Stats: 3,192,090 members, 7,946,697 topics. Date: Thursday, 12 September 2024 at 03:12 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Wakeupchristian's Profile / Wakeupchristian's Posts
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daroz: Please refer to my Post titled "FALSIFIED TEACHINGS OF CHRIST-TITHE" made on 18/2/2020. I think it will help you a great deal. |
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“But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him" (John 4:23). Countless are the church believers who imagine that the worship of God is all about singing, dancing and waving of hands. This understanding prevents them from genuine spiritual striving, for they consider that as far as worship is concerned, they have already done enough. In this, they are far removed from the truth. To fear God and keep His commandments is the only duty of man on earth (Ecclesiastes 12:13). The Amplified Bible translation of the foregoing scripture, makes it clear, that to fear God means the same thing as to revere and worship Him. This means that to reverence and worship God is the only duty of man on earth. If the worship of God is the only thing that man on earth is called to do, it means, that worship means more than singing and dancing. According to Mariam Webster's Dictionary, worship is honor, or reverence shown to a Divine Being. In the context of Christianity, this Divine Being is the Almighty Creator. Worship therefore, means, honor or reverence shown to the Almighty God. It means, total submission to His Will. Bear in mind, that the Will of God is His laws given to man in His Word, in the form of commandments and admonitions. To worship God therefore means, to submit to these laws. That is, to recognize and live in harmony with them. There is no designated place for worship. To live harmoniously with the Will of God is something we must do every moment of our lives, not only when we gather with others in the name of worship. Within every man lies an altar for worship: “For you are the temple of the Living God” (2 Corinthians 6:16). Man is to submit to the Will of God at all times, and in every place, whether private or public. True worshippers worship the Father on the altar within. In the Words of Jesus, they worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). True worship streams from the inside out. Worship is service rendered to the Almighty God. This service is the inward submission to His Will, that is obedience to His Word, not external commitments like: Church attendance, sanitation, decoration, the offering of tithes and gifts, or any other religious rites performed by people. You can do those things without rendering worship to God. Worship is a life style! It is not just a momentary thing. It is living and continuous! It is our whole duty on earth. This means, that it is meant for every moment of our lives. In the lyrics of her song, Frances Ridley Havergal wrote: "Take my life, and let it be Consecrated, Lord to thee: Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise." The wordings of the above song make a prayer for man to live every moment of his life in the Will of God. Take My Moments and My Days, Let Them Flow in Ceaseless Praise, points to the fact that our activities in every moment and every day should be a ceaseless praise to our Creator. Expressed in other words, they should be pleasing to Him. Continual obedience to the Will of God is a constant Hymn of Praise to Him. The purest form of worship is to adapt oneself to the Will of the Almighty God in thoughts, words, and deeds! That is the sweetest song of praise. Paul said you render your Spiritual worship when you present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1). To present your body as a living sacrifice is to cease to conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2). It is to be transformed by getting your heart renewed on the Word. For this to happen, you must absorb the Word of God and endeavor to do what It says, no matter how inconvenient it may seem. This means, that you must abstain from all that appears to be evil, in your thoughts, words and deeds. An individual who is able to do this, stands in the Will of God. He is a true worshipper and a Living Sanctuary. In summation, living worship takes place on the altar of our hearts, but this does not negate the gathering of true believers for a solemn worship. What happens when people gather together for a solemn worship should be an expression of what has already taken place within the inner altar. The waving of hands, the kneeling and bowing down, are meant to express the submission to God’s Will, which expectedly,must have already taken place within. Without the inward submission and reverence which should be evident in our deeds, the outward demonstration is merely an empty performance; without life. We have to understand, that the Spirit and body can be unified, or divided in worship. When we consistently submit to the will of God, our spiritual worship flows from the inside, and unites with our physical expressions to make our worship whole. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A choir leader who directs “praise and worship” in Church, but still engages in gossip, cheating, immorality, vengeance, or idolatry, cannot render true worship to God. A Pastor who lives a life different from what he professes, cannot be a true worshiper. The one who twists the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to advance his selfish course, does not render a reasonable service to God. True worship is the gateway to Eternal Life. Our whole duty on earth is to work out our salvation, by understanding and doing the Will of God. This understanding and doing the Will of God is the worship we render to Him. I call to you therefore, to arise and seek the Lord while He may be found, for the time allotted for this is already far spent. Every hour of your earth-life is now more important than ever! 2 Likes 1 Share |
