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Friends of Jesus Assembly-FOJA, Isashi (2026)

12/04/2019

Have you ever heard the story of the guy who could not decide what side he wanted to fight for during the Civil War? He put on the coat of the North and the trousers of the South, and guess what? He got shot at from both sides! This is what happens to the compromiser, the person who tries to live in two worlds. It's one miserable place to be.

Sadly, there are many in the church today that live a compromised life.

The great British preacher, G. Campbell Morgan, once said, "It is a remarkable thing that the church of Christ persecuted has been the church of Christ pure. On the other hand, the church of Christ patronized has been the church of Christ impure."
The Bible gives us an example in Revelation 2 of such a church: it was Pergamos, located in Pergamum, the capital of Asia Minor. Known for its rampant idolatry, Pergamum housed the altar of Zeus and was the center of Caesar worship. Idolatry, wickedness, and sexual immorality were commonplace. The sin of Pergamum was its toleration of evil, a sort of have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too philosophy.

Sadly, this is how most people want it today. They want to go to church — when they get around to it. They certainly want to go to heaven, but they still want to live in sin. They want to party and sin and commit immorality, lie when necessary, cheat if they have to, steal if it suits them, and hate and get revenge when someone crosses them.

It is the idea of sinning to your heart's content, telling yourself God will understand. If you think you can sin to your heart's content without repercussions, and if you think you can go out and break the commandments of God over and over because you're an exception to the rule, then you are deceiving yourself.

I am not suggesting that a Christian will not sin. The Bible clearly says, "If we say we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). But there is a big difference between the person who sins, is sorry for it, and doesn't want to keep doing it, and the person who continually, willfully, habitually sins over and over again and then says, "It is okay. God will forgive me."

The Bible says, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:1, NIV). The devil introduced compromise into the church of Pergamos and he will introduce it into the lives of people today.

21/06/2018

5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.5:7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians

09/02/2018

12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews

03/01/2018

1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. 1 Peter

19/12/2017

2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 1 Peter

11/10/2017

1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Titus

05/10/2017

1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.1:19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.1:20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 1 Corinthians

29/08/2017

15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians

25/03/2017

WHY MANY CHRISTIANS NEVER EXPERIENCE THE PEACE THEY DESPERATELY CRAVE
Joyce Meyer

People look for happiness in a lot of places. Many chase after a bigger house, a nicer car or a better paying job, while others seek education, marriage or other achievements with great passion.

While it's certainly not wrong to desire these things, there is only one thing in life that can give us true peace, joy and fulfillment—God.

Matthew 6:33 is truly a scripture to live by. Jesus says, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides" (AMPC).

Seeking the kingdom includes seeking God Himself and craving an intimate relationship with Him. It's about wanting to know Him and not just what He can do for you. There is quite a difference between seeking possessions and seeking God.

I can still remember a time years ago when I had a lot of the "things" I wanted, but I still wasn't a very happy person. Sound familiar? The truth is, no matter what you have, if you don't have the peace, joy and fulfillment that only God can give, then you really don't have anything at all!

Romans 14:17 (NKJV) sums this up perfectly. It says, "The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

True satisfaction doesn't come from the outside—from all of the things we can do or buy—but it comes from within. God wants us to live with His righteousness, peace and joy. They are Kingdom benefits, and they are part of our inheritance as God's children.

THE 'RIGHT' WAY TO LIVE

So many people—and even many Christians—walk around feeling vaguely guilty most of the time. They feel like they've made too many mistakes and can never quite measure up. But that's not God's will for us!

Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (NIV).

As we begin to truly understand our righteousness "in Christ," we will no longer wallow in condemnation or feel like we have to earn God's forgiveness. Instead, we can live with the confidence and security that God knows us better than anyone ... and He loves and approves of us.

SSUPERNATURAL PEACE

I once heard a very famous actor being interviewed about his life and career.

I'll never forget one of the final questions. He was asked, "Is there anything in life you haven't achieved, something you still want?" He simply answered, "Inner peace."

You see, true peace only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. God offers us His peace that "transcends all understanding" (see Phil. 4:7). It doesn't come from our circumstances, and it's not something we can buy.

