THE LORD GOD

 When John arrived Heaven in Rev. 4; the first sight he saw, were not the twenty-four thrones or thestreets of gold, or even the many angels in Heaven, No! He was confronted with a throne and the one that sits on it.

He saw other thrones as he panned away from the central throne. This was a very deliberate rendering of events.

When you consider it would have been easier to see the twenty-four thrones before focusing on the ONE then you will agree that scripture was very deliberate in recounting this event.

Therefore the implications of this rendering of events should not be wasted on the reader. I believe it was intentional, that God showed John this event in this order. Let's explore the implications

John seeing the central throne first, would be brought to the realization that there exists a Monarch in heaven and who rules the affairs of the heavens.

The implications for John and us, is that for him or us to advance in the affairs of heaven, he/we must recognize the Lordship of the one who sits on heaven's central throne where all true authority derives from!

Many call Him Lord, but do not bow to His Lordship. This act excludes them from participation in the affairs heaven. Making of them creatures that are limited to function only upon the earth.

Except we see where true Lordship comes from and respond accurately we become as mere men.

#ThesoverignGod

TO AN INCREASINGLY UNBELIEVING WORLD

Dear Atheist (or aspiring Atheist),

I know you are asking for a proof of the existence of God and only accept as fact, all things that are Scientific. You consider belief in God; as a baseless superstition for weak minds.

Please let me engage you on a few issues, I hope that you can take the time to consider all I have written.

The Explanation that is given by Science for the creation of the earth or our universe as we know it, is the Big Bang Theory! The theory in its simplest form states that a huge explosion occurred, and set in motion what has become our universe today.

One question that this theory has left unanswered is, Who or What set the explosion off? According to Science, we are not told of anything that set off such a huge explosion. It just happened and set in motion the events that became the creation of our universe!

The above, non-caused explosion does not to agree with the first law of thermodynamics which states that energy can neither be created or destroyed, but is converted from one form to the other.

In simple layman terms, you can not have a huge release of energy that has absolutely no source or cause. That energy must have existed in one form or the other before it was released or converted into another form.

With the Big Bang Theory, we are presented with an enormous amount of Energy that set everything in motion for the earth to come about without a cause or a known source. Scientists go on to offer this as fact, without questioning, WHO or What introduced this first creative burst of energy.

The argument of the design and the perfect conditioning of the earth to accommodate life, has not and can not be explained by science.

What makes the Earth habitable? It is the right distance from the Sun, it is protected from harmful solar radiation by its magnetic field, it is kept warm by an insulating atmosphere, and it has the right chemical ingredients for life, including water and carbon

We are told by science that if the conditions differed even slightly from what we have them to be, life on earth would not be sustainable. Surely it would take a betting man to think that all this came about by a stroke of luck and happenstance?

As complex a machine as our very being are, can we think we came about without a mind behind it? No complex being created us? No designer? A big bang, without ONE who set it off?

Science has told us to believe our universe with all laws that govern it, and the design that shows in every living came about without a Creator.

Just like a Book written without an intelligent mind behind it? The Alphabets just happened to fall into place to form the right words, which just happened to arrange themselves in the right order into sentences arrange in perfect logical order to form a best seller! That is what we are sold with the Big Bang, and we believe.

While these questions remain unanswered, we have the Evolution Theory thrust on us!

The interesting theory of how organisms advanced from micro-organisms to became the complex creatures we have come to know now. Even when there is no proven or verifiable documented evidence of this in our day or in days gone by of a change of species form one to another, we agree/belief this as fact, because, well, It is Science!

Science in its very own methodology, has an experimental approach, that seeks to test the idea being put out to be verifiable and reproducible.

Yet, we dare not and do not ask the various Scientists/biologist to produce just ONE proof of a change of Species that has occurred based on the theory of Evolution.

Again, we do not question Evolution because it is Science, even when they have no proof to show.

We dare not add to our contemplations, the acceptance of issues that we cannot prove via the scientific method of experimentation. Things like the mind, consciousness and emotions.

You accept and believe all this, but when it comes to the matter of God, you shout for proof.

You scoff at belief, but believe in the above theories that are not provable by science.

In the end, as Stuart Chase said “For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible.”

The question I ask is, if I live my life, believing in the existence of God, and find that there is no God, what have I lost? Nothing.

