When Adam and his
wife, Eve sinned against God, they died as God had earlier warned in
Genesis 2:17. Through their sin, every man on earth born of a woman
became a natural sinner because all men descended from them and through
their blood. Their sin has passed unto all men on earth irrespective of
race, religion, color, tribe or ethnicity.
Through their sin,
death came into the lives of men. Recall that God who created man in His
own image lives forever and cannot die. He created the man to live
forever on earth but through their sin, death came into existence and
has passed unto all men on earth born of a woman.
Sin and death as repercussions of the disobedience and Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden are universal:
‘’All men have sinned and have come short of the glory of God’’ (Romans 3:23)
‘’The wages of sin is death…’’ (Romans 6:23)
The death that resulted means separation and there are 3 types of death
that came into the existence of men. They are physical death, spiritual
death and eternal death.
Physical death
Recall that man
was created as a three-in-one person having a body, soul and spirit.
Physical death results when the body is separated from his spirit. As a result of the Fall of Man and the curses that followed, his body
has to return to dust from where it came (Genesis 3:19) (Ecclesiastes
12:7). His spirit is from God and must return to God to give an account
of his life on earth in the body.
As a result of the fall of the
man, men on earth have lost the power to live forever on earth. Men have
to die (when the spirit separates from the body) and the body returns
to dust.That means that eternal life was lost during the Fall
of Man in the Garden of Eden. Sin has cut short the life span of men on
Planet Earth.
Spiritual death
Spiritual death means a
separation between the spirit of man and God. God is a spirit and man
also is a spirit. Sin has polluted the spirit of man and made him an
unclean person before a Holy God who cannot behold sin. Sin has
caused a separation between God and man meaning that communication has
broken down between the spirit of man and the spirit of God.
Isaiah 59:1-2 says,
‘’Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His hear heavy, that it cannot hear:
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that He will not hear’’
All men born of a woman, descended from Adam and Eve were born
spiritually dead in sin. We were born with the sin nature in our blood
and are natural sinners cut off from God. No one teaches a baby
to commit sin. It is when he comes of age that he naturally begins to do
things that are sins in the sight of God.
Being born spiritually
dead and cut off from the Spirit of God, every man born of a woman who
descended from Adam and Eve was born into the Broad way to destruction
(Matthew 7:13-14).
Repentance and conversion is necessary to
move a man who was born into the Broad Way to destruction, to the Narrow
Way that leads to life.
It is spiritual death that leads to
eternal death. Eternal death will occur when a man born spiritually
dead, still remains spiritually dead while passing away in physical
death. A man who was born dead in sin i.e. spiritually dead
must be made alive to be reconciled with the Spirit of God.
Fellowship
and relationship with man was God’s original purpose for creating man
before sin thwarted it creating a separation. But God is still interested in reconciling with man for the benefit of the fellowship and relationship.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Salvation: What is it and and who needs it? (1)
The Heavenly
God needed a friend to have fellowship and relationship with, so he
created Man.The first man was named Adam.Man is created in the image of
God. There are several characteristics in the creation of man that
include:
God is holy and has no sin. He is light and in Him there is no iota of darkness. He created the Man a holy personality. That means that God did not create man a sinner.
God is holy and has no sin. He is light and in Him there is no iota of darkness. He created the Man a holy personality. That means that God did not create man a sinner.
2ndly, God lives forever and cannot die. He created the man to live
forever on earth which was created for the man to be his dwelling. God
did not create man to die. If Adam had not sinned, you and I would live
forever on Planet Earth without dying.
3rdly, God created the man a free moral agent with freewill powers of choice and decision to make his own choices voluntarily.
4th, God is a three-in-one Personality; therefore the man was created as a three-in-one person too, having a body, soul and spirit.
God placed the man in a garden known as the Garden of Eden with powers to exercise authority and dominion over all the works of creation, and to be fruitful and to multiply on earth. He also created a woman for the man to be his companion and a helpmate.
To test the man’s obedience, He gave the man and the woman a restriction based on a command not to eat of the fruit of a specific tree in the Garden of Eden, known as the tree of knowledge of good and evil with the warning that if they disobey, they would die (Genesis 2:17).
Prompted by the Devil not to believe God's Word, the man and the woman disobeyed God’s instructions and ate of the forbidden fruit. It should be noted that Adam and his wife voluntarily disobeyed by their powers of choice and decision.
The Devil merely deceived them but did not force them to eat the forbidden fruit. They chose to be disobedient to God. Disobedience and unbelief in the Word of God were the first sins and are the major sins in the lives of men to this day.
3rdly, God created the man a free moral agent with freewill powers of choice and decision to make his own choices voluntarily.
4th, God is a three-in-one Personality; therefore the man was created as a three-in-one person too, having a body, soul and spirit.
God placed the man in a garden known as the Garden of Eden with powers to exercise authority and dominion over all the works of creation, and to be fruitful and to multiply on earth. He also created a woman for the man to be his companion and a helpmate.
To test the man’s obedience, He gave the man and the woman a restriction based on a command not to eat of the fruit of a specific tree in the Garden of Eden, known as the tree of knowledge of good and evil with the warning that if they disobey, they would die (Genesis 2:17).
Prompted by the Devil not to believe God's Word, the man and the woman disobeyed God’s instructions and ate of the forbidden fruit. It should be noted that Adam and his wife voluntarily disobeyed by their powers of choice and decision.
The Devil merely deceived them but did not force them to eat the forbidden fruit. They chose to be disobedient to God. Disobedience and unbelief in the Word of God were the first sins and are the major sins in the lives of men to this day.
Two Possibilities Before Man, But Only One Choice!
Man is a free moral agent created with the power to make personal
voluntary decisions and to decide his own destination. He had no choice
about his entry into the world but after his birth and coming of age to
be accountable, he will be held personally responsible for his salvation
or damnation.
