Afleveringen
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Three things to draw from Genesis about marriage:
1. To have a happy home, you must be ready to die to self. A good home must be borne out of a dead man. Genesis 2:21. You cannot truly love another selflessly and rightly according to God's standards until you die to self. You must practice forgiveness and forgive even those who do not deserve forgiveness. Ephesians 4:32. You must learn to lose a battle to win a war: pick your battles. It is part of oneness that you let go of your privileges.
2. Purpose: God gave Adam a job before he gave him a spouse which points to the fact that one of the ways to have a happy home is to get an office. Genesis 2:15. God did not design us to be idle, if you are, you are straining from God's natural order because Idleness is dangerous. Build support systems for each other apart from each other. Find wise older women to befriend and find wise older men for your husband to befriend.
3. Man is the head of the home: psychologically, when a woman is with the right man, she’ll let him lead. Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18-22. Don’t marry a man whose leadership you do not trust.
4. There is a level of sacrifice and empathy required to make marriage work.
When you notice that you’re falling out of love, you need to learn that love is a command. Acting like a man “in love” he became in love. Look at your woman and “call her” what you want her to be. Call your partner what God has called them. Change your perspective. Be a doer and not just a hearer. -
PHILOPHOBIA - the fear of falling in love. This is the fear of vulnerability or emotional dependence. It makes you want to avoid relationships or end relationships abruptly due to fear that things are beginning to get deep.
Key points to note:
📍 Foreknowledge is not the same as predestination. The fact that God knows that something will happen doesn't mean that he has destined for it to happen.
📍 God is sovereign and has also given man free will. Both can coexist. This sovereign God respects that free will to the degree that he wants all men to be saved. But not all men are. Luke 19.
📍 Understanding that even Jesus respects free will can guide you in navigating relationships. No matter how much you love people, they will be product of their own choices.
THINGS HEARTBREAK AFFECTS
✨ The need for pleasure
✨ The need for connection
✨ The need for control
✨ The need for esteem
The only way forward is to accept the Providence of God - to trust him with the outcomes of your life.
When your heart is broken, remember Psalm 147:3 - He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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FAQs About Biblical Marriages
Teacher: Apostle Emmanuel Iren
📌 Does God choose spouses for people?
🔸As a person, you are to ensure that the fundamental principles that a marriage should be hinged on are still present. For instance, the other person should choose you, and be attracted to you. It takes more than a divine choice for a marriage to work.
📌 When you get a divine leading that seems to contradict moral order, it’s normal to ask “How shall these things be?”
🔸 That’s the difference between Zechariah and Mary.
They both asked the same question, but Zechariah was married so he was supposed to be expecting a child because they had prayed for one. So his asking the Angel was a sign of unbelief.
Mary on the other hand was not married yet so it was okay for her to ask the question.
📌 Beware of manipulation.
Many people try to manipulate other people who may not be on their social level by subscribing to a higher power.
🔸 In Hosea 3: 1, we see that God instructed Hosea to love his wife, rather than being dictatorial. This means that there is a need to establish friendship and love.
📌 Being married to a Christian spouse doesn’t take away the hard work in marriage. Anointed people can quarrel, hence the reason you need to end up with an emotionally mature person. Don’t allow people to use God as an excuse to abuse you.
📌 “God said” does not take away the hard work of marriage. It doesn’t make it any easier. In Acts 13: 2- we see that even though it was the Holy Ghost that separated Paul and Barnabas, they had a fallout and the contention was sharp.
📌 How did the man realize that he needed a help meet?
In the process of naming the animals, Adam knew he needed a help meet. He named each animal, male and female, and then Adam realized there was no second of his kind.
🔸 God knows how to lead us in a way that we realize that what we want for ourselves is what he wants for us.📌 Can a Pastor choose for you?
🔸 On the authority of God’s word, a pastor can tell you who to not marry, but for key decisions in your life, you need to learn to hear God for yourself.
📌 On confirmation
In a family, God doesn’t speak to only you when it comes to decisions that will affect everyone in a family. There’s every biblical justification to seek confirmation from the Word. The same angel that spoke to Mary, spoke to Joseph as well.
