Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Wishing our friends and all Daughters of Zion, a very Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year.  May this season bring much love and peace into your homes. 

God bless you all

Love from

Daughters Of Zion Ministries

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Let Your Light Shine

Main Text:  Matthew 5:14-16

Additional Scripture verses: Ephesians 5:15-17, Romans 12:2, Proverbs 20:7, Matthew 6:33, John 15:19

By Kemi O.

           All believers are meant to be the light of the world as Jesus has stated in Matthew 5:14.   No matter where we may find ourselves and no matter what our status in life may be, we are called to make the best use of our time for Jesus using the skills, talents, resources and spiritual gifts given to us.  We are to use them to impact the world for Christ and it begins from the community we live in, in fact, it starts from our homes, our inner circles. 

Beloved, are we letting our light shine?
Are people seeing Christ in us and thanking God for us?

If yes, praise God for you and I will encourage you to keep on shining for Him, if unsure or you believe that you are, but still require more commitment and sincerity in the things of God like me,  praise God as well, because it means that you are ready to allow the Lord to make you a vessel fit for His use in these last days.  I personally want to be an effective vessel, a useful instrument in God's hands in these end times and if you are still reading this message, I believe you want to be as well.

            Wherever the children of God are, the light of God must shine in their midst.  We are to shine in the midst of the darkness around us.  We must live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.  The bible tells us in Ephesians 5:15-17 to be careful how we live, we are not living for ourselves but living for Christ, allowing Him to manifest in our lives through our actions and words.    Verse 16 admonishes us to make the most of the time given to us, why? Because the days are evil and it’s going to continue to worsen until the Lord Jesus returns for His church.  We live in a world that persecutes believers daily, a world that does not honor and reverence the Almighty God, a world that is ready to bring follows of Jesus Christ down to their knees, causing us to compromise who we are .  The god of this world, satan is being revered and honored more than ever before in the times we live in, we see it everwhere where we go.  The society we live in has little concern for moral or ethical integrity.  They will do anything to satisfy the lusts of the flesh, their sinful desires and it’s unfortunate that many believers have fallen prey to satan's schemes every day.

            In order for our light to shine for Christ, we must be ready to face opposition, persecution from the world as we strive to maintain our moral standards, our Christian beliefs and integrity.  Jesus reminds us in John 15:18 that the world will hate us because of Him.   We are to stand firm in Christ in the midst of opposition and never compromise who we are.   Many no longer shine for Christ because they have allowed themselves to conform to the things of this ungodly world.  Definitely, this Christian journey can be quite challenging if we want to be sincere with ourselves, but one of the main things that personally keeps me going  is  my testimony ; when I reflect on what the Lord has done in   my life over the years and how He has kept and sustained me through the ups and downs, I am always strengthened and encouraged to keep running the race. 

            Beloved, we must also understand what our purpose on this earth is.  Why am I here at this moment in time, in this generation?  I know I am not here just to occupy space.  What does God want me to do for Him?  These are questions we must ask ourselves.   Getting married,  having children, obtaining a career,  getting an education, having the fine things of life are all good but after you have achieved  them all,  then WHAT?  The Lord couldn’t have created you just to acquire all these, this cannot be the reason you exist.  There is a higher calling and that calling is do the work of the MASTER. whatever it may be. It must be our highest priority in life.  Many people in the world have achieved success, wealth etc. but at the end of the day, they feel empty, no joy, no peace.  They have no peace, because they do not have the PRINCE OF PEACE who should have been at the center of their lives.  No matter the little or much we may have, the joy of the Lord should always be our strength and we should also experience His peace in our lives, even in the midst of the storms we might face.  Sisters, friends,  we have to ensure that our priorities are in order.  The Bible even reminds us in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us.

             Earlier I stated that in order for our light to shine for Christ, we must be ready to face opposition.  Also  probably stand alone because when you are a genuine child of God who listens only to the voice of the MASTER,  and not ready to compromise your beliefs, even those  who call themselves your brother or sister (believers) will forsake you.  There are a handful of great men and women of faith, godly people both in scripture and in our generation who have served the Lord faithfully and stood their ground in the face of opposition, temptation etc.  A few in scripture include Daniel, Joseph, Apostle Paul, Stephen, Modecai, in the case of Haman etc.  They did not compromise their beliefs and moral standards.  They were men and women of integrity.  You have some preachers today that have compromised their beliefs and standards for fame, power, money, church membership.  So sad!

            Beloved, our light must shine by maintaining the high standards that every Christian, be it man or woman has been called to uphold by God.   We serve a God of integrity.

   Anyone (believer or unbeliever) can do good works and receive praises and admiration from men; but what separates our works from that of the world is our high standards, our sincerity, our genuine interest in what we are doing, our motives.  Are we doing these wonderful things to please ourselves, others or are we doing it to please our God?  Our goods works must please and glorify the Lord.  Our standards as Christian women, godly women should be much higher than the world, because even the world holds us to a different standard.  They expect us as Christians to exhibit a godly character always.  Why do you think immediately a believer does something bad or sinful, he or she is quickly judged and shamed publicly?   We see it all the time in the media whenever a famed preacher, televangelist commits an atrocity.  We forget that our lives impact people either by drawing them to Christ or away from Him.

