Tuesday 25 March 2014

THE ESSENCE OF GRACE

What really is grace?

Where is its source, How does it work, what is its purpose, why does man need grace and when?

Growing up there used to be this large contention about whether or not it is possible for a man to be perfect, totally free from all sin, blameless, holy like God(not as in divinity), we often wondered whether or not it was possible to have men like Daniel, Paul walk on today’s earth, it’s finally clear to me.

I’ve heard my struggle with this for years and I hate to say it has hindered my growth as a Christian over the years because I failed to understand the import of grace into the life of Christian; this lack of understanding has brought me time again to a state of rising and falling as a Christian more often than I will like to admit.

Grace is God’s hand extended to man. It is
God’s
Riches
At
Christ
Expense.

Grace is what is given to us when a sinner repents of his sin and accepts Christ. Grace is God coming into our lives, working with us and in us so that all of the inconsistencies in our life are removed and we live for His glory which is the very purpose for which are created.

Unfortunately, in the church only one side of the work of grace is often preached.

Grace takes away all our sin on one side and on the other side it empowers us to live in righteousness. The fullness of grace is when both sides are accomplished in our lives.

I recently heard a preacher say that “if you claim that Christ is your saviour and you have to wait till your death to be totally free from sin, then Christ isn't your saviour, Death is”.

Christ shed his blood not so our sins can be covered but so we can be cleansed from our sin, so not only does his blood make us free from the power of sin but it makes us free from the sin itself.

We are thus passed from:
Sin to righteousness
Darkness to Light
Uncleanliness to Holiness

Now I understand for some, this happens immediately and for some it takes time depending on the size of your faith. But you cannot continue to trample on the blood of Christ by your sin and keep saying that God’s grace covers that; what happened to the other side of grace.

The amount of grace you receive is proportional to your level of faith.

Grace empowers to live in righteousness, if it did not then Christ’s sacrifice will be incomplete.

The essential thing is to believe that you can live above sin and be free from its shackles. You and I can be free, it is what Christ died and shed his blood for, Christ died to destroy the work of the devil and sin is one of them.

By Faith, believe and say, I am free to live righteously, Lord Jesus by your grace I exchange all my unrighteousness for your righteousness.


Hallelujah. Shalom.

THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN NIGERIA (THE WORLD).

There is this popular question we used to ask back in my university days. It brought a lot of confusion with people having different perspectives and our leaders/elders being unusually silent about it. It goes thus:
CAN A GOOD CHRISTIAN BE IN POLITICS?

Firstly, the following facts have to be stated:
  • ·        The church and the world are two different entities, two different people; they are separate, so much so that the Bible warns the church a lot of times against the world. The church is not the world and the world is not the church
  • ·         The church is not the building on your street either
  • ·         The church is Christ own people called out of the world and chosen to be a peculiar people, a chosen generation, a holy nation. They are saved and have been washed by the blood of Jesus and live to please Him
  • ·         The church is not all the Christians we have in the world today because a lot of people profess to be part of the church and are not
  • ·         The church is not your denomination
  • ·         The church is in the world and has influence on the world but not authority over it.

Now you know what the church is and is not.
Another thing worthy of note is that the church is separated from the world but not isolated from the world.

Therefore as a true Christian you have a responsibility, first to the church and then to the world.

My focus here is on our responsibility to the world.

We are the light of the world, the salt of the earth. In world full of all kinds of corruption, the only thing keeping the world from falling off its edge is that we are in it as salt and light. We are to be the model of what men and women should be. We are to show the world what God’s design and purpose for man is.

I often hear people complain of why preachers in Nigeria are; in their own words ‘silent about the government’. It is important to understand that the preachers are called to a profession; to be leaders of the church and nothing else, they can speak and tell that it is wrong and can pray, but there is only so much they can do except they are called to it. Their sole responsibility is to make sure the message of salvation is preached in the entire world. Remember as I said earlier that the church could have influence over the world but does not have authority over it except I special cases where God intends to show His glory.

