volume 1 issue 5 serving god without excuse · volume 1 issue 5 serving god without excuse february...

Volume 1 Issue 5 Serving God Without Excuse February 2016

N L B C N e w s l e t t e r I s s u e 5

Newsletter

NLBC

Worship Experience 2016

Sunday 27 March

The first “Special Day” of the year

is our annual Worship Experience;

a service dedicated to praise and

worship and the whole service is

conducted by our wonderful

Music Team lead by Pastor Niyi.

This is a service you wouldn’t want

to miss because the Bible says

God inhabits the praises of His

people and nothing more brings

down the anointing of God than

praising Him. The theme for this

year’s Worship Experience is

“Warrior”. I look forward to this

service with great expectation of

what God has in store for us.

Upcoming Events • Men’s Fellowship

Meeting -

Saturday 6 February

1pm

3 Days Fasting &

Prayer -

Wednesday 9 March–

Friday 11 March-7pm

Workers Meeting –

Saturday 19 March

2pm

• Worship Experience –

Sunday 27 March

10am

•Evangelism Outreach –

Saturday 16 April Welcome to 2016

Serving God without Excuse

Well what can I say - the very essence of our theme this year is what I

found myself doing before writing this article. I had put myself forward to

do more with the newsletter this year but when asked to create a write up

for the front page I immediately came up with excuses like “No that’s not

my thing. That’s not my area. I design and put things together, I don’t write

articles”. The funny thing is, next day at work I was told that I would be

covering the Literacy and Numeracy lesson because the class teacher

had a doctor’s appointment. Here’s the irony- for the Literacy lesson I

would have to create a write up of two characters from the ‘Snow White’

fairytale then model it to the class. Within myself I was sweating, I was

anxious and reluctant. I couldn’t remember what the story was actually

about, apart from there being seven dwarfs, so I had to quickly do my

research. I stayed up that night to read the story and then create the write

up for both characters ‘Snow White’ and the ‘The Queen’. Thankfully the

next morning I was able to deliver the lesson to the children having done

my homework the night before. This goes to show there’s no point in

running from things because it will eventually catch up with you. You might

as well face it because you don’t know what God may be preparing you

for.

A lot of the time people make excuses for things they are uncomfortable

with e.g. “I can’t do this. It’s too hard. This is not my area. I’m afraid it won’t

work. I’m happy where I am. Oh I’ll do it later”. Even putting things off is a

form of making excuse. Procrastinating and being lazy to do things is

showing God that you are not taking that matter seriously. Just like what

Pastor Niyi shared on Wednesday, ‘when somebody doesn’t commit

himself to anything he will miss out on opportunities and never achieve

anything. People who don’t commit to anything are unreliable and God

cannot rely on them.’



◄Continued

Brothers and Sisters God

wants us to do great

works! We shouldn’t see

things as too difficult, or

see ourselves as

insignificant and make

excuses to get out of

doing things especially in

our service to God. This is

confirmed in scripture.

Ephesians 4:16 “From

whom the whole body fitly

joined together and

compacted by that which

every joint supplieth,

according to the effectual

working in the measure of

every part, maketh

increase of the body unto

the edifying of itself in

love”. So as we supply our

own function we edify

each other and are

blessed as a whole. It’s

amazing how God speaks

to us in different ways. I

also watched a drama at

work this week, which

“I can’t

do this...

It’s too

hard…

This is not

my

area…

I’m afraid

it won’t

work…

I’m happy

where I

am…

Oh I’ll do

it later”

illustrated this point. On a

farmer’s wooden cart, the

‘wheel’ boasted that it

works the hardest by

spinning all day long, it

said that the planks and

screws didn’t work as hard

as it did. The planks only

held the milk containers

and the screw was tiny

and sat there all day long

doing nothing. One day

the screw decided to

unscrew itself and the

whole cart fell apart with

all the milk split

everywhere. The wheel

realized that the tiny screw

was significant after all

and that even though all

the parts of the cart are

different, each part has

an important role. So no

matter how small or

insignificant you may think

you are, you have value

and purpose because if

you didn’t God wouldn’t

have created you in the

first place. This point is also

confirmed in the Bible

John 15:1-8 Christ the

Vine- the branch that

bears no fruit is cursed.

Mark 11:12-14 Jesus

cursed the fig tree when

he saw no fruit on it.

Matthew 25:14-30 In The

Parable of the Talents the

unprofitable servant was

cast into outer darkness.

May the Lord help us to

Serve Him Without Excuse,

not only in this year 2016,

but also throughout our

lives in Jesus name, Amen.

