EXPRESS IMAGE GLORY MINISTRIES

THE MESSAGE NOW
Vol. 6, No. 5 – Sunday, 28th March, 2021
(Acts.1:1-3, 15-26)
UNSELECTED BY MAN BUT ELECTED BY GOD ONTO EARTHLY RECOGNITION AND ETERNAL RECKON

Have you ever been in a situation in which you were fit for the job or a given position and you were unelected or not selected by man? What was your immediate or eventual reaction or response? Did you react badly? If your reaction was emotional and ruthless, then your focus perhaps in life generally has been a focus on man, not on God. Did you try to find out whether your nonselection was a function of a spiritual battle you need to pray about? Understand that an uncareful church is constantly under spiritual manipulation. So the church may have been manipulated against you.
Consider the story below. It was Fathers’ day celebration in 2009. Something strange happened in church that Sunday. The Pastor of the church, a fine reverend gentle man decided to honour all the fathers and potential fathers in church that day with a gift of one Mass-Bar Chocolate to everyone. The sharing went smoothly. That was no strange thing. But I was left out of the gift. That was certainly strange to me because although I was not yet married, I was already about 35 years of age. I tried to indicate that I hadn’t got a piece of chocolate yet, but the Lord restrained me.

Note that each time the Lord restrains man from that which is good to man, it is because the Lord has something much better or the best. No matter how painful the restraint may come, be informed that the end of the matter is what matters most; and with God, the end is always extremely so sweet.
As the Sunday service wore on, the Pastor began to minister in his usual wonderful fashion. Then the Pastor raised a question: “what is the longest name in the Bible”, The Pastor asked. To this question, there was no answer from any member of the church except me.
As soon as I gave the answer as: Maher-Shalal-hash-baz, the entire church erupted with great laughter; the Pastor ran over to my seat with great ecstasy, and gave me two Mass-Bar Chocolates. Hmmm! Two Mass-Bar Chocolates as against one which every other father and potential father got.
What if (as a blind person) I had reacted, claiming discrimination? What if I had been emotional over nothing being in a white dominated church? The patient one will always get to know the reason behind everything and even obtain the best in the very end. For if only the human eyes can be patiently careful, they will behold the human nose with ease.

Our first text in this edition reads:
‘1The former treatise have I made O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,
2 Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandment unto the Apostles whom He had chosen.
3 To whom also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Wow! Our brother, Doctor Luke, knew about the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ right from the very start! Hmmm! Let us consider our brother, Doctor Luke in today’s first and second Scriptures more deeply.
The evidence of the first Scripture in Acts.1:1-3 is that Doctor Luke had been with the Lord Jesus from the very start of His earthly ministry. But when one Apostle was needed to be chosen in order to replace Judas Iscariot. The man, Doctor Luke was not even considered. Rather, manly intellect through the instrumentality of “casting lot” selected Mathias. But by divine election, Doctor Luke was approved by God.
With due respect and honour to Apostle Mathias, the question just cannot be ignored; was any thing of note ever heard about Apostle Mathias? But the one who was divinely elected remained remarkable on earth through out his time on earth and until today and after now. Again, divine election put him in eternal reckon.
Doctor Luke by the Spirit of God gave us one of the four gospels and the book of Acts. He was not an Apostle, and probably did not have the auratory and charisma possessed by Apostle Mathias. So, we can say that before man, Doctor Luke had no voice. But understand the spiritual difference. Apostle Mathias had voice before men but no volume for his voice before God. Conversely, Doctor Luke had no voice of recognition before men. But before the Godhead, his silent works had voice and volume.
Dear brother, dear sister, what are you doing for God for which the church, people and the world don’t offer you any respect, appreciation or recognition? Never look back or get weighed down by discouragement. Why? There is One waiting to reward you in the immediate and in the hereafter.
Dear brother, dear sister, look only in the direction of God’s approval and reward, not man’s applause and commendation. Many are called by men and satan. But very few are sent on divine assignment by God, and those He has called, He will justify, and in the end, glorify.

Therefore, I counsel O man, concentrate on God. Avoid what you see which berates you and irritate your God-given spirit man. Avoid the commendations of men and shun church gossip and partisanship in the House of God. Make Christ your daily mirror before whom you constantly stand to beam out the beauty or blurriness of your spiritual face with further instructions to be better and be like Him.
IN THE END, YOU WILL END UP BELOW DIVINE STANDARD IF YOU CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON MAN AND THE DEEDS OF MAN.

Question and Answer Section
Question: The great questions again! When was the last time that you preached to any soul? Do you serve God with joyful heart or with reluctance? How much hurt is in your soul against that fellow? Won’t rather forgive them and forget their mischief so that you can rightly serve your loving Father? When was the last time you smiled genuinely and truly from your heart about yourself bearing in mind the bright days to come? when was the last time you heard a force praying within your belly without your consciousness? When was the last time you gave something to support God’s work apart from your tithes and offerings? When was the last time you supported any man to fulfill a divine or a personal agenda? When was the last time you put smile on the face of someone?
Answer: Hmmm!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Counseling, Prayers and Appointments: Please contact. Alternatively, meet us every Sunday at the address below:
Suite 26, 2nd Floor, Nikky Africana Plaza, 70C Allen Avenue, Opposite UBA/MTN Office, Ikeja, Lagos.
Further information: Be informed that this Ministry has only one Facebook page and no other. Any other Facebook page is counterfeit. Any Concerns or questions about this Facebook page should be directed to: contactus@expressimageglory.com
The General Superintendent Minister of this Ministry therefore pleads and urges you to desist from all such fake and ungodly Facebook pages. Our website is: www.expressimageglory.com

ALTAR CALL:
Backslidden – living in sin – needing fresh recommitment (say):
Christ Jesus, You are the Anointed One of the Most High. I come to you today as I am. In your mercy, help me out of my situation. Heal my soul, my spirit, my body, my life and my destiny. I acknowledge you as the only true lover of my soul. Please, deliver me on every side and save me through and through. I promise from the depth of my soul to be yours from henceforth, in Jesus name. Help me now O God. Be my Lord, my Saviour and my all in all from this day. Thank you Lord (read Ps.54 in closing and pray more).

HYMN: Murmur Not
PRAY NOW:
1. O God, I repent now and I forgive as many people who have robbed me of my blessings in any way.
2. Cobweb powers and every other force that inflict me with rejection and disfavor, catch fire now and loose hold of me.
3. O my diverted greatness, I know the truth now. Therefore, return to me now.
4. Manipulations in my church, die now.
5. O God, anoint my pastor afresh with the Holy Ghost and with power.
6. Present your personal petitions.