DISTRACTED OR DEVOTED

-Gavin Aleogho

In the bid to make ends meet, we are drawn away from God by a lot of things that crave our attention. If we don’t call ourselves to order on time, we may suddenly realise that we have only laboured for meat that perishes.

 

For our Lord Jesus said; “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.

 

Besides the distractions that come due to the pursuit of life to make ends meet, it is important to also know that we can also be living a distracted life away from God in the name of religious activities and still be thinking that we are living to please God just like Martha the sister of Mary and Lazarus. The funny part about the latter is that it is done in the name of God; hence it is very difficult to spot.

 

The question then is, when does what we do in the name of the Lord shift our attention from the God whom we claim to be serving?

 

This happens when we forsake our intimate personal walk with God for mere activities.

 

It is important to know that God loves and appreciates our religious activities. But beyond that, the Lord values and appreciates our personal walk with Him more than any act of service we can do for Him.

 

Come to think of it, what can you really give to the One who created the whole universe? That was Martha’s error. The Lord who could feed 5,000 men on one spot was present and Martha never considered that. God wants you more than whatever you can give to Him. He wants you to spend time with Him privately; that is the best thing you can give to God.

 

Despite his commitment and busy schedule, David understood this truth. That is why he wrote: “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” (Psalms 27:4).

 

Secondly, our attention is shifted from beholding the Lord when our motive of doing religious activities becomes impure; filled with lust, pride, personal desire and personal gain rather than the gain of the Master.

 

Our motive for doing religious activities becomes impure when we do acts of Christian service as a bargaining chip, to get God to do something for us. It also becomes impure when we act out of compulsion or out of eye-service instead of acting from a heart of love for God and the expansion of His Kingdom.

                                       

As simple as working in the vineyard of God; that should not stop our unwavering devotion to God. We should never forget that our primary devotion is to God first, after then, comes our ministries or anything we want to do for God. Our priority in life should always be put right or our lives would not be rightly built.

 

"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,"

Mark 3:14

 

As you run the race that is set before you, one question you should always ask yourself is this, “am I being distracted or devoted to the Lord?”

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF HARD WORK

-Gavin Aleogho

 

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

Proverbs 14:23

 

The purpose of every work that we involve in is to have results; that is what Proverbs 14:23a is saying; “there is profit in hard work.” But what if a man claims to be working hard without results? What could be wrong?

 

It is possible to think that you are hard-working, but in reality, you are not. You are only busy without directions. Like a quack carpenter, you are not hitting the nail on the head; hence the nail is not being driven in.

 

A young man claims that he is working hard to pass his exams. Although you always find him reading, when you take a critical look at what he is reading, you find out that he is reading the wrong materials which do not relate to the course he is supposed to be preparing for. Such a person is actually working but is he working correctly? No.

 

The elements of hard work are the components that will help you to work rightly and smartly, making your hard work worthwhile, rather than just being busy beating about the bush. Incorporating these 5-elements into your work is guaranteed to produce great results.

 

Here are the 5-elements:

 

Element 1: DRIVE

 

Your drive is your motivation. If you don't have a drive in life, you will be static in life. Your drive is the reason why you are doing what you are doing. It is your reason for the work in the first place.

 

For example, a young man that came from a poor family who gains admission into a high institution might be very serious with his studies. This is given to the fact that he is from a poor family background. And he wants to successfully finish his studies so that he can be of help to his family. That is a good drive.

 

Your drive will keep you awake when others are sleeping. However, when you lack that drive, you will find yourself procrastinating on what you ought to be doing.

 

For you not to deal with a slack hand, you will have at the front of your mind the reasons why you should be doing what you ought to do.

 

Element 2: STRATEGIC PLAN

 

It is not enough to put all your energy into a given project; you must also learn to work smart. And for you to work smart, you must have a strategic plan on how you are going to work hard to achieve your goal. You can't just work haphazardly.

 

Hard work in itself does not guarantee success. What guarantees success is hard work that is done the right way on the right thing at the right time.

 

This principle is rightly applied in cooking our African delicacies. When cooking our Africa soup, for you to have the desired result, you must learn to put each ingredient at the proper time. Doing otherwise will alter the beautiful result that you want.

 

In the same vein, you must apply the same principle to the project you are working on. Your hard work must be planned and structured.

