God’s View on Divorce and Remarriage

Posted by May 13, 2015 Family, Holy Word, Podcast 2 Comments
God’s View on Divorce and Remarriage

Divorce and remarriage is becoming a popular practice among the Christians and this signifies a serious disaster in our communities. The view of God to divorce and remarriage is different from the legal rights claimed by many divorcee.
Global records of marriages per 1,000 people decreases from 8.06 in 1960 to 4.86 in 2022, while divorces per 1,000 people increases from 1.01 in 1960 to 2.03 in 2022. And, it is sad to know that divorce rate by major religions in the world reveals; Protestant 34%, Muslim 31%, Jewish 30%, Catholicism 21%, Buddhism 10% and Hinduism 1%.

In the beginning of human existence, God discovered it was not good for man to be alone so He decided to give Adam a wife made from his ribs. God used the ‘rib style’ to create Eve, because He wants to set up an unbreakable bond between the first husband and wife.

The Bible says in Genesis 2:22-24, “Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (NKJV)

The plan of God is not for married couples to live separately. He creates couples to be helpmates, so you will agree with me that divorce is not in the master plan of God for human.

Malachi chapter 2 verse 16 says: “For the LORD God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit that you do not deal treacherously.” (NKJV)

What can Cause Divorce?

Some common reasons by couples who involve in divorce include;

1. Domestic violence and abuse

2. Infidelity

3. Lack of equality in the marriage

4. Lack of courtship

5. Marriage at a tender age and

6. Addiction

7. Poverty

8. Lack of commitment

All these causes can be avoided if our generation will accept the Bible as our road map for taking decisions in life. The power of choice given to everyone by GOD is a great contributing effect to the popularity of divorce and remarriage.

God’s view on divorce and remarriage was clear when the Pharisees discussed the issue with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew chapter 19 and verse 4 to 6 says: “And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ “and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? “So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (NKJV)

When God gives you the freedom to choose and marry whoever you love, He takes the record on your wedding day. He is not happy whenever anyone put asunder. God is happy when you endure and keep your marriage intact. The best way to make a strong marriage is to practice a genuine love with your spouse.

God is always sad to hear couples filing for divorce, because He had made the husband and wife to become one flesh. So, it is an unpleasant experience for a flesh to be separated.

The main cause of unhappiness in broken homes is the disastrous effect of tearing a flesh apart. Linda Waite, a Sociologist in the University of Chicago analysed the relationships between marriage, divorce and happiness using the National Survey of Family and Households. She reported that unhappily married adults who had divorced were no happier than those who had stayed married. Some studies report that cohabitation before marriage is correlated with an increased divorce rate.

How can Divorce and Remarriage affect the Family?

Divorce can be described as emotional wounds filled with incurable pains to the victim. So, the effects of divorce are many which include:

• Children of divorced parents have a higher chance of behavioural problems than those of non-divorced parents
• Divorced person could have higher rates of clinical depression
• They seek formal Psychiatric care at higher rate and
• Have lower life expectancies

Jesus Christ discourages remarriage in Matthew chapter 19 verses 9, which says: “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

If the only cause approved for divorce is adultery, then the separation is not an avenue to remarriage. Jesus gives us the understanding that anyone that re-marries commits adultery because he/she is already one flesh to the other separated partner. This implies that both divorced are to stay single in all the days of their life, or to resolve their differences and come together as husband and wife again.

I strongly believe the rate of divorce and remarriage can reduce drastically if we educate our young ones to get involve in courtship at a matured age before marriage. Marriage built on the foundation of true love is unbreakable even at the midst of strong storms of life. Everyone of us in marriage must subscribe to God’s view of one man-one woman-one flesh-no asunder!

Lake of Fire; Is Hell Created for Humanity?

Posted by May 6, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word 2 Comments
Lake of Fire; Is Hell Created for Humanity?

Hell has always been a topic that a lot of people would not love to talk about but the interesting truth is that hell is not created for humanity. Lake of fire had never been an abode designed for us by God. God proved this to us in the most populous verse of the Bible; ‘’For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’’. John 3:16 NKJV
Did you believe that hell is not a joke?

Proof of Hell Existence by the Scientists

There are over 163 references in the New Testament which warns of hell and over 80 of these references were mentioned by the Lord Jesus Christ. Since Jesus Christ is not a liar and He cannot lie, then you have to consider this issue with utmost concentration.

 
His story about Lazarus and the rich man was not a parable but a true life story. He wants us to learn a lesson about the reality of hell. ‘’…So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom…’’ Luke 16:19-31.

