ACEM - Waruku

ACEM - Waruku Apostolic Church Evangelical Ministry for spiritual freedom and physical harmony

14/02/2023

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

God created both male and female in his image. From the beginning, he made both man and woman and caused them to fellowship with him and with each other in the garden. And God gave Eve to Adam to be his wife, and this was for a picture of the Church, the bride of Christ, whom the Father would give to the Son.

06/02/2023

Proverbs 16:9

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

It's our human nature to come up with plans, thoughts, and goals for the future. But we need to realize God is the only one who truly knows what's best for us.

When you have plans you would like to make, or actions you need to take about a particular decision, make sure that you go to God first.

02/02/2023

Our God is the founder and the finisher of His plans.

He is the Alpha and Omega.

He is the living God, who existed before time.

He never fails on His Word nor promises.

28/01/2023

In James 4:7-8, the Bible tells us
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."

Submit to God but resist the Devil. That is the twofold action we must take in our spiritual warfare.

On the one hand there is utter surrender; on the other hand there is stern unyielding resistance.

In any army, and so also in God's army, a good soldier must submit to his commander but fight tenaciously against the enemy.

29/10/2022

The Call to Rely on the Holy Spirit

Spending time in the presence of God is the most important activity of your life. He gives us His Spirit to heal us, guide us, strengthen us, convict us, and empower us. We all need God’s presence in our lives more than we need anything else. But where do we find the presence of God?

When I encountered Jesus, I experienced the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God changed my life and gave me a new joy, as well as peace and love for people.

Continual reliance on God’s Spirit is essential for mission and evangelism—because the mission of Jesus is something we should do in His strength, not our own.

Jesus is the rock on which the Church is built. Jesus is the center. The Church is the body of Jesus. We encounter Jesus in community as we come together. We encounter Jesus in worship, and we encounter Him as we pray. We encounter Him as we read the Word of God­­—He speaks to us through the Scriptures. But it’s through the Holy Spirit that we can encounter Jesus directly.

One of my favourite prayers is a simple, three-word prayer: “Come, Holy Spirit.” In every service at my church in London, we have a time when we pray this prayer. It is such a simple prayer—only three words—but it is extremely powerful.

How have you experienced the power of the Holy Spirit? Where do you need His power, healing, and encouragement today? Take time today to invite the Holy Spirit into every aspect of your life, and rely on His power.

Leadership Conference, hosted by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, is an opportunity to gather together in unity as one global family of God. It’s a place to encounter Jesus, be filled with the Holy Spirit, and be empowered to play our part in building God’s kingdom. To learn more, visit https://www.leadershipconference.org.uk/

28/10/2022

The Call to Evangelism

Let me start today with a question: where is mission and evangelism—sharing the news of Jesus with others—in your list of priorities?

If it isn’t high up on your list, why do you think that is? What would need to happen for it to become a top priority?

When anyone asks why I am so passionate about evangelism, I explain that it’s because of the impact Jesus had on my life the moment I encountered Him at the age of 18. The death and resurrection of Jesus is the most important moment in human history. Jesus really is risen. His death and burial were not the end. In Christ, you, too, will be raised from the dead. It’s the best news you could ever tell anybody, and I want to tell everybody!

People are looking for love. They discover that they are deeply loved when they find out that Jesus died for them. As Paul says, the Son of God loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20). It’s life changing when you realise that Jesus loves you so much that He died for you!

People are also looking for purpose in life, and ultimately, life won’t make sense until you have a relationship with God, which Jesus came to make possible. When people encounter a relationship with God, they find the purpose of their lives.

There’s a huge hunger in the world: people want to meet Jesus. That’s why we always encourage churches to prioritise evangelism and mission. The Church thrives when it prioritises the sharing of the good news of Jesus.

If you prioritise evangelism, all the other things will follow too. Unity in the Church is vitally important, but if you make it your sole aim, you’ll just discuss your differences. If you make evangelism your aim, you have to be united because Jesus prayed for unity in order that the world would believe. More and more Christians around the world are uniting around a common passion for sharing Jesus with others despite differences in tradition, location and language.