By Adaku Okoro



The Pride of

Sand

Have you seen me (Sand)?

When last did you even care?

You think I am nothing but you need

me more than I need you.

I am a master of a kind for you are

my tenant.

Where would you rather be? In the

sky or maybe in the sea?

See beloved though trodden under

foot,

I hold the promises of countless men

Whose treasures are here on earth.

For they live and toil in me

I can hide your friend in my six feet

womb forever

Except you serve my master

For without him was nothing made

that was made.

So when you step on me, mind your

tiny heels

Unless you sure have the visa to be

above me someday forever

Because the hot place is beneath

and maybe so the second death.

But worriless, for your crops will grow

and your hands can be blessed to

eat and live

Remember let your meat be holiness

and your water life.

Poetry Corner

For only in that saving grace of blood

and body broken for you

and in that steadfast fellowship can

you safeguard these tiny toes

stepping on me with careless

abandon

so, don’t entrust yourself to anything

else; such is like gold thrown into the

sea.

I can open up anytime to hide

another body, am never satisfied.

Moreover, the master can return

anytime unannounced

Get ready for I won’t hide you from

his wrath

In fact this is the simplest

threat/warning I (Sand) can give.

By Ijeoma Ukeni



The misappropriation of

universal truths or the thin line

between UT & the Gospel

Man has since the existence of

time, been in a quest for truth.

A defined set of principles that

is accepted by all (?) as being

right and that cannot be

disputed by any means

possible, be it scientific, spiritual

or moral. The discovery of one's

environment from birth leads to

a plethora of interrogations as

to the fundamentals of “Why

am I here?” “What is the

purpose of life?”

From something that mostly

began as an internal search for

truth often and unsurprisingly,

has led to major wonderful

discoveries in physics,

medicine, mathematics and

even religion. Several of these

“truths” have remained

undisputed and become

anchored into the very core of

our social existence.

However, for there to be a

global consensus about those

topics means there must be an

acceptance of an original

source where all things stem

and so regardless of which

branch you are approaching

from, you are still able to agree.

In this paper, I will study, from a

Christian point of view, the

identity of universal truths , the

different doctrines or lifestyle

The Misappropriation of Universal Truths

by Adwoa Coleman

approaches that have made it

their own and finally attempt to

shed light on the dangers that

come with accepting these as

a Christian.

What is universal truth?

“Truth is considered to be

universal if it is valid in all times

and places. In this case, it is

seen as eternal or as absolute.

The relativist conception denies

the existence of some or all

universal truths, particularly

ethical ones (through moral

relativism)”. It goes further to

speak about universality in

ethics, in logic and in

metaphysics.

Steve Robiner (N/A) once said

that “What is absolutely true is

always correct, everywhere, all

the time, under any condition.

An entity's ability to discern

these things is irrelevant to the

state of truth”.

From these definitions, we

realise that common between

them are the idea that truth is

validity that transcends time,

situations, location and

persons.

The relativity of truth

Our behaviour is mostly

dictated by what one believes

is true. Thus, if one or several

people take something to be

true and behave accordingly

does that make it the truth,

moreover, universal truth?

The world renowned German

philosopher, Immanuel Kant in

his work ‘The critique of pure

reason’ (1781), makes a

fundamental distinction

between the “objects” of

subjective experience and the

“objects” of “reality”. He labels

the former phenomena and

the latter noumena. The

noumena for Kant are things in

themselves (ding an sich).

These exist outside of and

separate from the mind. This is

what we might call “reality” or

actual states of affairs. But for

Kant, the noumena are entirely

unknowable in and of

themselves. However, the

noumena give rise to the

phenomena or are the

occasion by which we come to

know the phenomena.

So the question that has

boggled scholars for a long

time is that is the truth found in

the phenomena or noumena?

“Principles cross over and can

be found in the texts of other

religious ideologies and beliefs,

thereby revealing universal

truths. These truths hold no

boundaries and are not

distinguished by social class,

time, place or circumstance”.

This is what Jacqueline Can

wrote in her article published

on Linkedin A yoga practice

that goes beyond your mat,

January 24 2016. She is not

alone in this belief.



This is where the danger lies! Christians

must be wary of the disguise. The danger is

that they all make logical sense and in

fact can be traced to elements in the

Bible but when it comes down to it,

because unbelievers don’t adhere to the

bible they live according to their own

principles in trying to fulfil these so called

truths. For instance, “we are all the same

and everyone deserves equal treatment” I

will certainly not disagree with such a

statement on a superficial level or in the

sense that God is no respecter of persons

so equal treatment according to his word,

no matter who you are. However, when it

boils down to eternity and the standards of

God we are not equal. Only those who

accept him will be saved.

