Monthly Archives: June 2013

A Youth Meeting with Pentecostal Assemblies of God,
Mpumude – Jinja

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

28th June 2013 (158 Youths Attended

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20 “Flee Immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” NASB).

THEME: The Pitfalls of Sexual Immorality

INTRODUCTION: Apostle Paul came strongly against sexual sin here, and elsewhere in Scripture, for example, in 1Thessalonians 4:2-8. It is very important to understand what is meant by sexual immorality or sexual sin first.

Sexual immorality happens when two people who are not married unite sexually. There are natural and perverted sexual sins, i.e. the natural sin occurs when two people of the opposite sex unite unlawfully such as in fornication and adultery. Sexual perversions, which is not only an abomination to God, but also to mankind, such is homosexuality (Single sex), Leviticus 20:13, Genesis 19:1-11 and Romans 1:18-28, and man having sex with an animal (bestiality), Leviticus 18:23, Deuteronomy 27:21) when man goes beyond the prescription of nature.

Having defined immorality lets us now understand the word, “temple” and its importance. The first temple was constructed by Solomon, and was dedicated in 10th century BC, in a powerful ceremony in which God personally participated. The temple signified the presence of God among Israel. The Temple had two important sections within itself:

(i) The Holy of Holies – also known as the Kodesh Hakodashim (1 Kings 6:19; 8:6), also called the “Inner House” (1 Kings 6:27, Heb. 9:3). It was floored and wainscoted with cedar of Lebanon (1 Kings 6:16), and its walls and floor were overlaid with gold (6:20, 21, 30). It contained two cherubim of olive-wood, each 10 cubits high, (1 Kings 6:16, 20, 21, 23–28) and each having outspread wings of 10 cubits span, so that, since they stood side by side, the wings touched the wall on either side and met in the center of the room. It also contained the Ark of the Covenant. There was a two-leaved door between it and the Holy Place overlaid with gold, (2 Chr. 4:22); also a veil of tekhelet (blue), purple, and crimson and fine linen, (2 Chr. 3:14); (compare Exodus 26:33). It had no windows, (1 Kings 8:12) and was considered the dwelling-place of the “name” of God.

(ii) The Holy place, the Hekhal, (1 Kings 8:8–10), is also called the “greater house” (2 Chr. 3:5) and the “temple” (1 Kings 6:17); the word also means “palace.” It was of the same width and height as the Holy of Holies, but 40 cubits in length. Its walls were lined with cedar, on which were carved figures of cherubim, palm-trees, and open flowers, which were overlaid with gold. Chains of gold further marked it off from the Holy of Holies. The floor of the Temple was of fir-wood overlaid with gold. The door-posts, of olive-wood, supported folding-doors of fir. The doors of the Holy of Holies were of olive-wood. On both sets of doors were carved cherubim, palm-trees, and flowers, all being overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:15 ).

The temple was a seat of God, the same way to a body of a believers, Jesus Christ is the seat of God. The two places, the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place, take the same place as the Soul and Spirit of a believer of Jesus Christ. After the death of Christ, God no longer lives in houses made of human hands (Acts 7:48; 17:24). God promised that He would dwell inside a believer (John 14:23; the temple curtain was torn into two, signifying a fundamental transition.

Today we have magnificent cathedrals, temples and churches, but God is not dwelling in there. There is nothing sinful about having these wonderful houses of worship, but it wrong to think that God ever dwells in them.

(iii) Sexual immorality: Sexual immorality is a form of worship of the devil because it turns the beauty of God and His temple into a place of idolatry. Sexual practice is a major phenomenon in occult and witchcraft industries. The agenda of Satan is to promote illicit sexual relationship, to patentally destroy a relationship between man and God. Covenants with demons are strengthened by animal blood and sexual intercourse. People who have signed packs of wickedness with the devil go through dirty rituals, one of which, must be sexual intercourse. This sin binds a covenant between man and Satan.

In Africa, over 80% of people, mainly women, visit witchdoctors for sexual and marital solutions. Performing art and music is a platform for the booming sex industry. In the developed world every thing must be made to look sexy. Before selling anything, including an old bicycle, one has to make it look sexy first. Jesus rightly described this generation as an adulterous and perverse generation, (Mark 8:38, Mathew16:4 and Mathew 12:39). The sex explosion has bound the world into the full grip of Satan.

Sexual sin of any kind is a stench in the nostrils of God; an abomination which must not even be named among the redeemed of the Lord. Sexual sin dishonors the Lord directly and has irreversible consequences, (Proverbs 6:32-33). It is quite true, and Biblical, that there is no sin that God cannot forgive. All sin can be forgiven including any form of sex or perversions, (Isaiah 1: 18, 1John 1: 9, Psalms 103:11-12).

But it should clearly be noted that God’s forgiveness of sin does not always wipe out the consequences of sin. For example, a man may sleep with an HIV/AIDS infected prostitute and contract the deadly virus. When he repents, the merciful God will forgive Him, but he may not necessarily be healed of virus: His soul may be secured, but his life on earth will be shortened though he is forgiven.

For many years I grappled with the understanding of Exodus 34:6-7 till the Lord revealed it to me. “Then Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grand children to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 34:6-7 NASB). At first this sounded like a contradictory confusing statement, “How can the Lord forgive, yet at the same time hold the sinner guilty for the punishment, not only for himself but also generations after him?” God revealed to me that one part is dealing with restoration of relationship and fellowship with a transgressor, and the other part is about the consequences that follow the transgression.

To clarify this, let us consider the unfortunate story of king David and Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. King David exceedingly lusted after her and committed an indecent act of immorality with her. God exposed the king’s reckless behavior through an unwanted pregnancy, which he attempted to conceal, but in vain. He finally premeditates to bump off Uriah so that he could have the justification for marrying her.

