House of Refuge Gospel Ministries

House of Refuge Gospel Ministries House of Refuge Gospel Ministries is a religious page which is here to talk about the real truth about our Lord Jesus Christ with His reign and doings

HORGM is a church who stand out to proclaim the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ to the whole world

09/04/2020

A Great Prayer Resource

The Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.Romans 8:26-27
Have you ever just not known how or what to pray? Perhaps you have run out of words, or a situation has left you speechless or in so much pain that all you can do is groan. In Romans 8:26 Paul explains a prayer resource we may not realize we have or do not take advantage of: the Holy Spirit. When circumstances or pain leave us without words to pray, we can yield to God’s Spirit. This means that we do not pray out of our own understanding or try to figure out what to pray but we rest in the fact that he knows our heart and he knows the situation. Verse 27 says that the Father who knows all hearts also knows what the Spirit is saying on our behalf in the most baffling or distressing times. He makes prayers out of our tears, our sighs, and our groanings. What a wonderful thing to know that the Holy Spirit is interceding and, even beyond that, pleading for us believers in harmony with God’s will. In addition, Jesus, at the right hand of the Father in heaven, the place of highest honor—is praying for us!

THANK YOU, HOLY SPIRIT, for praying through us in perfect agreement with God’s will and, with Jesus, interceding for us at the throne of God. When we don’t know the words to say or have no words at all, you carry our sighs, groans, and tears into God’s presence for us. What amazing grace!

This is the God-given revelation: that when we are born again of the spirit of God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, He intercedes for us with a tenderness and an understanding akin to the Lord Jesus Christ and akin to God, that is, He expresses the unutterable for us.
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

The One Year Bible Readings for today are 2 Chronicles 11:1–13:22; Romans 8:26-39; Psalm 18:37-50 and Proverbs 19:27-29.

07/04/2020

“I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.” AMOS 5:24

The Justice of God Amos 5:16-27

The book of Amos addresses the topic of social justice more than any other book in the Bible. For Amos, justice simply cannot be understood apart from the character of God, who alone understands the nature of righteousness and justice (5:7, 15, 24; 6:12). The Lord demands justice because he is the creator and sustainer of all things. He commanded that not just Israel but all nations uphold certain standards of conduct. The God of Israel can make such demands because he is the sovereign Lord over all nations. Nearly every description of wrongdoing recorded in Amos has to do with acts of oppression. It would be difficult to read this book and not conclude that the Lord is deeply angry when the powerful neglect or abuse the weak and vulnerable.

Joni Eareckson Tada agrees. When visitors enter the Joni and Friends International Disability Center, they see a beautiful hanging chapel with a gently flowing river beneath. The words of Amos 5:24—“I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living”—are engraved there and hold special meaning for Joni. Disability is a “justice issue” for her, she says, “because so many children with disabilities in developing nations are denied even the most basic of rights, the right to life; infants with disabilities are often abandoned or discarded. So as long as I have breath in my body, we at Joni and Friends will work hard to promote justice and the human dignity of all people with disabilities.”

Individuals in power who use social structures to take advantage of the weak and vulnerable corrupt the value system upon which society is built and—more importantly—profane the Lord’s holy character. Israel’s religious practices were no substitute for social justice. In fact, their religious practices became a burden to the Lord; in response, he rebuked them strongly and emphasized that what he really wants is justice, not sacrifices and offerings. These are comforting words indeed for those who experience injustice!

Who’s In Charge? “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for ange...
24/02/2020

Who’s In Charge? “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

Rabbi Joseph Telushkin is the author of a fascinating book entitled The Book of Jewish Values: A Day-By-Day Guide to Ethical Living. In it he offers a particularly useful piece of advice that will help you keep the peace or restore it once it’s been lost. “Restrict the expression of your anger,” Telushkin advises, “to the incident that provoked it. Be as critical or annoyed as you like.” But make sure your words remain focused on the incident that made you angry in the first place. If you do that, you will probably not say anything permanently damaging to yourself or others.

Telushkin is not telling us to ignore our anger or to stuff it in a box but rather to put a leash on it. Similarly, Paul tells the Ephesians “Be angry but do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26, rsv). Paul assumes we will get angry. The point is what we do with our anger. Do we control it, or does it control us? Paul also sets limits to our anger by saying we should never let the sun go down on it. In other words, don’t go to bed angry.

