When the New Testament tells us to be witness there is a strong reference to the court of law. Acts 1:8 says "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." The day of Pentecost can be boiled down to one premise: it was the day the Church received the power to be a witness. After Jesus resurrected from the dead he spent 40 days  with his disciples teaching them mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Just before his(Christ) ascension back into heaven, he tells his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit in the upper-room to receive the empowerment to become witnesses of His glory all across the earth. If we are to fully understand Act 1:8, we must dissect the word " witness ". In the Greek language witness                     (Martus- mar'-toos) means "a witness in a legal and historical sense. Someone who is a spectator of anything"-The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon. If we are believers then we should have  personally experienced the transforming power of the Christ in our lives. So, if Christ transforming power is evident in our live then we have the "solemn responsibility and spiritual legal rights"(Matthew 28:18-20) to testify about what we have experienced, seen and heard. 

Many years ago, I was transformed by the redemptive power of the cross (I became "Born-Again"). From that moment on-ward I became a witness both in words and actions. I remember being in High School witnesses to my friends and colleagues in the dinning hall, team bus and in my classrooms. There was just something deep on the inside of me that desired to testify about what  God had done in my life. "It was like fire shut up in my bones". Anytime I was asked to give an account of what I believed, I was always ready and eager to testify as God's witness.

We all need people we can depend on. We need teammates, colleagues, collaborators in life. No man is an island to himself. When the Lord called into his vineyard, he didn't call us to work alone but he called us to work along side others. There are no "lone rangers" in the kingdom of God. If co-laborers were not important why did the Lord give us different gifts. Since we play different roles in the body of Christ we definitely need each. If we are to be great co-laborers there are six helpful tips we must keep in mind:

1. Co-laboring always starts with the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:9 a, 2 Corinthians 6:1)
2. We all play different roles when we co-labor(1 Corinthians 3:6)
3. Co-laboring is only productive when God blesses our efforts (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
4. Co-laborers work together but they each receive individual rewards (1 Corinthians 3:8)
5. Co-laborers should encourage each other (Romans 12:8)
6. Co-laborers must love and respect each other (Romans 12:9-10

-by Seyi Olagunju

There are times we face barriers in our lives. These barriers are not glass ceilings but  steel ceilings. These barriers are things we can't just wish away. They are things that impede us from fulfilling God'd purpose for our lives. Sometimes we need prayer and fasting to break some barriers in our lives(Mark 9:29). Spiritual barriers could sometimes manifest themselves in relationships, finances, health, soul(mind, emotion, will), carriers  etc. Whatever obstacles we face the Lord promises to be with us(Psalm 23:4). Whenever we are faced with obstacles or barriers we must always respond in faith. As the Angel of the Lord declared to Zechariah concerning Judea and Zerubbabel " who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."-Zechariah 4:7. Just like the Lord promised Zerubbabel (the governor of Judah under Persian rule-King Darius I) that the mountainous barrier in front of him will fully become plain. We must also believe that God wants to also remove and shatter all spiritual obstacle(barriers) if we live by faith(Mark 11:23).if our God is mighty there is nothing the Lord can't do in and through our lives.

As we celebrate MLK's birthday tomorrow, we can draw from a contemporary example of a barrier breaker. Dr. Martin Luther King jr. didn't take no for an answer when the racist system in the south denied African Americans equal rights. He believed that his faith in God will deliver African Americans from the vestiges of segregation. As we breakthrough with the Savior in prayer, we will also begin to experience breakthrough in the difficult circumstances in our lives.

Needs have always been a constant factor in human existence since the fall of man. Once man fell in Garden he had to toil hard to  acquire the necessary resources to survive and that same struggle still exists today in the world. Every month when our bills come in the mail we are faced with this reality. Many anthropologists and sociologists have narrowed down basic human needs to three essential things: food, shelter and clothing. Whether we live in the pre-historic age or in the technological age, we all have need of these three things in one variation(form) or the other.

No matter how pious we are as Christians, we are also confronted with the same human needs. So, if the Bible is the manual by which we live our lives; we must ask this question: "what does the Bible say about human needs?" Two Thousand years ago, Jesus answered this question when he said " be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment?"-Matthew 6:25. Jesus was able to make this emphatic statement because thousands of years earlier, God showed himself as Jehovah Jireh in life of Abraham. When God told Abraham to take his son Isaac to Mount Moriah to sacrifice him, he trusted God even-though there were no other sacrificial options. Of course, God interfered and saved Isaac’s life by providing a ram instead(Genesis 22:1-18). Immediately after, Abraham named this place “The LORD Will Provide", which translates to Jehovah Jireh in the Hebrew language. 

