In this maiden edition of our 2024 Parish Magazine, it is not too late to wish all ye people of God a happy New Year. Although it’s been two months since the year began, yet the Lord’s steadfast love and faithfulness have been renewed each new day, (Lamentations 3). This is the year that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it,
halleluiah!
When you listen to the sound of the trumpet above, what do you hear? For me, I hear the sound of victory, and I immediately remember that this year was declared ‘The year of the trumpet.’ For the children of God, the trumpet is an instrument of halleluiah. Its sound is the sound of victory. When sounded with specific divine instruction it brings down the proverbial walls of Jericho. The first time that happened was in Joshua 5 when an impenetrable wall stood in the way of God’s people. From that day, the great potentials of the trumpet were unveiled and it has become a rallying instrument of war to this day. For us as a congregation, this year, the trumpet has come to represent praise! This is based on the realization that talk is cheap but praise is power. When God is praised he becomes awesome in power and walls are broken down. So for us this year, it’s less talk and more praise! With that, problems will bow and mountains will be removed; impenetrable rocks will be split open and darkness will be turned to light; huge successes will be recorded and unspeakable victories will be won. I so declare in Jesus name! Such is the power of the trumpet; that’s the awesome power of praise to our great God! So, buckle your shoes and get ready! Your mourning is about to be turned into dancing again. Halleluiah! Moving on, our ministry has taken off with great momentum. During these first two months, we have dedicated ourselves to prayer and the Word across two prayer retreats; with the knowledge that only through prayer can we fulfill our calling this year.
It looks like the people are ready and so are the leaders. So, let’s go! Do not be left behind. The Lord is calling for a renewed commitment and a life of godliness. There is so much to do this year and all hands must be on deck. I hope you will all find and man your duty posts. To the glory of God, eight new members were added to our numbers and many of them are very excited about what that will mean for them in terms of bringing their gifts and services to the ministry. We warmly welcome them all in Jesus name. Take a good look at our new worship schedule covering the period ending in May. Prayerfully commit to full participation in all the programs and activities, taking particular note of the events slated for the Easter season. Finally, let us all with great excitement await that joyous resurrection morning. Happy Easter in advance!
Your Chief Servant,
Pastor Sam. E. Nweze
February 2024
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O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. (Psalm 47:1)
Beloved in Christ, join me to give all glory to God for the successful 15th Anniversary celebration of our congregation. You all made it happen in style. From the planning committee to all the contributors and volunteers in the different areas I salute you all. Despite the challenges of building a solid and dependable church here in Sweden, the grace of God has seen us through fifteen year of steady unbroken ministry. At a time when several churches like ours became casualty of unforeseen circumstances including those created by the last pandemic, war in Europe, apathy and weakening enthusiasm for the spiritual; all which consequently created huge economic and human losses for many churches, our congregation, by the grace of God stood tall, due to God’s special grace.
Since we began, very many lives have been changed and a vast number of people have been blessed in different areas of life through our ministry. Very many young families found a spiritual home with us consequent upon which many children were born and are being raised for Christ and society. Thankfully, many of these children have happily remained with us while a few have since moved on. I have the pleasure to announce that some of them have gone in pursuit of higher learning either locally or abroad. Furthermore, our congregation is blessed with a wide range of professionals in various vocations, and yet many more have successfully received certification in professional branches such as the education and health-sectors, etc. All of these are in addition to the many others who are currently pursuing education and certification in different disciplines. Let me also not leave out the blessings of business start-ups, job opportunities and all the many that have been blessed, through answered prayers, with their own accommodation and housing, job acquisitions etc.
What can I say about the fact that our ministry brought the multiple blessings which transformed our church into a bee-hive of activities and a place that to this day continues to impact our immediate and distant society in ways previously unimaginable. All these are in keeping with the vision which the Lord cast for us right from the very conception of our congregation one of which is “touching live lives with the love of Jesus. This is the reason the theme of our anniversary celebrations; See what the Lord has done (Psalm 46:8) was very apt.
While we clap our hands and shouting to the Lord with a voice of triumph, we must remember that, borrowing the words of the Kenyan dissident, Jaramogi Oginga Oginga, it is Not Yet Uhuru.
Recall the story of Israel in Joshua 47:1. Israel finally possesses the land God promised them; the Canaan land, their joys and celebrations overflow. But, Joshua speaks the following words to them, “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.”
