Benefits of Salvation
Welcome to Sunday, the *_16th day of FEBRUARY 2025._* This is THE YEAR OF OUR ULTIMATE TRIUMPH! Receive your *GOOD NEWS* as we continue our ultimate march *_from trials to triumph!_*
*This year of Ultimate Triumph, your positive achievements will manifest; your unprecedented success will attract greatness to you; your God-instituted ministry will set your community free from pain; and your household will enjoy a limitless peace. The Almighty God has announced your dominion, writing off your testy frustrations to His Glory in Jesus’ Name!_*
AMEN! 
Our *THEME –* Our *GOOD NEWS –* is titled:
*_“BENEFITS OF SALVATION!“_*
Our *TEXT: 3 John 2; Jeremiah 29:11; and Deuteronomy 8:18* (NKJV).
*3 John 2* (NKJV): *_“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”_*
*Jeremiah 29:11* (NKJV): *_“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”_*
*Deuteronomy 8:18* (NKJV): *_“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”_*
*Let us make a 7-FOLD PRAYER RAID against your benefits of salvation:*
- Topic: Breaking the Chains of Confusion
*Prayer Point: _“Demons of confusion that trick a believer to assume that the Gospel is only an aid to make it to heaven but not useful for fulfilment in life; lose your hold on my life, in Jesus’ Name.”_*
*Supporting Verse: 1 Corinthians 14:33 -* _“For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.”_
- *Topic:* Wasting Spiritual Killers.
*Prayer Point:* _“Spiritual and physical faith killers, be wasted on my life’s path, in the Name of Jesus Christ.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Luke 10:19-20 -* _“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall – by any means- hurt you!”_
- *Topic:* Spirit of Wisdom.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, give me the spirit of understanding and wisdom for maintaining my saving faith in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: James 1:5 -* _“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.”_
- *Topic:* Anointing for Exploits.
*Prayer Point: _“Anointing to do exploits and become a great success in all endeavours of life, fall upon me, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Daniel 11:32 -* _“The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”_
- *Topic: * Terror to the Enemy.
*Prayer Point: _“My Father, My God – make me a terror to the enemies of Salvation, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Romans 16:20 -* _“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”_
- *Topic:* Understanding Christ.
*Prayer Point: _“I command every problem that crept into my life due to my misunderstanding of why Jesus Christ came to jump out in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: John 8:32 -* _“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”_
- *Topic:* Enforcing God’s Dominion.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, empower me to enforce Your dominion and make a proper use of Your grace in this generation, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Matthew 28:18* – _“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”_
https://youtu.be/Sy27Lypg-zY?si=w2eb5FOKh3-tss2c
Title: *My God, How Wonderful Thou Art*
Subjects: *Adoration, Worship, Devotion*
Author: *Frederick William Faber (1814–1863)*
Year of composition: *(1848)* MHB. 73.
Tune: *WESTMINSTER (Turle)*
Tune composition: *James Turle (1802–1882)*
Year of composition of tune: *(1835)*
Key: *C*
Meter: *8.6.8.6* *(CM)*
Scripture references: *1 Chronicles 29:11; Hebrews 12:28; John 14:21; Revelation 4; 22:3-4*
*1.*
My God, how wonderful thou art,
Thy majesty how bright,
How beautiful thy mercy seat,
In depths of burning light!
*2.*
How dread are thine eternal years,
O everlasting Lord,
By prostrate spirits day and night
Incessantly adored!
*3.*
How wonderful, how beautiful,
The sight of thee must be,
Thine endless wisdom, boundless power,
And awful purity!
*4.*
O how I fear thee, living God,
With deepest, tenderest fears,
And worship thee with trembling hope
And penitential tears!
*5.*
Yet I may love thee too, O Lord,
Almighty as thou art,
For thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.
*6.*
No earthly father loves like thee,
No mother, e’er so mild,
Bears and forbears as thou hast done
With me, thy sinful child.
