Sermon Notes by Silas

Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Year 2013- Its Challenges and Hopes

Deuteronomy 11:1-32

The beginning of the year is like the beginning of any new venture. It has its hopes, its expectations and often its failures. Let us use the experience of the Israelites as they leave Egypt to teach ourselves what to do in the coming year:

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Called to Joy

Silas Eke 13:00 Christmas , Joy 0 Comments

Philippians 2:1-5:

“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfil my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” (NKJV)

Soon, it would be Christmas and one Christmas song that portray the spirit of the season is; “Joy to the World”. It is one of our family favorites.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Keep On Keeping On

Silas Eke 13:00 Dealing with Difficulty , Perseverance 0 Comments

A man told me the story I want to share with you today. All his life, even when he was in the Primary School he has had one ambition. It is to be a Minister of the Gospel. So on September 21, 1980, he was ordained a Minister. On his ordination day his father, who also is a Minister of the Gospel gave him a present. It was a gold medal with inscription on both sides. On the one side is written:

“To my son Robert on your Ordination to the Gospel Ministry. From Your father Reverend Robert”

On the other side are inscribed three Bible Verses

• Luke 9:62

• Philippians 1:6

• Revelation 2:10

Let us consider these three verses this afternoon.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

The Significance of the Choir in the Local Church

Silas Eke 13:06 Psalm , Service 0 Comments

Modified from original by Alexander Kiko [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Psalm 150

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the tumbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Only humans have the ability to express ourselves by the use of the tongue. Even Angels cannot sing. There is no record in the Scripture of Angels singing. We sing out of two emotions – joy and sorrow. Angels have none of these.

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Your Star – Fortune Telling

Silas Eke 13:07 Astrology , 2 Comments

Astrology is the use of astronomical phenomena to predict earthly and human events in terms of an assumed theoretical system. In its earliest form astrology consisted of simple omens that astrologists read from the sky. In its mature form astrology analyses the supposed effects of Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars on the Earth for a specific time and place.

Astrology originated in ancient Babylonia in 409BC and spread from there to China and the West where different but related traditions grew up. In the 12th Century astrology began to prosper in Western Europe. By the end of the 17th Century, however, astrology was considered as a pseudoscience by almost all learned people. Not only was it opposed to the Christian doctrines of divine intervention and human free will, but also the acceptance of a greatly-expanded sun-centred universe, raised doubt about whether the heavens were created to direct changes on the earth.

The astrological column in a Newspaper today is generally based on the sign of the Zodiac in which the Sun was located when a person was born. A simplified form of astrology, it implies that all people born under the same sign anywhere in the world at any time share common characteristics and that their daily activities should be so guided. There is no record to show that the horoscope reading in a paper in Nigeria is exactly the same as in a paper in the USA. Close investigations have shown that even in Nigeria, the reading varies from paper to paper.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF YOUR ROPE THERE IS HOPE By Phyllis Tomberg Giglio

Silas Eke 23:42 Book Reviews , 0 Comments

Publisher: Synergy Publishers
ISBN-10: 1931727007
ISBN-13: 978-1931727006

This is one of the most challenging books I have read. In her own words Phyllis said:

“I have changed 28,000 diapers, tied 20,000 pairs of shoes, prepared 50,000 meals and outlasted five washing machines and six dryers”.

Phyllis lived in a dysfunctional family; her mother died when she was only eight months old, her father was an alcoholic married to a woman he did not love and her grandparents and great grandparents were not good examples for her. At age 15, Phyllis eloped with a local pizza restaurant owner with only $80.00 between them. Over the next 22 years, they had raised twelve children, and by the next 18 years, all twelve children were married and involved in one profession or the other.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Abel, As an Example

Silas Eke 13:57 bible characters , Genesis 0 Comments

Image Source: The Providence Lithograph via thebiblerevival.com

Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” (NKJV)

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” (NKJV)

Abel was the second person born into our world. Eve was not as excited at the birth of Abel as she was at the birth of Cain hence she called him “vapour” or “vanity” which is what Abel means – unlike Cain which means “behold a son”. Abel’s name was like a prediction of what his life was going to be.

There are a number of things that make the life of Abel very distinct:

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Esther Eke 21:08 Thanksgiving , 0 Comments

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Christian Duty

Silas Eke 09:30 Christian Duty , Christian Life 0 Comments

Reading: Colossians 3 & 4

In the text, Paul defined for the Church in Colossae what the duties of Christians ought to be. Let us look at this job description with a view to using it to first assess ourselves and then correct ourselves.

