary We have now been set free from the law to live for the glory of God. 

INTRODUCTION:  Last week, we discussed the fifth chapter of the book of Romans in which Paul identified the benefits of justification by faith as having peace, hope, joy, a different perspective on challenges and reigning in life. Today, we will be discussing the sixth chapter. TEXT: Romans 6:1-23 Memory Verse: "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," (Romans 5:1)KJV We are dead to sin (Romans 6:1-14). In this chapter, Paul took some time to establish the fact that the gospel of grace should not encourage a sinful lifestyle if it is well understood. He introduced the sixth chapter with the question, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” to which he responded by saying, “God forbid”. He then went on to explain why. From the moment we identified with Christ Jesus, believing in His finished work on the cross, we were baptised into Jesus Christ. This is an activity of the Holy Spirit, which takes place in the spirit of man at the point of new birth (John 3:5-7; 1 Peter 3:21). The old man dies, and the new man is born by the Holy Spirit into a completely new existence (2 Corinthians 5:17). At new birth, we die to the sinful nature, but are made alive onto God. This is why we can no longer be subservient to sin. The old man it once controlled is dead, and this new man is under a different master – Jesus Christ. When we get baptised by immersion, it is a physical expression of what has already taken place in our spirit (Colossians 2:10-12). As we are immersed in water, we identify with Christ’s death and rise into newness of life as we come out of the water. This is why the power of God is always released during baptism by immersion.   How can we live above sin? Although we are dead to sin, we must understand that rebirth took place in our human spirit. Our bodies are still susceptible to sin, and that is what causes the struggle. There are two important points we can take from this chapter to help us live above sin: Know the truth about your new life in Christ and believe it. Paul took time to explain this reality to the church so that we would know the truth and be free from the control of sin (John 8:32). We need to accept it as our present reality before we can walk in it. Believers who still live in sin do not understand this truth (Hosea 4:6; Proverbs 10:21). Do not give yourself to sin. Knowing the truth, it becomes our responsibility to bring our bodies/flesh under subjection so that we will not gratify its desires (1 Corinthians 9:27). Sin is now by choice, and Paul exhorts that we should not yield our bodies to sin (Romans 6:13-14). Although we are justified by faith, we still need to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12). To gain full mastery over our flesh, we need to feed our spirit to ensure that we are constantly nourished and strong enough to resist sinful desires (Galatians 6:8). We can do this by exposing ourselves to things that will enrich our spirit such as spending time in God’s word and by, prayer fellowship etc. But if we feed our flesh, it would be difficult to resist the temptation to sin. When we expose our minds to things that are ungodly, such as pornography and other vices through movies, books and being in the wrong places, sin will rule over us when it ought not. Sin exposes us to the devil’s attacks (Romans 6:15-23). Paul warns in verse 16 that whoever we choose to yield our bodies to becomes our master. We have to decide who our master is – God or the devil, for we cannot serve both at the same time (Matthew 6:24). When believers allow sin to reign in their bodies, the enemy takes advantage of their weakness to afflict them (Ephesians 4:26-27). Now, he does not have the right to do so, but if we submit ourselves to him, we have given him the right. He cannot touch their spirit, but he can afflict their bodies. Sin has natural consequences, so if we give ourselves to it after receiving the free gift of righteousness, we will experience what the unsaved experience. Sin naturally attracts death (Romans 6:23; Galatians 5:15). It can result in shame and other forms of pain. For instance, if a Christian lies and defrauds his employer, he may be sacked, and he will face the challenge of joblessness. Now, death here means eternal separation from God, but it could also imply ugly or unpleasant situations in our lives. Much as God will not take back salvation from us, so that the former would result, we can get so deep into sin that we forsake salvation (1 Timothy 4:1; 1 Timothy 1:19; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Although sin cannot stop God from loving us, it can weaken faith, which is required to receive from God (1 timothy 1:19, Hebrews 4:16). Sin reduces a man to a loaf of bread (proverbs 6:26). Believers who make a habit of sin are also in danger of backsliding (Proverbs 29:1). It is therefore necessary that we walk away from sin and embrace the free gift of righteousness onto a glorious life.    Summary As believers, we are now under a new master, who is Jesus. The sin has lost its control over us.  

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we discussed the fourth chapter of the book of Romans. We learnt that God forgives all our sins and never considers them in His dealings with us from the moment we put our faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Today, we will be discussing the fifth chapter. TEXT: Romans 5:1-21 Memory Verse: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1)KJV The benefits of Justification by faith (Romans 5:1-11): Having explained justification by faith, Paul moved on to discuss some of its benefits. He points out that we can be sure of all these benefits, knowing that if Christ showed us so much love while we were yet sinners, there is really nothing He will not do for us now that we have received His gift of salvation. The following are the benefits of justification by faith as identified by Paul in this chapter. ●Peace with God (Romans 5:1): The first benefit that Paul mentioned is peace with God. This means that we have a harmonious relationship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18), having been saved from His great anger (Romans 5:9). When we relate to God based on our faith in the finished work of Christ, we are launched into a life of peace with our father, not because of what we have done, but what Jesus did. This also gives us peace in our hearts. Just knowing that God is pleased with us and that we are no longer alienated from Him brings peace (Colossians 1:19-22). Therefore, we can approach Him any time without feeling that there is a strain in our relationship, which could hinder us from speaking freely with Him (Proverbs 15:29). Our righteous living ceases to be a struggle to gain God’s acceptance, but a response to His limitless love. This is what produces peace in our hearts: just knowing that I am already accepted by God. Those who believe that they need to perform to some standard to gain God’s acceptance cannot enjoy this peace because, by their belief system, the burden of salvation rests on their shoulders, and no man can bear that load. ●Joy and hope (Romans 5:2): The next two benefits that Paul identified are joy and hope. Now, these two are better discussed together because they are connected. Justification by faith produces joy in our hearts because of the assurance of a glorious future that now awaits us (Psalm 32:11; Psalm 97:12). When we look ahead of us, all we see is beauty. Knowing that it is settled and that it does not depend on us but on what Jesus did for us (Hebrews 12:2), there is a special kind of joy that wells up within us (Psalm 71:14). He is also able to keep us from falling (Jude 1:24-25). The Hebrew word for hope is “Elpis”, which means confident and joyful anticipation. It is not just a feeling; it is an assurance based on the relationship we have with God, a confident expectation that something good is ahead (Proverbs 23:18). This hope is important because it is what gives us the reason to live and to serve God relentlessly and joyfully. Hope helps us take care of ourselves today because of the good we expect to happen in the future. One who hopes to be married or wealthy would do what is required to stay healthy and in good shape to be able to enjoy what is ahead. Hope keeps us from being jealous or envious of others. Regardless of what is happening in other people’s lives, we can celebrate with them because we are certain of good things in our future. The greatest hope we have as believers is that we will spend eternity with God (1 Corinthians 15:19-22). It is reassuring to know that a glorious future awaits us after our time on earth, and we will not be disappointed (Romans 5:5). ●A different perspective on challenges of life (Romans 5:3-5): The relationship we have with God through justification by faith helps us to handle challenges better. Through this relationship, we know that we are not suffering because God hates us or because He is punishing us for our wrongdoing. Therefore, we do not moan like others when challenges come, but we stay strong and joyful as we fight it through knowing that God always brings out beauty from anything that comes our way (Judges 14:14; Genesis 50:20). God uses the things that the enemy throws at us to destroy us to mature us, train our hands for battles ahead and to prepare us to fulfil His counsel for us on earth. Jesus had this perspective, and that was why He could go through the suffering on the cross to obtain victory for us (Hebrews 12:2). God’s perspective on suffering is that it makes us better (James 1:2-4). Jesus dealt with the sin nature: Paul concluded the chapter by identifying the origin of sin and death and highlighting the contrasts between Adam and Jesus. Sin came into the earth through Adam’s sin. Any human born after that act was born with the sin nature. The various acts of sin that men commit are products of the nature of sin which they inherited from Adam. What needed to be dealt with was the nature of sin itself so that the sins could stop. Jesus came and got it right where Adam failed, and by that singular sacrifice, the nature of sin was destroyed for all time for those who would believe. That is why Jesus is referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:45 as the last Adam. Therefore, in the same way we inherited the sin nature independent of our actions, we also inherit God’s righteous nature through faith in the finished work of Christ. This means that sin loses its control over us when we receive the free gift of righteousness at new birth. This leads to one more benefit of righteousness that Paul identified in the text: ●We can now reign in life: To reign means to have control over something. Through the gift of righteousness, the limitations that sin had put on mankind can no longer hold us. We now have control over situations of life (2 Peter 1:3). We are no longer at the mercy of the elements and their effects. Jesus demonstrated this for our example during His time on earth by healing the sick, walking on water and performing several other supernatural acts. We have control over sickness and disease. We can now live in health. Just as Jesus spoke to the storm, we can now speak to the storms of life, and they will listen (Mark 4:39). We can now decide how things turn out for us, for all things are ours (1 Corinthians 3:21-23). Everything is under our control, including life and death (Proverbs 18:21). Summary Justification by faith gives us access to a glorious life here on earth and the assurance of spending eternity with the Lord Jesus.

