Doxa

HOG “Daughters of Zion” had another successful annual “Oil in My Lamp” conference Saturday and Sunday, September 19-20, 2009. The event wrapped up on Sunday with a thanksgiving service, and the women of the church running the show.
The conference on Saturday took place at a community center in Columbia, Maryland a couple of miles of the beltway. Attended by both women and men alike, this conference highlighted a variety of events geared towards women, their role in their families and in the church.

There were icebreakers and other fun activities such as how to tie a fashionable “gele” (a striking head-tie worn by Nigerian females as an accent to traditional attire worn particularly during notable events and festive occasions) and how women (and men) can make themselves presentable with health, supplements and beauty products – A consultant from Ardyss International, Brenda, walked through the Ardyss product suite.

Following this, Pastor Roselyn Phillips gave a short motivational anecdote encouraging the women accordingly:

• Daughters of Zion should endeavor to be like the proverb 31 woman. 
• Daughters of Zion have the power to set the tone of their homes…
• Each woman should make her home a haven for our husbands. 
• She cautioned that whatever a wife (mom) does, her children tend to follow after
• When a woman respects and loves her husband as the bible commands, her husband will be more than willing to go to the ends of the earth for her.
• Each Daughter of Zion should make her home the kind where her husband looks forward to come home from work to.  She should take care of the home, and take care of her husband so his eyes do not wander.

The keynote speaker, Pastor Stella Babalola spoke on “Things to remember and things to forget”, urging that we should learAn to let-go of things so they don’t hinder our progress and future. Dr. Maureen N. Muoneke, Obstetrics & Gynecology, give a brief talk on women’s health, urging the women to be aware of their bodies and live a preventive lifestyle so as to protect from diseases common to women.

The conference was well represented by guest from churches in the Baltimore area.

“Oil in My Lamp” is inspired by the biblical story of the Ten Virgins, one of the parables narrated by Jesus illustrating the Kingdom of Heaven. Oil in My Lamp Conference seeks to refresh and recharge the Christian woman, as she goes about her daily walk as a covenant child of God.

On Sunday, August 30, Brother Kola Olaleye was ordained as a minister in House of Glory. This ordination was widely accepted and applauded by the congregation, as over time brother Kola has exhibited qualities that are evident in a minister. Brother Kola has been the very dedicated in the audiovisual ministry, where he has carved a niche for himself, and continues to flourish. It is a collective House of Glory prayer that brother Kola will not rest on his laurels, but through this ordination, take all the good work he has been doing to the next level.
Right now, he is the latest classic example of the parable that states, one who is faithful in little will be given more. He who is not faithful, even that which he has will be taken from him.

Matthew 25:29
“For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”

Qualifications of a Minister

Above and beyond the general biblical requirements of a minister, in House of Glory the candidate:

• must have been a worker for at least two years to  qualify for ordination (“worker” experience can be carried over from a 
    previous Redeemed parish)
• is expected to actively participate in mid-week activities since this helps with spiritual and personal development. 

The first testimony of Glory Cloud 2009 was given on Sunday evening, August 23, 2009 by Sister Bali. She had been an active part of Glory Cloud ’09 attending all of the daily events. On Tuesday, under the ministration of Pastor Festus Adeyeye, she received her breakthrough.

Sister Bali had being experiencing ongoing ear problem for 20 years now, and found it hard to hear from her left ear. However, during the ministration, she tapped into the anointing that was over the House when her case was specifically called out during a word of knowledge (prophesy) from Pastor Adeyeye. Pastor Adeyeye stated, “There is someone in the congregation whose left ear is being healed right now!”
Shortly thereafter, Sister Bali heard a loud rushing noise in her ear, which was immediately followed by a loud pop, and from then onwards the clarity of her hearing was restored.

She exhorted the people saying, that if God could do it for her, he could definitely do it for them, if they held on to the promises of God and believed. TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

The last couple of messages for Glory Cloud touched on breaking through barriers, and destiny. Below is a snapshot of nuggets shared by Apostle Michael Adefarasin. Sunday evening of Glory Cloud was an anointing service.

A breakthrough is a significant or sudden advance or increase that removes barriers to your progress. There are different types of breakthroughs:

• Individual – personal to you
• Corporate – as relating to a group (e.g. a church)
• Territorial – as relating to a region or country

Usually a person may need a breakthrough to overcome a stalemate (a goal “stand-off”), stagnant situation. When breaking through, a unity of vision and of purpose is required. In trying to achieve goals, it is important to realize that if you have to compromise to get (or acquire) something, then you most likely have to keep compromising to keep it.

It Begins with a Seed

Everything God bestows upon you comes initially as a seed; it never comes developed – treasures in earthen vessels. This is so everything has to go through a birthing process. Typically, a woman is better-positioned to breakthrough because her genetic makeup understands the birthing process; the need to overcome is inherent, and it goes beyond a desire. Spiritually, prayer, fasting, and taking a step of faith is crucial for experiencing a breakthrough. Understanding God’s purpose for your life and the abilities he has deposited within you, leads you to your destiny. Therefore when you become or are in attunement with your destiny, you can have the blessings that it brings.