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EkiranAlexmedia: What did Jesus say perfume does to the human spirit? It's high time people stopped this sort of joke and rather spend time on what is beneficial to their spiritual life. |
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petra1:This does not call for arguments. You are not compelled to change what you believe. You are a free will agent. The choice has always been yours to accept or reject what is presented to you. The message is meant for those who truly seek and are willing to learn. I can only wish you a quick awakening to the truth. |
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edmaraja: The case of Enoch and Elijah is a separate message which will be posted soon. But before then you can reflect over it a little and listen to your spirit which connects to the spiritual to open up the word to you. Note that whatever does not align with the laws of God does not portray God's perfection. Jesus said the word is spirit and it is life. If the word is spirit, then effort should be made to understand it in the spiritual sense, not otherwise |
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petra1:I think you need to go through the message again to understand what it means to "be alive and remain" , and to be caught up. To be caught up does not require the physical body. Examine the scriptures objectively with an open mind and it will open to you. You don't have to run with the crowd. 1 Like |
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Contrary to what many people think, Jesus taught about resurrection in three perspectives: The resurrection from spiritual death, the resurrection of purified spirits to life in the kingdom of God, and the resurrection unto condemnation. The resurrection from spiritual death is the awakening of the human spirit on earth from spiritual slumber, by the power of the Holy Word: “The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear it shall live” (John 5:25). The context of the above scripture describes the spiritually dead on earth, not dead bodies in the graves. It refers to those who Paul said were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). The voice of the Son of God is the life giving message brought by Jesus for the salvation of man. The people who receive the message of Jesus and make It become a part of them are risen from death to a new life in Christ. This is the resurrection from spiritual slumber. Apostle Paul admonished those who are so risen, to set their affections on their spiritual up-building: “If you then are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above…Set your affection on things which are above, not on things on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). The resurrection of purified spirits is what John called the first resurrection. This is the actual emergence of the human spirit from the material world to life in the spiritual realm, after physical death. Only the people who live in accordance with the Will of God can partake in this resurrection (John 5:29a; Revelation 20:4&6; Daniel 12:2a). The resurrection to condemnation is the judgment of the wicked, which will come after the Millennial kingdom on earth (Revelation 20:5; John 5:29b; Daniel 12:2b). This is the Final Verdict. In it, the people who did not rise upwards, but were compelled to sink into the regions of darkness because of their activities while on earth, will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and eternal condemnation (Revelation 20:13-15). Jesus did not teach about the rising of material bodies into heaven as many people have come to understand. Certain questions arise within me each time I reflect over this: Where have the faithful believers like John, Peter, Stephen, Paul and others been, since their departure from the earth? In the grave waiting to be resurrected and raptured? If we reason that these Matyrs may have already ascended to their spiritual home, will the Almighty God then in all His wisdom, resurrect and transform their long decayed bodies, and release their already ascended spirits into those bodies, just for them to rise again and return back to the same place? Would that make for perfection? Does the human spirit require a physical body to operate in a spiritual heaven? The answer is a definite no! Heaven is a spiritual place, and the nature of the physical body is not consistent with it. The physical body came from the material world, and must be shed off for decay in the material world. It must return back to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Only the spirit came from heaven, and only the spirit will return back to heaven. Martha expressed her grief over Lazarus’ death when she said to Jesus: “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). What she earnestly desired at this point was for her brother to return to life on earth. But when Jesus said: “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23), she mistook the “rising” for bodily ascension into the kingdom of God: “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). This shows that the subject of the resurrection has been misunderstood for Ages. Jesus noted this lack of understanding, and quickly pointed Martha to the truth: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me, though he was dead shall live; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26). Here Jesus implied, that resurrection entails more than what we understand. He pointed Martha to two aspects of resurrection: the awakening from spiritual slumber by His Word (John 11:25), and the spiritual ascension into everlasting life, of the people who make vital use of His Word to work out their salvation (John 11:26). “I am the resurrection and the life”, points us to the simple fact that resurrection is not a bodily ascension into the spiritual realm. We have to understand, that Jesus cannot be personally separated from the Word of God. He and the Word are the same. By saying He is the resurrection and the life, He implied, that it is the Word of God that brings the spiritually dead back to life. The spiritually dead, who receives the Word of God will be awakened to life in Christ. Many have a record of being alive, but are spiritually dead. Though they are in church, and have confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they live contrary to His Will. If such people can receive the Word and live in harmony with It, they will be awakened back to life, in fulfillment of the scripture: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live” (John 5:25). When Paul said the dead in Christ shall rise first (1Thessalonians 4:16), he did not refer to the rising of physical bodies from the grave, but to the actual uplifting of purified human spirits, after physical death, into the realms of life. This uplifting to life, of the people who were purified through the Word, must precede that of the people “who are alive and remain” (1Thessalonians 4:17). To remain on earth means, that one is physically alive, but to be alive, and at the same time remain on earth means, more. It means, to be alive in Christ, while one still exists on earth. It means, to be spiritually and physically alive. The people who are alive and still remain on earth are those who will be found worthy to partake in the thousand-year kingdom of God on earth. These are those who suffered for the sake of the Word, and who did not abandon the Pure Word of God to dance around the false prophets, for the satisfaction of their needs. After their physical death, their spirits will also emerge from the material world and ascend into their spiritual home, to be with those who preceded them. The much talked about rapture is not a word found in the scriptures! The English dictionary defines it as a feeling of extreme pleasure and happiness. Rapture is therefore, a state of being elated, or uplifted in the spirit. The closest word to the rapture in the scriptures is “caught up”. To be caught up to heaven means, to be spiritually lifted from the earth into lighter and higher regions. Every man on earth must experience death of the physical body, in fulfillment of the scripture: “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). In other words, the physical body must be dropped on earth to release the soul for the journey ahead. The believer who imagines that his physical body will be transformed and lifted into heaven, lacks the right understanding of the above scripture. Only the spirit can ascend back to the spiritual realm. The way to understand the rapture is to see it in the spiritual sense. Those who receive and live by the Pure Word of God do gradually but consistently, purify themselves. In doing this, they shed off their spiritual weight and become light enough to be lifted into the mansions above. To be raptured therefore means, to spiritually emerge from the material world and be caught up to the realms of light and life. I call to you therefore, to purify yourself in your thoughts, words and deeds. Keep your spiritual garment clean, so you can become spiritually light, ready to be caught up (Revelation 22:14). 1 Like |
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Dtruthspeaker: This is the absolute truth. The sooner we understand this in christianity,,the better it will be for us. |
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BackllGodNaija: Absolute ! 1 Like |
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BackllGodNaija: You don't have to respond to everything. The truth speaks for itself. |
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OpenYourEyes1:ABSOLUTE! |
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Wakeupchristian: |
