Monday 31 October 2016

Importance of love in building a strong marriage


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN BUILDING A STRONG MARRIAGE

There are several non-negotiable essentials that stand as pillars in every strong, spiritual marriage.

Love –
When we speak of love, we are not talking about the kind of love portrayed in Hollywood. Movies and television depict love as nothing more than sexual desire. While the sexual relationship within the context of marriage is very important, 1 Cor. 7:1-5, even it flows from a deeper, more spiritual kind of love.

Paul describes the kind of love we are talking about in 1 Cor. 13:4-6. A closer look of love’s character is in order here.

v. 4 Suffereth Long - This word means “patient endurance even when provoked, long-tempered”. Love does not retaliate!

v. 4 Is Kind - This word refers to active goodness. It is never hateful or mean. Love is kind in words and actions.

v. 4 Envieth Not - True love is not jealous. Instead of being jealous when others prosper or excel, love is pleased when they do well.

v. 4 Vaunteth Not Itself - Literally, this phrase means “does not make a parade”. Love does not brag! It does not draw attention to itself or to what it is doing.

v. 4 Is Not Puffed Up - Love is not arrogant or proud. It does not demand to be number one.

v. 5 Does Not Behave Itself Unseemly - Love is never rude, but it always treats others with compassion, consideration and respect!

v. 5 Seeketh Not Her Own - True love is never selfish and self-centered, but it is actively interested in what will profit others. It never looks at itself first, but it always considers another ahead of itself.

v. 5 Is Not Easily Provoked - True loves keeps no record of evils done to it, but it willingly endures all slights and injuries. It is not irritable.

v. 5 Thinketh No Evil - “takes no worthless inventory” Two thoughts are in mind here. First, genuine love does not attribute evil motives to people. Second, genuine love does not keep a record of evils done to it. It doesn’t hold a grudge.

v. 6 Rejoiceth Not In Iniquity - Love does not rejoice in sin.

v. 6 Rejoiceth In The Truth - It rejoices when truth is proclaimed and when truth wins the victory. Love is glad for the truth, even when the truth hurts. Love is glad when truth wins the day!

This kind of love is to be mutual. The husband is commanded to love his wife with every fiber of his being, Eph. 5:25; 28, 31. The wife is commanded to love her husband, Titus 2:4. A home filled with love is a home filled with the essence of Heaven!

LET US PRAY
DEAR FATHER, PLEASE FILL OUR HOME WITH YOUR LOVE AND MAKE OUR HOME A GOOD EXAMPLE IN JESUS NAME.

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Sunday 30 October 2016

Making your marriage strong


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: MAKING YOUR MARRIAGE STRONG

Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” This verse teaches us the truth that every endeavor in life must be based on a relationship with God.

This is especially true when it comes to our marriages. If they are to be strong; if they are to glorify God; if they are to be a blessing to us and other; they must be built on the bedrock of a strong and serious relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

As His love operates in the heart of a husband and a wife, the married couple is better able to love one another. I am able to love my wife better today than I could before I knew the Lord. My love is deeper, stronger and more pure because I am able to love her with His love. People in love with Jesus are able to be channels through which His love can flow to those around us.

Being rightly related to the Lord Jesus brings a divine dimension to marriage. When both the husband and the wife are in a vital, growing relationship with the Lord, they can pray together. They can worship together. They can discuss the things of God together. Their mutual relationship with God moves their own relationship beyond the physical into the spiritual. Thus, their love is stronger, purer and more enduring than it could ever be otherwise.

As most of us know, over 50% of all marriages in our nation fail. Many fall apart during the stormy times. Things like debt, lust, business of life, loss of interest in the other partner, and a host of other things can bring marriages to the brink of disaster.

No marriage, not even Christian marriages are immune from these upheavals. However, a marriage that stands on the bedrock of a strong relationship with Jesus Christ can weather any storm that comes along. (Ill. Luke 6:47-49)

·Marriages in which both partners are not saved can and do last for many years. That is a wonderful thing. Still, those marriages can never achieve the spiritual purposes God has for marriage. The marriage is real and the love deep, but it can never be everything God designed marriage to be.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS, LET YOUR LOVE BIND US TOGETHER IN OUR MARRIAGE TILL THY KINGDOM COME IN JESUS NAME.

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Thursday 27 October 2016

God's pattern for marriage


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: GOD'S PATTERN FOR MARRIAGE

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they shall be one flesh" Genesis 2 v 24.

All the way through the Scriptures starting at Genesis chapter 2 we see that in marriage a man and woman leave their parents and are joined together by God to set up a distinct family unit.

This is a picture of the marriage of Christ and His church (His bride) which He loved and for which He gave Himself for.

In speaking of marriage in Ephesians 5 v 32 Paul says "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church." The marvel of this great story of love; of the Love of Christ who gave all that he had that He might win that which He valued so highly.
A marriage that will last for eternity, a picture of which we can experience now.
Our marriages should be full of this love of Christ; giving them a holiness and a powerful testimony in the world, which thing Satan hates. He hates all that is precious to Christ!

Marriage is for many reason of which raising of children in a secure loving environment is part.
We see the problem in society where children are raised without this security, and the instability it brings to children when this is broken.

In our verse, "A man" would indicate a mature person who is able to take the positive decision to "leave" his parents, and the responsibility that goes with that decision.

"Cleave" would indicate a bond of affection, which is enduring; literally to glue or cement. A permanent relationship of love.

Being "one flesh" would indicate oneness of activity and purpose and also the physical relationship.

Marriage is the God-given relationship for the display of our natural affections and desires.

Marriage is until the Lord shall come or death breaks the bond.

Matthew 19 v 6 says "What God hath joined together let not man put asunder."

In marriage too, an individual loses his own identity and both become a new person: "And they twain shall be one flesh: so that they are no more twain but one flesh."

(Matthew 10 v 8) If we take Christ as our pattern we should give our love to our partner, wanting only their love in return. (He loved us and gave Himself for us. Ephesians 5 v 25) and as this is displayed love will grow.
The husband has the role of responsibility as head and the wife the subject position as I have written previously in our morning meal some weeks ago.

This is God's order to which we must be prepared to submit if we wish His blessing Ephesians 5 v 22 and 23 "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husband, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife."

If you are considering marriage are you prepared to share everything with your partner as one person: yourself, your time, your money, your interests, your friends so that all you do will be only that which you are both happily agreed upon before the Lord?
Ephesians 5 v 21 "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord."
I write this topic this weekend for you to sit with your partner and discuss your marriage. Either single or married. HAPPY WEEKEND.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST. MAKE US A PERFECT COUPLE TO YOUR GLORY AND OUR BLESSING IN JESUS NAME.

