DO YOU TRULY KNOW THE LORD? (Part 3)

1 Thessalonians 1:5-10

5. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

6. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

7. So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

8. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.

9. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

How did the Word come to you?

For sometime now, we have been considering this topic 'Do you truly know the Lord?'

This will be the last part of the three series piece. I trust it has been an enlightening one or what do you think?

Today, we'll look at some other points in relation to our text. These however would be in form of questions!

How did the gospel come to you? I mean how did you receive it? Did it come with assurance (conviction)? With power? Or were you cajoled into saying the sinner's prayer?

Are you being discipled and do you follow the Lord ultimately? Who are you imitating? Many of us have worldly personalities as role models and mentors. We want to look like them, walk like them and even talk like them. Forgetting that we are not to be conformed to this world.

Everybody wants a new definition of Christianity but truly what we need is an old apostolic demonstration of Christianity.

Lastly, what examples do you show? What fruits do you bear? By your fruits, we shall know whether you're of the Lord or of the World. Concentrate on being and not just reading.

God Bless you!

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DO YOU TRULY KNOW THE LORD? (Part 2)

Phil. 3:3
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
 

We worship God in Spirit

 There are three points the above quoted scripture has as a prove that one knows the Lord (the circumcision):
1.   Worship God in the spirit- If you truly know the Lord, you would not have problems worshiping God in Spirit. The bible tells us a time will come when the true worshipers will neither worship at Jerusalem or Judea, but in Spirit and in truth. The psalmist says "I was glad when they said let us go into the house of the Lord". Joy of worship is a sign tat we are truly the circumcision.
 If you don't derive joy in worshiping God, it's a sign you're not converted!

2.   Rejoice in Christ Jesus- Most 'Christians' are ashamed of Christ today. This is evident in the way they dress, talk, walk and even eat. They want to conform more to the world. Even when Rom. 2:2 tells us not to. A truly converted christian who truly knows the Lord would rejoice in Christ Jesus and in anything that has to do with him.

3.   Have no confidence in the flesh- We are in a generation in which you can laugh about sin, and even when you're called a sinner.But you would want to pounce on anyone who tells you you're wicked, a murderer and a rebellious creature. But the truth is sin is rebellion and disobedience against God and his will. We should practice Holy Living.

God Bless You!
Watch out for the next part!


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DO YOU TRULY KNOW THE LORD? (Part 1)

2Corinthians 5:13-16

For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

If you know and love the Lord, your decisions must be for God. You must live for God, everything you do must be because of  and for God. Most times it might look like madness to take some decisions for God's sake, but what matters is that it's for God.

You must be a new creature, not just in words, but in your innermost man. Conversion is not to be worn as a cloth. Conversion happens to you, it is an overwhelming experience. 

Conversion is so powerful that a man can live a different life pleasing to God even if he has no access to these principles in the bible. Its not a struggle, its a thing to be conformed to.

Don't ever reason yourself away from salvation. Face the cross and confess your sins, only then can you get truly converted. Stop hovering around the cross from a distance. Get straight and let the cross slay you from the front and let the power of God which resurrected Christ resurrect you too. 

Only then can you say you're truly converted.

Remember "new wine cannot be put in an old wine bottle!"

God Bless You.
Watch out for the second part!


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SILENT CRY OF A LEADER

Have you ever been a leader?

Have you ever felt like telling someone your challenges, but no one seemed to care to hear but to demand 'perfect leadership'?

Have you ever cried silently because the demands are more than you can carry?

This is the cry of a leader. Every one expects an utopia from you, but you can get that only in Heaven.

Whether your subordinates or followers understand that you're crying or not, you've got to be the leader.

You could get remarks like "I'm disappointed in you!", or "You don't even consider people before you take decisions!". All these come at the same time and your head is filled with so many responsibilities to handle. Just as you retreat to handle these, some others come like "You're supposed to have done this, but you're slow!".

Most times you're in distress and there's no one to call, no one to encourage on the other hand.

Sometime you might cry "Oh! God! Deliver me from leadership". Most times you might have gotten a call from home and someone dear to you is down with an illness. But because you're the leader, everyone expects you to be alright at all times. Many conclude with fictitious remarks even before hearing you out!

Oh! The silent tears of a leader, who can see?

But one thing I believe is that when you put your trust in man, you fail woefully. Blessed is he that puts trust in God rather than in man. Trust in God when you pass through these wilderness experiences and you'll come through.

Even those who despise you might get discouraged if you give up, so for the love of Christ and for them, do not give up. Leadership is a learning process, you'll learn the easy way and more often the hard way. It''ll never suit you. Don't expect to be comfortable as a leader. Get ready to be despised by some, respected by the others on the other hand.

I believe one day we'll all learn to work better as members of the commonwealth of Heaven.