For some of us, anger has always been a problem. Getting it under control is a huge challenge. It’s like trying to leash train a dog that’s always been allowed to run wild. At first the dog will strain at the leash, pulling you down the street and barking at every other dog in sight. But if you’re patient and persistent and know even a little bit about dogs, you will eventually be able to train it to walk beside you. You can do something similar with your anger.

If you have a hard time putting your anger on a leash, consider getting help, perhaps taking a course in anger management. And don’t forget that another name for the Holy Spirit is the Helper. Ask God to guide you through the power of the Spirit, helping you to learn how to control your anger so it no longer controls you.

Father, forgive me for the ways I have let anger control me. Teach me how to be angry without sinning. Guide me by the power of your Spirit, and help me to change.

Rev. Sunday Oladele

20/02/2020

"Have you commanded the MORNING since your days began, And caused the DAWN to know its place, That it might TAKE HOLD of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it?- Job 38:12-13

If the righteous does not take charge of the climate of his destiny and that of his family by ensuring that the wicked is shaken out of the pathway of his destiny, he might just continue to endlessly read the promises of God for his life.

God is in control, and we have the responsibility of taking CHARGE. Take Charge……in your own interest.

18/02/2020

In Harmony

Read Psalms 130:1–134:3

1How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! 2For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. 3Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.Psalm 133:1-3
We don’t have to look far to find examples of unity and its benefits. Any choir, sports team, play, or family will work far better if there’s unity among its members. What area of your life depends on unity?

When we have to work with others, sometimes it helps to be reminded of the value of unity. Psalm 133 is just such a reminder—check it out.

Other psalms in this reading will remind you of God’s forgiveness (Psalm 130); of where to find contentment (Psalm 131); of the source of public honor (Psalm 132); and of finding joy in God’s blessings (Psalm 134).

David described unity as pleasant and precious (Psalm 133:1-3). Unfortunately, unity does not come without effort—in fact, it costs a great deal. We naturally disagree and divide ranks, usually over issues that matter, but just as often over unimportant ones, too. It takes work to overcome this nature. Yet unity is important enough to work at making this change for several reasons: (1) It makes God’s people a positive example and helps draw others to him. (2) It helps us cooperate as God meant us to, giving us a foretaste of heaven. (3) It renews and revitalizes ministry because there is less tension to sap our energy.

Living in unity does not mean that God’s people have to agree on everything. But we must agree on the issue that matters most—our ultimate purpose in life—loving God and one another.

17/02/2020

TO READ: 2 Kings 1:1-18

Hairy and Scary

One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria, and he was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. But the angel of the Lord told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will get well? Is there no God in Israel? Now, therefore, this is what the Lord says: You will never leave the bed on which you are lying, but you will surely die.’ ” So Elijah went to deliver the message.2 Kings 1:2-4
At times life gets hairy and scary. How a man behaves at such times speaks volumes about what he believes. Take Elijah and Ahaziah for example. Their reactions to a tense situation provide great insights into what they were made of.

Elijah was “a hairy man” (1:8), and he lived in scary times. King Ahab had led Israel to reject Yahweh and embrace the religion of Baal. Then Ahaziah succeeded Ahab his father as king and perpetuated the apostasy. When he was seriously injured in a fall, he immediately turned for spiritual help to Baal-zebub, not to the Lord. In response, God sent Elijah to intercept the king’s messengers with a prophetic message rebuking the king and predicting his death. The king did not receive the message well, but angrily sent a detachment of soldiers to arrest Elijah. To the king’s threats Elijah responded cooly, giving God’s anger room to burn.

The contrast between the prophet and the king is stark. Elijah trusted implicitly in God’s word and in his power to intervene in the affairs of the king. Ahaziah dismissed the Lord as irrelevant. Two contrasting worldviews were on display. One was based on the recognition of Yahweh as God the Creator, who had chosen the people of Israel as his precious treasure, had given them the land in which they lived, and had promised to bless his people and the world as they responded to him in loving obedience. The other worldview was based on the worship of Baal, a nature and fertility god, whose worship demanded appeasement if the people were to prosper. The former approach believed that Yahweh was sovereign and trustworthy, while the latter believed that Baal was in charge. It was a matter of either/or, not both/and. There was no room for compromise. Either Yahweh was God, or Baal was. Elijah left no room for doubt whose side he was on—and neither did Ahaziah! Confrontation resulted—a hairy, scary scene. And Yahweh proved, once again, that “the Lord is God!” (1 Kings 18:39).