The church is a people called and chosen from every sphere of life, so we are present in every area of life to be light and the salt, it is not our job to change the world but it is our job to show the world the right way and make it a better place by our actions. Just like every man has freewill, the world has its freewill that we cannot change, our primary mission is to show the world salvation through Christ and the one of the ways we can do that is by being the voice of good in a world of evil.

So then, are we all called to be activist? Are we all called to be politicians? I think not; because we do not need to be presidents, governors, chairmen of local communities, captains of industry etc. to make our world better and preach the message of salvation. We can be captains of industry, CEOs, employers of labour, employees, politicians etc. only if our service/mission to the world is a pointer of Salvation through Christ to the world.

But I know that we are called to be the face of change in the world. We are called to be the ones who make life better, show the people there is a better way of living, and point them in the direction of God. That show them the way of salvation.

Because even if we become presidents, governors etc. our work remains incomplete if we have not shown the world the way of salvation.

However you choose to do that (the work of showing salvation) is up to you, so long as it doesn’t take heaven from you, because this world is temporary and will not last forever.

Finally, do you know that the church will judge the world? We are not called to be judges of men’s actions in this world as Christ said ‘judge not so you will not be judged’, but we can be pointers to grace and when the time is come, we can judge the world.

Monday 17 March 2014

A Man as a Leader in His Home.

First of all, who is a leader? A leader is one who serves, I know this does not go with the conventional definition of leaders in today’s world but that is what a leader should be. A leader is one with power and authority, however, his power and authority makes him a servant leader not a ruler/dictator as is found in today’s world. He knows that with great power comes great responsibility and this humbles him.

Now that we are clear on that, how is the man supposed to lead his home?

A man is the leader of the home, it has been ordained by God, He is the authority of the home, the final decision maker, he is the servant leader because his primary responsibility is to go out there and provide for the every need of his home. He is to love his family more than anything else in this world.

Now I'm beginning to sound like, in the home there is the man and the others; but that is not it.

In many circles, women have usurped the authority of their husbands and have become chair-ladies, making the man in the house ineffective; it is also unfortunate that it’s gone as far as women saying I want to marry a man who sees me as his ‘partner’. (Trust me you don’t want to marry one; he’ll look like vegetable when you need him the most).

A man as leader in the home understands that his wife is the weaker vessel and he has got to be real strong, even if it is only for her sake.

A man as leader in the home understands the thing line between love and being spoilt, chastisement and being too strict, being a dictator and being a leader and so on. He sees it all and finds the balance at every turn of the way because every situation calls for different approaches. That is the man as a leader.

Also, a man as a leader understands that mankind is spirit has a soul and lives in a body. He understands that just like there are desires of the body, there is for the soul and the spirit. He sees his wife and loves her because he understands that it is his duty to her to help her grow spiritually; fulfil her emotional desires and physical desires as well.

He takes her out to dinner every once in a while, listens to her all the time, watches for when she needs rest, wants her to be happy all the time.

A man as leader in the home rules his home in the fear of God; he is the spiritual leader of the home, he takes responsibility for all that happens in his house, good or bad. He understands that it is his responsibility to protect his wife and children and wakes up every day asking God for grace to do just that and does it.

A man as a leader in the home does not rule his house by democracy; he rules it in the fear of God.

He says ‘as for me and my house we will serve the lord’.


Lord, make me like this man and make our men more like this. Amen.

SO YOU WANT A HUSBAND?

First let it be clearly stated. I am not married neither am I single. I'm in a courtship, looking to get married to her someday.

I find it pretty amusing sometimes that the most discussed issue in our world is marriage. In the west, it’s the nuisance of homosexual marriage; in my home it’s the question of who the right guy is and who the right woman is.

I used the title ‘so you want a husband’ because often the people who usually want a husband have it all wrong. They have a mind-set shaped by the ideas of the world from Hollywood, Bollywood or Nollywood about what marriage is and what the right kind of woman should be and what the right man should be.

So you want a husband.

  • Did you know that everything the world tells you about marriage is a lie? (For example now they are telling us marriage can be between male and male, female and female)

  • Did you know that you have to already be like a wife before you can become one?