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A wrong interpretation of the Word is worse than unbelief. It gives rise to wrong belief and keeps people back from knowing the truth. The subject of Christ’s Mission on earth which is a foundational teaching in the Christian religion has created a lot of setbacks for many people who do not understand it aright. For their lack of understanding, these people have frittered away valuable time that would have been spent in cleaning up the dirt that have clung to their spiritual garments as a result of their activities. For this reason, this teaching has become a necessity. Many organized religions who proclaim the perfection of the Almighty God often times deny this perfection in their tenets. With particular reference to Christianity, several inconsistencies exist between our profession and our actual conviction. Some of the songs we sing in church for example, attest to God’s perfection, therefore greatness, but it’s sad to say, that the conclusions we draw from the holy scriptures belittle such greatness. In other words, they do not give God the honor of perfection. One of such conclusions is on the Mission of the Son of God on earth. The conventional belief that the primary reason why Jesus Christ came to earth was to sacrifice Himself for the redemption of mankind is erroneous. Unfortunately, this erroneous belief has been handed down by the church from one generation to another. It has eaten deep into the marrow of the church in such a way that whoever dares to initiate a correction is regarded as an antichrist. And rather than take time to examine the scriptures for themselves, many Christians prefer to adopt the conventional interpretations which originated from those whose initial intent was to put them to sleep in order to achieve their selfish desires. With these interpretations they assume they know everything, and they become conceited in such a way that they get completely walled up within. As a result, they cannot open up to receive any form of external help, neither can they listen to their intuition, the voice of the spirit which occasionally sends them prompting signals for caution. This is indolence of the spirit! It is not different from the time of Christ when the religious leaders assumed they had adequate knowledge of the word of God and therefore did not require any further enlightenment. Instead of paying attention to the Son of God and making efforts to examine the message He brought, they fought against Him. Little wonders the Lord said except we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). Little children are not conceited. They are humble, free and open minded. They know almost nothing and are always willing to learn. Therefore, to become like children means among other things, to put aside all that we think we know, to be open and to objectively examine the Word for ourselves. Whoever does not wish to fulfill this admonition cannot ascend to the realms of Light. The fact that the Son of God came to earth in order to save man from his sins is absolute. But truth is, that the salvation plan has been very dimly understood. This is because the church has over the years failed to separate the great Mission of Christ from His personal life. The true Mission of Jesus Christ on earth stands separate from His personal life. In other words, it lies not in His relationships or experiences of persecutions, pains and sufferings, but in the bringing of the Word. The Son of God went through His painful experiences for the singular purpose of bringing the message of salvation to man, so that understanding it aright, he may find the way out of the darkness that had eclipsed the earth for several years as a result of his activities. Redemption and salvation therefore lie in strict adherence to the message He brought, not in His sufferings. The fact that the prophets predicted the path which the Son of God would walk to bring enlightenment to man does not make that path His true mission. The prophets were given those revelations to declare them beforehand, so that on seeing their fulfillments, men would recognize Christ and believe His testimony. But man failed in this regard because of his conceit. The Darkness has succeeded over the years in using renowned religious leaders to lull men to sleep by projecting Christ’s sufferings as the basis of salvation while pushing the main essence of His coming into the background. “All you have to do is believe that Jesus died for you and confess it with your mouth and you are bound for heaven”. For those who seek to hear soothing words, nothing could be better. If only they could reason a little! How can you think of ascending into the spiritual realms without any responsibility, without working on yourself, or simply put, without working out your salvation (Philippians 2:12)? Christ’s pure teachings are the direct words He uttered and nothing more. They show us the simple path to salvation devoid of any third party interpretations. If we make efforts to follow this simple path, we work out our salvation. You have to understand, that the direct words the Son of God spoke presented His word as the basis of salvation not His death. According to Matthew, Christ said He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). Again at His farewell meal with His disciples, He said His blood is shed for many, for the remission of sin (Matthew 26:28). Many Christians draw wrong conclusions from these scriptures. They literally view them as an entitlement to live recklessly. So they consciously sow corrupt seeds and expect to reap bountiful harvests of blessings because “Jesus died for them”. A woman who knew she was about doing what was wrong said, “when I finish I will kneel down and ask God to forgive me. Jesus shed His blood for me”. This is narrow