Theology

 *30/01/2022* *ANOINTING HEALING AND COMMUNION SERVICE* TOPIC: *A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS II* "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" *Psalms 133:1* Text: Acts 2:42-47 Acts 4:23-37 It should not be interpreted as if the new believers formed some kind of monastic group or commune, isolated from the world, in which no one owned anything and all possessions belonged to the community. What we have is not a community of goods, but *a community of believers who were so devoted to one another that they were willing to share everything so that none of them lacked anything according to Acts 2:44* To understand why some of them may have been in want, we need to return to the circumstances of their conversion. Luke described the crowd listening to Peter as having come from all over the known world Acts 2:5. Many of them would have traveled to Jerusalem for Passover and would have been planning to return home after the Feast of Pentecost. The Ethiopi

 *26/01/2022* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* *2022 NIGERIA PEACE PRAYER PROJECT* *#Prayer for the Peace of Ukraine #* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 52 *The Suffering Servant II* Three other passages in Isaiah focus on the Servant and are called the "Servant Songs" Isaiah 42:1-4 Isaiah 49:1-6 Isaiah 50:4-9 The first song celebrates the Servant as the One who will establish justice for all according to Isaiah 42:4. The second highlights the deliverance that the Servant will provide. He will restore Israel and become a "light to the Gentiles". The third emphasizes the God-given wisdom of the Servant. All this culminated in the description of the suffering and death of the Servant in Isaiah 53, the final " Servant Song". *©2022* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blo

 *23/01/2022* *FOURTH SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *A COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS* "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" *Psalms 133:1* Text: Acts 2:42-47 Acts 4:23-37 This newly constituted community managed to live together by devoting themselves to four activities: 1. Learning from the apostles 2. Doing exploits for Jesus 3. Serving one another 4. And sharing their goods Acts 2:42 Their lifestyle was so attractive that it drew others into the faith. These new believers were willing learners and the apostles were willing teachers, for Jesus had also commissioned them to teach those who would become his followers. Matthew 28:20a A faith that is not understood is shaky and has poor foundations, and that is why the new believers had to know what and why they believed. The church in Africa needs to develop the same devotion to teaching. The African church is sometimes described as a mile long and an inch deep, meaning that it has many  members but

 *19/01/2022* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* *2022 NIGERIA PEACE PRAYER PROJECT* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 52:13 *The Suffering Servant* Amidst a declaration of the Lord's coming salvation according to Isaiah 52:7-12 and 54:1-10, Isaiah places a portrait of the Suffering Servant in 52:13-53:12. Despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3), wounded and bruised (Isaiah 53:5), this unattractive Servant would know heartache and sorrow. *What was the reason for His suffering? His life could not be the cause, for He was blameless, speaking only the truth according to Isaiah 53:9* Yet the Servant would be led to prison and then to death for our sins. Isaiah 53:6-11 *©2022* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *16/01/2022* *THIRD SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *THE CAUSE OR CURSE OF POVERTY?* "Poverty does not necessarily cause sin, rather sin is the root cause of poverty" *Pastor John Ifesanya* Text: Luke 6:20-38 Luke 8:18 Isaiah 61:1-3 Human beings from one civilization to another have tried to explain or figure out things happening around them. Such questions include, *Why are some born princes while some born lowly?*, *Should I not have been born an American like Rockefeller, Carnegie and not in a slum?*, *Why does God make some great and others not?* Am sure you have asked questions like these. But wait, did you get any satisfactory answer to all these questions? May be you asked the wrong person the question and could not give the right answer. Please don't ask me the question, because neither can I answer you. But I know a Person that can supply the answer, He knows all things. Let's journey through the Words of this Man. Firstly, we need to ask the right question before we

 *12/01/2022* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* *2022 NIGERIA PEACE PRAYER PROJECT* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 49:7-9 *The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles III* *The Lord will crown His Servant as King to restore blessing on the famished earth* Isaiah 45:8 The pronoun *them* refers to Israel. *The imagery of feeding in pastures implies that the Servant would be Israel's Shepherd-King* Isaiah 40:11 *©2022* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *09/01/2022* *SECOND SUNDAY SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 49:3-6 *The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles II* Israel may refer to the quintessential Israel - the Saviour Jesus - who would come to redeem *national Israel* according to Isaiah 49:5. In partial fulfillment of the prophecy, *In whom I will be glorified*, Jesus prayed to His Father "I have glorified You on the earth - I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4). *The Servant's complaint that He labored in vain (Isaiah 26:17,18) points to His rejection by the nation of Israel and His suffering (Isaiah 42:2)* The Servant will be vindicated (Isaiah 50:8) and will be rewarded after His death (Isaiah 53:8) and resurrection (Isaiah 53:10). The political mission of Cyrus to bring Jacob back from Babylon (Isaiah 44:28; 45:13) foreshadows the spiritually redemptive mission of the Servant to

 *05/01/2022* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* *2022 NIGERIA PEACE PRAYER PROJECT* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 49:1-2 *The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles* *The Servant's mission pertains to the whole earth* Isaiah 41:1 Matrix means "womb" Genesis 25:23 Ruth 1:11 *Through the preaching of His mouth, the Servant will conquer the earth* Isaiah 11:4 Like a sharp sword is a description of Jesus' speech as Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12 and Revelation 1:16 Shadow suggests protection. Isaiah 30:2,3; 51:16 *Because the Servant's mission was hidden until He was sent, it would be more effective* Isaiah 48:6-8. *©2022* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN#* Powered by *JDIS**05/01/2022* *MID-WEEK SERVICE* *2022 NIGERIA PEACE PRAYER PROJECT* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST*

 *Tithes & Offering* Genesis 14:18-20 Account name:  *The Ecumenican Church* Account number: 2280020397 Banker: *Eco Bank Nig. Ltd* *This church is not funded or sponsored by any state, private or public organization.* *We rely on donations from good-spirited people as you to propagate the Good News of Christ*

 *02/01/2022* *2022 ANNUAL THANKSGIVING SERVICE* THEME: *JESUS CHRIST* TOPIC: *JESUS* (Gk. Iesous) SUB-TOPIC: *THE MESSIAH* MAJOR OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH Isaiah 42:6-25 *The Servant of the LORD IV* In contrast to Cyrus who brought political deliverance according to Isaiah 41:2, the Servant in righteousness will deliver Israel from sin. *The Servant instituted a new covenant binding Israel to the Lord* Isaiah 49:8 *The prophets refer to this new covenant as a "covenant of peace"* according to Isaiah 54:10 and Ezekiel 34:25; *an " everlasting covenant " (which is also associated with the Davidic covenant, Isaiah 55:3)*, a "new covenant" (Jeremiah 31:31-34), and most often simply as a "covenant". *The people* refers to the Gentiles (Isaiah 60:3). *Christ is the true light of the world* (Isaiah 9:2; 49:6; 60:3; John 8:12; 9:5; Acts 26:17,18,23), and *Christ's followers should reflect His light*  Matthew 5:14 *©2022* *Ecumenican Ch