FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER, Pastor (Dr) E. O. Abina GOFAMINT
WALKING WITH GOD – ABRAHAM
Sunday 15th March, 2015.
“When Abraham was ninety-nine years old, the LORd appeared to him and said: “I am El-shadai – God Almighty; serve Me faithfully and live a blameless life. I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants”. At this Abram fell down on the ground. Then god said to him: “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. ;Your descendants will become many natins, and kings will be among them!” I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the god of your descendants after you” (Gen 17:1-7 New Living translation NLT).
Abraham is the example of faith and the friend of God. He started his walk with God at the age of seventy-five years when God called him (Gen 12:1-6). He obeyed God even though he did not know where he was going but God promised him He would show him the place he was going to inherit. But Abraham had the problem of childlessness. When it appeared that the promise of having a child was becoming too delayed, Sarah his wife advised him to take her handmaid on her female-servant (Hagar) so as to give him a child which of course as the culture of that time the child would be the child of Sarah. Abraham agreed without consulting God, they had the child when Abraham was eighty-six years old, and they named him Ishmael meaning God will hear (Gen 16:11). It is believed that there was a silence of thirteen years between God and Abraham after this event – Abraham did not consult God before he went into the deal with his wife, and the end of it was problem in the family of Abraham.
It was when Abraham was ninety-nine years old that the LORD appeared to him again and told him all that is written in the Scripture passage of today. Abraham was to walk with God – El-shadai the Almighty, the self-sufficient God, the One with whom nothing is impossible. He promised to bless him beyond his imagination and God fulfilled His promise. Today, Abraham is the father of all believers in Christ Jesus, the Lord: “And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you” (Gal 3:29 NLT).
The very purpose of this message is to let all believers in Christ recognize their positions that the day you were converted; like Abraham, you started a journey of walking with God. What God required from Abraham in the Scripture of this message is the same He requires from you – “to do all things without complaining and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life…” (Phil 2:15,16a). For you to be successful in this you need to:
(a) Use your compass – the Word of God, it is your light and lamp (Ps 119:105).
(b) You meditate and study your Bible daily (Ps 1:1-3).
(c) You do what you read and obey it with your whole heart (Ps 119:34).
(d) Pray Bible-based prayer everyday to be strong and courageous in the storms of life (Luke 18:1-8).
(e) Follow the instruction and the leading of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14).
(f) Associate with Christians of integrity who are mature than you in the faith (Prov 13:20).
(g) Win souls to the kingdom of God and bring them to your church (Acts 1:8; 5:42).
(h) Have strong faith in God (Mark 11:22).
Abstain from anything that is sinful (Acts 15:20,29; I Thess 5:22).
God Himself will help you in walking with Him (Phil 2:13).
The above is by no means a law but helpful pieces of advice, if taken, then, you can be sure of the blessings of Abraham in your life as an heir of Abraham. And if perhaps you are not yet born-again, your first step is to believe and accept the Lord Jesus as your Saviour and Lord and to repent from your sins to become a member of God’s family and the seed of Abraham. You can then join other true believers to sing Abraham’s blessings are mine. Abraham’s blessings are mine, I am blessed in the morning and I am blessed in the evening, Abraham’s blessings are mine.
Lastly, you will inherit the kingdom of God with Abraham and other faithful believers (Matt 8:11). Remain blessed in Jesus name.
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