  • Did you know that you were created for Him and Him for you? (Because God knew from the beginning that he will create a woman to help the man and already put all that is needed for the man to be a good wife and the man to be a good husband in them)
  • Do you see yourself as being able to help Him in achieving His goals and the purpose of God for His life?
  • Did you know that you must be ready to accept his love, though sometimes it can be tough love?
  • Did you know that He is the head of the home? That no team can operate properly without a leader (the final decision maker, someone who listens and gathers everyone’s input and gives a direction)
  • Did you know that you won’t agree with everything he decides for you and Him and sometimes you’ll almost want to have his neck?
  • Did you know that once you are married to Him you are to be with him till death do you part? That divorce is forbidden by God?
  • Did you know that when He loves you, He’ll care for you like there’s nothing else that matters?
  • Did you know that He cannot love you if He doesn't love God?

I’ll like to throw more light on the last question.

No man loves a woman the way he should until he loves God.

I often say that the difference between men is only one thing, their love for God.

Because in a world full of perversion where sex in up for free in some circles, the only thing that keeps a man from following that path is the love for God He has in Him.

I remember a message from a preacher I listened to, he said he was having some issues with his wife and what set him straight was that God reminded him that his wife was also His daughter so He should watch how he treated her.

A man who truly loves God understands what love is as stated in the Bible and sticks to it.

So you want a husband?

Does he love God, does he fear God, does he honour God, and does he serve God?

Because when all is said and done and all cloths are stripped, that is all that makes the difference.

And when you finally have him as a husband, make sure his love for God is never dying because that will keep your love for each other strong and enduring.


Salut

Sunday 16 March 2014

IS FOLLOWING CHRIST THE EASY WAY OUT 2

Towards the last end of my writing I ended it mentioning the things we must sacrifice, as a cross we must bear.

‘The things that we have to sacrifice, the friendships, the hanging out, the material things, the dreams that we thought up for ourselves, the crazy hairdo, the crazy makeup, the dos and the don’ts clearly stated in the Bible, all of them’.

There are other two categories of crosses we might have to bear. I find that as we walk with God the closer we get to Him; He will want us to bear these crosses as well, not because they are wrong but simply because it will help to make us the perfect person He looks to make us just like Christ was.

The first category is the things which are not sin but hinder us from having a perfect walk with Him.
These are things which people often debate about whether they are right or wrong because it is not clearly stated in the Bible. But as you walk with God and follow after Christ you find the Holy Spirit demanding that you drop these things because they constitute ‘Self’.

The second category is the persecutions, trials, temptations that we must endure. We are not called to a life of tit for tat and sometimes the world will make war against our faith but remember it’s not the world making war with your faith, it’s the devil trying to pull you down using the world around you to persecute you but thank God that the fruit of the spirit is long-suffering.

Remember as you read this that God’s ways are not grievous but they lead us to the best that He has planned for us.

Let us not let our Freedom in Christ become as the world thinks freedom is, but let our freedom be made perfect by self-control.

Following Christ is an endurance trek but the difference is at the end you have more energy than when you started.

Following Christ is like work, we get a lot of blessings now but the benefits we receive at the end, even our minds cannot fathom it.

We are called to partake of Christ sufferings just as we are called to partake of His blessings.

The seasons and times won’t change just because we follow Christ, there is always the time to sow and the time to reap, the time to weep and the time to laugh(For how can we know joy if we have not known sorrow). However, be of good cheer, Christ has overcome the world.

The important thing is that you can sing along as you go:
Until I reach my home, until I reach my home, I will never ever stop my journey halfway, Hallelujah, until I see Jesus.

I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back. 

Friday 14 March 2014

IS FOLLOWING CHRIST THE EASY WAY OUT?

Every Christian before he or she came to Jesus had a former way of life. And often times many who come to Him come because they believe that things are better with Christ. I sure agree about that but most times we forget the flip side of the coin; the cross that we must bear.

These words are meat, not milk for babes; they need to be chewed before we can grab what we want out of it.