Friends, our celebrations must come not from the achievements of yesterday, but from the exploits of tomorrow. As everything in the world continues to change, we all must be strong in the Lord and continue to carry out his work with all our strength. As the book of Daniel 11:32 says; the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. Let us start by making ourselves available to him and to the ministry he has committed to us. We cannot afford to fail.
Finally, as we prepare to enter Christmas; and as the year 2023 begins to wind down, let us be more prayerful, looking out with great excitement for all our end of year activities. Let us finish this year as strongly as we possibly can, the Lord helping us. Let’s us look out for one another and help those among us who are struggling. Finally, let us pray with intention for the wars currently raging in the Israel and Ukraine. Happy Advent Season in advance in Jesus mighty name!
Rev. Sam. E. Nweze
October 2023
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Dearly beloved in the Lord, greetings! It’s been a joy sharing fellowship and study of God’s Word with you all since the last edition of our church magazine. Working with all the ministers and volunteers has been a delight and watching the rapid growth and renewed interest in our children and youth leaves me both thankful and hopeful for our church. God bless you all for your dedication to the ministry in Jesus name! Now, we have another opportunity to make a difference. Let me tell you how.
In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said as follows, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
This light bulb is a stark reminder to me of the above profound injunction. At no time in the his- tory of this world has it become so compelling than now, and it is not difficult to understand why. But first, who are the light of the world? It is you! It is me! It is everyone everywhere who claims Jesus as saviour. Jesus said, all such people are a ‘city’ (Greek: Polis), set on a hill which cannot be hidden.
In other words, he says that the world we are in is full of darkness. That is very true, because light is unnecessary in the absence of darkness. In our world, the hearts of many are darkened by sin and all forms of vices-godlessness, unbelief, wickedness, social injustice and political oppression, economic inequalities, cheating, strange philosophies so dangerous that many, especially vulnerable children and youth are held captive by them, etc. Every Christian has been called and equipped with light shinning so bright that no darkness can withstand it.
The lamp stand is not located inside our already lighted living room. Nor it is to be limited to the comfort of our beautiful church pews. Rather, it is out there where darkness prevails; and it is out there in the highly soured societies around us. When on May 3, some of us, together with from other surrounding churches gathered here in our church, prayed and undertook a prayer walk in and around Hallunda and Norsborg; when on the last Saturday of every month evangelical out- reach takes place outside the walls of our church; when you go out of your way to invite someone to hear the gospel in church, we give a pragmatic, functional definition of the lampstand. As a Christian, you are lightened to lighten others and your environment. You are salt that is sweet- ened to sweeten others. Only when we strive to justify those two expectations can our lives truly bring glory to the Lord. And that to me, is the best lesson from the summer sunlight! So, wake up child of God! The world needs that light and that salt today more than ever.
In conclusion, as the summer season effectively begins and members make their holiday trips, may the Lord’s presence go with you wherever you go in Jesus mighty name! For those that will remain behind, remember the biblical injunction to take out time to rest. Our church services will continue uninterrupted throughout the holiday. Do not forsake the assembling of one another as is the manner of some. (Hebrews 10:25).
Rev. Sam. E. Nweze
May 2023
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With Jesus joy I write to welcome each one of you into the year 2023. Also, to all friends of our church I offer our warmest love, prayers and good tidings for the New Year. As I have done over the past years I once again give thanks to the Lord for the preservation of every life, which is the reason we can boldly repeat the very words spoken by the army commanders to Moses, the great leader of Israel, “Your servants have counted the warriors under our command, and not one man of us is missing.” (Numbers 31:49). This is God’s special grace towards us for which our gratitude must be endless.
The call this year to be completely dependent on God is inspired by the prayer of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20;12b, “neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” There is no better time to depend on the one who himself does not need to depend on anyone else than now because he is sufficient unto himself, halleluiah! When everything is failing and the center isn’t holding any longer for many; with steadily rising prices caused by the world-wide inflation; with the continued presence of war in our backyard which threatens to spread except God intervenes; with the mixed signals out there about Corona virus and epidemics resurgenc, God’s people will have to depend on him with fervent prayer and implicit trust. The Psalmist said, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalm 20:7). Bottom line: this year, DEPEND, DEPEND and DEPEND!
