President meets Participating Churches
Yesterday, Ps. Eastwood met with some Pastors from the ‘Participating Churches’ of EAM to deliberate on preparations towards Shepherds Summit 2019.
EAM
PRAYER BULLETIN
LOVE REVOLUTION CAMPAIGN – PRAYER BULLETIN 2016
THEME: THE LOVE REVOLUTION
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isa 11:6 – 9
DAY 7 – LOVE REVOLUTION CAMPAIGN 2016
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph 3:18-19
- Pray for all speakers that God will give them a personal revelation of His love for them and the body of Christ to be shared with us in this year’s campaign.
- Pray that God will give them utterance to speak boldly the mystery of Jesus Christ.
- 38. Ask god to give members of the planning committee wisdom, knowledge and understanding to effectively execute their mandate of organising the love revolution campaign. Isaiah 33:6, Psalm 119:125
- Pray that in this love revolution revival, our god will confirm his spoken word with tangible and notable proofs of his presence and power in the midst of his people.
- 40. Pray and pull down every wall of division among churches and declare that this conference will set the tone for fellowship without walls that the body of christ will be established in love.
- Pray that the lost shall be won into the kingdom of our lord, declare that many will see the light and experience the love of god. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
- Pray for uninterrupted supply of money for the effective organisation of this year’s love revolution conference. Isaiah 60:11
- Pray for the release of financial grace upon the Eastwood Anaba Ministries for the efficient execution of the vision. 2Corinthians 9:8
- Pray for the safety of individuals, churches and groups that will be travelling to this year’s conference. Psalm 33:17-20
- Pray and deal with the intentions and the agenda of diviners and witches that will rise up in opposition to the conference. Isaiah 44:25-26
POWER TO LOVE
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 1Jn 3:9-11
29. Pray for a revival of the True Nature of the new birth in the church where people actually forsake the life of sin and cleave to the way of righteousness in Christ Jesus as they are empowered by the Holy Ghost. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col 3:16
30. Pray for a strong desire for the word to possess God’s people ensuring their growth in the knowledge of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Pray that the word of God will dwell in us richly in all wisdom.
31. Pray that as disciples of Jesus, our lives will be characterized by our love for Him and for one another in all things. Pray that our love for God and one another will abound yet more and more as we grow in the knowledge of Him.
32. Pray for a true understanding of the balance gifts and fruit of the spirit in the church. Pray that the manifestation of the gifts of the spirit in the body of Christ will be motivated by love and not vain glory and envy. Pray for growth in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit.
DAY 4 – ATMOSPHERE OF LOVE
DAY 4 – ATMOSPHERE OF LOVE The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Isa 11:6 – 9 Love is everything because God is love. It is possible to walk in love in spite of the numerous challenges of our times. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
23. Pray that in this season of the love revolution, leaders will discard selfishness and greed and that the flock of God will be spared as leaders are motivated by love instead of gain. pray that pastor and church leaders shall not seek to prosper at all cost to the detriment of the flock. Eze 22:27
24. Pray that people who are so obsessed with the desire for conquest and will want to destroy everybody to have their way will be denied their carnivorous instincts and that a new nature will possess the inner being of the leopard to accommodate the kid. Isa 11:6
25. Pray that in the love revolution, we shall maintain our individual characteristics and yet because of love we shall flow together instead of destroying one another. Ask that people who are impossible to change shall receive a circumcision of heart.
26. Pray that in this dispensation of love our skin colour and origin will not hinder the bond of love. Pray that inter-cultural, inter-racial marriages will work. mixed congregations will work for there is neither male nor female nor bond or free in Christ Jesus. Gal 3:28
27. Pray that for love’s sake, we shall learn to forbear and to tolerate one another in love. Pray that a pastor will not fire people from his board simply because they disagree with him. Also pray that members will not storm out of church because a pastor did not listen to their advice.
28. Pray that for love’s sake, Christian couples with different temperaments will be able to enjoy their marriages such that, differences in opinion and criticism of one another will be accommodated with love in our marital homes.
THE GRACE OF GIVING
Giving is the act of being motivated by love to release earthly goods and spiritual things to God as a gesture of devotion, for the fulfilment of His will on earth and to others in order to empower them. Giving is the essence of life.
WHEN WE STOP GIVING WE STOP LIVING.
Giving is an act of grace. There are countless reasons why we are not willing to give or cannot do so. The grace of giving overrules these reasons.
The apostle Paul told the Corinthians to be inspired by the Macedonians who had an amazing grace of giving.
1 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Their propensity to give could not be attributed to their human will but the grace of God.
GIVING IS A GRACE
Paul exhorted the Corinthians to be inspired by the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia. He considered their giving spirit as an act of divine endowment.
The kind of giving the Macedonians did was not a natural disposition but an act of the grace of God bestowed upon them.
Preachers have the grace to preach while givers have the grace to give. Those who have the grace to give do it in ways and at levels ordinary people don’t.
The apostle Paul added giving to the list of spiritual gifts in Romans 12.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
It is a wonder to observe individuals and congregations who have the gift of giving do so with joy and simplicity. Such people see giving as the role they are called to play in the Body of Christ. They consider it a privilege to give.
THE ACT OF GRACE
The Macedonians had the supernatural capacity to give.
- Poverty was an incentive for giving.
The Macedonian believers gave liberally in spite of their deep poverty. The term “deep poverty” in the Greek literally means “their poverty down to the death of it”. They were poor to the point of death and yet gave to others. They did not use poverty as an excuse not to give. Poverty can be a catalyst for giving if one has the right spirit.
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
- Giving was not limited to the ability to do so.
We often exempt ourselves from giving by saying we can’t give what we don’t have. The truth of the matter is that nobody has nothing to give. The Macedonians gave beyond their power or ability. This means they gave beyond their convenience.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
- Giving was done with a passion.
The Macedonians pleaded with the apostle Paul to receive their gifts for the believers in Jerusalem. Their attitude was not lukewarm. Unfortunately, today’s believers usually need long exhortations and sometimes rebuke from preachers before they give.
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
- Giving our lives to God and others must precede giving material things.
The Macedonians gave themselves to God and the apostles first and followed that with their resources. The apostle Paul admonished the Romans to present their bodies to God as living sacrifices, which were holy and acceptable.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1
This point is vital if we are to give in the Spirit and not in the flesh. Giving is a holistic endeavour. We should not isolate giving spiritual things and our lives to God from giving material things to Him for His work.
CONCLUSION
- Response To God’s Grace:
It is important to discover why the Macedonians gave to God, the apostle Paul and the believers in the manner in which they did.
The Philippians responded to the apostle Paul’s demands because they had a sense of gratitude towards God. They were thankful to God that they were beneficiaries of the Gospel of grace. The apostle sent the Gospel to them at the expense of other parts of the world.
6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
8 And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Acts 16:6-10
The Macedonian believers must have remembered that they were the beneficiaries of God’s grace at the expense of others. We are likewise, beneficiaries of God’s generosity.