Pastor.Speaker.Evangelist.

Do you see what I see? The gift of Salvation!!!!

I love seeing Christmas lights during Christmas. I love seeing the smiles on the faces of children as they make Christmas lists for Santa, homes decorated with the nativity scene, and I love to see cars decorated with Christmas lights and ornaments. At North Side Gospel Center, I see a lot of good things from God happening, and what I see, brings me joy this Christmas.

Do you see what I see this Christmas season? Do you see the “gifts“ that God has given us this season for our church? I see the gifts of changed lives in adults and children; I see God working through our church to grow His Kingdom. Do you see what I see?

Here are some more great things that I see God doing this year during this Christmas season:

• The power of God has awakened a passion in the lives of teenagers to make church attendance a part of their weekly routine.
  Every week, during this past quarter, we have seen half a dozen teenagers attend our church without a parent or guardian. These teenagers are a gift to our church, and our church family is a gift to these teenagers. Friends, teenagers in our community are embracing our local church as a safe place to discover God and to get to know Him!

• Generosity of God's people.
  God’s people continue to provide the resources to reach teenagers and children with the message of Christ’s transforming power in a language they can understand. Awana is growing in attendance! I am seeing more children attend, and the energy of the staff is devoted to seeing our children love Christ. Our church members have also provided the resources to take kids to lunch after each services. I see the generosity of God's people helping unchurched teenagers fall in love with a kind and generous God who invaded a sinful world through the birth of His One and Only Son.

• The Holy Spirit impressing on the tender hearts of teenagers.
  With the importance of hiding God's Word in their heart, teens have the boldness of declaring God’s Word before a church body. What a blessing it was a couple of weeks ago to see teens share stories of God and how He is changing their lives! My heart was filled with grateful joy! I see the Holy Spirit at work through the saints of God in our church.

• The gospel of the incarnate Christ working to produce future Christian leaders.
  Teenagers are excited about following Christ in believers’ baptism. Over five teenagers have attended our baptism classes, and are preparing their hearts and minds to declare boldly, in the presence of Christians, through the ordinance of baptism!

Join us next Sunday, December 23, as we reflect and celebrate other amazing graces of Heaven, revealed in the person of Christ. Don’t miss, January 13, 2019, as we see with our own eyes, half a dozen teenagers and adults take the bold step to affirm their commitment to Christ and His work on the cross for the justification of sinners.

Join us as we see in real time that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season of Christmas.

Merry Christmas. The kings of kings is working….do you see what I see? I see God doing His work through his Church!!!!!

Till He Returns

Pastor James Owolabi

Teaching Pastor Northside Gospel Center

 

Thank you Lord! Yes! I can not believe this is happening to me....

Look at God! His is so kind to me. Wow! I had nothing to do with this! He is kind to me! Wow! 

Dear Close Friends and Prayer Partners,

            For the past twenty years , God has been good, generous, and kind to me but professional I have “felt” like a failure in many ways. I have always considered my “professional and personal life” mediocre at best, though I have worked hard  to proclaim the message of  Jesus Christ to teenagers and adults across the world.  

            Then this weekend. God opened a big door (without my help) to speak as a guest teacher at a large church. I was recommended by one of my mentors. In the interest of full disclosure,  I was so scared of failure I almost declined this ministry  opportunity because of my ego and pride.  Many times the “fear of failure” in my life has been fueled by my ego and my desire to preserve my comfort zone.

Silent Night (Randhurst) from The Bridge on Vimeo.

            Never in my adult life have I ever been asked to teach the Bible during three services at a vibrant (multi-campus) and growing, warm, friendly church with a weekly attendance of over 1000 people. God was kind to me and used me in an amazing way ( got a job offer on the spot😀👍🏿👍🏿). Many kind words of encouragement were spoken over my life after each service. It ignited in me a deeper passion to study the Word of God with intensity, preach with clarity and  a recommitment to christian service using all the gifts and talents that God has given me.