Every man has the power to accept or reject God’s means of salvation (John3:16) (Revelations 22:17) and will give an account of his choices on the Day of Judgment.
There are two possibilities placed before man and he can make only one choice:
Life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Good or evil (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Blessings or curses (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Righteousness or unrighteousness (Romans 6:12)
Holiness or Sinning (Leviticus 11:44) (Romans 6:14)
Light or darkness (John 8:12)
Eternal life or eternal death (Matthew 19:16) (Mark 3:29)
Heaven or hell (Matthew 4:17) (Psalm 9:17)
The Narrow Way to Life or the Broad Way to Destruction (Matthew 7:13-14)
Salvation or damnation (Luke 13:3-5) (Mark 16:15-16)
Deuteronomy 30:19 says:
‘I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before thee life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live’
God is advising man to choose life by choosing His grace and means of entering into eternal life. Men can, and should make the choice, for God will not force the will of any to serve Him, to surrender to Him or remain obedient to Him. All men, always and without exception are free to choose eternal life or eternal death.
Jesus Christ is the door to the salvation of all men born of a woman because all men have sinned (John10:9) (Romans 3:23). He died for the sins of all men and His Blood was shed for the remission of their sins. The blood of bulls and goats cannot atone for the sins of any man created in the image of God (Hebrews 10:4).
His name is the only name given for the salvation of men (Acts 4:12) because He alone died and resurrected from the dead. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John14:6). He is our guarantee of eternal life (John 3:16).
God loves man and He is merciful, not willing that any man perish, but that they come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is this day calling on all men everywhere including you and I to repent now before it is too late (Acts 17:30) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Choosing Jesus Christ means choosing life, blessings, righteousness, holiness, light, eternal life in heaven and salvation. To reject Jesus Christ means choosing death, evil, curses, sin, darkness, eternal death and everlasting punishment in Hell.
The choice is yours!
To choose Jesus and eternal life, act as follows:
Acknowledge that you are a sinner (Luke 18:13)
Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3) (Acts 3:19)
Confess your sins to Jesus (Proverbs 28:13) (1 John 1:9)
Ask Jesus for mercy and forgiveness and determine in your heart to forsake sinning (Isaiah 55:7)
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Allow Him to come into your heart to take control of your life (Revelations 3:20)
Act now because no one knows what will happen in the next minute. After death, comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There are no second chances for repentance and forgiveness in the grave.
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
Lagos,Nigeria
Every man has the power to accept or reject God’s means of salvation (John3:16) (Revelations 22:17) and will give an account of his choices on the Day of Judgment.
There are two possibilities placed before man and he can make only one choice:
Life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Good or evil (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Blessings or curses (Deuteronomy 30:19)
Righteousness or unrighteousness (Romans 6:12)
Holiness or Sinning (Leviticus 11:44) (Romans 6:14)
Light or darkness (John 8:12)
Eternal life or eternal death (Matthew 19:16) (Mark 3:29)
Heaven or hell (Matthew 4:17) (Psalm 9:17)
The Narrow Way to Life or the Broad Way to Destruction (Matthew 7:13-14)
Salvation or damnation (Luke 13:3-5) (Mark 16:15-16)
Deuteronomy 30:19 says:
‘I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before thee life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live’
God is advising man to choose life by choosing His grace and means of entering into eternal life. Men can, and should make the choice, for God will not force the will of any to serve Him, to surrender to Him or remain obedient to Him. All men, always and without exception are free to choose eternal life or eternal death.
Jesus Christ is the door to the salvation of all men born of a woman because all men have sinned (John10:9) (Romans 3:23). He died for the sins of all men and His Blood was shed for the remission of their sins. The blood of bulls and goats cannot atone for the sins of any man created in the image of God (Hebrews 10:4).
His name is the only name given for the salvation of men (Acts 4:12) because He alone died and resurrected from the dead. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John14:6). He is our guarantee of eternal life (John 3:16).
God loves man and He is merciful, not willing that any man perish, but that they come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is this day calling on all men everywhere including you and I to repent now before it is too late (Acts 17:30) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Choosing Jesus Christ means choosing life, blessings, righteousness, holiness, light, eternal life in heaven and salvation. To reject Jesus Christ means choosing death, evil, curses, sin, darkness, eternal death and everlasting punishment in Hell.
The choice is yours!
To choose Jesus and eternal life, act as follows:
Acknowledge that you are a sinner (Luke 18:13)
Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3) (Acts 3:19)
Confess your sins to Jesus (Proverbs 28:13) (1 John 1:9)
Ask Jesus for mercy and forgiveness and determine in your heart to forsake sinning (Isaiah 55:7)
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Allow Him to come into your heart to take control of your life (Revelations 3:20)
Act now because no one knows what will happen in the next minute. After death, comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). There are no second chances for repentance and forgiveness in the grave.
Ayodele Adegbulugbe
Lagos,Nigeria
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
Conception via Anonymous Semen: An Aberration?
There is a scriptural account in Genesis 38:9 of a man who had sexual
intercourse but spilled his semen on the floor, wasting it and lost his
life for that. He sought to have intercourse for the fun of it while
avoiding attendant responsibility for procreation.
In other words, he enjoyed the pleasures of the sexual act but while seeking to avoid its procreative function, he spilled his semen in an unauthorized location thereby incurring the wrath of the Creator.
If a man could be killed for spilling his semen on the floor while having authorized and lawful sexual intercourse, how is his crime different from another man who spills his semen into a condom to be wasted?
Semen is sacred.
Semen contains life and is the instrument for procreation and multiplication of the human race. The natural destination of the semen is the female vagina and spilling it willfully, in unlawful destinations makes it an aberration.
The condom campaign encourages and promotes sexual immorality and irresponsibility among the unmarried for whom premarital sexual intercourse is a sin. The condom campaign tells them that if they cannot abstain from sex and cannot exercise self-control over their sexual desires, they should use condoms to practice safe sex whereby they can enjoy the pleasures of sex while avoiding responsibility for procreation.