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Wednesday 26 October 2016

Giving Produces joy


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Giving produces joy

"For God so loved the world, he gave . . ." (John 3:16). We are never more like God than when we give. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life" (Matt. 20:28). The world's thought is get all you can. But to be like Jesus, we must give.

You've heard it said, "Give until it hurts." That's not true. People don't give because it hurts. They give because it feels good. Again Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35, NIV). The happiest people on earth are givers. They have discovered the joy of giving.

Author Thomas Carlyle tells how, when he was a boy, a beggar came to his door. His parents were out and he was alone in the house. On a boyish impulse, he broke into his own savings bank and gave the beggar all that was in it. He said that never before or since did he know such sheer joy in giving.

When we give of ourselves our heart is changed. And the heart of our Christ shows through.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, OPEN THE WINDOW OF YOUR BLESSING TO US AND LET YOUR JOY OVERFLOW IN US IN JESUS NAME.

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Tuesday 25 October 2016

Giving lead to life


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Giving leads to life

In the Holy Land, fresh water comes from a brook and fills the Sea of Galilee. This body of water has always been fruitful in fish.
And then the Sea of Galilee takes that water and gives it to the Jordan River. That famous river uses its water to turn the desert into a rose and make it the land of milk and honey.
The Jordan River spills into the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea does not have an outlet. It takes the water in but does not give any away. That produces the saline problem which makes it salty and dead. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea.

This is a universal principle: One has to give to live. Jesus said "Give, and it will be given to you,".

Karl Menninger said, "Our capacity to give is one of the best indications of mental health.

I have known very few generous people who were mentally ill." The fact remains, abundant living begins with abundant giving.

learn how to give, and you shall not lack, people who begged are not always satisfied and their always at the low class anywhere in the world.
Change your mind and your attitude will change for a fruitful life.

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME, MAKE US A RICH GIVER AND NOT A POOR BEGER IN JESUS NAME,

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Monday 24 October 2016

Giving entails a sacrifice


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Giving entails a sacrifice

Jesus said, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matt. 20:28, NIV).

Since godly giving entails a sacrifice, does he expect anything less from us?

Jesus observed a touching event when he watched people give contributions to the Temple. Many people gave considerable amounts. Then came a widow. She gave two coins amounting to less than a cent.
Then Jesus used her action as an object lesson for His disciples. Jesus was saying to His disciples that the size of the gift does not matter as much as the size of the sacrifice.
The woman could have kept one of the coins and everyone would have understood. But, she gave everything she had. She did not hold anything back.

The heart of Christianity says that you haven't given God anything until you have given God everything.

At 30, Florence Nightingale wrote in her diary, "I am thirty years of age, the age at which Christ began his mission. Now no more childish things, no more vain things. Now, Lord, let me think only of Thy will." Years later, near the end of her illustrious, heroic life, she was asked for her life's secret, and she replied, "Well, I can only give one explanation. That is, I have kept nothing back from God."

Note this friends, What you are keeping away from God will keep God away from you if you don't let it go.

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME, HELP US TO GIVE YOU ALL THAT YOU REQUIRE OF US IN JESUS NAME.

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Giving begins with a cause


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Giving begins with a cause

Matthew 20:28

The disciples of Jesus gave up everything to follow Him. They left behind homes and jobs and security to follow this Nazarene Carpenter. Why would those men give up everything to follow an itinerant preacher? Because they were captured by a cause. The kingdom of God was at hand. The Son of God was in their midst. They wanted to be a part of a life-changing cause.

Such actions did not stop with the first followers of Jesus. The Book of Acts records men and women giving up houses, incomes, possessions, land, time, and talents to follow Christ. These people were persecuted, murdered, and endured suffering. Why would they endure such pain and torture? Because they saw themselves as a part of a great cause.

These early Christians saw giving as the means of Kingdom building. In giving what they could, the expansion of God's kingdom on earth would occur.

We can selfishly live for ourselves, meagerly exist and eventually die. Or, we can give ourselves to the greatest cause of reaching people for Christ and therefore find life.

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME, MAKE US PART OF KINGDOM BUILDER AND NOT KINGDOM DESTROYER IN JESUS NAME.

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Thursday 20 October 2016

Wife's role in Marriage


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Wife's Role in Marriage

Submission

"Submit" to the leadership of your husband. Just mention the word "submission," and many women immediately become angry and even hostile. This controversial concept has been highly debated and misunderstood.

Some husbands and wives actually believe submission indicates that women are inferior to men in some way. I have known women who think that if they submit they will lose their identity and become "non-persons." Others fear (some with good reason) that submission leads to being used or abused.

Another misconception is that submission means blind obedience on the part of the woman. She can give no input to her husband, question nothing, and only stay obediently barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

What does God have in mind? Here are two passages from Scripture:

Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them (Colossians 3:18-19).

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body(Ephesians 5:22-30).

These Scriptures make it clear that a wife should submit voluntarily to her husband's sensitive and loving leadership. Therefore, as wife voluntarily submit to her husband, she is completing him. She is helping him fulfill his responsibilities, and she is helping him become the man, the husband, and the leader God intended him to be.

Building oneness in marriage works best when both partners choose to fulfill their responsibilities voluntarily, with no pressure or coercion.
To become the servant-leader God has commanded him to be,
I needs my wife gracious respect and submission. And when i love my wife the way God commanded to, she can be more easily submit herself to my leadership.
She can do this with an attitude of entrusting herself to God.

In one of his letters, Peter told us that even though Jesus suffered terrible pain and insults, He did not retaliate "but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously" (1 Peter 2:23). When you entrust your life to the Father, it's much easier to be the wife of an imperfect man, particularly when you may have disagreements.

NOTE THIS, Some of you may live with abuse or in excessively unhealthy and destructive conditions in your marriage. At times, it may be inappropriate or even life-threatening for you to apply unquestioningly the principles of submission.

For example, if you are being physically or verbally abused, you may need to take steps to protect yourself and your children. You may need to say to your husband, "I love you, but enough is enough." If you are in that situation, please discerningly seek out your pastor or someone wise who has been trained to help with your specific issue.

Loving, forgiving, and submitting do not mean that you become a doormat or indefinitely tolerate significantly destructive behavior that can send you to hell.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, COME AND BE THE KING OF OUR UNION TO LIVE A PERFECT JESUS COUPLE LIFE IN JESUS NAME.