However, if I live my life, believing that there is no God, and find at my death that there is indeed a God that calls me to account... What do I stand to lose? Everything, in my opinion.

Think on this.

WIDOW'S MITE :Sacrificial Giving not small giving

When we speak about the widow's mite, what exactly do we mean?

In most cases, when people say, "I want to give my widows mite" or "just accept this widow's mite", it is usually in their context, a small amount, or the little they can afford to give at that time.

While we do not condemn their giving no matter how much they give, their calling what the gave their widows mite might not entirely be correct.

In most cases, it is not the same as what the widow gave in scripture, from where the phrase was coined.

Let me explain, the widow's mite according to scripture was not just the amount cast in by the widow.

Yes, the amount was small but you need to understand, that in the context of that widow, that amount had an impact on her *livelihood!!*

Think about this for a moment.

When the widow gave, I suppose, she had to forfeit a meal or two because she gave to the Lord.

When the widow gave, I suppose, it might have meant she had to walk home instead of catching a bus home.

When the widow gave, I suppose, it reduced her ability to buy some of the things that were necessary for her living(not luxuries oh but things necessary for her very living!).

My point is there was sacrifice, that impacted her living, in the "small" amount she gave".

*The impact of her sacrificial giving made the little she gave of more value than the much the rich men gave put together*

So when next you used the phrase Widow's mite, be sure of what you mean.

Never belittle your giving, no matter how little, when it comes from a place of sacrifice.

Be sure that what you gave cost you something and not just that it is small by your estimation.

God bless you

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7Bright Ukwenga, Noah D Psalmist and 5 others

Friend or Foe!

Like most of us, I had always thought I understood clearly who a friend is, in terms of human relationships.

I mean, one who has your best interest at heart and cares for your wellbeing, right? It seems pretty straightforward and simple, right?

I have held this notion until I came across two scriptures that have challenged this understanding.

In one of the scriptures, Jesus had just called a dedicated disciple-Peter, who was very concerned for his welfare and preservation of His life - Satan!

Later, he called one other disciple who had just betrayed him to a company that would eventually crucify him, friend!

Yes, I know you might think he did not really mean to call Judas friend, but the more I have read about Jesus, I find that He is not given to flattery.

He was not shy to call out men for who they truly are. I mean He called Herod, Fox. Called the Pharisees hypocrites, blind, children of their father the devil etc.

Based on these two instances of Peter and Judas, my definition of a friend is anyone who aids you towards the fulfilment of God's purpose for your life in that instant.

He/She may say unpleasant things to you, rebuke you or may even offend you, but always stir you towards the fulfilment of your God given purpose.

A friend does not encourage you to disobey God, a foe does.

A friend does not advise you to accept compromise in other to avoid difficult situations that are contrary to your Christian convictions. A foe does.

A friend doesn't encourage you not to be too hard on yourself or to pamper your flesh and ego. A foe does.

A Foe will support you down a path that encourages selfish living. Simply put, If he/she encourages you away from God, stop calling him/her "friend".

Those relationships that drain you of your Christian conviction and passion, are NOT worth keeping!

A friend will encourage you down the path of godly living and pursuit of God's purpose for your life.

In the light of the above, are you keeping ungodly relationships with people and call them, Friends? They continually lead you away from the purpose of God for your life but yet you have labelled them friends.

Some people who we are in "ships" with, be it relationships or friendships, bring hardships/losses in the journey of life, ask those that travelled with Jonah. They incurred losses of their valuable cargo as they themselves carried Jonah away from his God given assignment.

Have you also lost something precious/valuable trying to keep that male or female friend?

Is your relationship with God suffering because of your relationship with a man or woman?

It is time to discern who you have been walking with, and identify them for who they are. Are they Friend or Foe ?

RE-DIGGING THE WELLS!

Gen 26:18  And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. 

Gen 26:19  And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. 

Every time I have read or heard the story of Isaac's experience in Gen. 26:15,18 of how the Philistines filled or stopped the wells that His Father had dug, I have always understood it in the context of past revivals or moves of God by our fathers of faith being restored. In terms of reclaiming such lost ground or move of God they had.

I still believe that this is the most accurate contextual meaning of this scripture.

However, today this scripture came to my heart in another light. As it flashed upon my heart, it was not directed as a move of God through father's of faith, but at myself.

You see, John 4:13-14 speaks of a well that Jesus digs in every believer filled with the Holy Spirit and how that well is supposed to flow unto everlasting life.