In this view, the condom encourages immorality.
Same is applicable to the married class. The condom encourages a married spouse to seek for sexual pleasure outside his marriage having an assurance that the condom protects him against diseases and responsibility for possible procreation.
Sexual immorality breeds sexual diseases and marriage is the avenue to avoid the sexual immorality that breeds sexual diseases. Every man is to have his own wife and every woman is to have her own husband and every spouse should stick to his or her lawful partner for sexual purposes.
Endorsing the condom is endorsing sin and immorality. The Scriptures say that it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desires, if one cannot endure temptation. Until one is lawfully married, he is to flee fornication.Therefore, for the unmarried, premarital sex is an unlawful activity. Spilling the semen into a condom is another illegality and two wrongs do not make a right.
Rather than use a condom to practice a deceptive safe sex which looks like a safe sin, one should get married and have lawful sex within marriage. If he is not ready for lawful marriage, he is to avoid sex…as simple as ABC!
Society endorses the condom as being useful for birth control purposes. The natural family planning based on fertile and infertile days is the natural avenue for birth control and should be promoted.
There are some female contraceptives which actually terminate a life that has already been formed, and do not prevent any conception.
Science has proved that fertilization can occur within 3 days and at the point of fertilization, a zygote is created which is a new individual and a living being. It is after the zygote has been formed that some female contraceptives work to terminate the new life already created and that is pure murder…no more, no less! There are no safe sins.
The worldly concepts of safe sex which is a deception and encourages sexual irresponsibility and murder in some cases should be discouraged. Some governments have progressed from promoting safe sex through contraceptives to legalizing abortions. One sin always leads to another worse sin.
If it is a sacrilege to spill one’s semen on the floor, is it not also a sacrilege to spill one’s semen into the mouth of a woman, known as oral sex and a product of a sick mind?
If it is a sacrilege to spill one’s semen on the floor, is it not also a sacrilege to spill one’s semen into the anus of another, known as anal sex and an indication of a sick head and a reprobate?
If it is a sacrilege to spill sacred semen on the floor, does that not make masturbation or self-sex and other sexual perversions abominable sexual practices which indicate depravity?
Recently online was a discussion about an unmarried woman who became pregnant through an anonymous semen donor and was suspended by her church. Questions were asked whether the church was right or wrong.
In God’s Word, marriage is the institution ordained for procreation. Marriage comes first before sexual intercourse and pregnancy. Therefore, pregnancy without marriage or pregnancy before marriage is an aberration. Where an unmarried woman becomes pregnant without lawful marriage, it is known as fornication and an unlawful conception.
Where an unmarried woman becomes pregnant through an anonymous semen donor, it is an abnormal conception. The IVF technology is not condemned here. The IVF technology is one of the many modern day inventions that resulted from the increase in knowledge and travels predicted in Daniel 12:4.
The IVF technology enhances conception in a woman who cannot conceive naturally through sex by fertilizing the woman’s egg with the man’s semen outside her body and planting it in her womb to grow to maturity. But the semen that was used for the fertilization must belong to a man whom she was lawfully married to. Where this is not so, that is an abnormal process contrary to the Word of God.
If she was married but became pregnant through anonymous semen donor, it is still an abnormality if the semen that was used for the fertilization did not belong to her lawful husband.If one’s wife is impregnated by another man’s semen through normal sexual intercourse between her and the other man, is that not an adulterous conception? Would any sensible lawful husband accept that?
Where an unmarried woman who is a member of a church appears with a pregnancy through an anonymous semen donor and without lawful marriage to the owner of the semen, it is an aberration the church must not accept.
To accept it is to encourage a dangerous trend where women bypass marriage and become mothers through some abominable process of conception. We are in the Last Days where women want to have nothing to do with the institution of marriage yet want to have children without a known father claiming paternity.
Women do not want to recognize the headship of a husband and do not want to submit to the authority of the husband and become a good wife. Women are becoming rebellious and headstrong and are becoming mothers without formal marriage calling themselves Single Mothers...another aberration!
It is not all the modern day inventions that are beneficial to man and not all that conform to the will of God for man. Some are useful and beneficial to God and man while some are destructive and work against the will of God for man.
For example, a technology which encourages the termination and abortion of pregnancies already formed in the womb negates the will of God for man to multiply and replenish the earth.
Ayodele Adegbukugbe
Lagos, Nigeria.
In other words, he enjoyed the pleasures of the sexual act but while seeking to avoid its procreative function, he spilled his semen in an unauthorized location thereby incurring the wrath of the Creator.
If a man could be killed for spilling his semen on the floor while having authorized and lawful sexual intercourse, how is his crime different from another man who spills his semen into a condom to be wasted?
Semen is sacred.
Semen contains life and is the instrument for procreation and multiplication of the human race. The natural destination of the semen is the female vagina and spilling it willfully, in unlawful destinations makes it an aberration.
The condom campaign encourages and promotes sexual immorality and irresponsibility among the unmarried for whom premarital sexual intercourse is a sin. The condom campaign tells them that if they cannot abstain from sex and cannot exercise self-control over their sexual desires, they should use condoms to practice safe sex whereby they can enjoy the pleasures of sex while avoiding responsibility for procreation.
In this view, the condom encourages immorality.
Same is applicable to the married class. The condom encourages a married spouse to seek for sexual pleasure outside his marriage having an assurance that the condom protects him against diseases and responsibility for possible procreation.
Sexual immorality breeds sexual diseases and marriage is the avenue to avoid the sexual immorality that breeds sexual diseases. Every man is to have his own wife and every woman is to have her own husband and every spouse should stick to his or her lawful partner for sexual purposes.