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Wednesday 19 October 2016

Wife's Role In Marriage


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Wife's Role in Marriage

...Continue from yesterday...

The Lord expect every wife to love their husband and demonstrate it. Because love is not only in words but in demonstration.

Love your husband.

Titus 2:4 calls for wives "to love their husbands." A good description of the kind of love your husband needs is "unconditional acceptance." In other words, accept your husband just as he is—an imperfect person.

Love also means being committed to a mutually fulfilling sexual relationship.

I realize there is a whole lot more to love than sex, but as a woman you must be looking at how to fulfill God's command to love your husbands. Therefore, we must look at love from your husband perspective, not just your own.

Surveys show that sex is one of a man's most important needs—if not the most important. When a wife resists intimacy, is uninterested, or is only passively interested, her husband may feel rejection. It will cut at his self-image, tear at him to the very center of his being, and create isolation.

Your husband's sexual needs should be more important and higher on your priority list than menus, housework, projects, activities, and even the children. It does not mean that you should think about sex all day and every day, but it does mean that you should find ways to remember your husband and his needs. It means you save some of your energy for him.

It keeps you from being selfish and living only for your own needs and wants. Maintaining that focus helps you defeat isolation in your marriage.

This is another important role of a wife in the marriage which keep the fire of the marriage burning last forever.
...Continue tomorrow

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KEEP YOUR LOVE IN OUR HEART TO KEEP OUR MARRIAGE PERFECT IN JESUS NAME.

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Tuesday 18 October 2016

Wife's role in Marriage


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Wife's Role in Marriage

Thanks to some brethren who read my last morning meal on the role of husband to his wife. I will be writing the role of the wife to her husband too as many has demanded.

Perhaps more than at any other time in history, women today need a clear understanding of how they should relate to their husbands. In fact, the significant social changes brought about by the women's movement over the last few decades have led to such confusion that the very idea of "roles" is repugnant to some. They feel as if somehow they lose their identity and their freedom if they adhere to some type of "outdated standard."

It's important for us to look clearly at what the Bible says on this subject. And while the Bible doesn't apply our modern word "role" to marriage, the Scriptures are clear about the unique responsibilities God assigns to a wife.

A wife's responsibilities can be properly understood only in the context of loving, servant leadership by her husband.

1. Be a helper to your husband.

While all of us are called to be helpers to others, the Bible places a special emphasis on this responsibility for wives.

Genesis tells us that God realized it wasn't good for man to be alone, and that He decided to make a "helper suitable for him" (Gen. 2:18).

It is interesting to note that the Hebrew meaning of the word helper in this passage is found hereafter in the Bible to refer only to God as He helps us.
The fact that this same word is applied to a wife signifies that women have been given tremendous power for good in their husbands' lives.

God has designed wives to help their husbands become all that God intends for them to be.

2. Respect your husband.

In Ephesians 5:33, Paul says, " … the wife must respect her husband."

When you respect your husband you reverence him, notice him, regard him, honor him, prefer him, and esteem him. It means valuing his opinion, admiring his wisdom and character, appreciating his commitment to you, and considering his needs and values.

Husbands have many needs. man who is self-contained, independent, and invulnerable is a myth. list of what is considered to be some of the primary needs most men have:

Self-confidence in his personhood as a man.
To be listened to
Companionship
To be needed
To me, meeting these needs is what respecting your husband is all about.

Every husband wants his wife to be on his team, to coach him when necessary, but most of all to be his cheerleader.

A husband needs a wife who is behind him, believing in him, appreciating him, and cheering him on as he goes out into the world every day.
...CONTINUE TOMORROW.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, DON'T ALLOW DEVIL TO BRAKE OUR GODLY HOME IN JESUS NAME. AMEN

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Monday 17 October 2016

Vow


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: VOW

In the bible, a vow has a place in initiating the unusual move of God and miracles in people's lives. In the old and new testament, a vow was always a pledge or promise made to God, never to another person. It was always an expression of unusual devotion. It was also a commitment and was usually voluntary.

A vow is a promise made to God to do something for God in return for a miracle or help we need from Him when there is no other way out. God in His divine mercy has given us the privilege to make a vow and receive a miracle from Him and then fulfil the promise we make to Him. The making of vows are used when one is in crisis or when we have missed God and ended up in a dead-end road.
There are important points you need to know regarding vows.

1. God requires you to fulfil the vow without delaying when it is made and when He brings it to pass; Ecclesiastes 5:4-6, Deuteronomy 23:21-23.

2. God honours the vows we make; Genesis 28:20-22.

3. Make vows you can easily keep, be specific, do not be rash or careless in making vows; Judges 11:29-40.

4. You must be Spirit-led, there is a place for making a vow; I Samuel 1:10-11. We must learn to let go and let God. A Spirit-led vow can be for your own protection; Job 31:1.

A vow is not an outdated thing, it is a God thing. We will all have to make a vow with God at one point or another in our lives.

LET US PRAY
I declare and I pray, that every God-given vow you make, you will see it come to pass, and God will give you the grace to pay the vow. And if there are vows you have made to God out of lack of understanding or irrationally, I speak the mercy of God over you life, no more condemnation in the name of Jesus.

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Sunday 16 October 2016

Christian Giving


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: CHRISTIAN GIVING

...CONTINUE FROM LAST WEEK

6. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in light of the incarnation.

Many Christians argue about whether the tithe (10% of our income) is still the standard for our giving to the Church (disputants usually want to show that less than 10% is fine).

Paul scuttles the whole debate in one verse. He says: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Christ's self-giving is now the standard for our giving! We begin from the base of the tithe and aim for emulation of His self-sacrifice. Our giving is to be inspired and instructed by Christ's inexpressible gift. In light of such a challenge, who could possibly satisfy himself with asking "how little a percentage is acceptable for me to give?" Do you try to get by with giving as little as possible to the Lord, or do you give in view of the Lord's costly sacrifice?

7. The Bible teaches that Christian giving should be done in accordance with our means.

Paul is quite clear on this: "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have" (2 Corinthians 8:12).

In another way Paul is saying that you should give in proportion to what God has given you. He said it this way in 1 Corinthians 16:2, "each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper."

This means at least two things:

(1) since we are all supposed to give proportionately, those who have more money are expected to give more [those who are particularly blessed materially must remember this], and

(2) the Lord never asks us to give what we do not have, or contribute beyond our means. Are you really giving in proportion to the material blessings that the Lord has given you?