mindedness. Such people need to understand that just as every household is governed by rules made by the house owner, so Creation, which is the household of God is governed by unchangeable rules made by the Creator Himself. We all reap what we sow. The blood of Jesus has nothing to do with this. In other words, it does not annul the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Men have the Word but lack the understanding of it. We must understand that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the Word of God (John 1:1, 14). The blood He made reference to while talking to His disciples signifies His flesh which symbolizes the Word. Notice that Jesus’ blood was shed for MANY, not for ALL. The word many used by the Lord in the above scriptures gives His Word the first place in the plan of salvation. It represents those who will absorb the Word and make it become a part of them, not everyone. This is why Christ said only those who do the Will of His Father will enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21). Again the Lord said strive to enter (Luke 13:24). To strive means to put in efforts. Efforts to know the truth and to live in accordance with it. The Lord demands good works from man not mere confessions. To your confession therefore add good works, for until you understand the Word of the Lord aright and make efforts to do what it says, your sins cannot be remitted. Reflect calmly over these things! Without the urgent need for enlightenment, hence liberation from the Darkness, would the Almighty Creator have sent out a part of Himself to earth just to be humiliated and killed by the very sinners He came to help? If it was actually the blood of Jesus alone that was required for the redemption of mankind, why was Herod not permitted to take His life as an infant? Perhaps that would have made things easier for Him. Again why couldn’t Christ surrender Himself earlier to the Jews when they sought to kill Him by stoning? John the beloved reported that the Lord hid Himself among the people and went out of the temple (John 8:59). The Son of God couldn’t surrender Himself to be killed at such a time because He knew that His fundamental mission on earth had not yet been accomplished. He had not fully given out the complete message He brought. When His mission was fully accomplished, He willingly laid down His life to preserve the Word for eternity. In other words, He sealed the redemption of all those who will ever come in contact with His Word and strictly adhere to it. Christ was a victim of envy. He came at a time when earthly power and authority rested in the hands of oppressors who threatened with violence anyone who dared to oppose them. With the enlightenment He brought, many who were being oppressed felt liberated and followed Him massively. This did not go down well with the oppressors. To them Christ’s Mission was a threat. It naturally meant losing influence, power and the flow of income from the masses. It is no different today. Gospel ministers prefer to cover up the truth because they are afraid of losing members. I once confronted a preacher on the trending back-to-sender prayers in church and he said, “I know what you are saying is true, but I just have to be tactical about the subject”. Why do you have to be tactical about preaching the truth? Being tactical here means you are trying to please the masses so that you can keep them perpetually in your cage. You give them what they want, not what they need. It means you are more concerned with the advancement of your selfish desires than their inner development which is of paramount importance.. In doing so you are making them lose valuable time that would have been used to improve themselves and escape from the judgment. If the Son of God were to be here today to tell us we are doing certain things wrong, I am sure many renowned Gospel Ministers, like the Jewish leaders of old, would not mind going against Him just to retain their influence and the flow of funds. Christ’s death which became necessary to preserve His Word for posterity, came as a consequence of the hostility of the Jewish leaders of the time. The consequence of standing on the truth of the fact that He was the Son of God, and that the Word He spoke came from above was death. Jesus preferred to die with His conviction than go against the Will of His Father. The erroneous belief that the Son of God came solely to die and shed His blood as a sacrifice for sins committed by men does not give God the honor of perfection. It is not consistent with God who is justice Himself. In God’s justice no one dies for the sins of another. Only the Soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel18:4). This belief contradicts the commandment “thou shall not kill”. Disobedience to the will of God attracts consequences. The Almighty God cannot issue a commandment and present an occasion for men to disobey it and bear the consequence. He is too perfect for such injustice. This belief is not also consistent with the natural law of sowing and reaping which was put into Creation from its earliest beginning. We must all reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). When we say God is perfect, it means everything that issues from Him is perfect. This includes His laws that govern the human beings and the entire Creation. Expressed in other words, they do not require adjustments