Endorsing the condom is endorsing sin and immorality. The Scriptures say that it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desires, if one cannot endure temptation. Until one is lawfully married, he is to flee fornication.Therefore, for the unmarried, premarital sex is an unlawful activity. Spilling the semen into a condom is another illegality and two wrongs do not make a right.
Rather than use a condom to practice a deceptive safe sex which looks like a safe sin, one should get married and have lawful sex within marriage. If he is not ready for lawful marriage, he is to avoid sex…as simple as ABC!
Society endorses the condom as being useful for birth control purposes. The natural family planning based on fertile and infertile days is the natural avenue for birth control and should be promoted.
There are some female contraceptives which actually terminate a life that has already been formed, and do not prevent any conception.
Science has proved that fertilization can occur within 3 days and at the point of fertilization, a zygote is created which is a new individual and a living being. It is after the zygote has been formed that some female contraceptives work to terminate the new life already created and that is pure murder…no more, no less! There are no safe sins.
The worldly concepts of safe sex which is a deception and encourages sexual irresponsibility and murder in some cases should be discouraged. Some governments have progressed from promoting safe sex through contraceptives to legalizing abortions. One sin always leads to another worse sin.
If it is a sacrilege to spill one’s semen on the floor, is it not also a sacrilege to spill one’s semen into the mouth of a woman, known as oral sex and a product of a sick mind?
If it is a sacrilege to spill one’s semen on the floor, is it not also a sacrilege to spill one’s semen into the anus of another, known as anal sex and an indication of a sick head and a reprobate?
If it is a sacrilege to spill sacred semen on the floor, does that not make masturbation or self-sex and other sexual perversions abominable sexual practices which indicate depravity?
Recently online was a discussion about an unmarried woman who became pregnant through an anonymous semen donor and was suspended by her church. Questions were asked whether the church was right or wrong.
In God’s Word, marriage is the institution ordained for procreation. Marriage comes first before sexual intercourse and pregnancy. Therefore, pregnancy without marriage or pregnancy before marriage is an aberration. Where an unmarried woman becomes pregnant without lawful marriage, it is known as fornication and an unlawful conception.
Where an unmarried woman becomes pregnant through an anonymous semen donor, it is an abnormal conception. The IVF technology is not condemned here. The IVF technology is one of the many modern day inventions that resulted from the increase in knowledge and travels predicted in Daniel 12:4.
The IVF technology enhances conception in a woman who cannot conceive naturally through sex by fertilizing the woman’s egg with the man’s semen outside her body and planting it in her womb to grow to maturity. But the semen that was used for the fertilization must belong to a man whom she was lawfully married to. Where this is not so, that is an abnormal process contrary to the Word of God.
If she was married but became pregnant through anonymous semen donor, it is still an abnormality if the semen that was used for the fertilization did not belong to her lawful husband.If one’s wife is impregnated by another man’s semen through normal sexual intercourse between her and the other man, is that not an adulterous conception? Would any sensible lawful husband accept that?
Where an unmarried woman who is a member of a church appears with a pregnancy through an anonymous semen donor and without lawful marriage to the owner of the semen, it is an aberration the church must not accept.
To accept it is to encourage a dangerous trend where women bypass marriage and become mothers through some abominable process of conception. We are in the Last Days where women want to have nothing to do with the institution of marriage yet want to have children without a known father claiming paternity.
Women do not want to recognize the headship of a husband and do not want to submit to the authority of the husband and become a good wife. Women are becoming rebellious and headstrong and are becoming mothers without formal marriage calling themselves Single Mothers...another aberration!
It is not all the modern day inventions that are beneficial to man and not all that conform to the will of God for man. Some are useful and beneficial to God and man while some are destructive and work against the will of God for man.
For example, a technology which encourages the termination and abortion of pregnancies already formed in the womb negates the will of God for man to multiply and replenish the earth.
Ayodele Adegbukugbe
Lagos, Nigeria.
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Worldly Fashions Taking Believers to Hell
Worldliness is an idol common in the lives of men including professing Christians in this Last Day. Friendship with the world is direct enmity against God. Many Christians go too close to the world yet believe that they are candidates for heaven contrary to God's Word in 1 John 2:15-17.
Worldliness manifests in thoughts, attitudes, speech, dressing and others. The following worldly, ungodly and immoral dressing places Christian believers who use them at the risk of an eternity in Hell should they die in this sin. The ungodly apparel includes the following:
Dead women’s hair, rubber hair, afro wig hair, wool type hair, dreadlock wig, hair tintin, hair perming and relaxers, hair attachments, worldly haircut, false eyelash, eye shadow, blushing and painting, lipstick, nose rings, false nails, nail painting, tattoos, rubber bands in the hair, bracelets, leg chains, all rings of any type and purpose, ear rings, neck lace, neck chains, all beads, waist beads, body piercings, men’s chains.
Others include enlarged breasts, strapless, spaghetti, backless,
exposed cleavage, body hug, armless, tight gowns, transparent lace,
short blouses, patted skirts, tight skirts, miniskirts, bum knickers,
unbuttoned shirts, sagging, ¾ burger, bum pads and hip pads.
Ungodly apparel includes leggies, women trousers and men platted hair.
The Scriptures that condemns ungodly apparel are many and includes the following:
• Proverbs 7:10; 1Timothy 2:9; Revelations 12:9; Romans 1:26; Ezekiel 23:39-40
• Jeremiah 4:30; Isaiah 3:16-24; Colossians 3:2-5; Leviticus 19:28
• Zephaniah 1:8; Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Peter 3:3; Hosea 2:13; Exodus 33:5
Do not join the army of believers that will end up in eternal hell due to worldliness. James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15-17 warns against friendship with the world. Friendship with the world is a pollution that makes a Christian believer an enemy of God.
Do not listen to the false doctrine circulating in the church that says that God is not interested in one’s outward appearance but in his heart only.