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BLESS US THIS WEEK ACCORDING TO YOUR RICHES IN JESUS NAME. AMEN

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Thursday 13 October 2016

Christian Giving


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: CHRISTIAN GIVING

...CONTINUE FROM YESTERDAY

1. The Lord Jesus expects and requires us to give.

Jesus said to His disciples, "when you give" not "if you give" (Matthew 6:2)! Hence, Christian giving is not optional, but rather essential. We often hear folks say: "in the Old Testament they had to give, but not in the New - now we only give if we want to." This is clearly not Jesus' teaching. He expected all His followers to be givers. Christians will give. Are you giving?

2. The Lord Jesus wants us to give for the right reasons.

Jesus warned His disciples not to give for the sake of being admired by men. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them," He said (Matthew 6:1). When we give, we must be careful to examine our motives. We ought to give for the glory of God and the good of His people. We must desire His approval of our giving, rather than the praise and admiration of people. Are you giving for God's praise or man's?

3. The Lord Jesus wants us to practice benevolent or charitable giving.

Jesus said "When you give to the poor . . . ." (Matthew 6:2-3). Jesus is specifically teaching about "alms" in this passage: aid, charity, or benevolent offerings for the needy. Do you give amply enough to the Church that she can be generous in benevolent giving?

4. The Lord Jesus reminds us that our giving is ultimately to the all-seeing heavenly Father.

Jesus said "When you give . . . ; your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:3-4). When we give, we are not simply adding to the Church budget, we are giving up a thank offering to the Father Himself. Thus, we must all give "as unto the Lord." Our ultimate goal in giving is to please Him. Are you conscious of the fact that your giving is to the Lord and seen by the Lord?

5. The Bible teaches that Christian giving is an act of worship.

In connection with the previous point, we see this truth stressed in another way in Paul's word's "On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save" (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul here teaches the Corinthians that their taking up of the collection is an act of worship which is to be a part of their regular Lord's Day worship. When we put our money in the plate, we are worshiping Almighty God in accordance with His Word. Note well, Paul is speaking here of a "collection for the saints" - this is giving by the Church to the Church for the Church. Did you realize that giving is a part of worship? Is your worship in this area abundant or inhibited? Is giving to the Church a priority with you?

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME,
OPEN THE WINDOW ON HEAVENLY BLESSING UPON US AND MAKE US A BLESSING FOR THE CHURCH IN JESUS NAME.

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Wednesday 12 October 2016

CHRISTIAN GIVING


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: CHRISTIAN GIVING

Very often, people ask or wonder "what are the basic biblical principles for Christian giving?"

As we seek God's answer to that question and as we contemplate our own giving to the Lord's church in response to the clear teaching of His Word, perhaps it would be wise and helpful to review those principles here.

First, let us go to the Word of God itself, without comment:

Matthew 6:1-4 Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

1 Corinthians 16:1-2 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.

2 Corinthians 8:9-15 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality - at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

In our review of these four New Testament passages, we find at least ten principles for Christian giving which I will continue tomorrow. Be a giver, God bless you

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST GIVE US A HEART OF GIVING AND BLESS US TO BLESS OTHERS IN JESUS NAME.

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THE DUTY OF THE HUSBAND TO HIS WIFE


If you are a man and are married, or are betrothed (engaged to be married), or hope one day to be, the scripture has some things to say to you. Today I want to look at the five duties of a man to his woman. The five duties of a husband to his wife. And I don't care what anybody else has told you, if the husband fails to fulfil these five duties, he has forsaken the Lord and His sacred rules which he has ordained.
I'm not here to dump on you today; I'm not here to castigate you. I'm here to speak to us. To encourage us to be scriptural husbands. Now I must warn you some of the things that the scripture says won't be what you hear at your workplace, or on television, or from your friends. But then, neither should they be; because your workplace didn't create marriage, neither did the media nor your friends. This is our Father's institution and He sets the rules.

Men, to talk about love is to talk about a cross. To talk about love is to talk about Calvary. To talk about love is to talk about a Saviour. We have a Saviour in Christ, and our wives ought to have a Saviour in us. We have a deliverer in Christ, and our mates ought to have a deliverer in us. When you talk about loving your wife you talk about carrying a cross.
Now, you may say, "I know. But this cross is more than I can bear!" The command for a man to love his wife is never given to a woman in scripture. That is, a woman is never commanded to love her (agape) husband in the scripture. She is commanded to be affectionate (philandros) to him and their children (Titus 2:4), and to be obedient (show respect) to him (Titus 2:5). Now, it's not that a woman shouldn't love her husband, it is that her love is a response to his salvation. If you and I are going to be scriptural lovers, it means we must become scriptural saviours.
Jesus Christ didn't die for us because we were lovable; Jesus Christ died for us to make us lovable. A man doesn't love his wife because she deserves to be loved; a man loves his wife in order to turn her into somebody who he wants to love. It is not that "My wife is right, therefore I'm going to love her." It is, "I'm going to love her that whatever wrong there is will turn from wrong to right." It is not that "She's meeting my needs therefore I love her." it is, "I'm going to love her until she learns to meet my needs." It is not that "She's being everything to me I need her to be." It is that, "I'm going to love her until she turns into somebody who can be everything that I need."
Most men date in order to marry, when the scriptural principle is to marry in order to date. Most men "turn her on" in order to get her to say "I do." Well, the scriptural idea is have her say "I do" so that he can spend the rest of his life turning her on. If you want to raise the question "Are you a lover" (and every man likes to think of himself as a lover), the measuring rod of a lover can only be measured by the size of the cross he's carrying.

Husbands, love your wives like Christ loved the assembly. He loved the assembly to death! When the first man was created, God had to split his side open in order to take out his rib in order to get Eve. Christ has to bleed in order to birth His congregation. And in order for your wife to move from where she is, in order to get to where she ought to be, that means you have to take a trip to Calvary. That means you'll have to decide "I am willing to pay whatever price of inconvenience. I am willing to commit myself to her fulfillment no matter what pain is involved in that. I am willing to go the distance to turn her from where she is into where she ought to be.
The scripture says Jacob loved Rachel so much that he worked fourteen years in order to gain permission to marry her from her father (Genesis 29). That's a high price to pay, but it's the price of true love. There are men that want to run away from their wives because they are not lovable. If she was lovable she wouldn't need a Saviour. Only sinners need saviours!
Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his own love to us, that while we being yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Christ looked out and said, "You're messed up. You're going nowhere. You're headed in the wrong direction, but you do have a Saviour. When a man comes home, he comes home and says, "Things may not be right. I may not be able to adjust to your personality. I may not like how you come across. But a Saviour is in the house! I am your deliverer! Whatever is wrong, I am Mister fix-it. Whatever price has to be paid, you're looking at him! I am going to be your Saviour!" The husband is the Saviour of the wife. And at the heart of that is sacrifice. If there is no sacrifice there is no love.
So the question to the husband is, "Do you really love your wife?" And if so, if I asked her what price are you paying, could she tell them? Could you show what price you are paying for her? Or do you say, "Well, I'm discouraged, I'm depressed." Are you still alive? Because if you're alive you've not paid the ultimate price. As long as you are breathing you have not paid the total price. Because a man is to love his wife as Christ loved the assembly, and that took him to his grave!

