The Pharisee Christian

Are we Pharisee Christians?

There are different categories of Christians in the church.

There is the Sermon-proof Christian (Matthew 13:15); the Mixed Multitude Christian (Exodus 12:38) (Numbers 11:1-4); the Compromising Christian (Exodus 8:25, 27 & 10:7); the True Worshiper (John 4:24) (Romans 8:16); the Pharisee Christian (Matthew 5:20) (Matthew Ch.23) and other categories.

The Pharisees were a religious class and were Jesus Christ’s bitterest enemies in his day. They were a hypocrite and self-righteous group. A hypocrite professes to be what he is not and a self-righteous person prides in himself while despising and looking down on others he is not better than.

The Pharisee is a whitewashed person looking beautiful on the outside while his interior is evil and rotten like a repainted grave that looks outwardly beautiful but inwardly rotten (Matthew 23:27-28). He practices outward religion and outward holiness while his inner man, his heart and spirit are corrupted, polluted and evil.

Jesus inflicted the most scathing remarks in history on the Pharisees in Matthew Chapter 23. He condemned them in Matthew 23:27-28 as hypocrites for their pride in outward show and display while being inwardly rotten at heart.

God is much more interested in our inward holiness because from the heart of man proceed the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). True worship, true service and true and holy principles come from the heart just as the evil issues of life also proceed from it (Mark 7:19-21), depending on whom your heart is submitted to –God or the Devil.

God is interested in a pure heart (Matthew 5:8); a perfect heart (2 Chronicles 16:9); a circumcised heart (Deuteronomy 30:6) that will open up to the Gospel and will love Him wholly and put Him first in life and conduct (Matthew 22:34-40).

God is also interested in a heart that will fear Him and obey all His commandments (Deuteronomy 5:29). He is looking for someone that will love Him with the whole heart, soul and mind (Deuteronomy 6:5).

God is not interested in our outward forms of worship and outward show of holiness without an inner change at heart. He does not want mere religious reformation without inner heart purity. What pleases Him more is a person’s godly living by His own standards.

The outward forms of religion are not sins in themselves but alone on their own are vain and powerless to save the soul (Isaiah 1:13-14) (Isaiah 58:1-5).

The Word in Isaiah 1:13-14 and 58:1-5 tells us that outward forms of worship are sacrifices that cannot be substituted for personal holiness and morality. King Saul sought to please God with sacrifices of animals while failing in total obedience to His instructions regarding Amalek and God rejected his kingship for this disobedience.

As far as God and His Word go, obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

In John 4:21-24, the Samaritan woman asked Jesus a question about the right place to worship God whether in Jerusalem or on a mountain. Jesus replies that the time has come when the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth.

His answer is telling us that the true worshippers that God is looking for are those who will follow Him with their whole souls, minds, feelings, emotions and desires; and are in harmony with the full and attested truth and not in fallacies and controversies, ceremonies, rituals and offerings.

Many run about from church to church, from mountain to mountain looking for a ‘’better place’’ to worship or pray to God. Jesus answer in John 4:24 tell that true worship is that of the heart where one is and not by a particular special place.

Many are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:10, who trust themselves, trust their religion, which take pride in their denomination and despise all others who do not share the same faith with them or do not belong to their denomination. Their attitude illustrates pride and self-righteousness which are sins in themselves.

One woman said that because she visits Israel every year on Holy Pilgrimage, she is sure of heaven. Going for Holy Pilgrimage in Israel yearly without the right changes in the heart, and without fully trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is an empty religion and a vanity powerless to save the soul.

Rather than simply obey God’s Word, many prefer to disobey by choosing their own paths independently of him and when things go wrong, they begin to seek for Him to remove the road blocks through long and endless sacrifices of fasting and prayers to appease the God whose Word they rejected.
Obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).

The sacrifices that are acceptable to God are a broken spirit, and a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).

God has promised us that He will give us a new heart and renew a right spirit within us and has also promised to remove our stony hearts and to replace with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19) (Ezekiel 36:26).
But we have a role to play in our salvation by asking. It is when we ask that we shall receive (Matthew 7:7).

o Ask God for a clean heart and a right spirit (Psalm 51:10)
o Ask God for a circumcised heart (Deuteronomy 30:6)
o Ask Him for the grace and power to follow Him with a whole heart (Numbers 32:12)
o Ask for a heart that will fear Him and be obedient to Him (Deuteronomy 5:29).
o We need to ask God to break us down and re mould us to conform to His taste because He is the Potter and we are clay in His hands.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe.

Are We Carnal Christians?

Are We Still Carnal Christians?