Men today are often in similar situations. Alternatives to worshiping the Lord abound. Some dismiss him as irrelevant, and some reject him out of hand. Others wish to embrace both him and the gods who stand in opposition to him, seeing little contradiction and caring even less. But a man must address the issue of who is truly the Lord, because one day he will fall through his lattice and need someone to help and somewhere to turn. The one he trusts at such a moment will either support him or collapse like a rotten lattice. That’s scary!

Following God’s Example of TeamworkGod decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself thro...
16/02/2020

Following God’s Example of Teamwork

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. . . . And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.Ephesians 1:5, 13

It seems to me that if we could understand God better, we could understand marriage better. Ever notice how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit work together as a team? Read the first chapter of Ephesians and observe how the Father planned our salvation, the Son shed his blood to effect our salvation, and the Holy Spirit sealed our salvation. God is one within the mystery of the Trinity, and this unity is expressed in the diversity of roles needed to accomplish one goal, our salvation.

The Scriptures say that, in marriage, the husband and wife are to become one flesh. However, this unity does not mean that we are clones of each other. No, we are two distinct creatures who work together as a team to accomplish one goal—God’s will for our lives. In mundane things such as washing clothes and mopping floors, or in exciting things such as volunteering in a soup kitchen or leading a Bible study, we complement each other. The husband who takes care of the children while his wife leads a Bible study is sharing with her in ministry. Indeed, two become one when they work together as a team.

Father, I am grateful for your example of teamwork. I can’t fully understand the Trinity, but I know that your three persons work together in perfect unity. I pray for that kind of unity within my relationship with my spouse. Help us to function smoothly as a team, being generous with each other and keeping our end goal in mind. May our marriage glorify you as we do your will.

The Power of PraiseAround midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were l...
15/02/2020

The Power of Praise

Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!Acts 16:25-26

Paul and Silas’s praise lifted their eyes from their dire circumstances in a filthy prison to the God who was able to deliver them. They had been stripped and beaten and then thrown into the inner prison with their feet fastened into stocks. It would have been natural for these two disciples to be fearful or to just give up. But instead, they prayed and sang hymns to God! The other prisoners heard their praise—the throne of God heard their worship. The Lord delivered them with a mighty earthquake that rocked the prison to its core, causing the doors to open and the prisoners’ chains to fall off.

Are you shaken by your own circumstances? Is your inclination to be fearful or to give up? Start praising God and sing hymns and choruses to him. Our praise not only helps to lift our fear and depression; it also ushers in God’s powerful intervention on our behalf.

LORD, I praise you for your mighty power at work in our lives. I magnify your name, for there is none like you! When I look at my circumstances and am tempted to “throw in the towel” and give up, remind me of the example of Paul and Silas and how you intervened for them. Then put words of praise in my mouth. You are my hope in the midst of trouble!

Your praise and thanksgiving can help form a highway—a smooth, level road—on which the Lord can ride forth unhindered to deliver and bless.Ruth Myers

Bible Readings for today are 2 Kings 8:1–9:13; Acts 16:16-40; Psalm 143:1-12 and Proverbs 17:26.

12/02/2020

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”
JOHN 16:13

Never Alone John 16:5-15

After years spent with Jesus, the disciples were devastated to hear him say, “I am going away” (16:5). They had been living with him for years. They had come to place their faith in him as their Messiah. He was their hope. Now he was leaving? This couldn’t be!

We will all lose people who are close to us. This is one of the most painful experiences of life. However, Jesus did not want the disciples to dwell on his impending death. He revealed that something very significant would happen once he left them: He would send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to guide his disciples.

Although it would be great to walk and talk with Jesus, we discover as believers that God in his wisdom has given us a greater gift. As children of God who have been given the Holy Spirit, we have God himself dwelling within each of us. Jesus was restricted by time and space as an embodied person, but the Holy Spirit isn’t—he is with us always. He helps us in our weakness (Rom 8:26) and serves as a guarantee of our inheritance as God’s children (Eph 1:14). Think about it. No matter what our circumstances—whether disabled, alone, suffering, or confused and afraid—God is with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not leave the world because he wanted to return to heaven. He departed so that he could send the Holy Spirit to be with us always.

