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Gospel messages/articles, inspirational notes, Christian events/Christian music.
Wednesday 30 November 2016
Churches, Religiosity and Godliness. ~By: Isaac Aluko Ademoroti
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Monday 28 November 2016
7 days to RCCG Holy Ghost Congress!
Opinion : Pastors And The Poverty Debate : A Robust Response | By: Victor Olugbemiro
- That because you are a Christian, you Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross, was buried in a tomb and rose on the third day to take away the sin of the world after man had been condemned to die following the sin of Adam.
- Having been convinced of your sins by the Holy Spirit, have repented and accepted God’s forgiveness.
- Believe the bible to be the infallible word of God and you strive daily to live by the precepts therein.
- Believe in the mystery of the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Attend a bible believing church were the word of God reigns supreme with the aim of joining other believers to build your life after the pattern of Jesus Christ.
- Have the overall hope of making heaven and being with God either through death which is inevitable for all men or at the second coming of Jesus Christ.Having laid this foundation, let me put forward the question that this write-up will attempt to answer and in answering this question, I may be focusing on pastors, but I am also addressing church members too. Because just as your pastor is supposed to be an example to you, you are supposed to be an example to unbelievers and they hold you to the same expectation of perfection as you hold your pastor to. Simply put. We are all pastors.“Should a man of God reek of poverty?”The simple answer to this question is no, but the underlying issues that prompted this question go beyond a yes or no answer. This is because a popular man of God in Nigeria trended yet again on twitter due to what some termed as an excessive display of wealth which by implication is unbecoming of a pastor. Others vehemently supported him on the basis that he is a man of God and must not be criticised because those who do so, risk God’s judgement (I Chronicles 16:22 – “Saying, Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm) and that God is not a poor God so it is only expected that he blesses his servants with exceeding riches. Both arguments are faultyFirstly, God is not rich, neither is he poor. God is God, and God is spirit. (John 4:24 – “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”). Poverty and wealth are human conditions based on the absence or presence of money. God cannot be classified into human social classes. However, Jesus Christ came to earth and lived as man and his life here on earth has become the perfect example for us to follow as humans.Secondly, the biblical standards that apply to pastors, apply to church members as well because essentially, we are all Christians but as humans, we hold them more accountable because we believe that they are chosen by God to lead other Christians. Indeed, God has given them some authority over us (Hebrews 13:17 – Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account…) but they are no longer middlemen between man and God. The curtain, screening the Holy of Holies in the Old Testament temple, which represented the barriers between man and God was torn at the crucifixion of Jesus, thereby granting every Christian direct access to God. We must obey authority as instituted by God, but what do we do when that authority is going outside of God’s expectations? We should be able to correct from the scriptures (Galatians 2:11 – “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed ;”)As I read various arguments, for or against extremely wealthy pastors who flaunt wealth, I couldn’t shake several questions out of my head. What is God’s view on all this? And when I say God’s view, I mean what the bible actually says, not some intellectual or motivational interpretation of the bible. If Jesus was a modern day pastor, will He own jets and live in multi-million naira mansions? Will He be fashion conscious, wearing only the most expensive fashion outfits? Will He have social media accounts where He updates His followers of His latest acquisitions? If people do so on His behalf, what will be His response? Will He employ a security outfit and have multiple bodyguards? Will He upload pictures of expensive vacations on Instagram? If He throws lavish parties, will He invite the crème of the society or the down-trodden? Will He publicise acts of kindness that He has done? If He was to preach for fifty-two Sundays in a year, how many weeks will be devoted to teaching his members how to make wealth?The bible says we are in this world but not of this world. Which means what applies to unbelievers cannot and must not apply to us. So when unbelievers are wealthy and they flaunt it, no big deal. But when Christians are wealthy, we understand that there is a purpose to the wealth and we must use it accordingly.One thing that bothers me greatly is that members of churches whose pastors openly display great wealth vigorously defend their pastor’s wealth. The wealth then becomes a distraction because God has not called us as Christians to justify our wealth to unbelievers. God has called us to make disciples of all nations. In other words, preach the gospel. What gospel does wealth preach? Is it the gospel of salvation or the gospel of prosperity? Jesus told Peter, ‘feed my flock.’ What does a display of wealth by pastors feed the members?Let me state categorically that I am not against Christians or their pastors attaining wealth. God himself desires that we prosper (3 John 1:2 – “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”) but not at the risk of our salvation (Matthew 16:26 –“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”)When wealth becomes detrimental to the gospel of salvation, then something is definitely wrong somewhere. In fact, we are not supposed to pursue riches because our attention will be divided (Matthew 6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”).So does this now mean Christians shouldn’t get jobs and make money? No. What it means is that your life ambition shouldn’t be to make money but to please God and when you do this, he will bless you with all material things that you need (Matthew 6:31-33 – “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”)This last verse of scripture that I quoted is also used to justify wealth of men of God. ‘You do not know his story so don’t criticise his glory. You do not know how he suffered as a young man, preaching the gospel up and down. Now that God is rewarding him, tap into the anointing so that God will do your own.’There were extremely wealthy men in the bible (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job and Solomon) but what do we remember them for? These men loved and served God all their days and He no doubt blessed them, but what did Jesus say to the rich young man who came to Him? Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Matthew 19: 21). What that response tells me is that no one can successfully follow God without de-emphasizing worldly possessions to the point where the absence or presence of wealth makes no difference to him or her. Your wealth should mean nothing to you compared to your love for God. If your wealth means nothing to you, will you go to great lengths to flaunt it?Job was tested and God saw that poverty did not make him turn his back on God despite the fact that his fall from grace was absolute. Despite Abraham’s wealth, no reference was made to it in the New Testament, rather, we are reminded that Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ (Galatians 3:6). Despite the fact that Solomon was the richest man ever liveth, we make reference to him more for his wisdom than his riches. His wisdom benefits us as Christians more than his wealth. He himself made the assertion more than once, that ‘…all is vanity and grasping for the wind.’ (Ecclesiastes 2:17). We remember Jacob (Israel) as the father of the twelve tribes that became the great nation of Israel and a symbol of our inheritance through the promise made to Abraham.For those who say that wealth attracts people to Christ, it shows that God is not poor and He has the power to prosper you. I am categorically telling you that you have believed a lie from the pit of hell, copyrighted by Satan and distributed to churches. When God is convincing a man of his sin, that man is not thinking of wealth, but of how unworthy he is of God’s love. Isaiah 53 from verses 2-3 says ‘…And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our face from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him.It is the Holy Spirit alone that can convince a man of his sin. Not even the most anointed man of God can do that on his own. Paul says ‘For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God… that no flesh should glory in His presence. …And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (I Corinthians 1: 21, 29; 2:4-5).If God had to rely on wealth to attract unbelievers, then every pastor and Christian will be rich, and those who are already rich need not come to Christ.For those who say you need to be rich before you can have access to rich people and so preach the gospel to them, that is another patented lie from Hell Inc. marketed by foolish Christians. Paul stood before Caesar, the most powerful ruler in the world at the time, and declared the gospel fearlessly. Though he did so under circumstances that we pray against in churches today.The truth is that who we are in Christ does not fit into popular culture. The message we carry is not popular either, because it entails self-denial and a disregard to what the world holds dear. But the message we carry is powerful in itself (Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit…”) to do what wealth, oration, packaging and feel-good approaches cannot do. It is the power of Christ and the mercy and grace of God, bringing salvation to those condemned to die. It is the hope of future glory with Christ. Nothing can substitute it. Let us not get carried away, let us not lose focus. Let us continue to disregard the things of this world, and constantly look at Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And He will keep us, body, soul and spirit, till the day of His return, Amen.
Sunday 5 June 2016
How To Enhance Your Spirituality Life | By : Tony Ogunlowo
In presenting this I’ll use the term ‘spirituality’ rather than the word ‘religious’. Religious to me (- I might be wrong!) limits one to believing in and reverence for a God. Spirituality, however, takes it a step further broadening one’s perspectives on God, religions (- and there’s many of them) and Mans spiritual connection with the Universe.
The first step in enhancing your spirituality is to minimize distractions; a clear-thinking head devoid of any worries or commitments. Most of the time these commitments are of a worldly nature; things we’re obsessed with, mostly material things, which take up our time.
“It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”.
A rich man, pastor, or Man of God, worried about the running costs of his private jet or the welfare of his vast business empire hardly has time to concentrate, fully, on serving God, let alone help others find the path. He would like to think he’s Gods chosen one but when materialism crawls into the picture it clouds our thoughts and sometimes takes over.
How many of us can walk away from it all? Giving up the mansions, cars, clothes and ostentatious lifestyle to follow our faith – very few if not none.
Like a millstone around our necks, materialism – which is the bane of our very existence – weighs us down. Without a doubt there are other things we do that impedes our spiritual development such as bed-hopping, gluttony, envy, pride amongst other things but materialism takes centre stage. Eliminate or control this and everything else will fall like dominoes.
It’s difficult to walk away from it all. But others have done it.
Countless people have turned to the priesthood vowing to live lives of chastity and poverty. Monks, Nuns and Holy Men have walked away from a world of materialism to devote their entire lives to the worship of God. But not everybody can follow in their footsteps giving up everything. Our purposes in life differ and while some are committed to a spiritual life others have to live in the real world where there is a certain social etiquette to follow; being seen to be successful, happy and prosperous. But we can enhance our spirituality by decreasing our vain dependency on materialism.
A simple life is what is called for, limiting ourselves to only the things we need, the basics, and not what we don’t need.
‘Keeping up with the Joneses’. You want to be seen to be better than your neighbour – bigger house, flashier car, more wealth and more success. In doing so our focus in life shifts from trying to be more spiritual to being more materialistic. ‘Give unto Caesar what is Caesars’. You can’t worship two Gods.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t strive for success, I’m saying there should be a balance. There is nothing wrong in being wealthy and successful. But at what point do you draw a line? Do you let it take over your life and let it dominate you or do you dominate it? Do you decide what you have is your good fortune and live a frugal life, giving away the excess or do you clamour for more?