Romans 12:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 counsels Christians to keep their bodies holy and as a living sacrifice as the temple of the Living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 warns that God will destroy anyone who defiles His temple which is the body of man.
We shall not go from the church to hell in Jesus name
Prayer: Spirit of the world in my life, depart by fire in Jesus name, amen.
He, who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com
www.relationship4growth.blogspot.com
Ungodly apparel includes leggies, women trousers and men platted hair.
The Scriptures that condemns ungodly apparel are many and includes the following:
• Proverbs 7:10; 1Timothy 2:9; Revelations 12:9; Romans 1:26; Ezekiel 23:39-40
• Jeremiah 4:30; Isaiah 3:16-24; Colossians 3:2-5; Leviticus 19:28
• Zephaniah 1:8; Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Peter 3:3; Hosea 2:13; Exodus 33:5
Do not join the army of believers that will end up in eternal hell due to worldliness. James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15-17 warns against friendship with the world. Friendship with the world is a pollution that makes a Christian believer an enemy of God.
Do not listen to the false doctrine circulating in the church that says that God is not interested in one’s outward appearance but in his heart only.
Romans 12:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 counsels Christians to keep their bodies holy and as a living sacrifice as the temple of the Living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 warns that God will destroy anyone who defiles His temple which is the body of man.
We shall not go from the church to hell in Jesus name
Prayer: Spirit of the world in my life, depart by fire in Jesus name, amen.
He, who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com
www.relationship4growth.blogspot.com
Message: Accomplishment for God without Obedience…the wrong kind of story!
Message: Accomplishment for God without Obedience…the wrong kind of story!
Texts: 1 Samuel 15:22-23; 2 Samuel 1:1-16; Matthew 7:21-23
Men glory in their accomplishments for God than their obedience to Him and His Word. Obedience to God’s Word and commandments is paramount and is the most important qualification to securing an eternity in His Kingdom.
2 Samuel 1:1-16 is an interesting story of an Amalekite, a warrior who fought on the Israeli side during their war with the Philistines during which King Saul and his sons were killed and the Israeli army was scattered (1 Samuel 31).
After the tragic death of King Saul, this Amalekite soldier who survived the war ran to David in his camp at Ziklag to report the death of Saul hoping for a reward or favour by reporting the death of David’s chief enemy.
He was aware of the differences between King Saul and David and wanted to be the first to honor David with the report of Saul’s death, knowing that David would become the next King of Israel.
He came to David as if he was in great mourning and reported that Israel had lost the battle and many were killed and that Saul and his sons were among the dead. David wanted further proof about the death of Saul and the Amalekite painted a story of heroism that cost him his life. He told David the wrong kind of story trying to make it appear that he was a hero (verse 6-10).
David was not impressed with the testimony of a man who testified with his own mouth that he killed King Saul who was the Lord’s anointed, and he ordered his execution (verse 15-16). He ran in vain.
This story has implications for Christian believers that will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account of their Christian lives on earth.
On that Day of Reckoning, the fate of many Christian believers will be like that Amalekite. They will tell stories in expectation of a reward but will not impress Jesus Christ and will be condemned to eternal Hell for telling the wrong kind of story like that Amalekite.
Matthew 7:22-23 says:
‘’Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity’’.
Those that the above scriptures refer to, are believers that focused on their accomplishments for God in ministry but God found them wanting in obedience to His commands and they were condemned to eternal Hell.
This condemnation in Matthew 7:23 shall not be ours in Jesus name. We shall not end our Christian lives and race in eternal hell in Jesus name. We shall not run in vain in Jesus name, amen.
The disobedience of Adam to God’s express instructions was the origin of sin and death in the lives of men which has made all men born of a woman to become sinners and inheritors of death – physical, spiritual and eternal. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God lays very strong emphasis on obedience to God as the key to His blessings.
In 1 Samuel Chapter 15, God directs King Saul to attack and destroy the Amalekite nation and to destroy all humans and animals. Saul destroyed the cities but he spared their king and the best of the sheep and oxen and all that was good while destroying all that was vile and refuse in his own eyes (verse 7-9).
In the eyes of Saul, the invasion and destruction of Amalek was a military victory and an accomplishment for God and Israel but saving their king and the best of their cattle was a disobedience to God’s commands. Saul believed that he had accomplished God’s directives (verse 20) but as far as God was concerned, King Saul was disobedient to Him (verse 22-23).
In this Last Day, many Christians and ministries are operating in the opposite direction to the will of God which is tantamount to disobedience to Him. Many ministries take greater delight in the construction of Cathedrals for God above obedience to the Great Commission to go into the world to seek for lost and perishing souls. This is telling the wrong kind of story…accomplishment without obedience!
Ministers are boasting of their ability and capacity to conduct big crusades that draw crowds in the millions in one gathering…the wrong kind of story!
God is interested in the number of souls in the gathering that are saved. God is interested in whether the messages of repentance and salvation were preached (Isaiah 58:1), and not fanciful topics like financial and earthly prosperity to souls whose lives are bound in sin.
Many boast about their capacity to raise multi-million naira and dollar offerings for God’s work. One Pentecostal minister said that he has the anointing to raise money for God…the wrong kind of story!
Many are boasting of their church being the largest in the country or continent or having the largest auditorium that can accommodate tens of thousands in one gathering but if they are not preaching about the weightier matters in the Word, they are telling the wrong kind of story!
Many boast of their anointing to heal the sick, raise the dead and do many signs and wonders, but without obedience to the Word, it is telling the wrong kind of story!
Many boast about their knowledge of the Word of God and ability to recite or quote Scriptures off-hand but if they are working iniquity, it is telling the wrong kind of story!
Men shall be judged not by knowledge of Scriptures alone but by their deeds and obedience to the Word. The doers of the law shall be justified, not the hearers only.
The richest pastor in the country but a hypocrite is to tell the wrong kind of story!