or fine-tuning of any form. For you to know the truth, there is only one road to follow. The road of the perfection of God. Everything else is false, artificially created by man and intertwined with a few words from the Divine Messengers with the intention to confuse and drag men into darkness. Beloved, if you are still inflamed with the longing for the Eternal Kingdom of God, you need to become like a child and examine the scriptures afresh for yourself, for whoever does not get this right is yet to begin striving for his ascent. But for you who would want to defend what you do against the truth, and who seek to hear soothing and reassuring words that put you continuously to sleep, the choice has always been yours to make. FOR QUESTIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION, YOU CAN CONTACT ME ON trem87715@gmail.com 1 Like |
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I'm a published author of Christian books and will be suitable for job. Contact me: 08039324292 |
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Kobojunkie: John's revelation of the angels overcoming the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony does not necessarily translate to the angels using the blood of Jesus. We need to understandl that the blood of Jesus represents His flesh that was broken on the cross. This flesh or body of Christ was the incarnate of the word of God (John 1:1, 14). This implies that the blood of Jesus is the Word of God If John revealed that the angels overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, it means they overcame by the power of the Word. The phrase "word of their testimony", should drive home a message. It should tell us that they declared the word of truth to overcome. The dragon cannot stand the power of the Truth. |
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MFMRevivalist: I can wish you nothing but a quick awakening to the truth. When you know the truth, it will set you free. Then you will have nothing to do with what is right now occupying your time. If you can spare sometime, please read up my post on "FALSIFIED TEACHINGS OF CHRIST--PRAYER". I suppose by His grace, it will go a long way to enlighten your understanding. And remember, that the life you are living here is not all about life. When you lay aside your physical body, you will continuously live or continuously die depending on the seeds you sowed during your earth life. Bear this in mind. That until the souls you lead astray come to the recognition of the truth and get librated from what you introduced them to, you can never be free. Teachers must tread with absolute caution. |
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haekymbahd:OK. |
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haekymbahd: If you are truly seeking you will stop mixing issues You did not mention anything about castling out demons or miracles in your original post, neither did I mention them in my response to you. Doing the will of the Almighty has got nothing to do with such things. When you do the will of God you are effectively striving towards the Light. Demons cannot get connected to you because lght attracts light. Consequently you won't have a need to "cast out" anything. You attract what you are. Happy is he who understands this principle and eternal law of Creation. |
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haekymbahd: If you are truly seeking, you will stop mixing issues. You did not mention anything about casting out demons or miracles in your post, neither did I mention them in my response. Doing the will of the Almighty has got nothing to do with those things. When you strive towards the Light, demons don't get connected to you so you won't have a need for the "casting out". Light only attracts light. That's what I believe and nothing else. |
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haekymbahd: First of all you need to understand, that Jesus the Christ is inseparable from the Word of God. He is the incarnate of the living Word. To accept Him is not only by casual lip cinfession. To accept Him means to absorb His teachings, which is the Word of God, to be convinced that it is the truth and to be determined to live in accordance with it. On the other hand the Will of God is His Word. And if Christ is the Word Himself, accepting Him is accepting God's Word. This invariably means that to accept Christ is to do the Will of God provided the individual involved strives to live according to the Word. For more understanding, I would refer you to my post on "Falsified Teachings of Christ-Born Again" Part 1 and 2. I suppose it will be of great help to you. |
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Gentle0wavez: Your primary purpose of coming to this earth is to develope yourself. If where you are or what you do does not encourage that development, it is your sole responsibility to choose what is best for you. The opinions of others may not be relevant in this case. Just listen to your inner self and act as you are led. |
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vvvbobby205: James did that not because Christ commanded them to do so, but because he was human and prone to mistakes. He was still very much used to the system of the old covenant which they were practising before Christ When you consider the event of the transfiguration of Christ, you will understand, that you have to look up to Christ as your example. He is the only One whi made the Father well pleased. Other prophets tried in the course of their callings, but in one way or the other they faltered. We only need to do what the Lord commanded, not what others did outside His command. |
