THEME: ON TRUE WORSHIP

DATE: Sunday, 20 June 2004

PLACE: Church of Patmos , Mission of the Evangelical Church, Yaounde, Cameroon.

PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Michael BAME

(The hour has come, the hour has come)

You have heard me say many times, may be too many times (and that has hurt you somehow)-you have heard me say that God is building the Church of Patmos so that it may be a place where God is worshipped in spirit and in truth. You have also heard me say that though we are making an effort to be and do what God wants us to be and to do, we are still a long way from reaching our goal. To prove this to you I have on several occasions preached on passages of the New Testament which reveal to us what happens when we worship God in spirit and in truth. On hearing these sermons those who have earnestly been seeking to worship God the way He wants to be worshipped have humbled themselves and asked God not only to forgive but also help them worship Him the way He wants to be worshipped. They have not been hurt; no, not at all. Rather, they have been happy because they are seeking to worship God in Spirit and in truth.

For someone who earnestly is seeking to worship God, the Father, the way Christ tells us God wants to be worshipped, is never hurt but rather rejoices when told they are not worshipping God in spirit and in truth. They do not say, as I heard it being said to me far too many times when I was Pastor of Bastos, and sometimes still hear it being said; they do not say, we weren't brought up in a certain way of worship, and we have no intention of changing from it to a new way of worship we are not accustomed to. Yes, of course, it is a new way of worship. Christ said, 'the hour when by the power of the Holy Spirit, people (that is Jews and Samaritans alike, and every one who seeks to worship God will worship the FATHER as He really is, offering Him the true worship that He wants. God is Spirit and only by the power of the Spirit can people worship Him as He truly is.' Yes, only by the power of the Spirit, only by the power of the Spirit, only by the power of the Spirit can human beings worship God the way He wants to be worship.

This then is what Christ is telling this Samaritan woman. He is saying that until He came into the world, people worshipped God, both those who knew God and those who did not. But the worship they offered wasn't pleasing to God though He accepted it. The time has now come when that has to come to an end. From now on, the only worship that God accepts is that which is offered Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me say this then, if you don't feel the manifest power of the Holy Spirit when you are worshipping God, if you are trying to worship God with the little energy that is left in your body, mind and heart, and feel so tired and worn out when it is all over-then you are not worshipping God by the power of the Holy Spirit. You are worshipping God by your own power. Christ says, the hour has come when God no longer accepts such worship. (The hour has come; it is already here.)

Do you know why God doesn't accept worship that is not by the power of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit revealed the reason to me. It is because there is so much evil, so much spiritual filth is us: in our bodies, in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls, in our spirits. For that reason, whatever rises from us as worship is infected with evil and really stinks in God's nose. Have you ever been spoken to by someone who did not brush his or her teeth in the morning? As soon as they open their mouths and begin to speak an irritating stench just begins to flow out of their mouths-even when they smile, it stinks; even they say I love you, it stinks. At a certain point you are forced to take out your handkerchief and pretend that you are blowing your nose-actually you are covering it from the stinking smell.

We being so evil, in our bodies, hearts, minds, souls and spirits, everything that flows out of us as worship: our prayers, our singing, our adoration-everything, stinks in God's nose. Whenever people gather here on earth to worship God, using their own strength, intelligence, and feelings, (people who don't worship God by the power of the Holy Spirit), God, seeing what is about to happen, seeing the terrible smell that is going to rise up from them, asks His angels to close the door to His throne room and immediately calls for a handkerchief to be brought to Him. And He is so happy when it is all over, for then He can breathe again.

Please can you hear me? If you can, then listen to what I am about to say; and write it down not in a note book, but in your hearts, so that you never forget it. Only worship that is offered by the power of the Holy Spirit is clean, pure, holy, and is filled with a sweet smell, that is pleasing to God. Let this truth which is of utmost importance be enraged in your hearts.
We are not going through a routine act of worship, when at the beginning of our worship services we call on the Holy Spirit to come and fill, sanctify and empower us so that we offer to God the worship that is pleasing to Him. When we earnestly call on the Holy Spirit and He comes, and when on coming we allow Him to lead us in every act of worship, He cleanses our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls and worship rises to God's throne of grace as sweet smelling incense, or like a sweet smelling perfume. Such worship by the power of the Holy Spirit is never in vain.

Let's come back to this Samaritan woman. This Samaritan woman is one of the most charming and exciting personalities in the Bible. She was a prostitute, but of different kind. She was a prostitute who was earnestly seeking to know the truth about God and how to worship Him. She also wanted to know the truth about herself. She, therefore, wasn't hurt when that truth was revealed to her. She wasn't hurt when she was told that she and her ancestors did not know the God who they worshipped; and that only that only Jews really knew God and worshipped Him-though their worship was not true worship. Most Christians today would react by asking, 'Does Jesus really mean that for all these centuries my people and I have not been worshipping the real God?' They would be hurt by the fact that Jesus says that salvation comes from the Jews. They would cut the conversation short at that point

When Jesus told her to go and call for her husband, she did not lie by going and calling for the person with whom she was living. She said she had no husband. She was living in adultery. Jesus admired and praised her for her truthfulness.
The conversation that followed revealed the inner person of this woman. A sinner-yes, indeed; but one who was earnestly seeking to know and to offer true worship to God. That was the burning desire of her heart. Not the desire for a husband, not a desire to be recognized, but a deep desire to know God and to worship God. For as soon as she realized that Jesus was not just an ordinary Jew traveling through their territory, but a prophet, 'she didn't ask Jesus to pray for her so that the man when living with could marry her or that she could find another person to marry her. That actually was of no great importance to her. What was important was to know God and to worship God as He wanted to be worshipped. Therefore, realizing who Jesus was, she immediately ceased the opportunity to find out where the true place of worship was-in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerezim where her ancestors worshipped God. Way back when Israel was one, God had chosen Jerusalem where all His people would come to worship Him.

Jesus told her it was not the place that made worship true. It was the presence of the Holy Spirit in worship and in the worshippers that made worship true; and only those who worshipped God in the power of the Holy Spirit, worshipped Him in spirit and in truth and, accordingly, offered the worship that was pleasing and acceptable to Him. This woman was so excited on hearing this revelation-and excitement you would hardly find among Christians today. She immediately ran to her people to tell them that she certainly had met the Messiah. They all came out in great numbers and with their own eyes saw Jesus, and with their own ears heard Him. They also believed, not, as they said, because of the testimony of the woman but because of what they had heard and seen.

They final revelation about true worship has been made by Jesus Christ, and it has come through a woman who though living outwardly in sin, inwardly was earnestly seeking for the truth. And somehow, mysteriously, by divine providence, it was that inner state of her mind and yearning that drew her to Jesus that sunny Samaritan afternoon to the well of Jacob where Jesus was sitting waiting for her.

There is only one true way of worship-not the Baptist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Roman Catholic. There is only one true way of worship-and it is through and the power of the Holy Spirit. Only those who so worship God, by the power of the Holy Spirit worship Him in spirit and in truth and offer to Him the worship that is pleasing to Him. They only are the true worshippers that God is seeking to worship Him.

We are not given the privilege to choose how we should worship God-much less the right. God alone reserves that privilege and right; and He alone can tell us and has told us how He wants to be worshipped. May those who have ears hear, hear what He has said.

CHRISITIAN COMMITMENT AND SACRIFICE

THEME: CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT AND SACRIFICE.
PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor.
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Published Online: August 2003.

CHRISITIAN COMMITMENT AND SACRIFICE

How utterly degrading it is for the Church to have people in it who come because they thus do a favour to those who invited them, or come for what they can get in terms of a cheap social club! We should follow Jesus more closely if we tried to keep people out until they saw membership as the greatest privilege of their lives and a commitment that might cost them all they had. The curse of the Church at the present is that it is cluttered up with well-meaning, anaemic people who have never ever taken Christ seriously, and do not even intend to do so. Leslie Weatherhead.