In our main text today, Jesus admonishes us to shine our light for all to see so that our Father in Heaven is glorified.  Sisters, our lives are not ours to be lived thoughtlessly and selfishly as it cautions us in Ephesians 5, we are to effectively manage it wisely because at the end of our lives, we are going to give account of how we use the time and life He gave us.  If you want people to see Christ in you, find something you love to do and do it well to the glory of God e.g. serving others in the area of hospitality, teaching the word of God to others, evangelism,  praying for others, singing and dancing, visiting the sick in the hospital, those in prison, utilize the spiritual gifts and resources you have been given to shine for Christ effectively.  Be women of God whom others can trust with keeping your discussions confidential, be a godly woman who encourages, intercedes for others, keeps her word, never intentionally breaking her promises,  be a godly woman, who operates with the fruit of the Spirit, a woman who sees the good in others, who does not use her mouth to destroy others (gossip, backbiting, false accusation etc.) like we see often in the church, be a godly woman whom God can boasts of as He did about Abraham,  Job and a few others and then say to you at the end of the day Well done! good and faithful servant.  Matthew 25:21.

In conclusion, I just want to encourage us today to let our light shine brightly for Christ wherever we go and in whatever we do.  Let our good deeds advertise us for the Lord; let our actions and words draw people to Christ.  Let the world be able to identify  us as  women of God, true believers , daughters of the KING without second guessing if we are genuine or not.  Let us strive to live by Christ's standard, be women of integrity and virtue Proverb 20:7.  Only then can Christ be truly manifested in and through us.

Prayer: May the Lord empower and enable us in these evil times to be the light He has called us to be, shining for Him, utilizing all that He has given us and may the name of the Lord be honored, praised and glorified in everything we do in Jesus name.  Amen.

Becoming a God Pleaser

" not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bond servant or is free. "  Ephesians 6:6-8  NLT

Are you concerned about pleasing God than men or the other way around? This is a question we all have to ask ourselves from time to time. Many times I have asked myself that question when certain situations come up in my life. Beloved, are you the type who is consumed with making others happy at the cost of your happiness? Are you the type that will compromise your beliefs or morals just to please your boss or colleagues in the workplace, or even a friend? If you have answered yes or maybe to any of these questions, then it is time for you to shift your focus from pleasing men to pleasing God.

Our utmost goal as believers is to please the Lord God who loves and accepts us for who we are because He created us in His image and after His likeness. He knows our flaws, our shortcomings and yet accepts us as we are. As God pleasers, our focus should be on doing the Father's will, serving others in the name of Jesus Christ and knowing that our labor of love shall never be in vain. His words say in Hebrews 11:6 that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. It is important to put God first in our lives because He will always stand by our side both in the good and "not so good" times. "For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper so that I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6. People will disappoint you all the time, people you try to please on a daily basis will forsake you when things get rough. When they feel you are no longer relevant, they will drop you like "hot potato," even your loved ones will disappoint you, but the Lord will never abandon you and me as His word reminds us, He will never fail us no matter what

Beloved do not seek approval from man because no matter what you do, what you say, disappointment will come. When I was younger, I always felt that the type of friends I hung out with, the schools I attended, the family I came from, the area of town I lived in defined who I was, and so I sought other people's approval of who I am to make me feel good about myself. As I matured as a Christian and a Woman over the years, I realized that all that was absolute "nonsense." My identity is hidden in Christ, the approval I seek is God's and not any imperfect mortal being like me. Brother Paul states that perfectly in Galatians 1:10 " For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Now don't confuse pleasing people with helping or showing love to others; it is important that we bless others through goodwill service as the Lord has commanded us, but we must do so in a healthy manner, and that is serving with compassion and kindness, giving all the glory to God in the process. Also, in our daily interactions with people generally, be it at work, at home, in our communities, etc., let us communicate in a healthy, loving and productive way that will also honor the Lord. Scripture tells us in Colossians 3:23 " Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward and that the Master you are serving is Christ." Whatever we do on this earth, in our interactions with people, do it as unto the Lord and not unto men. Let us learn to impress Him always because it is such a wonderful feeling when our God delights in us.

Brethren, all I am encouraging you to do today is to strive to put God first before anyone. Put your trust in God always and not in people because the same people you are trying to impress will fail you someday. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. Psalm 118: 8. Shift your focus to pleasing God all the time and how to do you this, by serving God through blessing His creation (people) wholeheartedly with our gifts, talents, time and resources.

Who Does God Say You Are?

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;        I Peter 2:9    

     Many believers do not really know who they are; the power and the authority we have as believers.  In order to fully perform at the level that God wants us to operate at, we need to first of all know who we are and the power we possess.       