*7.*
Father of Jesus, love’s reward,
What rapture will it be,
Prostrate before thy throne to lie,
And gaze and gaze on thee!
*ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE HYMN!*
I got this commentary from my friend, Hymnody Mentor and Methodist Bishop of Ndoki-Asa, *_Rt. Rev. Dr Okechukwu Ogba_*
Frederick W. Faber was raised in the Church of England. He was born in 1814 and he died in 1863.
This hymn originally had nine stanzas. It was first published in Jesus and Mary, or Catholic Hymns for Singing and Reading (1849). The song’s original title was “The Eternal Father.”
In 1849, Frederick Faber created this beautiful hymn that expresses the contrast between the greatness of God and the unworthiness of poor fallen human beings.
In the hymn, he heaps phrase upon phrase to express the unreachable greatness of the Almighty.
God has “endless wisdom, boundless power, and awful purity.”
God is the “everlasting Lord” who is “by prostrate spirits day and night incessantly adored.”
Yet, there is a staggering paradox to be considered in stanza 5.
Faber says:
“Yet I may love Thee, too, O Lord,
Almighty as Thou art,
For Thou hast STOOPED to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.”
STOOPING to ask –what a picture of infinite humility! That One so supremely exalted should stoop to commune with weak and finite creatures such as we are is utterly incredible, but true.
“Though the Lord is on high, yet He regards the lowly” (Ps. 138:6)
The most significant expression of God’s infinite condescension is found in the cross of Calvary. Since all have sinned (Rom. 3:23) none could able to serve as the sinner’s substitute and die in our place. To pay the price for our sins, God the Son “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:8)
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (II Cor. 8:9).
How far was it from heaven’s throne to the cross? An infinite distance. Just as no human being can comprehend God in His transcendence so can we ever able to explain or fully understand how far the Lord stooped to save us, Faber writes.
But in the cross, unknowable love becomes knowable. And Christ’s sacrifice awakens a response in us. Love responds to love. “We love Him because He first loved us” (I Jn. 4:19). We love the One who stooped, in love, to ask us for our passion.
Questions:
1) What are some things about God that are “wonderful”?
2) Why did the Lord stoop to save you?
Verses omitted in some hymnbooks:
“Oh then this worse than worthless heart
In pity deign to take,
And make it love Thee, for Thyself
And for Thy glory’s sake.”
“Only to sit and think of God—
O what a joy it is!
To think the thought, to breathe the Name—
Earth has no higher bliss!.”
https://youtu.be/Sy27Lypg-zY?si=w2eb5FOKh3-tss2c
Remember, Our *GOOD NEWS –* is titled:
*_“BENEFITS OF SALVATION!“_*
Our *TEXT: 3 John 2; Jeremiah 29:11; and Deuteronomy 8:18* (NKJV).
*3 John 2* (NKJV): *_“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”_*
*Jeremiah 29:11* (NKJV): *_“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”_*
*Deuteronomy 8:18* (NKJV): *_“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”_*
*Exhortation*
Theme: *“The Benefits of Salvation!”*
Beloved, today we gather to explore the profound theme: *“The Benefits of Salvation”* in our world that often equates the need for Christian salvation solely with a passport to the afterlife and nothing more.
Let us delve deep into the Scriptures and unveil the holistic blessings that come with being “saved”. Salvation is not merely a ticket to heaven; it is a transformative experience that impacts every facet of our lives—spiritually, physically, health-wise, relationally, financially, and economically.
*_Isaiah 53:5_* (NKJV) informs you and me: *_“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes, we are healed.”_*
We must demystify *The Myth of Poverty*: The scriptures dismantle the misconception that righteousness equates to suffering and lack. The Bible assures us that salvation brings about prosperity in various forms. In *_John 10:10,_* Jesus declares, *_“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”_* This abundant life encompasses not only spiritual fulfilment but also success in every arena of existence. If those who worship God are not financially successful, how will God’s covenant with the Church Fathers concerning those who believe be fulfilled? Serving God appropriately gives success on earth and in heaven! Those who serve God *_are assured of wealth_* if they obey the rule of diligence in faith-focused hard work, creativity in productive endeavours, gracefulness in relationships, giving to Godly Cause, and living a Spirit-controlled lifestyle.