🔸 You’re allowed to ask for clarifications when you don’t understand because God is dependable when it comes to communication. He is faithful.
📌 How then do I choose the right spouse?
Proverbs 31 wasn’t written to women. It was directed to a man to teach him to know how to choose. As a man, this is who you should choose, and as a woman, this is the kind of wife you should be:
🔸 A woman who knows how to watch her words - Proverbs 31:26.
“She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” A woman or ma who is brash with her/his words will not be beautiful or handsome to you. As a woman, you should learn to regulate your emotions.
🔸 Loyalty - Proberbs31:11 “The heart of her husband safely trusts her.” As a woman, no man should observe you and think he can easily get in between your relationship. Even if you respect many men, prioritize your partner.
🔸 A homemaker - Proverbs 31:21 “She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.” Don’t delegate everything to a house help as a mother. Get to know your children and spend time with your family.
🔸 An industrious woman - Proverbs 31:16 “She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.”
And to the men, don’t embrace all the perks of leadership, without sacrifice. Proverbs 31:23
Only a good man will get a Proverbs 31 woman. -
Storm Proof
Pst Laju began by teaching that in marriage, storms, and trials will come and that is why it is important to prepare ahead of time. She noted that our preparation must come from a place of victory and not fear.
She emphasized the importance of choosing right because as much as marriage is meant for us, we must also be Kingdom-minded in our choosing ( Malachi 2 vs 13-15).
📝 7 ways to stormproof your marriage:
📍Foundation:
Our mindset about marriage must be based on the word of God rightly divided. It is also important to invest in knowledge and prepare adequately by reading books and listening to sound teachers (Proverbs 24:3, Mathew 7: 24-27).
📍 Discernment:
Discernment would protect you from the wrong advisors. The way to fight the enemy is to stand in peace, it is part of warfare (Mathew 5:9, 2 Corinthians 2:11).
📍Communication:
In communicating, we must ensure that we listen to understand and not to respond while also keeping in mind that the way we talk, is just as important as what we say. We must also learn to communicate by the wisdom of the spirit ( Genesis 18:6, James 1:19 ).
📍Commitment:
Love anticipates storms and looks out for ways to navigate them and not from a place of fear.
Get fear out, get knowledgeable, and learn to commit rightly (1 Corinthians 13:4).
📍Oneness: Ephesians 5 vs 29
Oneness means believing in your spouse. Some parts of oneness are instantaneous while many parts are in process (Philippians 4:8).
📍Christ:
If you go with God, you will always win. Put God at the center of your home.
Apart from the relationship with your spouse, there should be a relationship with God (Mathew 8:25-26, Ecclesiastes 4:12).
📍Purpose:
Marriage is your good and also the good of the kingdom.
The purpose of marriage is companionship and raising Godly seeds (Malachi 2:13-15, Ecclesiastes 4:9). -
Samson: Strong People Poor Decisions.
There are life skills that are required to succeed in all aspects of life. Skills like marketing, finance, communication, emotional intelligence, and self-control.
📌 Emphasizing self-control, he mentioned that one of the ways to avoid sexual immorality is to marry.
(1 Cor 7:2-5)
📌 The devil always finds a way to make you step out of the protection that God has placed over you.
(Num 31:16)
Things to learn from the Samson story
📍Genius is context-specific: Invest in knowledge, learn your limits, and get better in specific areas
📍The success makes you think you are invincible.
(Judges 16:4-5, 17, Judges 6:8-9, judges 10)📌 The devil does not come like a monster, he comes in such a way that makes you question your consecrations, some of which are:
• Good advice
• Scientific opinion
• Behavioural science
📌 Things to do to help your self-control
• Change your environment (both virtual and physical)
• Control the exposure
• Create a system of accountability
You have a part to play in the fulfillment of prophecy, one major part is your self-discipline. -
Marriage is a Business Decision.
Choosing a life partner based solely on physical appearance or optics is a serious mistake.
Here are key takeaways from the sermon:
📍 Marriage impacts your health, career, and overall well-being.📍 50% of women experience a financial decline after divorce, proving that marriage is indeed a business decision.