I was inspired by a song that I listened to in church this past Sunday to write this message. I   never heard this song before until yesterday.   As we were dancing and praising God, the message of this beautiful song began to minister to me .  It reminded me of whom I am in Christ and I am led to ask you the same question and also remind you of who you are as well. So my beloved sister, Do you know who you are? Who does God say you are? 

In order  to live an effective Christian life, you need to know and believe who you are in CHRIST.  Many people  will try to tell you who you are by what they see, hear, feel and think about you, but beloved it is only God who knows everything about you inside out, The Lord knew you even before you were conceived; His words reveals this to us in Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”  and in Psalm 139:14  it states that ''you were fearfully and wonderfully made by Him."   In order to be whom God has destined you to be and live the life that He has intended for you, you have to understand your full identity in Christ.

Through His divine word, God has revealed to us over and over again who we are in Christ and we need to believe that with all our hearts and walk in boldness and confidence knowing that we are the Daughters of the KING of Kings, the Great I AM that I AM.  We are hidden in Christ Jesus, that is our identity.  Colossians 3:3.  We are God's Masterpiece,  Ephesians 2:10,  We are of a Royal priesthood, His own special people, I Peter 2:9.     The world will try to label you, they will call you all sorts of names.    Based on the world's label, some Christians have allowed themselves to be deceived, easily led astray.  Before you can fulfill your divine destiny, before the Lord can activate more things in your life, a transformation of your mind needs to occur.  You have to allow God to refine and purify your mind, body and spirit in order to move out of  that "state" that you have been in for a long time..  The "state" or  "position" where you have allowed people and the enemy to define who you are and what you are meant to become thereby leading you down the wrong path.

Beloved, I leave with you the following additional scripture verses that will help you to remember who you are in Christ, your true Identity.   I encourage you to read and meditate on these words as often as you can.  As you do so the Holy Spirit will minister to your inner man and you will begin to see the transformation taking place in your life in Jesus name. 

• " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: " John 1:12

• " having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  Ephesians 1:5

• Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God." Romans 15:7

• "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;  and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power."  Colossians 2:9-10

• " But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."  1 Corinthians 6:17

• "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."  Romans 6:6.

• "Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. " 1 Corinthians 12:27

• "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;    1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him ; Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^a we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. "  1 John 3:1-2    

• " But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  "  1 Peter 2:9     
• " For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." Ephesians 2:18

• "offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ to be a holy priesthood into a spiritual house you also, like living stones, are being built."  1 Peter 2:5
• " For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."  Colossians 3:3

Remember You are God's anointed, God's chosen, The apple of His eye, His Princess, a daughter of the Living God, a joint heir with Christ, a New Creation .

Because You know who You are, I encourage you to Walk in Power, Boldness and Confidence today my sister.

ENJOY THE VIDEO, SHALOM

Happy New Month

Team Work in The Body of Christ

The first teamwork was established by God, The Father, God, The Son, and God, The Holy Spirit at the beginning of creation.

 It states in Genesis 1: 26, "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Again Genesis 11:7 states, "Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." The phrases in these two verses reveal a joint effort to accomplish a goal. 

Scripture tells us again in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, "Two are better than one Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. "

"This scripture depicts an excellent picture of teamwork and its benefits. God created Eve at some point in the creation story to be a helpmate and support for Adam, then becoming the first human team to work together, hence establishing the union of marriage Genesis 2:24, Ephesians 5:31. Even though the word "teamwork does not appear in the bible, the word of God contains much information about working together in one accord.

Teamwork is evident in the societal structure of marriage, family, business, community, etc. The critical thing to understand is how to apply biblical principles of teamwork to your business, marriage, or ministry. As believers, we must first understand that to be a successful teammate or member in the body of Christ; you must first become a born-again Christian, accepting the Lord Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Your new identity in Christ then grants you automatic access to the family of God. When you surrender your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a part of God's team, and then your assigned work in the group begins. On God's team, each person is given an assignment to complete, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, our director, guide, and teacher, each believer will be able to know their position or role. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:11-12

When the whole team is working for God's glory, they are in one accord, and their primary purpose is to do the will of God. No one should have their own personal agenda because it will never end well. Everything should be done for the good of the team and the glory of God. If you look at the scriptures, you will observe that God's people worked in groups throughout biblical history, and there was also a leader who received directions from God to guide them. Examples: Noah & his family during the time of the flood; Abraham, leading his family and people to the land of promise, Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt to the land God had promised them; Jesus and the 12 disciples who later became the Apostles responsible for spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. In our Christian faith, teamwork acknowledges the Lord God as the leader of the primary team (the body of Christ) and the sub-teams ( families, marriages, businesses, etc.) One major characteristic that will bring divine success in any team is LOVE., the love described in 1 Corinthians 13, and without this type of love (godly love), we cannot achieve divine success.  

Beloved, let us make an effort to be good, compassionate, and efficient team members in the body of Christ and in the individual sub-teams we are a part of, i.e., our homes, families, church family, businesses, communities, etc. Whatever your assignment is on the team, do it well so that it may please the Lord, and at the end of the day, He alone takes the glory.