We may not have  considered this, but just as wells of the move of God can be stopped in territories, so can it in our lives.

 

Have you had times when you seem to lose your joy in the spirit? When singing a song, prayer or Bible Study  is difficult and uninteresting? When witnessing is impossible. When there is lack of Joy within. When encounters with God are non-existent and hearing from God is difficult. Then the wells might have been blocked.

The things that block our wells may be sin, disobedience to instructions, lack of desire for God etc

I believe that the time has come for the wells to be redug again. It's time to begin to pray over our lives and land, that the wells that have began, that have become clogged, will be unstopped.

To unblock the wells we must be deliberate, just as Isaac's servants were. They redug the wells!

 Make an effort, take a fast, study your Bible, wake up and pray at Night. 

Do whatever it takes for a restoration of that sweet communion with God's Spirit. 

Re-dig your wells starting from today! 

The good thing about this is, if you found water before, you can find it again. God bless you as you arise and dig

BROKENNESS

Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 

Gen 28:20  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, 

Gen 28:21  So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God: 

As I think of the word brokenness, I can only explain it with this analogy of a wild horse or stallion.

You see, when a wild horse is caught by a cowboy, it can not be riden immediately by a man. It must be broken.

The cow boy will keep the horse, till it trusts him to come near it and then he will put a saddle on the horse. 

When a saddle is put on the horse, the horse kicks out rebelling against the strange weight that has come on its back. 

It kicks to rid itself of this "yoke" or weight. It exercises it's whole body until it wears it's strength out and then a time comes when the horse accepts the weight of the saddle as a reality to be endured daily(have you accepted the weight of the cross daily upon your life? The cross is a daily weight not an occasional convenient weight)

When the Horse gets to this point, the cowboy then proceeds to the next phase.

He now attempts to ride the horse or stallion. 

When he mounts the horse, a new struggle begins, it kicks out viciously, uttering neighs and trying to unseat its rider.

Several times, it will succeed in throwing off this new weight(the cowboy) and then resumes it's activities of eating grass.

Again and again, the cowboy tries to mount and remain mounted. This he tries ,for as long as he can, and doesn't give up, until the horse gives up.

The struggle continues until the horse accepts the weight of its new master.

Without getting to this point of utter surrender, the horse cannot be ridden by anyone. 

The point at which the horse accepts the weight is the point of brokenness!

A long analogy, I know, so let me try and make the application short.

Jacob was a perfect example of a man that God needed to break. Imagine a man  after encountering God in Gen.28, still give terms upon which He will accept God as his God! He was a man full of his own agenda, that the yoke of surrendering to another, even if that other was the God of his fathers, was too much to bear. He gave conditions to God after the encounter, upon which He can accept God as HIS GOD. The vision of God and angels did not change his agenda. It took a breaking of his waist by an angel for the man to finally yield completely. What a man!

Many times we are like this, ever struggling with God and resisting HIS will. 

You may have wondered why God tested Abraham with killing of Isaac, if he did not want Isaac, it is the issue of brokenness. 

Many struggle with the yoke that Jesus places until the incur several needless wounds.

A broken vessel is useful in the hand of God. Let's ask him to help us on this. Stop the struggle but may God also not give up on us as he attempts to ride us.

Lord break me.

MADE IN HEAVEN BUT CHANGED IN TIME-PART 2

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.- John 1:6-7(emphasis added)

The aspect of the sacrifice of John in order to remain the same as heaven intended, was that he left home to stay in the wilderness eating locust and wild honey. He made all those sacrifices just to ensure that he arrived ,in as raw a state, as heaven ordained him to be.

The Bible said, he stayed in the wilderness, separate from home  and family comforts. If he had stayed in his father's house, he would have become a priest at best. He was surrounded by Priests, I am sure, he was the odd ball in the household. His experiences and the training he needed, would be different from those around him. The training of a priest and a prophet are vastly different.

Next He ate Locust and WILD honey. I wondered why the bible choose to state clearly that he ate wild honey. I believe that the writer wanted to emphasize that the source of his food was not from home or from the people. You see, Priests are usually feed from the sacrifices, brought from the people. The depended on the people to be sustained as they ministered but not John. His sustenance was not what they people brought, it was wild, as found in nature.