If you make evangelism your priority, you will also grow in discipleship because you are never going to lead someone to faith unless you have the fruit of the Spirit in your life. People will notice as you become more loving, more joyful, more peaceful.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses." The point of being filled with the Spirit is that we may be Jesus’ witnesses. This brings us to the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit—which we’ll look at in our next session.

28/10/2022

The Call to Unity

What barriers or boundaries are separating us from other Christians or parts of the Church? What might God be calling us to do about it, and how does it affect a world full of hurting people who need Jesus?

The world sees Jesus more clearly when Christians are unified. Unity is at the core of our faith. We believe in one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is unity in the Trinity. Disunity, on the other hand, has been the curse of humankind ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin.

In John 17, what was the main thing about which Jesus prayed? Unity. He prayed for unity in order that the world would believe. In other words, if the church is not united, the world won’t believe. If we’re trying to reach people, they’re not going to believe if we’re not united.

I have a friend who is not a Christian, and he said to me, "Catholics and Protestants look exactly the same to me. You both have churches. You both say the Lord’s Prayer. But while you’re fighting each other—over whatever it is you’re fighting about—I’m not interested." I think there’s so many people out there who think, I’m not interested when they can’t even agree amongst themselves what they believe.

So, Jesus prayed that we may be one in order that the world will believe because He knew that disunity puts people off and stops them from believing. But unity is so attractive, and it’s meant to be in the Church.

One day there will be perfect unity in the Church before the throne of God. We see this in Revelation 7:9, where it says, "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb." Difference and diversity are not eliminated; they’re celebrated because they are beautiful.

Jesus taught us to pray, "Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10). So, what is God’s will in heaven? It is everyone worshipping in unity together before the throne. This is the task of the Church—unity between the different parts of the Church, between different denominations and different churches. The sooner the Church on Earth looks like the Church in heaven, the more effective it will be.

27/10/2022

How to Listen to God

In a world with so many things competing for our attention and focus, God’s people have been challenged to prioritise one voice over all others: ‘Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches’ (Revelation 3:22).

How can we discern God’s voice and let Him be the one who shapes our vision amidst the distractions of the world? Here are five practices I find helpful:

Read. The main way in which God communicates with us is through the Bible. It’s how I first encountered Jesus. Ever since, I have read it practically every day of my life. Yet, I am constantly seeing and discovering new things. For me it’s like spiritual food for the day. Don’t simply read the Bible for information, but to hear God speaking to you.
Listen. I love walking. Personally, I also find it the best way to pray. This has been my pattern for the last few years. After reading the Bible each day, I go out and walk around our local park. I note down anything I sense the Holy Spirit saying as I pray. You can pray as you walk to the bus stop or walk from one activity to the next. Talk as you walk.
Think. God has given us a mind, and He often guides us through our mind and through our reason. He guides us as we think through an issue, when we’re facing a big decision or need direction.
Talk. Talk to the people God has placed in your life. A good friend will not only say nice things: ‘Better is open rebuke than hidden love’ (Prov 27:5). True friendship involves more than unquestioning approval. I am so grateful to my good friends who have confronted me with painful truth from time to time – always out of love and with great sensitivity and grace. God speaks to us through the community of the Church.
Watch. God has a purpose for your life. He is in control of the universe. You may not always have the comfort of understanding what Jesus is doing or why He is letting life be the way it is, but you do have the comfort of knowing that He is in control. So, when facing a decision, you can say, "Lord, this is in Your hands. I trust You," and then trust for Him to act.
So, what is the God saying to the Church today?

Right now, we’re living in the digital revolution, which enables everyone to hear the gospel more easily than ever before in history. I think this is a huge opportunity for the Church to fulfill the manifesto of Jesus.

In Luke 4:18–19, Jesus quotes Isaiah 61 and says, ‘“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”’ This is the manifesto of Jesus, and this is what we as the Church are called to do.

In Jesus’ manifesto, there are three key themes, which can help us reimagine our world:

the evangelisation of the nations
the revitalisation of the Church
the transformation of society
When it comes to evangelisation, telling people about Jesus is the most loving thing that you can do for them. The Spirit of the Lord invites all of us to tell the world this good news.

The revitalisation of the Church is also critically important. The Church of Jesus Christ is where people find the love and healing they so desperately need. Therefore, we need lively churches in every part of the world.

