Showing posts with label Music Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music Ministry. Show all posts
THE TREASURE IN OLD GOSPEL SONGS
After giving my life to Christ, while growing up in faith, I was exposed to divert gospel songs that were sang by different artist especially foreign artists. Today, I may refer to such songs as old songs and to the artist as old-time gospel Artists.
In the process of time, I have come to realize that some old songs have stood out for me, out of my many old collections. They stood out because I found that today, by simply listening to such old songs, beside the memories it brings and the lessons I was taught from them, I am reconnected to my “first love” for Christ. I don’t think this is peculiar to me alone.
For me, some old-time gospel Artists whose old songs keep ministering to me are: Bob Fitts, Don Moen, Maranatha singers, Michael Smith, Cece Winans songs, Women of Faith, Juanita Bynum. From my country men; I have two people, which are Panam Percy Paul and Wale Adenuga.
Thanks to our contemporary gospel Artists, otherwise known as gospel musicians. I am a fan of most of the present Nigeria contemporary gospel Artist. Some of my favourites are: Sinach, Nathaniel Bassey, David G, Victoria Orenze, Rev. Igho. I must state that beyond the names mentioned here, I have many others, and I believe there are other great “Holy Ghost” filled artist which I don’t know. Thus, I am not saying these are the only best Artists in Nigeria, because even me, I have a credit to an album which you can download for free by clicking on this link.
What informs my choice of artists or gospel songs I listen to?
I look beyond voice, sound production, lyrics or the physical peripherals. Although, this cannot be ignored in making a choice. Beyond these features, I try to look at the level of God a gospel Artist carries. To put it another way, I look at how connected to God he or she is. Does the Artist have a closer walk with the Holy Ghost? I believe, you can only give what you have. Thus, every Artist is inspired based on the level of God he or she carries. One that is full of God will produce a song “out of his belly”, thereby helping me to flow in the presence of God.
Lest I divert your
attention to something else, the essence of this article is to help you
reconnect back to your “first love” for Jesus by simply listening to they old
gospel songs that ministered to you greatly, when you began your walk with God.
It is time to go back
to some of your old gospel music collections.
REFRESHED BY MUSIC
“Music is one of the fairest and most glorious
gifts of God, to which Satan is a bitter enemy, for it removes from the heart
the weight of sorrow, and the fascination of evil thoughts.” -Martin Luther
There is something about “Holy Spirit inspired music” which I discovered from my early walk with the Lord that has made me to remain glued to them. And that is the spiritual refreshing I get from it. This is besides the worship experience I am drawn into. I guess, I am not the only one that has such testimony.
King Saul experienced deliverance from the evil spirit of depression that was tormenting him whenever David the lad played music for him. And never forget that David played under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This implies that, a Spirit inspired music can wade-off evil and demonic presence. You can try it also. Whenever you are depressed, sad, fearful or in doubt, switch on a good gospel music and see the great deliverance you will experience.
Another lesson from the story shows that a Holy Spirit inspired song changes the atmosphere of the place where it is being played. It charges the atmosphere with the presence of God. And you should know that the presence of God comes with peace, glory, freedom and rest.
You can enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost in your house by consciously changing the atmosphere of your house with good gospel songs; I do this a lot and can tell you for real that it works.
“And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him”. 1 Samuel 16:23.
Get rid of secular songs that invoke demonic presence around you, which influences you with the spirit of sexual seduction, lust, violence, greed, selfishness etc.
Your music selection should pass the Philippians 4:8 and the Colossians 3:2-5 tests. They should be songs that are promoting truth, noble, just by God’s standard, pure, lovely and good report. They should be songs that promote godly virtues and are praiseworthy. It should be songs that help you to foster your relationship with your Father-God.
Don’t waste your time listening to the songs of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5). Keep your heart clean. Stay refreshed in the spirit and be inspired.
“It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:5.
Gavin Aleogho's Songs
Our God is Mighty
My Refuge
Lord I love You
Christ is Coming
Amazing Grace
Wo so gbe (You are so Good) - Estako Language
All Songs written, composed and sang by Gavin Aleogho.
