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BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH

*BIRTHDAY OF THE CHURCH* May 24, 2026 - Pentecost Sunday  In the Upper Room, the Apostles were gathered in fear, uncertainty and sorrow after Christ’s departure. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them like a mighty wind and tongues of fire rested upon them, everything changed. The frightened disciples became courageous missionaries. Those who once hid behind locked doors boldly proclaimed the Gospel before nations and crowds. *Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church was born* That is why Pentecost is called the birthday of the Church. On this day, God did not leave His people orphaned. Instead, He sent the Holy Spirit - the Advocate, Comforter and Guide - to remain with the Church forever. The same Holy Spirit who empowered the Apostles continues to guide the Church today through every age, trial, persecution and challenge. Pentecost reminds us that Christianity is not merely about tradition or rituals. It is a living relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Spi...

2026 PENTECOST SUNDAY

*24/05/2026* *2026 PENTECOST SUNDAY* THEME: *THE GOSPEL WITHOUT HEALING AND MIRACLES* “Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?” Acts 26:8 Miracles and healings raise a question; some people say the days of miracles are gone. Others say, even though, God heals, but some conditions are too bad for God to heal. Check through the Gospels, we will see impossibilities turn to possibilities by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 The Word of God is real, true and alive. Miracles and healings are living testimonies to the authenticity of the Bible. *The ministry of Jesus Christ* had 3 cardinal areas, that of Preaching, teaching and healing. The three areas are exclusive to the life of Jesus; one cannot be substituted for the other. The three complement one another. What is preached and taught should be demonstrated and seen by all to be true and real. During the life of Jesus, diverse miracles a...

ELIJAH AND OBADIAH II

*20/05/2026* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *WHAT DOES GOD DO?* CONTINUING PROVISION AND PRESENCE  - God will sometimes overrule the natural order by the miraculous  True Miracles  Elijah  1 Kings 17-18; 2 Kings 1 ELIJAH AND OBADIAH II 1 Kings 18:1-15 Obadiah told Elijah about what had been happening during his absence, but was afraid to take Elijah’s message to Ahab. Elijah clearly had a reputation for disappearing without a trace, and he was worried about Ahab’s reaction if this happened again (1 Kings 18:11-12, 14). Unlike Elijah, Obadiah was not a prophet and made no claims to receiving divine revelation, as is clear from his statement, *I do not know where the spirit of the Lord may carry you **(1 Kings 18:12). He was merely a man who had worshipped the Lord for many years. Elijah had to promise invoking the name of the Lord Almighty to convince Obadiah to bring the King to meet him (1 Kings 18:15). *©️2026* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ™️* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052...

ELIJAH AND OBADIAH

*17/05/2026* *THIRD SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *WHAT DOES GOD DO?* CONTINUING PROVISION AND PRESENCE  - God will sometimes overrule the natural order by the miraculous  True Miracles  Elijah  1 Kings 17-18; 2 Kings 1 ELIJAH AND OBADIAH 1 Kings 18:1-15 Towards the end of the dry years, the Lord directed Elijah to go to Ahab (1 Kings 18:1). The Lord was now planning to send rain on the land, as he does on the righteous and the unrighteous alike (Matthew 5:45). As Elijah was on his way to see Ahab, he met Obadiah, a devout believer in the Lord. Obadiah was an officer in the courts of Ahab and had secretly hidden away a hundred prophets of the Lord in caves to save them (1 Kings 18:2-4, 13). The Lord has his faithful servants planted in the places they are least expected so that they can carry out the work of God where it is most opposed. Moreover, Obadiah’s actions show that the faithfulness of God was not just extended to Elijah but to many other prophets. Just as the rave...

ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH IV

*13/05/2026* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *WHAT DOES GOD DO?* CONTINUING PROVISION AND PRESENCE  - God will sometimes overrule the natural order by the miraculous  True Miracles  Elijah 1 Kings 17-18; 2 Kings 1 ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH IV 1 Kings 17:7-24 Jesus later explained that suffering and death are not always a result of an individual’s sin. Some illness happens to allow God to show his power of healing and to receive glory from people (John 9:3; 11:4). This was certainly the case here. The widow was overjoyed and her faith turned into knowledge and greater trust that Elijah’s words were true, because they were the words of the Lord (Exodus 17:24). The fact that she commends Elijah for speaking the word of the Lord without changing its meaning suggests that there must have been lying prophets even in those days. *©️2026* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ™️* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered ...

ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH III

*10/05/2026* *SECOND SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *WHAT DOES GOD DO?* CONTINUING PROVISION AND PRESENCE  - God will sometimes overrule the natural order by the miraculous  True Miracles  Elijah 1 Kings 17-18; 2 Kings 1 ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH III 1 Kings 17:7-24 After a time, the son of the widow became ill to the point of death (Exodus 17:17). It was the general belief then, as often today, that suffering is always a result of sin. So the widow felt that the presence of a man of God must have drawn attention to some sin she had committed (Exodus 17:18). Elijah does not seem to share this view. He took the child, stretched himself on the child three times, and prayed for the boy’s life. God responded by allowing life to return to the child (Exodus 17:19-23). This story is similar to the one in which Elisha brought the son of the Shunammite back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37) *©️2026* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ™️* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.j...

ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH II

*06/05/2026* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *WHAT DOES GOD DO?* CONTINUING PROVISION AND PRESENCE  - God will sometimes overrule the natural order by the miraculous  True Miracles  Elijah 1 Kings 17-18; 2 Kings 1 ELIJAH TO ZAREPHATH II 1 Kings 17:7-24 On arriving at Zarephath, Elijah met a widow near the town gate. Just as Eliezer had asked Rebecca for a drink outside the town of Nahor (Genesis 24:17), so Elijah requested a drink from the widow, as well as something to eat (Exodus 17:10-11). The widow told him of her poverty and that she and her son were down to the last of their food. But the prophet reassured her, *Don’t be afraid* and promised that the Lord would sustain her till the end of the drought (Exodus 17:12-14). The widow did as she was told. She believed the word of God and was obedient to it (Exodus 17:15-16). Many years later, Jesus would mention her as an example of someone with faith (Luke 4:26). Her supply of oil and flour lasted to the end of the famine. *©️...