Now, you may be saying, "That's next!" But until a man has paid the ultimate price of death, he is not exonerated from love. That is why the preacher asks you up front, "Are you going to love her in sickness and in health? For better or for worse? For richer or poorer? Are you going to do this for as long as you both shall live?" Because preachers know something you may not know. They know you haven't seen the whole thing yet. And when you do, they want an up front commitment that you're going to stick it out. So your wife ought to hear from you, "No matter how you treat me I'm not going to leave you. No matter how you abuse me I'm not going to leave you. No matter how you speak to me I'm not going to leave you. You better get used to salvation because this Saviour isn't going anywhere. So, if this marriage ends you're going to have to leave me! Cause I'm not going anywhere. If you don't comfort me I'm not going anywhere. If you don't have sex with me I'm still not going anywhere. If you abuse me and mistreat me, I want to let you know, in this house, you have a Saviour. And that's me."
If you're not living like that, you're not loving. Not only must you be a Saviour, but you must be a sanctifier.

Sanctify Her
Ephesians 5:26-27, "That he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water by the Word, That he might present it to himself the glorious assembly, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any of such thing; but that it might be holy and blameless."
Now there is a the "problem" that a husband faces. When you married your wife, you did not only marry your wife, you married her history. You see, you didn't just marry her. You thought you were marrying her, but she brought with her her past, good and bad. The good parts you will enjoy, the bad parts you don't see until after the honeymoon! You get to see her with makeup on; you get to see her with lipstick on; you get to see her with eyelashes that you thought were real; and you get tricked is what you get! And after marriage you discover something. You discover that, "I didn't know you were like that! And I didn't know you were a fusser! You didn't fuss when we were dating! I didn't know that you screamed like that! I didn't know you snored like that! I didn't know that you couldn't cook at all! I didn't know all of that!"
Guess what? If you love her, you have to be her sanctifier. What's a sanctifier? The word "sanctification" means "to set apart for special use." That is, to place this woman in a unique category and take her from where she is to where she needs to go. It is called in the scripture the process of sanctification or spiritual growth. When she shows you her problems, you now become Mister fix-it. That's what it means to love. What many men want to do is marry as though they're at the end of the relationship, when you get married you're only at the beginning of the relationship. And your job is to take it from where it is to where it ought to go because you are the sanctifier. You are little Jesus in your home. What Christ is to His assembly you are to your wife. You are the sanctifier. So that if she's messed up, your job is to fix it up.
Now, what happens in some marriages is this. It's like a backup in a sink. You know when your sink backs up because there's a lot of junk in there, there's a lot of stuff in there that can go hidden for a while but it kind of builds up. Then when it builds up it backs up. And husband's get kicked off because all this junk starts backing up. "I didn't know you had that dirt over there! I didn't know you had this clog over there!" It was there all the time, it just hadn't backed up yet. When that starts backing up and all of a sudden the sink gets full of this dirt, this grime, you don't say, "I'm going to leave you kitchen, because you backed up on me! I'm not going to have anything to do with you again, sink!" You call the plumber! And when you call the plumber he brings the snake! And he takes the snake and he works that thing around and around until he opens up a little hole. And when he opens up a little hole the water slowly begins to drain, and he opens it up bigger and bigger until all the junk is flushed out!
When junk backs up you don't quit, you bring in a pro. And you are that pro. And when your wife backs up, when her history backs up, when the pressure at work backs up, when circumstances back up, you're not to leave, you're to come in with the love snake and wind that thing around and turn that thing around and make a little hole there and the watch all of that junk begin to filter out of her life until it flushes all away and you can now have free flowing running water. Bring the love snake and work that thing. You are her sanctifier. Why? So that you can cleanse her. Verse 26 says you're her cleaner upper, so cleanse her.
Heaven knows she's got some things that are not going to be pleasant to live with; things from her past, things from her history. Maybe she was abused by her father, maybe she was raised around a domineering mother that didn't disappear just because you came on the scene. You are the sanctifier.
But what some husbands do is, when they see this junk come up and it backs up, they want to run the other way! You're the plumber, bring the snake "That he might present it to himself the glorious assembly, not having spot, or wrinkle." Spot means defilement from the external; something's dropped on your shirt and you got a spot. Wrinkle has to do with internal aging, because wrinkles are evident of an internal problem, getting old. God's children have spots, the external things of the world; and wrinkles, internal decay from within.
Jesus said his job was to wash the spots and remove the aging. He says the husband is the sanctifier and the husband's job is to work with his wife in such a way that she begins to see a cleanup take place in her life. When she needs strength, you are her strength. When she needs encouragement, you are her encouragement. When she needs joy, you are her joy. When she needs peace, you are her peace. So that no matter how old she gets, she's kept eternally young because she's got a sanctifier in the house. You are her makeup. When the world crashes in on her, you are there. You are to be her power base. You are to be her strength. When she goes off, you are the ever standard one who maintains his cool even though she lost hers. You say, "Well, if she didn't scream at me, I wouldn't have screamed at her!" This is not tit for tat. What this is is showing strength. You say you're the leader, you're the strong one, you say you're the powerful one, then be that! Be her sanctifier that she might be cleansed, so that Christ might present to himself a bride not having spot or wrinkle. The idea here is to nourish.
So, first of all, if you're going to love her, you must be her Saviour, you must be her sanctifier. And then, the third part of love is you've got to nourish her.

