ARE YOU TAKING GOD'S GLORY?

'Sing to the Lord, all the earth, proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 1 Chronicles 16:23-24' 

The Lord is our glory and the lifter of our heads says Psalms 3:3' The Lord is our glory, it therefore means that all glory must return back to Him. Are you taking the glory that is due God? The bible also say '...the whole earth is full of His glory. Isaiah 6:3', again 'Isaiah 42:8' says 'I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory I will not give to another' The bibles says even the Heavens declares the glory of the Lord. 

What are you doing with God's Glory? It is now common to hear some say “I laid my hand on him and healed him”. No. You laid your hand and God heals. You need to be careful not to incur the wrath of God’s judgment. By your own words you glorify yourself before God and His children, in other to attract more followers most probably for a selfish gain of (10% share). It does not matter if your gift is to save a single soul, please save that soul and be satisfied instead of magnifying yourself before the people and becoming a god unto them.

1 Corinthians 1:30 says: “…he who glories , let him glory in the LORD'. Did you turn this bible verse into; glorifying a man or yourself? All glory must be ascribed to the Lord of Lords. He is the only one worthy of praises and worship. In all things, we must glorify Him. Know that He has already glorified Himself and will continue to do so. This is why the bible tells us that His glory fills the heavens and the earth. We therefore must acknowledge and give all honour and praise to Him that sit on the throne.

GOD'S WAYS

 'God’s ways seem foolish to the Jews because they want a sign from heaven to prove it is true. And it’s foolish to the Greeks because they believe only what agrees with their own wisdom-1 Corinthians 1:22-23 NLT'

The bible says God's way is not our way and He uses foolish things to confound the wise. Think about a man going before a king and demanding that slaves must be allowed to leave, or a man talking to a tree, that would be considered madness. A leprous man was asked by Elisha to go and wash in a river, the man expected something else from the popular God of the Jews and the man of God. Yet washing was the only way for Him to get his healing. He later complied and got healed after much persuasion from his servants. 

Is there a problem in your life that defiled all known remedy? Have you been told to simply pray and trust in God for a certain problem you are facing, and it seem not the right thing for you to do? Have you been in a position that conventional wisdom tells you to do one thing, while your pastor asked you to do another that seem foolish in the face of the problem?

Remember God's ways are not our ways. His word says; He has already blessed you with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm. You therefore only need to ask and trust Him to resolve such problems in your favour in a way that would seem foolish to the world.

CONVERSING WITH GOD

Let me start by asking this question: In the world, how many of us can honestly say we have unhindered access to government officials? Its probably cannot be more than 20% of the citizens in any given country.

The Kingdom government operates differently. We have 24/7 access to the King of Kings and Lord or Lords. God Himself permitted this when He said in "Isaiah 1:18 'Come now, and let us reason together...'" You have unfettered access to Jesus and can reason with him. You may be going through something that you do not understand and you feel the church is not helping. Go to Him directly and talk to Him about it. It doesn't matter what time of the day or night. You just need to ask him that question that have been on your mind. That thing that burdens you, talk to him about him. It helps when you are His friend and brother, as those that are already in the kingdom may more easily understand His response, but all can come to Him. He is not willing that any should perish, and therefore will attend to you any time you approach Him.

Abraham, our father in faith at one time found it difficult that the God he wholeheartedly believed in was going to kill people in Sodom. He did not keep quite about it, he reasoned with Him. Abraham asked God "Would you also destroy the righteous with the wicked?....Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked.." God did not say I am God and would do as I please, but respond to allay the fears of Abraham; assure him that He indeed will not destroy the righteous with the wicked. You can find God and Abraham's conversation in 'Genesis 18:16-33'

Whatever your fear, worries or burden is, be assured that you can go to God in prayers and converse with Him. He is able to save you and deliver you from all your troubles.

ARE YOU ORDAINED TO PERFORM MIRACLES?

The bibles tells us that we have different gifts. These gifts includes but not limited to Teaching, Preaching, Prophesying, Healing, Tongues etc.  It is very important that those with this gifts take care to utilize it for the Kingdom purpose, and, must know the limits of their gifts.

John the Baptist was asked if he was the Christ. Knowing who he was, the bible recorded that he confessed that he was not the Christ. But our world is now full of people that expects miracles from every pastor, and pastors that would do anything to gain the approval and respect of the world. Need you perform miracle before you would be considered a man of God? John the Baptist did not performed a single visible miracle, yet, none was greater that him according to Jesus. 