He committed three sins in a row: adultery, concealing it, and murder. (2 Samuel11:1-26). When confronted with the truth by Prophet Nathan, the king came to his senses and repented in tears with fasting (Ps 51). The Lord pronounced His forgiveness, but that did not wipe out the terrible consequences that had to follow (2 Samuel 12:13-14). Although the Lord had forgiven King David, the consequences followed this sin for four generations i.e. the child, the product of the adulterous union died despite David’s plea for its life to spared by God, incest between Amnon and Tamar, murder among his sons, David toppled by his own son, and cursed by Shimei, which happened right in Kind David’s face.

In the second generation, Solomon’s crippling lust led him to marriage with daughters of the land, for which the Lord had forbidden Israel. (1Kings 11:1-8). King Solomon set a record that no one has, (and never and will break): 700 wives and 300 concubines is a worldly record yet to be broken by some one. I believe this was a curse, emanating from David’s sin with Bathsheba. The women turned his heart away from the Lord, and he died prematurely, before 70.

In the third generation, Solomon’s off spring, King Rehoboam, also under this curse too, made absolutely foolish decisions leading to the spilt of the Kingdom of Israel, and nearly led to a heavy bloodshed, had God not intervened.

In the fourth generation, King Abijah sanctioned idolatry and had the shortest reign in Judah, only three years. The curse was paid for in full.

Living Examples: A lady came to me five years ago, she had endured a bad marriage for over 8 years. She had been physically abused by the husband several times. She described her marriage as being trapped in loveless and boring marriage. What was surprising was that both of them were born again Christians and active members of a powerful Pentecostal church in town. The husband was not just a Christian, but a deacon and a prominent member of the local church Board. As I prayed with this young woman, a word of revelation came from Proverbs 28:13. “He who conceals his transcriptions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.” NASB).

The woman revealed to me that they had concealed sexual sin with her husband, and that was definitely a hold up in their marital relationship. Both her husband and she contacted their pastor who responded by making them go through a humiliating process of public confession before praying for the healing of their marriage. It did work, they are now living happily.

Through my counseling sessions with people, I discovered that sexual immorality is a key factor in opening doors for demonic molestation. The problems such as divorce, unfaithfulness in marriage, some sicknesses, bareness, etc., have roots in sexual immorality which is not dealt with; it is concealed.

Sexual sin haunts for ten generations. (Numbers 23:2). God did not allow His Holy race, Israel to get mingled up in marital relationship with the accursed and idolatrous nations of Canaan. King Solomon polluted himself by uniting with prohibited women of the land, which the Lord has hated due to their idolatry and witchcrafts. Having sex with any one who is not your spouse is joining a network of impurities. If a man sleeps with a prostitute who has had sex with 50 other people, she is carrying all the impurities of those 50 men which she will offload into the system of this man. This man begins to carry all curses, sicknesses, etc unknowingly.

How to avoid sexual sin:

(i) The conquest against sexual sin begins with acquiring correct knowledge about it. “Ignorance has no defense,” (Hosea 4:6), as the saying goes. The church of this day does not teach strongly against sexual sin. In many places, it has been down played as natural and normal. Both church leaders and their flock commit it with impunity. Some people try to soften the sin of sexual immorality as a mere “perversion” sexual “orientation.” God has never created any one for single sex or sex with beasts. God loves these people all right, but hates their ways totally. They need to know the truth, repent and the grace of God helps them out to be normal. I know all they are going through is a result of strong demonic bondage and pressure. They are even many times helpless against it. They need to demonstrate the will power to change, and they will be helped out. The blood of Jesus can break those chains and set them free. They need to be told and not just pampered.

(ii) Sexual sin in manufactured in the mind. Therefore, disciplining the mind is a key in fighting sexual sin. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses, we are destroying speculations and every loft thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to obedience of Christ, and we ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2Corinthians10:4-6NASB).

Gaining control over our thought life is a must before one over comes sexual fantasies. Paul advises us to make choices about our thoughts. (Philippians 4:7-8, Psalms 19:14) .Sin begins as a meditation of the mind, which grows to lust, then eventually sexual act.

(iii) Avoiding all occasions of sin. The choice of friends is very important in a battle against sexual sin. (1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17). What one feeds his or her mind on will determine the course of action eventually. The Bible admonishes women to dress decently to protect men from impure thoughts. (1Timothy 2:9). Pornographic films and videos all serve to fan lustful thoughts. (Psalms 119: 37).

Summary: Disciples of Jesus need to know that sexual sin is destructive, and carries with it curses because it disgraces the temple of God, which is their bodies. The penalty is loss of Heavenly Kingdom, (Galatians 5:19-20) . Every one is responsible before the Lord, and must be ready to give an account, Amen!

Relationships

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

At Uganda Institute of Laborartory Technology, Jinja, Sermon by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako
(on 12th June, 2013. with 50 single youths present, ages 21-25)

TEXT: He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22),
House and Wealth are inheritance from the fathers, But a prudent wife is from the Lord, (Proverbs 19:14)

THEME: Relationships

Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako speaking on Relationships

INTRODUCTION: Pure relationships between single boys and single girls in the church is a gift from God. Immorality, which is defined as having sexual relationship outside proper marriage, is not acceptable in the church and it is highly condemned in Scripture. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20), and it lays a bad foundation for marriage and generally the future of a person involved. Sanctity of the body is a basis of worship of God.