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Somewhere in Itighidi, Cross River State, a purported Pastor who was caught in the act of burying charms was recently apprehended and man-handled by the youths of the community. In his confession he said amongst other things, that the easiest way to increase his cash flow is through the sale of what he called, the anointing oil. This "Pastor" said he sold the anointing oil for as much as #300,000 per bottle. One wonders what prompts so many people to enter into the nets of such religious swindlers. Truth is, most religious leaders have seized the pure teachings of Christ with unholy hands. They have twisted and concealed its clarity because they are more concerned with the fulfillment of their selfish desires than the inner development of their fellow human beings. With erroneous teachings they entangle those who desire the short cut to freedom in the web of idolatry. For this cause many Christians tend to shift their faith from the word of salvation brought to mankind with so much sacrifice, to material substances like oil, water, coconut, handkerchiefs, etc. To them prayers cannot be answered without the use of these substances. This is about the basest level of understanding. The use of anointing oil has become the liquor that intoxicates many Christians. What is wrong with the use of anointing oil, someone may ask? Did apostle James not command the elders of the Church to anoint the sick with oil for healing? Are big Pastors today not using the anointing oil? You have to understand, that our focus today is on what Christ taught, not on what the apostles did, nor on what the leaders of today's Churches are doing. What was the anointing oil used for in ancient Israel? Did Christ actually command the apostles to use the anointing oil? On what occasions and for what purposes did He mention the use of oil? According to Jewish history, oil was used most times as fragrance . It was customary for the Jews to anoint themselves, or in other words, to wear fragrance or perfumes when going out or when sitting at meal with guests. The use of oil when going out was just for the purpose of creating a good aroma, but to anoint guest while at meal was a mark of hospitality and a token of honor. On the other hand, oil was used to anoint people who were called into the office of the priest, prophet or king, as a symbol of the presence and power of the Spirit of God upon them. This is evidenced in the case of David. When he was anointed, the scripture says the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (1Samuel 16:13). Likewise after anointing Saul as king of Israel, he joined the company of the old prophets and began to prophesy like them (1 Samuel 10:1, 10-11). This indicates that the anointing oil was used as a representation of the Holy Spirit in the old Covenant. The use of anointing oil is a practice of the old Covenant. Christ did not teach about using oil for healing or miracle. The apostles who practised this imported the idea from the old Covenant because they were still very used to that system. In other words, they were yet learning the principles of the New Covenant. When Christ sent out the twelve apostles, the Word says He gave them authority and power over unclean spirits and instructed them specifically not to carry anything for that assignment than a staff (Mark 6:7- 8 ). If they were to carry nothing else but staff, it means they were not supposed to carry oil as well. According to bible encyclopedia, a staff in this context represents the Word of God. That means they were to go in the power and authority of the Word Christ gave to them. They were to preach and heal by the power of the Word and in the Name of Jesus. But true to human nature the apostles went ahead and did what they were already used to. After preaching the Word and praying for the sick, they still anointed them for healing ( Mark 6:12-13). Perhaps some of these apostles may have felt that without the oil there would be no healing just like some Christians feel today. But notice, that when Christ later sent another group of disciples who by this time had gotten more familiar with His teachings, and gave them similar instructions (Luke 10:2-4), they did exactly as He directed them, and returned with great excitement saying, " Lord, even the demons were subject to us in your name" (Luke 10:17). The demons were subject to the disciples because they ministered in the name of Jesus Christ who is the embodiment of the living Word, not because they used anointing oil. Christ did not teach or use the anointing oil for healing or impartation of power during His earthly Ministry as it is done in the Church today. He taught men faith in His Word, not in oil. He laid hands on those who had faith in His Word and they got healed and He commanded His disciples to do the same. When in regards to fasting Christ instructed the disciples to anoint themselves with oil, it was for them to use the oil as fragrance to conceal from men the fact that they were fasting, so that their deed will only be known to