The gospel message is often painted with colour like an advert for medication that never tells you the side effects, but our message will never be complete if we do not tell you the side effects.

When we come to Christ, it is different, we come into life everlasting we come into a life where we don’t have to do it all alone, we come to lay down all our cares and worry at the cross, ever wonder what you get in exchange, You get love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Many get healing, freedom and so much more but in exchange for what?

Our marriage to Jesus is like a real marriage, you don’t only take the good things alone, and you have to take the flip side as well.

Why is long-suffering amongst the list of the goodies that we get?
We need long-suffering in order to bear the cross that our walk with Christ requires.

Jesus said ‘take my yoke upon thee, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and ye shall find rest unto your soul’.

He said this because there is a cross that we must bear, but it is nothing compared with what we used to carry (because His burden is light), so when we find Him, we find light-heartedness in spite of the burden of Christ that we bear.

Since you came to Christ, what is the burden you bear? What is the cross that you carry? (if you haven’t given up a thing, check your Christian walk again) Because He Himself said ‘if any man will come after me let him take up his cross and follow me’.

So we are called, we are chosen from every nation around the globe to a better Way but we must bear a cross, following Him is not the easy way out of whatever it is you are going through today but it is surely the easier way out, only take up the cross that you must bear.

The things that we have to sacrifice, the friendships, the hanging out, the material things, the dreams that we thought up for ourselves, the crazy make-up, the crazy hairdo, the crazy outfit, the dos and the don’ts clearly stated in the Bible, all of them(my cross is different from yours).

So like the Paul be able to say ‘the things I gained, I counted loss for Christ’


The way of the cross leads home. It is not the easy way but it’s reward cannot be compared with anything else or any other way.

Friday 7 March 2014

THE BACKSLIDER

I found that He loved me.

I Remembered How He saved me and forgave me my sins when I first came to His throne asking for His mercy. He had compassion on me.

He accepted me.

Though He Knew years down the line I will like a dog go back to my vomit, go back to the life I was lived.

Though He Knew that, years down the line I will struggle to keep my feet from stumbling, to be totally free from sin.

But He will loved me and will never turn His back on anyone who seeks His face, So He took it all, my imperfections and my perfections, my strengths and my weakness, my battles(both those I would win and those I will lose) because He saw in me what He created from the beginning of creation, a perfect man in His Image, He saw how He was going to shape and mould me till I become just like that, He saw just like He saw in David How I will chase after His heart and long to please Him.

When I remembered this Joy filled my soul and I was at peace because I realised He Knew all along.

He wanted me to remember this so that it will spur me on to seek Him more, to continue in the grace that once was and now is, because I have come back to ask for His forgiveness, mercy and grace again.

He wanted me to thirst for Perfection, so that I can be perfect just like Christ was, Holy, Pure and Sanctified, perfectly in love with Him.


This is my story, My Song, Praising My Saviour all the day long.

PEACE IN WAR 3

‘These things I tell you so that you will have peace. In the world you will have tribulations but take courage because I have overcome the world’ – John 16:33 paraphrased

Why not Peace Here and Now in this world?

It’s because God never goes back on His word.

At creation He handed dominion over to man and man committed treason by handing that dominion over to the devil when He chose to obey the devil who had no dominion on earth; through this, man became a slave to the devil and the devil is now the prince of this world, the ruler of the world. That’s why the devil had the guts to tempt Jesus by saying He will give Him the Kingdoms of this world if only Jesus will bow to Him (Maybe now you see the reason for all the evil in the world).

That’s why the world is in the chaos it is in today, it is ruled by the devil. However, the one thing that the devil could not take was man Himself because we are God’s creation and He can’t own us but in order to free us from all the trouble the devil will cause us God worked a plan back there and then.

Because God will not leave us to be condemned and He would not go back on his word either and He loved man so much. So He had to send His Son Jesus (The best He could send) to become a man. He was man just like He is God now and before He came to earth. Jesus was a perfect man working under the influence of the Holy Spirit, He felt sad, He wept, He felt troubled, He thirst, He was hungry, all because He had to be man in other to save us from all the works of the devil (Because being God He could not take it all from the devil because that will amount to God going back on His word when He gave dominion to man).