📍 Adopt the business term KYC (Know Your Customer) when choosing a partner — Know Your Partner (KYP).
📍 Marriage itself isn’t bad; it becomes what the people in it make of it.
Questions to Ask Your Potential Partner directly or indirectly
📌 Are there hereditary illnesses in your family, or have you had any major medical surgeries?📌 How many children do you want to have?
📌 Are you in any financial debt?
📌 How do our goals align, and who will care for the children?
📌 What’s your personality type?
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Love Filter: How to Choose a Spouse. 🔥
Marriage isn’t just built on emotions; it requires wisdom, clarity, and God’s guidance.
📌 Pastor Laju highlighted 12 common mistakes people make when choosing a spouse:
* Assuming they don’t have a choice: If you’re unaware of your options, you’ll likely make the wrong decision.
* Becoming obsessed with the chase: The thrill of pursuit should never replace discernment (Eccl 2:10).
* Not embracing singleness: Marriage requires two whole individuals. Knowing your purpose helps you choose wisely.* Listening to the wrong advisors: The voices you heed can shape your decisions (2 Sam 13:2).
* Misunderstanding time: It’s not about how fast, but how well.
* Having a wrong understanding of marriage: Marriage is an opportunity to serve your spouse, serve the Lord, and grow into Christlikeness.
* Trying to escape trauma: Heal before stepping into a relationship to avoid repeating past cycles.
* Choosing based on superficial vibes: Set realistic expectations beyond surface attraction.
* Bowing to pressure: Ask yourself, “Can I live with this for the rest of my life?” Marriage shouldn’t be about pleasing others.
* Not involving God: Every life decision should be rooted in His wisdom.
* When God cannot be involved: If your relationship doesn’t honour God, it’s not His will.
* Assuming a failed relationship means personal failure: A setback isn’t the end of your love story. Choose wisely—with God, wise counsel, and someone who genuinely chooses you. -
Marriage Is A Business Decision
Apostle Emmanuel Iren
Luke 14:28-30
Love is not blind. Do not be ignorant, you must do your research. Love is intentional. Don’t make the mistake of marrying someone you do not know. Marriage can impact the greatest misery or Happiness.
The person you marry will affect you:
1. Finances
2. Health
3. Mental wellbeing
4. It can damage your public reputation forever
5. It may determine how long you live
When choosing who to marry, consider security. There is nothing about a wedding gown/suit that corrects bad behavior.
We are not to choose with spontaneity when it comes to marriage. It is a business decision. Think well, choose well.
Things to do before making marital Choices:
1. Sit down: Build a foundation and structure that will be your security.
2. Count the cost: Judge your knowledge by how many books you have read. You should Read at least 7 books on marriage.
You need to consider the Economic impact of marriage and the safety of children. Be careful, Be vigilant. Watch and pray.
KYP - Know your partner
Questions to ask Before choosing a spouse:
1. Are your parents together?
2. Have you ever been in a physical fight before?
3. Investigate family patterns of illnesses
4. How many children would you like to have? Will you be upset if there is a delay in having children?
5. Have you ever undergone surgical operations? Are your organs intact?
6. For Western countries: What is your credit score? What is your financial history? Are you in debt? -
Preserving The Culture Of Charismatic Gifts
Apostle Emmanuel Iren
Psalm 131:1-3
There is a protocol for the supernatural. The assembly of the brethren remains God’s idea. There is a positive provocation in the right direction.
How To Preserve Charismatic Gifts:
1. Get your environment right.
Fellowship with the right people. When you gather with the saints, there would be a flow of grace. 1 Samuel 10:11 It is God’s design for us to dwell together in unity and belong to a local assembly. There are dimensions of the manifestation of God that will only happen in our assembly. Assimilate yourself in an assembly that takes God seriously. There is power in corporate anointing.