*Let us examine our Selected Texts:*
3 John 2 (NKJV): “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV): “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV): “And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
We may wonder why many Christians endure hardship, calling upon God and labouring diligently, yet see little effect. In 2 Chronicles 7:13-15, we find God’s response: *_“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people; if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”_*
The hymn “My God, How Wonderful Thou Art” resonates beautifully with the theme “The Benefits of Salvation.” Let us reflect on this connection:
- Celebration of God’s Nature: The hymn highlights God’s majestic attributes—His wisdom, power, and purity. Grasping these qualities is essential to appreciating the benefits of salvation, as they reveal the character of the One who offers it.
- Recognition of God’s Love and Humility: The hymn conveys that God “stooped” to seek our love, illustrating the personal and profound nature of salvation. This selfless act epitomises the core benefit of salvation—reconciliation with God, transforming us from unworthy sinners to beloved children.
- Contrast of Greatness and Grace: Faber beautifully juxtaposes God’s majesty with our unworthiness, showcasing the grace inherent in salvation. Recognising our need for salvation deepens our appreciation for its benefits, highlighting God’s willingness to save us despite our sinfulness.
- Response to His Love: The hymn invites us to respond to God’s love and grace through salvation, encouraging us to live in gratitude for His marvellous works—one of the significant benefits of salvation, transforming our hearts and actions.
Responses to “About the Author”Questions:
- What are some things about God that are “wonderful”?
- His Majesty: God’s sovereignty and omnipotence are evident in creation’s beauty and the universe’s complexity.
- His Mercy: God’s readiness to forgive and show compassion to sinners is wondrous and transformative.
- His Love: God’s unconditional love, as showcased in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, is astonishing.
- His Wisdom: God’s divine wisdom orchestrates events for our good and His glory, often beyond our understanding.
- His Faithfulness: God’s unwavering commitment to His promises offers hope and assurance in all circumstances.
- Why did the Lord stoop so low to save me?
- The Lord stooped to save us out of profound love that desires relationship and communion with us, despite our fallen state. This act of humility reflects His character and the essence of grace—He offers us not what we deserve, but instead, mercy and redemption. The Lord’s desire is for us to experience the fullness of life, joy, and purpose through salvation. The ultimate act of humility is embodied in the incarnation of Christ, who became human to relate to our struggles and offer Himself as a substitute for our sins.
As we consider how this theme ministers to us, let’s reflect on several facets:
- The Individual: For those who believe that righteousness does not lead to success and wealth, understand that salvation opens the floodgates of divine favour. Embracing your identity in Christ can lead to breakthroughs in both personal and professional realms.
- The Corporate Firm or Business: In the corporate sphere, businesses founded on godly principles and ethical practices will thrive. When righteousness guides decision-making, divine favour and prosperity will follow, creating a legacy of success that honours God.
- The Couple or Marriage in Turmoil: For couples facing challenges, salvation serves as the bedrock of reconciliation. Inviting Christ into your relationship can bring healing, restoration, and a renewed commitment to one another, fostering a thriving partnership.
- The Leader of the Government of the Nation: Leaders who embrace righteousness in governance will guide their nations toward peace and prosperity. When policies reflect Kingdom values, communities flourish, and nations become beacons of hope.
As we prepare to pray and depart, let us remember that salvation is a comprehensive blessing that transforms every aspect of our lives. Embrace your identity in Christ and witness how He opens doors of success and abundance.
Overall, the hymn by Frederick William Faber serves as a moving expression of adoration that aligns beautifully with the theme *_“The Benefits of Salvation.”_* It encourages us to reflect on the wonderful nature of God and His selfless act of love, deepening our appreciation for the salvation we have received through Christ.
