Really, Why Follow The Doctrines Of Christ?

Is it foolishness to still be following the doctrine Of Jesus Christ? Are the words of Christ true? These and many more are the questions raging through the heads of people. But a man called Paul has the answer to these questions. This post aims at using the words and life of Paul to answer whether the doctrines of Christ is worth following.

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me – 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 (KJV)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing – 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NKJV)

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better – Philippians 1:21-23 (NKJV)

People keep wondering why believing Christians still preach the doctrines of Christ. Some people see it as foolishness, while others see it as sign of joblessness; just like in the days of the apostles, to the Jews it was a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God – 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Let’s consider Paul now, who tested both sides and gave a conclusion whether the doctrines of Christ were worth following.

In Acts 7:58, when they cast Stephen out of the city, and stoned him, the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul, who was giving consent to his death. And in Acts 8:3, Saul made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Read more...

7 Solid Reasons Why God Blesses Financially

Do you want God to bless you financially? Or are you wondering why you are not prospering the way you want to prosper? God wants to bless you but He has His own reasons for blessing people, which if you agree to them you will be in a better position to be prospered by Him. This post gives the reasons why God takes pleasure in the prosperity of His children.

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” – Psalm 35:27 (NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus – Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing – Genesis 12:2 (NKJV)

Poverty is not of God! God who created all things cannot be associated with lack. It is a curse that came with the fall of man. When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in a garden, full of abundance. Adam didn’t need to toil until he was banished from the garden:  a result of eating the forbidden fruit. Therefore God has no delight in His children lacking anything; instead He takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servants – Psalm 35:27

The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him – 2 Chronicles 16:9. And He, more than a man will for you, wishes above all things that you prosper and be in health even as you soul prospers – 3 John 2. 

God is a God of purpose, whatever He does has a reason for it. Even so, God has a purpose for blessing His people financially.

Reasons why God blesses financially

1.       To show His love

You can give without loving but you can’t love and not give. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life – John 3:16. And in Romans 8: 32, God tells us that if He didn’t spare His Son Jesus but gave Him for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things, including wealth and riches. Read more...

The Dead Hear His Voice And Live

What is that dead thing or situation in your life? Rejoice and be glad for when it hears the voice of the son of God it shall live! Christ is able to swallow up death in and around you by His word. This post encourages you to make use of the power of Christ’s words over dead or dying situations or things around you. They hear Him and live and not die.

Believe Me when I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the time is coming and is here now when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear it shall live – John 5:25 (AMP)

He will swallow up death [in victory; He will abolish death forever]. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; and the reproach of His people He will take away from off all the earth; for the Lord has spoken it – Isaiah 25:8 (AMP)

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows) John 10:10 (AMP)

You may be faced with challenges centered around dying or dead issues; it could be your health, business, career or relationship. But whatever it may be, know that when it hears the voice of Christ it must live because Christ’s words to you are spirit, and they are life – John 6:63. Jesus carries life and whatever receives His words receives life.

Everything created has ears to hear His voice. When you speak the words of God in faith to them, they hear the voice God and they must obey – Psalm 18:44-45. They cannot resist the words of God. In Luke 8:26-39, when the demons in the possessed man saw Jesus, the issue was not whether they will go or not but where should they go, because it was certain that they would go once He asks them to. 

God has given you a mouth as an instrument for enforcing His will on dead or dying things or situations. He has given you a mouth and wisdom which your enemies cannot resist or contradict – Luke 21:15. You must use it to change that situation. They have ears and they must obey Christ’s voice through His words, spoken in faith. Keep declaring God’s word over that situation and it shall live and not die. Read more...

The Effects Of Lack Of Peace Of God

How do you know when you lack the peace of God? What should you beware of if God's peace is to remain intact within you? The peace of the Lord is the checks and balances of a glorious, fruitful and successful life. There are numerous signs or products of the absence of this peace.



Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him- Daniel 2:1 (NKJV)

In the day you will make your plant to grow, And in the morning you will make your seed to flourish; But the harvest will be a heap of ruins In the day of grief and desperate sorrow. - Isaiah 17:11 (NKJV)

It is important that you are quick to identify the consequences of lack of peace of God. This is because dealing with them promptly will prevent them from growing into more destructive products. God wants you to be free of these manifestations in your life.

Some of these consequences are inward manifestations, and would have been eating up the victim before manifesting outwardly. That's the reason why they must be identified early and dealt with without delay.

These consequences can be subdivided into spiritual, emotional, mental and physical afflictions:

SPIRITUAL AFFLICTION

Any child of God who loses his peace is open for the enemy's attacks. His major attack will be your source of strength: your prayer life and your desire to study God's word. When you pray and study the word less often, you lose contact with your helper and the wisdom of God. You will be more carnally minded than spiritually minded.

Lack of spirituality will take you further away from your solution. You will tend to make poor or wrong choices most of the time. It is wisdom when you lose your peace due to any challenge whatsoever to hold unto God tightly because He is the one who will help you to bounce back. Letting go of God at this time is to plunge yourself further into the deep pit, full of darkness.