 
In 1987, scientists who never believed in the eternity of heaven or hell came to there right senses after a drilling research of the earth. It was published in the Birmingham News, April 10, 1987 with an article titled, ‘’Earth’s Center Hotter than Sun’s surface’’. The scientists discovered that earth inner core has a temperature over 12,000 degree Fahrenheit.

The Location of Hell is on the Map

Jesus gave us the understanding that His mission of salvation for humanity will not be completed without taking authority from ‘Death’ in hell. Matthew 12:40, ‘’For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’’ So, the location of hell is at the center of the earth.

 
Jesus revealed hell to Mary K. Baxter in March 1976 and she wrote in her book titled ‘A Divine Revelation of Hell’; “Jesus spoke again: “Hell has a body (like a human form) lying on her back in the center of the earth. Hell is shaped like a human body – very large and with many chambers of torment”. (Page 34)

Who is Hell Created for?

Hell is for the disobedient spirits, which include Satan (formerly a Lucifer) and the rebellious demons (former angels of God) as mentioned in Revelation Chapter 12. Hell is translated as Hades in the Greek word. Some demons are bound in chains while some are unbound as mentioned in Jude 6. “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great Day”.

 
Hell is a place of darkness filled with agony, gnashing of teeth, weeping and sorrow. Revelation chapter 20 verse 10 says: “Devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever’’. So, it is clearly explained that every fallen spirit in hell (Death and Hades) shall be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death (Revelation 20:14).

The Character of Hell

The character of beings dwelling in hell can be summarized as disobedience. God created us to obey His will for our benefits and not to rebel against His wishes for our lives. Whenever someone disobey God and dies in such a rebellious life, it is impossible for the spirit of such person to dwell in heaven so the only available abode for such a disobedient spirit is hell.

 
Once you belief in the salvation of Jesus for your life, then you are saved from hell. But if you go back to worldliness, He will exercise patience for you to understand the truth about holiness. His patience is an act of love to save your spirit from perishing in hell. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

 
Lake of fire or hell is not created for humanity. It is created for the disobedient ones who made the choice to be rebellious to the instructions of the Lord. Jesus Christ gives us a clue of how the last judgment day will look like for those who made the choice of disobeying His instructions in the Bible. “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for devil and his angels”. (Matthew 25: 41)

 
This is a call for every one of us to always check and balance our lifestyle with the standard of God’s words in the Bible. Unrighteous character cannot enter into heaven. “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their path in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. (Rev 21:8 NKJV)
This warning is not meant to scare you but to encourage you not to take God’s salvation in your life for granted. Jesus loves you.

5 Things to Do to Gain Heaven

Posted by Apr 29, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word Leave a Comment
5 Things to Do to Gain Heaven

A true life story about heaven made me to meditate some practical things to consistently do to gain heaven, which I would love to share with you. A young pastor traveling on a highway saw an old man by the roadside requesting for a free ride, and he stopped the car for the old man in white garment to come in.

For the first time after ten minutes of silent driving, the old man asked the pastor if he knew what happened in heaven last night, but he gave a negative response. The old man said: “The trumpet was ordered to be blown for the rapture, but Jesus appealed that some people are yet to hear the gospel”. The amazing part of this story is that the old man disappeared from the vehicle after his last statement.

 
The scriptures made us to know that Jesus Christ in heaven is still playing the role of intercession as mentioned in the book of Hebrew chapter 12 verses 24 which says:…”to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.” 

With respect to the aggressive evangelism through the internet, Jesus Christ can come any moment from now. What will be your position during the rapture?

5 Major Steps to Take to Gain Heaven

1. Give the Access Key of Your Heart to God

When God created us in HIS image, a strong attribute we have in common is the ‘power of choice‘. Did you ever ask yourself why the omnipresent God could not stop Eve when she plucked the forbidden fruit to eat? The answer is simply because HE respected the power of Eve’s choice who decided to obey the devil.

Do not prefer to do things in your own way without consulting God. God can speak to you when you talk to HIM in your room – I am a living witness of this truth! To gain heaven you must have a constant relationship with the LORD. Give HIM the chance to control your decisions on earth. 

2. Worship God in Heaven and not the world

If you have the ambition to acquire houses, cars and many things of this world then you would find it difficult to respect the power and sovereignty of the Most High GOD. You will be distracted from the holy lifestyle the LORD wants from you. 

Jesus speaks in Matthew chapter 6 verses 24: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon”.