Nourish Her
Ephesians 5:28-29, "So ought husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For no one at any time hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as also the Lord the assembly:"
What we need today are a group of men who know how to nourish and satisfy a woman. Now, the natural man thinks of 'sex' when he hear that. "Bring 'em on! I am the satisfier. Come here baby! Poppa will satisfy you! Yes I will!" Any man who talks that way doesn't know what he's talking about. He's really trying to convince himself that he is as good as he says he is. Because any man who talks about satisfying multiple women is really telling you he's not good enough to satisfy one. So he's got to spread it around so nobody calls him to commitment. When a man says, "I've got ten ladies!" What he's telling you is that he hasn't reached to manhood yet, because anybody can bounce around. It's when you stand steady, and after fifteen, twenty, thirty, fifty years, the wife says, "I'm still satisfied," now you've got a real man. When that one man is constantly nourishing and satisfying her.
The scripture says that husbands ought to "love their wives as their own bodies." The spirit here is that Christ gives himself to his assembly, and just as a man works out to make his body look good, he is to work his wife out so that she looks good. So that she is fulfilled. So that she is strong. You are her satisfier. And there are too many dissatisfied wives because there are too many unsatisfied husbands. If you're not satisfying her, if you're not her joy, then you better take a look at how good you really are.
It has nothing to do with what she's doing to you in return, because we're talking about scriptural love. “And if you hate me, I'm going to love you. And if you reject me , I'm still going to try to please you. Because I am here to feed and nourish you. Because I am your satisfier!"

Dwell with Her
1 Peter 3:7, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, with the wife as with a weaker vessel, rendering them honour, as also being joint-heirs of the grace of life; so as your prayers not to be cut off."
Husbands are commanded to dwell with their wives. This doesn't mean to just live in the same house. The Greek word for “dwell” means "to dwell in close harmony with, closely aligned, to be in proximity with." It means an intimate dwelling. Many men have this idea, “I go out, I'm the provider; you're the wife, you stay home. You do your job, I'll do my job.” That's where the problem is. The home is your job! The role of the wife is to help the husband, but she is not to replace your role in the home. You are to work in concert with her to create a spirit of harmony within. To do that you must be there.
Your wife didn't marry a paycheck, she married you. She didn't marry a car, she married you. She didn't marry a bankroll, she married you. Whenever the outside things that you do for her replace your presence with her, then you are not living with her anymore. Some men are married to their jobs, to their promotions, but God says to live with her! You can't just come home and turn on the TV, you have to come home and work with her! Sometimes it means telling her she's the prettiest thing you've ever run into. Or that you couldn't get your mind off of her all day. Sometimes it means drying the dishes while she washes them. Sometimes it means making one side of the bed while she makes the other. Why? because she was not given to you to become your slave, she was given to you to be your help partner.
Men are told to study two things. The scripture and his wife. Why? Because both are difficult to interpret. Those are hard things to read. Every man will testify that a woman is confusing, complex. You think she wants this but she really wants that. To know her might mean to give up some television programs. Men should say, “Honey, I want to listen, you talk. Tell me anything about yourself that I need to know, because when I learn it I'm going to use it to love you better. Teach me, because I don't know you, I don't understand you. I'm not going to watch TV and listen. I'm not going to read the paper and listen. I'll put my eyeball to your eyeball, my mind to your mind, because I'm here to listen, I'm here to learn, I'm here to understand if you'll only communicate with me.” Women love to be understood. And many women have said, “My husband doesn't understand me,” and she's probably right. But it takes time, you've got to be willing to listen to her.

Honour Her
You are to treat her like your queen. She is not another woman. It has to do with appreciating her, with treating her as special. Does your wife feel special? Many husbands do for other women what they wouldn't do for their own wives. We used to do it. They used to open up the car door every single time, now she's looking to get in before the car drives off! When love dies, marriage dies. She is your queen, and you roll out the red carpet, and pull out the chair, and open the door, and help escort her in.
She must feel special. How do you make her feel special? By your words and actions from the heart. “Sweetheart, I'm real busy right now, I'm right in the middle of something, but you crossed my mind and I just wanted to call and tell you I love you and I can't wait to see you when I get home. I gotta run now, but you're on my mind.” She's going to beat you home! Because you just made her feel special. That took 30 seconds to tell her you can't get her off your mind.
You also make her feel special with your gifts. It doesn't have to be a dozen roses, one rose will do. Writing little notes to her. When she's making the bed and underneath the pillow is a note that says, “Knowing that every night I get to sleep next to you. Knowing that I wake up in the sunshine, even if the curtains are closed. I just want to let you know I wouldn't have it any other way." She's special. She's unique. Make breakfast and bring it to her. She doesn't care that you can't cook, only that you cared enough to try. This is honoring her.
If we only do this on anniversaries and such, this is too predictable. When you were dating you didn't only do it on the anniversary, it would pop up here and there. It would keep popping up. She was bombarded with your love. First of all she didn't like you, she didn't think you were handsome. But you said, “I'm going to make you like me.” And you bombarded her with notes, gifts, phone calls. In time, she began to say, “Why, he ain't that ugly.” And you kept bombarding her, and she began to say, “He's kind of cute.” And you kept bombarding her, and she calls up her girlfriend and says, “I'm in love!”
What happened? What happened is that you honored her. But what too many husbands do is stop honoring their wives once they get married. She fends for herself. When was the last date? I'm not talking about the last time you came home and said, “What do you want to do tonight?” That's not a date. A date is, “Hey, I got this thing all planned, all you got to do is come along for the ride. Now, if you want to make some adjustments, that's fine, because I want to please you. But I want you to know I was thinking about you." Now it's not about you coming home, and having nothing to do, and saying, “What do you want to do?” Have the attitude that, “You are not left over, you are my evening!” She must be honored.
Honoring doesn't mean that you agree with her, it doesn't mean that your decision is going to be the decision she wants you to have, We're not talking about control. But to honor her means, “Honey, I gotta make the decision, and I appreciate your feedback. You've given me your thoughts, your ideas, because you're a partner in this relationship and I need to know how you feel about it. And before I make this decision, you give me your feedback because God may be giving you some things that I need to hear. But having heard what you said, I think I gotta go another way. But I want to let you know that even though I'm going a way different than how you would have me go, I'm going to be thinking about you all the way. And if I see down the line that this is not going to be in your best interest, I'm going to reverse back. Because I don't want to do anything in my decision that's going to harm you. So even though I disagree with you, I'll honour you, because you're going to be on my mind all the way.”
It's where she's significant even when you disagree. If husbands would treat their wives like thoroughbreds, they wouldn't end up with old nags. Men say, “She's a nag!” But maybe it's because how you're treating her. Men say, “I married the wrong woman!” Well, if you married the wrong woman, treat her like the right woman and she'll become the right woman.