Child of God, sometimes it is better to feast on "locust and wild honey"than to compromise our stand on the sumptuous meals waived before us to make us compromise our stand or change our convictions. Like Daniel, who would rather eat vegetables, beans and drink water than feed on a feast fit for a king, John choose the path that remains unpopular.

 He so resolved and made decisions to remain unchanged by the tide of human opinion, that even his fashion sense did not swing with the latest fashion of the day. He still wore camel skin and belt.

The Bible warns not to be conformed to this world, all this is, so that we would achieve our heavenly ordination.

May heaven say of us " there was a man/woman sent from God;..... the SAME CAME" unadulterated, unchanged by the pressures of peer and foe. 

May God help us stay on course in our calling in God!

MADE IN HEAVEN BUT CHANGED IN TIME-PART 1

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.- John 1:6-7(emphasis added)

The word that caught my attention in these verses of Scripture is the word the same. In Verse 6 of the scripture quoted we are given insight into something that was happening in Heaven. 

Heaven had decided on sending out a man who will bear witness at a coming time. That man was named in heaven before he came. The name he will bear in his time on earth was predetermined by heaven before John came to earth.(if this point is not clear in above scripture, then check what the angel Gabriel said when he came to his father in Luke 1:13). Heaven was very deliberate about the identity of who was being sent, and even took the initiative to name him before his birth. The details of his life, name, and ministry, were all determined before hand.

So we see at least several things from verse 6.One was that John, was not the product of the decision of his parents, he had an assignment outlined for him even before his birth, and he was named by Heaven. Heaven took so much care to attend to these details in the life of John. Its like a manufacturing company, ensuring that the manual of a product was included and then dispatching  the material properly branded and bar-coded.

In Verse 7, the Bible tells us that it was the same man, not a different person, that arrived in time! Praise God.

A man was sent from God and the same man, not a different individual, the same man, not one whose destiny had been hijacked or diverted; the same man arrived in time to fulfill heaven's mandate over his life. The same man stayed on course long enough for heaven to bear witness that, the man heaven sent arrived intact, in time.

The story so far may seem pretty straight forward, if you do not consider, that between heaven sending John, and Him remaining the same person, several things had tried to divert or change his course in time. To put it plainly a lot of sacrifice lies between these two verses of scripture in John.

What do I mean? Let me explain.

When John was born the first thing we see, is that men tried to give him a name different from what heaven gave him. It took the tenacity of the mother to refuse status quo and the miraculous healing of his father to, stop this from happening. The Point here is, they already tried to alter what heaven had sent at the very beginning!

Some start business, ministry or some service according to how heaven intended but somewhere along the line they are diverted from the original intent of God. What sort to abort what heaven began with John started early.

Secondly, consider that He left home to stay in the wilderness eating locust and wild honey.

The implication of this second sacrifice I will explain in part 2 of this discuss. 

But could you pause and ask yourself, Am I the same person that Heaven ordained? Has my time on earth changed who I was destined by God to be? 

He said to Jeremiah before I formed thee, I knew thee and ordained or appointed you a prophet?

Are you as appointed by heaven? 

To Be continued.....

GIVING: THE BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE (PART IIC)