The best dressed pastor but an adulterer before God is telling the wrong kind of story!
The richest church but walking in spiritual darkness is telling the wrong kind of story!
A minister whose calling is evangelism, to preach the gospel but abandoned it and veered into the pastoral ministry for financial benefits is telling the wrong story!
An accomplishment for God at the expense of obedience to God and His Word constitutes outright disobedience to Him. 1 Samuel 15:22 says:
‘’Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams’’
Obedience is more important than all forms of religion – sacrifices, offerings, rituals and ceremonies. It is the chief end of true religion; and rebellion and stubbornness are a manifestation of the failure of men to conform to truth.
God is interested in our total and uncompromising obedience to His Word
God is interested in holiness and righteous living (Luke 1:75)
God is interested in our consecration to Him and separation from the world (Mark 8:34) (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) (1 John 2:15-17).
God is interested in us preaching and teaching the congregations more about the weightier matters – such as sin, salvation, repentance, restitution, holiness, righteousness, purity, judgment, Hell, the Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of the Saints – than the minor matters such as financial and earthly prosperity (Matthew 23:23).
God is interested in us keeping our bodies holy as His Temple and not defiling them with all manner of pollutions – sexual perversions, tattoos, immoral and ungodly dressing etc. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
God is interested in pure hearts and the renewal and transformation of our hearts and minds (Matthew 5:8) (Romans 12:1-2)
Speaking in tongues but living in open and secret sin is a life of disobedience that ends in hell unless one repents and is genuinely converted (Matthew 7:23) (Acts 3:19)
Ministers who divorced their spouses and remarried contrary to Scripture, but have the anointing to perform signs and wonders are living in disobedience that may end up in eternal hell unless they repent and restitute (Matthew 7:23)
Building Cathedrals for God but not teaching the congregation the truths that God wants them to hear (Isaiah 58:1) is disobedience that leads to the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
Outward holiness without inward transformation and purity ends in hell. True holiness is both within and without. (Ezekiel 36:26) (Mark 7:21-23).
Exercising the gifts of the Spirit without having the fruit of the Spirit ends in eternal hell. That is demonstrating the power of Christ without possessing the character of Christ is anointing without character that earns the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
Preaching the Gospel; raising the dead and healing the sick; performing signs and wonders in the name of Jesus Christ; building cathedrals for Christ and raising money to finance the gospel are good and great accomplishments for God but without obedience to God defined in terms of intimate personal relations and walking with Him in obedience to His Word, those activities that constitute working for God without walking with Him are vain that will earn the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
May we not run our race to eternity in vain in Jesus name, amen.
Prayers:
Lord, have mercy on me for I am a sinner (Luke 18:13).
Power for holiness and righteousness, possess me in Jesus name
Lord, deliver me from the power and bondage of sin (Matthew 1:21)
Lord, let not sin have dominion over me (Psalm 19:7)
Lord, deliver me from the power of presumptuous sinning (Psalm 19:7)
Lord, break me down and remould me in Jesus name.
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com
www.relationship4growth.blogspot.com
Texts: 1 Samuel 15:22-23; 2 Samuel 1:1-16; Matthew 7:21-23
Men glory in their accomplishments for God than their obedience to Him and His Word. Obedience to God’s Word and commandments is paramount and is the most important qualification to securing an eternity in His Kingdom.
2 Samuel 1:1-16 is an interesting story of an Amalekite, a warrior who fought on the Israeli side during their war with the Philistines during which King Saul and his sons were killed and the Israeli army was scattered (1 Samuel 31).
After the tragic death of King Saul, this Amalekite soldier who survived the war ran to David in his camp at Ziklag to report the death of Saul hoping for a reward or favour by reporting the death of David’s chief enemy.
He was aware of the differences between King Saul and David and wanted to be the first to honor David with the report of Saul’s death, knowing that David would become the next King of Israel.
He came to David as if he was in great mourning and reported that Israel had lost the battle and many were killed and that Saul and his sons were among the dead. David wanted further proof about the death of Saul and the Amalekite painted a story of heroism that cost him his life. He told David the wrong kind of story trying to make it appear that he was a hero (verse 6-10).
David was not impressed with the testimony of a man who testified with his own mouth that he killed King Saul who was the Lord’s anointed, and he ordered his execution (verse 15-16). He ran in vain.
This story has implications for Christian believers that will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ and give an account of their Christian lives on earth.
On that Day of Reckoning, the fate of many Christian believers will be like that Amalekite. They will tell stories in expectation of a reward but will not impress Jesus Christ and will be condemned to eternal Hell for telling the wrong kind of story like that Amalekite.
Matthew 7:22-23 says:
‘’Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name have done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity’’.
Those that the above scriptures refer to, are believers that focused on their accomplishments for God in ministry but God found them wanting in obedience to His commands and they were condemned to eternal Hell.
This condemnation in Matthew 7:23 shall not be ours in Jesus name. We shall not end our Christian lives and race in eternal hell in Jesus name. We shall not run in vain in Jesus name, amen.
The disobedience of Adam to God’s express instructions was the origin of sin and death in the lives of men which has made all men born of a woman to become sinners and inheritors of death – physical, spiritual and eternal. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God lays very strong emphasis on obedience to God as the key to His blessings.
In 1 Samuel Chapter 15, God directs King Saul to attack and destroy the Amalekite nation and to destroy all humans and animals. Saul destroyed the cities but he spared their king and the best of the sheep and oxen and all that was good while destroying all that was vile and refuse in his own eyes (verse 7-9).
In the eyes of Saul, the invasion and destruction of Amalek was a military victory and an accomplishment for God and Israel but saving their king and the best of their cattle was a disobedience to God’s commands. Saul believed that he had accomplished God’s directives (verse 20) but as far as God was concerned, King Saul was disobedient to Him (verse 22-23).