EVALUATING YOUR MINISTRY FOR FRUITS
"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and
every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
Christianity is not a call to live
for self but a call into the Kingdom of God where we are equipped to impact and
change our world. It’s a call to impact lives positively. Ironically, we see
Christians that boast of five years and above in Christ without anyone or
anything to point to as their fruit.
There are two categories of fruits
that are expected from every believer; One of which is the fruit of the Spirit
that is expected to be reflected from every believer. This is the fruit that
comes from within the individual and it is reflected in character. This fruit
is spelt out in Galatians 5:22-23a NKJV: “But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” The main focus of this article is on
the other, which is the fruits of our various ministries or services in God’s
vineyard.
There should be corresponding fruit,
outcome or product for every labour, work, service or ministry that is
rendered. It is foolishness to continue to engage in any labour that doesn’t
have any fruit or product to show for it. In the same vein, every ministry of
every Believer, no matter how small or insignificant it might be, should have
corresponding fruit, which is an indicator that the ministry of the minister is
productive. Ironically, there are a lot of services or ministries in God’s
house today which are “spiritually unproductive” but have turned to mere
entertainment, tradition and “religious activities”.
There should be corresponding fruit
for every ministry (service) that is being done in and outside the house of
God. And being fruitful in ministry is not limited to the five-fold ministry.
It is applicable to simple ministries and offices in the house of God like the
Ushering, Choir, Protocol, Drama, Deacons, Administrators, Elders, Pastors,
Evangelist, Teachers etc.
Someone like Apostle Paul understood
this concept, He is one of the most fruitful individual in the New Testament.
He wished to visit the Church in Rome and for what purpose? “that I might have some fruit among you
also, just as among the other Gentiles.” Roman 1:13. The Church at Corinth
were the fruits of Paul. 1 Corinthians 4:15, 9:2. He had a lot of fruits in his
ministry.
Come to think of it, of what use is
it for you to be called a deacon or deaconess in the Church without fruit or
any record of those you have affected positively? What is the spiritual value
of you being a chorister? Who has your ministry or even your christianity
impacted? Is it merely for entertaining the congregants?
Many believers are like the fig tree
that was cursed by Jesus Christ. He expected the tree to have brought forth
fruits, for its leaves were green, signifying that it got all the required
nutrients needed for fruitfulness (Mark 11:12-14, 20,21). In like manner, some
Christian have gotten enough word of God, revelations and spiritual nutrients
from their Churches, yet, there is nothing to show or nobody to point at as
their fruits of ministry.
As simple as the ministry of an
usher is, it should have fruit that is see-able.
Each minister in God’s vineyard should be able to point and say with certainty that “these are the
fruits of my ministry for such period of time”. When a Minister is not
conscious of seeing and having fruits in the ministry, such will end up living
a life of assumption that all is well, whereas, he is only engaging in a
foolish act without being productive.
The end point of every ministry is
to affect lives positively. No matter how abstract your ministry might seem
like, it must translate to changing lives. Any ministry that only ends in the “air”
or in the “spirit” without having an effect in changing a life is only mere
religiosity. The sound from the drum of the drum minister must be converted
from just sound to having a lasting impact in the heart of the one that is
being ministered to, otherwise, it is mere entertainment. Our ministry must
translate to becoming flesh in the life of humans.
Every ministry is not towards self
but towards another man. This implies that the primary purpose of your ministry
is not to make you feel good but to make another man feel good and be
transformed. No ministry should be done to satisfy one’s ego. It means that
your ministry should be aimed at adding value to another man. Every of your
ministrations should be aimed at changing lives.
I wish to state that our ministries
as believers are not and should not be limited to the four walls of our
Churches. Let’s go beyond the Church. The number of people we can affect in our
Church is limited compared to the vast majority of people outside the church. We
have more opportunities to affect many people that are outside the Church.
Let’s take advantage of our work environment, neighbourhoods, schools and
everywhere we go to make our ministry count.
Tips for Having Fruits in Ministry
1.
Strong desire. You must have a strong
desire to be productive in your ministry.
2. Intentional. You must be intentional
about having fruit. All your actions must be geared towards that purpose.
3.
Plan. You must have a strategic plan on
ground to achieve your aim.
4.
Priority. Make it your topmost priority
in life to impact lives.
