year of jubilee

Wednesday Bible StudyTopic: Believing FaithAnchor Scripture: John 3:1-17

PRAYER POINTS FOR THE SPECIAL WEEK OF PRAYERi.Pray that the Pastoral Search Committee will have the mind of Christ and agree.ii.Pray for wisdom to choose the right person.iii.Pray for discipline as a Search Committee and as individuals.iv.Pray that the pastor that will love God and love the church will be found as the church searches.v.Pray that the church will pray without ceasing.vi.Pray for patience that will commit to waiting for God’s timing.vii.Pray against any satanic influence in the selection of the church pastor.viii.Pray that God will help the church to accept His choice.ix.Pray that nothing will be done by the Committee and the church to incur the wrath of God.x.Pray that all things will go well from the beginning to the end to the glory of God

Wednesday Bible StudyTopic: Understanding AdoptionAnchor Scripture: Romans 8: 1-15Preacher: Rev. Ikechukwu Onyegbu

Wednesday Mid-Week ServiceBible study Topic: FavouritismAnchor Scripture: James 2:1-13

CHANGE IS INEVITABLEChange is difficult for many people to accept even though we all say that the only constant thing in life is change. In order to accept change in our life experiences, we need to deal with it positively. Here are few tips that will help us deal with change:1.Do not be hypocritical about your feelings but express it in a polite way.2.Understand that change is an inevitable part of life and it can bring new opportunities for better development.3.Do not let change take negative control of your emotions. Try to have a positive perspective of what is happening.4.Recognize your strength and ability to adapt. Instead of resisting change, try to look on the bright side because God knows what is going on.What we set out to do in the area of Evangelism and Missions will change the ways we do things in our Men’s Missionary Union and Women’s Missionary Union. I pray that oppositions will not come because “we are going to deviate from the Baptist Convention system”. Ikoyi Baptist Church is a Bible believing church so let the Bible guide us and not the traditions of men.God bless you all

MISSIONSToday, we take some time to focus on something that I believe is at the very core, or heartbeat of God, and it is Missions. Without any doubt in my mind, I believe that Missions is something God loves, and His stamp of approval is all over it! You see, I believe that before we can ever give our prayerful and financial support to something, we must first believe in it’s importance and value, and in the church, we must believe in it’s Biblical importance and value. As Christians, we have the mandate to propagate the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We see the Mandate clearly spelt out by Jesus Christ Himself, just after His Resurrection, and a few days before He ascended to Heaven in Matthew 28:18-20.For Missions to ever become important to us, we must ask the Holy Spirit to somehow open our eyes and heart to the immediacy of the need! The Bible says in John 4:35 “Do you not say, ’Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” The need is NOW!Jesus never asked us to “keep His good news to ourselves”, but to do our best until the whole world has heard the Good News that a Savior has come to bring not only life for the now, but also life for the hereafter! May God help us all in Jesus name. Amen.

Wednesday Mid-Week ServiceTopic: Laying Aside Every Weight & SinAnchor Scripture: Hebrews 12: 1-4Preacher: Rev. Adekunle Oyeniyi

BIBLICAL EVIDENCE OF GOD’S FAVOUR1.Joseph- God’s favour brought him supernatural protection and promotion2.The Hebrew Children- God gave them REST- “The Restoration of Everything Satan Took as they left Egypt for the Promised Land.3.David, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego: i) God honoured them in the meals of their adversariesii) God caused rules and regulations, laws and policies to be changed to their advantage even in foreign land.4.Esther: God gave her power for prominence and preferential treatment before a foreign king to save His people.5.Hezekiah and Jehoshaphat: God won battles for them without their lifting a finger in war against mighty opponents.6.David- God gave him recognition though he was the least among his brethren to become king.7.Paul- God called him, who was “the chief of sinners” to suffer for His cause among the Jews and Gentiles.Who can be favored? Read Psalm 5:12, Psalm 37:23-26; 2Cor. 5:21-22.

THAT YOU MAY KNOWMany of us may be knowing for the first time that Ikoyi Baptist Church was started under the leadership of our beloved father, Rev. J. A. Sholeye, who was sent by First Baptist Church, Broad Street, Lagos to begin an English speaking Baptist Church in Ikoyi. The first service was held on May 28, 1967 at Aunty Ayo Primary School, Ikoyi. This year, we shall celebrate 50 years of our existence and thus we have our theme for this year “Our Year of Jubilee”Jubilee connotes many good things. The Lord instructed the Jews to celebrate Jubilee every 50 years. 49 years they shall work and then on the 50th year, they shall sound the trumpet to mark the beginning of Jubilee for the whole year. During the year of Jubilee, all slaves and prisoners must be set free. All lands taken from their owners as surety for loans must be returned to their original owners. Families would be reunited. Lands will be left fallow-nothing must be planted and nothing must be harvested from it that year. The people are to rest from their labours for the whole year and Jubilee should be a year of celebration or rejoicing.We too, by God’s grace, will celebrate God’s mercy this year as a church. That is why we sing:This is my year of JubileeI shall return to my possessionI proclaim liberty in all my ways‘Tis my year of Jubilee.Happy celebration church!