There are now accusations everywhere of powerful men of god using demonic powers to perform miracles. The reason is very simple, its either they are not sent or they were sent to for instance, to preach the Kingdom of God and the risen Christ but chooses to perform miracles to please men instead of God. Miracles is the benefit of the Kingdom, its therefore something all kingdom citizens enjoy on a day to day basis. 

Identify the reason you are sent and ensure you perform your kingdom responsibilities without fear of disapproval from the world.

ONE BODY IN CHRIST-THE CHURCH

When a church is mentioned, what should ideally comes to mind should be; Christ, Holiness, Righteousness, Worship, Kingdom Message, unity etc. (Not necessary in that order) However, like gods, most churches today are actively working against the Kingdom, recruitment people into their synagogues of Satan. Pastors and workers in churches are now knowingly competing with Jesus for popularity instead of preaching the Kingdom to all God’s children on earth. 

Let me share with you an experience I had in 2012: I was studying at home on a particular day, but felt as though I was not getting the desire results, I therefore decided to visit the nearest church to my house to see if they had a study area that I could quietly study.  The first question the lady I met asked was “are you a member of this church? I said no. Then she said “if you are not a member, you will not be allowed to use the church facility”. She afterwards, directed me to see a man standing nearby. I told the man why I was there, and he asked me the same question; “are you a member” and I said no. he added that even if I said I was a member, they will verify it before I will be allowed to use the facility. 

I left and began to ask myself; was I sent there by the Holy Spirit to see something? Then it occurs to me why I was there. To see firsthand that what we have today are churches with members and most of the members are followers of their pastors or reverends and not of God. This man and woman were not bordered about my faith, nor the kind of studies I wanted to undertake that I could not done at home. All that matters to them was membership of their church and since I was not, I could not be allowed to use the facility of their church. 

Now that was a church that is supposed to be a house of God, where all Kingdom citizens irrespective of denomination should be allowed to worship and study His Words. 

The churches have to unit now for the Kingdom, especially in times like this that we wait for the manifestation of the Kingdom on earth. You should let your 'followers' know that all baptism is done in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, once a person becomes born again, (and it shows by its fruits in the person’s life) He or She is no longer the member of a particular “church” but a citizen of the Kingdom of God, a follower of Christ and should therefore be free to carryout God’s work in any of the churches.

BE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS

In the days of Paul the apostle, some of the believers in Corinth were calling themselves followers of different pastors. Some said 'I am of Paul', others said we are of Appollos and Cephas, and then a group that follows Christ. Paul wrote to them saying: 'Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized in the name of Paul?' In the same vain, let me ask you a similar question. Are you a follower of Christ or your Pastor?

A follower of Christ will do and be known for the following:

1. Love Jesus and His or her neighbor.

2. Obey Jesus Command.

3. Will not steal nor lie.

4. Will help the needy.

5. Will house a stranger.

6. Will feed the hungry.

7. Will cloth the nicked.

8. Will win souls for the Kingdom.

9. Will live a righteous and holy live.

10. Will seek justice for the poor and widows.

A follower of a pastor will do or be known for the following:

1. Will rather attend a function called by the pastor rather than respond to an emergency call from a brother

2. Seek wealth and affluence. 

3. Will be greedy.

3. His or her pastors knows best.

4. Always willing to defend the pastor.

5. Upholds pastor's views even when it contradicts the Bible.

6. Loves pastor more than God.

7. Works for popularity of the Church rather than work for the Kingdom.

8. Are self righteous.

9. Are of the world and showoff what they gain from it. 

10. Would rather offend God than offend the pastor

If you falls in the second category, its time to move to the first. Follow God not pastor or reverend.

IS THERE ANOTHER NAME FOR A SIN?

In the name of political correctness and freedom, governments and some individuals now say we are intolerant of people that don't share our believes. We cannot openly tell ourselves the truth any more for fear of some one dragging us before a court. The bible tells us that God's Words cannot be broken. It therefore follows that what the bible say is sin must be called a sin no matter who is involved. We must therefore openly admonish those involved the following practices with love:

1. Homosexuality.

2. Lesbianism.

3. Abortion.

4. Sex with Animals other than Human.

5.  Divorce when immorality is not involved.

We must stop testing God's patients for us. Apostle Paul ask a very vital question when he asked whether we should continue in sin that grace abounds? He says God forbid. For those that continue to live in sin in the hope that God understands and will forgive them, must repent of their sin and ask God's forgiveness today.