There are different categories of Christians in the Church which include the following:

The Antioch Christian (Acts 11:26)

The Sermon-proof Christian (Matthew 13:15)

The Compromising Christian (Exodus 8:23, 25 & 10:7)

The Mixed Multitude Christian (Exodus 12:38) (Numbers 11:1-4)

The Pharisee Christian (Matthew 5:20) (Matthew Ch.23)

The Carnal Christian (Romans Ch.8)

The carnal Christian is described in Romans Chapter 8. He is a Christian who is not growing in grace (Hebrews 5:12-14); who minds the things of the flesh and places them above the Spirit. A person who minds the things of the flesh, who walks in the flesh and is not walking in the Spirit cannot please God (Galatians 5:16).

He cannot please God because the flesh and the things of the flesh which he lives for are at enmity with the Spirit and the things of the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). A carnally minded Christian lives in rebellion and is not obeying God because his carnal mind is not subject to the laws of God, easily submits to sin (Romans 8:7).

A carnal Christian is like the natural man in 1 Corinthians 2:14 described as a person who lives under the control of his fleshly passions, which are the sensual and depraved part of man. He has no sense for spiritual values and has no delight for them. He counts it wisdom to live for the world and its carnal pleasures. Therefore, spiritual things are foolishness to him and he is spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1-9).

TAKE NOTE, that all carnality is not sinful. Natural desires such as food, water, sleep and sex are carnal but are not sinful carnality. It is natural to have them but in moderation not to break God’s laws. They can become sinful carnality when we indulge in them to the point that God’s laws are broken.

A couple who are fully dressed for church and are ready to go, who suddenly change their minds and begin to undress for sex because one of them developed a sexual urge at that point; and ended up having sex first and going late to the service or eventually not going at all are carnal Christians. 

They are carnal Christians who cannot deny themselves their fleshly desires for a few hours to give attention to God and the things of the Spirit.

Jesus Christ preached self-denial (Matthew 8:34) and without self-denial, there is no victorious Christian life !  In 1 Corinthians 7:5, a couple can suspend sexual activities for a while in order to focus on the things of the Spirit which is self-denial.

  

Other characteristics of the carnal Christian include:

 

§  The works of the flesh have full rein in the lives of carnal Christians (Galatians 5:19-21)

§  They have obsession for various kinds of lusts such as sexual lusts – an obsessive sexual craving and an uncontrollable desire for sex. Other lusts are material lusts, fleshly lusts (Romans 13:14); youthful lusts (Titus 2:12); pleasure lusts (Titus 3:3) and monetary lust – an insatiable lust for money at any cost.

§  The Carnal Christian is a casual but not a committed Christian; he seeks for convenience and is not a covenanted Christian; he seeks for comfort and is not ready to carry his Cross and follow Christ, and prefers carnality above Christ-likeness. In essence, the carnal Christian is not ready to pay the relevant prices required in Mark 8:34-36 to follow Christ to the end.

§  The carnal Christian is delinquent in spiritual activities –cannot pray, cannot fast, cannot preach the gospel, cannot study the Word of God because they have no time for the things of the Spirit. Some Christians cannot fast for a single day because they cannot sacrifice food, water, sex and pleasures. 

Some cannot conduct a personal prayer vigil because they cannot sacrifice a few hours’ sleep. Many cannot have a prayer vigil even for once in a week either personal or church vigil. They always have readymade and convenient excuses to avoid it.

Carnal Christians can read the newspapers and junk gossip magazines, browse the net and watch television for many hours but cannot find the time to study their bible for an hour daily or read one chapter daily. They have been in the church for many years but have never for once read the whole bible from Genesis to Revelation. They cannot quote at least 52 verses in the Scripture off hand.

 A Christian should study the bible on daily basis, memorize at least a verse in a week and endeavor to read the whole Bible once in a year. He should be able to devote at least 10% of his daily 24 hours i.e. 2 hours & 30 minutes to the things of the Spirit – bible study, fellowship, prayers, evangelism, meditation etc. that are relevant to spiritual growth.

 The carnal Christian cannot devote 10% of his time for God but has abundant time to devote to the vanities of life that have no eternal values.

§  The Carnal Christian is not a disciple and eternity with Christ is for committed disciples. Because he is not experiencing spiritual development, he is still spiritually dead and walking in spiritual darkness. He is not serving God in Spirit and in Truth, thereby making his spirituality to be a false one.

§  The carnal Christian is a lukewarm person, neither hot nor cold that God has promised to spue out of His mouth (Revelations 3:15-16) and he is content to be lukewarm.

§  A carnal Christian has no power for self-denial, lacks self-discipline; lacks power to resist temptations; lacks power not to compromise; cannot resist his carnal appetites; cannot de-emphasize self and lacks the power for holy living.

§  The carnal Christian loves the world and is in infinite fellowship with it which makes him an enemy of God (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17). 

§  A carnal Christian delights in associating with the scornful that scoff at God’s Word and ridicule it (Psalm 1:1) (2 Peter 3:3-4). He is offended when he hears the Word of God rather than try to adjust his life by what he has heard. He is quick to condemn the speaker as having a ‘holier than thou attitude’ or accuse him of ‘judging others.’