INTRODUCTION: Previously in our study, we discussed the third chapter of the book of Romans. We learnt that God’s word stands sure and that our unbelief does not make His word of no effect. We also learned that there is no justification for sin. In our study today, we will discuss Chapter 4 of Romans. TEXT: Romans 4:1-25 Memory Verse: “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” (Romans 4:8)KJV Living by the Word of God (Romans 4:1-12): To further buttress his point on justification by faith, Paul referred to the life of Abraham, the father of the Jews and to the words of David. All Abraham did was believe what God said, and righteousness was given to him, not as payment for any good works or the observance of the law, but as a gift from God. Before Abraham did anything right and before the law was introduced for Him to obey (i.e., circumcision), God already declared him righteous because of his faith. There are lessons for us to learn from this: Faith is the foundation of the righteousness that God accepts. We understand from scripture that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). Therefore, any acts of righteousness without faith in the finished work of Christ is unacceptable before God (Isaiah 64:6). We can only stand justified before God based on the righteousness that comes through faith, which is given at the point of new birth (Philippians 3:8-9). Therefore, any teaching that suggests any other condition that must be met for salvation, except faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, is erroneous. Paul referred to such teachings as a perversion of the gospel in Galatians 1:6-7. The thief on the cross only put his faith in Jesus and was saved. Every other action is a confirmation or a public declaration of our faith in Christ, such as what we do in water baptism. God expects us to always approach Him in prayer on the basis of this righteousness and not what we have done. This will address the issue of guilt in the place of prayer. Based on this righteousness, we can stand boldly to present our requests to our Father in heaven (Ephesians 3:12; Ephesians 2:18). However, we know that faith without works is dead (John 2:17-18). Therefore, the evidence of our faith should be seen in our deeds; otherwise, our faith is not genuine. If we truly love Jesus and have accepted His gift of salvation by faith, He expects us to do what He says (John 14:15). Your past is gone: This is true for anyone who has received the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Paul pointed this out in verses 7and 8 of our text, alluding to David’s statement in Psalm 32:1-2. At the point of salvation all our sins are forgiven (the magnitude not withstanding), God covers it all up and decides never to count it against us or to consider it in His dealings with us (2 Corinthians 5:21). This understanding is important because the devil likes to dig things up from our past lives to remind us of how unworthy we are to receive anything good from God or to justify some of the challenges we may be going through as believers. Much as it is true that there are some consequences of sin that we cannot change even after salvation, it does not change how God now sees us – totally forgiven and dearly loved. Salvation gives us a clean slate to begin our journey of faith (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ezekiel 36:26-27). It is important that we do not dwell on the past or live with regrets (Isaiah 43:18). Salvation is the beginning of a journey to better days. That is why all the promises of God are ahead of us – we just walk into them as we continue in the faith. Notice in Revelation 3:8 that your open door is not behind but ahead of you. Forget about the old you and dwell on the new you. Everything about the potential of the new you can be found in scripture, so find and embrace it to make it your reality. The faith of God (Romans 4:13-25): Paul went on to explain that justification had to be by faith so that it could be by grace, and in that way, it would be accessible to all and not just Abraham’s natural descendants. Referring to the life of Abraham, he explains how transformation takes place in the lives of those who are justified by faith. He explains that God calls things that do not yet exist as though they are already in existence. He called Abram (which meant high father) Abraham (which means father of a multitude) even before Isaac was born, thus confessing that Abraham was the father of a multitude before it happened in the physical. God exercises faith by calling things as He has determined them to be before there is any physical evidence that they are so. In the same vein, God calls us righteous, and it is so even before there is any physical evidence. As we stay connected to Jesus and continue to yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the fruit of righteousness will manifest (John 15:3-5; Galatians 5:16). It is also important that we learn from God and operate His kind of faith that calls things that do not exist as though they were. With such faith, we can look at unpleasant situations in our lives and call them what they should be, and they will become just that (Genesis 2:19; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Romans 10:6-8). Summary Salvation does not just fix our lives, but God gives us a new life, righteous and full of potential. The new you cannot fail.

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we studied the second chapter of the book of Romans. We learnt that God wants us to be doers of the word and not just hearers alone. Today, we will be studying the third chapter. TEXT: Romans 3:1-31 Memory Verse: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Ephesians 2:8)KJV God’s word stands sure (Romans 3:1-4): In chapter three, Paul began with a question. He asked if the native Jews had any advantage over Gentiles, and the answer was yes. The Jews had advantages over Gentiles in many ways, particularly in having the written word of God, which was handed to them. They did not have to rely on their consciences alone to do what is right, but God went further to make His very words available to them and sent men to teach them. Sadly, some still did not believe. Paul clearly pointed out that their unbelief does not in any way suggest that God is unfaithful, for God cannot lie (Psalm 12:6; 2 Samuel 22:31). Whatever God says is the truth and cannot be contested. Our attitude to the word of God does not affect it, but the word will have an effect on our lives if we let it (Mark 9:23). Situations cannot change God’s word, but through faith, they will change to line up with the word. The truth is that the word of God works, and it stands sure forever. Miracles still happen, and God is still in the business of transforming lives through His word. Those who believe will enjoy the benefits of the word, but doubters will miss out (John 10:40). We can only make God’s word ineffective in our own lives and circumstances through unbelief or by replacing it with human traditions (Mark 7:11-13), but the word itself stands sure. Whatever God says is law; Every other opinion or fact has to submit to it. There is no justification for sin (Romans 3:5-8): Paul moved on to another line of argument to refute a misconception among believers that they were justified in their sinful lifestyle since God was benefiting from it. This stemmed from the belief by some that, just as the power of light is more evident in darkness, the glory of God is revealed in even greater measure amidst sin. Much as it is true that when we consider the level of sin in a land, it makes God’s mercy appear even greater, that cannot be a justification for sin. For instance, the woman in Luke 7:44-47 showed more appreciation because she knew that her debt of sin was great, but that does not mean that her sinful life was a good thing, so she needed forgiveness. It is like thinking that giving huge sums of money as a tithe and offering justifies fraud and other criminal activities. Paul says God forbid such thinking. Man’s unrighteousness cannot produce the righteous purposes of God (James 1:20-21). We cannot support God’s kingdom with evil. Man needs a saviour (Romans 3:9-20): Having written about the Jews and Gentiles in chapters one and two, Paul then establishes that every human is guilty before God, regardless of our religious or family background (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10). While the Gentiles have no excuse, the Jews are even more guilty because, although they were given the laws of God, they did not believe. This is important because we will never fully appreciate grace and the gift of salvation if we do not understand the depths of sin that God picked us from. The essence of the Law was to show us just how filthy and destitute man is, and in turn how much we are in need of a saviour (Romans 3:20). One cannot be accused of wrong-doing when there is no law that stipulates what should be considered an unlawful activity (Romans 4:15). It was the law that defined acts such as stealing, adultery, murder and falsehood and categorised them as sin(Exodus 20:12-17). Before the law was introduced, men felt good in their own eyes because there was no written code to measure right or wrong. Therefore, God gave us the law so that by breaking it, we would discover how helpless we are with regard to the fight against unrighteousness. We can never meet God’s righteous requirements in our own strength, hence the need for salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). The law brought man to a place where we could see no other hope of salvation except through faith in a qualified saviour (Galatians 3:23). Salvation is entirely by grace through faith in Jesus (Romans 3:21-30): Accepting the gospel of grace sets us free from the curse of the law. Now we are not justified by our works, but by the grace of God, which we receive through faith in Jesus. This is why we cannot boast about our righteousness – it is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). It is totally illogical to operate under the law because those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse (Galatians 3:10-14). This is simply because the only way to qualify for anything under the law is to fully observe its dictates, and we know that it is impossible to do that (James 2:10). Therefore, people who try to operate under the law are automatically under a curse, as they will always break it. Christ, however, redeemed us from that curse when He died on the cross (see Galatians 3: 13). Now our righteousness is of Him just as Isaiah prophesied (Isaiah 54:17b). The law brought condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7-9) and empowered sin (1 Corinthians 15:56), but Jesus came to deliver us from them all. Anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord and Saviour shall be saved regardless of their nationality or tribe. Man finds it difficult to accept the gospel of grace because it is beyond human reasoning. We wonder, “Could it be that easy to be free, considering all that I have done wrong?” Believers tend to be drawn to legalistic teachings because it makes us feel that we have done some work to appease God and therefore qualify to have our desires met. To enjoy the full benefits of salvation, we must train ourselves to receive things we have not necessarily worked for. Someone has paid, so why try to pay again? Just collect the delivery and enjoy yourself. Grace is not lawlessness (Romans 3:31): Paul concluded the chapter with a pertinent question, which he also answered: “Do we then make void the law through faith?” His answer was “God forbid”. The law still has its place. The law was not given so that we could earn justification by its observance (Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:5). It is God’s way of revealing man’s greatest need, but it lacks the power in itself to provide for the need. Jesus is the only one who can give salvation (Acts 4:10-12). The law is still useful in making the unsaved see their need for salvation. For the believer, salvation by grace does not make us lawless, but it empowers us to live righteous, which has become our acquired nature (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, grace is not a license for a sinful life (Titus 2:11-12). Summary Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus. When we embrace this truth, we will naturally manifest the gift of righteousness.