Today around the world, family isn’t what God had designed it to be, because the Biblical principles have been ignored. This begins in a time of relationship or courtship. A time of relationship or courtship is that period when two single people of opposite sex, ( man and women), have shown considerable interest in one another and are in a relationship, but are not yet married. This is a foundational stage that should not involve sexual intimacy yet between the two. Any engagement in sexual intimacy is sin, and will lead to judgment from God. Marriage is true when the following have occurred:
(i) Giving and receiving: Every woman needs the blessing of her parent or guardian in the process of marriage. (Giving; Mathew 24:38, 1 Corinthians 7::38) ,
(ii) The Vows: Marriage is a covenant relationship, therefore a clear commitment in the form of a vow must be witnessed by family members and friends. ( Malachi 2: 14-16)
(iii) Permission by the legal authority of the state or the church.

Anything that falls below the standard above is not considered proper marriage. Cohabitation is not acceptable marriage in the sight of God and the church, and therefore not acceptable among true believers of Jesus Christ. Any one that is living in this kind of arrangement is trapped in perpetually illicit sexual practice, and is disgraceful to the Lord. Repentance and restitution in the form of either sanctification of the marriage, or separation, are the only options available for any believer in Jesus Christ who is trapped in this scenario.

Beginning of a relationship: Marital relationship is God’s idea (Genesis 2:18), and therefore this project must involve the designer at all stages. Relating with intention of marriage should begin with God. God is the only perfect “match maker” who knows a suitable complement for each one. Many youths have made a shipwreck of this entire project of marriage by amplifying the external factors like beauty, and material possessions above the Designer’s prescription (Proverbs 31:30; Psalms 37:25). The timing depends on the pressure that one feels. Burning is not necessarily the working of demons, but could be a genuine calling to married life. (1 Corinthians 7:9). Not every one is called to marriage, and in that case, a person should not be pressured into marriage. There are vital steps that are quite critical:

(i) Prayer of preparation: Just like any serious undertaking, marriage needs a lot of preparation as well. There are virtues such as patience and other critical values that must be acquired first. Rushing into marriage minus these personal adjustments has led to a catastrophic end. The Basic prayer should not be, “God, give me a spouse.” but “God, prepare me to be a blessing to my spouse”. There are things in a person’s life that God should deal with first before blessing you with a spouse. Transformation and renewal are critical before finding God’s perfect will (Romans 12:2). There are Biblical values that a woman intending to marry should have:

R = Righteousness (Fear of God in her body, mind and action)
O = Obedience (adopting a culture of submission and respect for all)
D = Diligence (Household management capacity)

For any man preparing for a good marriage, he should have attained:
R = Righteousness (Fear of the Lord in all aspects)
O = Organized (Have direction in life for the woman to fit in)
L = Love (develop tender loving care and understanding)
F = Faith (enough capacity to trust God for everything)

God, if given the leverage, is always willing to
Lead us in the right direction (Isaiah 64:4).
That implies that we have to engage neutral gear first, listen carefully and are willing to wait.

(ii) To know the answer. Many people expect spectacular signs such as visions, angelic visitations, powerful dreams etc. This is a deception from the enemy. Although those may have happened to some people, it does not mean it should happen to every one. Spectacular signs should not be sough for in any decision; they happen rarely, and is always to non-believers, people of low faith, and disobedient to the Lord. God dwells in a believer, therefore He communicates from within – through inner peace, and strong but gentle willingness. (Philippians 2:13) ; ( Isaiah 30:21). There must be other verifications such as the Rhema and positive corresponding testimony from other people and counselors (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22)

(iii) Initial approach: Boys should not try to use a manipulative approach to win girls, but should genuinely express their affection and give plenty of room for the girl to make a decision. They should know that the girl has a right to consult God and conduct a wide research about them first. They should also know that there may be other people in her consideration list, and should not be offended by any delays. Meanwhile, they should expect either positive or negative response from the girl. Girls should consider each proposal quite carefully, and always in the light of Scripture. Counselors engaged in this consultation should be godly, mature and grounded in Biblical values. This is the second most important decision in life, and should not be treated playfully.

The Period of Engagement: This is a very important stage, and is considered the foundation stage. At this stage, the boy and girl are not considered married yet, and therefore should not engage in sexual intercourse. The couple-to-be must set up policies to avoid involvement in sexual sin, which actually, is the spoiler number one. Of the cases of painful break ups that I have handled, over 70% had indulged in premarital sexual relationship. The couple-to-be needs to transparently share information regarding each other. This includes past experiences, life ambition, family, friends, weaknesses and prayer requests.

They should create quality time with each other. This is very possible without sexual sin. Some boys have also gone to a far extreme in order to avoid sin. They have made a relationship quite boring. Whenever they find time together, the boys turns out to be a pastor or an evangelist to the sister. One girl shared with me her experience, when she got so disgusted she quit the relationship. She accused him of being a man of “Halleluiah” only, and probably too holy to be on earth. He kept a minimum distance of 5 meters from her without any smile or humor. She wondered what could happen on the day of the honeymoon with such an angel. I think the two extremes should be avoided.

The use of money and material benefits should be minimal. Commercializing a relationship is dangerous, and it is considered spoiler number two. Marriage is not a parasitic arrangement in which one items sucks the sap from the host. Proper marriage is a symbiotic relationship where both parties benefit from each other. This does not completely rule out gifts and surprises once in a while, this is a vital component of love. However, it should flow in both directions. Lopsided flow of gifts is a fault line in a relationship that could be a recipe of manipulation, dominion and control.

While serious commitment and trust is necessary in a relationship, it should not be made an idol. “Dargonizing” (from the word Dargon, the philistian Idol of the Bible time) a relationship is risky. Many have suffered massive emotional break down as a result of unexpected pull out. The Motto should be, “LOVE TIGHT BUT HOLD LOOSE.”

Putting on masks, or adopting artificial behavior is deceptive, and are signs of a wrong foundation. Freedom and lack of tension is a characteristic of true and genuine love. (1John 4:18). In a true relationship, adjustments are made on both sides, but not without arguments, and some times accompanied by tears.