 

If you want to have excellence in your academics, you must have a strategic plan on how you will be reading your books on a regular and a daily basis at your most productive hour. This plan must also contain the minimum hour of time you MUST spend daily on reading.

 

This principle is applicable to anything you want to work hard to achieve.

 

Element 3: A GOAL

 

Work is an instrument for attaining your goal. Your goal is your reward.

 

Your goal is what you wish to achieve with your hard work.  As a matter of fact, you ought to have a goal before you engage in any work. Thus, if you find yourself working hard, then never forget the reason why you started working in the first place.

 

A lady who wants to be a good soloist would spend countless hours working on her voice. Not until the goal is achieved, work must continue.

 

When your goal is not clearly defined, you will lack the motivation to keep on working. Not forgetting that as you engage in hard work concerning a goal, you will encounter distractions on your way. But having a clearly defined goal will help you to keep your focus, despite the many distractions in life.

 

Element 4: SACRIFICE

 

There is no true hard work without sacrifice. If you are working hard presently, it invariably means that you are sacrificing something for you to have time and resources to work on your project.

 

Sacrifice is the forfeiting of pleasure for the attainment of a goal. If you want to be a hardworking person, then you must be ready to sacrifice some pleasures. Especially pleasures that tend to distract you from focusing on the task at hand.

 

No sacrifice, no hard work. For hard work is synonymous with sacrifice. Thus, work without sacrifice is not really hard work.

 

Some pleasures that must be sacrificed for hard work are:

-Long hour with TV

-Unproductive use of the internet

-Time on frivolities

-Time with unproductive companions

-Et cetera.

 

Yes, the proverb: "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy," is very true. For you actually need time to refresh your brain. However, you must learn to strike a balance and know when to set a limit.

 

Element 5: EFFORTS AND ENERGY

 

Effort and energy is the amount of work you need to put in to achieve a particular goal. There is a minimum requirement of work needed for every goal you wish to attain.

 

The amount of work needed to get a grade of “F” parallel in an SSCE result can't be compared to the ‘quantity’ of work needed to get a grade of “A” parallel.

 

To attain excellence in your work, much effort and energy must be put in.

 

MISCONCEPTION ABOUT HARD WORK

-Pst. Gavin Aleogho There are some misconceptions about hard work which is prevalent among some Christians. If this misconception is not dealt with from the root, it is capable of breeding a set of believers who are less productive than what God expects of His children. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 For we have been called to a life of maximum fruitfulness and productivity in our various areas of calling. However, this will not happen without our input. It is only through the instrument of labour, hard work and sacrifice we will be able to do what the Lord expects of us. So, there are four common misconceptions about hard work that you must get rid of, if you must be more productive and fruitful in your field. Misconception #1: Grace Removes Hard Work This misconception originated from the fact that some set of believers believe that work was a result of Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. So to them, it is logical to think that since we are under grace, then we should not be engaging in hard work. On the contrary, when you look at Genesis Chapter 1 down to chapter 3, you will discover that even before Adam sinned, God had already planned that man should work on the Garden of Eden. This is clearly shown in verse 28 of Genesis chapter 1. "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