Covenant Relationship

You need to be in a covenant with God and the set man of God (the Pastor) whom you have chosen to be your covering.

Being in covenant with the man of God also means that need to be in covenant with the vision of the man of God has for the church because God would speak to him first before you, concerning the things of His church. Sometimes your blessing comes through the church, through the pastor, right from God.

Points to Ponder

1. Remember that God looks at the motivation behind your thoughts.
2. God wants us to exert our influence in our domain. When we do this, we are better positioned to bring the kingdom of God to our sphere of influence.

Ecclesiates 3

 ¹To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

¹¹He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:

It is common knowledge that in this world, women are tasked with the delivery of babies. However as christians, when operating in the realm of the spirit, most of our achievements share a strong correlation with the “birthing process”. As such, we begin to understand that it is not just women that go through the birthing process, but men also. We all have visions, ideas, plans, and purposes that need to be birthed at one time or another – depending on the time or season we are currently in, in our lives. Missing the God-ordained timing or season for a particular purpose planned for us may mean having to wait again for the next window of opportunity or the season to come around. This, is an quick synopsis of the knowledge Apostle Michael Adefarasin intimated to us on Thursday – Day 5, Glory Cloud 2009, which he built upon for the remainder of his sessions during the Glory Cloud convention.

Birthing Correlations

Many similarities exist between the spiritual and physical realms.  Before there is a manifestation in the physical, there has to be a birthing first in the spiritual.

In his message, Apostle Adefarasin taught that when we have a dream, a vision, or a purpose, it comes to us as a seed – just as a woman is inseminated. No dream or purpose comes about fully grown. There has to be some form of incubation, a development process.

1. When we have a seed within us, we begin to go through changes to adapt to the growth requirements of the seed. For example, we may begin to get irritated with the present circumstances.
2. Like a woman’s body stretches during pregnancy, we find that we also need to stretch ourselves to keep a vision alive.
3. As her taste buds change during pregnancy she must adapt to eating new food, while being careful to nuture and feed her body and her baby.  In the same way, to nuture the seed given us, we must feed on the word of God that relates to the seed.

This is a very minute snapshot. Pastor Adefarasin was very indepth with his teaching, and to fully capture the beauty and the power of the message, you would have needed to be there!

Day 4 of Glory Cloud proved to be yet another one of those days we always look forward to – a time when the entire sanctuary is filled and overflowing to the point that additional chairs have to be placed along the aisle and hallways.

Bishop Dena Jobes, Haven of Rest Sanctuary of Praise, was ministering, ably supported by members of her congregation. In her timely message titled, “Having an Optimistic Spirit”, she discussed the bible story where Moses sent out Joshua and twelve spies from each of the twelve tribes to Canaan to search the land. Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report, full of enthusiasm, but the others returned with a bad report full of tales of woe and fear.

She further went to discuss the reasons why an optimistic spirit is the right approach, and drew examples from passages in the bible to further highlight her points.

Points to Ponder

Are you a Caleb or a Joshua? Or does your life represent one of the other 12 spies?

Reference Bible Passages

Numbers 13; Numbers 14:1-10

The second and third day of Glory Cloud continued in the same momentum. Each passing day of Glory Cloud has truly being about moving from one level of glory to another, and the people of God have been happy and content to bask in the presence of God – hanging around even after the service was well over!
Pastor Festus Adeyeye of Abundant Life, New York, was here yet again as he always is. This Glory Cloud ocassion he ministered on “The Power to Become” on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, “Faith to Embrace the Greater Glory”. With every glory, there is a story because God is in the business of turning impossibilities into possibilities.

The Power to Become

Did you know that everyone and thing has its own glory? that your glory comes to you as a seed, and as a result, you need to develop that seed, and let it grow? Pastor Adeyeye exhorted that. “The glory of a boy is in becoming a man, and the glory of an eaglet is when it becomes an eagle.” All of our lives, we need to live and bask in the glory of God – not looking at it as a one day thing, but as an everyday thing.

Live a Life of Purpose

He motivated the people saying in so many words, over the course of the two days:

• “Discover your purpose, walk in your purpose, and don’t allow your past to dictate your purpose”
• “If you don’t appreciate what you have, it will depreciate [in value in your eyes]“
• “When you talk more with God, you talk less with men”
• God will fight your battle for you. (Luke 21:37)
• Build on your strengths and manage your weaknesses
• Also seek for God’s favor as favor sets you apart from people you are equal to, or may not as talented as. (Luke 1:28)
• Please God before you please man
• Fear God before you fear man
• Respect God before you respect man

His mission from God was to challenge God’s people into a lifestyle of intimacy through prayer. For people to “celebrate” you in the morning, you need to have spent time with God the the night before.