Some examples of claims to universal truth

stem from cosmology, yoga, life coaching,

and religion: budhism, hinduism, islam

• There are several ways to God.

• Love is a feeling it is fleeting

• The big bang theory

Now, let us examine some of Christianity’s

claims

Christians have fundamental truths that we

believe in and on which our entire belief

system is based and by which we live on

earth. Christians believe that the bible is

the source of truth.

• There is one God

• God is a trinity of persons (Romans 1:20)

• Jesus is the son of God: he is both God

and man (Col 2:9; Philippians 2:5-8)

• There is a heaven and a hell

• Only way to heaven is through Jesus

Christ (Romans 6:23)

• Faith and not works (Romans 5:1)

• God created man in his own image

• He created the world and everything in it

in 6 days

• It is appointed for man to die once

Why and how the “world” has taken ownership

The world has taken biblical truths and made it into their

own by distorting it to fit themselves.

All these alternative “truths” deceive us into believing that

through our own works and meditation (e.g. Yoga) we can

attain spiritual enlightenment and get closer to God but

the bible is very clear that the only way to the Father is

through the Son (John 14:6).

Going one step further we can mention the tendency of

world leaders talking about unity of religions for the sake of

peace, bridging boundaries, etcetera all allude to this

spread of universal truth relegating Christianity to the

background.

In conclusion, let us be mindful brethren, of the world

agenda to pervert what is ours. Let us not underestimate

some of these fads and cultural trends that shame us into

feeling we are closeminded and get us thinking “after all it

is only yoga” or “after all it makes me happy”. Remember

that when it comes to God’s truth he has one and only

one standard.



A Good Steward Event

“The recent Good Steward

event kicked off 2016 with the

Theme Finding Destiny!

“Destiny is something

we each need to

know and live in!!”

There are so many people

walking around in circles,

never quite getting there

(wherever there is) or unsure

why they are here! And that is

why this event was timely and

needed.

The event highlighted that our

purpose and destiny was

created with us and if ever we

are lost on the way, we

should go back to the creator

and He only can point us in

the right direction.

The event was informative

and what stood out was the

understanding that we may

not have a complete picture

of our destiny at sight but as

we travel with God he keeps

unfolding his purpose with a

great witness in our spirit.

A Banquet with the King: God is Love.

Date: Saturday 20, February 2016

Time: 6:30

Venue: Moselle Grand Hall

Tottenham Town Hall

Tottenham Hall Approach

N15 4RY



Feeling distracted? Not getting much

done?

Download my free guide to beating

procrastination in 7 steps: http://www.nukan.com/recommends/never-

say-later/

What Does EXCUSE

mean?

a reason that you give to

explain why you did

something wrong.

a false reason that

you give to explain why

you do something

to give false

reasons why you cannot

do something

http://www.nukan.com/recommends/never-say-later/

http://www.nukan.com/recommends/never-say-later/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/reason

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/explain

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/wrong

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/false


http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/explain

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/false




New Life Bible Church

An Elim Pentecostal Church

289 Cambridge Heath Road

Bethnal Green

London

E2 0EL

Tel: 020 7729 9939

w: www.nlbclondon.org

email: [email protected]

Main Services

Sundays: 10am to 1pm

Wednesday: 7pm to 8:30pm

Prayer Meetings: Every 2nd Friday

and last Wednesday of the month.

Monthly Revival Worship Service:

Last Friday of the Month

CD Messages Available

To order a CD:

Text/Call: 07545132461

Email: [email protected]

Request an order form from the

ushers. Please return the completed

form to Ruth Abu or Clement.

Monthly Revival Worship Service

The last Friday of every month is a special day

for us at New Life Bible Church. The evening

service has been dedicated to worshipping

God with freedom and abandonment in the

Spirit and truly we have been having a great

time of it. It is usually a time of powerful Worship,

Singing, Ministrations, Healings, Revival, and

Times of refreshing all in God’s presence.

Senior Pastor:

Richard Jama

Associate Pastors

Lawrence Abu Winner Ezimora

Have you recently written a

poem or song? Send it in and

let us share together and edify

one another. Please send to

[email protected]

Tel:02077299939

http://www.nlbclondon.org/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

volume 1 issue 5 serving god without excuse · volume 1 issue 5 serving god without excuse february...

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