From: Bayo Afolaranmi Dearly Beloved, YOUR SILENT YEARS
“And Jesus increased in wisdom (in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52 AMP). The writers of the Gospels did not write much about the early years of Jesus Christ on earth. Apart from His birth narratives (Matthew 1:18—2:23; Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-39) and an incident when He was twelve years old (see Luke 2:42-52), nothing is known about Him from the Bible until He was about thirty years old (see Luke 3:23). Some Bible scholars have referred to these unknown years as the silent years of Jesus Christ on earth. Luke used just a verse to describe these silent years (see Luke 2:52). Almost all other Bible characters had their silent years. Much is not known about the early years of most of these people. These silent years were years when God was preparing each of these great men and women. Most of them did not have the best of time like Jesus in their silent years, but after God had prepared them in various ways secretly, He launched them into their public missions. Undoubtedly, each one of us nowadays also has our own silent years when no one knew about us before now that we become known. In fact, many people are even still in their silent years. They are not renowned. God is still preparing them for the manifestation of His glory in their lives. Such people are still like caterpillars in their cocoons. They are waiting for the mature time to rip open the cocoons and become beautiful butterflies. Any attempt to open the cocoons prematurely will cause a very adverse effect on the growing butterflies. Are you still in your silent years? God is preparing you for the manifestation of His glory in your life. The preparation may not be pleasant now. However, wait till when God is done with you. Do not be in a hurry. You will indeed shine for His glory, and people will celebrate you. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). NB MY TWO-WEEK MINISTRY-RELATED VISIT TO MOZAMBIQUE I thank God for my two-week ministry-related visit to Mozambique. I mainly interacted with students and staff of an evangelical theological seminary and some Christian youth in the capital city of the country. My focus of interaction was the introduction of practical ways of using the Internet in Christian ministries. It was a time of refreshing and blessings of God to the people I met in Mozambique and even to me and my ministry. (If you are on Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=213674&id=504257534 to view some of the moments in pictures.) I am very grateful for the people that provided the resources I used for the visit, and people that prayed with/for me before, during and after the visit. Thank you very much. I am looking forward for more of such refreshing experiences in the near future. God bless you! Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). +234 805 515 9591 http://www.thewordthruthenet.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ http://www.facebook.com/bayo.afolaranmi Visit and become a follower of http://thewordthruthenet.blogspot.com/ I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV). ======================================= From: Bayo Afolaranmi Dearly Beloved, THE BIGGEST NEWS OF CHRISTMAS "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, NIV). As usual, the Christmas celebration for this year as started about a month ago with many fanfares and will end on December 25 in grand services in most of our churches. However, many people have lost or forgotten the biggest news of Christmas. This news is summed up in the most popular Bible verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV). The news started with God, the Creator of the universe. The Holy Bible does not try to prove the existence God. It just started by saying, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1 NIV). It is interesting to see some people today claiming that there is no God. The Christmas news cannot be appreciated without acknowledging the existence of God that initiated the basis of Christmas. This God is the God of love that so loved the people of the world in spite of their unworthiness. He demonstrated His unconditional love to mankind and did what an ordinary man would find difficult to do - giving the most precious thing to an undeserving person. This act of giving should be paramount in us as we celebrate Christmas. This is not a kind of giving where you will be expecting the recipient to give you something else back in reciprocal. It is not the kind of giving associated with Father Christmas where you have to pay some amount of money before receiving the gift. It is a sacrificial giving. The object of this giving is the most precious Gift of all time - Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God! Many people find it difficult to believe that the Creator of the universe could have a Son. To them, it belittles Him of His majesty. However, that is part of the reasons Paul exclaimed, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! `Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?' `Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11:33-36 NIV). What God requires from us for His giving is faith in Jesus Christ so that we will not perish (having eternal separation from Him), but have eternal life - an infinitely high quality of life in living fellowship with God, both now and forever given graciously by Jesus Christ to everyone who believes in Him (see John 1:4; 10:10, 28). Do you have this life? This is the biggest news! No matter how you celebrated the Christmas or if you are indifferent to it, let the news has positive impact in your life. In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Visit http://inspirationaldailyquotes.blogspot.com/ for updated daily inspiring quotes from the Holy Bible and other notable Christians. God bless you! Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). +234 805 515 9591 +234 816 304 5450 http://www.thewordthruthenet.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ http://www.facebook.com/bayo.afolaranmi I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV). ============================================= From: Bayo Afolaranmi Dearly Beloved, HAVE YOU BEEN DULY REGISTERED? “If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15 NIV). “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Revelation 21:27 NIV). For three weeks recently, eligible voters in Nigeria went out to register for the oncoming general elections in the country. Most of them had difficulties to do so as there were initial logistic problems. One funny aspect of the difficulties was the inability of the direct data capture (DCC) machines to recognize the fingers of some of the would-be electorates. This made the authorities of the electoral body of the nation to emphasize it that for one to be duly registered, all the ten fingers of one’s hands must be recognized and captured by the machine. This has to be done and one has to get a voter’s card. The registration exercise has come and gone. To be able to vote later in the year in Nigeria, the question that one would ask is, “Have you been duly registered?” Undoubtedly, anyone who is not duly registered cannot find his/her name on the voters’ register and such a person will not be able to vote or be voted for. There is another register that is above all registers on earth and even in heaven. This unique register is called the Book of Life. This is a heavenly book in which the names of the righteous that have been redeemed or saved are written. The redemption or salvation referred to here is the one through Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 14:6; Acts 4:10-12). Only people that are duly registered in this book will be allowed to enter heaven, and anyone whose name is not in the book will be eternally separated from God. There is no difficulty whatsoever in registering one’s name in this unique heavenly register. The Bible says, “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved” (Romans 10:9-10 TEV). The ultimate questions are: is your name been written in the Book of Life? Have you been duly registered in that special register? Genuinely believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be duly registered in the Book of Life (see Acts 16:31). In His service Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Visit http://inspirationaldailyquotes.blogspot.com/ for updated daily inspiring quotes from the Holy Bible and other notable Christians. God bless you! Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). +234 805 515 9591 +234 816 304 5450 http://www.thewordthruthenet.org/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spiritualdigest2003/ http://www.facebook.com/bayo.afolaranmi I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. FOR TO ME, TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV).