5. Fulfil all condition. For you to see
fruits in your ministry, you must of necessity, meet all the condition that is
required.
6. Business approach. Apply business
approach to your ministry with the expectation of seeing result at the end of
every ministry exercise.
7. Conversion. You must see to it that
every spiritual experience or exercise is converted to something applicable to
the physical world.
8.
Take inventory and evaluate. Wisdom
demands that you take an inventory of how your ministry is faring, whether you
are achieving your aim or not. Evaluate
the fruitfulness of your ministry once in a while. You can do it monthly,
quarterly, semi-annually or annually.
Hindrances To Being Fruitful In Ministry
1.
Lack of intimate relationship with Jesus; It is an irony to think that you can bear fruits by your own power.
In this system, God the Father is the Vinedresser, Jesus is the Vine and we are
the branches who are supposed to remain attached to the vine in other for us to
bear fruit. If we refused to abide in the Vine, through personal and intimate
relationship, we shouldn’t expect to bear fruit. John 15:4-5.
2. Poor time management skill; There is a
required period of time needed to till every ground for the cultivation of
crops in other to see fruit. When you do not give the required time needed to
see you through to the stage of fruitfulness in your ministry because of lack
of good time management skill, you will not see the needed fruit in your
ministry. You must of necessity give a lot of time to your ministry if you must
be productive.
3. Life’s challenges; If you allow the
challenges of life and ministry to overwhelm you, you will never be productive.
Expecting every condition to be perfect for you to give in your best to your
ministry for fruitfulness is an expectation that will never come to pass. You
must learn and strive to be fruitful in any and every condition. Challenges
should be the stepping stone for you to fulfil God’s will.
4. Half-hearted service; You will never see
a good result on what you have not given yourself wholly to. It’s important you
give your whole being to the course you have chosen to pursue if you must see
result. There are definitely many other things that are striving to get your
attention. Make fulfilling your ministry your topmost priority.
5.
The system and cares of the world; The
system of this world is not designed to help you fulfil purpose. As a matter of
fact, it is conditioned to work against you and all that is God’s. It is
designed to distract you from being productive. If you must see fruits in your
ministry, you must overcome the system and cares of this world. You must live
for a higher purpose whose focus is above the world system where Christ is
seated.
6. Sin; If you are still enjoying the
pleasure of sin, then you are not ready to get result in your ministry. Sin has
a spiritual effect on your ministry; it kills your plant, that is your effort
in ministry, before it even bears fruit. Allowing sin in your life is allowing
spiritual parasite into your vineyard of ministry.
7.
Poor human relationship; A good
relationship with people makes your ministry to be accepted by all, which in
turn gives you the ground (heart) for the seed of your ministry to be planted for
fruit bearing. When you have poor relationship with people in your sphere of
life, you are indirectly building a blockage between you and the people you are
supposed to affect positively.
8.
Financial illiteracy; In most occasion,
money is needed to run a ministry whether it is personal or corporate ministry.
This could be a challenge especially when one is financially illiterate. We
have to learn to start small with the little we have and grow it big with time.
Our finance status is not the issue here, but the wisdom to maximize what we
have for greater productivity.
9. The Adversary, the devil; If you allow
the devil or you are ignorant of his schemes, he will destroy your effort in
ministry. This does not always come from the angle of spiritual attack but in
subtle way which you least expected, e.g. like bringing offence that leads to
grudges and bitterness which in turn sever your relationship with men and God.
Signs That Your Ministry Is Fruitful
1.
Sense of Fulfilment; Sense of fulfilment
and your conscience bearing witness.
2. Feedback and Testimony; Feedback from
people whom your ministry has affected is an indicator. Testimony of how your
ministry has changed them is a sign. Sometimes, praise from people is a sign
that your ministry is productive.
3. Increase in the Church; One of the
undeniable effects of every Christian bearing fruit is the increase in God’s
Church. This increase includes but not limited to numerical growth, spiritual
growth and life transformation.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” John 15:16a.
THE FALLIBILITY OF THE MEN OF GOD
Before 1870
AD, no Pope was considered fallible. Even before then, Pope Adrian VI said “It
is certain that the Pontiff ... may err in those things which pertain to
faith.” Similarly, Pope Paul IV said “I do not doubt that I and my predecessors may sometimes have erred.”