Pray with Her
If there is no spiritual relationship in the home, there won't be any dynamic relationship in the marriage. 1 Peter 3:7 says you are heirs together. That means God is not going to leave anything for you if she is not included. Your prayers are a waste of time if she's not included. You don't have this singular relationship with God anymore because you became "one flesh." God is not going to treat you apart from her, because He doesn't see two people any more, He sees one flesh. Husbands must pray with their wives.
Husbands, you're the thermostat, you control the temperature. Your wife is the thermometer, she'll tell you how it reads. So if you have it on 80, and she's cold, the thermometer's broken. You can usually measure a man by looking into the face of his wife, because she is his mirror, letting it be known what kind of man he really is.
The question is not, “Will marriage work?” The question is, “Will you work for marriage?”

Tuesday 11 October 2016

Husband is expected to take his wife as his companion


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: HUSBAND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE HIS WIFE AS HIS COMPANION.

Role of the Husband in the Bible – Companion

The role of the husband in the Bible is fulfilled through the heart of companionship.

Ephesians 5:25-33 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church—for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

The relationship between a husband and a wife is meant to be one of love, respect, and support. They are to help each other. This idea is introduced at the beginning of the Bible in the story of the creation of Eve. Adam needed a companion, a suitable helper, yet one could not be found until God created Eve. Genesis 2:20-24 says,

This also leads to another understanding of companionship. God created men and women with natural, physical, and emotional differences. Usually where one is weak, the other is strong. Therefore, a husband and wife can help each other by meeting the other person's needs through physical and emotional intimacy. 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 addresses this,

When the needs of our spouse are properly met through healthy companionship, the two can help each other and can live a successful life together.

Lastly, through their companionship a husband and wife work together as a team to develop and grow a family. God’s plan was that every home operate under the specific roles of both a husband and a wife and that through this they raise healthy children who honor God with their lives. Ephesians 6:1-3

Children are blessed through the honor of their mother and father working in unison to train them up in the way they should go.

The companionship between a man and a woman is directed by the influence of the husband through his provision and protection and is covered by his caring, gentle, and graceful love for his wife and family. Without the biblical roles of a husband being fulfilled by a strong man of God, the family unit risks the difficulties brought on by sin and spiritual distortion. Satan desires the destruction of the family, but through Christ and proper understanding of biblical roles, the family is a strong and safe place to grow in God.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST
GIVE EVERY MAN YOUR SPIRIT TO BE SUCCESSFUL MARITALLY AND BIND UP EVERY BROKEN HOME IN JESUS NAME.

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Good morning friends

Monday 10 October 2016

Husband as a provider and a protector


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: HUSBAND AS A PROVIDER AND A PROTECTOR

...CONTINUE FROM YESTERDAY
Role of the Husband in the Bible – Provider and Protector

The role of the husband in the Bible starts with leadership, but encompasses provision and protection. A husband will never influence his wife if he does not care for her. He can demand and she may follow as a result, but he will never truly have her heart unless he provides for her needs, cares for her well-being, and protects her both physically and spiritually. For as Scripture says:

"Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

“Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” (Colossians 3:19).

“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (1 Peter 3:7).
God loves His daughters and the children they bear. When He gives one of His daughters to a man, He desires that the man cares for her. In no place does Scripture teach or endorse that women and children be considered second rate or inferior to men. Instead, He finds them so precious that He asks for special care to be given them; a care that only biblically-based men can provide. Women are very capable of taking care of themselves. However, God did make men and women different and thus due to the physical nature and strength God gave men, He has charged them with the provision and protection of their families.

The physical nature and strength of a man is to be managed with grace and gentleness. God did not create men to lord over women nor did he create women to simply wait on men. He made them both to complement each other through healthy companionship.
...CONTINUE TOMORROW...

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME, LET YOUR SPIRIT ENTER EVERY MAN AND HUSBAND TO BE WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE IN JESUS NAME.

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Good morning friends

Sunday 9 October 2016

Husbands Responsibility


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: HUSBANDS RESPONSIBILITY

Role of the Husband in the Bible – Leader

The role of the husband in the Bible starts with leadership.

Scripture makes it very clear that a husband must be a leader of his home and have healthy control of his life. 1 Timothy 3;

in speaking of two church leadership positions traditionally filled by men, teaches that an Overseer and Deacon must manage their family well. Verse 5 specifically says, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?”

Furthering this understanding, Ephesians 5:21-24 says, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

Again, in 1 Corinthians 11:3, Scripture says, "But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

One of the primary roles of a husband in the Bible, then, is to lead.
Leadership simply means influence. Therefore, a biblically-based husband should influence his family. Husbands are not dictators, they should not demand, they should not be a boss over their wives. Instead, husbands should influence their wives and families in accordance with biblical teaching. They should exemplify, with their voice and their actions, attributes that bring glory to God and value to their spouse and family.

The fruit of a good biblically-based husband is a strong, confident, spiritually mature wife and family.

Two very specific ways a husband influences his home is through his provision and protection.
...Continue Tomorrow...

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST TEACH US TO DO OUR RESPONSIBILITY RIGHTLY IN JESUS NAME. AMEN

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Good morning friends

Thursday 6 October 2016

Why christian surfer


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: WHY CHRISTIAN SURFER

I am written this morning meal to answer some brethren question to my last morning meal on prayer.
And about Christian suffering.
Many believe that when you have giving your life to Jesus you don't have to suffer.

ROMANS 8:18-39

At one time or another most, if not all, Christians ask: “Why does our loving and all powerful God allow His people to suffer so?”

We will not have the complete answer to this question this side of Heaven, but the Bible, God’s infallible Word, does shed much light on the reasons why Believers suffer, and reassures us that everything will work out for our eternal good.
From Romans chapter 8 we learn that the sufferings of this life can not be compared with our future glory (8:18), and that all things in this life, including, suffering, work together of our ultimate good (8:28-30).

The Bible provides many of the reasons why God allows Believers to suffer “tribulation” (pressures on both body and soul), “distress” (anguish of all kinds), poverty (“famine” and “nakedness”), “peril” (danger), “persecution” (unjust treatment), and even the “sword” of the executioner (8:35).

Many think that when they receive the Lord Jesus Christ all their problems are over, but God never said that Believers would not suffer problems in this life. The Lord Jesus did say:

“In the World ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the World” (John 16:33).

Our text in Romans says that “in all these things [tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword] we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (8:37). In this life we will suffer, but “all things [trouble and pain of all kinds] work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called …” (8:28).

Christians must keep this principal in mind: short term suffering works for our long term good!