This year’s Glory Cloud kicked off with a great momentum. As anticipated, HOG members came out in full force. The resident pastor, Pastor George Akhigbe officially kicked-off the week, and also officially launched Doxa Magazine.
“This is the best first day of Glory Cloud ever”, Brother Femi Olawale exclaimed, while those around him nodded in agreement.
Pastor Dayo Brown, from Word Ablaze Ministries in Philadelphia, was the first of the speakers to give us a different insight, and perspective on the GLORY OF GOD.

In his message Sunday morning titled, “From Glory to Glory”, Pastor Brown exhorted us based on 2 Corinthians 3:18. “What you behold is what you become!” he mentioned with fervor. We are in many ways a product of our environment and what we surround ourselves with. He encouraged us in the Lord, saying that it is possible for a change to occur – possible for us to go through a metamorphosis (a caterpillar is translated to a butterfly). “You can undergo a radical change such that no one will be able to reconcile your past with your future”.

Points to Remember

• Change is a possibility (Luke 9:29)
• Don’t be satisfied with your present level, God can still take you to greater heights
• Seekers are finders (Psalm 27:4)
• There is a train in God’s presence – the train of his robe filled the temple
• There is fire in God’s presence (Exodus 24:17)
• There is a voice in God’s presence (Luke 9:35)
• There is smoke in God’s presence (Isaiah 6:4; Revelations 15:8)

Other Bible references: Ezekiel 10:4; Psalm 114:1-7

In the evening session, “A place by Me”, Pastor Brown intimated some reasons why we should covet being close to God.

When you run from the presence of God you end up becoming a wanderer (Genesis 4:16); When you run from God’s presence you end up in hardship and have to pay your way through. When God calls you, he pays your way. (Jonah 1:3)

Exodus 33:17-21 – There’s is a place by God where God will place us on a rock

• In the presence of God there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Ps 16:11-12)
• In the presence of God there are solutions (Psalms 97:5)
• Miracles happen in the presence of God (Psalm 114:7-8)
• There is deliverance in the presence of God (Isaiah 19:1)
• There is a refreshing in the presence of God (Acts 3:19)
• There is change in the presence of God (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Jesus is the solid Rock that we speak of -

• The rock brings salvation
• The rock of my refuge (Numbers 23:9; Psalm 40:2)
• The rock has honey in it (Deuteronomy 32:13)
• There rock has oil in it (Deuteronomy 32:13)
• There is water in the rock (Psalm 105:41)
• There is stability on the rock (Psalm 40:2)

Pastors and friends of House of glory showed up this first day in full support – Pastor Akintunde Phillips of Grace of God Ministries, Pastor Joseph Ibomo-Ezo from an RCCG Parish in Hong Kong, and Pastor Basil Osuji and family of Brentwood Foursquare Gospel Church.

Debut Sunday sermon preaching of Deacon K. Bassey

On Sunday August 1, Thanksgiving Sunday throughout the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Deacon Kingsley Bassey of House of Glory had his first preaching debut, delivering the day’s sermon to the congregants of House of Glory. The message, “His Might, Your Benefit” was a recount of how God’s display of His might has been beneficial to people in the days of old, and even today.

Hebrews 13:8 (King James Version)

⁸Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Points to Takeaway:

• Even the lawful captive will be delivered
• God is always in the business of healing
• If God wants to bless you, only you can hinder it
• When God stretches out his hand to protect, no one can turn it back
• God is still mighty to deliver, and mighty to save
• If God could save Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus), He is more than able save you
• Our iniquities put a barrier between us and God
• God will make your enemies be at peace with you

Pastor George Akhigbe revels in victory along with HOG soccer team

House of Glory was invited to a “friendly match” tournament along with other local parishes by House of Praise, Baltimore, a sister parish that had their annual picnic on Saturday, July 25, 2009. The House of Glory team was comprised of members of the dynamic, all-inclusive Synergy group of the church. A group that has being showing great potential this year!
The first match was House of Glory (HOG) vs. House of Praise (HOP), where the HOG team proved its mettle by scoring two points against their opponents – one in each half. Each half lasting for about 25mins. Both goals were secured by Tobi Onibatedo, in an adept display of skill.

Two other sister parishes, Christ Villa and Holy Ground, battled each other, with Holy Ground coming out victorious. The winning team, now a mixed team, faced off with HOG, in a battle for the tournament trophy.
They started off by scoring a goal in the first half against HOG, but the HOG players quickly got their acts together and scored a goal, thanks to the combination work of Tobi Onibatedo and Orlando (our strikers). Orlando placed the ball beautifully into the “net”.
Within the last ten minutes of the game, HOG’s Tobi Onibatedo did what he does best, and once tucked in another goal, that inevitably sealed HOG championship position.

HOG Soccer Team