Finally, we have the transformation of society. Jesus’ manifesto involved proclaiming and demonstrating the good news — caring for the poor, healing the sick, standing up for the oppressed. That’s part of the commission of the Church, to pray for the sick, to stand for the oppressed, to believe that God will act supernaturally in our world. All these issues are part of the transformation of society.

God has placed us here in this moment—for such a time as this—for evangelisation, revitalisation, and transformation.

26/10/2022

GOD IS GOOD
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. PSALM 73:26

Asaph knew that God was good, but the 73rd psalm revealed the great trouble which challenged his faith. He could not understand why evil people seemed to get away with everything. But entering into God’s viewpoint by reflecting on His Word brought everything into focus. When we come to the end of our strength and understanding, we also would be wise to know God is our strength and reward.

When we say God is good, the word “good” implies His nature and character. He is beautiful, honorable, and precious. When we have God, we have everything we need. Without Him, we have nothing worth anything at all. He is everything! He’s incomparable!

Yes, we will go through difficulties. Troubles and complexities of life may test our hearts. But God is the strength of our hearts and our portion forever!

From Eternal Perspective, Psalm 73

25/10/2022

A WORSHIPER
Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! 1 CHRONICLES 16:11

The life of David in the Bible reveals many of the glories of Jesus Christ. David spent a significant amount of time during lonely moments as a shepherd of his father’s flock reflecting upon the works of the Lord in His life and giving Him the glory. He concluded the only trustworthy course was to seek the Lord diligently.

Proverbs 25:2 declares, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Do we properly evaluate all the things the Lord has done in our lives? Things happen that make no sense to us. The pagan world marks events up to “fate.” But as believers, we are called to be thankful in all things. How is this possible? David had great struggles quite out of his control—yet, he had confidence in the Lord when he sought Him with all his heart, remembering His works, covenant, and protection. These three things we also need to recall often.

Let’s seek Him to remember what He has done for us, especially His most significant work—the Cross. Let’s then discover that all the passing issues we face will weave into a perfect tapestry of God’s ultimate purpose for our good.

From 1 Chronicles 16-21

24/10/2022

SAFETY AND PROVISION
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. PSALM 23:1

The Bible reveals our Lord as Creator. He is also called our provider, our comforter, our healer, our fortress, and our peace. That the Lord is our Shepherd sums all of these up well! It is a title indicating a very personal and intimate relationship between Shepherd and sheep. His care meets our needs.

Sheep are not trusting by nature, but every experience with the Shepherd bonds the sheep to Him. Learning more about our Shepherd goes beyond the impersonal information we cram into our heads about Him. We get to know Him as a person. We follow Him because we learn He is worthy and proves Himself repeatedly, gaining our trust daily. We learn He is not a hard-driving master but tender and caring, leading us to safety and provision. Though we may not understand His ways, and He does not respond to all our bleating, we discover He is very in tune with His flock’s state.

Lord, help us quiet ourselves so we may perceive Your Presence. Lord, open our eyes and ears to Your leading and call that we may not stubbornly resist You. We indeed will lack no good thing as you are the Good Shepherd.

From The Lord Is My Shepherd, Psalm 23

22/10/2022

HE'S HERE
And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” EXODUS 33:14

Exodus 33 is a remarkable chapter. The Israelites heard God would send an angel before them on the wilderness journey, but God Himself would not go with them due to their sin. At hearing this distressing news, Moses interceded, “If you do not go with us, do not send me.” His only concern was that God’s Glory and Presence would be with them. The essential answer to having an understanding of revival in our lives is to have a concern for God’s Presence and Glory.

The idea of the Presence of God and the Glory of God are almost synonymous. “Glory” in Hebrew is an interesting word. “Kabad” means “weight” or “substance.” The world with all its beauty and power is merely a shadow of truth. God is glorious, weighty, and of real substance! Ironically, Israel (and us) ascribed more weight to their idols. If deprived of God’s Presence, they would have been subject to the world's futile, empty, and worthless idols. Thank God Moses interceded for them!

God has allowed us to enjoy His Presence through the Gospel. He has also called us to reconcile the lost to Him through the glorious Gospel message that God will forgive sin through His Son’s sacrificial death. Let’s be willing vessels to reveal His Presence to the world through the Good News of Jesus Christ!

From Show Us Your Glory, Exodus 33:12-18

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