I believe one day every leader passing through a challenge will rejoice.

I believe one day those tears which no one care to see will be wiped away.

I believe one day those pains in the heart which everyone interprets as "hardness of heart" will be taken away.

I believe one day I'll be a better leader.

Onwuka Ikpa.

WRITE WHILE ITS WHITE

Have you ever had a surge of inspiration flooding through your heart, but at that time you had no pen or paper to put them down. Then when you finally got a pen and paper, ready to put the magical words into writing, you discovered they had gone into thin air?!
Whaaaat?! I bet you would feel like tearing the world apart just to find those words that made you feel like a star!
Well, we need not deceive ourselves; when the inspirations came you did not force them to, so you can't force them to stay, neither can you beg them not to go.
You can at best carry around your pen and paper, tab, notepad, or anything you can use to put a note down. You might not need to write everything. A sentence or two which can link to the theme of what you got can do.
Writing is a hobby, but it is also a means of livelyhood to tome. If you're a writer, don't joke with it.
You have the world at the tip of your finger!!!

Onwuka Ikpa.



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"MISOBEDIENCE"

When a child is given several instructions, say:
1. Don't take meat from the pot.
2. Don't go outside the house without telling me.
3. Always wash your hands when you're done playing with friends.

You'll notice that the child finds it easy to obey instructions 2 and 3, but instruction 1 is a very hard task for that child, hence he ignores it. "Mom did not even count the number of meats in the pot" he'll say.
 This is selective obedience, or what I termed "MISOBEDIENCE". It is exactly how most of us as Christians obey God; we select his instructions and obey the ones that suit us while the ones that seem difficult are ignored.
These things ought not so to be.
When we make up our minds to follow and obey God, let us do it without restraint. Don't obey few and disobey the others.


When he says; Go out and preach the gospel, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, let us do it.
If he says; Do not commit fornication. stop it. Do away with that sexual partner in crime of yours.

Stop the selection of instructions to obey!
Stop the "MISOBEDIENCE"!

We shall make Heaven at last.

God Bless You,
Onwuka Ikpa.


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(disclaimer: misobedience is not a correct English word. It was just adopted to imply a point)

MOUNTAIN MORIAH

There are so many places on planet earth where you would love to spend some of your leisure time. I suppose you know Burj al Arab; the seven star hotel, Moscow, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Some in Nigeria are: Olumo rock, Tinapa, Sherri Hills, Obudu Cattle Ranch amongst others.

I want to introduce you to another spot where you most likely have not heard of so much because it is not so popular and the activities that happen there go way beyond regular human comprehension, I mean it’s the big deal!

It is Mountain Moriah, located along the Gulf of Genesis, with latitude 22^oN and between longitudes 2^oE and 14^oE.

Men, this is a place of faith. Our father Abraham was tried here and he passed, creating a solid foundation of our faith today. He was told to kill his only son Isaac, the one he loved. He obeyed without hesitation, but God restrained him later on just at the killing moment.

Father Abraham did not hold back even his only son- or should I say his “hard earned son” from God.

What is that thing you’re holding back from God? Is it your “hard earned money”? or Certificate? Would you be able to give it out to God when you go to Mountain Moriah? Or would you withhold?

Well, remember I told you people don’t frequently visit this mountain because it’s activities are beyond regular human tolerance and comprehension, but I’ll urge you to pay a visit one of these days and don’t hold back whatever God asks of you because when your faith is proven, just like father Abraham you’ll become a father of many nations… um! Nations might mean many things. Let me say you’ll be blessed beyond measure.

See you there!

What do you think?

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Share! Just spread the word!

HOLY LIVING

Holy living is not an unconscious phenomenon. It doesn’t happen without you being aware of it. Rather unholy living results when we choose to be oblivious of how we live our lives, not taking into consideration the decisions we are about to take before taking them. Don’t ever expect to be holy without bringing your body into subjection to the Spirit. Don’t ever expect to be sanctified without consciously separating yourself from anything capable of defiling you. 

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12b).  You don’t sit down complacent, leaving anything and everything to pass through your mind and expect to be pure. Yes! Christ died for us, but he never said we should go back to sin, rather he said we should tell others about the good news; the Gospel of the kingdom. 

“Flee also youthful lust” (2Tim. 2:22). It did not say look away or run away. It said flee; or fly away. This requires your conscious effort to move with the highest possible speed.

Let us not sit and wait for a supernatural force to fall from heaven to make us holy. Christ has done his part; paying the price for our sins and setting us free. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live right (2Pet. 1:3). 

So do your own part, flee from whatever would defile you. Renew your mind with the word of God (Rom. 12:2). Don’t be unconscious about your spiritual life; rather be all aware and ready for the Kingdom.

SHALOM!!!