The Sin of Pride Runs Rampant Behind Pulpits

Ever been uncomfortable with a preacher’s message? Most have at some point. Often that’s the Holy Spirit within ourselves warning us something isn’t right. Church leaders putting their congregation under condemnation and bondage are all too common. This video is hard to watch, but highlights the sin of pride and arrogance that has infected the pulpits of our Churches at large.

Why doesn’t the congregation run out of there you ask? It’s the classic profile of an abuser and the abused. The abuser puts his victim down, hurts them, humiliates them, and destroys their self-esteem—then gives them some comfort. An abuser can’t control their own anger that boils over. They direct it towards the victim, tell them it’s their fault this happened, then pulls them back in, eases their pain slightly, and tells them “it’s all better now.” The abuser becomes the victims’ source of both pain and comfort, which is a cycle that continues over and over.

20 Pearls of Wisdom From The Book of Job

If you're enduring a season of hardship, be encouraged and use this time to build your faith. God is still on the throne and He's in control. Let these 20 pearls of wisdom from the book of Job remind us that God always has the last say in our lives....

Seek God, Not Man

The Bible tells us that as soon as Job received the terrible news about losing his children and his wealth. He immediately responded by seeking God in worship saying, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Honor God by seeking Him early in the midst of your trial. 

 

Hold Fast To Your Integrity

Job never wavered in his integrity. He held firmly to the character of God and focused on Him instead of the current circumstances.

Don't waver; stand firm.

Should I Have a Plan B? - Part 2

Previously we talk about the Part 1 of "Should I Have a Plan B?"


Is it not awesome? I used to say that "so many people know the truth but they do not let it set them free. Now I know better: what they know is the letter, and the letter kills; the real truth is yet to be revealed to them; they do not know the Truth (Jesus) and so He is yet to make them free! "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!" You have to know the truth before He can make you free. An encounter with Jesus is needed. 

Should I Have a Plan B? - Part 1

When people make plans they love to have a plan B; in case the original fails, they can have something to fall back on. Is not this why so many who call themselves Christians tend to compromise, and people also tend to fail?

Jesus asked His disciples, "will ye also leave me?" Peter answered: "Lord, to whom (or to where) shall we go?". He knew who Jesus is, "the way, truth, and life", if he was to leave, to who or what would he (or any other person for that matter) go to? He must have looked around himself and all he could see was blind men who were already dead (because they where sinners) and condemned (because they refused to accept Jesus John 3:18, Mark 16:16 ). He (Peter) knew there was no other way, no other truth (can there be two truths?), and there was no other life except Jesus which is why He told the priests, pharisees and saducces "neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name given under heaven among men, where by we must be saved (Acts 4:12)". And am sure he could not reconcile why these people would refuse to believe in Jesus as the Christ and be saved.

Learning To Trust GOD

Many of us too many times find it hard or too difficult to trust God, we find it 'inefficient' and would rather do what we want to do. We, in essence are only showing or trying to prove to God that we are wiser and know better than He does. We find it hard letting God take His place and allowing Him do what things He wants to do in our lives according to His divine plan and purpose for us. Can we really do it better? Definitely not which is why after wasting so much energy, resources, and time we end up going back to Him 'asking Him to forgive us and pleading that He take the wheels'.

Becoming A Better Child To God

Answering God's call is a lot more than being called a Pastor, in fact, we'd be trivializing it if we've left it at that. It goes beyond the office of the Pastor. God's call goes beyond that picture; it encompasses a lot in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Answering God's call is service to God and to humanity and through service to humanity we serve God. Loving your neighbor as you love yourself, which can only be born out of love for God, through God and by God i.e. the love of God dwelling in you is what makes you love God and love humanity by God's love in you and your love for him. It starts out with understanding and realization that He loves us and gave Himself for us and then accepting Him into our lives, this is when His love come to dwell in us as He dwells in us, and we going about every day, manifesting our reality —that which is indwelling, we manifest God, we manifest His love, because He now dwells in us.

Sometimes we drift for many different reasons, this is the one of the periods of testing and trials and temptations, we sometimes fall or fail. It is a good thing to overcome during trials but then the real evil is not in falling/failing but in remaining fallen/failed. If you stumble or/an fall, don't stop keep moving; if you stumble, rearrange yourself and keep moving, if you fall, pick yourself up and keep moving — focusing on God. You have learnt something new, identify it and hold on to it. That is what they —trials and temptations, are there for, no to destroy us but to build us up. After every session in school, we are supposed to write tests and exams right? Being a child of God is more of God coming straight from our hearts and through our understanding rather that just going by the book (2 Co 3:6  who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life).

The Lord's Prayer's Interpretation

Matthew 6:9-13

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.

Living After Jesus - Our Perfect Example

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should walk in his steps: Who committed no sin, Nor was guile found in His mouth (1 Pet. 2:21,22).

The word here used for "ex-ample" comes from Greek elementary education. It describes the way Greek boys learned to write. The exercise tablet was usually a shallow box filled with soft wax. A student wrote with a sharp stylus that was flat on the opposite end for erasing so the wax could be repeatedly used. The writing master prepared the student's tablet by writing a line at the top to be reproduced by the student and by drawing parallel lines to keep the student's work straight. The master's line at the top was the "pattern" the boy must copy in his own hand in learning to write. Mature skill in handwriting required practice. Peter's words show that Jesus' suffering is not only redemptive. It is also an example that even slaves could imitate in suffering unjust treatment. Jesus as our example suggests four simple facts.

The Workings Of Grace

 THE LOVE OF GOD. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). Love is manifested because of Grace; “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). "Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh -" and "In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9),  And "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [substitutionary sacrifice, ransom] for our sins" (1 John 4:10). Grace brings to light how and why we love God with the words “he first loved us”.

