The excellent way-the way of LOVE

Last night God exposed my heart as He spoke to me through 1 Cor 13:1-13 & I realized the most excellent way to exercise spiritual gifts is by LOVE...

I found myself making a very stupid prayer,"God u know there are some people who are impossible/difficult to live/deal with? You know I can't stand them! They make me sour & impatient!Please Lord, divinely disconnect me from them..." Then the Holy Spirit stopped me (I believe He did-I don't know how the prayer would have ended) & prompted me to open 1 Cor 13. I read it like 3 times or so...

i. Be motivated by love.
ii. Speak in love.

Love is patient, kind, doesn't envy, boast; it's not proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered; keeps no record of wrongs; always protects, trusts, hopes & perseveres.

Now, that pierced my heart because a times haven't been patient & kind wt people. Sometimes I'v even been so rude & put on "i don't care face"

Worst, sometimes i don't forget wrongs done to me..."forgive but keep a record" You know this is true wen someone wronged u some years back, then when s/he wrongs u now you remind him/her the 1st wrong s/he did those many years back.

There are times have been so selfish (I, me & myself) even in my prayers...

I realized how unlovable i could be YET God still loves me. 

Lesson:the excellent way to exercise spiritual gifts is by Love

‪#‎GodMakeMeAnInstrumentOfLove‬

A note to my fellow Worship Leaders & Pastors,

To My fellow worship Leaders and Preachers,

Dear Friends, I take time to post this note because now like never before the devil is roaming around, roaring like a lion seeking for whom to devour. Please fellow ministers let us be alert to his schemes and tactics. A seducing spirit is in rampant and many of us are falling prey.

In my own opinion, sex, money, power, pride, rebellion, fame, competition, lust, presumptuousness, indecency, gossip etc are taking toll on us. Let us therefore be vigilant. Let’s pray that God’s grace will help us to say no to ungodliness and that the fruit of the Spirit will grow in us.

What does the bible say about some of these issues?

Sex

Why is it that many worship leaders and pastors are falling into sexual sin?

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “It is God’s will for you and me to be sexually pure.

Heb 13:4 “Let marriage bed be held in honour.

Numbers 25, when Israel indulged in sexual immorality, the Lord’s anger burned against them. A plague broke out and 24,000 people died.

2 Peter 2:6 God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to sexual immorality.

Romans 1:18-32 “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the godless who engage in sexual immorality (porneia)-Fornication, adultery, bestiality, homosexuality...”

Money

Men of God let us not be motivated to serve God for money. Let us not exploit our church members. I am saddened that someone will ask for money inorder to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Yet the bible says, “Freely you have received; freely give.”Matt 10:8

Pride and arrogance

When you start feeling that you are too good, too excellent, too important, better than others consider a soul search!

Proverbs 11:2 “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 29:23 “A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honour.”

If you want to be the greatest in the kingdom, humble yourself Matthew 18:4

Rebellion

Rebellion has become such an integral part of our lives that we think it is normal. We disobey, resist and rebel God’s commands and prompts and open ourselves to curses.

Psalm 69:6b – He (God) leads the prisoners out to prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Rebellion is refusal to come under the authority of someone who is above you; open resistance. God HATES rebellion!

Many people rebelled in the Bible, and paid a great price for doing so

1 Samuel 15:23 rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft.

Lust

Lust comes in many forms; external lusts, including ungodly sexual appetites and overindulgence in food and drink; and there are internal lusts, such as the lust of power, fame or position.

 "If you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires" (Gal. 5:16).

Resist and flee. Perhaps the best advice all is simply this: Run! Don't allow lust to linger in your mind. Get far away from situations and influences that threaten to trap you (Prov. 5:8; James 4:7-8)

Inspired to inspire: The stony heart!

Inspired to inspire: The stony heart!: “Let My people go that they may worship and serve me!” This was God’s message to Pharaoh but his proud heart would not heed. I have be...

The stony heart!

“Let My people go that they may worship and serve me!” This was God’s message to Pharaoh but his proud heart would not heed.

I have been asking myself, “why would a good, gracious God make one’s heart hard?” From a human perspective, it seems wrong for God to harden a person and then punish the person He has hardened. Pharaoh was exposed to the truth over and over again, yet refused to respond accordingly.  He was presented with overwhelming evidence.  Plague after plague, sign after sign, miracle after miracle, but still he refused to accept God’s warnings and let the Israelites go.

Let’s get it right!

First, the Pharaoh wasn’t innocent or a godly man. He was a brutal dictator overseeing terrible abuse and oppression of the Israelites. The Egyptian pharaohs had enslaved the Israelites for 400 years and even ordered that male Israelite babies be killed at birth Ex 1:16.

Proverbs 29:1 states the biblical principle, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

Pharaoh hardened his heart and resisted the authority of God over his life. Pharaoh blinded himself and refused to recognize God, and in so doing he incurred the wrath and judgment of God. Some are quick to point out that it says that “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart” but the truth is that we are told numerous times that “Pharaoh hardened his heart” before we are told that finally “God “hardened Pharaoh’s heart.”

When we harden our hearts against God and His word, He gives us up to our sinful desires and delusion.

Romans 1:19, 24-25  For that which is known about God is evident to them and made plain in their inner consciousness, because God [Himself] has shown it to them.

²⁴. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their [own] hearts to sexual impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],

²⁵ Because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever! Amen (so be it).

Signs of a hard heart:

i.                    Stubbornness-

ii.                  Lack of concern for spiritual things or insensitivity to God’s work

iii.                Ignoring the testimony of other people or tragic events

iv.                Recognizing sin but refusing to deal with it (confess, repent). True remorse leads to repentance.

v.                  Pride

Consequences of hardening our hearts against God and His word

i.                     Blatant disobedience- “Who is God that I should obey Him?” Ex 5:1

ii.                    Insincerity -yielded to God verbally

iii.                  Conviction without commitment

iv.                  Serious consequences come when we do not listen to and obey God. The more we disobey the more serious the consequences even death

Solution

Rev 3:20 says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Further, Heb 3:15 “As has just been said: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”
Ps 95:7, Heb 3:7, 4:7;

i.                    True repentance. It manifests in changed life

ii.                  Humbling ourselves before God

“I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.’’

Ezekiel 36:26.

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