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we began the study of the book of Romans, and we introduced it as a letter originally written to the Roman church, but its message remains relevant to the body of Christ today. We identified the author as Apostle Paul. In chapter one, we learnt that it is important for every believer to preach the gospel and be comfortable doing it, and that the power of God is released through preaching. TEXT: Romans 2:1-29 Memory Verse: “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” (Romans 2:13)KJV Avoid hypocrisy and spiritual pride (Romans 2:1-5): Paul had just finished writing about the unsaved in chapter one, how they are without excuse for all their evil practices. Then in chapter two, he begins to address the believers, warning them against passing hypocritical judgments on the unsaved. He stressed that there is no justification for pointing accusing fingers at the unsaved, as they were also guilty of the same wrongdoings. Paul warns that believers are not exonerated from God’s wrath just because they are saved, but there is a need to live the life – walking in righteousness (Ephesians 4:1; Luke 3:8). Salvation must not be seen as an escape route that provides a safe haven for those who want to hide under the covering of a local church and continue in corrupt practices to escape judgement. Believers should not live with the illusion that they can avoid God’s wrath when they do the same evil as the unsaved (Romans 2:3). The truth is that we may not be involved in idol worship, but if we are covetous, we are guilty of the same sin (Colossians 3:5). We may not commit adultery or fornication, but if we entertain lustful thoughts, we are equally guilty (Matthew 5:27-28). We may not commit physical murder, but if we harbour hatred in our hearts, we are just as guilty (Matthew 5:21-22). Therefore, instead of feeling cool with ourselves out of a holier-than-thou attitude and sitting in judgment over the unsaved, we should focus on pleasing the Lord (Matthew 7:5; 1 Corinthians 10:12). We should also try to win them for Christ. Love is stronger than fear and condemnation (Romans 2:4): Whilst it is true that God wants us to live righteously, we must understand that He desires righteousness that is inspired by love. That is why He is patient with us in our weaknesses. We must then be careful not to think that His forbearance is a sign of weakness. He wants us to live right, not out of fear of His wrath, but as a response to His love; hence His continuous demonstration of goodness and forbearance towards us even when we are not living right. He wants us to seek to please Him because He is just too good to us. For instance, He tells us that His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3; Matthew 11:30) so that we can imagine how pleasant it is to have a relationship with Him. God’s approach to salvation is love (John 3:17). Fear has torment (1 John 4:18). That is why people who have not understood and embraced God’s love, but run to Him out of fear of His wrath are often unstable in the faith. When they feel that things have quietened down, they go back to their old ways because they never really had a connection to God (Ecclesiastes 8:11). When we understand God’s love for us, we would do anything to please Him, and when we present the same love to the unsaved, they will be drawn into a lasting relationship with Him. Continue in the faith (Romans 2:6-7): Eternal life is for those who continue in righteousness (Matthew 24:12-13). To endure to the end, we have to keep pressing in for more of God. If we stop moving forward, we begin to go backwards. God does not show favouritism (Romans 2:6-11): God does not select His favourites arbitrarily, but those who do what is right walk into His favour (Acts 10:34-35). He is just in all His ways (Deuteronomy 10:17). Therefore, it does not matter how long we have been saved, whether we have a Christian background or not, God will reward every man according to the path they have chosen in life. It is important that we understand God’s principles and put them into practice (Genesis 4:6-7). When we do, we will enjoy the glory, honour and peace that He alone can give. Anyone who chooses to walk in unrighteousness will face the consequences of their actions. Allow God’s word to influence your lifestyle (Romans 2:12-16 & 25-29): God is not interested in how much of His word we know; what moves Him is our obedience to His word (James 1:21-24). We can be a repository of His word, but if we do not act on what we know, it will not be profitable to us. God wants us to allow His word to change our lives. Wisdom is not measured by what we know, but what we do with what we know (Matthew 7:24). To be justified before God, we need to submit totally to the authority of His word. We do this by allowing the word to dictate how we live. We should not be found among those who contest the word or try to modify it to suit their wrong lifestyles. Doing (not just knowing) God’s word will preserve us when the storms of life come against us (Luke 6:46-49). What God desires is a change of heart, which will reflect in our attitude. Being a Jew (God’s Chosen people) in the New Testament is not by birth or through circumcision, but by having an inner transformation. The real Jews are those whose hearts have been washed by the blood of Jesus and who continue to live the lives worthy of their calling. Those are the people who have full access to the benefits of God’s covenant with Abraham. There are no secrets with God (Romans 2:16): All our deeds and motives of the heart are laid bare before God (Hebrews 4:13). There is no place we can hide from God (Jeremiah 23:23-24; Isaiah 29:15). That is why it is important to live to get God’s endorsement and not that of men. Men may applaud us because they have no knowledge of what we do in secret, but God sees them all. God can deliver us from secret sins if we ask Him (Psalms 19:12; Proverbs 28:13). You do not live for yourself alone (Romans 2:17-24): As believers, we represent God and His kingdom here on earth. Therefore, what we do does not just affect us; It affects God’s kingdom as well. We can see from verse 24 that our lifestyle can result in the name of the Lord being blasphemed. This is why it is important that we avoid every appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We need to see ourselves as representatives of God and, by implication, representatives of our local church and the entire body of Christ. This will change many things about us. We are to live in a way that will bring glory to God (1 Peter 2:12; Matthew 5:16). We must be careful not to do things that will deter people from coming to the Lord. Summary It is good to know God’s word, but what is more important to God is that we do what it says. When we do, the blessing of doing will rest on us.

INTRODUCTION: The book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the Roman church during his third missionary journey. Unlike most other epistles of Paul, he was not writing to address any issue; rather, he wrote to educate the church about God’s plan of salvation and righteousness for all mankind – Jews and Gentiles alike. The Roman church at the time was a predominantly Gentile congregation with Jews constituting a substantial minority. Although the book was originally addressed to the Roman church, its message remains relevant to the body of Christ today. TEXT: Romans 1: 1-32 Memory Verse: “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1Peter2:12)NIV Called to serve Jesus (Romans 1:1) Paul started by introducing himself first as a servant of Christ Jesus and then as an apostle. This shows that he acknowledges that he was primarily called to serve Jesus, and his office is where he happened to be deployed (Philippians 1:1). This is important because only those who continue to see themselves as servants will be humble enough to continually take instructions from the master. It is important that we always remind ourselves that we are serving Jesus and that our offices are secondary (Colossians 3:24). In that way, we will continue in the will of our Lord Jesus. Romans 1:1-5 Paul went on to say that he had received grace as an apostle to bring men into the obedience that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. There are two important lessons here: ● There is grace for service: One of the definitions of grace is divine empowerment for service. Paul, therefore, acknowledged that his work in the kingdom was by divine enablement. God called him and put certain abilities in him, and he recognised it. It is therefore not a surprise that his ministry was successful. We must understand that we cannot serve God effectively in our own strength, but by acknowledging the grace that has been released on us (1 Corinthians 3:10; Philippians 4:13). If we fail to do this, we will struggle in service, for we are nothing without God’s grace (2 Corinthians 3:5). ● Obedience is an expression of faith: From Paul’s statement, we can see that our level of obedience to God is a measure of our level of faith in Him. Anytime we disobey God and do things our own way, we are simply showing that we do not trust Him enough to work out the best for us in that situation. Doing what God says is evidence that we believe in His ability, and faith will always be rewarded with results (Mark 9:23). If we believe that there is a reward for righteousness as God says, we would walk uprightly (Psalm 58:11; Proverbs 11:18). You are loved by God (Romans 1:6-7) Continuing his salutation, Paul reminded the brethren about God’s love for them. It is so good to know that God loves us and that He did not just save us out of a moral obligation, but out of the abundance of love He has for us (Psalm 86:15). Knowing that God loves us changes everything – from how we approach Him in prayer to how we perceive His instructions. An assurance of God’s love gives us confidence in the place of prayer and helps us receive His instructions with joy, knowing that they are for our own good because they are from a heart of love. It reassures us of His genuine care, knowing that He will not let any evil happen to us (Lamentations 3:22). We can rest in His love. Your faith will announce you to the world (Romans 1:8) Paul had not yet been to Rome, but he had already heard about the exploits of faith in the Roman church. Their fame spread all over the world because they dared to operate in faith. Many believers are still living in obscurity because they have neglected the life of faith that we are called to. The things that God designed us to accomplish, which will announce us to the world, can only be achieved through faith (Romans 1:17). Therefore, it is God’s desire that we believe Him for big things and act in faith to get them done (Acts 10:38-39). It is His pleasure to see us operating at the level He designed us to (Hebrews 11:6). The heroes of faith were listed in Hebrews 6 to show us just how much importance God places on the walk of faith. Men of faith will stand their ground, holding onto God’s promises by faith until it happens exactly as God said it would (1 Timothy 6:12). When they obtain results through faith, God will display them and their works for the world to see and praise Him (Matthew 5:14). Make sure you are praying for someone (Romans 1:9-10) Although Paul had not met the brethren at the Roman church, he was always praying for them. It is good Christian practice not to spend all our prayer time on our personal needs, but to give some time towards praying for others (1 Timothy 2:1). It is a form of giving and a sign of selflessness. If we sow time of prayer into someone’s life, we will reap the reward thereof. Desire spiritual gifts (Romans 1:11-15) It was Paul’s desire to visit the church and impart some spiritual gifts to them, to the intent that they may be established. First, we see that spiritual gifts are transferable and it can be done through laying on of hands or speaking into our lives (1 Timothy 4:14). Therefore, it is important that we prepare our hearts to be imparted with spiritual gifts whenever there is an opportunity to sit under the ministry of genuine men of God who carry and manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, we see that spiritual gifts help to establish the church. When Spiritual gifts are in operation in a church, the people are constantly edified, and they will not be confused (1 Corinthians 14:12; 1 Corinthians 12:7). They will be shielded from error, and every planned attack of the devil against the church will be promptly detected and forestalled. Productivity will be high because people are constantly being edified. Do not hide your faith in Jesus (Romans 1:16-18) The attitude of the world towards Jesus can sometimes make believers feel uncomfortable disclosing and sharing their faith. But we must understand that having Jesus is the best thing that can happen to anyone. It is not demeaning to believe in Jesus. That is why the message of Jesus is called good news. Paul was always excited to talk about Jesus, and so should we. Just as every true ambassador is proud to represent his country, we should be proud to speak up for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Luke 9:26). Imagine all the unsaved people you see on the streets languishing in hell because no one was persuasive enough to pluck them from the hands of the devil (2 Corinthians 5:11). Let us tell someone about Jesus every day. He is the best. No excuse is good enough for unrighteous living (Romans 1:18-32) Paul makes it clear that the unsaved are without excuse for not acknowledging God. Creation itself tells us that God exists, and our consciences condemn us every time we do or are about to do evil (Romans 1:19). If the unsaved are without excuse for indulging in evil practices, how much more the saved (Hebrews 10:26-27). God clearly condemns all sorts of evil practices, including homosexuality and all other sexual sins that the world is promoting today. They try to make us believe that they are wise, but they are fools, and we must not join in their folly (Romans 1:22). We have what it takes to live above sin, so let us display God’s glory by our lifestyle (1 Peter 1:11-12). God gets the glory when we live right. Summary We are called to life for the glory of the Lord among fellow believers and especially among the unsaved by our works of faith and righteousness. Let Jesus be glorified through us every day.