You will agree with me that these words; ‘Be fruitful’, ‘multiply’, ‘replenish’, ‘subdue’ and ‘have dominion over’, are all words that refer to work. Genesis 2:5 also confirms that God planned that man should engage in work. It reads: “And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till (work, cultivate) the ground.” (Emphasis added). Thus, you can see that God originally designed man to participate in the creation process through work. Although, we can’t deny the fact that Adam’s sin changed the nature of work by making it more difficult; but that does not imply that we were called to live an idle and indolent life in the name of grace. Thus, to think that grace abolishes hard work is wrong. On the contrary, grace empowers us to be more hard-working. Apostle Paul attest to this truth when he said; "But by the GRACE of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I LABOURED (WORK HARD) more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10 Misconception #2: Favour And Success Can Be Achieved Without Hard Work This erroneous belief originates from the view that favour and work does not have any connection, thus they believe that favour can be experienced without hard work. So, you will hear such people say, “if it must be favour, then it should be void of work”. Is it actually true that favour does not have any relationship with hard work? Is favour against hard work? Can success be achieved through the shortcut of favour without hard work? One important truth that you should be established on is the fact that favour is not free, in itself. Yes, favour or success is not given to men freely without work. Every favour or success that a man experienced was worked for either directly or indirectly. Check it up, every favour you have ever enjoyed came to you as a result of a seed you have sown either directly or indirectly. It could also be a seed that someone has sown that you are reaping from; like the case of a father who has a good name and his daughter is experiencing some favour because of the kindness of his dad. In the same vein, success in any adventure does not come by chance. Success and favour only comes after you have done the needful; through diligent and hard work in your endeavour. "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men." Proverbs 22:29 Don’t let anyone deceive you; you can only enjoy genuine success and favour after you’ve paid the necessary sacrifice of work which will come in different guises. Misconception #3: Faith And Positive Confession Removes Hard Work I believe in the power of the words that we speak. However, I believe that our words must be coupled with the appropriate action (work) if we must see the result that we dearly desire. Faith and positive confession must be coupled with appropriate work; otherwise, our faith is empty and void of power. Don’t forget that it is work that makes our faith complete. "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2:17, 26 Favour does not come by confession alone, but by diligence and by following the principles of life. In reality, you don’t get what you wish for but what you work for or work towards. Positive confession like: "I will make it," "I will be very rich," "I will succeed," Without any corresponding action, it will not amount to anything. After confessing, ask yourself, “what can I do or what should I be doing to get me to where I want to be”. What you ought to do is the work that will make your faith produce the results you so wish. Misconception #4: Shortcut Is Better Than Hard Work “What comes easy won’t last, what lasts won’t come easy.” – Anonymous. The act of taking shortcuts has hindered men from knowing and realising the full capacity of their potential. You will never know what you are capable of doing if you are given to taking shortcuts. Don’t make taking shortcuts a habit; it is a pathway to ruin. Cutting corners in the name of walking in favour is not a godly act; it is an act of folly. The presence of a shortcut is only a temptation to see if you will bypass the process. For God is not a magician but a God of process. God is not concerned about the end like He is concerned about the means that you took to get to the end. And in the means to the end is work and sacrifices. The scripture says, "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 NIV To avoid the hard work of reading, we have a lot of students who are no longer reading their books. They are no longer working hard in their studies because they felt, "why labour hard in my studies, where there is a shortcut (examination malpractices)?" They forget that they are only undoing themselves. The effect of taking shortcuts awaits a man in the future, for shortcuts are dangerous cuts. Some Benefits Of Hard Work 1. It produces excellence. 2. It brings out the best in you. 3. It helps to reduce time wasters. 4. It showcases you to the world. 5. It brings fulfilment. 6. It makes you a blessing to humanity. 7. It develops your inner potential. 8. It leads to massive success and breakthroughs.

Effective Decision-Making - SEMINAR

Dr. Myles Munroe said, "Our life is the sum total of all the decisions we make every day." It therefore implies that for you to have a better tomorrow, you can't underrate the place of the decisions you make today. Hence, it will be wise of you to attend this seminar where you will learn kingdom strategy for effective decision-making.

Take advantage of this rare opportunity and don't forget to recommend this to your friends.

YOU CAN JOIN IN, LIVE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD VIA ZOOM.
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INSTALL ZOOM APP: To join the live streaming of the broadcast,  go to Google Play Store and download and install ZOOM. 
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FOR WE KNOW IN PART

 -Gavin Aleogho

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1 Corinthians 13:12.

 

There is this old famous Indian fable of “the six blind men and the elephants”. The story speaks of six blind men who went to explore what an elephant is. The story has it that they all came back with different reports about what an elephant is.

 

The first said an elephant looks like a wall because of its broad sturdy side which he felt.

 

The second, who felt the tusk, said an elephant is like a spear.

 

The third blind man who happens to take the squirming trunk within his hands said that the elephant was like a snake.

 

While the fourth, who felt the knee, reported that the animal is like a tree.

 

The fifth, who by chance touched the ear, reported that an elephant was like a fan.

 

The sixth man, who seized on the swinging tail, claimed that the elephant is like a rope.

 

All six men disputed among themselves, holding strong to their personal opinion based on their own personal reality. Although each of them is partly correct in his own right. The question then is of the six men, who was correct?