In 2014, many of us are faced with many pressing needs, but we must  remember that we serve the great provider. If YAHWEH could provide a ram for Abraham  and Manna for the Israelite community in the desert (Exodus 16) then the Lord can also provide for your needs no matter how difficult the situation might seem. My wife and I have experienced some serious heart-break in the past as it relates to provision but through it all, we have seen the Lord as Jehovah Jireh. A long time ago we made up our mind not to focus on our lack but to focus in the "Provider"(God). Christ tells us to seek first the kingdom and it righteousness and all righteousness and all other things will be add. So, my prayer today is that you will experience accelerated provision to all your needs. 

According to the Dictionary of Bible Themes  Glory is:  "The distinctive feature of the presence of God, often compared to power, weight or brightness. Scripture affirms that God’s glory is made known through his work of creation, his acts of intervention in history and supremely in the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ."

In our lives we need the weight of the presence of the Lord in all our affairs. In a world that is dark, we must crave the power and brightness of the Lord. As a new ministry (EthnosDC) our desire is to see the glory of the Lord shining through demonic strongholds in our city and around the world. Even if you are not part of EthnosDC, I think that you can agree that every Christ Follower desires deep down for the glory of God to shine in and through them. 

In 2014, as we continue to draw closer to the Lord the weight of his  presence will be felt in our lives. The glory of the Lord is available to all believers because God wants to reveal his glory all over the earth. As we intercede, share our faith, serve our community, obey the Lords voice and live a spirit-filled life, I truly believe we get an opportunity to reveal God's glory. This is not the time to live at a diminished level, this is the time to desire to encounter the presence and power of God. During this fast and beyond, we all want to see the miraculous attributes of God. If we are carries of light(God's Glory) we must never hide our light. So, today and for the rest of the year please be confident carriers of God's glory. Don't be ashamed of his glory, let God use you today. My prayer today is simple "Lord show us your glory".

Love  is one of the most commercialized word on the face of the earth. Valentines Day gives credence to this assertion. Its seems love is everywhere but very few understand what it really means. Numerous people think that love is a feeling/emotion  but biblically love  is  much deeper.  There are four types of love mentioned in scriptures: Agape, Eros, Philia and Storge.

Agápe (ἀγάπη agápē)  means selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. This is the highest form of love mentioned in the Bible. Jesus Christ displayed this kind of divine love to his Father and to all humanity-John 14:21.  Éros (ἔρως érōs) love on the other-hand  is defined as "passionate love"( sensual desire and longing). This is the  physical, sensual love between a husband and wife.The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "intimate love;" however, eros does not have to be sexual in nature. Even though, scriptures doesn't directly use this Greek term, it is portrayed in -The Song of Solomon and in 
1 Corinthians 7.  Philia (φιλία philía) is the third type of love. It means friendship or affectionate love in modern Greek. It is a dispassionate virtuous love, a concept developed by Aristotle. Philia means close friendship or brotherly love in the Greek language. This is where Philiadelphia derived-Romans 12:10. Storge (στοργή storgē) means "affection" in ancient and modern Greek. It is natural affection, like that felt by parents for their children. Storge is also called family love. This is a type of loving bond among mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Eventhough, this Greek term does not directly appear in the Bible.  However, many examples of family love are found in Scripture, such as the love and mutual protection among Noah and his wife, their sons and daughters-in-law in Genesis 7:7-13 , 8:4-14, at the time of the flood. We also see this type of love between Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus in the gospels. -John 13:1-11

As impressive as the Greeks were in categorizing love; there is still nothing the comes close to the source of all love. The scriptures tell us that the source of all love is God. The real meaning of "biblical love" is clearly defined in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8:
" 4. Love is patient,I love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,it keeps no record of wrongs. 6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres  8. Love never fails."

If we are to walk in radical love, we must emulate Christ . Christ gave his life for all of us on the cross. Love requires that we watch out for others and not just ourselves. Love is not about "me" but about "others". God is calling us to lifestyle of love in 2014. Its not easy to love our enemies or those who have hurt us but we still have to love. As we all know, its difficult to love those who have hurt us without first understanding the revelation of love. John the beloved tells us that we love because he first loved us-John 4:19. If we are to serve our colleagues, neighbors, family and city in 2014, we need the revelation of love stamped on our hearts. Its difficult to consistently serve people we don't love.  So, today if we have seen God's love in our life, we also have responsibility to share Christ love where-ever we go. Well, as I close out this blog, I leave you with this quote: " Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action."-Mother Teresa   - by Seyi Olagunju