It's a matter of the heart.

It is usually said that those with a law mentality give more than those who claim to be 'under grace'. Some think that grace is a cover for selfishness.  This cannot be true.

True love gives. A man with an understanding of God's love will naturally give.

It's just that fear can make a man do desperate things. Ministers capitalize on men's fear to milk them of their hard earned money.

No one wants to rob God. Everybody wants to prosper. 

Giving is much more than not 'robbing God', it's more than the 'secret of prosperity'. Some give and prosper while others give and get poorer. After all, we are not told that the Biblical widow who gave her mite became an instant millionaire.

What does the New Covenant teach about giving? How do we give in the New Testament? How do we give under grace?

In this article , we'll take a look at just one scripture that makes it clear.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

First and foremost, the amount you give and how you give it depends on you. Give only as you have decided in your heart. It's not ten percent, twenty percent or even hundred percent. It's how much you have decided in your heart to give.

No one has a right to decide for you. You don't decide for others too.

Secondly, New Testament giving is not by compulsion. You have no right to force anyone to give. There is no place for 'forcing someone to prosper'. There are no compulsory levies in the New Testament church.

Thirdly, God loves a cheerful giver not a 'painful' giver. Give until it hurts is not scriptural. If your giving makes you sad, you have given amiss. Do I believe in sacrificial giving? Yes, I do. It ok as long as I am the one making the sacrifice not you 'sacrificing me'. 

When pastors use guilt on people it's manipulation. Justification simply means free from guilt. Stop condemning the justified.

We are free to give. When we want to and how we want to. It's a matter of the heart.

God bless you.

I'm not trying to 'make' heaven...

I’m not trying to ‘make’ heaven.

Nowhere in the scriptures are believers told to try to make heaven. Why should we try to make heaven when we are already sited in heavenly places in Christ Jesus?

As far as God is concerned, we are already in heaven.

It’s ridiculous to try and ‘make’ your father’s house. If you see a child begging his daddy to take him home instead of living on the streets, you better report to the police. That man is practicing child abuse. God does not abuse His children. As a true child of daddy God, heaven belongs to you and you belong to heaven.

Yes, the New Testament tells to prepare ourselves for that day. It’s like preparing for a wedding. Sure, I bought a new suit for my wedding. However, the suit does not qualify me neither does it disqualify me. I’m sure Ose would have chosen to marry me, with or without a suit. Sure she put a new wedding dress, but, even if she had jeans on, I would have still married her.

We prepare for heaven because it’s a special day. But our preparation doesn’t take us there. We don’t go to heaven because of what we do, it’s only because of what Jesus did.

I’m a citizen of heaven. So are you, dear believer in Christ. If I mistakenly go to hell, I’d be quickly deported because I’m a citizen of heaven.

One of the reasons our message is not convincing is because we are not sure of where we are going to. How can you preach when you are not sure where you are going to? Why should I follow you when you are not sure of your destination? The Christian orientation must change. Thank God, it’s changing.

By the way, heaven is a temporary resting place for believers. It’s Daddy’s house. When the time comes, we’ll get our own home, a brand new earth. When God created Adam, He didn’t put him in heaven, but on earth.

Are you saved? Relax, God won’t throw you away.  You can’t be saved and lost at the same time.

He that trusts in Him will not be put to shame.

God's trap?

God set a trap. Don’t fall for it. What do you mean God set a trap? God doesn’t set traps, or does He? Normally He doesn’t. This time however, He laid out a trap for the religious. It’s found in the book of Romans. Read it for yourself.

“Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 9:33.

A stumbling stone… a rock of offense. What’s a stumbling stone? A stone that makes people stumble or fall. What’s a rock of offense? A rock that makes people offended. This stone is Christ. The revelation of Christ either blesses or offends.

What’s this revelation of Christ that offends many? It’s found in the three verses before our text.

“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled AT THAT STUMBLING STONE.” Romans 9: 30-32.

The Gentiles that did not go after righteousness were declared righteous. Israel who pursued righteousness did not attain righteousness. What a contradiction, it’s the gospel irony.

Those who place faith in their good works to make them righteous lose it.  Those who do not deserve to be righteous gain it.

The stumbling stone and rock of offense is this: Christ makes a person righteous by faith instead of by works.

