MONTHLY NEWSLETTER WITH REV DR. C. A. ONITIRI (October 2024 Edition)
SCRIPTURE FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER: MARK 5V21-43.
THEME: “BE NOT AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE” (V36)
We have been deliberating on FAITH in the past two months.
In the Scripture above, the daughter of the synagogue ruler had died.(v35)
Jesus’ response in v36 was to encourage his faith even in this seemingly hopeless situation. Throughout redemptive history,believers placed their trust in God when it seems as if all was lost.In such times,God gave the necessary faith and delivered them according to His will and purpose. This was true for:
1– Abraham( Genesis 22v2-14)
Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son Isaac. In v5,he commanded the young men who went along with him, to “Abide ye here with the ass:and I and the lad will go yonder and worship,and come again to you.”
This statement that he and Isaac would return from the sacrifice was a testimony to his faith and conviction that God’s promises concerning Isaac would be fulfilled. ( ie “In Isaac shall thy seed be called”
( Genesis 21v12)
Now, in response to Isaac’s question in v7 :”Behold the fire and the wood:but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham responded in v8 “My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:”
GOD WILL PROVIDE(“Jehover-jireh”v14) is prophetic and points to God providing a substitute sacrifice,a ram(v13)
2-Moses:Exodus 14v10-22.
The children of Israel feared and cried out to the Lord and murmured against Moses when they were helmed between the Egyptians pursuing them and the Red Sea in front of them.Moses said unto them,“Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord,which he will show you today:for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today,ye shall see them no more forever”(v13)The Lord will fight for you,and ye shall hold your peace.”(v14)
Surely, the Lord fought for them, for He caused Moses to stretch out his rod over the sea and parted it with a strong east wind and made the sea dry land and the waters were divided. (v21). So the children of Israel crossed the sea upon dry ground .(v22)
The deliverance of Israel through the Red Sea confirms God promise: “THE LORD will fight for you.” (v14)
When the waters returned to normal, it was sufficiently deep to cover the Egyptians and drowned their army.(v28) In this way the Lord fought for Israel and defeated the Egyptians,just as He had earlier fought against and defeated the gods of Egypt (the the pagues)
3–Jehoshaphat 2Chronicles 20v1-23
Faced with the greatest crisis of his life (vv1&2)Jehoshaphat met a seemingly impossible circumstance in an exemplary manner.He began to seek the Lord through fasting (v3), gathered others to pray and fast(v4) prayed in v12 and confessed his helplessness:
“O our God, will thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.”
Obeyed the Holy Spirit (14-18) put his trust in the Lord and His Word and gave thanks to the Lord.(vv21-23)
“And the Word of the Lord came in v15 “….Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great mutitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s”
Here the strength and power of faith are demonstrated by praising God in song in the face of the battle (vv18-19)
The Lord surely fought for Jehoshaphat for those who came against him completely destroyed each other.(v23)
Praise God!
The first part of this Scripture for the month talks about the woman with the issue of Blood who had suffered so much pain and spent all she had for 12years but with no tangible result. When she heard of Jesus, she came believing that if only she could touch his garment,she would be made whole.(,v28)
She did,and the Bible tells us in v29 that
“Straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up: and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”(v29)
Jesus asked, “Who touched me?”(v31) and she fell down before Him and told him the truth.And in v34,Jesus said unto her, “Daughter, thy faith had made thee whole; go in peace,and be whole of thy plague.”
The Gospels often speak of the sick touching Jesus eg Mark 3v10 ; “For he had healed many; in-somuch that they pressed upon him to touch him,as many as had plagues.”
Or of Jesus touching the sick eg Luke 5v13
” And he put forth his hand and touched him ,saying,” I will : be thou clean.” And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
It was the contact and the presence of Jesus that mattered. His touch has healing power because He sympathises with our infirmities and is the source of life and grace.( Hebrews 4v16)
Our responsibility in seeking healing is to draw near to Jesus and to abide in His Presence.
In dealing with the THEME for the month,we should liken it to TRUE FAITH.( Matthew 17v20)
“And Jesus said unto them, …for verily I say unto you,If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto the mountain,Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”
Jesus frequently comments on the nature of true faith. He speaks of a faith that can move mountains, cause miracles and healing and accomplish great things for God
Just what is this faith that Jesus speaks of?
1:True faith is an effective faith that produces results: “it shall remove” mountains.
2:True faith is not a belief in “faith “ as a force or power but it is a “faith in God “ Mark 11v22 ” And Jesus answering said unto them , Have faith in God.”
3:True faith is a work of God within the Christian’s heart .Mark 9v24
” And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
It involves an awareness divinely imparted to our hearts that our prayers are answered. (Mark 11v23)
“for verily I say unto you,that whosoever shall say unto this mountain,BE thou removed,and be thou cast into the sea;and shall not doubt in his heart,but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”
It is created within us by the Holy Spirit;we cannot produce it in our own minds.(Romans 12v3)
“For I say,through the grace given unto me,to everyman that is among you,not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;but to think soberly,according as God has dealt to everyman the measure of faith. “
4:Since true faith is gift imparted to us by Christ ,it is important to draw near to Christ and His Word and to deepen our commitment to, and confidence in Him(Romans 10v17)
“So then faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.”
We are dependent upon Him for everything, : “for without me,ye can do nothing.” (John15v5)
In other words we must seek Christ as the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12v2)
His close presence and our obedience to His Word are the source and the secret of faith.(John 15v7)
“If ye abide in me,and my words abide in you,ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto thee.”
5: Furthermore ,true faith is also under God’s control. Faith is given on the basis of His love,wisdom,grace and kingdom purpose in order to accomplish the will of God and to express His love for us.It is not to be used for our own selfish interest.( James 4v3)
“Ye ask and receive not ,because ye ask amiss,that ye may consume it upon
your lust.”
CONCLUSION:
Praying in faith is very important for us because it aligns our hearts with God’s will.It demonstrates our trust in Him,not just His ability to answer our prayers but in His wisdom to respond in the best way possible.When we pray in faith,we acknowledge that God is sovereign and loving,and we surrender our desires to His perfect plan.
Moreover, the prayer of faith can bring about powerful results in our lives.It can lead to healing,both physical and spiritual,provide comfort in times of distress, and strengthen our relationship with God.It is a way for us to tap into God’s immense power and love,inviting Him to work in our lives and the lives of those we pray for.
It is an act of trust and reliance on God.It opens the door of His miraculous intervention and reassures us of His constant presence and care.
PRAYER:
Father, pour out your Holy Spirit in our hearts, that with steadfast faith we may cling to your Son Jesus Christ,find comfort in His passion and death,believe the forgiveness of sin through Him and in willing obedience to your will live holy lives on earth.
May we seek you in good times and difficult times and learn to trust you more everyday. May you increase and we decrease, as we learn to become more like you.In Jesus powerful name we pray.Amen.
Have a great month.
Always believe.
Shalom.