Let me say a few words about the person who wrote these words. Leslie Weatherhead held three Doctorate Degrees. He was among many other things, Pastor of the City Temple in London, President of the Methodist Conference of Great Britain, President of the Institute of religion and Medicine, Chaplain to Her Majesty’s forces, and was conferred a knighthood by the Queen of England, (He was Commander of the British Empire). He was author of at least 26 books. The most extraordinary which made him world famous in academic circles is entitled, Psychology, Religion and Healing.

I had the privilege of watching the last interview he gave on BBC shortly before he died. Why am I saying all this? It is because, people with a naïve frame of mind on reading these lines which I have quoted from Leslie Weatherhead, would quickly jump to the conclusion that he had but a few hundred members in his Church. His criticisms hide his failure as a pastor and preacher.

Quite the contrary! Leslie Weatherhead was the most popular and successful Pastor and preacher in England in his days. He ministered to both to the intellectual elite and the common people of His country. His Church house was always packed full with true believers and worshippers. . People eager to listen to him preach used to queue as from 5 a.m. in order to find a seat in the sanctuary. People considered membership in his church as a great honour and privilege. His church was not a cheap social club. Those who became members were committed and were ready to give all for Christ.

Given his exceptional pastoral and scholarly achievements, few Pastors are better placed than Leslie Wetaherhead to warn the Church against making Christianity cheap, and filling the church with anemic church goers who have never taken Christ seriously. He rightly affirms that when we make it easy for people to become Christians, we are going against what Christ taught and did.

He says, We should follow Jesus more closely if we tried to keep people out until they saw membership as the greatest privilege of their lives and a commitment that might cost them all they had.

To highlight his strong feelings about making church membership easy, let me draw your attention to three words at the beginning of the first line, how utterly degrading; and three others at the end of the fourth line, cheap social club.

It is degrading, utterly degrading, when we have people in the church who say to themselves, the Church should consider it an favour that a person of my social standing is going to church. It is degrading, utterly degrading! Worse still, when the church thinks it is being honoured by the presence of influential persons in society among its members, even though these persons are uncommitted to Christ and never take Him seriously.

Are not we guilty in one way or the other in bringing such disgrace and dishonour on the Church of Christ? Are not we guilty of trying to make the Church a cheap social club to which any person can belong, even those who have not undergone a true conversion experience?

Satan makes us think that by making things easy we are being liberal, modern and loving and offering salvation full and free to every, even to Satan because he too needs to be saved., and to his demons, because they also need to be saved, and why not to marabous and magician, for they need Christ more than we do.

Once I saw a terrible scene on television and the comments I made on it resulting in my losing the friendship of many of my Christians. Someone who was appointed a minister whom I knew very well was a top ranking Rosicrucian went back to his constituency to be received by His people: Salvation is full and free, it is true; but being a Christian calls for commitment and sacrifice. That is what Christ teaches us the text we have just read from Luke.

Jesus says I have come to offer my life as a ransom for many, I have come to offer salvation full and free; but those who accept this offer of free salvation, and want to become my disciples, must love me more than they love their parents , children, wife, husband, and more than they love themselves.

Dear people of God, Jesus did not make membership in the community of His followers easy. He rather made things tough and difficult, for those who would be His disciples. So Leslie Weatherhead is right when he says, We should follow Jesus closely if tried to keep people out until they saw membership as the greatest privilege of their lives and a commitment that might cost them all they had.

Jesus kept the people out until they realized that being a follower of His was the greatest privilege of their lives and that it called for a commitment that could cost them all they had.

He told them that it would cost them the love they had for their parents, children, and everything they held dear and considered as of greatest value in this life, their very lives.

Have you heard these words? Have you truly heard them, you who claim to be disciples of Jesus? Have you heard these words of Jesus, Christians of the Church of Patmos who claim to be following Christ more closely than Christians of other churches?

Christ’s words are so simple to understand. You do not need to be a Professor of Theology to understand them. He says, Who ever comes to me cannot be my disciple must give up all or be ready to give up all; must love Christ first and more than they love Father and mother, children, husband or wife and themselves.

One thing is coming to Christ, another is being His disciple. Many people come to Christ but not all are His disciples. They are many people who have been baptized and attend Church regularly and contribute to the work of Christ, a little one tenth of their earnings, which sometimes they consider as an unbearable sacrifice, but who are not yet His disciples, because their love for Christ does not come first before every other love.

Do you love Christ more than you love your Father and mother, wife and children? Do you?

But above all do you love Christ more than you love yourself?

Many of us are not yet disciples of Chris, notwithstanding our long standing membership in the Church, because we have yet not fulfilled the condition of being a disciple of Christ, not just loving the Lord always, as we sing, but loving Him more than we love Father, mother, children and self.

When you are a disciple of Jesus, Jesus becomes number one in your life. His business becomes the number one business in your life, that is if you have become the disciple of Jesus. It is hard, very hard, indeed; but remember that Jesus is not forcing you to be His disciples. So do not complain. You can quit any time you want to. And don’t be afraid that Jesus might get angry with you when you quit. He would not. But far and above all do not think Jesus will come running after you begging you not to leave, begging you to return. Do not think He will change the conditions because you find them difficult for you, or because He is desperate for many followers. He would not.

No doubt, He does want a lot of people to be His disciples; as a matter of fact, He wants all the people to be His disciples but only on the conditions He has laid down. We all remember the story of the Young ruler who came to Jesus wanting to know what he should do in order to inherit eternal life. Matthew 19: 16-24.

You remember how thousands of His followers turned back and would not follow Him anymore, because they found His teaching too hard to accept. Yes, thousands and thousands of them left. But Jesus did not go begging them to return nor did He change His teaching. He rather kept them out. He let them go without being angry with them. (John 6:60-69)

Is Patmos going to be a cheap social club made up of people who are not committed and are not ready to pay the cost of true discipleship, people who have never ever taken Christ seriously, and do not even intend to do so?

As the years go by, membership in the Church of Patmos is going to become more difficult. And as that happens, some present members of Patmos will turn back and go away. But God is going to send new members who truly want to follow Jesus with us—who truly want to be His disciples.

And these are the Christians Christ will use to tear down and destroy the kingdom of Satan and establish His kingdom firmly in our land. I am praying to Christ for 300 of such committed Christians.

But if by His grace, the number is much greater, my joy will only be the greater, and so will be the praise I offer Him.



THEME: OUR GOD IS A LIVING GOD.
PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor.
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Published Online: August 2003.

OUR GOD IS A LIVING GOD
The God we worship is not dead. He is a living God. If God is God, then He is always alive. He is life itself and the source of all life.

As we read in the Bible, God made death and so death is under His control. God can kill death, but death cannot kill God. He showed that He could kill dead when He raised Jesus from the dead. In raising Jesus from the dead, God showed the power He holds over death. Jesus did not escape from death, as it were. He triumphed over death and in so doing made death powerless. The day is coming when death will be killed and destroyed forever. Death will be killed and destroyed forever, not by death but by God.

There is an interesting text in the Bible which talks about this great event. It is found in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 20: 13-14). There it is written, Then the sea gave up its dead. Death and the world of the dead also gave up the dead they held. Then death and the world of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire (This is the second death): that is, the death of death. It is God Almighty who shall throw death and the land of the dead into the lake of fire, and there destroys them forever.

The God we worship is alive! He is alive today as He was before life began on earth; and He shall continue to be alive when there shall be no more life on earth. Moses states this truth in clear and distinct terms in Psalm 90:2b. He says, You were eternally God and will be God forever. God was, God is, and God shall be. John the holy apostle restates this truth in Revelation 1:4. He says, in his opening greetings to the seven churches, Grace and peace to you from Him who is, who was, and who is to come. God not only was, He is, and He shall be.

God is alive today, and God is today, what and who God was 2 billion years ago, two thousand years, two months ago, two hours ago, two minutes ago, and two seconds ago. And God will be what God is today, two hours from now, two years from now, two thousand years from now two billion years from now. Those who know God know Him as the One who is Eternal and lives forever. And since He is a living God, and not a dead God, He acts, and performs wonders today as He did in times of old.