These were men that were sincere to themselves and to the world; they understood
the frailty of the human nature, the tendency of humans to err.
The infallibility of
the Pope is a dogma in the Catholic Church that states that “when (the Papacy is), in the exercise of his office as Shepherd and Teacher of all
Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine
concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.” This implies
that the interpretation of the Scripture by the Roman Pontiff who is the Pope is
and should be held as the accurate truth, void of no error as it relates to moral,
doctrine and the Christian faith.
In 1517 AD, Martin Luther
the Reformer led a protest against the authority of the Papacy on issues
bordering on Church malpractices and the interpretation of the Scriptures
especially in matters that concerns the basic tenets of the Christian faith,
thereby challenging the ‘Infallibility of the Pope’. Down through the line, the Reformers,
which were also known as the Protestants, gave birth to what is now known as
the Pentecostal, Charismatic or/and Evangelical.
Ironically, the
same points that the Protestants objected to in 1517 AD are now being repeated
by some Pentecostal and Evangelical Church of today. There is this unspoken but
profound belief that whatever a man of God says is void of error and should be
taken as a sole truth coming from God Almighty. It should not be questioned or subjected
to scrutiny and verification. This has come to be because of the imaginary high
position that some ministers of the gospel have placed themselves or they have
been placed by their followers. This has given rise to mass duplication of
heresies and spiritual error; all these because men have refused to acknowledge
their limitations.
I am not suggesting that man through the help of
the Holy Spirit cannot give accurate interpretation to the Scripture in matters
that relates to doctrine and the Christian faith. What I am suggesting is that
every Christian should learn to verify and cross examine whatever any man of
God says to them or practise as doctrine. Know God by yourself. Study the
Scripture by yourself. You can achieve this feat because you have the same
access to the same God and the Holy Spirit dwells in you.
In our world today, especially in the Pentecostal
and Evangelical settings, you will find many ministers of the gospel who
indirectly claim sole ownership of Christianity and the Church, the body of
Christ! They believe they have the prerequisite to dictate how the music goes
in Christendom. With such position, it’s my opinion that we are only repeating
the errors of history - the errors of the Church that caused the Great Schism
and the Reformation.
Every human is capable of error. Jesus Christ was exempted
because he was conceived of the Holy Ghost and not of an earthly father. Being
born again, Spirit filled and Word loaded does not exclude any man from error. This
is given to the fact that men are still putting on this flesh that is frail.
The moment we accept this truth, the easier it will be to embrace the advice of
Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:12 (MSG) which reads: Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall
flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's
useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
All ministers of the gospel are humans, and all
humans make mistakes, irrespective of the genuine men of God; they are also
fallible. However, that does not negate the fact that they are called into the ministry.
Human mistakes should be condoned, but spiritual errors, wrong interpretation
and application of the Scriptures and doctrinal errors should be considered as
falsehood and be discarded. Every believer must be on the watch against any
form of falsehood in the Church especially from respected clergymen.
In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul withstood Apostle Peter
when it seems Peter was living a double standard life despite the fact that he
was supposed to be an elder of the Church. This implies that not even the first
apostles were excluded from getting things wrong.
One of the great strategies of the devil against
the Church is to strike the Shepherd so as to scatter the sheep. Take for
example, if a leader of a Church of 5,000 members makes spiritual error in the
interpretation and application of the Scripture, he will successfully lead his 5000
congregation into error. This is the strategy the devil has been using for ages
and he has been successful with it simply because leaders have refused to
acknowledge their imperfection, and their followers so venerate and dignify
them as beyond the ordinary- divine and free of making errors.
Leaders in the Church of Christ must acknowledge
their limitations as humans. They must know that they are mere men, susceptible
to errors. Any man can fall anytime. Any man of God can veer into heresy anytime.
That is why Apostle Paul wrote by the Holy Ghost:
Because of the privilege and authority God
has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than
you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring
yourselves by the faith God has given us. Romans 12:3 NLT
Down through the history, great men of God have
come and gone. Many started well but ended poorly. If you are a student of Christian history and
biography, you will agree with me that most of them failed in one aspect or the
other. Most of them started well but later veered into error and heresy. This has
given birth to the different sects, denominations and cults in Christianity today.