The Purpose Of Grace

Defining Grace:
Grace is unmerited favor that God has made available for all who will accept it. It is an extension of the pure and perfect love He (God) has for us. It is kindness we don't deserve. There is nothing we have done, are doing, or will ever do to earn or return this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to us human beings for our regeneration (rebirth/becoming born-again) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

Grace can be explained with this acronym:
God's
Riches
At
Christ's
Expense

A Father's Love -Joyce Meyer

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.—Psalm 103:12-14

The Devil's Mind Games: The Real Problem & Imagined Problems

 Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. —Hebrews 13:5

Six Ways to Find Unforgiveness and Remove It -by Joyce Meyer

Most all of us like getting promoted, and there's nothing wrong with that. But sometimes we fail tests in certain areas that keep us from getting promoted.

Areas like forgiveness.

If someone has hurt you, don't spend the next 10 years of your life hurting yourself by hanging on to that offense. Most likely, that other person isn't even thinking about you, while you dwell on the incident for years. That only hurts one person—you.

The Peace of God – Col 3:15

It is not impossible for a Christian to have his life void of peace because of what he goes through in life. However, irrespective of whatever we go through, good or bad it does not change the injunction upon the believer in Col 3:15 to allow the peace of God rule in his heart. This peace is a fruit of the spirit, with the implication that every man born again can experience it. This implies that if you are not born again you cannot experience this peace. They may run around outside of God seeking it – but such search is futile, for true peace can only be found in God. For those who are born again, Jesus brought us peace by His sacrifice at Calvary (Eph 2:13-14,Rom 5:1,Col 1:20). This peace was not given us because we have done anything, but as gift – and this is the basis of the peace which the believer is to allow rule his heart.

Peace here speaks of an inner calm resulting from confidence in one’s salvation. Many Christians do not experience peace, not because they have not been given it, but we do not always focus on what matters. As long as we are in this world we cannot avoid turbulence or problems. Tribulations are not something strange or unique to us (1 Cor 10:13). Peradventure we feel we are the only ones going through a difficult circumstance, the truth is that we are not. Jesus declared that as long as we  are in the world we shall have tribulations (John 16:33). What makes the difference is what Christ did for us which enables us to experience peace, irrespective of what we go through (John 16:33).

How can someone be at peace amidst calamitous or troubling situation? Only the peace of God can give that calmness. It is difficult not to be disturbed without it. It calls for constant refocusing on the truth when it eludes us. Situations are not just supposed to just keep us under. Whatever circumstances we go through is not indefinite or forever. It is a phase, and it  is not permanent. We have to constantly strive to ensure that our hearts are constantly in a state of peace. We might not be able to identify what the cause of our tribulations are, but nevertheless God’s word still makes it incumbent upon us to make peace our experience. This peace is not based on our circumstances or situation – rather it is a fruit of the spirit, just like joy and other fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22). We should never let this peace elude us.

In Rom 8:35, Paul asked the question, “who shall separate us from the love of Christ”, and then went to list tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, death, life, angels, things present, things to come, height and depth, etc. The point is Paul concludes that nothing was potent enough to spate the believer from the love of God, not even tribulations. This should breed a sense of confidence and foster an experience of peace, irrespective of whatever problem we go through. Is it problems in the areas of a job, family, health, children or finances? We should know that God is more than enough and allow that knowledge to put our minds at rest. We should never allow such problems to let our minds be in a constant state of disturbance, but rather allow His peace rule constantly. This is why we have to remind ourselves who we are in Christ and what we have in God, then the experience follows .If He said take no thought for your life, then He means we should allow His peace rule in every spectrum of our lives (Mt 6:24-35).

THINGS THAT ARE NECESSARY WHEN TROUBLE COMES OR WHEN PEACE ELUDES US

See the invisible (2 Cor 4:16-18) - Rather than focus on our troubles or tribulations which are temporal, we should rather focus on eternal realities, which though invisible are very much real. We should always bear in mind that whatever situation we go through all things work together for our good (Rom 8:28). We should never focus on our problems, but rather keep we should focus on God and keep looking unto Him (Heb 12:2) who is invisible (Heb11:27). We may not see Him, but He is real nonetheless. This calls for constant refocusing and redirection of our minds. When we are in turmoil, if all we can remember is that God is with us, that alone is sufficient. No matter what, we should remember God is committed to us forever.

Pray (James 5:13) - it could be the last thing on Christians’ minds when peace eludes, and even when it is resorted to, it may not be inspired by faith. But James 5:13 specifically says, “if anyone is afflicted, let him pray”. This would promote the experience of the peace of God in our hearts, even amidst trouble (Php 4:6-7). You can also pray in the spirit, especially where you do not even have the words to pray. Praying in the spirit edifies believers and contributes to enabling us to allow God’s peace rule in our hearts.

Conclusion
There is a peace that ought to rule our hearts borne out of our relationship with God. We should never let it elude us no matter what we go through. We should always keep our focus on God.

When You Can't Understand, Trust God

'Trust in the Lord.' Proverbs 3:5

The Bible says, 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths' (v. 5-6 NKJV). But what if your path leads through pain, pressure and problems? John the Baptist's did. He didn't deserve imprisonment. After all, he was the forerunner of Christ and the voice of God in the community. Plus, he was Jesus' cousin. So he sent Jesus a message asking, 'Are you really the Messiah, or should we keep looking?' Paraphrased: 'Lord, if I'm in your will, how come I'm in this situation?' It's a question motivated by unfulfilled expectations. We think, 'Lord, I've obeyed you, how come things aren't working out for me?' And it feels worse when you've faithfully served Him.