In this Last Day, many Christians and ministries are operating in the opposite direction to the will of God which is tantamount to disobedience to Him. Many ministries take greater delight in the construction of Cathedrals for God above obedience to the Great Commission to go into the world to seek for lost and perishing souls. This is telling the wrong kind of story…accomplishment without obedience!
Ministers are boasting of their ability and capacity to conduct big crusades that draw crowds in the millions in one gathering…the wrong kind of story!
God is interested in the number of souls in the gathering that are saved. God is interested in whether the messages of repentance and salvation were preached (Isaiah 58:1), and not fanciful topics like financial and earthly prosperity to souls whose lives are bound in sin.
Many boast about their capacity to raise multi-million naira and dollar offerings for God’s work. One Pentecostal minister said that he has the anointing to raise money for God…the wrong kind of story!
Many are boasting of their church being the largest in the country or continent or having the largest auditorium that can accommodate tens of thousands in one gathering but if they are not preaching about the weightier matters in the Word, they are telling the wrong kind of story!
Many boast of their anointing to heal the sick, raise the dead and do many signs and wonders, but without obedience to the Word, it is telling the wrong kind of story!
Many boast about their knowledge of the Word of God and ability to recite or quote Scriptures off-hand but if they are working iniquity, it is telling the wrong kind of story!
Men shall be judged not by knowledge of Scriptures alone but by their deeds and obedience to the Word. The doers of the law shall be justified, not the hearers only.
The richest pastor in the country but a hypocrite is to tell the wrong kind of story!
The best dressed pastor but an adulterer before God is telling the wrong kind of story!
The richest church but walking in spiritual darkness is telling the wrong kind of story!
A minister whose calling is evangelism, to preach the gospel but abandoned it and veered into the pastoral ministry for financial benefits is telling the wrong story!
An accomplishment for God at the expense of obedience to God and His Word constitutes outright disobedience to Him. 1 Samuel 15:22 says:
‘’Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams’’
Obedience is more important than all forms of religion – sacrifices, offerings, rituals and ceremonies. It is the chief end of true religion; and rebellion and stubbornness are a manifestation of the failure of men to conform to truth.
God is interested in our total and uncompromising obedience to His Word
God is interested in holiness and righteous living (Luke 1:75)
God is interested in our consecration to Him and separation from the world (Mark 8:34) (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) (1 John 2:15-17).
God is interested in us preaching and teaching the congregations more about the weightier matters – such as sin, salvation, repentance, restitution, holiness, righteousness, purity, judgment, Hell, the Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture of the Saints – than the minor matters such as financial and earthly prosperity (Matthew 23:23).
God is interested in us keeping our bodies holy as His Temple and not defiling them with all manner of pollutions – sexual perversions, tattoos, immoral and ungodly dressing etc. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
God is interested in pure hearts and the renewal and transformation of our hearts and minds (Matthew 5:8) (Romans 12:1-2)
Speaking in tongues but living in open and secret sin is a life of disobedience that ends in hell unless one repents and is genuinely converted (Matthew 7:23) (Acts 3:19)
Ministers who divorced their spouses and remarried contrary to Scripture, but have the anointing to perform signs and wonders are living in disobedience that may end up in eternal hell unless they repent and restitute (Matthew 7:23)
Building Cathedrals for God but not teaching the congregation the truths that God wants them to hear (Isaiah 58:1) is disobedience that leads to the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
Outward holiness without inward transformation and purity ends in hell. True holiness is both within and without. (Ezekiel 36:26) (Mark 7:21-23).
Exercising the gifts of the Spirit without having the fruit of the Spirit ends in eternal hell. That is demonstrating the power of Christ without possessing the character of Christ is anointing without character that earns the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
Preaching the Gospel; raising the dead and healing the sick; performing signs and wonders in the name of Jesus Christ; building cathedrals for Christ and raising money to finance the gospel are good and great accomplishments for God but without obedience to God defined in terms of intimate personal relations and walking with Him in obedience to His Word, those activities that constitute working for God without walking with Him are vain that will earn the condemnation in Matthew 7:23.
May we not run our race to eternity in vain in Jesus name, amen.
Prayers:
Lord, have mercy on me for I am a sinner (Luke 18:13).
Power for holiness and righteousness, possess me in Jesus name
Lord, deliver me from the power and bondage of sin (Matthew 1:21)
Lord, let not sin have dominion over me (Psalm 19:7)
Lord, deliver me from the power of presumptuous sinning (Psalm 19:7)
Lord, break me down and remould me in Jesus name.
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
www.maritalsuccessresource.simplesite.com
www.relationship4growth.blogspot.com
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
What Are The Things That Are Dying in Our Christian Lives?
Text:
Revelations 3:2
“Be watchful
and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not
found your works perfect before God.’’
The
conditions of this world that we live in cause many to live a busy life that
makes them to keep their relations with God in the backseat of their lives. Due
to the rat race age we live in, a number of things are about to die, dying or
dead in the lives of many Christian believers.
We need to
wake up to our condition to change and regain lost grounds before it is too
late because no one knows when the end will come. In the grave, there is no
room for repentance and salvation for the soul.
We need to
examine ourselves and our Christian lives (2 Corinthians 13:5) to know whether
we are still in the faith standing or have fallen from the faith. 1 Corinthians
10:12 warns those who think they are standing to take heed lest they fall from
the Narrow Way.
The verse in
Revelations 3:2 is a call for regular self-examination, watchfulness and
repentance. It is a reminder and a call to godly living. God wants an intimate
fellowship and relations with Man and close communion. He detests lukewarmness
where a man is neither hot nor cold (Revelations 3:15-16). God is perfect and
wants us to be perfect too (Matthew 5:48).
There are
many things that are about to die, dying or dead through neglect, in the lives
of many Christian believers. They include:
1.
Closet
Prayers (Personal Prayer Altar) Matthew 6:6
“But when
thou pray, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy
Father which is in secret, and thy Father which sees in secret shall reward
thee openly.’’
