1Corin. 9:11 We have sown spiritual seed among you. Is it too much if we reap material benefits from you?
I recently spoke with a Pastor friend of mine about the condition of Christianity in a certain location. I was of the opinion that Pastors were failing in presenting the truth of the word of God in that particular location and pressed my point. He agreed with my point of view but said something that made me rethink my criticism of those Pastors.
I would like to state, first and foremost, that I do not still agree with the merchandising of the gospel that is currently going on, but I would like to ask that before we criticize we look closely at our own actions.
Lets get back to my story, I was angry that most of the messages focused people on material things and promoting infancy in the body of Christ. I feel, and still feel, that a message that makes one man a superstar and all others dwarfs, who need to depend on him to get direction, instead of the Holy Spirit, is very wrong.
However, the perceptive my friend brought needs to be considered.
Have you experienced an instance that a preacher feels the need to consult various gimmicks to raise money? Making a lot of ''prophetic'' promises to get a response. All sort of fund-raising techniques are consulted in other to get the people to give.
This I believe is wrong but consider this for a moment. My Pastor friend told me of an instance that a sincere full time pastor who went to that location to preach but could not get support for his young family. His wife had to accept a job that was far below her qualifications in order to try and meet the needs of the family. The pastor did not get adequate support from the congregation , he resigned, and went to pursue business ventures. He did not want to rob his congregation but he could no longer support his family being in ministry!
I have had to send money to a few full-time pastors who are not resident in my location. I now ask myself, if the believers they minister to, do not see the need to help them out financially, yet these same believers will criticize these same pastors!
Paul said in the above scripture that they have sown spiritual seed in the life of the brethren so was it too much if they reap material benefits from them? If men have labored over your life in prayer and yet nothing has ever left you to bless them. Then you my friend are irresponsible.
I believe that insincere pastors ,who promise all kinds of blessings, are best suited to exploit such irresponsible believer. I believe that they should get a pastor after their own heart!!
We complain that the church does not see the same power as in the days of Acts but check out what they church did to meet the need of others. Paul pronounced Phillipians 4: 19 on a people who had been a blessing to him and yet a stingy believer in our time will claim the blessing, while forsaking the principle upon which it stands. Missionaries are sent to the field and we care nothing about them but Muslims spend a lot to ensure that they build mosques very close to their homes.
Friend or not, I ask you, what have you done to bless your pastor?
Monday 17 August 2015
Tuesday 11 August 2015
THE SUMMARY OF THE LIFE OF A MAN WHO PRAYED....
James 5:17-18 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
If there was a portion of scripture, that I believe best summarizes the life of Elijah, it would be the one above.
When I read this chapter in the Book of James, at first glance the above scripture seems out of place. It seems as if James took a detour from what he was writing about, just to give an account of this man's life. However, when you consider the style of his writing, you will understand better what he was trying to say.
For instance in verse 10, when he spoke about suffering and how the believers should handle hardships, he gives them Job as an example. God's dealings in the life of Job was meant to be an example to all mankind in times of suffering. It was meant to teach us, that after all is said and done, the tender mercies of God will always endure.
Having understood, that each example given was meant to buttress the message that was being passed across, ELIJAH here then comes as an example of a righteous man who prayed to great effect. He did not just pray but he had ''much'' results from praying. So the example James offers us of a man who had results in prayer was the example of Elijah. Lets examine 4 things he said about him.
1. HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN
The first thing that we can get from earlier scripture, is the reason why Elijah's prayer was so effective. James was talking, first of all, about how effective the prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man can be. We know that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This position has been afforded us by grace, but in our daily lives, we must live it out! Righteousness is in how you treat others. You can not lay claim on the position that grace brought you into as a license to be careless in your dealings with men. So the first way to have prayers that release tremendous power is to check your life.
2. HE WAS NOT SUPERHUMAN
When you consider the above, we may be tempted to think that Elijah was superhuman but James was quick to dispel that notion. He tells us first that he was a man and had the same kinds of passions that we have. I would like to state here that you have passions or desires stirred up, is not enough an excuse to sin. The ability to keep our passions under check is important if we are to have an effective prayer life.
3. HE WAS PERSISTENT IN PRAYER
James records that Elijah prayed and then he prayed again. In this age of positive confession, the place of praying once and again is often overlooked. In fact, in one of the instances where we see Elijah praying in the Old testament, he stayed at it for sometime, sending his servant 7 times to check for the sign he expected his prayer to create. These days we give up too soon in the place of prayer.
4. HE PRAYED EARNESTLY
Elijah wasn't the kind of person who prayed and had his mind on the clock or while he chewed gum absentmindedly. His who attention was in his prayer. Pray for him was not a mindless exercise. He did not pray and hope that one of his prayers would hit the mark.
James then concludes with results he had. His prayers received the answers he prayed for! Too many pray and give up when no answer comes but not Elijah. We explain away the lack of answers and excuse the lack of effectiveness of our prayers but not Elijah.
Do you have a consistent prayer life?
If there was a portion of scripture, that I believe best summarizes the life of Elijah, it would be the one above.
When I read this chapter in the Book of James, at first glance the above scripture seems out of place. It seems as if James took a detour from what he was writing about, just to give an account of this man's life. However, when you consider the style of his writing, you will understand better what he was trying to say.
For instance in verse 10, when he spoke about suffering and how the believers should handle hardships, he gives them Job as an example. God's dealings in the life of Job was meant to be an example to all mankind in times of suffering. It was meant to teach us, that after all is said and done, the tender mercies of God will always endure.