Paul defined the Christian job description under TEN headings. Let us take a close look at these headings.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The Answer to Perversions in the Church

Silas Eke 09:30 Colossians , Perversions 0 Comments

Reading: Colossians 2

In a previous post, we looked at the problems in the Colossian Church which prompted Paul to write the Epistle. We saw how relevant the Epistle is to our Church today because most of those problems exist in our Churches today. Today, we want to look at the solutions that Paul suggested. They were effective in tackling the problems then and I am sure that if we apply the same solutions today in our Churches, we shall have solution to our Church problems.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Perversions in the Church

Silas Eke 01:28 Colossians , Perversions 0 Comments

Reading: Colossians 2

The Church in Colossae was probably founded during Paul’s Third Missionary Journey; probably by one of Paul’s Students at the Tyrannus Bible Institute – Paul was in the home of Tyrannus (Acts 19:9-10). Epaphras graduated from the Institute and founded the Church in Colossae. The Church had mostly Gentile members (Colossians 2:13) and was meeting in the home of Philemon (4:9). After its founding, the Church was infected by a very deadly disease called Judaistic Gnosticism. It was a very bad disease in that it attacked the thought life of its victims. What did this virus have?

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Slaying the Giant

Silas Eke 14:00 Christian Life , Matthew 0 Comments

(Updated August 2014)

Matthew 14:22-32

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.” NKJV)

Everybody has what constitutes a giant to him/her

What is a giant to you may not be a giant to me. Your giant is a measure of your faith and your ability to appropriate to yourself the promises of God. In other words, you can determine what your giant is by asking yourself two questions:

How Big Is My God?
How responsive is my God?

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Who needs the Gospel?- The Whole World Needs The Gospel

Silas Eke 08:46 Evangelism , Romans 0 Comments

This is Part four of the Sermon Series Who needs the Gospel?

Romans 3:9-20

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” “Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”; “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. NKJV

This conclusion of the first part of the Epistle says “the whole world is lost.” In our earlier studies, the Apostle has dealt extensively with the Gentile, the moral man, and the Jew. He now comes to the conclusion as he deals with “both Jews and Gentiles” (v.9). In the world, there are only two classes of people, Jews and Gentiles. In verse 10 Paul answers a question “How many Jews and Gentiles are there who are righteous?” V.10 – “there is none” v.11 “there is none” and again, “there is none” and verse 12, “there is none”. Four times the answer is “none”. Now that was negative answer; “How many are righteous?” Answer –”none”. To the positive, “How many sinners are there?” The answer is to be found in verses 9, 12 and 19 –”all”. The word “none” appears four times and “all” appears three times- making seven in all – a sign of complete indictment that God brings against the world.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Who needs the Gospel? The Jew (Church Goer) Needs the Gospel

Silas Eke 14:00 Evangelism , Romans 0 Comments

This is Part three of the Sermon Series: Who Needs the Gospel?

Reading: Romans 2:17-3:8

In our earlier discussions, we have looked at the Gospel and its power. We have seen the heathen in his abandoned state and his need for the Gospel to lift him up. We have looked at the double standard of the moralist and his need for salvation. In all of these, only the Gospel offers a ray of hope. It is the “power of God unto salvation” Today we want to move ahead to look into the Church: Does anybody inside the Church need the Gospel? When Amos was delivering his message to the religious congregation in Israel moving towards Jerusalem for religious festivities, it was good message when he spoke of the transgressions of Damascus, Tyre, Ammon, Moab etc. God would pour out His wrath on those heathen nations. But when he said: “for the transgressions of Judah and Israel”, the message became sour. When Jesus asked His Disciples “Who do men say that I AM?” It was easy to answer but when He asked them “Who do you say that I AM” the answer was slower in coming. So today, does anybody in our Church need the Gospel?

Sunday, October 07, 2012

Who needs the Gospel?- The Moral World Needs the Gospel

Silas Eke 15:35 Evangelism , Romans 0 Comments

This is Part two of the sermon series Who Needs the Gospel?

Reading: Romans 2:1-16

In the later part of the previous chapter, the Apostle Paul drew a terrible picture of the sin of the heathen world and its awful condemnation and punishment. All the time Paul was talking about the heathen world and telling about their descent into idolatry; he was conscious that there was a class of men in the world who could say Amen to everything he was saying. They would say, “Yes, Paul, that is right. We know the heathen world has fallen into these sins, and in our judgment they deserve all they got”. They were standing right beside him and approving his condemnation of the heathen world.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Who needs the Gospel? - The Pagan World Needs the Gospel

Silas Eke 14:00 Archaeology , Evangelism 0 Comments

This is part one of the sermon series: Who Needs the Gospel?

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Are You Going Out To Witness? Then...

Silas Eke 15:00 Evangelism , 0 Comments

We are continuing our teaching on Evangelism and your involvement. Please follow us as we reach others for Christ.

Are You Going Out To Witness, Then..

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Scripture Photography

Silas Eke 23:55 Scripture , 0 Comments

Images are all by Lauren Davenport: http://acts17v25.blogspot.co.uk/

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Free! Free!! Free!!!

Silas Eke 20:42 0 Comments

Last day to download a copy of ENJOY YOUR FAMILY ebook for free on Amazon.

Please Click, download and rate my book

Enjoy your family is a book on how to reflect Christ in our family relationships and how to make the family an enjoyable community for the rearing of members of the Church and Government. It was first released in 1989 as a compilation of articles written and published in the popular newspaper column “Ministering Christ” of the Nigerian Sunday Concord. This edition, in addition to the fundamental teachings, introduces “Think it over” and “What to do” sections to encourage readers’ participation in applying the teachings to their lives.