You must worship the LORD daily in spirit and in truth for you to gain heaven. 

3. Study the Road Map to Heaven

The LORD allowed the Bible to be in existence for everyone to understand the roadmap to heaven. It is the Holy Book that will guide you to a righteous life. When you read the Bible and obey the Will of God in the scriptures every day, then you are on the right direction to heaven.

The Holy Spirit speaks through Paul in his letter to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2Tim3:16)

4. Reject the Worldly Custom

This world is under the great influence of the devil who devices a lot of ungodly customs that can hinder our journey to heaven. 
You have to stay away from the popular customs in our generation which include; provocative dressing, tattoo, homosexuals, cohabiting, body costumes and other customs prohibited by the LORD.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. (Romans 12:2)

5. Love Your Neighbour

Everything about God is love, so you have to adjust your mind to love your friends and your enemies. Love is a significant trait in heaven.

For instance, an American visiting Japan for the first time and who wants to avoid embarrassment must learn the customs related to greetings and so on. The common greeting for men and women is to bow when they greet someone, as opposed to giving a casual handshake or a hug.

Similarly, to gain heaven you must also have the heart of true love to God and to everyone around you. Jesus speaks in John chapter 13 verse 34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

 

It is the plan of the LORD that everyone should gain heaven and that is the reason for the teachings, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to walk on the path of holiness which is the only way to heaven. This narrow path to heaven involves obedience to the instructions of the LORD daily, discipline, endurance, and agape love. May the LORD help us in Jesus name. 

Atheists; Atheism – A time-bomb!

Posted by Apr 22, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word 16 Comments
Atheists; Atheism – A time-bomb!

Atheism had become a famous belief in the developed countries and very soon it will spread like a wild fire to other continents. Atheists do not believe in the powerful existence of God, heaven or hell because they chose to be free thinkers.

 
Available statistics reveal a worldwide population of Atheist to be about 750 million. Research showed that Atheists are predominantly male younger than 35 years old, large populace exist in countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Europe, Canada and Australia. Is that an indication of inadequate evangelical crusade? The youths of this generation must be ready to close the gate of hell through God’s power and grace!

Three causes of Atheism

 
1. SEEKING A LAWLESS LIFE

Atheism had been in existence before the arrival of our Lord Jesus Christ and since such people still exist till today, it shows that the category of this people does not want to be controlled by any form of law or commandments. They do not want to surrender their power of will to God. Jesus had prophesied the popular occurrence of atheism, which every one of us had to fasten our belt. Mt 24:12 ‘’And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold”. (NKJV)

 
Atheists love to have full control of their decisions and they consider God to be an enemy, therefore, they decided to adopt the belief (empowered by the devil) that there is no God. They love to live a lawless life. You have to dissociate your kids from atheist because you might find it difficult to instill discipline in your kids.

 
2.WRONG USE OF SCIENCE

 
Most Atheists are better educated than some Christians and the wrong conception of science and technology had been an element of atheism.

For instance, a British Physicist Stephen Hawking spoke with El Mundo Newspaper that it was natural to believe God created the universe, but now science offers him more convincing explanation and the discovery of knowledge made him to reject God and pronounce to be an atheist. How I wish he could ask himself the source of his wisdom and knowledge…

 

3. FALSE TEACHING FROM THE PULPIT OF CLOWN

 
Atheism is spreading across the world because a lot of people go through terrible challenges of life which led to confusion and disappointment. It is a pity that some false pastors contributed greatly to this due to their wrong teachings and questionable lifestyles.

For instance, MacBain Teresa stood before the American Atheists convention in March 2012 at Bethesda, Maryland and told the participants who were more than 1,500, “My name is Teresa, I’m a pastor currently serving a Methodist church… at least up to this point… I am an atheist”. Though, the church sacked Teresa but a great havoc had been done to the faith status of a lot of new converts under her ministration. Can you imagine the faithless actions of such ministers in the Christendom?

 
The Holy Spirit blew the trumpet of warning about this in 2Peter 2:1 ”But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction”. (NKJV)

Two major ways to Preach to Atheists

 
1. DON’T SENTENCE ATHEIST TO HELL

 
Since majority of the Atheists are educated, then the bible is not a strange Book. You do not need to quote the Bible to sentence the atheist to death. Their natural rebellious belief detests the commandments of God, so listing the do’s and don’ts in the Bible will only lead to hot argument.