Theme: Build Your Relationships Text: 2 Chronicles 14:7 Memory Verse: “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. ” - Proverbs 18:24 KJV Introduction: In our previous two studies, we established how God does hear and answer prayers. We also saw how, after a fast, we must take positive actions as well as have a vision for whatever we’re believing God for. We further looked at staying in a "prophetic atmosphere" by prioritising fellowship and worship, and sustaining spiritual momentum through persistent, patient, and thankful prayer. In today’s study, we’ll be looking at some further guidelines on what we need to build to keep us going, after a period of prayer and fasting. In our main text, the king Asa declared, after the fast, that they should rise and build. Let’s now look at important areas we should focus on building: Build Your relationship with God (Ezekiel 47:1-7, Revelation 4:1): The fact is that our relationship with God is the singular most important thing for us on earth(Jeremiah 9:24). That’s the reason why we got born again in the first place, as an introduction into this relationship. This relationship has to be maintained going forward. So this year, praying and fasting, we have to make a deliberate resolve that this new year, i will experience a new level in God. We have to desire to walk with Jesus. It’s not enough to know about God/Jesus, but rather, to really know him. Someone can know facts about Japan, from say an encyclopedia or travel booklet, but that’s different from someone who has travelled to and lived in Japan. In Ezekiel 47:1-7, we see that there are different levels in God. When we draw near to God, He will in turn draw near to us(James 4:8). In Revelation 4:1, Jesus was inviting John the apostle to “come up higher”, and when he did, Jesus started to reveal things to him. Knowing more of God results in knowing more about ourselves and our destiny. We ought to desire to know Jesus beyond what we’ve been told about, so we can have a personal relationship and revelation of God(1 John 1:1). This is important because there is never a time when we have known all there is to know about God. Paul, at the end of his ministry, was still desiring to know Christ more(Philippians 3:8 &10). Build the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33, Ezekiel 22:30): We ought to be the kind of people who make the kingdom of God a priority. In Ezekiel 22:30, we see God in search of someone. Know that God always elevates those who make kingdom building their priority, who see His need as their need. When you look at the life of David, you can see why God elevated him. David saw Goliath defying the armies of Israel and took it upon himself to challenge and fight the Philistine. Nobody told Nehemiah to build the wall; he just heard the news that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and took it upon himself to do something about it (Nehemiah 1:1-4). And we see later that God helped him to accomplish the mission of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 6:15). You have to tell yourself that you will build withGod, because scripture says we are co-labourers with God(1 Corinthians 3:9 / 2 Corinthians 6:1). We also see that this zeal for the house of God was Jesus’ priority here on earth (John 2:17). Build Your relationships with people (Proverbs 18:24 KJV): Endeavour to build your relationships with people around you - be it friends, colleagues, neighbours, acquaintances. Don't fight or be at odds with people all the time, and don't make yourself everybody’s enemy. Everybody cannot be your enemy. If you feel there’s something wrong with everyone around you, then something is wrong! And you have to look within to check what's happening. Have a desire to have a better relationship with people. The Bible said the one who has friends should show himself friendly(Proverbs 18:24 KJV). Become friendly and try to understand how to be patient with and kind to people. Understand how to talk to people (Proverbs 15:23) . Understand that people also have emotions just like you. Understand that you can hurt somebody's emotions, and so learn to relate better. Build Your Family Relationships(Marriage, Children) - (Isaiah 58:7, Joshua 24:15): After we’ve fasted and prayed, and we all set out to pursue our goals for the year, we must remember not to neglect our family. God is interested in families(Exodus 10:8-9). When God saves a person, He is also interested in their immediate and surrounding family members (Isaiah 9:8). In fact, Isaiah 58 where God lays down guidelines on the kind of fasting and prayer that pleases Him, He mentioned specifically not turning away from your own flesh and blood (Isaiah 58:7). As we pray and believe God for the salvation of our whole households, let’s also make the effort to strengthen our marriages, as well as relationships with our children, parents, siblings(Malachi 4:6). The impact of the gospel, must always be felt first of all in Jerusalem(which represents your immediate family), before it spreads further to Judea, Samaria, etc (Acts 1:8). Fulfil your vows - (Psalm 50:14, Psalm 66:13-14, Jonah 2:9): After a period of prayer and fasting, it’s important for us to be diligent to fulfil any vows we’ve made to the Lord while we sought Him. A vow is a promise we made to the Lord of what we are going to do in response to Him answering our prayers. It’s not a means of buying God’s favour; we simply cannot do that, as we’re saved by grace through faith. Vows are spiritual commitments made to God, and God takes them seriously (Numbers 30:2, Deut 23:21-23). Someone may make a promise to testify before God’s people or give a certain amount during a time of prayer and fasting. Be diligent and quick to do this, and the Lord will honour His part. Summary We can see from our study that drawing from 2 Chronicles 14:7, the "Rise and Build" theme urges us to translate the momentum of prayer and fasting into intentional action across five vital areas: deepening your personal intimacy with God, prioritising Kingdom work, cultivating kindness in your social circles, strengthening family bonds, and faithfully honouring your vows. It’s a call to move beyond mere knowledge and toward a lived experience where your spiritual commitments result in tangible growth and stronger connections in every facet of your life.