My Example: My wife Christine and I are happily married for 22 years now. We understand, support and complement each other. She has been my source of inspiration and encouragement in ministry. But we came to this stability from a long way. We related for two years before marriage, and it was the stormiest of all our time together We both agreed to avoid sin, and that was quite easy. However, we experienced countless arguments, break-ups and reconnection during the two years of courtship.

One day I invited her to attend my sister’s marriage in Soroti, some 6 hours from Kampala City where she was student in the University. We had arranged that she also could meet my parents for the first time. I travelled to Kampala to pick her up. We boarded a bus at about 8:00 am expecting to be in Soroti around early afternoon.

However, just shortly after one hour of travel, we picked a heated argument which shocked our neighbors in the bus. She made up her mind not to attend my sister’s marriage any more, disembark at Kumi, her home town, just 50 minutes before Soroti and return to Kampala the following day. For twenty minutes, each of was silent and frustrated. I realized I was the one in the wrong, but because of ego ,could not stoop down to apologize. I thought of an alternative, and that was to buy her a drink with the hope that the problem could be solved. I was terribly mistaken. The bus stopped briefly at Iganga bus terminal. I got out and bought a chapatti ( pan cake) and a bottle of soft drink. I laid those in her lap, but to my surprise, she picked them up , opened the bus window tossed my gift out. We both went silent for another two and half hours.

At first I could not believe that she had changed her mind not to attend my sister’s wedding, till she notified the bus conductor of her decision to stop in Kumi, her home town. I realized I had to plead guilty and ask for forgiveness. She forgave me readily, and also requested for my forgiveness for tossing my gift out of the bus window. We made up as though nothing had happened. We enjoyed the last two hours of our journey. We learned each other’s likes and dislikes during this time.

Marriage: The end of engagement is proper marriage. This process should not be made complicated and unaffordable. What are really necessary are:
(i) The parents or guardians of both the man and woman
(ii) The Legal officer ( Priest or Pastor)
(iii) A couple of friends and relatives to witness the vows.

It is a ploy of the devil to make young people think marriage (the wedding) should be fancy. Young people strive for so called powerful wedding ceremonies, “using the resources they do not have,” to “impress the people they may not even like.” This attitude must be corrected. It does not necessarily mean that a wedding ceremony attended by thousands of people with 20 step-cakes, a fleet of vehicles and first class decorations is automatically successful marriage. Many young people go deep in debts and loans for a fancy wedding. The poor people, or those without connections, simply shy a way from proper marriage and opt for cohabitation, which is not acceptable.

STUDENT’S QUESTIONS AND MY ANSWERS ON RELATIONSHIPS

QUESTION 1: If I have a friend preparing to get married and his friend (Fiancé) had sex with another person, what will happen to me if I don’t tell her (my friend)?

ANSWER 1: Not alerting your friend about the engagement of his or her intended spouse is a terrible weakness on your side. (Ephesians 5:11). It shows that you do not love your friend, and are happy to see him or her head into danger. (Mathew 7:12). True Biblical love would mean confronting your friends intended spouse with evidence, and if he or she does not respond, involve other people including church Leadership.

QUESTION 2: I am in a relationship but the parents of my partner don’t want us to get married. What should I do?

ANSWER 2: There is no easy answer to this. However, the reason for refusal by the parents needs to be known, and if it is genuine it should be respected. For example, if the intended spouse is not a believer, a strong Christian family will protest against such relationship on Biblical grounds (2 Corinthians 6:14-17, 1 Corinthians 15:33). But generally, children have to obey their parents in the Lord, and marital relationship need the blessing of the parents (Ephesians 6:1). But at times there are situations where parents are simply manipulative and selfish, here it is necessary to resist them in love, honor and respect.

QUESTION 3: Pastor, tell us, does God truly show a person a partner and if so how?

ANSWER 3: Yes, I believe He really does. He is a perfect Matchmaker. He has promised a blessing of a spouse. Proverbs 19:14, Psalms 32:8-9. He puts genuine love and peace in the heart of both people. This can also confirmed by approval of friends and relatives.

QUESTION 4: What makes a good relationship and what do I need to know before getting married?

ANSWER 4: A good relationship is based on the fear of God, sincerity and transparency. Before one gets into a relationship, he or she needs to know that he or she is entering into a serious, divine project, where there no room for jokers. He or she should be sure of a call in that direction and the timing must also be perfect (Song of Songs 2:7; 3:5; 8:6-7).

QUESTION 5: I have a friend aged 27 years and says she does not want to think of getting married at all and yet she is healthy. Is it good not to marry at all?

ANSWER 5: Marriage is not a must for every one. There are people who have the grace to stay single and are happier in that way. They should not be forced to marriage. One has to feel the calling to marriage first, (1 Corinthians 7:9), and confirm that they have the capacity to execute the marital responsibilities (1 Corinthians 7:2-5 and 1 Timothy 5:8).

QUESTION 6: Is it okay for me to chew the money (de-tooth) those men who keep disturbing me that they want to have sex with me?

ANSWER 6: For a Christian woman, de-toothing is a not acceptable. It is a form of deceit and indirect prostitution driven by the Love of money (1Timothy 6:6-11). De-toothing is a deadly game that could lead to rape and murder.

QUESTION 7: We had sexual relationship in our relationship but asked God to forgive us. We promised each other never to mess up again until we wed. Will God forgive us?

ANSWER 8: Absolutely, God will forgive any one who is repentant (1 John 1:8-9; Isaiah 1: 18; Psalms 103:12). However, the forgiveness of God does not mean that the consequence of that sin won’t follow you and your children even for generations (Exodus 34:6-7)

QUESTION 9: How will I know that this person who is getting closer to me has the intention of falling in love with me?