§  Further, he is not abiding in Christ and cannot bear any fruit.

In conclusion, the carnal Christian is a counterfeit Christian who cannot make it to eternity with Christ in this state. Heaven is for those who are ready to take it by violence and by force (Matthew 11:12). 

One may be or call himself a Pastor, Bishop, Archbishop, Prophet or Evangelist and still be a carnal Christian. These titles do not make any one a Christian.

Are we still carnal Christians? 

If we are, the choice is ours to remain carnal or to come out of it. Remember that God can beckon on us to draw us closer to Him but He will never force anyone because He gave us the freewill power of choice.

We have a role to play in our salvation, to come out of carnal Christianity and become true worshippers in Spirit and in Truth. We need to repent afresh and be genuinely converted and grow to become a Christian in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and not merely a Christian in the church.

It is not by our power or might but by the Spirit of the Lord (Zechariah 4:6). We also need the power of prayer to come out of carnal Christianity.Then pray as follows:

Ø Lord, empower my spirit man to grow stronger and stronger and my flesh to become weaker and weaker in Jesus name.

Ø Lord Jesus, crucify my flesh.

Ø Anything in me that God the Father has not planted, that is drawing me to Hell, be rooted out by Holy Ghost Fire in Jesus name (Matthew 15:13)

Ø Pentecostal fire of God, fall on me as on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8).

Ø Spirit of God, reveal to me the areas where I am failing and empower me to break away from them in Jesus name.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe.

Are You a Sermon-Proof Christian? (Matthew 13:15)

There are different categories of Christians in the church and one of them is the sermon-proof Christian (Matthew 13:15).

Besides this, there is the mixed multitude Christian (Exodus 12:38); the true worshiper (John 4:24) (Romans 8:16); and other categories of Christians.

The sermon-proof Christian group is the spiritual dunce group who has spent many years in the church but is not growing in grace.

A sermon proof Christian comes to church to hear the Word of God but has made up his mind not to do what he hears. He may be in a position of authority in the church holding a title such as Overseer or Minister and still be sermon proof.

Sermon proof Christians possess one or more of the following characteristics:

Chronic lack of knowledge of the Scriptures: He has no time for the study of the Word which is a daily requirement for spiritual growth (Joshua 1:8). He may be able to pray the prayer that will bring thunder down but he shows a tragic lack of scriptural knowledge.

Concealed Sin: A sermon proof Christian is unwilling to depart from sin and he conceals them in his life instead of confessing and putting them out of his life (Proverbs 28:13).

Complete lack of interest in evangelism: Every believer should be an evangelist because the call to witness and preach the gospel given in Mark 16:15 is to all believers and not a group within the church. Many modern day Christians are totally uninterested in evangelism in any form either preaching or sharing tracts and the like.

Weak prayer altar: They are unable to pray in their homes though they can pray thunder fire prayers in the church. They lack the spiritual fire for closet prayers.

Lack of quiet time: They have no time for observance of quiet time. They wake up, jump out of bed and rush out of the home.

Poor readership culture: Sermon proof Christians are not interested in reading the Bible and other Christian literature that will help them move forward spiritually. Many of those who have a reading culture are not broad minded readers, who limit their reading to the books written by their General Overseer and do not read the books of other ministries and authors.

Love for position: They are interested in titles and positions where they can be seen as lords and lord themselves over others. Some are ever ready to pull others down in order to take over their positions.

Attention to money: Many Ministers in the modern day church organize services for commercial ends to gather money from the brethren for selfish benefits and for their belly.

Love for entertainment: Sermon proof Christians come to church to hear sermons that make them laugh and which entertains them but do not affect them spiritually. Rather than be convicted and be sober enough to cry out in repentance as in Acts 2:37-38, they hail the preacher, shouting and laughing for the fun of it.

Poverty of revelation: They lack spiritual sight and cannot hear from the Lord. They run after pastors and prophets to pray for them and to do the hearing from the Lord for them.

In summary, the shallow or sermon proof Christians belong to one or more of the following categories:

They have been in the church for many years without any changes in their lifestyle because they do not allow the Word of God to transform them.

There is nothing that anyone can preach to them that moves them because they minds are closed. They are set to do evil and will certainly do it.

They select what they want to hear and lock up their hearts against others. They are the ones interested in teachings on financial prosperity and success but close their minds against teachings on jewelry, divorce and sex perversion.

They invite others to come to church to hear the Word while being hypocrites themselves.

They pretend as it they are hearing and are interested in the Word but the Word does not penetrate their hearts.

They regard the church as a social gathering where they come to display their latest apparel and other material acquisitions.

They are the ones who chat during sermons, receive calls during services but when prayer starts, they jump up and pray the prayers that brings thunder down.