As the year glides deeper, let me announce that all our activities have effectively resumed. we already had a very successful congregational retreat during which the power of God came down mightily, empowering all the participants for life and ministry in the coming months. In addition, we had an anointed service during which the Holy Spirit released unction on each person, readying us for the tasks ahead. With all that done, I believe that we are all ready to go. There is a place for everyone to serve. Soon, a call will go out for members to volunteer into various ministries. Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Who among you is ready to enter into the labor market of the Lord? I hope I will hear many of you, especially those who until now have not committed to any ministry, respond, “Lord, here am I send me”? May you all find the joy of serving the Lord as you do in Jesus name!
As I have already hinted earlier, our ministry this year will be with a special focus on the children and youth. This is a task will demand the participation of everyone. Generally speaking, the church in the Western world is fast losing the young population among us. This is a very dangerous trend which can be reversed through the concerted efforts of church leadership and parents together. This objective can only be achieved through the deliberate cooperation of all concerned parents. In this task, we simply cannot fail, and we will not fail in Jesus name!
Finally, two major things lie ahead of us. First, the church’s annual meeting comes up on March 18. Every member should prayerfully look forward to it. The other is the season of Lent which will lead to our annual Good Friday special program, “To Golgotha with Jesus” and then the glorious day of resurrection – Easter! Get excited as we approach both programs.
Remain rapturable!
Pastor Sam
January 2023
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As the countdown to the end of the year 2022 begins, let me take this opportunity to thank God for the journey thus far. Our focus for 2022 was, A Year of Total Resistance, a theme inspired from 1 Peter 5:8, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Doubtlessly, the year has presented challenges and sometimes unsettling interferences to very many of us along the way. However, many in our congregation have proved through their testimonies that indeed they were able to put up spiritual resistance by prayerfully standing up to the enemy. These ones refused to give in to the devil’s antics by simply following laid down patterns of triumph spelt out for them through intentional surrender to biblical teachings and obedience to calls to action. But, as we all know, the battle is not yet over.
The season we are in namely, the period generally referred to as the –ember months quite characteristically will yet present additional and perhaps defining challenges for very many of us, some of which are bound to test our readiness to continue to put up a good fight against the enemy. To everyone of you my counsel is this; simply stand up and fight! There yet re- mains a couple of months to see the year out. Those that will stand up to fight and resist the devil will obviously come out victorious. This is a spiritual warfare; a warfare which Apostle Paul reminds us is not against flesh and blood, (Eph. 6:12). It is a warfare that seeks to consume us and our children; one which seeks to decimate our faith in Christ and weaken us spiritually. This battle is one which none of us can afford to lose. We must all now abandon every attitude of unwarranted lukewarmness and stand up strong. This fight was never easy before and it will not be easy now. To do that, I urge everyone to keep steady pace with Jesus. The Scripture urges us to ‘walk carefully...because the days are evil.’ (Ephesians 5:16). God is able to give us victory over all the powers of the enemy but you must come to him to receive that power.
I therefore urge everyone to continue to be strong in worship, prayer and the Word, coupled with a growing love for our Saviour Jesus Christ and for one another. Those who miss church and services must now wake up. Wisdom demands that, especially as we see the end drawing near.
Lastly, a couple of programs are coming up, especially our Annual International Cultural Week (ICW). No one should miss the events of those exciting days. Let us also be thankful for the many babies born into our church. God’s faithfulness has indeed proved unceasing to us. Don’t forget to continue to prayer one for another and for the ministry of our church. As the season of advent, Christmas and the New Year approaches let us remain aware that Jesus is coming soon.
Rev. Sam. E. Nweze
September 2022
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On one beautiful Easter morning the world witnessed an usual event; an event that to this day still reverberates all over the world; an event that caused the earth to shake; an event that popularized certain previously unknown words and increased the geographical knowledge of many. That event brought a new meaning to the concept of the Cross, Golgotha, Calvary, crucifixion, crown of thorns and the like. But that singular event also unveiled and brought a new meaning to other words such as forgiveness, redemption, salvation and resurrection etc. these are beautiful words, so beautiful and especially at such a season as this. This is the season of Easter! This is that season, once again; the season that changed everything. This is the season that reminds me and many others of that man, the Man of Galilee, the Son of God who by enduring the trauma and brutality of one certain day called “Good” Friday, a Friday that was bad and painful for him but good and memorable for the world. Indeed it the season that reminds me, and very many others, of the real cost of our salvation. Simply put, it was the day we were set free at last.
