Tuesday, 31 May 2016

The Depth of Fellowship

fellowship
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. That which we have seen and heard declared we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have
fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not have the truth (1 Jh 1-6).
Love is the foundation of true fellowship and where love does not exist darkness prevails. It is only through the love of God that our part can be brightened. The communication of love is in the depth of how we fellowship with one another.
The message that Jesus brought to humanity is very simple and it is that man will threat one another the same way they would threat themselves. Love is at the core of Christ’s message.
The gospel of Christ is all about love for God and for one another. For instance the scripture, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you (Matt 7vs7)” can only be activated through the principle of love and that is the only way you can get manifestations.
Once you discover this principle it is important you follow it to the letter. This principle comes with its own challenges that usually stem up from people around or relationships we find ourselves in. The bible describes such people as false prophets. They are people who say one thing with their mouth and mean another in their heart. They are average Christians who profess friendship with only their lips and not their heart. They come as wolves in sheep’s clothing.
We must be wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove in dealing with such people. And by their fruits, the bible says we shall know them. Therefore, we must be alert in all that we do and avoid calling attention to ourselves. A man walking in love must pay attention to the things of the spirit and must avoid dwelling on offence because this is what the path of love is all about. People will hurt you but you must not dwell on it rather you must let go of the pain so that the plan of God can be made manifest in your life. Do not stop fellowshipping with people because of the pain you have been through.
The scripture says, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jh 1:7). Once you withdraw from one another you will stop walking in light. This is because offence in the heart blocks the spirit of God from getting through to you. It will delay the manifestation of God from happening.
Therefore, when we forgive others of the wrong they have done to us, God will in the same way forgive us our trespasses and overlook our mistakes.
‘Poju Oyemade

Drawing From The Kingdom Within

kingdom2
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you (Matt 6:33). God requires us to search within to get answers for any situation we are confronted with. Just like the scripture above states that all we could ever ask for or need is in the kingdom of God within us. That kingdom is the Spirit of God that we receive once we become born again and God expects every Christian to seek it first above every other thing. The scripture says, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” (Matt 6:25). A man that truly and sincerely has the kingdom within will not be bothered or worried about worldly possessions or blessings.
This is because a man who seeks the kingdom of God has every other thing added to him. He will lack nothing as long as he lives. God created everything on earth within six days; on the seventh day He rested and has not done that type of work since then.He created man and any other person that came after that was reproduced except Jesus. Every man that is alive came out of somebody else; every tree came out of another tree. Therefore, the manifestations of your life must come out of something within and already in existence.
Every discovery you see comes out of something already in existence. For instance, advancement in technology means that the existing one is about to give birth to a better and more advanced one. Same thing happens when a man experiences increase, it comes from bringing something out of what is already in existence. That is building on what you already have. There is a groaning going on in creation that wants to give birth to something new every day. You must know that whatever is in existence in your life today is crying and groaning to give birth to the next new thing. This is what is called desire. This is what makes a rich man want to make more money. Desire simply compels you to do more, it is never satisfied. That is how God has created man, to be fruitful and multiply. As Christians that desire is the kingdom of God within that yarns to know the will God and His purpose for your life.
Therefore, a seed that is dropped into the ground springs into activity to bring about a multiplication of itself and so is everything else in life. The urge to live life itself is in the desire to increase in every stage, no matter how small the change. Consequently, the acquisition of something further leads to a desire for more. Increase is in what you have and not in what you don’t have. Thus, a Christian that does not have the kingdom within will go after dreams or desires that are short lived. So do not despise your relationship with God, what you have or where you are now. Rather be grateful to God for it because whatever you will become will be built on that relationship and His kingdom that He has placed within you.
‘Poju Oyemade
The Judgment Seat of Christ 

What does it involve? Only believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The “great white throne” judgment described in Rev. 20: 11– 15 is for unbelievers.

What is it? At his judgment seat, Jesus will determine a believer’s faithfulness to Him and reward each person appropriately (see 1 Cor. 3: 11– 15 ). This will not be a determination of one’s eternal destiny; that issue is decided the moment a person believes in Christ.

Who will preside? The risen Christ.

Where will it occur? Heaven ( 5: 8 ).

When will it occur? The Scriptures do not specify when this will occur. It is obviously at a time when all Christians are gathered in heaven.

What is the nature of these eternal rewards? Some commentators consider the various “crowns” mentioned in the New Testament as the rewards ( 1 Cor. 9: 25 ; 2 Tim. 4: 8 ; James 1: 12 ; 1 Pet. 5: 4 ; Rev. 2: 10 ). These will eventually be placed before the throne of God ( Rev. 4: 10 ). Others point to the parable of the minas in Luke 19: 11– 27 and see the prospects of serving and ruling in eternity as being directly tied to our faithfulness on earth. We do not know the exact nature of the “new heavens and new earth” or “the kingdom of God.” But the Scriptures do seem to imply that eternity will involve serving and reigning ( Matt. 25: 21 , 23 ; Rev. 22: 3 , 5 ).

Why is this doctrine significant? Knowing that in the future we will stand before Jesus Christ and face a review of our lives should motivate us to live righteously and faithfully in the present.

How can we prepare for our eternal “audit”? Walk by faith, not by sight ( 5: 7 ). Develop a longing for heaven ( 5: 8 ). Make it our chief aim in life to please the Lord ( 5: 9 ). Keep the judgment seat of Christ in view ( 5: 10 ).

Welcome to My Blog - Christian Life and Purpose.

Christian Life and Purpose is a new blog opened to help Christians remain focus on the issues of eternal life and eternity, to propagate the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and make Christ-like impacts on our generation in preparation for His second coming.