2. The Holy Ghost in you is enough!
The same spirit in you administers in different ways as the occasion demands 1 Corinthians 12:1-5 We must do away with the scarcity mindset. The Holy Ghost can do everything in your life. You grow in the things of the spirit by putting it to use. Take a step! -
Preserving The Culture Of Sanctification
1 Thessalonians 4:3 Deuteronomy 1:39 Genesis 3:1
God’s view remains Ultimate. We have to be careful of voices that try to change our opinion of what the truth of God’s word clearly says. Guard your heart against contrary voices.
Angels are imagers of God in the spirit realm, Men are imagers of God in the natural realm. Psalm 8:5 Job 38:7 Psalm 82:7
The temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent was an invitation to an ungodly and almost irrecoverable exposure. Genesis 3:22
Satan’s trick is ungodly exposure and he does it through popular culture. God’s desire is to protect man’s innocence from ungodly exposure.
True freedom is within the confines of God’s purpose for your life. Any society that casts off virtuous restraint will be in trouble.
Here are ways the devil brings about ungodly exposure:
1. Popular Culture
2. Media
3. Philosophical Relativism
4. Rebellion against Traditional morality
5. Legal and Policy changes
As believers, we are to discern and ensure we guard our hearts against ungodly exposure. I Thessalonians 4:3-5 Jude 1:24 -
reserving the Culture of Prayer
Apostle Emmanuel Iren
If you truly know that there is a devil who hates you, it will change your demeanor. If you don’t pray, the devil will get away with a lot in your life. I Peter 5:8-9
We must preserve the culture of prayer. If it is nonexistent, it must be because a generation or two let it wither away. Allow the Word of God superimpose on culture, not the other way around. Do prayer the Bible way.
If you don’t pray, you will faint and not have the capacity to receive all that God has for you.
Learn to press in spite of difficulty.
To build a prayer life, you must learn to pray because it is necessary, even when you don’t feel like it. Luke 18:1– Jesus taught perseverance in prayer because you will faint if you don’t learn it.
James 5:17– the men God uses don’t necessarily have an unusual grace, but they learn to push beyond excuses, and so can you.
Throw yourself into the culture of prayer. -
Signs that you do not understand salvation as much as you think you do.
1. You assess your standing before God based on how good you have been before you pray. Galatians 3:1-3
2. You think that there are people God loves more than he loves you. Matthew 7:11
3. You think that only the obviously morally deficient people need salvation.
In salvation, we see the utter helplessness of man and the sovereign intervention of God. Ephesians 2:1-4 -
INFLUENCE IN A FOREIGN LAND
Matthew 4:19 Psalm 82:1 I kings 22:20
As believers, It is our divine assignment to influence our environment with the ideologies of the kingdom. It is our duty to reflect God. Through us, the kingdoms of the world must become the kingdom of our God and His Christ.
God wants us to come of age and be a part of what He is doing. Children are the responsibility of the kingdom but Sons are responsible for the kingdom. God has called us to be co-laborers with Him and not spectators. God wants us to represent His ideologies in our environment. Rather than Living for survival in a foreign land, God wants us to Live a life of Legacy.
How To Live A Life Of Influence In A Foreign Land
1. Expect the favor of God. Isaiah 1:19 God wants you to recognize that He can bless you in this nation.
2. Seek the peace of the land. Jeremiah 29:7 It is God’s will that we pray for the land and for those in authority. You will prosper in a nation whose peace and prosperity you desire.
3. Embrace your difference. psalms 137:6 You are called to stand out. You are not a dumpsite for ideologies that negate the truth of God’s word. The blessings of God are not gotten by compromise.
4. Culture is not always right. Popularity does not make it right. Test all things and hold fast to what is true. As believers, the only culture that should be held on to is the culture of the word.
5. Think leadership. As an envoy of God, you are counter-cultural. You image God. You are a culture influencer. -
The Honour Culture
When you come to a deeper understanding and revelation of who God is, it commands more honour from you because there is glory due to His name. Psalm 29:2
📌 The revelation of God’s glory should drive us to cultivate a stronger honour culture. Honour the Lord as though He is physically present because He truly is.
To give God the glory due to Him, you must:
📍 Assume He is always present and sees all things—because He does. Psalm 139:9
📍 Obey His commands. Worship is incomplete without obedience. John 14:15. Honour God through your actions and lifestyle.