Theme: After the Fast: Keep Standing Introduction: In our last study, we established that God does hear and answer prayers. We also saw how, after a fast, we must take positive actions as well as having a vision for whatever we’re believing God for. In today’s study, we’ll be looking at some further dispositions we can maintain, after a period of prayer and fasting, to keep winning and obtain a manifestation of what we’ve prayed for. Text: Luke 1:39-56 Memory Verse: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:8b)AMP Remain under a prophetic atmosphere (1 John 1:7-9, Hebrews 10:24-25): After we’ve fasted, prayed and heard prophetic words from God, it’s our duty to ensure that we stay in an atmosphere or environment that nurtures those words. In Ezra 6:14, we see that the elders of the jews continued to build and prosper through the preaching/prophesying of Zechariah. We see here that continuity is very important. Many prophetic utterances and promises, both general and specific, have come to us during the period of prayer and fasting, and we have to stay in the environment that nurtures it. Staying under a prophetic atmosphere also means staying in fellowship with God and fellow believers (1 John 1:7-9, Hebrews 10:24-25). This is because our associations will either feed or faith or kill it. Psalm 1:1 warns about the --A/ The counsel of the ungodly, --B/ the way of sinners, and, --C/ the seat of scoffers. The company you keep determines what grows in you or dies in you (1 Corinthians 15:33). When Mary received prophetic words that seemed impossible to believe, she went to fellowship with Elizabeth, who incidentally also had an angelic visitation(Luke 1:39-56). If she had fellowshipped with the wrong crowd, they would have killed the word which she had received and perhaps aborted her manifestation. When we speak and rehearse the words which we have received with one another, it builds our faith to keep believing till the manifestation happens. This is pleasing to God. (Malachi 3:17-18). A prophetic atmosphere is like a coach/parent who is cheering on an athlete throughout their race till they cross the finish line. This also means staying in an atmosphere of worship and listening to the recordings of messages you have received to build your faith. Remain in Faith; keep standing and holding on to God’s word(Luke 18:8): During a period of prayer and fasting, we have all received various words and instructions. Your notes may be filled with impressions made in your spirit during this period. We know from scriptures that whenever a prophetic word comes, there’ll arise a contention or challenge to God’s word, in order to cast doubts on God’s word and water down its efficacy (Luke 8:11-14). When God gave instructions about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, satan later came to challenge it saying, “...Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”(Genesis 3:1). After Jesus’ baptism when He received a word from God confirming his sonship (Matthew 3:17), satan later came challenging it saying “If you are the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:6). The parable of the sower clearly shows us what happens whenever the word is sent to us. If we are to produce the harvest God intended when he sent his word(Isaiah 55:11), then we must hold on to the word of God and not let it go (Luke 8:15). God wants us to keep believing and holding on to His word, no matter what, until we see the manifestation(Hebrews 10:23, Romans 4:20-21). Ephesians 6:13 admonishes us to stand our ground after we have done all. Keep praying, be patient and stay thankful. (Hebrews 10:36/Phil 4:6/1 Thessalonians 5:17-18): We see in Daniel 10:2,3, Daniel was praying and fasting, but when the Angel came in Daniel 10:12, he was informed that his prayers were answered the very first day of his fast. However, there was a resistance to the manifestation. It was Daniel's perseverance in the place of prayer that enabled the angel Gabriel to break through with the message he needed. Jesus further highlighted the need for persistence in prayer in Luke 18:1-8 and Luke 11:5-9. And when and after we’ve prayed, we should always remember to praise and thank God for answers to prayers (Philippians 4:6, Acts 16:25). This is what speeds up our manifestation and keeps us in joy. Let us not forget as well that we need patience and endurance after we’ve prayed(Romans 8:25/Heb 10:36). Yes, we want our needs met, but let’s not forget that prayer is also a means for God to accomplish his transformation in our lives (James 1:4, Galatians 6:9). The things He wants to achieve in us far outweigh the answers we’ll receive from him in importance. Prayer doesn’t change God; it changes you! Summary Maintaining the spiritual momentum gained through prayer and fasting requires staying in a "prophetic atmosphere" by prioritising fellowship with other believers and immersing yourself in worship. Since challenges and doubts will inevitably arise to test God’s word, it is crucial to hold firmly to His promises through persistent prayer—much like Daniel did—while remaining patient and thankful. Ultimately, this journey of perseverance is not just about receiving answers, but about allowing God to complete a transformative work in your heart as you await the manifestation of His word.

Theme: God has heard my prayer Text: 2 Chronicles 14:7, Mark 11:22-24 Memory Verse: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)KJV Introduction: After a period of fasting and prayer, where various requests and prayer points have been tabled before God, believers need to know what is next to do to maximise this activity. Eccl 10:15 would say that not knowing how to go to the town/city is the labour of the foolish. So, as believers, we need to look at certain steps and attitudes to adopt after we have fasted and prayed to ensure that we get the full benefit of waiting on God. This study will look into what to do after we have waited on God. Settle it in your heart that God has heard your prayers and has also answered them! Sometimes, believers may perhaps be wondering if God really heard them, and/or if their prayers were answered. This issue has to be settled in our hearts because it affects our attitude and the actions we take after the period of waiting. In our text, the king Asa was expressing his confidence to go ahead with various projects because they had sought God and he had given them rest on every side. On the issue of whether or not God heard you, let’s look at a few scriptures to settle this matter (1 Peter 3:12, Proverbs 15:29, Psalm 34:15, John 14:13-14, John 11:42, Psalm 66:19, Psalm 102:17, Jeremiah 29:12-13). Know for a fact that when God’s people fast and pray and call upon Him, it is never in vain! (Isaiah 45:19). When we have prayed with the word of God, which is the will of God, we have that confidence that he has heard our prayers (1 John 5:14). Secondly, we have to also know that if we have fasted, and God has heard our prayer, he has also answered our prayers and we have also received what we asked for (1 John 5:15). This was Ezra’s confidence in Ezra 8:23. See also Jeremiah 33:3, Mark 11:23-24. Isaiah 65:24. If Jesus could answer the prayer request of demons (Mark 5:12-13), how much more we who are his children. If men who are fallen and flawed can give good gifts to their children, how much more our good God? (Luke 11:13) Take positive actions or steps towards what you have prayed for (2 Chronicles 14:7, Esther 5:1-3). Having settled the fact that God has heard our prayers and has answered us, we must now begin to take positive action in the direction of the things we prayed for. Are you believing God for a job? Now begin to tidy up your CV and apply for jobs in faith. Believing God for a child? Go shop for baby things. In our text, we see King Asa saying let’s rise and build, because we have sought the Lord and he has given us peace on every side. This is important because after we have fasted and prayed, God has released the grace for actualisation, and we must start to move and not delay. This is not the time to say, “I’m waiting to see how God will answer my prayer, or I’m waiting for a sign or vision”. We never heard about Esther receiving a word from a prophet or even God speaking to her or any other supernatural manifestation. However, after she had fasted, she got up, put on her royal garments and started moving towards the king’s palace! Whether or not you have received a supernatural manifestation, makea move. Don’t stand still. Do something! This is the basic definition of ‘FAITH’ - the steps and actions you take to prove that you believe God and His word. You believe God has heard you? And that he has answered your prayers? Then the proof of this is the steps you take in the direction of those things you’re trusting God for. The power of God always moves when we move! Mark 16:20 tells us that when the disciples moved in obedience to God’s word, God was working with them and confirming the word with signs. Every act of faith is backed by the power of God (2 Thess 1:11). To power your actions and steps, you must have a vision of what you’re trusting God for (Habakuk 2:2) To power your steps or actions, you must have a vision. A vision is simply a clear picture or mental image of what you are believing for. It is vision that gives drive to the actions you take. Scripture says that ‘Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint’ - Prov 29:18. To catch a vision, you may need to go window shopping to get ideas of what to do. You may need to attend conferences or courses to expand your mind to greater possibilities. This is a way of borrowing vision by associating with people who are already doing what you desire to accomplish(Prov 13:20). It helps sharpen you and spur you on to greater achievements (Prov 27:17). This guarantees that if you do what they do, you’ll also accomplish the same results (Judges 7:17). You can also print out confessions or pictures of where you want to be and put them up on your wall so that your eyes see it every day. This is an important principle of scripture - that what we behold we become(Genesis 30:38-39, Numbers 21:8-9). It also helps to protect the garden of your mind and preserve your faith (Philippians 4:8). You cannot feature in the future you don’t picture! Summary After a time of fasting and prayer, believers should confidently settle in their hearts that God has heard and answered their requests, then take concrete, faith-filled steps toward those outcomes—like revising a CV or preparing for a child—rather than waiting for extra signs. Backed by Scripture (e.g., Romans 10:13; 1 John 5:14–15; 2 Chronicles 14:7), action proves faith and invites God’s confirming power. Maintain a clear vision—through study, mentoring, or visual reminders—to drive and sustain those steps until the prayers manifest.