What I have been saying is but a restatement of what King Darius said, when he discovered early in the morning that the lions had not devoured Daniel. Writing to peoples of all nations, races, and languages on earth, He, who at the time, was the most powerful Ruler on earth, sent out an imperial order which read as follows: Greetings! I command that throughout my empire everyone should fear and respect the God of Daniel. He is a living God…He saves and rescues, He performs miracles in heaven and on earth.This is what a truly living God is and does.

When we talk about the God in whom we believe, and whom we worship and serve, can the people who live around us—can the peoples of this nation, especially its rulers, say the same thing about our God that Darius said about Daniel’s God? Can they say, seeing what He has done in our lives, the God the Christians of the Church of Patmos worship is a living God. He saves and rescues; He performs wonders and miracles in heaven and on earth.

The God we worship, for the most part, if at all He performs wonders and miracles, does so in a way that nobody outside our homes can see them. He performs them in our little kitchens and bedrooms, where only members of our families can see. He performs them just within the walls of this place of worship, and in a manner that even the person sitting next to us should not notice them.

Dear people of God, God shows that He is a living God when He acts; and because He is not only a living but also an all-powerful God, He often acts on a scale that those who do not worship Him can see and know that He is truly alive. It is not because we worship God Sunday after Sunday, and pray to Him in our homes every day that the world will know and believe that we worship a living God. Daniel worshipped God daily but the people of Babylon did not know and did not believe that He was a living God. They knew it only when, Daniel who truly believed what he believed, who truly believed that the God he worshipped was a living God, and so, for that reason, did not fear loosing his job and salary, losing the political power he exercised in the whole empire, and far and above all, loosing his life. When the God he served and worshipped rescued and saved Him from the lions, then they knew and believed (including the Emperor) that the God of Daniel was a living God.

When you truly believe with all your heart that the God you worship is a living God, you will do things that will put that faith to the test. You will do things that can make a whole nation to turn against you, and your friends and family members. You will, in the name of your God, do things that can result in your being thrown into a den of Lions or something of like nature, where no human being can rescue you, where only the God you worship can rescue. And when he does, then the world around you knows and believes that the God you worship is a living God and is moved to worship Him also. I know of a few Christians in our country, only a few, may be they are many, but those I know are very few indeed, who know and truly believe that the God they worship is a living God; and who, accordingly, are willing to take the risk of proving their faith to world. ; who are willing to face death not because they do not fear death, but because they know that since the God they worship is a living, He acts and will act and rescue them from death.

There are very few Christians, therefore, who want to take the risk of faith that will prove to the world that the God they worship is real, is living and acts today as He did two and half thousand years ago in Babylon in the life of Daniel. If we, as Christians fear to take the risk of faith, that fear can have only one reason: it is because deep down in our hearts we truly do not believe that the God we worship is a living God. Our lack of faith is so deep-seated and cannot be disguised even when we try so very hard to. We are afraid to be sick. We panic when some one close to us falls seriously ill. We are ready to pay the doctor a million francs so that he should not tell us the true results of the tests we have undergone for cancer and Aids, and cardiac problems or some terminal illness if they are positive. When the doctor, seeing our fear, lies and tells us that they do not have cancer or Aids or cardiac problems, to keep us from being prematurely traumatized, and so that we may eat our next meal with a peaceful mind, we heave a sigh of relief and say thank God! Thank God! I feared it was cancer, or Aids, or some cardiac problems; but thank God it is neither of these. All lies, all lies, therefore, when we sing, I am serving a living God.

Is the God we serve and worship only strong enough to stop us from falling ill, and is helpless when we fall ill? Is He only strong enough to stop us from being thrown into a lions’ den, and is helpless when we finally and actually find ourselves in the den surrounded by hungry lions?

Daniel did not tremble with fear nor did he despair for a damn moment when he was informed about the King’s order. And, when he was being led to the den of lions and eventually thrown therein, he did not tremble with fear nor was he in agony. He did not because he knew and believed that the God he worshipped was a living God.

When Daniel learned about the order of the King, he did not have second thoughts. He did not say to himself; should I continue to worship God or not; what is going to happen to my family if I die; would God want me to die living my family behind? These were all idle questions that never bothered Daniel. He also did not go into hiding.

We are told in verse 10 of chapter 6, that when he learned of the order of the King, he went home. Yes, he just went him home quietly and peacefully. When he arrived home, he did not rush to his wife and children to tell them that the worst they feared had finally happened. But quietly and peacefully, he went upstairs to a room where there were many windows facing Jerusalem. He opened all the windows; and there in the full view of all his enemies, who looked too small in his eyes, he knelt down at one of the open window and prayed three times a day to the God he served and worshipped--the living God. All his enemies could see him openly defying the King’s order in fear of his God, who had told his ancestors on Mount Sinai, You shall worship no God but me. This was someone who knew that the God he worshipped and served was a living God; and that a living God performs miracles and wonders on this earth which He created. He knew and he believed. It was that knowledge, real know knowledge, and it was that faith, real faith, that made God to perform this great miracle in the life of Daniel, a miracle that led to the conversion of the most powerful Emperor at that time and brought about the issuing of an imperial proclamation that all peoples through out his Empire should worship but one God, the God of Daniel, for He is a living God. God never fails those who truly know Him and trust in Him. He never fails them, at no time and in no place, even when they are deep down in the den of lions.

Is the God you are serving a living God? Can you prove it to the world? Do you believe that he can supply all your needs even if you don’t have a single franc in your back account? Do you believe that he can send ravens to feed you as He did with Elijah if the whole land is stricken by famine?

Listen to these words that can be spoken only by someone who knows and believes that the God he worships and serves is a living God. They are spoken by Habakkuk at the end of his prophecies: He says, Even though the fig trees have no fruit and no grapes grow on the vines, even though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no grain, even though all the sheep on the mountains die and the cattle stalls are all empty, I will be joyful and glad, because the Lord is my Saviour. This is faith, real faith in a living God.

Then King Darius wrote to the people of all nations, races, and languages on earth; Greetings! I command that throughout my empire everyone should fear and respect the God of Daniel. He is a living God, and will rule forever. His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His power will never come to an end. He saves and rescues; He performs wonders and miracles in heaven and on earth. He saved Daniel from being killed by the lions. Amen.



THEME: GOD NEEDS NEHEMIAHS.
PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor.
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Sermon delivered on : Sunday 20 July 2003.
Published Online: Sunday 27 July 2003.

Though I have hardly ever actually preached a sermon on the book of Nehemiah (but for a few studies I made many years back during two revival services in Bastos), Nehemiah is one of the Books of the Bible that I read with much delight - one that has had a great impact on my spiritual life and pastoral ministry from when I began formal studies in Theology.

It happened when I was in the second year. My spiritual Godmother, a Swiss missionary, sent me some books on the spiritual life and the Pastoral ministry. One of them was entitled, Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem. A study on Nehemiah.

The aim of the author was to point out the spiritual relevance of the book of Nehemiah for the Church at his time. He showed with concrete examples that the Church was in ruins and needed to be rebuilt. And he laid emphasis on the character of those who could carry out that task. Only by people who had the heart of Nehemiah could carry out that task - people who truly loved God and the Church and who were profoundly concerned about her welfare. As I read the book, the Holy Spirit moved mightily in me and I longed to see the Church restored in the original plan Christ had for her. Then, I prayed to God asking Him to use me to rebuild His church in this land.

Many years later by the marvelous providence of God, Anne and I were granted the singular privilege of meeting the author of this book. He had been invited to preach during a Sunday morning worship at the Hebron Brethren Church in Aberdeen. We always worshipped alternately at this church and at the Church of Scotland at the City center He was a heavy weight boxer when he answered the call of God to become an evangelist. After the worshipped service, we were invited to dine with Him at the home of Professor David Short, who at the time was the physician of Queen in Scotland. It was in the course of reading his book that I first came across the Hymn, O Breath of Life, come Sweeping through us, revive your church with life and power. We will be singing it at the close of our worship service using the tune that was given me by the Holy Spirit. If we earnestly and prayerfully sing this song, the Holy Spirit will work mightily in our lives in ways we cannot begin to imagine.