             Thank you Lord  for giving me the opportunity to serve you in Chicago. Wow, I am humbled and honored. I want to stand on the sears tower and shout, “I can’t believe this is happening to me!”

My experience  this past weekend was a delight to my soul, as well as an affirmation from God concerning the gift of public speaking He has given me, and the passion and call to pulpit ministry. James Owolabi.

Yes! It takes courage!!!!

• It takes courage to believe in a God when you regularly hear gunshots in your neighborhood.

• It takes courage to believe in a good God when your school is located in a neighborhood where people get shot at least once month

• It takes courage to believe that God is a good father when you have never met your earthly father.

• It takes courage to believe in heaven, smile at a Pastor, go to church when you know some one in your family was killed last night by a senseless act of cruel violence .

• It takes courage to walk back and forth to school every day, get good grades, and focus on your dreams to go college when you know you could stop a bullet.

Make Christmas a Season not an Event

Over the past 5 decades our American culture has effectively redefined Christmas. We have slowly lived through the depreciation of Christ being the focal point of this holiday season. Dating back to October we have seen more information about decorations than the recognition of God having sent a form of Himself into this world so that we could have eternal life.

This season would sooner be defined as a time to giving and receive, a season to spend and splurge, or the worst….. A season to impress those we don’t care about before it was defined as the birth date of Jesus.

 

God’s words in the Bible remind us that Christmas is not just about a day but it is a season of allowing the birth of Jesus Christ and His message to invade the darkness of our world. From the way He was divinely conceived to the intentional orchestration of the birth in a manger… the coming of Jesus reminds us that God is not mad at the world!

 

This is a great message that should transform every Christian. God is not mad the world! We know this because He sent His son, the prince of peace, to reconcile sinners to the heart of a God. The following are 3 things I want you to reflect on and keep in mind this month.

 

• Christmas is a season to be grateful for the precious gift of Christ in our lives. Our salvation through Christ is the most precious gift that God has ever given us. We sometimes prefer to cling onto things like a better job, new car, wealth, etc. and we take for granted that we have the ability to enjoy God through the Holy Spirit and prayer. We only have those amenities because of the sacrifice of Jesus and that is why our Christmas season should be spent expressing our gratitude to God for this unmerited blessing.

• Christmas is a season to be generous and share the message with the gift of grace. The God of our Bible has not called us to the safe zone where we hold the message of the Gospel to ourselves. He has called us to live a life of holiness that requires us to proclaim His love through our actions. A life of holiness is released to speak against injustice in our culture and show compassion for those living through tough circumstances. Our actions at work and at home affirms the credibility of the Gospel to this lost generation. We are in the world, not of the world! With this in mind we cannot let our culture override what behavior we know is due to God in this time. Christmas is a season to reflect on the grace of God to a lost world by sharing the good news. Challenge yourself to share the Gospel with others as you go to different Christmas events and keep Jesus as the reason for your joy at this time.

 

• Christmas is a season to grant the invisible gift of forgiveness to those who have hurt us. God sent us a package that expressed grace and truth to a godless world in the form of his only begotten son. Jesus’ blood allows God to give forgive those who have broken His laws (which is all of us!). Christmas is the season of celebration of our liberation from the power of sin. Since God has released us from the penalty of sin it is in our love for Him that we extend the same love to the people we interact with everyday. Don’t keep any ill feelings or unforgiveness in your heart this holiday season. As you remember what Christ has done for you, you should have understanding for those who many have hurt you this year.

 

During this Christmas season let’s make it more than just an event with pine trees and bright lights. Let’s truly remember the purpose behind the virgin birth of our savior. This is a time to gather with our families and put into perspective the the true immeasurable blessings like ability to pray for forgiveness and the fruits of the spirit that we can now reap through our lives.

Do not let Santa and shopping take priority over this amazing opportunity to praise God.

 

Respectfully,

Pastor James Owolabi