The minute you start clamouring for more and more of what you really don’t need you begin to lose your spirituality and the path to Godliness will move further and further away from you.
You only need so much. Excess brings on worries and worries cloud your thinking.
Try and think less of the material things you don’t have and clamour to obtain – the things that aren’t necessities in life – in doing so your mind becomes clearer and more receptible to the spiritual side of your life. You can’t pray or meditate effectively if you’re thinking, all the time, about acquiring the latest fashion accessories or your jaunt to Dubai or showing off your vanity to the rest of the world or how you’re going to keep up with your neighbours. Having it all – success and wealth – does not necessarily equate to contentment or happiness.
Keep your life simple, live within your means and quit the mad race of ‘keeping up with the joneses’- it’s an empty pursuit of material things you can’t take with you when your time is up – your life will become fuller, more meaningful and more spiritual.
Learn to set time aside to meditate or pray. I call it ‘me-time’. Time when you can actually switch off and be on your own – in your room, out in a park, in a desert or by a body of water or in a temple or church. Time when there can be nothing to distract or interrupt you. I know we all lead busy lives full of , perhaps, noisy kids, demanding partners, social and work engagements but you CAN find some time to be own your own. Night time is the best time to meditate and pray when it’s all peaceful and quiet. I personally like to go for long walks at night, its peaceful with less noise and distraction making it easier to meditate(WARNING – Unless you live in a part of the world where it’s safe to go out walking at night I wouldn’t recommend it. If you go walkabout in Naija in the middle of the night you’ll be robbed and killed or chopped up and used for money-making spells by ritualists!)
A long time ago there was less crime, of all sorts, in the country when people lived within their means, when there wasn’t the mad rush for instant wealth, the need to procure private planes, yachts and million dollar watches. People were more spiritual and godly because the acquisition of vain materialistic items wasn’t high on their agendas. Whatever happened to living basic lives when we just had to put a roof above our heads and feed the family? Living basics lives, then, enabled people to tune into their spiritual side a lot more than we are doing today.
You can’t worship two gods. To enhance your spirituality sacrifice is required – not that much – just a little more of your time, a clear un-committed head and a strict control of materialism and distractions in your life.
Monday 11 January 2016
The Higher Calling of God | by Tony Ogunlowo
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RCCG 2016 fasting & prayers: Prayer Points for 11th January – 29th February
- Father, refresh every thirsty soul.
- Father, give me new depths of intimacy with the person of the Holy Spirit.
- Father, anoint us as a church with fresh oil as we step into the New Year.
- Father, let there be a sudden visitation of the Holy Spirit that will cause revival to break forth in RCCG
- Lord, stir up every spiritual gift in my life that has become dormant or inactive.
- Father, stir up every spiritual gift in the church that has been hidden or ignored.
- Father, let there be divine investment of spiritual gifts and uncommon abilities in RCCG.
- Father, I decree that I am only the fruits of righteousness are made manifest in my life.
- Father, empower me to win souls to the Kingdom of God daily.
- Father, uncover every veil hindering people to receive the glorious light of the gospel.
- Father, we call forth those who are appointed to be the sons and daughters of the RCCG.
- Father, purge me of every form of disobedience and self-centeredness.
- Father, give me the grace to make the sacrifices required for the revival to break forth in our land.
- Lord, we break down the satanic strongholds that control the minds and hearts of people in the land.
- Father, we release the spirit of prayer upon our land.
- Father, I download heavenly strategies to establish dominion in my life.
- Lord, order every step of RCCG members.
- Father, I move from glory to glory to fulfil God’s purpose for my life.
- Lord, awaken every sleeping giant in the mighty name of Jesus.
- Thank God for strength, grace and daily provision – Nehemiah 8:102. Pray that that Lord almighty shall give them fresh unction to carry on the work – I John 2:20.3. Pray that the beauty of The Lord shall rest upon them and their families – Psalm 90:17.4. Pray for more excellent spirit and pray against every evil plans their work – Daniel 6:3; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
- Lord, contend with those contending with the servants of God in RCCG. Isaiah 49:24-26
- Father, every enemy of revival in RCCG shall dry up from their roots.
- Father, let the 50 days fasting be fruitful for all participants, their families, our Nations and the Church. Isaiah 58:6-12
- Father, let there be open Heaven for showers of blessings and testimonies. Ezekiel 34:26
- Lord, let there be great harvest of souls in 2016.
- Father, make me a true giver who will invest in your Kingdom.
- Lord, I break every spirit that stops people from plugging into the covenant of prosperity through giving.
- Father, release the power to get wealth and the wisdom of God to create multiple streams of income, Deuteronomy 8:18
- Ask for uncommon financial miracles in your life and for RCCG
- Command the 4 cardinal points of this nation and the earth to release every financial increase that is due and or long overdue.
- Father, destroy every plot and plan of the devil to cause division, confusion and contention in RCCG.
- Lord, frustrate the schemes and strategies of hell against RCCG.
- Father, establish clear lines of spiritual authority and divine order in every aspect of our lives and ministry.