Nehemiah was the Butler, cupbearer or, to use a modern term, the wine steward of Artakserses was the fourth Persian Emperor after Cyrus. The Butler or cupbearer was the official who poured drink into a cup and gave it to the emperor. The office was one of the most dignified in the ancient empires or kingdoms of the East. It required the person who held it to be completely be completely trustworthy lest he be tempted to accept bribe to present poisoned wine to the king or emperor. Therefore, it said much for the character of Nehemiah that he, being a foreigner should be appointed to such an office at the Persian court, more so as the Emperor of Persia at the time was the most powerful ruler on earth Nehemiah means God has comforted. And significantly God used Him to bring comfort to His people.

Over one hundred years had passed after the first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem with permission to rebuild the temple and over 70 years after the Temple had been completed. One day as he was conversing with a fellow exile, who had just returned from Jerusalem, Nehemiah was told that the main city gate of Jerusalem had not yet been constructed and its walls were still lying in ruin. On hearing this report, he sat down and wept, and fasted and mourned for several days. Then he prayed to God - confessing the sins of his people and asking for forgiveness from God. The song his ancestors had sung on arriving the Tigris still resounded in his mind: May I never be able to play the harp again if I forget you, Jerusalem. May I never be able to sing again, if I do not remember you, if I do not think of you as my greatest joy. Nehemiah wept, fasted and prayed; but he was aware that was not enough. Weeping fasting and praying could not rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. So he offered himself to be used by God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

His sorrow increased with each passing day. One day four months later, the Emperor noticed that Nehemiah was sad to a point he had never noticed before. So he asked why he was so unhappy. When Nehemiah told him why, he then again asked him he wanted. Before answering this second question, Nehemiah prayed to God. Then he said to the Emperor: If your majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild its walls. How happy Nehemiah was to leave the comfort and pleasures of the Imperial palace in Susa and the privileged place he held in it to return to Judah not to be one of the governors of the district but to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

God did not call Nehemiah the way he called Isaiah and the other prophets. As we read in verse 12 of chapter 2, God merely inspired Nehemiah, and it was under that inspiration.

There are certain situations in which we don’t have to wait to be called by God in order to act and change for the glory of God. The inspiration God gives us to act in order to change a given situation should suffice to make us offer ourselves to God.

The good Samaritan didn’t wait for a call from God in order to help a wounded trader. He saw the need and was moved and went ahead to meet it. When you see a church house in ruins don’t have to wait to be called by God in order to offer yourself to rebuild it. If the Church is in dire need of money for a projected you don’t have to wait for a special appeal from heaven in order to give to the project. When a loving and responsible child notices that the floor of the house is dirty he or she goes ahead and cleans it. He or she does not say, my father and mother have not asked me to clean the floor, so I will not clean it. I will wait for them to ask me before I clean it. He or she does it without being told.

Having said this, let us bear in mind that the call of God very often is concealed in an evident need. The person who loves God on seeing the need instantly hears the voice of God speaking through the need, and is moved to act without being urged or compelled to. That is how it was with Nehemiah. (2x) He loved God so much that he could hardly wait for God to call Him or plead with Him. That is how it was with Nehemiah. And that is how it should be with all of us who claim to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our might and with all our strength. God needs Nehemiahs to rebuild His Church in Cameroon.

First of all, we must ask ourselves the question whether the Church in Cameroon is in ruins like the walls of Jerusalem and needs to be rebuilt. Let us not forget that we are not talking about Church buildings. Church buildings are church buildings and nothing but Church buildings. They are buildings that house the Church. There are not the Church. The Church is the people who are housed in them - who go there to worship God. That is the Church.

Is the Church in Cameroon in ruins? Church going Christians when asked this will say the Church is doing very well in our country. It is growing in numbers every year. Its income has increased over the years in spite of the economic crisis our country is going through. The Church is carrying out social projects of admirable magnitude. Take the Catholic University, for example, the schools and hospitals that are being constructed. The Church in Cameroon is certainly not the best it can be, but to say that it is in ruins is an overstatement.

About two years into the Bastos Revival, a Pastor of the Presbyterian Church, the one who came and read the banning order of the Revival Prayer group in PC, Bastos, got so angry during a retreat for Pastor where the Revival was being discussed, and just blurted out Revival, revival, revival - what are they reviving? Who is dead that they are trying to revive? The Presbyterian Church is doing fine and progressing.

Now I realize that the word revival hurts - it truly really hurts, because of what it implies. We revive something that is dead or is in the process of dying. It hurts, the word revival, but that is what rebuilding the Church is all about. The church in our land is in ruins. Those who run may read. And they don’t need a magnifying glass to notice ruins in which the Church is lying.

As a matter of fact, the Church in this land began falling into ruins even before its construction was through. Most of us are second generation Christians. Our parents were first generation Christians. They laid the foundations of the Church in our land. They did so expecting that we the second generation Christians would build her walls, our children would erect the roof, and our grandchildren would do the finishing.

But look what a poor and nasty job we have done with our part of the work, which they left behind. We organize beauty shows in the Church, we bring marabous and sorcerers during Church elections, native doctors are decision makers in may churches, elders have second and third wives even though before God they made a vow - that they would remain faithful to their one wife until death. They lied before God and thousands of Christians - and do not bother the least, and they are considered Christians in good standing. Members of the clergy and Christians are homosexuals. They belong to secret societies and mystical orders, Rosicrucians are elders and administer Holy Communion.

The love of money and material possessions, and the desire for power have eaten deep into the heart of most clergy.. The zeal for serving God is dead in ninety person of our Christians.

Many serve God only when they hope their service would be recognized and praised by human beings. There is tribalism and corruption in the church. This has influenced the choosing of leaders in the church. Hardly do we seek the will of the Lord through the Holy Spirit on these matters.

The true worship of God is not there anymore. This may sound banal and irritating and may be misunderstood - but it should be said. Most people who go to Church do so to be seen and recognized either for their positions in society or their material wealth, which they carry along with them in ways we all know.

I like to be the Pastor of people who through hard work and grace of God have been given power to rule, for I believe they will influence our society for good. Money is not a bad thing when it used for the glory of God - and I want the Christians of Patmos to be rich very rich indeed for the glory of God and the service of His kingdom.

But we can never forget that political power and material wealth are not the things that God takes into consideration when we come before Him. He is pleased with us when He see that we love him, worship Him in spirit and in truth, and serve Him with humble hearts. Those are the people God delights in.

When Nehemiah was informed that the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins, he was sad, he fasted and mourned and prayed to God. But that is not all he did. He offered himself to God to be used by Him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Yes, Nehemiah offered himself to be used by God to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

God is looking for Nehemiahs to rebuild His Church in Cameroon. Are you going to be one of them? Are you willing to leave your comfortable position in life and offer yourself to God as Nehemiah did?

God is giving all of us at the Church of Patmos an opportunity to participate in the rebuilding of the Church in our land. Those who, for good reasons cannot offer themselves as Nehemiah did, can help the Nehemiahs carry out the mission by supporting them with their prayers and with their money.

If you cannot be a Nehemiah in person, delegate your mission to your money. Send your money in your place. God will also be happy with you if you do so. That is, if you truly cannot be a Nehemiah. But if you can, let nothing hold you back. Offer yourself to God. God needs you - all of you - to rebuild His Church in this land and to equip it spiritually for the ultimate mission of bringing the Gospel to all the peoples of this land.

During my last conversation with Michael, I reminded him of this fact. I told him that only at most 2.000 people in the village he is going to out of a population of at least 10.000 go to church and not half the number of those who go to Church have been converted. So there are still seven thousand and more people to evangelize and to bring to a living faith in Christ.

They also told me that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down and that the gates had not been restored since the time they were burnt. When I heard all this, I sat down and wept. For several days I mourned and did not eat, and I prayed to God. I prayed to the God of heaven and said to the emperor, If Your Majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.



