Do not pray vainly nor with many words

O believer in Jesus Christ give heed to what the Lord spoke about praying in the following Scripture verses:

“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)

In certain translations the word for heaping up empty phrases is babbling. Now what does babble mean?

Babble : to talk or say something in a quick, confused, excited, or silly way (as per dictionary.cambridge.org )

God our Father who is the Father of the Lord Jesus cannot be tricked or manipulated into hearing prayers because of any deception or foolish practices. And one such practice is babbling.

Avoid vain words because the Lord God is wise and He knows what is a pretense of praying and what is actually praying by the heart and mind. So keep away from such shenanigans unlike those of the world who use such weird tricks.

The Living God who is out Father is all knowing, so he  knows what you need before you ask him. So in full respect pray to get your petitions heard and ask with good intentions only so that it goes well with you.

You desire and do not have; so you kill. And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:2-3)

 

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

O children of the Living God pay heed to the following Word of God about peace and holiness :

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled (Hebrews 12:14-15)

Striving for peace with everyone does not mean that you allow anyone to walk all over you. Nor does it mean you allow yourself to be manipulated just to keep some semblance of peace. Now, what is means is that you don’t act evil so as to cause the lack of peace by bad deeds nor slanderous language. It also means that you do and think only what is holy and wise when striving for peace. Never compromise on your holiness for the sake of peace, because that peace wouldn’t be in the will of God for you.

You need to be holy as the Lord your God is holy, because without holiness no one will see the Lord. Do not miss out on the Living God!

Always seek to obtain the grace of God by your faith in Christ Jesus, because its your faith that will please the Lord and not your riches nor beauty. God sees the heart and judges by the heart instead of external appearances.

Examine yourself and get rid of any “root of bitterness” for this makes those who nurture it to cause trouble to themselves and to others and thus defile themselves. Therefore crucify your flesh and get rid of all roots of bitterness.

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

Christ be with you as you walk in peace and holiness!

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God

⁷ Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. ⁸ Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. ⁹ So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

O people of God, don’t be misled by those who say you don’t need to do what is good. Never take to your heart any lies which says that God won’t bother if you do evil. Because if you are misled or believe in falsehood, then know this ; you cannot mock the justice of God.

O believer in Jesus Christ, continue to do what is good. And take every opportunity to do what is good especially to those who profess their faith in the Lord Jesus by whom we’re part of the Lord’s family.

O you who walk by the Spirit of God, continue to please the Spirit but don’t fall pray to the fleeting allure of the flesh. In this way you will do good in this life and the next!

And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever. (1 John 2:17)

The Bible is written to change you so don’t try to change it

Some people in vain try to change the Bible. They try to re-interpret it as per their convenience. However, when it comes to understanding the Bible, context is king. In fact text without a context is just pretext.

 

 

Jesus himself condemns the misuse of the Bible regardless of what reason anyone would give. He even exposed them in the following Bible verses of Mark 7:8-13:-

You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die’; but you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban’ (that is, given to God) — then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do.”

 

If Jesus condemned the Pharisees of those days, how can we even expect the Risen Lord to now condone anyone to rewrite the Holy Scriptures! I’m not telling you sometime thing new. This has already been confirmed in the Bible:

 

1)Rejecting the Scriptures (the Word of God) by not doing as per it results in Judgement

If any one hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.  He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. (John 12: 47-48)

2) God will prove all those who add to the Scriptures to be liars

Do not add to God’s words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar. (Proverbs 30:6)

3) God has not given anyone permission to removing anything from the Scripture

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2 )

 

You might ask what makes this relevant to today’s context. I’d answer that by saying people are still doing the same error like the one’s Jesus condemned the Pharisees for. People still come up with many crafty religious explanations to justify their vile deeds.

I remember many years ago, a preacher and some of his helpers came to my house reminding my family to pay our offerings to God. I happened to notice one of them was someone who had just passed out of college. So I asked this girl, “Are you going to pay your offerings to God as well?”. And she angrily replied, “No, since I sing in the Church choir my service equals all financial offerings that I could ever give”. Immediately the preacher was upset with her answer and said, “I’d deal with you later” to her. And he continued to speak to my family about why we should be making our financial offering to God.

Therefore, you must always follow the Holy Scriptures (the Word of God) in the right context or you will just find ways to avoid doing what God told you in the first place. Try to understand why the Holy Scriptures are given to us and you will do well.

 

What are the Holy Scriptures given to us for?