They come to church with no bible, no pen and no notebook and are not interested in taking any records for future reference.

They are so much over familiar with God that His Word has become blunt in them and cannot sharpen them anymore.

Their minds are already made up what they want to hear. They are the ones who do not want to hear that sexual perversions such as oral sex and masturbation are ungodly and abnormal and abominable practices.

They move from church to church seeking for pastors who preach what suits them and their water melon lifestyle. They are in church but not in the church. Their minds are far away buying and selling (Isaiah 29:13).

A sermon proof Christian is so because he is unwilling to depart from sin; over familiar with God; has enrolled in the School of Backsliding and clings to old traditions.

They can see but refuse to see; they can hear but refuse to hear; are capable of understanding but refuse to accept the truth. They prefer to stick to their old religious traditions than to walk in the light of new truth that can set them free.

They lack spiritual discipline and believe that they are above correction. They want to be let loose to do as they like and do not want the restrictions that the Word of God imposes on them.

Many modern day Christians are sermon proof because they are worldly minded, who place one leg in Jesus and the other in the world, running after God and Mammon simultaneously (Matthew 6:24).

They cannot separate from ungodly friends who turn their hearts away from the Lord (Proverbs 27:17) (Numbers 11:1-4). They are unteachable and negatively over confident who conclude that they do not need to be corrected on anything and cannot submit to be disciplined.

Examine yourself whether you are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Are you a sermon-proof Christian?

Repent and amend before it is too late (2 Corinthians 6:2) (Hebrews 9:27).

Ayodele Adegbulugbe.

Doing what is right before God? (Deuteronomy 6:18) (2 Chronicles 14:2

Deuteronomy 6:18 says,

‘’And thou shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers.’’

Are you doing what is right and good in the sight of the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 6:18)

Are you focusing on the things that are eternal? (Colossians 3:2)

Are you a friend of the world or a friend of God? (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17)

Are you serving God and Mammon together? (Matthew 6:24)

Are you living for the flesh alone? (Romans 8:13)

Do you love your neighbor as yourself? (Matthew 22:36-37)

Are you pleasing men above God? (Matthew 10:28)

Do you seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness? (Matthew 6:33)

Do you study the Word of God? (Joshua 1:8)

Do you have a regular and effective prayer life? (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Do you apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Are the secret sins, the little sins, the besetting sins still dominating you? (Hebrews 12:1)

Are you polluting your relations with God with idols? (Exodus 20:5)

Do you place the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit? (Romans 8:13) (Galatians 5:16-17)

Or do you despise the things of the Spirit? (Genesis 25:29-34)

Do you preach the gospel of salvation? (Mark 16:15)

Have you genuinely converted to Christ? (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Or are you playing church and playing religion? (Matthew 7:21) (Matthew 13:15)

Or do you repent without conversion? (Acts 3:19)

Or do you confess without forsaking the sins confessed? (Proverbs 28:13)

Do you please the World above God? (Exodus 23:2) (Luke 16:15)

Remember, that the majority are doing a thing does not make it right. God is not a democrat and His Kingdom is not a democracy where the majority is always right. Once the Word of God something is wrong, it can never be right though millions and billions of people are indulging in it.

Remember the Broad Way to everlasting destruction in Matthew 7:13 where the overwhelming majority threads every day?

Remember also the Narrow Way to everlasting life where a few thread? (Matthew 7:14)

Examine your life whether you are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:15)

The choice is yours!

God forces no one to follow Him and obey His Word. But every man will give an account of his freewill choices someday which will determine where he will spend his eternity, either in Heaven with Christ or in Eternal Hell with the Devil (2 Corinthians 5:10) (Hebrews 9:27) (Revelations 20:10; 22:15)

Act now, because no one knows when the end will come (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Remember that not all those who went to bed last night woke up alive today. We are alive today by His grace and mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

A Simple Approach to Bible Study

A simple approach to Bible Study

By Benjamin Kerns on Mar 17, 2016 06:00 am

 ENCOUNTER: Read Matthew 24:3

What are you curious about?

There are so many things that capture my thoughts, so many rabbit trails that I find myself on.  I got a new running watch and couldn't figure out how to program it, so I googled it, which got me thinking about my new training schedule, which sent me to look for a race to run, which got me to a clothing site, to swim suites, to the ocean, to surfing, to wipeouts, to epic fails!  And like that 45 minutes were wasted and my original issue didn't even get resolved.  

Bible Study is the spiritual practice that helps keep our thoughts and curiosities within the rails. We all head off on in different directions and there are many shinny objects that catch our eye.  I think God might have actually made us this way.  In this passage in Matthew, the disciples who were with Jesus were not simply satisfied to be in the dark, the wanted to know more, they asked questions.   