THEME: REPENTANCE - THE KEY TO RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT.
PREACHER: Rev. Dr. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor.
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Sermon delivered on : Sunday 29 June 2003
Published Online: Tuesday 1 July 2003

Some thirteen years ago, one of my elders came up to me after a revival service and said, Pastor, you are talking too much about the Holy Spirit; and people are getting bored. There are many other things you can talk about. See, the attendance at the Revival is dwindling. Which many other things do you mean? I asked. You can talk about God, for example, he retorted. His answer somewhat startled me; coming as it did from an elder, who had once been the chairman of his church. This elder, who seemingly was concerned about the spiritual growth of his church, did not know that the Holy Spirit is God the Third Person of the Trinity. Or should I rather say, he knew but did not believe. How shocking, if that was the case. I nevertheless reminded him of this truth which he must have heard many times before; but, for all that, had made no sense to him. I then went on, What else do you want me to talk about? Without the slightest he said, Of course, Pastor, you know we are Christians. Of course, I do, I interjected. Then let us talk more about Christ. He is the source of our salvation. A fine answer, I replied; but how do we talk about Jesus? By using what the Bible teaches about Him. he replied. You are right, I answered; but is that all? Yes, of course, was his answered. Not quite, I replied, for Christ not only asks us to talk about Him; He also tells us how that should be done. How? he quickly inquired. I answered, He tells us that it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can talk about Him.

That was the reason why Christ ordered His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Holy Spirit, who on coming upon them, would fill them with spiritual power and thereby enable them to talk about Him. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that makes His presence felt by the people to whom we witness. We cannot talk about Christ the way He wants us to without the Holy Spirit. Besides, as we read in Romans 8 and in Galatians 4, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ; and it is only through Him that we can know Christ. Talking about Christ the way you want may have some value; but what is far more desirable is that we experience Christ in our lives. That is possible only through the Holy Spirit. The elder listened attentively but still was not convinced, for he walked away with a painful frown on his face.

I was deeply grieved as I saw him walking away with his soul lost in the darkness of spiritual ignorance. His attitude sadly reminded me of Marc Boegners words which I quoted in my sermon two Sundays ago,

You mediocre, sad, pessimistic and defeatist Christians, you are the ones who fill our pews and parishes; but you remain what you are because deep within you, you refuse the Holy Spirit.

Dear people of God, no one can question the fact that there is no Christianity without Christ; and that, for that reason, Christ should be the focus of our worship, preaching and teaching in Church. But also, no one can question the fact that there is no Christ without the Holy Spirit. Consequently, if you want to have Christ you must have the Holy Spirit. . Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Had the Holy Spirit not come with power on Mary, she would never have conceived that unique human being in whom the Eternal Son of God lived, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven. Without the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Christ during His baptism, John the Baptist would not have recognized Him as the Messiah, the One he had been sent to proclaim to the world. In the Gospel of John 1:32-34, we read these words spoken by John, I saw the Holy Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on Him. I still did not know that He was the One, but He who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. I have seen it, and I tell you that He is the Son of God.

Christ carried out His earthly ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit.. He said, If it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of heaven is come upon you. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, in whom the Eternal Son of God lived physically in this world, was through the power of the Holy Spirit. The eternal life-giving power of God is found in the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Trinity. Paul says in Ephesians 1:19-20, and how very great is His power at work in us who believe. This power working in us is the same as the mighty strength which He used when He raised Christ from the death and seated His at his right side in the heavenly world.

And as we read in Romans 8:11, God will use this same power to raise us from the dead. Can you turn to Romans 8:11, and let us read it together: If the Spirit of God, who raised Christ from the dead, lives in you, the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies by the presence of His Spirit in you.

We do well to confess as we do in the words of the Apostles Creed, I believe in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting; it is nice to sing, When we have been there ten thousand years, bright shinning as the sun; but if the Spirit of God who raised Christ from the dead is not living in us, we make this confession and sing this line in vain.. For this reason, your dear Pastor will keep on talking about the Holy Spirit until all those whom God has called to inherit His heavenly Kingdom, open their hearts and welcome the Holy Spirit to live in them and there carry out the work of salvation.

It is sad though that a Christian should ever feel bored listening to sermons on the Holy Spirit. Something must be seriously wrong with the spiritual life of a Christian for that to happen. In a normal Christian life, the message about the Holy Spirit should bring joy, peace and happiness; and more messages about the Holy Spirit should bring more joy, more peace and more happiness; and never boredom. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, joy, peace, happiness, life and love.

But, let us never take it for granted that the Holy Spirit is living in us simply because we were baptized in the name of the Trinity Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I have heard this argument many times; but it is false though it may sound valid. You know and argument can be valid, and yet not be true, that is when it is contradicted by facts provided by experience.

In past sermons, I quoted numerous examples of Christians and Ministers of God who were so baptized in the name of the Trinity, many years thereafter realized that the Holy spirit had not been living in them. This realization came to them the day, hour, minute, and second the Holy Spirit come upon them with soothing power.. From that day they started experiencing the living presence of Christ in their lives which they had never before, even after being baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity.

I thank God and praise His most blessed name for all of you who know this truth all of you who have received the seal of the Holy Spirit in their lives and who thus have been sealed unto for eternal life and have been born spiritually into the kingdom and family of God.

Last Sunday afternoon, two of our brothers shared with us how it happened to them how after many years for being baptized in the name of God, Father, son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit came upon them and baptized them. What happened to them can happen to you if you heed to the of message Peters on the day of Pentecost. When their consciences were pricked by his message and they cried out, What shall we do brothers? He told that if they repented and were baptized in the name of Jesus, their sins would be forgiven and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. That is they way to receive

I know many of you would say, but Pastor we have repented and have been baptized; and yet it has not happen to us. Are we the worst sinners? Yes you are the worst sinners. I will tell you why. Sit up and listen carefully. YOU ARE THE WORST SINNERS BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE THE WORST SINNERS; AND FOR THAT REASON IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO TRULY REPENT. ONLY THOSE WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES AS THE WORST SINNERS CAN TRULY REPENT. THOSE WHO KNOW THAT WITHOUT JESUS THEY ARE LOST FOR ETERNITY.

You may be baptized and confirmed, but a truly repentant and contrite heart did not back up your baptism and confirmation. As a result, though God did send the Holy Spirit upon you the day you were baptized and confirmed, He could not come into you because your heart was not ready to receive Him.

You know, Satan does not want human beings to repent and be saved. He does it in many subtle ways. He tells you not too feel guilty about your sins, since you are not the only one sinning. Other people are sinning as you, and commutating other sins which you are not commutating. He tells you not to make your sin look too big and worse the sins committed by others. He tells you, in keeping with the teaching of Scripture, that since sin is disobedience, you are not a worse sinner because you sin many more times that other people, for God says, he who has broken one commandment. He tells you to challenge those who are accusing you to throw a stone at you if they are without sin. Then he smiles and wipes his nose. And your heart starts feeling good. When he notices that you are getting tuned in, he then goes on, But why all this noise about sin? Look at the clergy, the cardinals, the archbishops and bishops and then in a whisper even Pope John II. See the hideous sins they are committing. The sin you are being accused of is not as bad as that. Have peace my dear friend. Then he turns and looks away from you and ask in a soft gentle voice so you should not recognize it is coming from him. He ask, but if god did not want you to sin, why did He create Satan?

With these arguments Satan makes us comfortable in our sins and keeps us from repenting. However, he never tells us whether the clergy who are guilty of more hideous sins daily repent of their sins, whether your fellow Christians who are equally sinful as you are daily repent of their sins and weep over them while pleading the blood of Jesus to cleanse and sanctify them; and that is the reason why sinful as they are, they have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit whereas you have not. They have been freed from their sins whereas you remain bound and enslaved in your sins because, unlike them, you are not willing to humble yourself before God and repent of your sins; because unlike them you abuse the sacrifice Christ made for you on Calvary; because unlike them, though your heart and theirs is full of sin, yours is as hard as stone and their has become a heart of flesh, that feels pain, and that weeps over its sins.