So because Jesus was sinless, He was able to overcome the devil and He conquered death because the devil had nothing on Him (Now you see why Jesus is Lord); because at the mention of the name of Jesus every Knee will Bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord (even the devil).

Now in the fullness of time, He will come back to take all that the devil has taken from us through the deceit at the Garden of Eden and dominion will be His because He is man and the fulfilment of God’s word that Man should have dominion over all the earth just like God originally intended.

So you see why He could say just like I started ‘In the world you will have troubles but I have overcome the world’. This is the reason for my peace.

Is this the reason for your peace?

If it is not, make it the reason for your peace. Come and See Peace and all the other benefits which through Christ have been restored back to Man.

If it is then join me in saying ‘even so come Lord Jesus’


Amen.

Wednesday 5 March 2014

PEACE IN WAR 2

There’s a peace in my heart
That the world never gave
A peace it cannot take away
Though life’s trials may surround like a cloud
I have a peace that has come to stay
Constantly Abiding………………………………………………………………………………
Anne S. Murphy, 1908

Such is the peace that we all seek.
The whole world is in a conundrum, every nation seeks peace but what it seems to be the only thing that eludes us. Why? Because even though the earth still rotates around its axis and the sun and the moon still have the same effect as they used to have, the missing link is that we have left what keeps it all together, The Prince of Peace.
The Bible says that ‘in Him all things consist and without Him was anything that was made whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers’.
As long as the world remains the way it is with every nation focused on bringing itself glory and strength, I’m afraid there can be no peace.
As long as there are some people in the world who look to satisfy themselves and their own bellies, there won’t be peace.
But there is a peace that we all can find, it is peace with God, it is the peace of God, it is peace of mind.
You first must have peace with God in other to have the peace of God and peace of mind.
To make peace with God, there’s only one way and that is through Jesus ‘ There is none other name given among men whereby we can be saved’. He is the Prince of Peace.
God always looked to give us peace and that is why He sent Jesus, so that we can have the peace of God. Peace that passes all understanding.
Come to Jesus and you will Find Peace in Him.

All the world seemed to sing
Of a Saviour and King
When Peace swiftly came to my heart
Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day
Blessed Jesus how glorious thou art.
Constantly abiding………………………………………………………..

Anne S. Murphy, 1908

Tuesday 4 March 2014

PEACE IN WAR.

Peace which passes all understanding

We live in a time and age with war or some of conflict ravaging every nation. Every nation has some kind of war going, some more tolerable than others. And the question asked is that where the peace is that God promised us when Christ said ‘Peace I leave with you not as the world gives’.

This is the answer.
Peace is not the absence of conflict nor is war; the truth is that the peace that Christ gave to us flourishes in the midst of the trouble.

Remember where that peace came from in the first place, it didn’t come from the outside circumstances, when we give our lives over to Christ, that peace seats on the inside of us despite all  the problems we might be facing at the time.

I find it interesting that at one time Christ did not feel at peace, because He was man like us He felt troubled, He said in John 12:27 –Now is my soul troubled…….. So you are not alone in feeling troubled at all the problems that surround us or are in our world.

However remain at peace on the inside of you because:
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed,
Persecuted but not forsaken
Cast down but never destroyed
Because
I know whom I have believed and I’m persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day
Because
When Peace like a River attendeth my way, when sorrows like seas bellows roll, whatever my lot thou hast thought me to know and say it is well with my soul.
Because
There are so many things about tomorrow I don’t seem to understand but I know who owns tomorrow and I know He holds my hand.

So my friend, the next time you are troubled remember you’re not alone and Christ was just as troubled as you are, but above all don’t let anything take the peace you have on your inside. Speak peace be still to your soul. Remember God said ‘Be Still and Know that I am God’


May God grant you peace, not as the world gives but peace that passes all understanding.

THE GREATEST LOVE (GIFT) OF ALL

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us that we should be called the sons of God” - I John 3:1 John was so fascinated by...