 

Definitely, none of them was correct. They were all wrong. To have accurate knowledge of the subject in question, they must all consider the view of each individual and bring it together on a table.

 

Sometimes, we act like those six blind men. It is ignorant and foolish to hold on to a perspective of a matter without considering other views. It is wise to consider other people’s views before coming to a conclusion about a matter. This truth should be applied to our views on doctrines, politics, religion, everyday issues and the rest.

 

One of the major causes of war and strife between men is the acclaim superiority of knowledge over each other. Knowledge puff up, that is what the scripture says.  Knowledge in itself makes men proud and even arrogant.

 

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.

1 Corinthians 8:1

 

This is why a Christian must balance knowledge with humility and love. The absence of humility and love in the heart of a man that has knowledge will only make the man proud and offensive.

 

Knowledge is dangerous and destructive when it is void of love and humility. It only becomes a weapon of oppression in such cases. But it is good and beneficial only when it is coupled with love and humility.

 

Humility, on one hand, will make you stoop low to consider another person’s view. And love, on the other hand, will help you not to act presumptuously. Rather, love will make you find a way to use the knowledge you have acquired to benefit your fellow man.

 

Besides, we should know that as humans, our knowledge is limited. Whatever we think that we know is not the final knowledge. Thank God for what we know presently; like we often discover that there is more to whatever we think we know.

 

In the same vein, not until we are willing to see and consider the views of others, we might as well be living in our own world of self-denial and self-deception.

 

Use the views of others to critically challenge and scrutinize what you know. This is how the wise increase in knowledge.

THE COST OF LOVING GOD

-Gavin Aleogho
 
You can’t talk about loving God without a cost; this is because sacrifice is one of the hallmarks of genuine love. Whoever you love, you will sacrifice for. God loved man and He sacrificed His Son for man’s redemption.
 
As people who have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, we are expected to reciprocate back the love that God has shown to us. And we do this not by “lip-service love,” but by an “action-service love.” This is not a love that is driven by what you want to get from God, but one that seeks ways to show (in practical terms) love to God.
 
And to sacrifice is to give up something valuable or important for somebody or something. Genuine love for God is not void of sacrifice. It could be the sacrifice of your time, self, strength, energy, comfort, money, resources or intellect. True sacrifice involves serving and giving.
 
Love in God’s kingdom is action; it is beyond words and feelings. Our words and feelings must be coupled with actionable acts. If you claim to love God, then it should be costing you something.
 
It is important to know that I am not talking about paying another sacrifice for your salvation. For salvation has been freely given to us. It cost the blood of Jesus Christ. Hence, when I talk of love costing you, I am speaking of you reciprocating your love back to God.
 
As the scripture says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
 
Come to think of it, “is your faith in God only costing God?
 
For many believers, this is the case. They can’t point to anything in their lives that they’ve lost or sacrificed because of their faith in Jesus Christ.
 
Someone like the Apostle Paul understood this truth. Hence, he said:
 
*To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness.*
Philippians 3:8 TPT
 
Because of his love for Christ, Apostle Paul had to sacrifice his career of becoming a Pharisees. He sacrificed his Jewish privileges, friends, and many things just to follow Jesus Christ.
 
I believe someone like David understood this truth, hence he said: “…neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing...” (2 Samuel 24:24).
 
True Christianity is not a call to convenience; rather it is a call to inconvenience and denial of oneself for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of God on the earth.
 
The first Apostles and our fathers of Faith understood this truth. The missionaries who brought the gospel to Africa also understood this truth. That is why they could jeopardize their lives, sacrificing their jobs, families, and the comfort of the country and came to the jungle of Africa to preach the gospel to us.
 
What was their motivation? They had love for God and love for the people of Africa. Hence, they preached and died on our shore.
 
Our Lord Jesus Christ was actually the first to stress the need for sacrificial love as one of the conditions of following Him.
 
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Matthew 16:24-25.
 
Your love for God should be costing you something. That is the nature of agape love, it is called sacrifice.
 
Every minister of the gospel should understand this truth. Ministry is not a call to benefit self but a call that is driven by love for God and the gospel which must be coupled with sacrifice. Indeed, real ministry work is sacrifice.
 