1. First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation (2 Peter 1:20)
2. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ^that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deutronomy 29:29)

 

Instead of trying to rewrite the words of the Scripture in our own image and likeness, simply follow it as God meant it to be followed. It will save you a lot of trouble and give you a lot of benefit as well.

 

And finally please do remember the punishments for trying to add or removing are not just one-off punishments that end in a few minutes. These are eternal punishments! So take heed because you have been warned for your own good.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.  (Revelation 22:18-19)

Don’t give your offerings to heretics

 

Some people unfortunately love to be generous to the wrong persons and end up suffering for it. Keeping in context with what I want to say, I mean they give their offerings to heretics but cry when they don’t see good days and times in their life. They are upset when the preacher who committed just a little heresy now is even more blasphemous towards God, that it no longer can be ignored.

Others are mistaken that just because the preacher or ministry belongs to their own denomination, they are not supposed to discern the words and works done by them.  Such a stance is not consistent with what Lord God has given for those who believe in Jesus Christ and must be repented of with immediate effect

It is written in 1 John 4:1-3 that: Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

Jude 1:3-4 very clearly says : ³ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

If you sow good seed expect good fruit, but if sow bad seed expect bad fruit. Never be surprised that after sowing bad seed you never see good fruit emerge from it. In a similar way if you put your offerings those who actually preach the Word of God without any deception, you can be sure of good fruit in this life and the one that is to come. Besides, no matter how good you feel about any heretic, never give your offerings to them, lest you end up eating their bad fruit in this life and at Final Judgement.

Ephesians 6:6-14 says: Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”

O people of the faith always keep in the mind what Jesus Christ in Luke 6:38 says “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

No doubt we are to support the preaching of Gospel of Jesus Christ, in both word and deed. Pray for the Gospel to reach the ends of the earth. Pray for those who are preaching the Gospel in true holiness. And yes support them financially as how God leads you to. But at the end of the day do keep it mind, be generous for the work of God but never ever for the work of heretics. Because just like those who will be rewarded for giving unto the Kingdom of God, so also those who support deceivers and liars will receive their due reward in the form of judgement sometimes in this world but always for sure in the world that is to come

 

Further reading:

• 8 Symptoms of False Doctrine  (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)
• Never trust your Church elders more than God (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)
• Effects and dangers of preaching an incomplete Gospel (disciplesofhope.wordpress.com)

Never flatter someone into Hell

It’s a great disservice to both friends and enemies, that you flatter them into going to Hell. Never play with anyone’s salvation and after life by deceiving them about their relationship with Jesus and the Gospel. It is unwise to tell unrepentant people that they are on the way to heaven just because they are good donors to preaching of the Gospel. Don’t warn them to insult them but warn then for the sake of God’s love for them.

Love warns. Yes, it warns and will keep warning! Because its valid to do so. Because its your duty to do so. Because its your purpose to do so. All this in God’s will for your life!

• A parent will warn his or her child to avoid eating stale food because they love to see their child healthy. Isn’t that a valid warning?
• A doctor who loves to see his or her patient live won’t lie that its okay to have excess alcohol. Isn’t that a medical duty of a person who loves practicing medicine?
• A professor who delights in having his or her student not fail but ace the university exams won’t deceive students into partying all year long and expecting great result. Isn’t that the professor’s purpose of teaching?

Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World spoke didn’t mince (one’s) words about Hell not one bit. Here is what he spoke about it:

• But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:22)
• Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)
• And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. (Matthew 18:9)
• And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43)
  

So for a person who says he or she loves the Lord Jesus, one must preach all things that are mentioned in Gospel including things about Hell and repentance without any shame nor fear.

Christ be with you!

Quick Reminder : All preachers of the Gospel must preach it fully

 

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Christian prayer for 2019

 

O Lord God, forgive me of all my sins especially the one’s I kept holding on to. Forgive me for not doing the good that I was supposed to do in 2018. Give me your grace to set things right in this new year 2019.

I reject and repel all curses working and operating in my life, in the name of Jesus. And I ask that no curse that rises against me ever prospers.

Bring your healing to my body, mind and spirit. Protect me and all my Christian brothers and sisters all over the world from the snares of the Evil One. Cause your Church to always prevail against the powers of darkness, the ungodly and all heretics. Expose and banish all the Jezebel and Judas spirits from each place where your Holy Word is preached and cherished.

By your Holy Spirit, lead your Church into all truth. Please cause more and more preachers to always preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ without fear. I desire that the Gospel is preached to all nations, Judea, Israel and Samaria and also all tribes and races. Please give them a opportunity to pass from the darkness of sin to the light of Christ, where there is salvation and righteousness for those who believe.

