Category: BIBLE AND WEALTH

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

BECOME BETTER IN 2014 THAN…..

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In December every year, a lot of activities take place including the characteristic merry making euphoria. Also, most people take stock of the whole year and try to improve on areas which need improvement though some individuals and institutions do their stock taking in other months of every year. Whichever period we do our stock taking really does not matter; it is the content that matters. Stock taking exercise has come to be known as New Year Resolutions and for churches, we prefer using the word ‘theme of the year’ to mean the broad objective of the church for the year.

The question I would like to ask in this article is this- what is your New Year Resolution for 2014? Almost all churches have their themes or New Year Resolutions for 2014 and these themes directly or indirectly affect the members of the church.

As individuals, the contents of our New Year Resolutions are very important. Irrespective of the style of writing our New Year Resolutions, we should aim at implementing these resolutions for us to become better in 2014 than we were in 2013. Our Resolutions should aim at developing our human spirits and our minds in order to influence the environment around us. We must see ourselves growing more in the word of God, in the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and in our professions. If we have so much of the word of God in us and we are lacking in skills for our professional careers, then somethings may be wrong and need immediate correction. I have come across several so called Christians who claim that they know the word of God but have nothing to show for it. We should be living testimonies of the Gospel. The child of God has to be an ‘all-round person’ because as the good book says, we are the light of the world.

The word of God is always important to give us an urge in this turbulent world. We must also aim at closely walking with the Holy Spirit because He reveals more of Jesus and His word to us for us to know what to do at any particular time. Happy and Prosperous New Year to everyone.  

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

HAVE FAITH IN GOD

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Most of us, if not all, have boarded commercial vehicles and or airplanes before. Anytime we are going on-board, we do not go asking for the experience records of the drivers or pilots to be sure that they can take us to our destinations safely. More often than not, we do not even get the opportunity to see or have chats with the drivers or pilots before departure. We only hear their voices intermittently in the course of the journeys. During the journeys, we are confident that we will get to our destination safely. But you will agree with me that in spite of the confidence we usually have in the drivers or pilots, some vehicles and airplanes have crashed before because of varying causes.

If we are this confident in the drivers or pilots and in the airplanes and navigation gadgets which sometimes fail us, then we should be more confident in God who is so big and never fails.

Faith is an important element for Christian growth. However, most Christians find it difficult to develop and demonstrate their faith. As somebody once said, God does not respond to our tears but rather He responds to our faith. The good book says in Hebrew 11:6 that “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Faith in God is trusting God or confident assurance in God. Hebrews 11: 1 defines it best as “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Faith in God is trusting the word of God to deliver its offers because the word of God is life and spirit.

How do we develop our faith in God? Romans 10: 17 states that “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God”. We need to enrich our mind and spirit with the word of God. This is the way to develop our faith in God. We need to watch tapes and videos of men of God teaching the word of God. As we listen and watch, faith ‘swells’ up in us; our confidence builds up and we are able to receive direction from God for areas in our lives. You will suddenly realise that you are doing the right things and getting good results.  You will also have the special experience of God’s word flowing in your thought every now and then.

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

BRING FORTH GOOD THINGS

ID-10033670Can you imagine a world where everything is perfect? Can we have a world where there are no robberies, no murders, no diseases, no poverty and deprivation, no pollution and what have you? What a utopian proposition! The statistics of the elements above are always not pleasant for most countries on this planet. All of us have the ability and responsibility to make this world a better place but not all of us have the mind-set of making the world a better place- that is why some people work to generate wealth and some others refuse to work but will rather rob the wealth of others. Why is this the case? We are going to explore this using the scripture below.

A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things (Matthew 12:35). You will always give what you possess and you cannot give what you don’t possess. If you give what you don’t possess, then it is likely that you have either stolen from somewhere to give out or you have borrowed from somewhere to give out.

A good man always has good treasure and therefore brings forth good things. Good men will not rob from people; good men will not murder; good men will not blame the systems of the world as being responsible for every bad thing that happens but will rather contribute to ensuring that the world is a safe haven for everybody on earth. A good man will always discover something glorious and share to improve the lives of people in the world. A good man will invest in appropriate sectors after hearing from God. A good man will hunger for increase in order to bless the world. A good man is full of love, hope and faith. If you love people, hurting them will never be an option.

The negative things happening in the world now are as a result of the fall of man resulting in a heart that always brings forth evil things. To change an evil heart requires the word of God. Therefore if you want to enjoy the treasures of prosperity and meaning in life, change your heart by receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.   You may have heard the phrase “born again” several times and may not have been moved by it. But this is the truth, to be born again is to discover who you truly are and the abilities God has deposited in you to bless yourself and the world around you. “Born again” goes beyond mere religious rhetoric.  

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BIBLE AND WEALTH

HE MUST INCREASE IN US

ID-100216105Generally, every individual in this world desires to increase. The desire to increase is innate and starts to operate from our infancy as children. As children, we desired to walk just like any other normal person; we desired to grow bigger just like any other normal person. As the years passed by, our parents took us to school and with time, we desired to chart a particular career. The choice to choose a particular career is a demonstration of the desire to increase.

Families desire to increase. Increase may come in the form of numbers, that is, giving birth to children; taking up new jobs in order to earn more income for the upkeep of the family etc. Nations and the world at large desire to increase. Nations would want to work towards increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP); improving the health care system of citizens etc. The world at large is working towards reducing maternal mortality and reducing the level of global poverty by increasing the standard of nations as stated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

All the above forms of increase is necessary and crucial for sustainable development. However, there is another type or level of increase which I want to talk about in this article. This is mentioned in     John 3:30 which states, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. This is a profound statement by John the Baptist. John was baptising and Jesus was also baptising. Jesus was baptising more people than John because more men were going to Him. John was asked why Jesus was baptising more people and he answered by saying that – He must increase, but I must decrease.

As children of God, we must desire to increase and work at it. The ability to increase is deposited in our spirit and it is our responsibility to portray this in our walk of faith. In December 2012, what were the New Year resolutions we made? Were we able to achieve them?  We are in December 2013 and it is likely that we will come out with new resolutions for 2014. Let us ensure that we work towards achieving the New Year resolutions for 2014. We must increase in the roles we play in our jobs; increase in the way we take care our families; increase in good relations with people. We must increase in the roles we play in church growth by witnessing to the unsaved and investing part of income in the ministry of the gospel. Above all, the indwelling of God’s word in us must increase from now and in 2014. 2014 must be a year of increase in any area of our lives because that is the purpose of God for our lives. We must be a blessing to the world more in 2014 and beyond than in 2013.     

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