 
You can use the natural environment as awareness to the handiwork of God, which proofs His existence as the Source of all resources including science. Kindly explain to atheists that the events and word of God in the Bible are real as supported by the Archaeological discovery which gives a consistent proof that records in the Bible really occurred.

 
2. LAY MORE EMPHASIS ON DISCIPLINE

 
One of the hottest arguments by atheists is that if God had been a loving God, He would not have created what is called hell. I patiently explained to them that God’s grace and love in their lives is immeasurable, but He does not compromise His Integrity. Hell was not originally created for human, but for the disobedient beings. Atheist love to do whatever they wish (either good or bad), and do not want to be held responsible.
True love does not encourage indiscipline, and that is the reason God led Jesus to come to this world to teach us the right way to live.

 

Our God is real, Jehovah is alive, heaven and hell is real. He had given me the privilege to see Him in visions. I proclaim by the authority of the Lord that He is real and powerful. His presence is awesome; the breath in heaven can be described as peaceful. When compared to our breath on earth, it is like squeezing heavy stones through the nose. It would be painful for all atheists to stand before the judgment throne of God before discovering that God truly exist, heaven and hell is not a joke.

 
I am not comfortable with this trend of atheism. Every Christian should remember that Jesus asked a question in the second part of Luke 18:8… ‘’Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Jesus told us to spread the gospel to the world. Let us stop restricting ourselves to the four walls of the church every Sunday, but to move out to preach the Good News to those that are sick in spirit so that atheism will not spread like a wild fire in our society.

EVERY IDLE WORD: THE POWER OF SPEECH

Posted by Apr 15, 2015 Holy Word, Word of Faith 52 Comments
EVERY IDLE WORD: THE POWER OF SPEECH

Idle words are common conversation in our society and I never had a deep thought about the implication of idle words until a few days ago when I read the book of Matthew chapter 12 verse 36 and 37 where Jesus says: “And I tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate, then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.”

Today’s message will enlighten you on the significance of idle words and how to avoid your tongue from setting you ablaze.

Idle words can be described as every careless, insincere or exaggerated talk; it is indeed an undisciplined speech. Ephesians 5:4 mentioned some categories of idle word as; obscene stories, foolish talk, jesting and coarse jokes which are not appropriate for children of God.

Most times, some motivational speakers and preachers are involved in idle talk by sharing untrue or exaggerated story in the form of jokes to make the listeners or congregate to laugh. Is idle talk a safer speech to make?

Effects of Idle words in Every Speech

 
1. Idle words can kill
I have experienced a scenario where a talkative exaggerated his careless and unprofitable speech on campus and this lead to a serious chaos in the midst of the students.

Idle words can lead to war and killings of innocent souls and that is the reason King Solomon says: “Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill…’’ (Proverbs 18:21).

Spiritual death is also inevitable for careless talkers.

2. Idle words bring disrespect
Speaking idle words to make people laugh or to stir up trouble will not earn the speaker an iota of respect. No one will trust you whenever they noticed you are a talkative that exaggerates or involves in careless speech.

Such people cannot be a good leader at home or in the society because scriptures refer to them as fools in the book of Proverbs chapter 17 verses 28; “Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent, when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.”

 3. Speaking Idle word opens gates of hell

God never designed our eternity in hell, but those who involve themselves in careless talk or jokes are at a big risk to lose heaven.

Apostle James explained the importance of taming your tongue and to speak productive words only. “and the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” (James chapter 3 verse 6. NLT)

How to Avoid Idle words in Your Speech

 
1. Be quick to listen, but slow to speak
Always think twice to discourage yourself from utterance of idle speech and it will yield positive impact to your wise audience. Reduce your speech frequency because talking too much attracts the intention of exaggeration. It is smart for you to devout your speech for spiritual benefits.

2. Discourage any form of idleness
Practice efficient time management of life to avoid boredom and you won’t become a talkative. Also occupy your mind with fruitful ideas that could help you and your audience. Reading the Bible, meditating the word of God and prayers are powerful steps that overcome idleness which can prevent you from making speech filled with idle words.

3. Submit your power of speech to the Holy Spirit
The character of someone filled with idle words shows that he is too confident in his ability to speak and their failure to accept the choice words from the Lord is the cause of their idle words. Those who speak idle words do not represent God in their speech just like the Pharisee.

To avoid condemnation on the judgment day it is important to train your sense of hearing to hear from the Spirit of the LORD in your heart before you speak.

Scriptures made us to understand that there is no condemnation for those who believe in Christ Jesus, but this declaration is only applicable to Christians who worship God with their whole heart and not with their lips alone.