The gentile nudge is that we dive more and more into scripture, that we be curious about the things of God, about the people of God.  There are lots of strange and unique things in scripture.  There are difficult teachings and challenging rebukes.  Bible Study keeps our eyes on the road and allows us to dive deeper into our own mental and spiritual formation.  

In the same way we have become experts on our own personal mental hobbies, may we as a church, encourage each other more and more to wrestle with scripture, to dive deeply into this foreign culture that scripture was written in, lean into the deep spiritual truths, so that we can have our views of God and ourselves sharpened by His very Word.  

LET'S TRY SOME BIBLE STUDY:  (PROAPT)  Grab your Bible, a piece of paper, pen, and a cup of coffee, and lets get after it!

PRAY:  Ask God to illuminate your study, to meet you, to speak to you, and for you to be open to whatever God has for you.

READ:  Pick a passage.  Why not Colossians 1:15-23 (One of my favorites).  Read it through three times, slowly, being aware of what catches your eye.  

OBSERVE:  What stands out?  What questions do you have?  Who wrote this?  What were they trying to say?  Why do you think it has been seen valuable over centuries? If you let your curiosity go, what would you google? What questions does this raise?  Where do you need to go to learn more?

APPLY:  This is where our weekly devotional rhythm comes in.  Be Reflective, Be a Blessing, Be Together.  Based on what you have just read, now what?

PRAY:  Pray again and thank God for this time, ask for the courage to get after whatever He has put on  your heart.

TELL:  Go and tell someone about what you have learned or how you have been shaped by this passage of scripture.  (Or in general)  Tell me, I would love to be encouraged by what God is doing in your life!

May God meet you, encourage you, sharpen you, and equip you for every good work!

Are You a Compromising Christian?

It was at Antioch in Acts 11:26 that the disciples were first called Christians when the people of the city observed that the way of life and behavior of the disciples was not different from the Christ which they preached.

Therefore, the name Christian means a Christ-like personality.

A Christian is a person sanctified in Christ i.e. a person set apart or consecrated to the service and worship of God .He is a person called out of the world to become a saint(1 Corinthians 1:2). Though he is physically and geographically resident in the world, his heart and affections are in heaven (Colossians 3:2).

He is an ambassador of Christ on Earth and a citizen of the Kingdom of God. As a citizen of God’s kingdom, he is to live by the principles and doctrines of the kingdom of God while resident on Earth.
He lives a separated life, separated from the world.

Separation means that he will not comply, conform to or compromise with anything that is contrary to the mind of God (2 Corinthians 6:14). The world refers to unregenerate mankind whose lives are organized on the principles of the Devil also known as Satan, who live for things but not for GOD; who live for self but not for others; who live for time but not for eternity. Their worldliness comprises of the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17).

A separated Christian will not allow the cultures of the world around him to mold his thoughts and actions (2 Corinthians 6:14).

The world is represented by four places in the Bible as follows:

• Ur of the Chaldees standing for the religions of the world
• Egypt standing for the pleasures of the world
• Babylon standing for confusion
• Sodom for the sins of the world

A citizen of the kingdom of God must be separated from these things

When the Jews were redeemed from Egypt by the blood of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:12-13), they had to leave Egypt for Canaan. Therefore, the first effect of redemption is separation. A sinner who has become a Christian redeemed by the Blood of Jesus cannot continue to relate with the world as before. He lives in the world, but not of the world.

How can he become a compromising Christian?

When the Jews were leaving Egypt, Pharaoh offered them four compromises which the Devil continues to use today to pollute the Christian life of many Christians who fall for his compromises and rendering them unfit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

Compromise Number 1 Sacrifice to your God in Egypt (Exodus 8:25)

Pharaoh told the Jews to remain in Egypt and render their sacrifices to their God while resident in the land of Egypt. How does this affect many Christian believers today?

The Devil tells them that it is not necessary to become a Born Again Christian in line with the Scriptural requirement in John 3:3 but to become a good man and do their best i.e. to continue to serve and worship God with their old Adamic nature without a complete and total repentance and conversion which the new life in Christ stands for (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a result, many Christians who fall for this compromise may repent but are not converted (Acts 3:19). They confess sins but do not forsake the sins (Proverbs 28:13).

Compromise Number 2 Go, but do not go far away (Exodus 8:28)

Pharaoh tells the Jews to go and sacrifice to their God but not to go far away from Egypt.
How does this compromise many Christian believers today?

The Devil tells you that you can become a Christian but should not become a fanatic; do not have a holier-than-thou attitude because you did not kill Jesus; that you should take it easy because God is not as strict as some Christians take Him to be.

The Devil is telling you to continue to remain in the darkness or in the twilight of the Light of the Gospel. Those who fall for this compromise are easily overcome with darkness without any resistance.
Among them are the Christians who dress in ungodly apparel, which the Bible refers to as strange apparel (Zephaniah 1:8). The Devil deceives them that God is interested in their heart only but not in outward appearance.