📍 Know that worship is any act or sacrifice that demonstrates your consecration to Him.📍 Steward your resources. How you spend money reveals your convictions. In all you do, side with God.
📍 Institute a legacy of honour in your home. Let your children observe your honour for God in your daily life, beyond just your words. 2 Timothy 1:5
📍 Honour the Lord visibly. Let people witness your reverence for Him in your lifestyle.
📍 Honour others. Matthew 25:31-40
📍 Allow God’s Word to transform your culture. -
The Culture of Worship” Here are some things to note:
✍🏽Worship is not music. It can be expressed through music, but that's not all that it is. Worship is also not a moment.
✍🏽Worship is aligning yourself to the will of God. The first time Worship was used in the Bible was in Abraham's story- to mean sacrifice.
✍🏽Real Worship is a posture of consecration. Your public devotion can be a waste of time when your life is not aligned. Jeremiah 10:23
✍🏽Man's destiny is to be the image of God. The word "image" is not a noun but a verb.
✍🏽If you make decisions without asking God, you are not a worshipper.Remember the destiny of man. In (Gen 1:6) when the Bible says God made man in his image, it has nothing to do with facial shape or body. Rather, what God was saying is: in the earth realm, let man stand as My representative to do things I would have done if I were there.
A Few Things To Note:
📌 Even though God gave man dominion, it had a context, and to act outside that is to fall into the snare of satan.
📌 The biggest sins in the Bible had nothing to do with immorality. The biggest sins in the Bible were acting out of purpose.
📌 It’s a big deal in the realm of the spirit to act outside of purpose. Genesis 6:2, where the sons of God (angels) desired to marry the daughters of men. They may have even followed proper marital rites, but was it wrong? Yes. Why? Because it is not God’s will for angels to marry and have children (Matt. 22:30; 2 Pet. 2:4-5). Jude 6 explains what the sin was.
📌 Purpose determines your boundary. When it comes to God, worshipping God, living for him, it is beyond the sincerity of your desire.
📌 Embrace the domain of God, don’t see it as a limitation. Freedom is within the confines of the boundaries of God.
📌 It is part of worship to align your mind with the word of God, even the things you don’t fully understand.
📌 There’s a logical rationale for why we believe the word of God should influence culture. It is God’s will that there’ll be a communal objective understanding of truth that is beyond how we feel.
📌 It is not in man to direct his own ways. Your worship must move beyond lyrics, you must bow to the dictate of the word of God even when it’s hard, even when you don’t understand it. -
As Christians, we should understand that Culture is not a norm, it is a design. What you see people accept as general or popular is a product of someone’s mind and design.
However, it’s important to step back and be introspective. Test all things - I Thessalonians 5:21.
A FEW THINGS TO NOTE:
📍 Culture is formed when a group follows an influential person or influential people. Subconsciously, people are telling you how to think, act, and behave.
📍 It’s true that in a multitude of counsel, there’s safety. But in seeking wisdom, we must learn to stop and access - Is it true? Why must I act this way? Why must my life go in that direction? Stop and test.
📍 Culture will try to conform you but do not be conformed - Romans 12:2. If you’re a conformist, you cannot fulfill the will of God for your life. Standing for God will sometimes require that you turn your back on culture.
📍 God raised leaders to think in their own rights. We’re not dummies. We look objectively, we test all things. We are not conformists, we are transformers.
📍 When you beg to differ, you’ll be seen as a rebel. To be counter-cultural, you must be okay with being seen as the odd one out.
📍 Culture may be defining your limits so, be very careful what culture has signaled to you that you cannot do.📍 Don’t let anybody define your limits. You are allowed to be all that God wants you to be - in his word and in purpose. Because what we call culture is simply human beings being wired by limitations and observations.
📍 Culture is a product of social learning. It may be confining you. Step back, test all things, and only hold on to what is true.
📍 The same way it happens positively, it happens negatively. Fear can be adopted. The things your parents tried and failed can affect you, so step back and watch your idiosyncrasies - where was this pattern formed? Test it.
