The light: Understanding Why we must Illuminate

Illumunation in the profound sense is “turning on the light” of comprehension in some range. All through the ages, individuals in each culture and religion have asserted some sort of disclosure or edification from God (whether genuine or not). At the point when that illumination manages new learning or future things, we call it prescience. At the point when that edification manages understanding and applying information effectively given, we call it enlightenment. Concerning of the last sort, the question emerges,

“How does God do it?”

The most fundamental level of illumination is the learning of transgression, and without that information, everything else is futile.

Psalm 18:28 says,

You are the one who lights my lamp the Lord my God illumines my darkness.

 

Psalms 119 which is the longest Chapter in the Bible, is a melody about God’s Word. In verse 130, it says “The entrace of your words gives light; it offers comprehension to the simple.” This verse builds up the fundamental technique for God’s enlightenment. At the point when God’s Word enters the heart of a man, it gives light and comprehension to them. Therefore, we are more than once advised to concentrate the Word of God.

 

Psalm 119:11 says

“You word I keep close in my heart so I might not sin against you.”

Verses 98 and 99 say ”
Customary investigation of the Word of God will provide guidance and comprehension in the issues of life. This is the main strategy for God’s brightening and the beginning stage for every one of us. In Psalm 119 we likewise discover another sort of God’s enlightenment. Verse 18 says,  These are not new disclosures, but rather things which have been composed and uncovered much sooner, and a few seconds ago comprehended by the peruser (one of those “aha!” minutes). Thus, verse 73 says, “Your hands made me and framed me; give me comprehension to take in your summons.” The supplication is for individual comprehension and utilization of God’s laws as they are examined by the person. Fifteen circumstances in this psalm, God gives understanding with respect to His laws.
One entry that occasionally blends contention in regards to light is John 14:26, “However the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will show all of you things and will help you to remember all that I have said to you.”

Jesus was addressing His followers in the upper room, giving them last directions before His demise. This uncommon gathering of men was to be in charge of spreading the uplifting news of Jesus Christ to the entire world. They had burned through three and a half years with Him, watching His supernatural occurrences and listening to His lessons. They would transfer those things to whatever remains of the world, and would need God’s exceptional help recalling those things precisely. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would show them and help them to remember what had been said, so they could offer it to others (counting the written work of the Gospels). This verse does not show that the Spirit will do as such with all adherents (however there are different verses that talk about the Spirit’s lighting up work).
What is the Holy Spirit’s enlightening work in devotees?

Ephesians 1:17-18

17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers.”

In 1 Corinthians 2:10-13, 

10 God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God. 11 Who knows a person’s depths except their own spirit that lives in them? In the same way, no one has known the depths of God except God’s Spirit. 12 We haven’t received the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit so that we can know the things given to us by God. 13 These are the things we are talking about not with words taught by human wisdom but with words taught by the Spirit we are interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people.

God has uncovered His arrangements for us by His Spirit, who shows us very deep things. The setting here focuses to the Word of God as that which has been uncovered. The Spirit of God will dependably guide us toward the Word of God for our direction. As Jesus told His disciples in

John 16:12-15,

have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you.

To be continued next Monday…

Merry Christmas

Yaay! Its Christmas…

May your Christmas be filled with sparks of joyful moments, love, laughter, goodwill, and fulfilment.I pray that every moment bring satisfaction and celebrations that’ll last throughout the new year! Don’t forget to shower everyone around with Love and Jesus Joy.

May God bless you and your entire household…  

Hohoho!

Merry Christmas plus wishing you a ground breaking New Year…

From all of us at Relationship Pills!

Bridging two worlds: 3 common gospel mistakes we make

Two months ago, the drama team in my church staged a play about evangelism and the common mistakes we make. During the play, it felt like they were throwing shots at me. I was guilty for some of them, since then I’ve had this burden to put this issue up. As Christians often times while sharing the good news we cross the line, we seem to go far but the receiving end doesn’t respond to our message as expected on the off chance, we might be committing this blunder!

Quick question: At what Point do we Cross the Line?

Three years ago, in class; a colleague during a leadership class insulted the speaker to the extent I got mad. I felt so much rage because of the blasphemous words he uttered in fact he made mockery of all the speaker’s utterance. After the lecture, there was a burst up between us; another colleague Salau intervened and calmly spelt out his wrongdoings, Arrogant me said: “Leave him, when you’re pulling someone from the gate of hell and he’s hell bent on dying, there’s no crime”. The truth is I thought I was supporting God, Can a man fight for God? Can you bring people to Christ with arrogance and death message?

A resounding No!

As a Christian we should always remember “two wrongs can never make a right”.

A year later, I went for Global outreach day, so unknowingly we entered into a den of gamblers. As curious and young evangelists we shared the gospel and it looked like they were listening at first. After our scriptural declarations, they began the greatest height of blasphemous gestures and utterances I’ve ever experienced. Our coordinators simply said with a huge smile “Give your lives to Christ” then they asked us to leave.