SEED SOWING: THE MIX AND THE FIX

Now it is true every believer is called to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12) but not every believer is called to preach by way of wielding the microphone or manning the pulpit. In other words, every believer is called to serve the Lord but not all will serve by preaching and teaching God’s word. There are those whose primary assignment is equipping other believers for the work of the ministry – they are popularly called the five-fold ministers: apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors (Ephesians 4:11).
The five-fold ministers are not an elite squad of ecclesiastical oligarchs; they are like other believers who have just been set apart by the election of grace to occupy offices within the body of Christ for maturing the saints, for the work of the ministry and for the general building of the body of Christ. They are therefore set apart not by human effort but by the grace of God. The grace of God upon them empowers and compels them to provide spiritual substance for maturing the saints for the work of the ministry and building up of the body of Christ. They add value to people’s lives by giving them spiritual substance, tools and nourishment. They sow spiritual seeds in other believers’ lives. Since these folk expend much of their time in the spiritual service of others, barely having time to pursue ventures that would meet their material needs, their material needs should be taken care of by those who are direct beneficiaries of God’s grace upon their lives. There is absolutely nothing wrong with those who sow spiritual seeds reaping material harvest. Concerning these folk, Paul wrote without mincing words;
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:11-14, NIV)
Note carefully, that in the passage above, that the ones who are doing the sowing are those who give spiritual support – the preachers, and not those being ministered to – the flock. So it not those who receive spiritual substance that sow seeds but those who give spiritual substance. So when the recipients of spiritual substance respond accurately by giving material substance to those who sow spiritual seed into them, it is not called seed sowing, it is called material harvest. What does this mean? Spiritual seed is God’s word which is living and active and can cut through and pierce right into the deepest parts of man therefore initiating deep transformation, growth, healing and deliverance (Hebrews 4:12). Material harvest is dead and can only at best affect the body and the physical environment which Paul says is no big deal. You cannot sow material things because they do not bear God’s breath and cannot initiate any deep transformation. Whatever is not framed and engineered by God’s word does not qualify to be called seed.
The spiritual seed sown would benefit the recipients far more than the material things would benefit the recipients. It is not like spiritual seed would yield material benefits; it is simply a matter of value sharing. It is like two people with complementary resources: one is thirsty but has food while the other is hungry but has water. When they share value, they would end up meeting each other’s need. This is the essence of the spiritual-material support system within the body of Christ, that no one would lack anything.
Oh yes, in an ideal situation, those whose primary assignment is preaching the gospel should make a living from the gospel. There is absolutely no unrighteousness to this. The only problem is that the situation is seldom ideal. People who do not understand value sharing would consider providing material support to those who give them spiritual support as a burden. This is why the same Paul who made it abundantly clear in the passage above that those who minister spiritual things have earned a right of material support from those that they minister to. But for the sake of the expansion of the gospel, Paul and his associates decided to sacrifice their well-earned right. In other words, they would rather give up personal comfort for the progress of the gospel than be comfortable at the expense of the gospel. Hence, Paul would rather work with his hands than be a burden to those whom he gave spiritual support. In his case, the situation was sure not ideal so he had work with his hands to support himself and those who worked with him (Acts 20:34).
GIVE AND PROSPER?
You do not give to prosper materially; your prosper materially to give material things. Just like you do not give to be blessed; you are blessed so you give. There is no material thing that man needs that is not on earth.
Material prosperity and/or wealth are acquired by value created through enterprise. To prosper materially you must do the needful. Do not build your life on exceptions; build it on universally immutable laws. You cannot say because someone got the gift a car or house, you therefore won’t need to plan or save for a house or car. You should not give material things, and then sit idly by, expecting mystery millions to fall in your lap without adding value to anyone or engaging yourself in the process of production.
I know this is hard to swallow, but God’s blessing does not operate in a vacuum. God’s blessing does not obliterate hard work, creativity and innovation. God’s blessing does not encourage snoozing and standing aloof. I know God can choose to give you a car or a house and other material things without you spending a dime but this would be an exception. And I would like to reiterate that you do not live by exceptions which are underpinned by God’s sovereignty. By God’s sovereignty, He can choose to be merciful on whoever He pleases. For instance, God chose by an act of His sovereignty to ‘love’ Jacob and ‘hate’ Esau (Malachi 1:2-3).
In His sovereignty, God is not under any obligation, He does as He pleases without owing explanation to anyone. So, in the same vein, God can choose to bless a person with material things in abundance. This does not however mean He is obligated to bless everybody with material things in abundance.
We cannot live by God’s sovereign mercy which is randomly dispensed and bestowed on people as the Lord pleases. There is a more sure way to relate with God, secure His mercy and enjoy His largess; it is called the sure mercies of David which is underpinned by His everlasting covenant. The Bible says,
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. (Isaiah 55:3, KJV)
Note, that the operative words in the verse of Scripture above are COVENANT and SURE. By covenant God is obligated to man as man is obligated to God. This means both man and God share responsibilities in a covenant. So in the covenant, as it touches material prosperity the onus for performance is not only on God. The onus for performance is both on God and man. This means nothing will happen if God does His part and man fails to do his part. This is why a lot of Christians today do not get results because they only know about their new creation realities in Christ but fail to understand the new creation responsibilities in them. So, they exercise their faith without backing it up with work, the unpleasant consequences of which always leaves them shell-shocked.
By acts of God’s sovereignty, out of one thousand people, only two or three might become materially wealthy. But by covenant, out of one thousand people, one thousand will become materially wealthy! So, God’s sovereignty in geography parlance can be compared to weather which is largely unpredictable and capricious. While covenant can be compared to climate which is more predictable and more sure. You cannot bank on the weather of God’s sovereignty but you can bank on the climate of His everlasting covenant.
I do not regret to inform you that the path to material prosperity is not paved with giving material things – it is paved with enterprise, industry and value creation. To increase your material wealth you do not sow material things (remember I said overleaf whatever does not have the breath of God does not qualify to be called seed) you must trade with them. Remember the parable of the talents? The guy with one talent refused to trade; he rather elected to hide it in the ground (this sounds like sowing to me) and embrace apathy. What was the outcome? He was severely punished and that which he had was taken from him and given to the one who was ready to trade – engage in enterprise, industry and value creation.
THE PURPOSE OF GIVING
The primary purpose of giving is worship to God and service to man. When you give to God it is called worship; when you give to man it is called service. When you give to man at the command of God it is called worship service!
In the kingdom, material and/or financial prosperity are not among the reasons for giving. The Lord Jesus Himself condemned and still condemns giving for the primary reason of receiving something back – becoming materially wealthy! I would like to conclude this bit with the words of the Lord Jesus thus:
If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same. And if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again. But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. (Luke 6:32-35,AMP)