📍 This was what God was trying to tell the children of Israel in Leviticus 18:3. He was talking about their past and their future - they were coming from Egypt and going to Canaan - to not look like either of them. God wanted them to be different.
📍 In Mark 11:22-23, Jesus cursed a fig tree and Peter was amazed by that. Jesus had to let his disciples know that they can also speak to trees, speak to the mountains, and move them. To root out and to pull down - Jeremiah 1:10
📍 For this to work, you must be okay with being criticized. You have a different spirit. Be comfortable with the fact that some people will hate your guts.
📍 Beg to differ in every way. Embrace culture only to the degree that it aligns with the word of God.
📍 Shine your eyes, especially in these last days. You’re not a consumer. Don’t just watch trends and follow. The anointing is on you to stand out. -
📍 God is looking for believers who truly walk the talk. It’s not enough to claim Christianity; God desires transformation—a life that aligns with His Word in action and truth.
📍 As believers, we have a shared culture. When God saved us, He called us out of the world and into a new life of purpose. Our shared values stem from this radical transformation and we are now LIGHT in a dark world.
📍 As such, we cannot afford to conform or blend in with the ways of the world.
📍 The enemy’s trick is subtle but dangerous: even though God has taken us out of Egypt (the world), the devil wants to keep Egypt in us. He offers compromises to keep us tied to our old desires, even while we engage in church activities.
📍 Just as Moses refused Pharaoh’s compromises, we must also reject anything that falls short of God’s call to full transformation.
📍 Our lives must be a testament of difference. The world should have no charge of wrongdoing against us (1 Peter 2:12, Colossians 4:5).
📍 From our words to our actions, how we do business, and how we pursue peace, our lives must reflect the Kingdom we belong to (Philippians 2:14-15).
🔸 KEYS TO TRANSFORMATION IN CHRIST:
1. Subject yourself to the transformative power of God’s Word. Let it renew your mind and shape your values.
2. Develop a culture of gratitude and service. Serve others with joy, even when they haven’t earned it.
3. Reflect on the goodness of God and let your thanksgiving be evident in how you live. -
We learnt that God achieves in our life what He wants to by His word, and it goes beyond being ecstatic.
📌 Two times in the Bible we were told to learn from animals because what God is trying to teach us is basic;
1. Proverbs 6:6-8 - By the observation of our lives, there should be a structure.
2. Matthew 6:26 - A teaching on handling anxiety.
And here lies the balance. By the providence of God, good things would still come our way even if we work.
📌 Here are more key points from this sermon;
- The goodness of God in the past should give you confidence for the future.
- God has given us His best as a born again child of God by giving us His Son. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
- It is a spiritual law to believe you will have a great year even without an evidence.
- It is okay to plan, but never look at your future judging from your current state.📌 Times in the Bible where Jesus called people fools.
1. Matthew 23 - Those who focus on money instead of focusing on God.
2. Luke 11:40 - Those who focus on the outside rather than the inside.
3. Luke 12 - The rich fool.
- Prioritizing material gains at the expense of your soul is a foolish way to live.
- In following God’s purpose, many times you strip yourself of some privileges.
Two things we will focus on as a ministry this Year;
1. We will honour the Lord.
2. We will serve men.
6 Things About the Year of Legacy;
1. A year of worship
2. A year of thanksgiving.
3. A year of service.
4. A year of corporate fellowship.
5. A year of model living.
6. A year of generosity. -
And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:27-28 NKJV
2025 is a year where we set and show a legacy of love for God and His people, a year where we imbibe the humility of Christ and understand that greatness in the Kingdom lies in service.
Make these declarations as we prepare for 2025 - our year of LEGACY!
#Legacy #LovingGod #LovingPeople #CCIGlobal -
Listen to the timeless sermon that kicked off the Reboot Camp 2024, tagged "METAMORPHOSIS"
Discover how salvation isn’t earned through works but given freely through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Reflect on the story of Abraham and Isaac, a powerful foreshadowing of God's love and provision through Christ. This episode unpacks key lessons: the necessity of a sacrifice, the futility of relying on good works, and the gift of salvation through faith alone. Tune in and embrace the timeless message of redemption and grace.
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