Their response was Christlike, they knew where the line was and never crossed it… When do we Christians cross the line? I decided to write this after I read an update on social media, a scary message it entailed mostly “you’ll die, you’re going to hell.”  Is this the way,  we want to share God’s love and hospitality?

Romans 8:1 from another perspective;

“There is no now condemnation for those who are in Christ” its not talking just about you, it means as we have become a “Christ branch” a body; we can not be found condemning people no matter their stand. The gospel is good news not a death message on the off chance you do not seem to agree with me, its a love message of how Jesus died in place of you and i for the sake of love.

 

John 14:12

“Greater love hath no man than these that a man should lay down his life for His friend.”

1 John 4:8

“Whosoever does not love, does not know God because God is love.”

1 John 4:18-19

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.

Here’s a lot of us get mixed up. I think that inadvertantly a lot of people believe in freedom of religion but also believe that their religion should have precedent over the others. And it’s logical, because we all believe we’re right. Otherwise, why would we believe what we believe?

But I don’t think this is a healthy mindset. Freedom of religion means just that freedom to believe whatever you deem fit. And you know what? It’s a two way thing. You deserve freedom to express your beliefs, but if you want that freedom respected, you’ve also got to reciprocate respect toward others’ beliefs.

But here’s the thing: respecting someone else’s beliefs doesn’t mean that you’re being ashamed of yours.

Rather, it means you’re implying “Hey, we believe different things. I respect your choice of those beliefs, and because I respect your rights, your opinion, I’m not going to force you to accept my beliefs without accepting yours as well.”

  I think this is particularly hard for we Christians because it’s so pushed to “share your faith share your faith SHARE YOUR FAITH!!!!!” Which I do believe is REALY important, Jesus himself commanded that we do. But if you look at Jesus’ life, a lot of what he did was respecting people’s dignity he touched an “unclean” woman, he healed lepers and treated them like family. Oftentimes when we’re so focused on forcing our beliefs on others even if it’s for the best of intentions, we forget to treat them with dignity in the process. Furhermore It is not respectful to use your friends’ heartbreak as a chance to try to convert them by forcing the Jesus talk on them when they’re most vulnerable. It would be the equivalent of someone coming up to you when you were going through hell and saying “Ha, what did I tell you? God doesn’t exist.

2. We Don’t Become All Things to All People

Now, in case you thought the above point was a “get out of jail free card” that let you never have to evangelize again, enter point two.

Sunday school often does a great job of teaching us “ how to evangelize .” And it becomes a character we do. We become spiritually alert (we didn’t have a “good” day, we had a “blessed”day), and make sure to always have a serene look on our faces. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I see it almost every day. I think we can often get it into our heads that there is a right way to go about preaching the gospel. And that way is to present yourself as a perfect little stereotypical Christian.

But that’s not what the Bible says.

Instead, we’re supposed to be fluid and try to relate with the people around us. Please, with due respect!!! It doesn’t help anyone if you come in there with a “don’t you want to be just like me?” attitude.

Just to be clear : the end goal is for them not to have a life that looks like yours. The end goal is to help them allow Jesus into their lives so that Jesus can work with them where they’re at and take them to their own destination.

A lot of people shy away from church because they don’t fit in with the church crowd. That is one of the saddest things I have ever heard. But I think it’s because we’ve made ourselves so separate from the culture of the people around us, we’re too afraid of being seen as anything other than the most holy, or the most “spiritual” that we’ve forgotten how to simply relate to people.

That is so completely different than the first apostles’ experience. I’m just going to paste here what Paul said in

1 Corinthians 9:

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I might save some.

Jesus didn’t only come for one type of people (just Christians). He came for everyone. So why are we making it seem like Christianity is only for people who fit a “church crowd” stereotype?

3. We Use Christianity to Save Face

Often we can get so caught up in presenting Christianity well that we’re scared to be vulnerable. Because if we’re trying to show people why Jesus is the way, they won’t be interested unless our lives are perfect, right?

Wrong. And not only wrong, but actually pretty prideful, too.

Often we use our religion so that we don’t have to become vulnerable with people. We talk about the blessings that God has given us; we stay on the “safe” topics about how wonderful a relationship with Jesus is. So you talk for a while, but never actually say anything. You’ve only presented half of the message.

If we’re scared that nothing but the “perfect” life will attracf someone to God, we’re actually believing that “the gospel is more about me and my life than it is about God and what he did.” its  the bitter truth!

But think about it the gospel is true and it is powerful despite our weaknesses. In fact, even more than that, it is made powerful through our weaknesses! It is absolutely absurd to be scared that truth will scare people away from God. And you know why? Because God is truth.

God isn’t interested in tricking people into believing in him, like some bad telecommunications service. He wants people to engage in a deep, intimate/active relationship with Him that isn’t possible if it’s shallow or one sided. God isn’t only God in the good. He is also God in the bad. So let’s give Him and His gospel some credit, truth and hospitality are some of the most powerful tools we have, because it shows how God can work even when we mess everything up.

Inspired by Dr Ravi Zacharias’ Bridging two Worlds.

Please kindly drop your views in the comment box…

Have a blessed Christmas in advance!