Having understood, that each example given was meant to buttress the message that was being passed across, ELIJAH here then comes as an example of a righteous man who prayed to great effect. He did not just pray but he had ''much'' results from praying. So the example James offers us of a man who had results in prayer was the example of Elijah. Lets examine 4 things he said about him.
1. HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN
The first thing that we can get from earlier scripture, is the reason why Elijah's prayer was so effective. James was talking, first of all, about how effective the prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man can be. We know that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. This position has been afforded us by grace, but in our daily lives, we must live it out! Righteousness is in how you treat others. You can not lay claim on the position that grace brought you into as a license to be careless in your dealings with men. So the first way to have prayers that release tremendous power is to check your life.
2. HE WAS NOT SUPERHUMAN
When you consider the above, we may be tempted to think that Elijah was superhuman but James was quick to dispel that notion. He tells us first that he was a man and had the same kinds of passions that we have. I would like to state here that you have passions or desires stirred up, is not enough an excuse to sin. The ability to keep our passions under check is important if we are to have an effective prayer life.
3. HE WAS PERSISTENT IN PRAYER
James records that Elijah prayed and then he prayed again. In this age of positive confession, the place of praying once and again is often overlooked. In fact, in one of the instances where we see Elijah praying in the Old testament, he stayed at it for sometime, sending his servant 7 times to check for the sign he expected his prayer to create. These days we give up too soon in the place of prayer.
4. HE PRAYED EARNESTLY
Elijah wasn't the kind of person who prayed and had his mind on the clock or while he chewed gum absentmindedly. His who attention was in his prayer. Pray for him was not a mindless exercise. He did not pray and hope that one of his prayers would hit the mark.
James then concludes with results he had. His prayers received the answers he prayed for! Too many pray and give up when no answer comes but not Elijah. We explain away the lack of answers and excuse the lack of effectiveness of our prayers but not Elijah.
Do you have a consistent prayer life?
A SET HEART
Col-3:1-2: If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth
One great challenge that faces preachers when the stand before a congregation is what to say that will capture their desires or hearts.
This method of ministry is however carried on, because the hearts of most believers are set on material things, most preachers have now adopted messages that satisfy that need. All their preaching and endeavor must end up in the corridors of one material blessing or the other.
Check the posters of programs of most churches and you will understand the priority of the Christian Church. Success for most in the Church today, is measured based on how much material resources they are able to amass. We boast in our achievements, even if such achievements will not outlast our very existence.
I wish at this point to ask you the reader, to examine your desires, ambitions and what matters most to you. Take stock of what emphasis you hold in your life, if all the things you hold dear are things that will perish with the earth then, your whole existence would have been a waste as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned.
Dear Pastor, If all your labor is to satisfy the needs of men alone and you are unable to stir their hearts towards God and living for his kingdom, then your ministry, even if it is great, will not amount to anything before God. In fact as Paul said:
1Co 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire
Where is your heart set, Oh Child of God? What has captured your desires? What is your ambition or vision in life? Are they of things above? Do you have desire for the things of God? What holds your attention? where or on what do you spend most of your resources on? such resources as your time, money, ability etc. The answers you give to these questions will give clarity as to where your affection is set.
Paul in the above introductory passages of scripture offers us an advice.Did you notice that he tells us to SET our affections. This means that if our affections are not set on things above, you can not blame the pastor of your church even if all his messages are focused on material things. You can not blame anyone else but yourself!
You owe yourself the responsibility to set your own heart, no one else can do it for you.
Check your heart dear friend and see where your heart is set on.if all it is set on is not on things above where Christ is seated then you need to seek God in repentance.
One great challenge that faces preachers when the stand before a congregation is what to say that will capture their desires or hearts.
This method of ministry is however carried on, because the hearts of most believers are set on material things, most preachers have now adopted messages that satisfy that need. All their preaching and endeavor must end up in the corridors of one material blessing or the other.
Check the posters of programs of most churches and you will understand the priority of the Christian Church. Success for most in the Church today, is measured based on how much material resources they are able to amass. We boast in our achievements, even if such achievements will not outlast our very existence.
I wish at this point to ask you the reader, to examine your desires, ambitions and what matters most to you. Take stock of what emphasis you hold in your life, if all the things you hold dear are things that will perish with the earth then, your whole existence would have been a waste as far as the Kingdom of God is concerned.
Dear Pastor, If all your labor is to satisfy the needs of men alone and you are unable to stir their hearts towards God and living for his kingdom, then your ministry, even if it is great, will not amount to anything before God. In fact as Paul said:
1Co 3:13-15 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire
Where is your heart set, Oh Child of God? What has captured your desires? What is your ambition or vision in life? Are they of things above? Do you have desire for the things of God? What holds your attention? where or on what do you spend most of your resources on? such resources as your time, money, ability etc. The answers you give to these questions will give clarity as to where your affection is set.
Paul in the above introductory passages of scripture offers us an advice.Did you notice that he tells us to SET our affections. This means that if our affections are not set on things above, you can not blame the pastor of your church even if all his messages are focused on material things. You can not blame anyone else but yourself!
You owe yourself the responsibility to set your own heart, no one else can do it for you.
Check your heart dear friend and see where your heart is set on.if all it is set on is not on things above where Christ is seated then you need to seek God in repentance.
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