THEME: Understanding Daniel's Prophecy of Seven Weeks INTRODUCTION: Last week, we had an in-depth discussion on the rapture. Our study today will focus on a seven-year period, which Daniel spoke about in Daniel 9. After the events of those years, the end will come. The tribulation will also take place during this period. We believe, based on our understanding of scriptures, that the church will not be on earth during this period, but it is important we know these things as we prepare to meet our Lord and King. TEXT: Daniel 9:27 Memory Verse: “Knowing therefore the terror of the LORD, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”. (2 Corinthians 5:11) KJV Daniel prophesied about the activities of the antichrist during a seven-year period that the world will experience before the second coming of Christ (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:29-31). The weeks in Daniel 9:27 refer to the Jewish weeks of years, which mean seven years. We understand from scriptures that the tribulation was originally intended to last for a period of seven years (Daniel 9:27), but the suffering will be shortened to three and a half years for the sake of the elect, otherwise no flesh would survive (Matthew 24:22). Thus, the initial seven-year period is now divided into two phases. Although there will be affliction in the first three and a half years, it will not be as intense as it will be in the following years. The last three and a half years (known as the great tribulation period) will be marked by intense suffering such that the world has never experienced (Matthew 24:21, Daniel 12:1). Therefore, the tribulation period is effectively three and a half years (Revelation 13:5, Daniel 7:25). Let’s look at other things we need to know about this seven-year period The Antichrist will commence his final operations: During the first three and a half years, the antichrist will commence operation, but will not reveal his true evil identity until the last three and half years. The antichrist is a man who will be empowered by the devil to deceive the world. The term “antichrist” simply means one who is opposed to Christ. The bible refers to him in the book of Revelation as the beast (Revelation 13:4), the man of sin or man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and a horn in Daniel 7:8 & 21. He will come on the world scene as a great charismatic leader, with exceptional oratory abilities. He will appear as a man of peace working in the interest of the masses. He will present himself as the solution the world has been waiting for and will put down anyone who challenges his actions. In the midst of all the chaos, he will be able to negotiate a false peace accord in the Middle East and around the world (Daniel 9:27). Due to his deceitful display of competence, the world will accept him and then look to him to solve the problems that will come on the earth in those days as a result of God’s wrath. Appearance of God’s two witnesses on earth (Revelation 11:3-12, Matthew 24:14): Two witnesses will appear on earth preaching the gospel of Jesus, which will oppose the lies of the antichrist. This will be an opportunity for the unsaved to accept Christ as Lord, but the world will still not receive their message. They will rather oppose and persecute them and anyone who confesses Christ on earth (Revelation 6:9-11). The two witnesses will be greatly empowered by God for this task for about three and a half years (that is, the first half of the seven years). Although they will be much hated by the people of the world, no one will be able to harm them until they have accomplished their task. Although the bible does not specify who these two witnesses are, they are believed to be either Elijah and Moses – prophets who performed signs and wonders similar to those in Revelation 11:6; or Enoch and Elijah - prophets who did not die because God took them. The antichrist will eventually kill them, and the world will celebrate their death, but after three and a half days God will raise them back to life, and they will ascend into heaven. Opening of the scroll in Heaven (Revelation 5:1-10): While the above events are happening on earth, the Lord Jesus will receive a scroll sealed with seven seals. He is the only one worthy to open the seals and reveal their contents. As the Lord opens each of the seals in heaven, the incident contained in it will take place on earth. By this, God’s wrath will be successively unleashed upon the whole world. The incidents will include intense famine, death, and various catastrophes just as the world is currently experiencing (Revelation 6), but the more devastating ones will be left for the period of the great tribulation. The marriage supper of the lamb will also take place in heaven (Revelation 19:6-9): This is a marriage between the raptured saints and the Lamb (Jesus) in heaven. It will be a joyous celebration. Summary We can see from the above that although there will still be an opportunity for sinners to repent during this period, all those on earth will experience intense suffering. All those who name the name of Jesus will be considered enemies of the world. In fact, most believers will die for their faith. We can take a clue from the way people will celebrate the death of the two witnesses (Revelation 11:9-10). They even exchanged gifts. This shows how much the world will despise God and anyone who claims to believe in Him at that time. However, the Good news is that if we live right, we will not be here when these things happen. What is important right now is that if we look around us, we will see unsaved relatives, friends, neighbours and colleagues. We cannot keep quiet and watch them live in sin when we know the consequences. Let this study spur us into witnessing. Tell anyone you love about Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:10-20). Thought: When was the last time you warned someone of the coming Jesus?

INTRODUCTION: Our study today will focus on the events of the last days and the order in which they will occur as recorded in scripture. It is important that we know these things so will be at peace as we see the day approaching. TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:52 Memory Verse: “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:19) NIV THEME: Major Events of the Last Days in Chronological Order The rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52): The next major event that the church is expecting is the rapture. It is a Latin word that simply means “to be caught up”, as we read in scripture. The believers will be taken away from the earth to be with the Lord. The dead in Christ will rise first, to be followed by those still alive. The Tribulation (Isaiah 2:12, Revelation 3:10): The removal of believers from the earth will mark the beginning of the tribulation. With the restraining power of the Holy Spirit taken away (2 Thessalonians 2:7 NKJV), this period will be marked by suffering across the world. It will last for a period of 7 years (Daniel 9:27). During the first three and a half years of the tribulation, the antichrist will commence operation, but he will not reveal his true evil identity. He will appear as a man of peace. The second half of the tribulation is known as the Great Tribulation – a period of intense suffering such as the world has never experienced (Matthew 24:21, Daniel 12:1). Revealing of the man of sin (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4): Around the end of the first half of the tribulation, the man of sin will reveal his true identity and oppose God and everything that is worshipped. Although his spirit is already in operation, leading people into evil, his true identity will be concealed until this time (1 John 4:3). He will pose to be worshipped and to lure men to worship the devil and commit sin (Revelation 13:3-4). He will operate for forty-two months (three and a half years) and then his time will be up – that is the period of the great tribulation. He will violate the temple and put an end to the daily sacrifice (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15). Salvation of the 144,000 Jews and others (Revelation 7:1-4 & 9-14): 144,000 Jews will be delivered from the great tribulation. It is believed that these would continue to evangelise the world, possibly resulting in the salvation of the multitudes we saw in verses 9-14. The bible refers to these 144,000 as the first fruit (Revelation 14:1-5). Marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-9): While the above events are taking place on earth, there will be a marriage between the raptured saints and the Lamb (Jesus) in heaven. It will be a joyous celebration. The Second Coming of Jesus (Revelation 19:11-16, Jude 14-15, Matthew 24:30-31): Upon the completion of the ceremony, Christ Himself will come down to the earth. This event is clearly different from the rapture that we discussed earlier because Jesus will come back with the saints. Satan will then be captured, bound, and cast into the bottomless pit for a period of 1000 years (Revelation 20:1-3). The Millennial Reign of Jesus (Revelation 20:4-6): While the devil languishes in the bottomless pit, Jesus Christ will establish His kingdom on earth and rule and reign for 1000 years. It will be a period of absolute righteousness on earth, and as a result, there will be no death since death originated from sin (Romans 5:12). Man will finally have a taste of the life that God planned for us. The Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-21): Immediately after the Millennial reign of Jesus, Satan will be released for a short time. During this period, he will go round the world to deceive people and will gather an army to make war against Christ and His own (Revelation 20:7-8). The ensuing battle is called the Battle of Armageddon. It will be the fiercest battle ever and the last of its kind on earth. But the devil will soon be defeated and permanently cast into the lake of fire, and those who follow him will be destroyed by fire from heaven (Revelation 20:9-10). The Great White Throne Judgement (Revelation 20:11-15): Sequel to this will be the judgement of those who died in their sin, and this will result in the second death (John 5:28-29, Revelation 2:11). The Eternal Age (Revelation 21:1-5): Soon after the judgment, this present earth will be done away with, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth in which Christ will reign and the saints will live with Him in eternal bliss.  Thought: Knowing this, what kind of people ought we to be? (2 Peter 3:10-11) What did you learn?

THEME: Meekness as an important virtue for these last days INTRODUCTION: As we draw closer to the second coming of Christ, it is important that we remind ourselves of the expectations God has of us as believers. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,” (2 Timothy 3:2-3). In a world where self-assertion, rebellion and covetousness are common, God expects us to be different. It is so easy in the midst of a fast-moving world to forget that this world is not our home. Jesus gave specific instructions on how our lives should be lived on earth while we wait for His soon return. Let’s talk about meekness as a virtue. TEXT: Matthew 5:5 and 38-40 Memory Verse: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)KJV What does it mean to be meek? (Read Matthew 5:5) Perhaps it is better to approach this question by looking at the way meekness has been misinterpreted. The world believes that meekness is the same thing as weakness – being a doormat and allowing people to run over you. This is not so. In fact, the people the bible recorded that they were meek were actually very strong men. Moses was bold enough to stand before Pharaoh ( who was considered the most powerful leader in his time) as instructed by God (Exodus 11), yet the bible recorded that he was the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3). Jesus chased the money changers out of the temple with a whip (John 2:13-17), Cast demons out, and was in a position to call on God the father, to send more than twelve legions of angels for his defence (Matthew 26:53) yet He said “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). What then is Meekness? It was taken from the classical Greek word “praus”, which was used by three different types of people. Doctors used it to describe a soothing medicine that would take away pain; the sailors used it to describe a lovely, cool breeze that brings freshness; and the farmers used it to describe an ass that is broken and is able to be used, and useful, on the farm. We can see that these three uses point to one thing – power under control (Matthew 5:38-40). It is the ability to curb the "natural" desires to rebel, fight, have our own way, push ourselves forward, etc. We submit to the Lord in obedience to His will (read Ephesians 4:1,2; Colossians 3:12; Matthew 11:28, 29). Remember that the best answer to critics is to keep winning and not to fight back. We cannot live our lives as believers fighting those who hate us (Romans 12:19). (Discuss more practical examples) - Phil 2:5-8 talks about the prime example of Jesus forgoing his divinity - 1 Corinthians 10:23 – It’s not everything that we can do that we should do. - 1 Corinthians 9:3-6, 12 (NIV) - But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. We need to understand that the things that people covet and fight over would just fall into our hands if we simply obey God, pray and do what we need to do - and we will inherit the earth (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). David had the power and opportunity to kill Saul, but he chose to wait for God’s time (1 Samuel 26:7-12). Moses was scorned by Miriam and Aaron, but he chose not to fight back (Numbers 12:1-13). God fought for him. Joseph had the opportunity and power to punish his brothers for what they did, but he showed them love instead (Genesis 42). It is important to state at this juncture that meekness does not mean that we should become doormats to be trodden upon. There may be times when we have to defend ourselves to stay alive. (Discuss) What would you do differently from today to make people around you feel loved as a result of this study? (Just talk) What did you learn?