God's peace is vital to us because life is unpredictable. When the storms of life begin to swirl around us, there is only one person who can give us peace in the midst of the storm.

Jesus is the "Prince of Peace," and as you spend time with Him in prayer and through His Word, you will sense His supernatural peace that transcends all understanding.

JOY FOR THE JOURNEY

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)" (AMPC).

God wants us to enjoy our lives. That used to be a big problem for me because of the sexual, physical and emotional abuse I endured growing up. As a result, I never really got to be a kid, and I never truly understood what it meant to enjoy my life.

However, joy is part of God's kingdom package (see Ps. 16:11). Like His peace, we can receive and live with God's joy in every circumstance, regardless of what is going on around us.

The dictionary partially defines joy as "a calm delight" and "extreme merriment." I particularly like "a calm delight" because even when we're not doing something we consider exciting, we can still have the joy of the Lord deep inside of our soul.

We often look forward to the weekend or the next fun event in life, but God wants us to experience His joy and satisfaction every single day. In fact, Nehemiah 8:10 says, "...The joy of the Lord is your strength" (NIV). Through the ups and downs of everyday life, God wants to strengthen us for the journey and experience His delight in everything we do.

God isn't against us having "things"—He delights in being good to His children! But He doesn't want those things to have control of us. I encourage you to put God first in your life. Develop a relationship with Him and ask for His guidance and direction. Because there is a way to truly enjoy your life, and it's all found "in Him."

24/03/2017

WHAT DOES JESUS THINK ABOUT YOUR EATING HABITS?

"Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Phil. 2:3-4).

Several years ago, a discipleship campaign with the message "What Would Jesus Do?" swept through the church. The letters WWJD adorned bracelets, bumper stickers, T-shirts, bookmarks and Bible covers.

But actions can be deceiving, and one who truly wants to be a disciple must go a step beyond simply doing what Jesus would do. Actions begin with thoughts, and followers of Christ are to set a goal of thinking the way Jesus would think. In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul said, "Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

When our mindsets and our attitudes emulate Christ, the right actions follow.

So with that as a backdrop, let's examine some of our attitudes pertaining to food and pose the question, "What would Jesus think?"

What would Jesus think about the amount of food produced in light of the number of people who go hungry?

Each day, our country produces 3,500 calories of food for every man, woman and child. Granted, some of these calories are for things like cooking oil and condiments--things you wouldn't make into a meal.

But nevertheless, 3,500 calories is a huge amount of food, when you consider that active men with a normal BMI require approximately 2,500 calories, and active women with a normal BMI need about 2,000. Children and the elderly need less, and the overweight and obese who are trying to lose weight should consume much less.

So if we're producing this much food each day, why is it that so many don't have enough? Remember the 5,000 Jesus fed with five loaves and two fish? He satisfied many with very little; we have abundance, yet many are left unsatisfied. What would Jesus think?

What would Jesus think about families eating in separate rooms?

The Bible gives the account of how Jesus used mealtime as a time for conversation. He engaged in dialogue to teach, admonish and correct. We're told of meals shared with special friends, as well as meals shared with Pharisees, Sadducees and scribes--those whose intents were wicked.

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deut. 6:6-7).

Certainly mealtime--a time we "sit at home"--is the ideal time for us to fulfill this commandment.

Current trends show that families are sharing fewer meals with one another, a trend that is more pronounced in low-income households. There are proven benefits of eating together, especially for teens. Teens who regularly share meals with their families are less likely to smoke, use alcohol and drugs, get into fights or think about su***de.

Yet despite these benefits, only 40 percent of Ngerian children aged 12 to 17 eat with their families six to seven days a week. What would Jesus think?

What would Jesus think about 24-hour drive-through availability?

Just how many people really need to eat at 2 a.m.? More and more we see fast-food restaurants with drive-through lanes that are open all night long. Creating a need where none existed is a brilliant marketing strategy. But do we fall for this persuasion and eat at any time of day or night because the food is available, even to the detriment of our health?

Is that the mind of Christ?

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is contingent upon not only our actions but also our thoughts. We must scrutinize the way we think about things, even subtleties we might take for granted in the way we eat and our activity level.