Every genuine minister of the gospel you see is sacrificing beyond what they can tell you because of the love they have for God and for humanity. This is one of the reasons why the scripture admonishes the Church to honour and respect ministers of the gospel; it is simply because of their sacrifice.
 
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1 Timothy 5:17
 
You can’t claim to be loving and serving God without any form of sacrifice and the first sacrifice that your love for God demands is your complete self; spirit, soul and body.
 
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1
 
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2 Corinthians 5:15 

THE COST OF LOVING YOUR NEIGHBOURS

-Gavin Aleogho
 
The cardinal virtue of the Christian faith is love; love for God and love for humanity. Our Lord Jesus Christ expects us to demonstrate the highest degree of love which is agape love to all men. And it is important to know that agape love is beyond words and feelings. It is a love that must be put into action and such action will always cost us.
 
Sacrifice is one of the hallmarks of genuine love. And to sacrifice is to give up something valuable for somebody. Genuine love for our neighbours is not void of sacrifice. It could be the sacrifice of your time, self, strength, energy, comfort, money, resources or intellect.
 
From God’s perspective, you can’t talk about loving your neighbours without a cost. To show genuine love demands some form of sacrifice. God loved man and His love for man cost Him His Son, Jesus.
 
Our love must move beyond asking “what is in for me” to asking “what is in for me to give.” That is the nature of agape love.
 
There are a lot of lessons to be learnt from the story of the Good Samaritan, which was said by our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 10:29-37. 
 
It was not convenient for the Good Samaritan to pause his journey and attend to the man that was attacked by robbers. It cost him his time, appointments, energy, resources and even his money. The Good Samaritan demonstrated his love to the victim through acts of sacrifice.
 
Like the Good Samaritan, if you are not willing to be inconvenient then you are not ready to walk in God’s love towards your neighbour. Inconvenience is just one of the sacrifices you will need to pay to demonstrate agape love.
 
For our Lord Jesus Christ said;
 
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18
 
Let me leave you with these scriptures to meditate on
 
Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:1-3
 

IS GOD’S LOVE UNCONDITIONAL?

 

 By Gavin Aleogho

I have read and listened to diverse views about the unconditional feature of God’s love. On one hand, there is a group of Bible Scholars who believe God’s love is unconditional. And on the other hand, we have some Bible scholars who oppose the fact that God’s love is unconditional. When you study these two views, you will discover that both views have some element of truth.

To have balance and a better understanding of the unconditional feature of God’s love, it is important to understand what the unconditional feature of God’s love means. 

The unconditional feature of God’s love implies that God’s love is given to man unconditionally without any prior prerequisite to whether the man deserves it or not. 

Please, take note of the word “GIVEN”. It is one thing for something (in this case, God’s love) to be “GIVEN”. But it is another thing for it to be “RECEIVED”. For not until what is given is received, the transaction is incomplete.

God’s love is given to man unconditionally, but for it to benefit the receiver, it is not without conditions.

The following scripture points to the fact that God’s love came to man unconditionally:

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:10

You can see that God’s love came to us, even when we don’t deserve it. That is the unconditional feature of God’s love on display.

However, it is important to understand that God’s love is not without a condition if it must benefit a man. The popular Bible verse reads: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16). 

For a man to benefit from God’s love, He must BELIEVE in Jesus Christ. That is a condition that is required from a man who must enjoy the benefits of God’s love.

This condition is further explained in Romans 10:9 that reads: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

There are some believers who think that because of God’s unconditional love, they can go on living anyhow and make a habit of sinning continuously, breaking God’s law. That is a deception that you mustn’t fall into. God’s unconditional love is not without an obligation from your end if it must benefit you. 

Yes, God’s love came to us unconditionally. But we must meet the condition of believing in Jesus Christ and repenting (turning away) from our evil ways as seen in the following scripture:

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Acts 17:30

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Titus 2:11-12

God’s love can be illustrated as God stretching His hand unconditionally to help drowning men from their sins. However, for a drowning man to be saved, he must of necessity meet the CONDITION of stretching out his hand back to God to be helped.

It is important to know that God’s love is not without an obligation. It is not without demand or responsibility. It is not a call to relinquish your responsibility to God. God’s love demands a corresponding response from the man who has been given the love. For without a corresponding response to God’s love, you can’t get the full benefit of the love.