Dear people of God, let this point be very clear in our minds. The question is not whether others are more or less sinful that I am, whether I they condemning you or you are condemning them. The question is what God says about you; it is about how you react to what He says about you.; and how I react to what He says about me. That is the question!

The question is not whether I am perfect and so can condemn you or whether you are perfect and accordingly have the moral authority to condemn me. The question is whether God condemns you or justifies you. That is the question!

When we become satisfied and keep on sinning simply because we have successfully argued our case, and other Christians are no longer pointing a finger at us, it becomes impossible for us to repent and receive God is grace.

For who are those God justifies not those who consider themselves as righteous, but those who are painfully conscious of their sin. Those who on realizing their sin have descended into the depths of despair as did the writer of Psalm 130, and have prayed as he did: From the depths of my despair I call to you, Lord. Hear my cry, O Lord; listen to my call for help! If you kept a record of our sins, who could escape being condemned? But you forgive us, so that we may reverently obey you.

You will say you do not consider yourself as righteous in the sense that you do not say you do not sin you acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner. That is true! But if at the same time you find excuses for your sins if you think you have good reasons why you should not be condemned for the sins, why others should not be pointing a finger at you then you consider yourself as righteous.

As I talk about repentance, I become painfully aware of the terrible harm the leaders of the Church have done to their Christians. They have destroyed the spirit of true repentance in Christians by turning their attention away from the judgment of God to that of human beings who happen to be their spiritual leaders.

Do you know that if you are in the good books of your Pastor or the Head of your Church, you are considered a Christian in good standing?

You are assured thereby of inheriting eternal life; and should, therefore, not bother to know whether or not you are in the good books of God. Your Pastor or the head of your denomination gives you the impression that if you are fine with him or her they are going to plead for you on the day of judgment. and they make you feel certain that God shall listen to their defense, and grant you His favour. As a result you stop worrying whether or not you are doing what is pleasing to God. You are more concerned to do what is pleasing to them since they shall be our advocates at the Judgment seat of God.

Since Christians have been made to believe that if their Pastor thinks good of them, they need not bother themselves about what God thinks of them, they no longer think it necessarily to repent of their sins. The prayers of confession they say in Church are done out of routine. These prayers do not come from their hearts.

Those who fear God, those who take to heart, the concluding admonition of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Fear God and keep His commandments, not fear your Pastor and the Head of your denomination and obey the decisions of the Presbytery and the Synod or General Assembly. Those who heed this admonition from Ecclesiastes live their lives in the fear of God who is no respecter of persons and who does not judge according to appearances but by what is in the human heart. People who fear God do not allow themselves to be misled by human judgment. They know themselves and are humble before God. Such people truly weep over their sins, when they come before God whatever their station in life, for they know they are before God their Creator and Judge.

From such people, God the faithful, righteous, and merciful, will not withhold the gift of His Holy Spirit. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the Holy Spirit.

Dear people of God, the commandments were given by God. That is why He alone is the Judge who has the power to condemn us for disobeying them, and to set us free when we repent of our disobedience. God and God alone. A spirit of true repentance comes from realizing this fact. David, the greatest king of Israel with whom god established an everlasting Covenant knew this truth and lived by it.

When the prophet Nathan pointed out His sin to Him, he did not get angry at the prophet for being so bold as to accuse the King of Israel of sin; neither did he say I am not the first to commit adultery in Israel, and besides this is the first time that I have done it. Rather he humbled himself before God and cried out to Him, Be merciful to me, O God, because of your constant love. Because of your great mercy wipe away my sins.

I recognize my faults; I am always conscious of my sins. I have sinned against you only against you, and done what you consider evil not what I consider evil but what you God consider evil.

And then these memorable words. So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me. Then he pleaded do not banish me from your presence; do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

David put himself on the wrong and God on the right. This is what repentance is. Have you ever prayed this prayer as David did? Have you ever really repented of your sins?

As long as you keep justifying yourself before men and before women, and sometimes before children, hiding your evilness from them and thinking all is fine with you because no one condemns you, as long as you maintain that attitude, you remain bound in your sins and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Son of God cannot and will not avail for you.

You know how important it is for you to have the seal of the Holy Spirit in you; and you know what to do so that the Holy Spirit may come and live in you. Happy are you if you know these things and do them. Peter said to them, Each one of you must turn away from their sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of God, the Holy Spirit. For the promise of God was made for you and your children, and to all who are far away---all whom the Lord our calls to Himself. The Holy Spirit comes when we repent and truly receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.



THEME - TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS.
PREACHER: ROGER HANGGI, Director, Language Program, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Yaounde, Cameroon.

PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
DATE: Sunday 22 JUNE 2003
Published online: Monday 23 June 2003.

I would like to begin this time by using our imaginations and our memories. Think back to the life of Jesus. Think back to the events that would have taken place over the past weeks and months. Imagine the experience of his disciples, what they saw and heard and experienced. Jesus, who was called Emmanuel - God among us - had taught them about God's love and mercy. Jesus, who was called the Christ, the chosen one of God, came to save us. Jesus sacrificed his own life and died on the cross, to pay the price for our sins; and by his blood, we are forgiven. Then came the news, the great news, of the Easter resurrection. Just as he promised, Jesus rose from the dead and lived again. He appeared again and again that his followers might believe that he had risen and lived. He rose so that we would believe his promise of forgiveness and be sure of his gift of eternal life. But 40 days after Jesus rose from death came the time for him to leave earth and return to heaven until the day he shall again return in glory.

The first chapter of Acts describes the scene:

Jesus said, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

And so back on earth, as Jesus left their sight, the heads of the disciples gradually began to fall back to earth, and their moods also fell. Not only was their friend and teacher and savior now gone for the second time; but before he left he had given them a job to do, a mission that now seemed as far beyond their abilities as the stars are above the earth. For Jesus had told his followers that they must carry on the work he began. They must be his witnesses in the world, and carry on the testimony of salvation and continue his service of love. But now, very alone, they just did not feel up to the task. The Christian calling, the work that Jesus has given us to do, is difficult.

That is why Pentecost is so very important. This is the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus : You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the power that took the impossible assignment of Jesus and made it possible. This was the way that God continued to be present in the lives of his followers - no longer as a man named Jesus, no longer in physical form, but by his Holy Spirit which dwells in our hearts; the Holy Spirit that gives us faith. This is the way that God gives faith and courage and strength for Christians to carry on the assignment of living for Christ, of being like Christ, and of bringing the gospel message to our quartier, our city, our family and villages, our country, and to the world.

In our Christian faith today, we speak of the Trinity, the three ways that God has revealed himself: First as the Father and Creator, second as the Son who redeems and saves us, and third as the Holy Spirit. Not three Gods, but three ways that the same God comes to us. And during this season, it is the Holy Spirit who is at work to give us help and hope. It is the Holy Spirit who works in our hearts and minds to show us the presence of God. It is the Holy Spirit that fills our hearts and minds and gives us the ability to believe, who fills us with hope, and who gives us courage to act in faith. And while they Holy Spirit is God's real presence and strength, it seems to me that it does not draw attention to himself, but helps us by always pointing our attention to Jesus. He reminds us that Jesus lives, even though he is not present in physical form on earth. Jesus lives, and we are called to believe in him, to trust him, to follow him, and to carry out the work that he gave us to do, to be his witnesses. And so over and over again, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to encourage us by pointing to Jesus, and saying, Look, listen, believe, and serve.

The message that I would like to share this morning is a simple one. It is a message that the Holy Spirit has given me many times, and one that he gives to you over and over again. The message is this: As we try to live righteous lives and serve God, we cannot do by our own strength or wisdom, We must each day look to Jesus and share his presence, and he will guide us.

In a simple and yet wonderful way, this message is proclaimed in a song that some of you may know and the words go like this: Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

The best message that I could share with you this morning is the same word that the Holy Spirit whispers into our hearts and minds. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look to him. Learn from him. Serve him.

This is the message that Peter learned in a dramatic way. Listen to the story from Matthew 14:22 - 32.