But Jesus said that it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. This means that there is a connection between your heart and your outward manifestations. If you are corrupt or polluted in any of your outward manifestations, it indicates that the inward –heart and mind – is corrupted being immoral, unclean and harboring unholy thoughts.

Their language, manners and conversation has not changed. In the name of fashion and to look acceptable, they dress like Jezebel. You may be a Minister of the Gospel, a Man of God, Pastor, Prophet or whatever you call yourself in Ministry.

You may have the anointing to see visions, call down fire from heaven like Elijah or raise up the dead like Jesus did. If any of these four compromises are in your life and ministry, forget eternity with Christ in heaven.

Remember Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus foretold how on the Day of Judgment, many powerfully anointed Ministers of God will be sentenced to eternal hell for being workers of iniquity. Compromise is one of the reasons that will condemn them. Compromising your Christian faith is an iniquity.

A Christian who is determined to make it to heaven must take heaven by force and by violence (Matthew 11:12) with no room for compromises of any sort. God’s standards are high and He is strict and is the reason why the Bible tells us that few will make it to heaven while many will be lost (Matthew 5:48) (Matthew 7:13-14). He does not tolerate lukewarm Christianity (Revelations 3:15-16).

Compromise Number 3 Go you that are men, leave your wives and children behind (Exodus 10:7)
Pharaoh meant that only the men should leave Egypt to sacrifice to their God while their families remain behind in Egypt.

It is God’s programme that a man and his entire household be saved. Biblical examples of whole households that were saved include Noah’s family (Genesis 7:1), Rahab’s family (Joshua 6:17-25), Zacchaeus family (Luke 19:9), Cornelius family (Acts 10:2) (Lydia family (Acts 16:15) and Crispus family (Acts 18:8).

By this compromise, the Devil tells you to become a Christian but not to worry about your wife and children. When you become a Christian, you have a responsibility to labor and pray for the salvation of your family members. Many who failed in this have had their Christian testimonies rubbished by unsaved, wayward family members.

Recently, in one of the South African countries, the flourishing ministry of a respected Man of God was rubbished through his daughter who lived a wayward lifestyle. Her boyfriend posted nude pictures of the Man of God’s daughter on the net and that was the end of the ministry. Many of the members left in thousands in disgust. What a tragedy!

Remember the tragic ending of the great Prophet Eli in 1 Samuel Chapter 3, who had no control over his wayward children. He fulfilled his ministerial calling but neglected his parental responsibilities to his children which turned out to become his waterloo.

Compromise Number 4 Go serve the Lord but leave your flocks and herds behind in Egypt (Exodus 10:24)

The Jews were shepherds and their business at the time was rearing sheep. Pharaoh wanted the Jews to leave their flocks behind in Egypt.

The Bible says in the book of Matthew that where your treasures are, there your heart will be. If your business is still in Egypt, then your heart will be in Egypt which means that you are yet to be separated from Egypt and what Egypt stands for. You will surely backslide to Egypt where your heart and its affections are.

Here, the Devil tells you to become a Christian but that it does not matter how you do your business as long as money flows into your pocket. You can do forgery and pen robbery to enrich yourself, false weights and measures, inflate invoices, loot public funds, give and collect bribes, sell alcohol, run gambling and lottery outfits, work in brewery and cigarette factories, invest in brewery shares, sell your body for money and many other ungodly businesses and incomes that do not glorify God.

Many Christians, in fact the overwhelming majority are in one or more of the four compromises.
Examine yourself whether you are still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). A compromising Christian is one that is looking back like Lot’s wife and therefore not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

To please God and live for God, all the four compromises must be far from you. To be far from the devil’s compromises, certain things must happen as follows:

You must have the determination of Daniel not to defile yourself (Daniel 1:8)
You must have the commitment of the 3 Hebrew boys who vowed never to bow down before Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image (Daniel Chapter 3)
You must submit totally and fully to God on His own terms and resist the Devil (James 4:7)

If we are unable to abide by the three conditions above, then we are not ready to be a Christian on God’s terms. If we are not Christians on God’s terms, then we are on our own, deceiving ourselves by being Christians to please the world on the terms of the world.

That means, we are friends of the world and enemies of God (James 4:4). If we are enemies of God, how are we going to enter into His Kingdom to reign eternally with Him?
Let us meditate upon and ponder about these things if you know that eternity with Christ is your real ambition.

May God empower us and strengthen us to live to please Him in Jesus name

Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com

DRESSED IN STRANGE APPAREL?

DRESSED IN STRANGE APPAREL?

Genesis 34:31, "But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

We often define a harlot or prostitute to be a woman who usually has sex with different men for monetary gains. But the reality is that, being a harlot or prostitute is far beyond being a commercial sex worker.
In the light of the Word of God, a woman can be a prostitute or harlot without being a commercial sex worker. A woman can be a harlot and still look and behave decent; be a zealous Christian woman, and may even be a minister or a minister's wife.