THEME: There will be Persecution in the last days INTRODUCTION: It is not very popular to talk about persecution these days when people want to have a bit of God and a bit of the world. Well, it might interest you to know that there are times you may have to face persecution as a result of your decision to follow Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12). This might sound hard to those who just want to enjoy the acts of God without any responsibilities, but for those who have their minds made up to go all the way for God; it is a privilege (Read Matthew 5 10-12). Memory Verse: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12) NIV TEXT: 2 Timothy 3:1-17 What does it mean to be persecuted because of righteousness? (Discuss) For a proper understanding, we need to define persecution. It means to be oppressed, harassed, or maltreated. Note also that it is for righteousness' sake. Therefore, when we suffer as a result of carelessness or foolishness, this scripture does not apply. If you are penalised for reading your bible during office hours (not during break), you are not being persecuted for righteousness. The passage applies when we suffer because we have chosen to live righteous lives, refusing to conform to the patterns of this world; when people try to make life difficult for us because we love God and therefore do things that show that we truly love Him. --We do not rejoice because of the suffering; rather, we rejoice in it. We rejoice because we have the privilege of suffering for our saviour, Lord and hero. We rejoice for the hope we have in Christ (Matthew 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:19). --Scripture also admonishes us not to be surprised when we’re persecuted, 1 Peter 4:12-14. --We do not need to invite persecution; it just comes. Jesus, our Lord and master, was persecuted (John 15:20); Apostle Paul was persecuted (2 Timothy 3:10-12); and Apostle Peter was also persecuted (Acts 12:1-5). Why do men persecute believers? (Discuss) Remember that we are sons of the light (1 Thessalonians 5:5) and light shines in darkness and darkness cannot comprehend it (John 1:5). The light that we carry exposes the works of darkness when we let it shine (John 3:19). The world does not like us because we expose their evil acts so they naturally react by persecuting us with the intention of turning off our light. The devil does not like it when we preach to our colleagues at work or school so he uses those under his control to make you stop. We must not let persecution daunt our zeal for the Lord (Luke 21:17-19; 2 Corinthians 4:9), God will always make a way for us to keep winning. Now this is not for those who live double lives outside the church. It is not for those who try to cover the light they carry so they can be politically correct and to be accepted in the society (Matthew 5:15). The reason most Christians cannot tell the story of persecution for righteousness is that they take the easy way of compromise each time there is a need to stand out for their faith. How should be respond to persecution? Count it all joy and hold on to what you believe (Matthew 5:11-12). The church should pray for those going through such situations, just as in Acts 12:5-10, and God set him free. In Acts 4:18-31, the believers were persecuted, but they decided to pray for boldness to preach even more Pray for those who persecute you as well. It was Stephen’s prayers that set Paul free (Acts 7:59-60). Recognise and always fall back to ‘your own company’, which is the body of believers that are now your family in Christ Jesus. Just like the early church did in Acts 4:23, which says, "and being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them." In the local body of believers, God has already provided the support structure for us to endure persecution. From our study, we see that the goal of persecution is always to stop or stifle the preaching of the gospel or the shining of our light. But we never stop – it is a battle that has been won already. Stay strong for He will come and save you. Thought: Are you living with the consciousness of Christ’s soon return? What did you learn?

THEME: Understanding End Time Bible Prophecy INTRODUCTION: Last week, we discussed the importance of staying focused even as we see the Day of the Lord approaching. We emphasised the need to overcome evil with good and to stay busy with kingdom affairs as we wait for our saviour. Our study today will focus on bible end-time prophecies, how they have been fulfilled so far, and what we should expect next. It is important that we know these things so that we will not be tossed about by false teachings (Ephesians 4:11-14). TEXT: Daniel 2:26-45 Memory Verse: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15)NIV King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a statue with a golden head, chest and arms made of silver, belly and thighs made of bronze, legs made of iron, and feet made of iron and clay. He was troubled because he did not understand the meaning of the dream, but God revealed it to Daniel in a vision and here is what it meant: Significance of King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. God decided to reveal to King Nebuchadnezzar the things that were going to happen with regard to successive world empires. It is the responsibility of the believer to understand these things and apply their heart to wisdom. We know that every word of God is inspired to equip us for life (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The fulfilment of this prophecy and others further confirms the validity and infallibility of God’s word. King Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream shows the successive world powers from the time of the Babylonian Empire to the time of Christ’s eternal rule. We will now proceed to trace how events in history and in this present day have played out to fulfil that which was revealed to Daniel about the statue. The head of Gold (Daniel 2:36-38, Jeremiah 51:7). This represents the Babylonian empire which was ruled by king Nebuchadnezzar who conquered Jerusalem taking the Jews (including Daniel) into captivity (see 2 Kings 25:1-21). This empire spanned from around 626 B.C - 539 B.C. Gold speaks of its political and economic power as well as the splendour. Historical facts reveal that Babylon was one of the largest and most glorious cities of the ancient world. In fact, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were reputed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We also know from historical facts that this empire was situated in present-day Iraq. The remains of the City of Babylon have been found around Hillah, Babylon Province, Iraq, about 53 miles south of Baghdad. The Chest and Arms of Silver (Daniel 2:32&39). The Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medes and Persians, giving rise to the Medo-Persian Empire (Daniel 5:25-31), which is the present-day Iran. The bible refers to it as one inferior to the earlier empire because it did not wield as much political and economic power as the Babylonian empire. It was also not as glorious as the Babylonian Empire. The Medo-Persian Empire lasted about 209 years, between 539 B.C and 330 B.C. It was during this period that Cyrus allowed the people of Judah to return to Jerusalem, as we read in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Historical facts suggest that Daniel’s tomb is in Susa, Iran. The Belly and Thighs of Bronze (Daniel 2:32&39). The Medo-Persian Empire was toppled by the Greeks in the historic Battle of Arbela (Daniel 10:20). The victory resulted in the establishment of the Greek Empire in 331 B.C by the famous Alexander the Great who led the Greek army in the battle. The prophecy about Alexander the great canbe found in Daniel 8:1-8 & 19-22. The empire lasted 163 years from 331 BC to 168 BC. The period was notable for the ancient Greek philosophies, which influenced modern philosophy as well as modern science. It was the era of famous Greek Philosophers such as Plato and Socrates. In fact, Classical Greece is generally considered to be the shaping culture that provided the foundation of modern Western culture. The Legs of Iron (Daniel 2:33&40). In 168 BC the Roman Empire was established and they controlled the regions that were formerly under the Greek Empire as well as most parts of Europe, including Britain. Just as was described in Daniel 2:40, the Roman Empire was brutal in their dealings. Iron, which was used to describe it symbolises its military strength and control, dominance over nations under its rule, and the imposition of its laws on all. In fact, it was the Romans that introduced various forms of capital punishment, including crucifixions that we read about in the days of Jesus’ ministry on earth. The Empire lasted a long period, 168 BC to AD 476. We know from human anatomy that the femur is the strongest and longest bone, and it is located in the legs. It tells us the wisdom of God in illustrating the events with the human body. The Roman rule was the era of the Caesars (Luke 1:1-5). Due to its vast extent and long endurance, the development of language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and forms of government in the territory it governed (particularly Europe) was greatly influenced by its institutions and culture. Its influence also extended throughout the modern world by means of European expansion. The Feet of Iron and Clay (Daniel 2:33&41-43). We believe that this represents the European Union, which controls about 25 per cent of the estimated global wealth of $260 trillion (Visual Capitalist, 2019). This makes it the wealthiest modern-day empire. We know from the nature of the EU that it is an economic and political union made up of 26 nations. Although these nations are in a union, they have internal differences, hence confirming the statement in Daniel 2:41 states that it will be a divided kingdom. Although they have equal rights, there is a wide disparity in the size, wealth and political system of member states. While nations like Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain are facing economic struggles, others such as Germany, Finland, Sweden, France and the Netherlands remain strong. A Stone not Cut with Human Hands (Daniel 2:34&44-45). We know from scripture that Christ is the chief cornerstone (Acts 4:10-11, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 10:4). This part of the vision speaks of the eternal kingdom, which will be established by Jesus Christ when He returns. This will take place by divine intervention and not by human activity. That is why the scripture refers to the stone as one not cut with human hands. Every human government will be destroyed, but that kingdom will never be overthrown by any (Revelation 11:15, Matthew 21:44). Thought: Are you living with the consciousness of Christ’s soon return? What did you learn?