Spiritual weakness opens the door for more afflictions from the enemy. But when your spirit is consistently fed with the word of God and your communication channel with God remains very effective, it wouldn't be long before you fully recover.

EMOTIONAL AFFLICTION

An emotional breakdown may be mild or severe, however whichever is the case it is not healthy for you. If it is not checked immediately it will lead to mental and physical afflictions. Read more...

God Loves Beauty, Quality And Good Finishing

Imagine two people going to give an offering to their Maker, one is well dressed with clean notes as his offering and the other is casually dressed with dirty and rumpled notes as his offering. Who do you think will be more appreciated by their Maker? Our God is a God of beauty; He loves good quality and good finishing. He is not an “anyhow” God! This post aims at emphasizing the truth that God has high tastes and standards and we should relate with Him accordingly.

So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless – Matthew 22:10-12 (NKJV)

And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked.– Exodus 28:2,6 (NKJV)

Nature gives us a good picture of what God appreciates. Everything was fearfully and wonderfully made. God was detailed in His creation; nothing was done half-hazardly. Everything followed a due process in creation; there was no fish without the sea. When you look at nature you see pure beauty; that is the kind of God you serve. You are to relate with Him according to this knowledge.

In the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), the King invited some people to his feast but they turned him down and so he sent his servants to the highway to invite as many as they could find, good or bad, and they did as instructed. But when the king came in and saw a man without a wedding garment, he didn’t take it lightly. He commanded that he be removed from the feast. Those things you call “little things” actually matter to God. Read more...

5 Roles Of Prayer In Maintaining Your Peace Of Mind

The role of prayers in securing and maintaining your peace cannot be over-emphasized. A life without prayers is one full of troubles and that will soon be terminated. A prayerful person knows better not to play with his prayer time since experience has taught him that he rules over the devil on his knees. This post emphasizes the importance of prayer in maintaining your peace of mind.

“Prayer is not a check request asking for things from God. It is a deposit slip – a way of depositing God’s character into our bankrupt souls.” - Dutch Sheets,

"Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden." - Corrie Ten Boom
"Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." - J. Sidlow Baxter

"Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow." - Benjamin Franklin

Prayer is a dialogue between you and God; you talk and listen to God. It is the fastest and cheapest way to conquer situations because you are relating with the creator of the universe. Prayer gets things done in the right way. It is the channel of involving God in the affairs of men, except you pray God can do nothing about that situation. When you pray, things happen!

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, as part of his last exhortations to the Thessalonians, Paul urged them to pray without ceasing, after which in verse 23 he prayed that the God of peace Himself would sanctify them completely. Prayer provokes the Prince of Peace to perfect all that concerns you. It is a must if you are to enjoy a peaceful life on earth.

The importance of Prayer in maintaining your peace of mind

1. Prayer prepares you for the day

Prayer is a way of depositing God’s character of peace into our bankrupt souls. It equips you with the peace you need for the day. No challenge that comes your way will throw you off balance when you have had a quality time with God in prayer. The peace of God robs on you and envelops you such that no arrow shut against you gets at you. You will find yourself smiling and at peace when things seem not to be working as you desire; this is called the peace that passes all understanding – Philippians 4:7

When the multitude from the chief priest and elders of the people came to arrest Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:47-56, John 18), Jesus was at peace because He had just come from praying. On the other hand Peter who didn’t pray with Christ as He had requested, had no peace of mind and was making mistakes and taking the wrong steps throughout that day. First he cut off the servant of the high Priest’s right ear and Christ rebuked him for it. And not long after that he denied his master, Jesus, whom he had earlier on said he would lay down his life for – John 13:37. So prayer settles your mind and equips you to pursue and conquer the businesses of the day. Read more...

The Daily Worries Of A Parent

Jesus loves you.

Do you find yourself worrying over your children's daily affairs or their future? Parenthood comes with great responsibilities: spiritual, physical and emotional responsibilities. And for an adult to be stable all round, his parents must fulfill their responsibilities. However, these responsibilities turn into daily worries for some parents. This post tells you the root-cause of the anxiety and what to do to avoid it.

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? - Matthew 6:25-27 (NKJV)

Nobody really wants to worry over anything, because it is not good at all even for your health. But somehow, people get tangled with daily worries and it seems to increase when you become a parent. And sometimes, people think, especially women, that worrying over their children is normal.

Anxiety is not of God, but of the devil. It never solves anything but compounds issues. It affects you spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. It is a little fox that spoils the vine- Songs of Solomon 2:15.

Therefore, God admonishes us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry over anything. Worrying can never add one cubit to your stature. If God can take care of grasses that are today and tomorrow they are no more, will He not take care of you and your children? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

When I got married I made up my mind not to worry about anything but to trust God for everything. It worked for many years, but then I was yet to be a mother. I didn't worry about anything even though we were constantly moving because of my husband's assignments. I was content with whatever I had until I had my son twelve years after marriage, and the daily worries of a parent crawled in. Read more...