Prayer is
the most important weapon in spiritual warfare. A prayerless Christian is a powerless
Christian. An altar is a place of sacrifice, worship and prayer. It is also a
place of battle and a spiritual entity where spiritual transactions take place.
The closet
is the Christian’s inner chamber and personal altar where he meets with God
regularly in worship and fellowship. This is where requests are made to God in
prayers, supplication and intercession. This is where communion takes place and
where the Christian receives divine leading and guidance on all aspects of life
and ministry.
For a Christian
to become an overcomer and have a victorious Christian life, a fervent and
effective prayer life is necessary which is determined largely by the level of
fire on his personal altar in his inner chambers or closet. The fire on the
personal altar must be kept burning at all times and must not be allowed to go
cold (Leviticus 6:12-13).
For a
Christian Minister, the quality of prayers offered to God in his inner chambers
will determine the manifestation of God’s power and glory in his public life
and ministrations.
There are Ministers
who occupy high offices in church and ministry whose personal altars lack fire,
therefore do not receive any divine revelations and do not hear from the Lord
God anymore. Their spiritual vision has been shut down by their lukewarmness
and they do nothing about it like Prophet Eli.
A Christian
is expected to have private periods where he will commune with God alone via
prayer and meditation. Many cannot pray alone in private because they lack the
discipline and many can only pray in public places where and when others are
praying e.g. church.
Closet
prayer in the lives of many Christians is dying or dead being threatened by
spiritual dryness and lukewarmness. Many conduct it in a light and careless
manner. For closet prayers to be effective and acceptable unto God there must
be no strange fires offered on the altar.
If anyone offers
strange fires on his altars, he risks destruction like Nadab and Abihu in
Leviticus 10:1-2 who offered strange fires and lost their lives. Strange fires
include sinning, strange utterances and languages and ungodly dressing.
Spiritual
dryness is caused by the Sin of Commission and the Sin of Omission. Sin of
Commission is deliberate sinning that causes sudden darkness while the Sin of
Omission through neglect of diligence gradually dims the light until it is
quenched. In either case, the Christian lacks the anointing to move forward in
the Spirit and is one reason why closet prayers are dead in the lives of many
Christians.
2.
Meditation
in the Word (Joshua 1:8) (Psalm 1:3)
Meditation
in the Scriptures is almost nonexistent in many Christians due to their busy
schedules, problems and challenges of life. Many are either too busy to find
the time or too lazy to meditate in the Scriptures.
3.
Family
Altar or Family Devotion
A Christian family must have a family altar where husband, wife and
children gather at regular periods on daily basis to worship and fellowship
with the Lord. A family that prays together stays together.
The fire on the family altar must be kept burning at all times and must
not be allowed to go cold (Leviticus 6:12-13). If the family altar lacks fire,
the devotions will be dry, uninteresting and a mere routine. The family members
may lose interest. But where the family altar is fire-charged, the devotions
will be rich and interesting and an event to look forwards to.
Family altar
is dying because many families are falling apart and marriages too. Many homes
lack a spirit of one accord which is affecting the family altar where the
members are expected to congregate and fellowship with the Lord. Family members
are also too busy to create the time or their hearts are devoted to idols and
idolatries such as Television, Internet and Social Media.
4.
The
Great Commission (Evangelism, Soul Winning, Witnessing) Matthew 28:18-20
A survey of
Christians and the Great Commission reveals that:
About 90% of
all Christians have never won a soul for Christ
About 80% of
all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ
About 2% of
all Christians are actively engaged in the propagation of the gospel
About 70% of
all Christians do nothing towards the propagation of the gospel
About 40% of
the populace worldwide have heard the gospel but have not accepted Christ as
Lord and Saviour
About 50% of
the populace worldwide have not heard about the gospel and have no realistic
opportunity to do so
Yet many
Christians are slumbering, not interested in the Great Commission which is a
commandment in Matthew 28:18-20 and a responsibility of every believer (Acts
1:8) and not the responsibility of a few ‘evangelists’ in the church as
erroneously believed by many Christians.
Many
churches and ministries are busy and more interested investing in buildings and
cathedrals for show and for vainglory rather than invest in evangelism to win
the souls of the lost for Christ.
5.
Holiness
and Righteousness
Prosperity
messages are overriding holiness and salvation messages in many churches and
ministries in this Last day. There are many false teachers in circulation
peddling false doctrines that indicate that holiness and righteousness are not
possible.
Iniquity and lawlessness is on the increase in Christendom despite
increase in gospel activity. The churches are crowd pullers but many of the
members are not genuinely converted Christians. Many are merely religious but
not godly and religious but not saved Christians.
Holiness is
the passport to heaven (Hebrews 12:14) (1 Peter 1:16), not prosperity.
Other things
that are about to die, dying or dead in the lives of many Christians include
Christian hospitality and the active waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
We need to
examine our Christian lives and repent from where we have fallen before it is
too late. Death comes like a thief in the night and there are no second chances
for repentance, amendment and forgiveness of sins in the grave.
May we not
go from church to hell in Jesus name.
Let us pray:
Ø Spirit of the world in my life, die
in Jesus name
Ø Spirit of disobedience in my life,
die in Jesus name
Ø Spirit of death and hell in my life,
die in Jesus name
Ø Anything in my life, dragging me to
destruction be uprooted in Jesus name (Matthew 15:13)
Ø Lord, have mercy on me and give me a
second chance
Ø Lord have mercy on me and do not spue
me out of your mouth (Revelations 3:15-16)
Ø Lord, as I run this race, send me
help and strengthen me spiritually in Jesus name
Ø Lord, grant me leadership and
spiritual guidance as I run this race in Jesus name
Ø I command any satanic agenda to pull
me down spiritually to scatter in Jesus name
Ayodele John Adegbulugbe
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