Take for example; when it rains, it rains on all, but the man who benefits from the rain is the individual who has a need for water, who takes the pains to get a bucket to hold the water. The rain came unconditionally to everyone (both to the good and bad), but it only benefits the one who responded appropriately to the rain.

There is a parable in Matthew 22:1-14 that was said by our Lord Jesus Christ that clearly shows the “UNCONDITIONAL GIVING” and the “CONDITIONAL RECEIVING” of God’s love.

1  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14 For many are called, but few are chosen. 

Matthew 22:1-14

The story clearly depicts how our Heavenly Father shows His love to humanity. Verse 9 down to verse 14 shows how an open invitation was made to all. That is the unconditional love of the Father on display. However, reading verses 11 and 12, we find a man who was not putting on the wedding garment that was required for the occasion. He was deprived of enjoying the feast for this reason. This is how God’s love is given to all men.

The invitation is made freely (unconditionally) to all men, however, you are required to put away your old garment of sin and put on the garment of holiness and righteousness, if you must remain in the banquet hall of God’s love.

The parable is a warning to those who take God’s unconditional love and the invitation to His kingdom for granted. The man in Matthew 22 who took God’s benevolence of His grace for granted was severely punished.

 

 

CHRISTIAN CONDUCTS

-Gavin Aleogho

It is common knowledge to everyone that certain conduct is expected from any man who claims to be a true follower of Christ.  To claim ignorance of this fact is to live in self-denial.

You can’t claim to have given your life to Christ Jesus and still be living like you wish. Such is not compatible with the nature of God that has been given to us. To think otherwise is a sign that you are not serious in your walk with the Lord.

If you are born again, your life does not belong to you again. Rather, your life belongs to Christ. Hence, you are expected to use your life, your body and your action to exemplify Christ to your world.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Just like actions speak louder than words, so do characters speak louder than what you profess. You might be an ardent member of a local church, but if your character and conduct outside the Church do not reflect the life of Christ, then you are missing it.

There is no doubt that a lot of people who claim to be Christians in our society live like they please. The fact that the majority are living like they want should not compel us to live like they do. Our lives must reflect what the Bible says. Not what the society or the crowd says.

 When we align our conduct to that of the scripture, we show to the world that we are indeed the light of the world. We will show through our character that we are people of high moral value and people of good examples to be followed. By doing this, we can easily win others to our faith.

 …but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12.

RISING AFTER A FALL

-Pst. Gavin Aleogho

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:

Proverbs 24:16a.

 

In our walk of faith, we must keep in mind to run the race that is set before us according to the rules as outlined in the scripture. We don’t run the race by our strength, but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

There are some who run with the consciousness of the fear of failing. We are not supposed to run the race, motivated by fear of falling, but by faith in Him who has called us to finish well. For God is much able and willing to help us finish well.

 

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

Jude 24.

 

However, peradventure we fall; we should not dwell in our “fall”. Rather, we should rise up and continue the race. Rather than dwelling on our sins, we should endeavor to always rise up to continue the race that is set before us. For there is provision for you to get back in line after a fall. This is not a call to fall, but an orientation of the fact that God will want you back.

 

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1-2.

 

The parable of the Lost Son, which is popularly known as the Prodigal Son which was said by Jesus Christ in Luke 15:17-32 is an example of how our Heavenly Father reacts to any of His child who went off, but later realized his or her fault and came back. Our Father is always willing to receive His stray children.

 

This truth is further emphasized by how the parable ended with the Father saying that: “It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” Luke 15:32.

 

It is very dangerous for us to give up so easily. Many believers have given up on the faith because of the thought that they have done something unpardonable before God. The devil has made some believers think that they are worthlessly unqualified for the race. This is a big lie from the devil that we must all avoid.

 

Just like it is in the Father’s nature to receive back the backsliding child; it should also be in our nature as Believers to help those who stray away from the faith, to come back to the fold.

 

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20 NIV

 

It is the devil’s mission to see to the total annihilation of every believer who falls from the faith. We shouldn't help the devil to fulfill his mission.

 

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Jude 23

 

God knows our make-up. He understands our frailty. What God is most concerned about is our heart condition. Do we still have a heart that yearns for Him? Are we longing to be close to Him? If we are, then we can be sure that we can finish well.