Most of the Israelites who followed Moses out of
Egypt to the Promised Land might not have been aware that there was a bridge
between the relationship of Moses their great leader and God, after he struck
the rock for water rather than speaking to it. Likewise, you might be surprised
to find out who you call your spiritual father or mentor has already missed it
and he is already working in disobedience before God. Just like King Saul, some
of our great ministers that started well; the spirit of God has already left
them!
Every Christian must also
acknowledge the fact concerning our Christian leaders and mentors. Thank God
for their great achievements, but don’t be fooled that because of their
spiritual great feat they can’t err. We must know that our leaders are not
all-knowing or all-powerful, but they have weaknesses. That is why it is good
to always scrutinize and evaluate our spiritual leaders’ views of scriptural
interpretation, not with the eyes of being judgmental, but with an open mind
so as not to be led into error.
This should compel us to have a direct and personal
working relationship with God the Father, through His Son Jesus Christ,
according to the Bible and not connecting our faith on any man of God or any
denomination, sect or Church. We should let our faith be based on God’s
original word rather than what one Pastor, General Overseer, Apostle, Prophet,
Evangelist, Bishop, Reverend or Teacher says.
For the veil has been divided; you now have direct access
to God.
This is Apostle Paul’s own confession: “We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is
always incomplete… We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog,
peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the
sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us,
knowing him directly just as he knows us!” 1 Corinthians 13:9, 12 MSG.
10 INCONSEQUENTIAL REASONS WHY SOME PEOPLE GO TO CHURCH
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. Matthew 21:13.
With the attitude that many Christians have towards going to the Church of the living God nowadays, you begin to wonder if the sayings that “the church is becoming worldly, and the world becoming churchy” is not becoming valid. With these various reasons why many go to Church which is fast becoming the norm in many congregations, if a redress is not sought urgently, many are bound to miss the mark.
Many of the reasons seem sensible, genuine and good, but the truth still remains that God’s standard cannot be substituted with man’s standard. It doesn’t matter how good the intention of man is, if it doesn’t align with the standard of God, it is only a filthy rag kind of righteousness.
Most of the reasons why many people go to church today have no spiritual or eternal relevance as far as the eternal mission of Jesus Christ is concerned. Every man-made reason for coming to the church of the living God is only secondary and earthly as far as God’s word stands.
The Lord says:
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts”. Isaiah 55:8-9.
Some of The Reasons People Go To Church Nowadays Are:
1. To Perform And Entertain Others
It is an aberration to go to Church, simply because you want to perform or entertain the congregation of God. This is because the altar is never a place for entertainment but of sacrifice. This is one of the greatest undoing of this generation. Many go to Church with an attitude to perform and entertain others. And this has become an attitude to many, unknowingly.
For this reason, I strongly advice Shepherds over Churches to watch out for these set of persons and relieve them of their responsibilities in Church, till they are able to set their priority right. Or else, it will only be a distraction which will lead to their downfall. Service Leaders, Worship Leaders, Instrumentalists, Drama Ministers, Choristers and some Pastors easily fall into this category. Can you imagine that some just go to Church only to play musical instruments? This is an irony! It is only a distraction from encountering Christ for the individuals.
2. To Get Entertained
Just like some go to Church to entertain others, so also does some people go to Church to be entertained by the supposed Church entertainers who are disguised as Preachers, Ministers, Singers, Comedians and Prophets or in whatever guise. Some people go to Church just to feel good. I guess it will be better to just turn on your TV for entertainment rather than wasting your precious time seeking for it in the Church.
The Church should never been a place for entertainment, for that is not the original purpose for which Christ Jesus founded His Church. Entertainment in itself is not sinful, but there is something far better than entertainment which you should aim at when you go to Church. To worship God, learn from Christ, and be a better Christian, are the reasons one should go to Church, and these have eternal values in contrast to the entertainment which only has a temporal benefit.
3. As Opportunity To Show-off
There are does who goes to Church just to show-off their new car or wears. It is indeed good to dress well to Church. But it becomes a misplaced priority when your sole purpose of coming to Church is to show your latest dress or material possession. The Church is not a fashion parade arena but a place where men present themselves to their Maker, who looks at the heart and not on the outward appearance. Don’t let what you wear distract you in God presence neither should you let it distract other Brethren in Church.