ANSWER 9: A good marriage has to have an element of friendship. Research has proved that marriages which have endured the test began as friendship. The best is to ask God and avoid developing feelings without proof from God and the other person. You can also conduct a litmus test on this. Unreciprocated love is painful and can lead to deadly hysteria.

QUESTION 10: What should be done to brothers who break sisters’ hearts in the fellowship?

ANSWER 10: Brothers in Christ should exercise caution and discipline in the church not to engage sisters in a relationship and disengage at will. This is hurtful. Each church has to come up with a Biblical policy to prevent this scenario. It is very hurting. It is estimated that over 86% of females in African universities, of ages 20-25, have experience this kind of abuse. This is a common phenomenon that mostly happens after the couple getting engaged has premarital sex. A boy simply walks away leaving the girl in emotional anguish. I have often told girls that the easiest way to loose your boyfriend, and close the relationship, is giving him sex before marriage.

QUESTION 11: How can I make my relationship lively and enjoyable?

ANSWER 11: By creating quality time together to engage in discussions, planning and prayer. But caution should be taken not to be involved sexual relations and romance. Premarital sex is number one killer of a good relationship. Arguments, quarrels and forgiveness, including laughter and tears are excellent ingredients for a good relationship to grow: Remember marriage is also defined as a union of two forgivers. Also try to avoid making a relationship boring, cold and lifeless.

QUESTION 12: At what time/stage do I need to involve counselor in my relationship?

ANSWER 12: At all stages you need a counselor, and serious guidance. Proverbs 11:14; 15:22.

QUESTION 13: Pastor, I really have strong feelings for this brother. I have tried all the visible ways at least to make him understand me, without me telling him any thing, but the brother is not sensitive at all. What should I do because I am dying inside for this brother.

ANSWER 13: The best thing you should do is to establish that what you are going through is from God, and it is God’s will for you to marry that brother. Make sure it is not lust or infatuation. If it God’s will, may be the timing is not right, and when the right time comes, the brother will respond. You need to rest in the Lord and allow Him work for you. (Psalms 37: 4-7) (Isaiah 64:4). It is not proper for a woman to approach a man for marriage in most cultures of the world.

QUESTION 14: We are all born again. If we decided to concubine and later sanctify our marriage is it okay?

ANSWER 14: To concubine (to cohabit) is wrong, and should not be practiced by a believer in Christ Jesus Christ. It disgraces the body of Christ (the Church) and your parents. Besides that, you have no legal security in that arrangement.

THE END

Special Meeting at Mustard Seed Church

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

praying for mother reunited with daughter after 20 years

The Mustard Seed Church is right near the border between Uganda and Kenya. It happened that a mother who was divorced when her daughter Sylvia was only three, and who had remarried in Kenya, met her daughter there. They had not seen each other for 20 years!

Here in this photo, Pastor Isaac and Rev. Silas Ogwadulai are praying for this Kenyan mother. Her daughter is Sylvia Anyango, RTM staff member.

Message at Busia Mustard Seed Church, Uganda

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

[Preached by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako on 9th June 2013
(on Uganda-Kenya border) 183 in the service, (not counting children under 15)]

TEXT: Mathew 7:21-23 Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. …NASB)

THEME: The will of God

INTRODUCTION:

Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako preaching in Busia Mustard Seed Church

The statement made by our Lord Jesus in this text is probably one of the scariest statements in the Scripture. For the past few days I have been really thinking about that statement. Whenever I drive a cross any town in Uganda on a Sunday morning, I see the streets empty, shops locked and business at a standstill. It is even difficult to find a restaurant open to render service: Every one is out for church service either in traditional church cathedral, evangelical church and Pentecostal church. This is probably the trend in Africa South of Sahara. Loud praises and worship accompanied by amplified modern musical instruments all in the name of the Lord fill the air. In most evangelical churches, the youth celebrate a Sunday service with dancing and rejoicing. It is hard to imagine that some, or even most of these, could be in vain.

From the statement of the Lord above, it seems there is something more which is the most important, and is also very easy to overlook, resulting in many missing the mark. Elsewhere in Scripture, it is portrayed that really few will make it, “Many are called but few will be chosen, (Mathew 22:14)”. “Narrow is the way and a gate is small that leads to life, only a few will find it. (Mathew 7:14). These profound statements from the Lord were not discouraging His disciples, but pronunciation of the truth, and to acquaint them with stringent standards in Heaven. It is therefore important that we think about this quite deeply, and examine ourselves.

People usually associated with prophesy, casting out demons and miracles are not drunkards out there, nor sluts in the streets peddling their flesh, but men and women of the church, the custodians of the word of truth. Apostle Paul warns the church not to be conceited, but fear, lest what happened to Jews could happen to her as well (Romans 11:20). Working out salvation by “fear and trembling” does not mean being saved by works, for we are saved by Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), but it does mean always functioning within the perimeters of God’s will. (Philippians 2:12)

THE WILL OF GOD:

The “will of God” is a factor in inheriting the Kingdom of Heaven. There are two ways of looking at this:

(i) The will of God as per our day to day life. The Bible has given precise guidelines on this. The totalities of God’s will is revealed in the Scripture, which is the way a believer ought to conduct himself. I am not heading to that direction today.

(ii) However, we can also look at the will of God from the point of view of our placement, and responsible and faithful service towards building the body of Christ. The correct placement and complimentary function of each believer in Christ is my focus this morning. This entire area has been neglected, so we have so many complacent and redundant believers in terms of serving the Lord. The misconception that serving the Lord means one has to be pastor, evangelist, apostle, a prophet or a teacher must be dismantled. Many have minimized God’s call in medical, military, police, business, politics etc.