Receive your GOOD NEWS as we continue our ultimate march from trials to triumph! In this year of Ultimate Triumph, may you experience unprecedented success in all your undertakings. The Almighty God has declared your triumph, turning your trials into His Glory in Jesus’ Name! AMEN!
Let us not live powerless lives as Christians; for in His presence, we find the strength and power to reign in life!
May your exploration of this hymn and this inspired message enrich your understanding of God’s grace and the profound benefits of salvation!
May God bless you as you carry this message into your homes, workplaces, and communities. Let us commit ourselves to this path, trusting that God will lead us to excel in this season of triumph. AMEN.
Now, Let Us Pray: 
- *Topic:* Divine Direction.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, guide my steps and lead me to my destined path of success, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6 -* _“Trust in the LORD with all your heart…”_
- *Topic:* Healing and Restoration.
*Prayer Point: _“I declare healing over my life and my family, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Exodus 15:26 –* _“I am the LORD who heals you.”_
- *Topic:* Financial Breakthrough.
*Prayer Point: _“I command every financial limitation in my life to be broken, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Philippians 4:19 –* _“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”_
- *Topic:* Strength in Adversity.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, grant me the strength to persevere through trials and emerge victorious, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Isaiah 40:31 –* _“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength…”_
- *Topic:* Peace in Turmoil.
*Prayer Point: _“I speak peace into every storm in my life, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: John 14:27 –* _“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…”_
- *Topic:* Unity in Relationships.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, bring unity and love into my relationships, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Ephesians 4:3 –* _“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”_
- *Topic:* Fruitfulness in Ministry.
*Prayer Point: _“Anoint my ministry for fruitfulness and impact, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: John 15:16 –* _“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…”_
- *Topic:* Divine Protection.
*Prayer Point: _“I declare divine protection over my life and family, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: Psalm 91:11 –* _“For He shall give His angels charge over you…”_
- *Topic:* Revival in the Nation.
*Prayer Point: _“Father, send a revival to our nation and restore righteousness, in the Name of Jesus.”_*
*Supporting Verse: 2 Chronicles 7:14 –* _“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves…”_*
*_I now command every sickness – including emotional, financial or spiritual barrenness – and failure in your life, home, and ministry to be cast into the desolate places, NOW, in Jesus’ Name._*
*_Amen._*
* * *
*I prophesy, according to the Word of God, that YOU will not become Satan’s prey in this End-Time where the enemy of God strives to win souls through human beings’ growing inordinate ambitions to live in a world without GOD. The human desire and demand of this ageing world will not swallow you up – in Jesus’ Name.*
*_At Christ Jesus’ inspired word, the great help of God will cause you to flourish, annihilating your fears and destroying the traps set for you at these dangerous times, in Jesus’ mighty Name. ONLY BELIEVE!_*
GLORY BE TO GOD!
*_Alleluia!_*
As God’s Anointed, I humbly prophesy, according to the Word of God, the evil declarations against your life are NOW divinely annulled and defeated, in Jesus’ mighty Name.
*_Every plan of the Kingdom of darkness against your soul has perished – forever, in Jesus’ mighty Name._*
*_As for me and my household – including these prayer partners reading, hearing and praying along – we shall serve the living God in sound health, flourishing wealth and prosperity of our souls, in Jesus’ Name!_*
*_I love you, in Jesus’ Name!_*
*God Bless You!*
*Enter To Worship… Depart To Serve!*
Feel free to check us out on the secured web:
https://www.evangelion-tm.com/
*Bless Someone Today: It’s Your Happy Sunday!* I seize this opportunity to bless those notable persons whose birthdays or special anniversaries it is today. May you continue to receive power to excel, unmerited favour, love and grace to overcome evil, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
HAVE A GLORIOUS MONTH OF FEBRUARY, in Jesus’ Name. 