4. Out Of Duty And Obligation
Many Church workers fall into this category. They go to Church simply because they have a duty to perform. You’ll see a brother running to Church simply because he would be the one leading the opening prayer. The only reason why she will be in Church on a mid-week service is simply because she will be leading the praise and worship section in that service. Relieve them of that assignment then you’ll see their true state of commitment.
Yes, it is very good to have a strong sense of commitment to your assignment in Church, but you must transcend that to having a ‘personal walking relationship’ with the Saviour Jesus Christ. So that you can be committed to Christ Jesus not to the assignment per se, this will invariably translate into your assignment in the house of God.
5. To Get Personal Needs Met
Here, I am not referring to having your spiritual needs met in Church but one which is temporal and artificial in comparison to the very purpose why Christ founded the Church. While some goes to Church to look for money, food and some go just to get material needs. There is nothing wrong in going to Church to ask God to meet your needs in these areas, what is wrong about this is when that becomes your primary purpose of going.
This reminds me of the 5,000 men that were fed with five loaves of bread and two fishes by Jesus Christ. They came back, looking for Jesus only because of the bread that has no eternal value.
Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. John 6:26.
Here is the counsel of Jesus to such people:
Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. John 6:27.
6. To Meet People Or Get A Spouse
You may not believe it, many go to Church just to meet people, make friends or find a spouse. The Church is truly a community of people, but never forgets that the primary aim of going to Church should be to meet with God and not to meet with men.
Many have regretted their decision to get spouse from the Church because they’ve fallen to the wrong hand. They forgot that the door of the Church is opened to every kind of person and if you are not spiritually lead you can be mislead to make a wrong choice. Yes, the Church should be the best place to get a spouse, but that is still not the primary purpose of the Church.
7. For Man’s Sake
There was a time some people told me that they became members of a Church I was attending because I was there. That’s a fantastic testimony right? Thank God they encountered God and developed in their Christian faith there. But let’s imagine that after coming, their focus were on me and not on the God of the house. That would have been an irony.
Have you met people who have refused to leave a particular Church despite the fact that they were not being changed or transformed by the words from the pulpit? They just stay there only because they’ve built a community of friends there.
There are some that have taken the Church to be like a social club. Socialization is a major hindrance to the influence of the Word of God to a heart, if it’s not put in check, because it could lead to over familiarity.
8. For Business Purposes
These sets of persons fall into the same category of the people that Jesus drove out of the Temple because they were merchandising in the Synagogue, despising the original purpose of coming to the Temple.
Some people that run petty trades around the Church are guilty of this. There are the set that goes to Church solely to get a client for their business or get a contract deal either from the Church itself or a member.
I don’t think there is anything wrong in doing a business around the premises of a Church except if it is becoming your focus and it is replacing the purpose of going to Church.
Those that have a job with a Church as employee should be careful not to mix attention to their job and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ who is the Lord of the Church.
9. To Look Religious
There is a difference between; going to Church because you want to serve God out of love and reverence for God, and going to Church just for the show of being religious. The later reason is exemplified in the life of those that goes to Church just because the day is Sunday or because it’s a new year and by those that goes out of a patterned way of life which has been instilled in them right from birth without any love or reverence for God. This is religious, and it has become a dogma to such people.
Being a religious Christian only leads to being boastful, hypocritical, judgmental, self-righteous and being dogmatic in all you do. This is a very bad state to be in because it ends up blinding the fellow from having an encounter with the reality in Christianity.
10. Out Of Compulsion
There is nothing wrong for dependants like children and young adults to be compelled to go to Church, since a precept is being laid for them to follow. But even then, a time will come as children attain maturity they are expected to go to Church because they love Jesus and not out of compulsion. That is why fervent prayer should be made for them to embrace the Lord of the house early in life.
Notwithstanding, there are still adults that still feel a sense of compulsion to go to Church. They wouldn’t go unless someone compels them either directly or indirectly. There are some that goes just because they would be asked why they were not around considering their place or position in the Church. That shouldn’t be so; you should go to Church because you love God and the fellowship of the brethren.
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