It is inadequate insight and knowledge to regard only the commercial sex workers as harlots or prostitutes. There are different types of harlots or prostitutes, but before God, all are seen as harlots.
Let's see another type of harlotry apart from the commercial sex workers:

HARLOTRY BY APPAREL

Genesis 38:15, "When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot"

You can be registered as a harlot in heaven simply by the way you dress. You don't need to become an active sex worker; you don't need to commit a single sexual immorality with a man before Heaven can recognize you as a harlot. In fact you may be a virgin but still a heavenly recognized harlot.

How does this happen?

It happens simply by what you wear. If you wear low-cut dress or low necklines including ball gowns that expose your cleavage, meaning that it shows the upper part or that exposes any percentage of your breasts when you bend down, you are a harlot by apparel before God.

You don't need to go half naked before you become harlot by apparel, but as long you wear any clothing that reveals your cleavage a little, you are dressed in strange apparel. Also if you wear tight clothes that shows the anatomy of your body to the world as to show your shape, you are dressed in strange apparel; if you wear transparent or perforated clothing that shows your inner-wears, you are dressed in strange apparel; if you wear any dress which does not covers your arms or your kneels, you are dressed in strange apparel.

You may be a pastor, a minister, deaconess; you can speak in tongues of angels, you can sing like angels, whoever you are or claim to be does not matter, but to God, you are a harlot in apparel. If this is too hard for you to take, you can wait until you get to the gate of heaven, only that will be too late, and I will not advise you to wait that too late to make correction.

As a Christian woman, what will be your reason before God for wearing strange apparel that exposes your cleavage? How will you defend your motive for wearing tight, transparent, perforated and short dresses?

Zephaniah 1:8 says ‘ and it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes and the King’s children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

Deuteronomy 22:5 says ‘ the woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man and a man shall not wear a woman’s garment for all that do so are an abomination to the Lord.

Leviticus 19:28 says, ‘you shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord. (Refers to things like tattoo)

1 Timothy 2:9 says, in like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array

Hosea 2:13 says, ‘ and I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and jewels, and went after her lovers and forgot me; says the Lord

For clarity and avoidance of doubt, strange apparel includes the following:

Beads, blush, necklace, tattoo, lipstick, nail paint, false nails, piercing, waist beads, enlarged breasts, bum pads, wigs, leggies, short knicker, strapless, spaghetti, backless, tight gowns, short blouse, tight skirts, mini skirts, trousers, body hug, patted skirt, transparent lace, open cleavage, worldly cut, dreadlocks, ear rings, sagging trousers, chains, wedding rings, body piercing, 100% Indian hair, rubber hair, tintin, eye lash, false lens, eye shadow, small earrings, big earrings, nose rings, neck chains, leg chains and bracelets.

Ezekiel 33:5 says, ‘he heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

May we not go from church to hell in Jesus name (Matthew 7:21-23).

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

How to Become a Bride of Jesus

How to Become a Bride of Jesus

Jesus is coming soon for his bride, a bride without spot, wrinkle or blemish.

To become a bride of Jesus Christ, the following are essential:

Spend a lot of time praying and having a daily relationship with Him. Let Jesus be the center of your life not just sometimes but always. You cannot please God without fearing Him.

You must place God above everyone and everything in your life (Luke 14:26-27). Live a holy life by the Word of God. Walk a narrow path (Matthew 7:14) and endure hardship as a soldier of the Lord (2 Timothy 2:3)

Great work for God alone will not qualify anyone for the Kingdom of God (Matthew 7:22-23). The most important qualification is our obedience and love (Matthew 5:19) (Mark 12:30-31) (John 14:23-24).

If we love Him, we must forgive others (1 John 2:11) and we must separate from the world (Romans 12:1-2) (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) (1 John 2:15-16). No unforgiving person will enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:14-15). Love others enough to witness to them to be saved.

Receiving Jesus into our life by faith is not enough. In addition to this a pure heart is required (Matthew 5:8) (Ephesians 5:27) and holiness (Hebrews 12:14)

Give up all worldly habits such as worldly things on television and worldly music. We cannot love both God and the world together (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17)

Copied from www.choothomas.com/urgentmessage.html

Is God a Democrat?

Is God a Democrat?

The God of the Bible is not a democrat because His Kingdom is not a democracy where majority votes count.

His Word in Exodus 23:2 says,

‘Thou shall not follow the multitudes to do evil’

And in Luke 16:15 He says:

‘…for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God’

The fact that a majority flow in the same direction does not make it accepted or lawful before the God of the Bible whose Word is sacred and cannot be altered to benefit anyone who cannot submit to its dictates.