See Author Page for more details

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I DARED TO CALL HIM FATHER by Bilquis Sheikh

Silas Eke 18:38 Book Reviews , 0 Comments

Here is another facinating book:

Publisher: Chosen Books
25th Anniv. edition (2003)
ISBN-10: 0800793242
ISBN-13: 978-0800793241

I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God

The story follows a Muslim woman from Pakistan, Madame Bilquis Sheikh, as she struggles through a crossroads. Her husband divorced and left her with three children, a boy and two girls. She retreats to an obscure part of the town and lives like a recluse with two house maids – one a Christian and the other a Muslim, a Christian chauffer and an adopted grandson Mahmud.

The book narrates a series of strange happenings surrounding her: a strange hand brushing her shoulder one evening, a young Christian convert girl murdered on the street, her lively grandson Mahmud becoming afflicted with an unknown illness and two strange dreams – one an encounter with Jesus Christ as her guest at dinner table; and the other an encounter with a Perfume salesman. These events caused her to reminisce on her life and her strict Muslim upbringing. Trying to read her Koran led her to begin to ask questions about Jesus Christ. In the confusion and in quest for an answer she went to see local Missionaries who gave her answers to her troubling dreams and a copy of the New Testament. Another strange illness of the grandson took her to a Christian Hospital where she met a Christian Doctor who again spoke to her about Jesus Christ. After praying for her, the doctor ended by asking Bilquis to address God as her Father. On December 12, on her 47th Birthday, she called God “My Father”

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Standing By

Silas Eke 23:43 1 Corinthians , Dealing with Difficulty 2 Comments

In 1346, during the Hundred Years’ War, the English army of King Edward III met the French Battalion at Crecy, France. The King’s Son prince Edward, led one vital Division of the British Force while Edward III stood nearby with a strong band of soldiers, ready to send relief if he saw the need. Soon after the battle started, the Prince thought he was in danger; so he sent for help. But the King didn’t come; so young Edward sent another message, pleading for immediate assistance. His father responded by telling the courier:

“Go tell my son that I am not so inexperienced a commander as not to know when help is needed, nor so careless a father as not to send it.”

“God is faithful” (First Corinthians 1:9). No matter how hot the conflict, struggling Christian, the Lord is ready to intervene at the right moment. He is always standing by.

INSPIRE YOUR KIDS TO GREATNESS by Jerry Johnston

Silas Eke 05:12 Book Reviews , Parenting 0 Comments

We will be periodically doing Book Reviews posts on this blog. Here is an oldie for you:

Publisher: Zondervan (1993)
ISBN-10: 0310578612
ISBN-13: 978-0310578611

Inspire Your Kids to Greatness: How Parents Can Nurture God's Next Generation

In many homes today, and with particular reference to Christian homes, the problem parents and children face is problem of Generation Gap and because of this, many parents tend to have ideas which their children call archaic while their children have ideas which the parents think are weird. How do we communicate with these children? I found the book “Inspire your kids to Greatness” by Jerry Johnston an attempt to bridge the divide. Johnston approaches the issue from both sides and arrives at an acceptable “compromise”. The book is divided into sixteen chapters with an afterword as the summarizing chapter.

“Would you know greatness when you see it?”

To different people “greatness” means different things but Johnston takes his definition from the words of Christ which associates greatness to humility and service (Matthew 18:3-4); words which are not usually associated with greatness. Greatness begins on the knees as the one seeks the Lord for guidance and cannot be achieved without Trust, Repentance, Confidence, Commitment, Courage, Faith, Meekness, Humility and Patience.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Going out to Evangelize? Wait a Moment!

Silas Eke 17:47 Evangelism , Romans 0 Comments

By MrRes90 (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Romans 9:1-5; 10:1-4

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

In the Scripture we have three outstanding cases of burden for souls or what we call in modern terms evangelism

Ø Naaman’s house-maid in Second Kings 5:3
Ø The four lepers in Samaria in Second Kings 7: 3-11
Ø Paul’s burden for his brethren in the flesh, his kinsmen in Romans 9:1-5; 10:1-3

We shall very briefly consider, in the time available to us, only the case of Paul – using a few points raised.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

NowBible Now in Stock!!!

Silas Eke 05:08 General , 0 Comments

We have them available in a variety of translations. View our Bible Page for our local prices

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Promo Flyer

Silas Eke 19:30 General , 0 Comments

Sunday, July 08, 2012

Facing Up To Life: Problems and Possibilities

Silas Eke 14:46 Christian Life , Dealing with Difficulty 0 Comments

Numbers 13: 17-20, 30-31

Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

It is certainly true that the main difference between people is not the facts they face but the interpretation they give to the facts. A shoe company employed two salesmen and sent them to a remote village to market their products. When they got there they discovered that the villagers have never seen shoes nor used one. The first salesman sent a telex message to his headquarters saying “the villagers have never seen shoes and have never used one. There is no possibility of business” The second salesman also sent a telex to the headquarters saying “the villagers have never seen shoes and have never used one. What a great potential for unlimited business.” They both saw the same thing but gave them different interpretations. The difference is how they looked at the facts before them.