-Written by Apostle Arome Osayi

PRAYER FOR PERSECUTION: THE MASTER’S COUNSEL

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44,NIV)

We live in a world where Christians respond to libel and false accusations with lawsuits; persecution with vengeance and hatred with more hatred. I understand it is impossible to lead the Christian life without the enablement and quickening of the Holy Spirit. But from the quality of Christianity that pervades our society today, it is very obvious that the Master’s counsel is not being adhered to as touching how believers interface with the world and respond to persecution.

The Lord Jesus’ teachings covered every major aspect of the Christian life. His teachings were not lifeless, abstract, impracticable nuggets that came as byproducts of brainwaves. They were jewels mined from the high quality and exemplary life He led in the days of His earthly ministry. Dr. Luke, the author of the books of Luke and Acts of the Apostles testified thus:

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to DO and to TEACH (Acts 1:1, NIV)

The operative words in the verse of Scripture above are DO and TEACH. Jesus did all that He taught. His teachings were drawn from His doings. So when He commanded His followers to do anything, it was because He had already modeled it in His life.

Jesus commands, even today, that the panacea for persecution and slander is not human, carnal response which is always unproductive but a divine, productive response prayer. By the way, persecution and all kinds of rough treatments are still an integral part of the Christian faith. We should never come to the point where we begin to delude ourselves into thinking the world should give us accolades for our faith. If anything the Master has prepared our minds to expect persecutions. And when they do come, and come they will, we should be able to respond accurately. It is human to feel hatred for those who persecute you; it is very natural to formulate potent curses for those who bruise you. But on the account of our faith which is regulated by a higher life – God’s very life, that we carry; the responses are and should be different.

Jesus said to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, why? This is simply because to end the darkness in the world we must shine His light. To shine His light, our character must be transformed, reframed and reengineered by His word and Spirit to look exactly like His. How? By how we respond to the negativity, resistance and contradictions in the world. Everybody is a saint until persecutions come. Kingdom advance is largely hinged on the conduct of believers by which they directly interface with the word.

Why does the devil sling persecutions on believers? To get them offended. Offence is to the believer’s spirit what cholesterol is to the blood vessels – it blocks the free flow of life and life supply until it eventually leads to total system shutdown. The devil’s goal is to shutdown the believer’s spirit so that the believer will stop receiving life and life supply from the Spirit of God.  The believer’s heart and mind become gangrenous with bitterness so that can they no longer absorb the glory of God which is found on the face of Jesus in fellowship. Nothing hinders communion with the Spirit of God like biterness.

The devil stirred the whole of Israel against Jesus. The devil diligently kept trying to make Jesus pick offence by crafting and deploying the most vile and lethal persecutions against Jesus through people. Jesus responded by simply praying for them even to His very last excruciating moment on the cross. Jesus endured physical and emotional attacks, warded off spiritual attacks, took all shades and colours of persecutions without cracking under pressure. The Holy thing which He carried upon which the salvation of mankind depended was guarded jealously at the peril of His own reputation. The Bible says of Jesus thus,

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation… (Philippians 2:6-7, KJV)

Jesus went to the lowest low just to win the victory over the devil for mankind. His sacrifices make it possible for a sweetness-filled, bitterness-free Christian experience in spite of the myriad persecutions and offences around.