Satan’s interference in the world has since continued unabated. For over two years the world, our countries, our church and our families have suffered immensely from his nefarious and wicked activities. Governments and authorities have proved again and again that no one truly has the answer to Satanic troubling. But God’s people, you and I, have once again trusted in the saving power of the once whose power to save was proven through the salvation of our souls. But the problems have kept mounting. From the devastated, once beautiful cities and country sides of Ukraine to the unceasing reports of deaths, sickness and hunger in places, we must now continue to draw from our indisputable knowledge that Jesus saves. But he saves only for as long as his people are ready to pray. 2Chronicles 7:14 that, “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again” (CEV). As the season of Lent continue, leading to Christ’s resurrection, let us humble ourselves and pray that the one who saves will save yet again. When we do, he will surely save again.
With great joy in my heart, I welcome and congratulate all the chosen leaders of our congregation. I am excited to have to work with you all during the next one year to do all that the Covid-19 restrictions could not enable us to do in nearly two years. As the prophet Nehemiah charges, let’s all now rise and build the Lord’s house together, (Nehemiah 2:18).
Finally, I pray that the lessons of Jesus’ passion during this season of Lent will help us identify with his sufferings, but also, that we shall embrace the joy, the victory of that resurrection morning, the day we all became free at last! We are FREE AT LAST! Glory be to God!
Rev. Sam. E. Nweze
April 2022
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I bring you all greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I praise God that we are back to our normal church routines after the evil rain of the virus. It is to that extent that I consider this edition of our church magazine to be a special one indeed. It’s special because it serves as our expression of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord who, despite the trying times, our breath remains intact and we are still counted among the living. The last time I checked, I saw nothing so special that God should love us like he does. No wonder why King David exclaimed, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:4 NLT). As Satan and his foot soldiers unleashed the deadly virus on the whole world, the Lord in his faithfulness shielded our entire congregation with his feathers, causing us to successfully dodge those ferocious arrows. Thus I am happy to announce to his glory that no one in our own congregation was lost to the virus. Once more, not because we are special, but simply because of his great grace. To him be all glory in Jesus name! However, we offer our prayers of support to the families of our other colleagues who were affected by the disease. Divine comfort in Jesus name!
Now that we back, what does the future hold going forward? While we remain optimistic that this affliction shall not arise again, everyone must however realize that a long period of incapacity often requires an even longer period of recovery and rehabilitation. We are facing that long period at the moment. Many members appear to be having a difficult challenge moving beyond the pandemic. Unfortunately, the cost of incapacity is way too high for anyone to bear. Clearly, the worst appears to be behind us but the world isn’t yet out of the woods. For that reason, these are no times to give up; these are no times for complacency, neither are these the times to cry over spilled milk. On the contrary, these are times when, as the prophet Joel admonishes, the weak must say “I am strong.” However, that strength only comes from God as the arm of flesh only produces utter failure.
Consequently, my sincere admonition is that if there is any time when we need one another in close fellowship, that time is now. No wise Christian person can afford to be lukewarm at such trying times as these. We need God and we need one another to survive. We need more prayers now than ever before. Jesus said, Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, (Mark 14:38). We are doing exactly that in our church and we need everyone to return. We all need more love, more faith, more of God’s Holy Word and we need to see everyone that had been missing until now.
I would like to take this opportunity to really appreciate our able worship team members and all the church workers who risked the very possibilities of the virus to conduct our online and zoom services throughout the peak period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, to our prayer group who prayed relentlessly all through the period I demand limitless blessings from God for you. You all gave sacrificially and you will receive back generously in Jesus name.
I celebrate our youth and their coordinator and teachers who found a digital alternative around the restrictions. Amazing! We are unstoppable! But the challenges remain, especially as our children and youth have suffered devastating assault on their minds and motivation, even if few people can understand that. Let’s all brace up for the challenges ahead. It’s not yet uhuru. But the Lord will help us in Jesus name!
Finally, our Christmas and end of year activities start in earnest very shortly, make yourselves part of it all because we must end this year on a strong note of praise in Jesus name! I love you all!
Pastor Sam
November 2021
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