Take a moment to thank the Lord for sending his Holy Spirit to empower you to overcome any obstacle and to accomplish the work of God. Allow the Spirit to guide you in your relationship with God and others. This is a lavish gift from God to his people; resolve to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit in your life.

TO READ: Deuteronomy 30:1-20Choose Life“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and ...
11/02/2020

TO READ: Deuteronomy 30:1-20

Choose Life

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”Deuteronomy 30:19-20
Life is full of choices. Some are made for you, the rest you make. You cannot choose to be born, but you can choose how to live. You are not free to select your DNA, but you can choose to pursue an MBA. The choices you make shape the life you will live.

Before the children of Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses required them to choose how they would respond to God and to face what would happen as a result—choices and consequences. He also explained that if they strayed from God’s path and were disciplined by him, they should return to him and be reconciled to him. But whether sooner or later, the choice between life and death was clear: loving God meant life, while turning away from him meant death.

We today still need to confront courageously the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing. Blessing is not automatic. It does not flow unbidden into a man’s life. Blessing comes when we respond affirmatively to the Lord’s call to live obediently. Echoing Moses, Jesus said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind” (Matt. 22:37), and he commanded potential disciples, “Follow me.” In words similar to Moses’, Jesus warned people, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). God still lays before us the options of trusting obedience and willful disobedience, and he outlines the results of the options: Life eternal on the one hand, perishing on the other.

God bestows upon man the ultimate privilege of choosing freely which way he will go. Of course, there would be no choice to make if God had not first chosen to reach out to us. So man’s freedom to choose is a gift of grace. God chose to offer us life, then he chose to let us choose. Now the choice is ours! God offers the gift of eternal life to anyone who will repent and believe. God calls us to respond. If we obey his call, if we choose to go his way, we receive the gift. And it’s the biggest gift ever offered to those who face the biggest choice ever made.

10/02/2020

TO READ: 1 Samuel 4:1-11

The Lost Ark

After the battle was over, the army of Israel retreated to their camp, and their leaders asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?”Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” . . . So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again.1 Samuel 4:3, 10
Hophni” and “Phinehas” are not the kind of names that mothers today give to their sons. They are not particularly attractive names, and the men who bore the names were singularly unattractive men. Along with their father, the elderly Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were priests of the Lord in the tabernacle at Shiloh. They abused their privileged position by seducing the women worshipers who came to the tabernacle—actions that in the modern world would have sent them to prison for a long time. Their father, Eli, was perfectly aware of what was going on, and he rebuked them verbally, but he took no further action. He was weak, and they were disrespectful, so he did nothing.

When the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines in another of their petty wars, Israel’s military leaders determined that it was the Lord who had allowed the defeat (1 Sam. 4:3). So they determined to turn that around by removing the ark of the covenant from its sanctuary and carrying it to the battle field. The two notorious young priests not only granted the ignominious request, but they personally assisted in transporting the ark to the place of battle. The assumption on the part of Israel was that, since the Lord had clearly been absent, so through the ark he was now present, and thus victory was assured.

The ark belonged in the Most Holy Place, not on the field of battle, and the priests had no business taking it there. But its arrival had a partial beneficial effect. The Philistines, whose knowledge of Israelite religion left much to be desired, still understood that the ark represented the presence of God, and historically, when God had been present among his people, they had been a formidable force. But strangely, instead of folding in terror before the presence of the Lord, the Philistines fought harder, and they won! Not only did they defeat Israel, but the ark was captured. The unthinkable had happened! God had been hijacked by pagans.

Right from the beginning, the Israelites had recognized that their problem was not primarily military—it was spiritual. But their solution was all wrong. They assumed that if they went through a religious act, if they featured a religious symbol, that would solve the problem. But the ark contained the Ten Commandments. These were not symbols to be carried but laws to be obeyed. Even the priests carrying the ark were contravening these laws with impunity. Israel was rotten to the core. That was why they had lost the battle.

Religious symbolism has never cured spiritual corruption. Only repentance and a work of God’s grace does that.

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