There will never come a time when the world would applaud us for our faith. It is part of our calling to suffer His sake. The Bible says:

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake… (Philippians 1:29, KJV)

Any time people offend and hurt you, especially your loved ones, it is not time to mull over the offence; it is time to pray.

Remain blessed.

Your brother,

Arome Osayi.

THE SOVERIGN GOD

Rev 4:1-4  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

It was curious for me to note that when John arrived Heaven in Rev. 4; the first sight he saw, were not the twenty-four thrones or the streets of gold, or even the many angels in Heaven, No! He was confronted with a throne and the one that sits on it.

He only saw other thrones as he panned away from the central throne and extended his vision away from the one that sat on it. This I believe was a very deliberate rendering of events because when you think about it, it would have been easier to see the twenty-four thrones before focusing on the ONE then you will agree that scripture was very deliberate in recounting this event.

Therefore the implications of this rendering of events should not be wasted on the reader. I believe it was intentional, that God showed John this event in this order. Let's explore the implications

John seeing the central throne first, would be brought to the realization that there exists a Monarch in heaven and who rules the affairs of the heavens.  Just in case one is not aware of that fact, John's first glimpse into heaven confronts us with that stark reality.

John was called into heaven to have things revealed to him but the first revelation that heaven gave him was that of the Monarch of Heaven. The implications for John and us, is that for him or us to advance in the affairs of heaven, he/we must recognize the Lordship of the one who sits on heaven's central throne where all true authority derives from!

Secondly, the economy of heaven is only open to those who realize the Lordship of Jesus. We are only saved when we accept his Lordship and rebelling against him can only hurt us.
 
Many call Him Lord, but do not bow to His Lordship. This act not only excludes them from participation in the affairs heaven but disqualifies them from it all together. Making of them creatures that are limited to function only upon the earth.

Except we see where true Lordship comes from and respond accurately we become as mere men ruled and controlled by this world.
#TheSoverignGod

When Jesus is Asleep In Your Boat

Mar 4:37-39  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 

 At one point or the other in our earthly existence we are faced with fierce storms. These storms beat at us from all sides and seek to drag us into the depths of despair/misery.

Human life is characterized by men either coming out of storms or getting into one. As Job said, man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. In fact, one can be fully occupied trying to calm the troubles initiated by various storms and never learn to truly find rest.

From the portion of scripture above, Jesus and his disciples were not different.Even though Jesus was with His disciples, the storms showed very little regard for his presence. The storm did not respect his holiness or his status as the Son of God. It threatened to overturn the ship and created such a fuss that would throw experienced fishermen to the brink of despair. 

Note that Jesus was WITH them, yet the storms sort to drown them! 

I have heard many quote a question posed by Apostle Paul and seem to have arrived at an answer which Paul never gave.

Rom 8:31  ...If God be for us, who can be against us? 

Have you heard people quote the above scripture? They seem to imply that this is but a rhetorical question, that concludes with the answer that NO ONE can be against! Please note that the answer to this question was never provided by Paul in his discuss but I would like to say that even when God is for you or with you, you can be sure to expect the enemy to be against you.

Some have been told that Christians do not suffer, yet have not been told that the one who authored our faith suffer and for that reason we too will experience suffering. We are however not warned not to suffer for our wrong doing.

1Peter 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Lets move on in our discuss, of all the occupants of the ship one of the few people  that was most likely least accustomed to the turbulence that the sea can offer, was Jesus. He grew up in a Carpentry shed, while Peter, James and John were all accomplished fishermen. 

In fact for James and John it was a family tradition, the left their father still active in that profession to follow Jesus! I would imagine that such a storm would frighten other disciples like the tax collector and a few other too but surely not this three.

Lets draw a point from the above, the storms of life may sometimes overwhelm your ability and experience. No matter know experienced you are in the face of crisis, it is always tasking not to give in to fear, discouragement or despair. 

Please don't start a pity party over the fact that you are unable to be more courageous in the face of crisis. The bible is full of stories of great men who fare less impressively. 

Elijah that shut the heavens, held an entire nation to ransom, called down fire, and didn't think anything of dividing the river Jordan just so he could cross  gave in to despair when threatened by Jezebel.

To be continued.......