God issues many “calls” to Believers in His Word. Among them are:

1) the call to repentance (Luke 5:32),
2) the call to salvation or sonship (John 1:12; Romans 8:28-30),
3) the call to sanctification or holiness (I Thessalonians 4;3-7), 4) the call to separation from unbelievers and false religion (II Corinthians 6:14-18; Revelation 18:4),
5) the call to Christian fellowship (I Corinthians 1:9; Hebrews 10:24-25),
6), the call to peace (Colossians 3:15),
7) the all important call to love and compassion (I Peter 3:8-9), 8) the call to Christian service (Ephesians 2:10), and yes, there is 9) the call to suffering (I Peter 2:19-21; Philippians 1:29), and last, but certainly not least, there is
10) the wonderful call to glory (I Peter 5:10; II Peter 1:3; Romans 8:29-30; I Thessalonians 2:12).

The Lord issues all these calls in His Word, which reveals His purpose, to “the called according to His purpose” or in other words, to those who believe God’s Word. Just as surely as God has called all Believers to sonship, peace, fellowship, holiness, love, service, and glory, He has also called us to suffering!

“For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. ... For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.” (1 Peter 2:19, 21)

The Lord willingly suffered wrongfully, because of our sin and because the world is temporally in the hands of Satan. We suffer wrongfully because the world is still full of sinners manipulated by Satan and his angels.

The fact of the matter is that we will be in and out of trouble all our earthly lives! Suffering is a normal part of life, and no one is smart enough, rich enough, or powerful enough to escape from suffering and trouble. The secret to life, in this World is not learning how to get out and stay out of trouble, but learning how to “be of good cheer,” and become “more than conquers through [Jesus Christ]” while we are actually in trouble and suffering (John 16:33; Romans 8:37).

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS, HELP US TO OVERCOME AND MANAGE OUR FAITH THROUGH GOOD AND BAD THAT COMES OUR WAYS IN JESUS NAME. AMEN

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Wednesday 5 October 2016

What prayer is not


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: What Prayer Is Not

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, listen to my cry for help." –Psalm 39:12 (NIV)[i]

"Lord, teach us to pray." –Luke 11:1

"After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed." –John 17:1

"They all joined together constantly in prayer." –Acts 1:14

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." –Ephesians 6:18

"Pray continually." -1 Thessalonians 5:17

Throughout the Bible, believers are called to pray but it may be tempting to delve right into a definition of prayer. But first let's take a brief look at what prayer is not (this is by no means an exhaustive list):

Prayer is not magic. We cannot summon God as though He were a genie, waiting to grant our wishes without regard for our circumstances or the consequences.
Prayer does not make demands. While we can make requests of God in prayer, we dare not make demands. God is the Creator of the universe and does not take orders from us.

Prayer is for our benefit, not God's. We need a relationship with God, available to us through Jesus Christ and engaged primarily through prayer, because we were made to function best when we are in a proper relationship with our Creator.

Prayer is not a guarantee against suffering. "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33); "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed" (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Prayer is not an opportunity for us to show off. "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men" (Matthew 6:5).

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS CHRIST, TEACH US TO PLEASE YOU AMD HOW TO SERVE YOU IN TRUTH AND IN HOLINESS IN JESUS NAME

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Tuesday 4 October 2016

Prayer (part 3)


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: PRAYER (part 3)
Go and Bear Fruit

The process by which the Father will give us what we ask is directly linked to our appointment to go and bear fruit. The Father will give us what we need in order to accomplish this primary task of bearing lasting fruit for the kingdom of God. He will answer prayers in Jesus’ name when we are fulfilling Jesus’ mission—to help complete the purchase of people for God from every language and tribe and people and nation.

That does not mean that we cannot or should not ask God for what we need personally for our own existence and well-being. Jesus told us that the Father cares about those needs as well. We are, after all, more valuable than the birds of air that he cares for, feeds, and clothes (Matthew 6:28-32).

Paul instructed us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6–7).

But as nontraditional or anti-traditional as it may sound, it appears that we do not need to ask the Father in Jesus’ name for the necessities of life. Of course, that is not to say we cannot or should not invoke the name of Jesus our High Priest at any time in our prayers, from giving thanks for a meal to the invocation at a high school graduation.
But God has already promised separately to meet our needs—even apart from invoking Jesus’ name and authority. Jesus had been instructing his disciples to do just that all along.

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS, HELP ME TO BEAR MUCH GOOD FRUIT FOR YOU AND LET MY PRAYERS BE ANSWER IN JESUS NAME.

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Monday 3 October 2016

Prayer


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: PRAYER. (Part 2)

Praying in the Name of Jesus

Curiously, before this Jesus had not suggested that the disciples pray in his name. The model prayer includes no such statement. But as they stood at the threshold of a whole new life era, Jesus instructed them to pray in his name—to ask the Father on behalf of the Son.

Jesus told them in the upper room that a radical change was coming in regard to model prayer:

“I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:23).

Why will the Father give us what we ask in the name of Jesus?

The answer is simple enough: he will do this if and when we are engaged in fulfilling the mission that Jesus gave us. If we return to an earlier moment in the evening, when Jesus was discussing the vine and branches, we will understand why:
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 15:16–17).

The Lord require of me and you to pray take up these job and as we do this our prayer will be answer as well. This also is another point that make our prayer answered.

LET US PRAY
FATHER IN JESUS NAME, LET YOU NAME WORK WONDER IN OUR LIFE THIS WEEK AND GIVE US GRACE TO DO YOUR WORK IN JESUS NAME.

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Sunday 2 October 2016

Prayer (part 1)


IOI CHRISTIAN MORNING MEAL

TOPIC: Prayer (part 1)

Prayer – Jesus and His Disciples

Jesus often shared the importance of prayer with his disciples. We often think of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as Jesus’ model prayer, but he shared much more about prayer with his disciples.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete (John 16:24).

Jesus told the disciples, “Until now you have asked for nothing in my name.” It is not as though the disciples had not learned to pray before this. Jesus modeled prayer for them regularly and often taught them about prayer:

Do not pray like the pagans with endless babbling (Matthew 6:7).

Pray with persistence (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Pray the disciples’ prayer (the “Lord’s Prayer”) (Matthew 6:5-15).

The Father knows your needs before you ask (Matthew 6:8).

Watch and pray regarding temptation (Matthew 26:41).

Go secretly into a private place to pray (Matthew 6:6).

Pray believing that God hears us (Mark 11:24).

This new week engage your self in Jesus model prayer and with faith believing in your heart that you will testify in Jesus Name

LET US PRAY
DEAR LORD JESUS, LET THERE BE MIRACLE AS WE CALL UPON YOUR NAME THIS WEEK IN JESUS NAME.

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Good morning friends