His heavenly home is for a few who can take it by violence. Matthew 11:12 says:

‘From the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent taketh it by force.’’

Matthew 7:13-14 says:

‘’enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be which go in there at. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leads to life and few there be that find it.’’

Luke 13:24 says:

‘Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able.’’

These Scriptures point to one fact: the God of the Bible is not a democrat.

Out of the 600,000 men from age 20 and above who departed Egypt in the Exodus for The Promised Land, only two men entered the Promised Land while the rest perished in the wilderness.

When the world in the days of Noah was destroyed by floods, as judgment for sin, only eight persons were saved while all others perished.

In the destruction of the twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, only three persons were saved while all others, the multitudes perished.

The above precedents point to one fact: the God of the Bible is not a democrat.

The multitudes may be flowing in the same direction in false doctrines, sin and iniquity, marital unfaithfulness, premarital sex, divorce, sexual perversions, oral sex, masturbation etc.

If the Word of God says it is not right, then it can never be right. It makes no difference the millions and billions of persons doing them because the God of the Bible is not a democrat (Exodus 23:2) (Luke 16:15).

Eternity in heaven or hell, the choice is ours because God created us with freewill.

Let us pray:

Mercy of God, overshadow my life in Jesus name

Lord Jesus, I have started this race. Give me the grace and power to run to the very end in Jesus name (Luke 9:62)

Lord Jesus, give me the grace and power to endure to the very end in Jesus name (Luke 9:62)

Spirit of worldliness in me;jump out of me by fire in Jesus name (Romans 12:1-2)

You, the Devil, you will not write the last chapter of my life in Jesus name

My marriage will not take me to hell in Jesus name, amen.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe.

Are You Looking Behind?

Message: Are You Looking Behind?

Text: Genesis 19:17

‘’…escape for thy life, look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain lest thou be consumed’’

Lot and his family were already saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis Chapter 19). They were instructed not to look back but Lot’s wife looked back and was destroyed: she became a pillar of salt. She demonstrated a willful disobedience to the Word showing to what extent she had become attached to the world.

When a person receives salvation through Jesus Christ, he is called out of the world to become a saint (1 Corinthians 1:1-3). If looks back into the world like Lot’s wife, then destruction awaits him. This is telling us that salvation is not an un-forfeitable possession. It can be lost if one is careless with it.

Jesus said in Luke 9:62 that, ‘’No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.’’ Losing the Kingdom of God means ending up in Hell for all eternity.

Ø  Looking back means conforming to the wicked ways of the world (Romans 12:1-2) (1 John 5:19) 

Ø Looking back means losing focus of the things that are eternal and focusing on the things of the earth that are temporal and perishable (Colossians 3:2-3)

Ø Looking back means mixing righteousness with unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

Ø Looking back means seeking all the other things above the kingdom of God and its righteousness (Matthew 6:33)

Ø Looking back means doing what is right in your own eyes (Joshua 21:25) and not what is right in the eyes of God (Deuteronomy 6:18).

Ø Looking back means serving two masters – God & Mammon (Matthew 6:24)

Ø Looking back means indulgence in sin and iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).

Ø Looking back means mingling with the world and becoming a friend of the world and an enemy of God (James 4:4) (1 John 2:15-17)

Ø Looking back means working for God but no more walking with Him (Songs of Solomon 1:6)

Ø Looking back means worshiping God with your lips while your heart is far away from Him (Matthew 15:8)

Ø Looking back means trampling on the sacred Blood of the Covenant of your salvation (Hebrews 10:26-31) by returning to a life of sinning.

Were you once saved but now backslidden like Demas who returned to the world? (2 Timothy 4:10)

Are you despising spiritual things like Esau who despised his birthright? (Genesis 25:29-34)

Are you willing to trade away your salvation (eternal values) for a meal of porridge (momentary pleasure) like Esau?

Have you turned back from following Jesus Christ on his own terms (Mark 8:34-36)?

God is merciful, not willing that anyone should perish but that all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is willing to accept you back into his fold if you can humble yourself to repent and return to him like the Prodigal Son.

Learn from Esau… he tried to regain the blessings associated with the lost birthright but could not though he sought it carefully with tears (Genesis 27:38) (Hebrews 12:16-17). 

Many are in Hell now crying out in repentance like Esau did but it is too late. May this eternal tragedy not be our portion in Jesus name.

You have a role to play in the salvation of your soul: willingness.

Are you now ready and willing to reconcile afresh with the Lord? 

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, forgive me all my sins and transgressions (1 John 1:9)

Lord Jesus, cleanse me with your blood from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

O God my Father, show me mercy (Exodus 34:6) and uphold me to the end by your Spirit (Zech.4:6)

Lord Jesus, deliver me from the power of presumptuous sinning (Psalm 19:13).

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com.

www.relationship4growth.blogspot.com.

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.