Many Christians do not at all understand God’s call in their individual lives, let alone its importance. Finding God’s will begins by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior first. It is not possible to find the will of God outside of Christ Jesus, the son of God and the only Savior. Confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior into one’s life is just one big step in the correct direction, but that is not the end.

There is more to follow: Total surrender to Him as master and owner of one’s life is a very vital step. Relinquishing rights of choice, life and everything is a prerequisite to finding God’s perfect will for an individual. (2Corithians 5:15). God’s will is finding your place in the Kingdom and faithfully function in it. A majority of believers prefer running their own lives as they would wish, as long as they name the Lord Jesus as Savior, and struggle hard to stay out sin, go to church and pay their tithe. Some do not even permit God to have any say over their private affairs. To many, the only option open to God is to endorse (or rubberstamp) their decisions, and wait to hug them at the gate to Heaven. The reason why they expect a reward is because they did not kill any one on earth, did not commit immorality, or drunk alcohol, as though that was their righteousness on earth.

God has given saving grace to each one for the purpose of building His Body, the Church. Christ has put this quite clearly in the parable of talents (Mathew 25:14-29). It is amazing to see the connection between the eternity and the stewardship accorded to each of the three servants. The two worked diligently and were rewarded, but one servant out of negligence, ignorance or laziness had a tragic end. He never expected at all this verdict from his master; it was a shock and many will be shocked too. The truth illustrated here is the foundation of every Christians calling. Faithfully functioning within the will God, not only opens entry to Heaven, but also gives earthy blessings. (Isaiah 1:19; Mark 10:29-30).

Identification of God’s will: It is very necessary for every one to seek to indentify God’s perfect will for their lives, which comes after a total transformation (Romans12:2).There are many functions in the Body of Christ, and each individual role is unique and complementary to others. God gives special endowments (graces) to each role (Romans 12:3-7). The will of God is identifiable by:

(i) The freedom and peace it gives. This sweetness is independent of challenges or difficulties. Instead, the opposition catapults the believer into the bosom of God, seeking Him diligently. More freedom, joy and confidence is added. God’s individual will is relative and is characterized by its being, Good”, “Acceptable” and perfect (Romans 12:2). Some times my friends wonder why I drive through out the nights, in the most rugged roads, with cars under very dangerous Mechanic Condition with basic fuel, exposing myself risks. I just can’t help it it, I enjoy it. I understand what apostle Paul meant in 2Corithians 11:25-29.

(ii) The will of God can be real burden to whoever is revealed to and may be trying resisting it or going slow on it. Jeremiah describes it like fire shut up in the bones (Jeremiah 20:9). For the last 20 years, I have lived by faith, walked distances to teach word or lead a team to plant a church. I would have loved to get a job and make money through business, and enjoy a better standard of life like most of my friends. But each time, I tried I lost joy and the meaning of life.

Many times we wrongly assume that what we love doing is God’s perfect will. Sometimes we need to learn through a couple of errors too. God, the loving Father, in his humor, may allow us to try things and fail, most especially if we are over zealous and passionate about His will. I had a crush many years ago.

My Personal testimony: In my early years of ministry, I wanted to be an evangelist, and I thought I was one. I did not know that I was merely copying, or wanted to be TL Osborn, an American Evangelist who visited Uganda. God used TL Osborn very much in the area of healing. Thousands could turn to Jesus Christ during his open air campaign with many visible healings. Deep in my heart I wanted to be like him. I read all TL Osborn’s books and I was full of him.,

One day, I decided to demonstrate the healing power of God through Jesus Christ, the way TL Osborn did it. I could not stage an open air meeting because I could not afford that. But I knew where to find the sick, and that was the hospital. In order to prepare, I had three days of prayer with dry fasting, not even swallowing saliva.

After this, I went to Soroti Referral hospital and contacted the Medical Superintendent for permission. I was referred to Male ward 2A. I introduced my self to the medical staff on duty in that Ward, as an evangelist who is on a mission to pray and heal all manner of sicknesses. The work in that ward came to stand still as I turned the ward to an Open Air Service. I thundered like TL Osborn, doing everything just like him. Time came when l had to lay my hands on the sick, but none got healed. In fact one died as soon as I laid hands on him, as though I was bidding him a quick farewell.

I had to find a quick way out from the hospital; otherwise I could have ended up behind bars. The nurses got furious and came short of inviting the police. I was so discouraged. But I thank God for my paternal uncle, Rev. Etochu Emmanuel who gave me a good and sound counsel l. Failure is sometimes inevitable while seeking God’s will.

Developing God’s Will:

God’s will grows to perfection. There must be constant practice to make it perfect. The parable of the talents clearly shows the input from a person talented. The Bible teaches that, it is a person to whom a call is given, who must makes it come reality (2Peter 1:10).

My Personal Testimony: Many years ago, when I was probably 24 I had an unforgettable experience. I was living with my maternal uncle, Rev. Simon Emiau, who is now the General Superintendent of Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG), the affiliate of Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (POAC) by then. My uncle, at that time, was the Principal of the Bible School as well as a pastor of PAG church.

I kept pestering my uncle to grant me an opportunity to speak at a Sunday service. One day he yielded and allocated me a Sunday. I spent hours in school Library in preparation for my first sermon. I came up with my notes filling five foolscap papers. Not only was I prepared with a sermon, I made sure I had my suit, matching shoes and tie arranged for that day.

The D day came, and I was invited to preach after a couple of praise and worship songs. When I got to the pulpit, things changed: My audience was not of my expectation. I saw a large consignment of visiting Canadian missionaries, Faculty Staff of the Bible College, many wealthy-looking people from Mbale town. I became nervous and lost the sermon. In Less than 5 minutes, I had done; reading through my five pages like a news reader. I was allocated 45 minutes, but in five minutes it was all finished.