O Lord God, you are the creator of the heavens and the Earth. So I ask in faith, that you direct the course of events that happen on earth including my nation and state. I know you hate sin and therefore I ask that you overthrow all corrupt leaders worldwide, and put in their place good leaders who will only do good. Cause the sinister plans of vain politicians to be exposed. May all fake news groups be named and shamed and the people be alerted against them.

In your loving mercy, I plead that you give me your grace and healing in all things. I reject all false counsel of the world, and ask for your wisdom in all areas of my life. Help to recognize false friends and bad friends and so keep away from their evil influence. Bless my vocation and career that I be kept away from deception and be given more opportunities to do my best. Give me good favor in sight of all who see me and work with me. Cause my good works to shine before others so that they give glory to You my Father in Heaven.

I plead that in this year, the plans of terror are exposed and the forces of justice prevail against them. Please protect people worldwide from all natural and economic disasters. I ask in faith, that all nations and the their law enforcement personal take actions to stop human slavery and illegal trafficking of people especially children. Give freedom to those illegally chained and let them go free.

O Jesus Christ, I ask for my colleagues, friends and family,that they are kept safe from all evil and traps wherever they go. Save them from evil spirits and their evil influence. Please cause your grace to shine on them, especially those who have not yet received the Gospel. Let them surely be given opportunities to repent of their sins and believe in the Gospel. Give them good health of mind, body and spirit, everyday. I ask that you remove all curses working in lives.

I ask all this especially for the year 2019, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Oneness (Pentecostals)/Modalism/Unitarians Exposed and Rebuked

 

Click here for the notes on this teaching

Never trust your Church elders more than God

Disclaimer: This post is not about bashing nor maligning your Church elders but rather knowing the difference between them and God.

All praise to the Lord God who gives elders in the Church to help us in the mission of preaching the Gospel to all nations and making disciples of them. May the Holy Spirit lead and guide them in the grace of God. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. (Psalm 118:8)

Never trust your Church elders more than God. Now I do not say disrespect them but rather give due respect to them. However that being said,  never make your Church elders a god  above the Lord God. This will put you in deep error and eventual darkness if you refuse to repent in this area.

Now the Bible says in Jeremiah 17:5-8 :-

⁵ Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
    and makes flesh his strength,
    whose heart turns away from the Lord.
⁶ He is like a shrub in the desert,
    and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salt land.

⁷ “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
⁸ He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

By the above verses it is very obvious that we as believers in Christ are not to make flesh our strength but rather are to trust in the Lord God. To make it clear, we cannot let any man, even the one’s who are the Church elders tell us not to pray to God. It’s very obvious that any Church elder who hinders you from worshiping Jesus Christ is a manifest heretic claiming to be a Christian!

So what I just said, is this a new teaching? No, not at all but something that needs to be reiterated. The following verses of Jude 1:3-4 confirm this:

³ Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Each of those who profess the Christian faith are already warned about certain people who for the record; pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.  And now such people might not be, each and every person you see in Church but just a few you need to beware of.  The basic thing would be to never give heed to any words and philosophies by any one at any level in the Church which contradicts the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s very rare that anyone in the church might tell you to not worship God, because they know that they will be found out and tackled very soon. However  do be on your guard against such people.

There is a higher chance of people who may misdirect all the glory which is due to God to themselves. No matter what healing you receive by anyone praying for you or laying their hands never praise them like how God is to be praised. It’s one thing to be thankful to the Church elders and another thing to give them the kind of respect which God only deserves. So do know the difference and do not put your elders above God, ever!

Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. (Matthew 15:14)

Then there is a subtle trick that the Devil uses to mislead people and most of them fall for it. He simply causes certain gullible Church elders to downplay the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So to not offend others, they will avoid preaching against certain sins or all sins. But they are okay with offending God though,  by continuing to work their heresies. Some even show the Gospel as a guideline instead of a reality to follow. By making certain things of Gospel such a repentance, good works, prayers etc as optional by falsely assuming that doing the will of God was done away with the Cross, they lead more people to damnation that even the more common vilest of vile sins could. Stay away from their ways and words and you will do a great honor to God.

Just before I close, like I mentioned earlier, not all Church elders are into wrongdoing. In fact their service to God is commendable and their sacrifices for the Kingdom of God are fragrant and undeniable. May God reward them for this. However do be on guard against those who seek more honor for themselves than the Lord God.

Christ be with you!