We are told to "[bring] every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5b). Every thought includes those things we'd consider mundane or insignificant. When we learn to do this, our actions will reflect our thinking, and we'll experience victory in our health.

24/03/2017

6 SIGNS OF A TOXIC 'APOSTLE'
J. Lee Grady

I've just spent two weeks in South America, where the Holy Spirit is moving in unprecedented ways. Churches are growing and average Christians are sharing their faith passionately. One recent Pew Research study showed that 1 in 5 Latin Americans now identifies as an evangelical Christian—and a majority of these are Pentecostals.

But this growth is not without problems. While there are certainly many healthy Christian movements in the region, other churches are suffering from a lack of trained leadership. And untrained, untested leaders often result in spiritual abuse, false doctrines and financial corruption.

I've become more concerned lately with leaders who declare themselves "apostles" when they have no business wearing that label. I believe true apostolic leadership is needed today, but a small army of imposters is threatening to damage the work of God. It is time to heed the apostle Paul, who warned of "false apostles" and "deceitful workers" who were "disguising themselves as apostles of Christ" (2 Cor. 11:13).

Discerning the difference between a true and false apostle is not complicated. Since Scripture clearly tells us that Paul is our apostolic model (see 1 Cor. 4:16), we can use his surrendered life as our standard.

Here are six signs that a man or woman who claims apostolic leadership is actually a dangerous influence in the church.

1. A toxic "apostle" requires the title.
One popular television preacher in the United States typically sends a letter to his hosts before any preaching engagement and specifies that his name must be preceded by the "apostle" title. Compare that arrogant attitude with the humility of Paul, who referred to himself as the chief of sinners (see 1 Tim. 1:15). If a man requires people to elevate him to an elite status, you can be sure he has a serious character flaw.

2. A toxic "apostle" carries an aura of self-importance.
In some churches I have visited in Africa, the "man of God" waits until after worship to enter the auditorium—and then he is followed by an entourage. Someone carries his Bible, another carries his handkerchief, someone else carries his water bottle and another brings his iPad. This spectacle is designed to impress people—but it is all just religious theater. It is an offense to God. You can be certain that a man with this much pride will soon fall.

3. A toxic "apostle" is inaccessible.
One pastor I know in a Latin American country belongs to a network of churches ruled by powerful preacher. But when I asked my friend if he gets advice or mentoring from this leader, the answer was no. The "apostle" does not offer counsel, training or personal interaction of any kind to the leaders in his group. He simply steps into his pulpit to preach and then vanishes.
The apostle Paul's style was totally the opposite. Rather than being aloof and impersonal, Paul spent time with those he was mentoring. He told the Thessalonians: "So having great love toward you, we were willing to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you were dear to us" (1 Thess. 2:8). If an "apostle" cannot get on the same level with people and interact with them, he is in the wrong profession.

4. A toxic "apostle" dominates and controls people.
The apostle Paul told Timothy that church leaders are required to be gentle and "not argumentative" (1 Tim. 3:3). Yet I have known so-called apostles who used their violent temper to manipulate and intimidate their followers. A man who is full of anger is unbroken and un-surrendered; God would never entrust an apostolic ministry to someone with that fatal flaw. The Lord will first drain out his anger and replace it with the sweetness of Jesus before letting him shepherd God's people.

5. A toxic "apostle" refuses to work with churches outside his network.
False apostles are insecure because of their lack of training, so they feel threatened by other leaders' successes. They develop an atmosphere of elitism—and pretend that their doctrines and preaching styles are superior to everyone else's. False apostles also demand strict loyalty to their churches and may even curse members who leave. True apostles are not controllers or elitists; they work to expand the kingdom of God, not just their own church or denomination.

6. A toxic "apostle" demands financial payment.
I asked one friend in Latin America if his "apostle" offered him marriage counseling, encouragement or ministry training. He replied: "No, the only discussions we have are about the tithe I owe him." How tragic that hard-working pastors are being ripped off by wolves in sheep's clothing.

As we contend for true apostolic leadership in today's church, let's avoid the pitfalls of immaturity. We need character, humility and integrity as well as powerful anointing. Don't follow the false apostles.

Friends of Jesus Assembly-FOJA

12/04/2019

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09/02/2018

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19/12/2017

11/10/2017

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