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It is a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. 28 Lord, if it's you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water.

29 Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt? 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.

What did Peter learn? And what can we learn with Peter?

Verse 27: He learned that seeing and recognizing Jesus presence gives us strength. Take courage. Do not be afraid.

Verse 28: He learned the desire to be drawn to Jesus, to come to him, to be with him. Tell me to come to you - even on the water.

Verse 29: You can picture Peter, his eyes fixed on Jesus, his heart filled with faith and assurance, He got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

At that moment, Peter had his eyes focused on Jesus. In that moment, there were no wind, no waves. In that moment, there was no question of whether it was possible to walk on water. In that moment, it did not matter what the other disciples were doing. All that mattered, all that directed his life, was the presence of Jesus, the one who called him to act. And Peter did what was impossible, he got up and walked on the water - all because he was looking to Jesus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

What a wonderful picture. Imagine what things that we could do in the world to serve and respond to Jesus. But for Peter, perhaps his eyes blinked and he began to look around him. Perhaps he remembered where he was and what he was doing. Perhaps he heard the amazed gasps of his friends behind him in the boat. But in verse 30, it says that he looked away from Jesus: When he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me!

When Peter focused on Jesus - focused his eyes, and heart, and faith - it was a wonderful moment. When his thoughts and actions were filled with the presence of Christ, for that time, there was no fear of the wind or waves. There was no thought of the impossibility of walking on water. With his eyes turn to Jesus, with his ears hearing Jesus call to come, with his whole heart desiring to walk with his Lord, he simply stood and walked on the waves. His fears were replaced by peace. But when he turned away, he was afraid and began to sink.

Dear friends in Christ, we are not out in a boat on a lake. But I know that our lives are filled with hundreds and thousands of events and decisions that call for us to act. Some of these seem small in nature - what shall I eat? What shall I wear? What shall I do today? Shall I rise and go to worship or remain at home this Sunday morning? Shall I give to the cripple who asks for money at the side of the road? Others call for more thought: How can I serve God in my life today? What direction is God leading me and my family for our future? Shall I get out of the boat and walk, or sit where it seems safer? And some of these events come in difficult situations: when there is sickness or death in our families, when there is fear about the future, when there are problems in our church or community, when your faith in God confronts the non - Christian ways of your family or workplace or village. How do you respond in these situations?

Proverbs 3:5 - 8 share God's wisdom in these times of decision making:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and avoid evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

Do not trust your own wisdom. It will fail you. Likewise, do not rely too heavily on the advice of others, because even the wise are limited. But in all things, look to the Lord, trust in God, and he will make your paths straight. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit who is pointing to Jesus, and encouraging us to look, listen, and believe.

Do you recall the story of a man named Stephen in Acts 6 and 7. He was not one of the 12 disciples, but he was a good man and he believed in Jesus. And in his desire to serve God, he found that he made enemies. And when they put him on trial, he simply proclaimed the gospel and told about Christ. And in the end, we hear this report:

54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 Look, he said, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Steven faced the end of his life. He stood before a court of men who were enraged at his witness. Soon he stood before a crown who threw rocks at his body to kill him. But he did not see these; he was not troubled by these. Instead he looked up to heaven; he prayed; and he saw Jesus. And instead of being battered by stones, he fell asleep.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

Many years later, there was another man. Try to imagine a pastor who will conduct 40 to 50 funerals a day, burying nearly 4500 people in all. Among those he buried would be his wife. Toward the end, the deaths would be so frequent that the bodies would have to be dumped into trenches, without burial rites. Imagine that through these experiences, this man would be able to live by a faith that led him to write a hymn of thanksgiving; and that this hymn would be sung by Christians 300 years later on many continents. I am speaking of a man named Martin Rinkart, a pastor in Germany during the 30 Years War. He lived in a walled city, where thousands of refugees hid, and where epidemic and famine killed thousands of people around him. All other pastors and officials had fled this city and its sickness, leaving Rinkart alone to care for the dying. And yet in this place, he wrote the hymn Now Thank We All Our God.

In the face of the most horrible suffering and loss, this was a man who was able to look beyond the pain, to look beyond the walls of the city, and to look to Jesus. And knowing that Christ was with him - even in that situation - he was able to sing:

Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in whom his world rejoices;

Who from our mother's arms, has blessed us on his way.

With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today,

Peter, Stephen, and Martin Rinkart found that they were able to win victory over every suffering and every battle, because they had learned the message of the Holy Spirit. They knew that they were never alone, but that God was present and ready to give them strength in every situation. They learned that the best thing that they could do was not to act by their own strength and power, but to look to Jesus, to listen to his words, and to follow him in their lives. And despite all the ugliness around them, they experienced peace because they saw that God was present in their lives, offering strength, giving peace.

Do you recall the words of Psalm 121?

1. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?

2. My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;

4. Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

And so we do that: we lift our eyes. By the gift of the Holy Spirit we are able to lift our eyes in any circumstances, in any situation, and see that God is present and ready to help us. We are able to look to Jesus and know that we are never alone, and draw upon his strength. And looking to Jesus, we are able to live faithfully and serve him in wonderful ways.

But there is one other possibility that we need consider. There are times when we will seek God because we find ourselves in trouble or difficulty, and we realize that we are not able to cope with the situation. In that time, we need God and so we turn to him, and he will help us. But there is another very different possibility: What about when you find that life is going well, when your job is secure, when your family is well fed and clothed and educated, when you have sufficient money, when you live in a nice house or drive a nice car. Is it any less important to remember and seek God in this situation?

In Deuteronomy 6, God gives this teaching to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the land that God had promised them:

When the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathes, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you - a land filled with large, flourishing cities that you did not build, houses filled with the kind of good things that you did not provide, wells that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God and serve him only...Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you.

This is the continuing testimony of God's Spirit in our hearts: That God is around you and with you. He will never leave you alone--not in good times, not in difficult times. And the gift of the Spirit is the gift of faith that allows us to seek and see God, to know him, and to follow his will. For there and there alone - in the center of God's will - is the place where we will find real contentment and peace.

So the next time that you face any important decision or situation - whether in a difficult situation or when your life is filled with goodness. This may come in 5 minutes, or later today, or tomorrow - you have a choice that you must make. You can look around you, see the problem, and face it yourself, leaning on your own understanding and wisdom and strength or you can listen to the Holy Spirit: Seek and acknowledge God, and he will make your paths straight.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face.

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.






THEME - THE POWERFUL EFFECTS OF EARNEST PRAYER: The outpouring of divine wisdom and knowledge.
PREACHER: Rev. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Published Online: Monday 12 May 2003