the Father who will reward them openly. Apparently most religious people at this time hypocritically went about with gloomy faces during fasting in order to attract the praise of men. So Christ was telling His disciples to anoint themselves at such a time so they would not be as the hypocrites. The alabaster oil that a woman used to anoint Christ was a very expensive fragrance and was used to show hospitality and honor to Him (Luke 7:37-48). The Church today is making the initial mistake the apostles made. Until one is anointed with oil, there is no healing. Where then lies the faith in the Word that Christ taught? Until they wet the heads of Ministers in the name of ordination, they cannot be sent forth. They have failed to realize, that this practice was undertaken in the old order because the people who were called into the different offices lacked the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit at the time. The Holy Spirit which Christ promised is at work today. If you have His indwelling presence, what are you doing with the symbol on your head? Recall, that when Christ commissioned the apostles, He did it without using oil (Mathew 28:19-20). Ananias prayed for Paul and he received the Holy Spirit and the power to work by the laying on of hands, not with oil (Acts 9:10-20). The Church in Antioch commissioned Paul and Barnabas by laying hands on them without the use of oil (Acts 13:1-4). Paul commissioned Timothy through prayer and by the laying on of hands. Listen dear reader. The power to preach, heal, or receive anything from the Lord lies in the Word not in oil. When you study and understand the Word aright, and strive to live according to it, all doubts will be cleared. You will live above those things that constitute idols to you without your knowledge. You will do away with the frauds that come to you in the name of pastors, and you will swing joyfully upwards to where you naturally belong. The choice has always been yours to make. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT trem87715@gmail.com 1 Like |
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Dtruthspeaker:Thanks a lot for all the comments. I understand from all you said, that you are trying to defend what you indulge in. But I can assure you it is not a safe ground to tread. What shall it profit you if you all the wicked people in your family and indeed the whole world should die? Or if all the wicked people in the world should die in their wickedness, who will you preach to? Christ did not come for the righteous but for the wicked. There is nothing else to address. As a free will agent, you reserve the right to choose what you want. The message has been given. Its up to you to accept or reject it. |
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Daejoyoung: This question is adequately answered in the part one of that post. |
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Blackmoran: Please find time to visit.my page and read up the topic titled, "Falsified Teachings Of Christ-I DID NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFILL THE LAW". ( Part 1 and 2). I am sure it will go a long way to enlighten you. |
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PstChrisAmadi:Timely reminder. |
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LordIsaac:Jesus the Christ is not just a personality but the living Word. In other words He is the Truth. We have to understand, that in His infinite love God had sent different forerunners to different races of men on earth. Examples of such forerunners are. John the Baptizer and Buddha. These forerunners came to earth and delivered their message to mankind, but along the line most of their teachings got distorted. But irrespective of the fact that most of the religious teachings have been distorted in one way or the other, we should realize, that a single truth in those teachings represents Christ. He who strives to live by that truth, lives for Christ. Christ words, "No one comes to the Father but by me", refers to His wiord. But by me means by my Word or my message. The undistorted teachings in every religion that are reflected in the teachings of Christ cannot be overlooked. The subject of karma found in most teachings for example, is seen in Christ message as sowing and reaping. Anyone who understands and makes use of it in his strivings on earth lives for Christ. We should understand aright. Being a Christian is not just by mere confession. Asking Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. It is living out the Word. The Word is the Truth, whether it is found in the Bible or in other reigious books. When you live by the truth, you are living in Christ. In the final analysis you will be judged according to your works, not according to the confession you made. 1 Like 1 Share |
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Trueigbo:Life on earth is an opportunity for one to learn, develop and mature so that in the end one returns to Paradise, the home of mature human Spirits. People sin when they apply their free will in the wrong direction, and suffer from the repercussions of their wrong choices. The one thing God will never do is to interfere with man's free will. Though God is all-knowing, He gives everyone a chance to develop but He will never interfere with our choices. 3 Likes |
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