What next? Sweat poured out like water, yet I did not have a handkerchief to dry myself. Catherine, a young woman I was probably hoping to date, worsened things for me by lending me her own handkerchief publicly. My knees nearly gave way. What a disaster that Sunday! My uncle took over, but as soon as he stepped into the pulpit, I escaped out of church. I was so embarrassed that I did not want to meet any one again from church. I went straight to my bed and lay upside down.

My uncle returned home after service, and came straight to a discouraged and highly embarrassed man. He simply said, “Isaac you are a wonderful Bible Teacher, just keep practicing it.” To me it sounded as mockery, but it was the true. Today I can handle any congregation any where in the world with total confidence. This did not just come, but after consistent practice and development.

SUMMARY:

God has saved each of us for a purpose, therefore it our responsibility to seek to know that purpose and faithfully function with in it. But this does not come cheap. We need to totally surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ, and let him have his way. He is faithful and will communicate His will in clarity. Whenever, there is cloud of doubt, He is willing to make it clearer.

The totality of God’s will is revealed in His Word. Walking according to the Word of God is walking according to God’s will, Amen!

P.S. Remember to check the other categories for Prayer Requests and Special Event announcements.

Conference with Evangelists in Mayuge District

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

7th and 8th JUNE 2013
148 Evangelists attended

TEXT: Mathew 10:31-35

THEME: Evangelism

INTRODUCTION:

The ministry of Evangelizing and Witnessing to the lost souls is a primary responsibility of the Church. Through evangelism and witnessing the church is able to expand numerically, taking more territory from the kingdom of darkness. This world is still under the partial rulership of Satan under various agencies (Luke 4:5-7;2 Corinthians 4:3-4), and therefore the church is a formidable force in an enemy territory because the church is above the authority of the Principalities and powers of darkness (Ephesians 1:19-23).

Staff, Sylvia and Rose leading worship

Staff, Sylvia and Rose leading worship

The six pillars of the world (Politics, Commerce, Family, Education, Media and Performing Arts) visibly portray the influence of Satan and his evil nature. The church has a single mission to expand its territory in spite of the constant resistance mounted by the evil one (Mathew 11:12). The essence of the famous Great Commission is the fundamental transformation of the world, from the leadership and influence of Satan to the power of God’s Grace through death and resurrection Jesus Christ, manifested in freedom, love and holiness; from the people governed by their sensual appetites to those ruled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God by Grace (Mathew 28:19-20). This is tremendous blessing upon whoever is obedient to this Commission (Proverbs 11:30; James 5:20)

It is indeed a great pleasure to the Heavenly kingdom to see many souls come to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Man, not the Angels have been commissioned to carry out this task. God has released, though the Holy Spirit all the necessary instruments for this mission. It is clear from Scripture that one of the major reasons why the Holy Spirit was sent upon the church was to help the church in her mission of being a witness for Jesus (Acts 1: 8)

Being a proclaimer of Good News about the salvation of man through Jesus Christ, is not exclusive to evangelists alone, but every one who is borne into the family of God through sanctification by death and resurrection of Christ Jesus Christ. There are three ways in which every one can be involved in evangelism and witnessing. There is no excuse whatsoever for none involvement.

83 year old evangelist praising God

83 year old evangelist praising God

(i) Through Intercession (1Timothy 2:1): A very important slogan in evangelism is, “Before talking to some one about Jesus Christ, talk to Christ about the person first.” It is very necessary to identify the territorial spirit that controls a given area, and deal with it in spiritual warfare, commanding them to loose control over the area of their influence, souls and the minds of their victims before actually proclaiming the truth. These Spirits are easily identifiable through their manifestations in the behavior, attitude and thinking of their victims. Prayer also helps to strengthen the witness or evangelist against fear and any forms of resistance mounted by the enemy. Intercession is the backbone of witnessing and evangelism.

Intercession is comparable to Air force in the earthly warfare.

(ii) Financial and Material Support Romans 10:14-15): Not every member in the Kingdom of God may be an intercessor, as there are various gifts (Romans 12:4-8). However, their involvement in material and financial contribution to support evangelism is a vital aspect of evangelism. Without financial resources, the act of witness and evangelism will be limited. One of the ways the devil has fought against the Kingdom of God is through blocking financial resources. Today it is easier to find money for construction and social need projects such as weddings, the poor, the sick etc, than for evangelism and discipleship. Supporting construction projects and all those other social concerns is excellent and Biblical, but supporting evangelism is a better investment and a higher priority because it concerns eternity.

(iii) Proclaiming the Gospel (Mathew 10:32-33): All believers are called to proclaim the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, and testify of their faith every where; making opportunity from every social and business interaction. Christ did not promise that this would be easy, but costly, in terms of relationships and even life itself. Many believers have failed to effectively make use of the opportunities they have because of fear and an accusation from the enemy.

Proclamation of the gospel is in itself, an offensive weapon. If one does not fight an offensive warfare, he or she must be fighting defensive warfare. Fighting defense warfare gives the enemy the prerogative to determine the battle field which may include your bedroom. Whereas, you decide to engage the enemy on the ground of your own. The enemy is ever active (James 4:7; 1Peter 5:8), and no wonder, many believers are engulfed in the sea of difficulties. Consistent bombardment from enemy has weakened many believers. It is a ploy of the enemy to cast doubt about the love of God and thus discourage a believer completely.

[photo:Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako (right) chatting with Rev. Silas Ogwadulai during the lunch break]

THE AIM OF EVANGELISM

The aim of evangelism is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. There is a big difference between a “Christian Convert” and a “Christian Disciple”. Without a discipleship program, evangelism is a mere waste of resources, time and effort. Disciples are raised up through training which involves instruction and practice. The word “Disciple” comes from the Greek word, “Methetes” which entails “learning” and “putting into practice what is learnt.”

Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako chatting with Rev. Silas Ogwadulai at lunch

Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako chatting with Rev. Silas Ogwadulai at lunch

The local church is a discipleship school from which an army of saints is raised up. They are raised through instruction, helped to practice the word in all aspects of their life and helped to discover and practice their placement in the body of Christ. This is never an instantaneous event, but life long and progressive transformation, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit through the Grace of God alone. Before evangelism or witnessing is carried out, the plan should be in place for:

(i) Follow up- to water baptize, ground and establish the new believer in the basic Christian doctrine. This is best done by a person, or the system in which the person whom God used belongs. Just like the mother’s breast milk is the best for the baby, similarly, the person who is led to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ depends on the person who led them to Christ.

(ii) Placement-to help a new Christian find a suitable local church in which he or she can be natured. A new Christian is as vulnerable and delicate as a newly born baby needing, protection and care. Evangelism and the local church are inseparable.

WHAT THE GOSPEL IS:

We only preach the gospel and let the Holy Spirit convict the sinner of his or her sin. (John 16:8-11). Many times the evangelist is attempted to convince people with sweet and appealing arguments, persuasion, promises etc. Real salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit through the Grace of God. (1 Corinthians 2:2). The Evangelist’s role is to preach the living word of God.

The outline of the gospel is:
(i) Every man is a sinner and without hope (Romans 3:9-12; Galatians2:17). It is only by the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ that any man shall hope for Salvation (John 14:6).
(ii) Salvation is neither the work of man, (ie. keeping laws), but the Grace of God (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
(iii) One needs to believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour Before salvation (Romans 10: 9-10)
(iv) There is a reward of eternal life for those who are obedient to the will of God through Christ Jesus, (Mathew 25:46), and eternal death in hell for every disobedient soul (Mathew 8:12; 13:42,50)

People have sometimes preached something else, but not the gospel. Such persuasions are quite appealing, sweeping masses. However, with time, when the promises of material blessings, healing or any other tangible benefits don’t come forth as expected, they turn back in disappointment.

CHALLENGES FACING EVANGELISM IN UGANDA AND DEVELOPING WORLD:

Many local churches are inappropriately structured, and evangelism or evangelists are never priority areas, and therefore marginalized during the allocation of resources. In most cases an evangelist is not considered one of the principal pillars of the church worth of support. The Pastoral ministry is the only office that is functional in a majority of local church settings. The church is constructed and must be supported by the five pillars as taught in scripture (Ephesians 4:11-12). I believe that all the five ministry offices are equal without any being more dominant than others.

Because of this misconceptions of church leadership, the four offices of evangelist, apostle, teacher and prophet have been rendered dormant and without the opportunity to develop. The notion that every servant leader must be a pastor is a serious modern error. This partly explains the disorder in many local churches. For example, a person called to be an evangelist, does not have the endowment to shepherd (pastor) the flock effectively: Certainly something will miss out.

So Evangelism has the following challenges:

(i) Absence of resources and consistent resource base is a key factor in slow or sluggish evangelism in local churches. People give liberally to social concerns such as marriages, construction projects; support to the less privileged etc.The reluctance to support evangelism is the strategy of the devil. The evangelists have to devise alternative means such as tent building (Acts 18:3; 1Thssolonians 3:7-10) . Tent building project must not be too demanding, so as to distract from evangelism. Some potentially good evangelists have been diverted to full time business people.

(ii) Lack of follow-up strategy. Evangelism must be carefully planned to prepare for the maturing of the new souls. Therefore a local church must be part and parcel in planning of an evangelistic outreach.

(iii) Lack of trained and endowed man power. That means that evangelists must be equipped with the gospel truth based on the correct theology, and must be able to correctly handle questions that arise. Mass evangelism (Open air campaigns) is good, but less effective than person-to-person. Above all, evangelists should be capable of demonstrating the gospel truth through the manifestation of divine authority through healing, casting out demons and miracles.

SUMMARY:

Evangelism and discipleship is a primary calling of the church of Jesus Christ. Because the enemy knows and is scared of it, attacks have been launched against this program. Ministry of intercession is almost non-existent in many local churches. Resource allocation to the department of evangelism is considered a non-priority area by churches and church-based organizations.

As the clock ticks toward the closure of the church dispensation, the church needs to strengthen evangelism and discipleship capacity.

Church Leaders Training Seminar

Messages by Pastor Isaac Peter Oyako Posted on by

22nd of July to 2nd of August, 2013

Revival Time Ministry is hosting a Church Leaders Training Seminar from 22nd July to 2nd August. The participants will be selected from leading ministries in North and Eastern Region of Uganda.

Priority will be given to those people who oversee districts and pastor large congregations. Over hundred have completed the application forms, but our capacity is only 40.

The venue is in our Revival Time Ministry base in Soroti. This base was temporarily constructed to host schools of Discipleship Ministry and Evangelism.

The schools served from 1996 to 2005 producing over 200 church leaders. It served as a refugee camp when LRA rebels attacked Teso Region. As a result of our generosity, the base was mismanaged, and almost all items got stolen or destroyed.

All grass roofs have been repaired in RTM Base in Soroti town

The RTM Conference Base now has all the thatched roofs repaired

Right now the urgent need is to renovate the base in preparation for the July and December Women’s Conferences. We are still lacking about USD $5,000 to complete the work.

When fully renovated, the base will serve as a Church Leadership and Evangelism Training Center. It will also be part of our revenue base as many other organizations may want to use it.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST:

On top of the USD $5,000 urgently needed, we now have 5 girls who are in our sponsorship program and are studying in various universities, but they have not completed Tuition last semester. The universities need a total of USD $2400, or else these young women will have to drop out of education. They are mainly orphans. Pray with us.

Would you help them in the name of Jesus Christ?