Theme of Sermon: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Many years later, there was another man. Try to imagine a pastor who will conduct 40 to 50 funerals a day, burying nearly 4500 people in all. Among those he buried would be his wife. Toward the end, the deaths would be so frequent that the bodies would have to be dumped into trenches, without burial rites. Imagine that through these experiences, this man would be able to live by a faith that led him to write a hymn of thanksgiving; and that this hymn would be sung by Christians 300 years later on many continents. I am speaking of a man named Martin Rinkart, a pastor in Germany during the 30 Years War. He lived in a walled city, where thousands of refugees hid, and where epidemic and famine killed thousands of people around him. All other pastors and officials had fled this city and its sickness, leaving Rinkart alone to care for the dying. And yet in this place, he wrote the hymn Now Thank We All Our God.
In the face of the most horrible suffering and loss, this was a man who was able to look beyond the pain, to look beyond the walls of the city, and to look to Jesus. And knowing that Christ was with him--even in that situation--he was able to sing:
Now thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom his world rejoices;
Who from our mother's arms, has blessed us on his way.
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today,
Peter, Stephen, and Martin Rinkart found that they were able to win victory over every suffering and every battle, because they had learned the message of the Holy Spirit. They knew that they were never alone, but that God was present and ready to give them strength in every situation. They learned that the best thing that they could do was not to act by their own strength and power, but to look to Jesus, to listen to his words, and to follow him in their lives. And despite all the ugliness around them, they experienced peace because they saw that God was present in their lives, offering strength, giving peace.
Do you recall the words of Psalm 121?
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
And so we do that: we lift our eyes. By the gift of the Holy Spirit we are able to lift our eyes in any circumstances, in any situation, and see that God is present and ready to help us. We are able to look to Jesus and know that we are never alone, and draw upon his strength. And looking to Jesus, we are able to live faithfully and serve him in wonderful ways.
But there is one other possibility that we need consider. There are times when we will seek God because we find ourselves in trouble or difficulty, and we realize that we are not able to cope with the situation. In that time, we need God and so we turn to him, and he will help us. But there is another very different possibility: What about when you find that life is going well, when your job is secure, when your family is well fed and clothed and educated, when you have sufficient money, when you live in a nice house or drive a nice car. Is it any less important to remember and seek God in this situation?
In Deuteronomy 6, God gives this teaching to the people of Israel as they prepared to enter the land that God had promised them:
When the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathes, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you--a land filled with large, flourishing cities that you did not build, houses filled with the kind of good things that you did not provide, wells that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant--then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God and serve him only; Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you.
This is the continuing testimony of God's Spirit in our hearts: That God is around you and with you. He will never leave you alone--not in good times, not in difficult times. And the gift of the Spirit is the gift of faith that allows us to seek and see God, to know him, and to follow his will. For there and there alone--in the center of God's will--is the place where we will find real contentment and peace.
So the next time that you face any important decision or situation--whether in a difficult situation or when your life is filled with goodness. This may come in 5 minutes, or later today, or tomorrow--you have a choice that you must make. You can look around you, see the problem, and face it yourself, leaning on your own understanding and wisdom and strength; or you can listen to the Holy Spirit: Seek and acknowledge God, and he will make your paths straight.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.






THEME - THE POWERFUL EFFECTS OF EARNEST PRAYER: The outpouring of divine wisdom and knowledge.
PREACHER: Rev. Michael BAME BAME, Parish Pastor
PLACE: CHURCH OF PATMOS, YAOUNDE, CAMEROON.
Published Online: Monday 12 May 2003


When I was a child, my Father taught me to pray. After leading me to know God as my Father in Jesus Christ that was the next greatest blessing he bestowed on me.

By teaching me to pray, he handed me the key that opens the gate of heaven and puts me in touch with my heavenly Father and His ministering angels. He revealed to me the secret of overcoming all obstacles in life and of success in all my undertakings.

I wonder if I would be the same person I am today had my father not taught me to pray or more importantly, whether I would at all be a person. Without prayer, my life would have ended brutally in many dangerous situations where I could hardly avail myself of human help, either because it was not available or was of little to be of any use to me.

There is power in prayer; but not in every prayer. The power that is in prayer is manifested when righteous persons pray earnestly.

When righteous persons pray earnestly, the power in their prayers produces great effects that can be seen. The prayer that is said in earnest by righteous persons puts them in touch with God, that is with the Life and Power that created and sustains the whole universe. When righteous persons pray earnestly from their heart. And prayers that are said from the heart always touch the heart of God and moves Him to act.

When righteous persons pray earnestly, the power of their prayers can affect the weather pattern of a whole country. That was what happened in Israel when Elijah prayed earnestly asking that there be a drought throughout the land. When he again prayed, rain fell on the land.

As with King Solomon, their prayers can also bring about an unusual outpouring of knowledge and wisdom into the human mind and make it function in supernatural way.

As we read in 1 Kings 3, Solomon was barely in his teens when he succeeded his father, David, as King of Israel. During one of his visits to Gibeon, where he went frequently to offer sacrifices to God, God appeared to him in a dream in which He asked Solomon what he would have God give him. Solomon prayed to God and asked for wisdom in order to govern the people of Israel with justice. Solomon was righteous before God, when he made this prayer; for he loved and obeyed God, and longed to do what was pleasing to God. God answered his prayer, and gave him more than he had asked for. God gave him more wisdom and knowledge than any one ever had before him or would have after him. He also gave him wealth and honour more than any other king living at his time.

We are told in 1 Kings 4:29 - 34: God gave Solomon unusual wisdom and insight, and knowledge too great to be measured. Solomon was wiser than the wise men of the East or the wise men of Egypt. He was the wisest of all men: wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame spread throughout all the neighbouring countires. He composed three thousand proverbs and more than a thousand songs. He spoke of trees and plants, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows on walls; and birds, reptiles, and fish. Kings all over the world heard of his wisdom and sent people to listen to him. As we read 2 Chronicles 9:22 - 23, he was the richest and wisest of all the kings in the world. They all consulted him to hear the wisdom that God had given him. Besides being a philosopher, composer, writer, botanist, zoologists, Solomon was an architect. He drew the plan of the temple and supervised its construction.

The wealth of Solomon was immense. It came from the nations God had subjected to his rule and from the Kings and Queens who hearing of his wisdom came to pay him tribute. Solomon did not work hard to become rich, God made him rich. Every year, he received twenty-five tons of gold in addition to the taxes paid by traders and merchants. No city in the world was or would ever be as rich as Jerusalem was in time of King Solomon. During his reign, silver was as common as stone in Jerusalem. Those who have been to Jerusalem would understand what that means. Every piece of ground in Jerusalem is covered with stones. We may naturally conclude that during the reign of Solomon, the poorest inhabitant of Jerusalem could pick up lumps of silver everywhere without having to pay for it.

I have seen Christians get so preoccupied with their studies to the point where some of them have time to worship and pray. They need every bit of time to prepare for their exams. If they happen to make an effort to worship and pray, it is more as a religious duty they must fulfill in order to keep God from being angry with them, and vaguely hoping thereby to procure the help of God. Their worship and prayers are not earnest; for they do not believe that prayer can have mighty effects on the human mind. They do not know that in a split second God can fill their minds with knowledge that weeks, months and years of study cannot enable them to acquire.

I am praying that Christians will open their minds and understand these truths and act upon them. They can be blessed with wisdom, insight and knowledge from God and attain great heights in life in whatever field of study or profession they pursue in life. They can be blessed as King Solomon was or just half as blest and become great leaders whose fame will spread throughout the world.
They can become as great and even greater than Einstein. They can become great inventors and outstrip the great inventors of the past.

Prayer that is said from the heart and with faith prayer that is said earnestly can bring about an outpouring of knowledge and wisdom from God in our minds to meet a special need. Not too far in time from us, it happened once to a certain Ann Gunther, a nurse who was studying for a Master s degree in nursing at Spalding College in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. She and three of her children were suffering from an illness, which cannot be healed medically Myasthenia Gravis, which results in the paralysis of the nerves. Her husband, unable to cope with their condition, abandoned them.

Given her workload during the day coupled with her condition and that of her children, she had almost no time to study and prepare for her final exam. We will now continue the story as she herself tells it: The night before the final exam the night I had set aside to cram‚ all three children were sick. I went into the class the next day with almost no sleep and having done less preparation. I needed the credit to complete my degree, which in turn would increase my salary. It looked as if I were doomed to failure.

The professor who prided himself on being a tricky test-giver made a little speech before passing out the exam. He told us it was impossible to make a perfect score on the test. Even the hospital administrators who were working in the field had never made a perfect score.

I bowed my head in despair. A prayer the nuns had taught me when I was a little girl came to mind. I gave it silent voice. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and let them be recreated, and You will renew the face of the earth. Then I added my own [prayer]: I know You are the source of all enlightenment and You know my needs. I made the only perfect score in the history of the class. Not too long afterwards, in answer to her prayer, God healed her and all her three children of the deadly disease they were suffering from.

Prayer that is said earnestly from a heart that is right with God has great power and produces great effects in every area of our lives. When we read the stories of people who stood before the gate of heaven in faith, and made the door open by the earnest prayers that rose from their hearts and lips, we realize that it is not God keeping Himself from manifesting His mighty power in the world today. If we fulfill the conditions laid down in the Bible for God to act in our lives and in the world, He will do what He did in times of old and much greater things.