INTRODUCTION: We are living in the last days, and the devil is working so hard to stop believers from making heaven. But we are not helpless, for God has made sufficient arrangements to ensure that we all make it to that great wedding banquet. It is therefore imperative that the believers are fully aware of those measures that God has put in place so that we can take full advantage of them as we see the day approaching. TEXT: 2 Timothy 3:1-17, Jude 1:17-25 Memory Verse: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)NIV THEME: Get Your Focus Right Why should we prepare? We are told in scripture to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3). If there was ever a time that Christians needed to stand firm for the faith, it is now. That is because the battle is getting more intense by the day. For instance, although the bible can now be accessed using various electronic means, a lot of Christians struggle to maintain a consistent study life. Within the last decade, the world has experienced tremendous technological advancement. Most of these technologies are meant to make our lives easier so that we can have more time, yet people still struggle to maintain consistent prayer lives because everyone claims to be busy. If you have been wondering what is happening, the answer is in Matthew 24:12. We therefore need to be alert and guard ourselves thoroughly (Ephesians 6:10-13). We must guard ourselves against the spirit of error that is being unleashed in the world today, as we saw in our text. We cannot afford to let our guards down at this time since we know that those who made such a mistake in the past have departed from the faith, which they once professed (1 Timothy 6:20-21). A glorious reward awaits all who stand firm to the end (1 Peter 1:3-4). Therefore, it is important that we stay strong in the faith until the end, for the blessing is for those who continue to the end (1 Timothy 1:19, Colossians 1:22-23). Regardless of what we see these last days, we must not forget that God loves us more than the devil hates us; He desires to be with us in heaven more than the devil desires to see us in hell. That is why, in the midst of all the battles, we have a strong consolation in Jude 1:24 that God is able to keep us from falling. All we have to do is to walk with Him. Evil is overcome by good: We understand from scripture that the devil will intensify his attacks on the character of the believers in these last days. That is because he knows that the believer cannot enjoy the full benefits of the salvation package with the wrong lifestyle (Isaiah 59:1-2). He also knows that when the believer’s lifestyle is right, more sinners would be drawn into the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:13-15, 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Isaiah 60:3). Therefore, God earnestly desires that we live lives worthy of our calling so that He can do much more in and through us (Acts 2:17-18). However, the challenge is that there is often a tendency for the believer to focus on the devil’s endtime plan and neglect God’s beautiful plan. That does not help – it only results in sin consciousness, guilt and depression. God gave us an important key in Romans 12:21 to keep us strong in these last days as we await Christ’s return. By maintaining a focus on the good that God has in store for us, we triumph over evil. If we keep our eyes on the beautiful lifestyle He wants for us, and give ourselves to it, the works of the flesh will naturally have no place in us (Galatians 5:16). This simply means that for every work of the flesh, there is a counteracting virtue, and that is what we need to develop. Therefore, rather than moaning about bitterness and trying to understand how it works, I would just do a scriptural research on love, and by the time I am done, there will be no place for bitterness in my life (Philippians 4:8). The enemy likes attention, so we must not give it to him. Endeavour to fully utilise all that God has put in you: As we await Christ’s return, we must remain productive in kingdom affairs. In addition to maintaining a righteous lifestyle, God expects us to effectively utilise the abilities He has put in us for the expansion of His kingdom. That is why it is wrong to sit and idle away. God expects us to use our gifts to bless those He will bring into our spheres of influence. The challenge is that sometimes, we worry about our incompetence in certain areas, and we neglect the wonderful gifts that God has graciously put in us for accomplishing His purpose. We must not forget that we have been fully equipped for the assignment that God has for us on earth (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). Therefore, our responsibility is to identify our areas of gifting and fan them aflame (1 Timothy 4:14-16, 2 Timothy 1:6). Note that it was the gift that Timothy already had that he was advised to fan aflame. If you quit bothering about the areas you are not gifted to function in and give attention to your strengths, you will be amazed at how much God can accomplish through you in these last days. The best you can be is you. If we focus on maximising our gifting, we would be too busy to notice any distractions that the enemy might bring our way. Apostle Paul had his focus on his mission to the Gentiles, and that was why he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8).” You too can say that. Thought: Are you living with the consciousness of Christ’s soon return? What did you learn?

INTRODUCTION: Last week, we had an overview of the major events of the last days based on the scriptures. We established that the next event the church is waiting for is the rapture. In our study today, we will discuss the rapture in more detail to give us a better understanding of the event. TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-53 Memory Verse: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come”. (Matthew 24:42)NIV THEME: Rapture of the church Part 1 - What is Rapture? The word rapture is not found in the bible; it is a word derived from the Latin verb “Rapere” which simply means “to be caught up” or to “to carry off” as we read in our text (1 Thessalonians 4:17). The Greek word for rapture is “Harpazo”. We understand from scripture that the believers will be taken away from the earth to be with the Lord while the unbelievers will be left behind. The other things we need to know about the rapture are as follows: The dead in Christ will rise first to be followed by those still alive (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Both the dead and those alive will be transported in glorified bodies (Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:50-51). This is because flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The glorified body is imperishable. Since we will be putting on glorified bodies, we will be able to recognise each other in heaven. This was the type that Jesus had when He rose from the dead. Jesus will not come down to the earth; rather, we will meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). It will be an instantaneous event (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). All of the above will happen in a flash, so there will be no time for the sinner to quickly repent. Every individual will be held to account – there will be no group assessment (Matthew 24:40-41). How is the world likely to perceive the sudden disappearance of Christians? They are likely going to try to explain it away with godless myths and ideologies. Such myths and ideologies are already being introduced by the media today (Ephesians 2:2). The devil will keep making efforts to deceive the world (Revelation 12:9). The media will probably report cases of missing people, but they will soon be forgotten. When will the Rapture take place (Matthew 24:36-44)? It will happen unexpectedly (Revelation 3:3). We understand from scripture that people will be going about their business, and suddenly it will happen. Just as people continued with their daily activities while Noah was building the ark before the flood came suddenly, so shall it be when the trumpet shall sound. It is therefore essential that we remain prepared at all times. There are three main viewpoints about the timing of the rapture:  The Pre-Tribulation Paradigm – The belief that the rapture will take place before the tribulation begins.  The Mid-Tribulation Paradigm – The belief that the rapture will take place midway into the tribulation.  Post-Tribulation Paradigm – The belief that the rapture will take place at the end of the tribulation period. However, there is clear evidence in scripture to show that the rapture will take place before the tribulation. We know that the church will not be left to suffer the outpouring of God’s wrath on earth because He will not punish the righteous with the unrighteous (Genesis 18:25). The angels could not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot and his family left the city to a safe place (2 Peter 2:6-9, Genesis 19:20-22). God kept Noah and his household from the flood that destroyed the world in Genesis 7:1-5. Revelation 3:10 shows that the righteous will be kept away from the hour of persecution that will come upon the whole world (See also 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Luke 21:36). Part 2 - How can we ensure that we do not miss the rapture? Salvation (John 3:3): The first thing is to be sure that we are saved. If you are in doubt about your salvation, then you need to give your life to Christ today and be sure. We ought all to be sure about our personal salvation. Salvation is not by association. Salvation isn’t implied by having Christian friends – as good as that is. Salvation is not by default when born in a Christian home, as good and beneficial as that is. We have to know God for ourselves! And how do you know that you’re saved? Well, scripture states it clearly in Romans 10:9,13 Keep the word of God (Revelation 3:10): A constant supply of God’s word in the life of a believer ensures that they are kept strong in faith (1 Peter 2:2), and we are blessed when we do what the word says (John 13:17). It also ensures that we are continuously washed clean, ready for the rapture (Ephesians 5:25-26). Be alert: We are encouraged to live every day expecting the rapture to take place (Mark 13:35-37). There is no room for careless living. Pilgrims do not get entangled in the corruption of this world because they understand that they will give account of their lives before the God of heaven and earth (Romans 14:12, Romans 2:6-8). Students who live their lives as if there are no exams often end up failing. Luke 21:34-36 warns us about the things to be mindful of to ensure that we are not caught unawares. We can also learn a lesson from the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. The foolish ones did not make an effort to stay ready, but the wise ones refused to take chances – they kept on attending fellowship, studying God’s word and applying their hearts to it. Notice that it is your responsibility to do what needs to be done to stay ready and not anyone else’s (Matthew 25:9). Encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13-14, Hebrews 10:24-25): It is important that we maintain continuous fellowship with brethren (both in church and outside) so that the fire in us will keep burning. Find ways of encouraging one another with God’s word as you meet. This also suggests that we should keep the right friends. Examine yourself regularly (2 Corinthians 13:5): Do not make assumptions; check yourself to ensure that you are in the faith. Remember that it is possible to drift from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1, 1 John 2:28). As believers, we must watch our lives carefully and not live in sin (Galatians 5:19-21). Jesus is coming for a church without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). Thoughts / Questions?: What did you learn today?