It’s the consequence of the exchange on the cross. Jesus carried our sins without committing any sins. We carry His righteousness without deserving it. Jesus became sin by grace so that we’ll become righteous by grace. 2 Corinthians 5:21

This revelation has always made the religious mad. Man has always wanted to save himself. That’s the error of religion. Man always wants to take the glory. It’s human pride. The cross makes us eat our pride. We can’t raise enough righteousness to pay God. In the context of our right standing with God, only the righteousness of Christ matters and, it’s freely given. Freely received.

Stop trying to earn righteousness. Jesus has paid for it.

Are you mad at this message? Does it make you angry or happy? Are you quick to add works to righteousness by faith?

God set a trap for the religious.

 Don’t fall for it.

PRAYER WORRIERS

No I didn’t miss my spelling. The title is correct. I’m not writing about prayer warriors but prayer worriers.  Those that all their prayer focus is to ventilate their worries.

Those who cast their cares upon the lord and carry it back.

It’s a hard statement to make but it’s true. Whatever you attack with all your might in the spirit realm attaches itself to you. Whatever your focus is, controls and directs you. If poverty is all your prayer focus is, guess what? That’s what will become your reality. Remember Moses and the Israelites? Don’t focus on the snake bite instead look at the bronze serpent.

You should have noticed. The more you pray against sin, the more entangled you become.

Don’t focus on the problem, focus on the answer.

Much of the modern day spiritual warfare teaching is in this category. If Satan and his demons become the central theme of our prayer life then there’s a big problem. A doctor friend of mine complained to me that that most of the psychiatric patients in his hospital are born-again Christians. Majority of them are from a particular denomination that emphasizes the works of demons and enemies in every facet of life. How can the church be more bound than the world? Nonsense. Keep your religion.

Prayer is to centre on the Father.

“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:24.

Don’t pray the problem, pray your desires.  You only have what you believe you receive. If you can’t hold it in your heart you won’t hold it in your hand. Your life many times falls to the level of your heart.

Let Go and let God. You’ve given it to God, let Him have it. Let go of it. Wipe your tears, believe in His love.

Don’t be a prayer worrier.

extravagant grace: I'm in His will

extravagant grace: I'm in His will

I'm in His will

The book of Hebrews adds an interesting dimension to the concept of covenant. It reveals that the covenant is a testament and a will. The New Covenant is the last testament and will of Jesus Christ. Jesus died that you might inherit His property!

Why is the Covenant referred to as a will?

You cannot use two wills simultaneously. If a man properly composes his will, later changes his mind and writes another. Then, the last will invalidate the previous one. The New Covent invalidates the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:13).   

The problem is that believers want to combine the two covenants.  The Old Covenant belonged to Abraham’s physical descendants, the Jews of old. The New belongs to Abraham’s spiritual descendants, those who have placed their faith in Christ. Focus on your Covenant.

Of course, we study the whole Bible. We read both covenants, old and new. However, we study the Old Covenant with a New Testament mentality. The old reveals God in shadows and types. The New reveals the complete picture of God in the face of His son, Jesus. Jesus is the best picture God ever took. Jesus is the revelation of our father, God. How does God look? He looks like Christ!

The greatest revelation of the New Covenant is that it takes only one party to make it work! When a man writes his will, he bequeaths his property to another. He most probably worked for his goods, but, another inherits it.

In the New Covenant we inherit Jesus’ property. Jesus did all the work. Our job is to freely receive. We don’t work for any blessing in the New Covenant. The gospel is the revelation of the free things that belong to us in Christ.

Don’t be like the elder brother in the story of the “prodigal son”. He was working for what already belong to him. Working like a servant instead of as a president. The father gave him all but he didn’t know it.

All things are yours. The cross made a difference. Don’t have an Old mentality, possess the new. Prayer is like using your ATM, you are withdrawing what belongs to you. You are not a beggar, Christ’s inheritance is yours. His will covers you.  J

God bless you.

Shadow Christianity

Have you watched Christian TV lately? If it's not the "anointing" on the prayer shawl,it's the significance of the "period" of passover,or it's the power God pours out during the festival of Pentecost. Have we gone back to the shadows?

Every year we keep listening to preachers glorify the "first fruit"offering.

what next? Animal sacrifices?

Jesus is the power of prayer, Jesus is my lamb, the lamb that takes away my sins. He is the first fruits, we'll follow Him in resurrection.

What part of "it is finished" don't we understand?

Why do we fall in love with the shadow, when we have Jesus, the substance?