Why is it hard to follow Jesus - @josepheparker

What does it really mean to follow Jesus?

I ask this question to myself almost every time I tend to either find my spirituality in or out of sync with Him. When I’m dancing in tune with the music I sense heaven is playing, there is always a sense of wonder: How do I sustain this? How do I make this last forever? The music almost always stops when I’m suspended in mid-air trying to perform a new “spiritual dance trick.” In my weak state, in my disappointment in the inability to preserve these halo-moments, I stand next to the holiness of God in light of the Scriptures and I break down, literally; weeping on the floor, crying “More!”

At the other end of the spectrum, I find myself doing more of the things I would rather not do; the partaking of my sinful desires and the grand scheme of covering it all up in one giant magical swoosh. These cravings inevitably give me a chance to pause and ponder: Why am I doing this? Why am I enjoying this? I claim to be a Christian. I shout “Lord, Lord!” but I do not do what He says (Luke 6:46.) Sin exposes my true desires and wants and cravings.

Sin is selfish.
It is a “me-first” mentality.
I am in a one-sided relationship with Jesus.
I do what I want, when I want it, and how I want it. Yet, I claim to follow Jesus. But is this what it really means to follow Jesus?

I did not set out to write this post series (in fact, as I write these very words, I doubt if this “book” will ever see the light of the day), but as I wake up every morning, there is a tug within that I can never seem to ignore. Maybe I am scared that I would reveal too much of my sins to the world and I want to do everything in my power to hide them for this is one thing I seem to be good at: hiding my sins. But like cancer, it spreads and immobilises me. Something happened to me when I met Jesus. An inexplicable love had scarred and smeared my heart with a sizzling hot fiery dagger and it has never really remained the same with me. Yet, I still go back to the very things Jesus came to conquer once and for all for me, and for you dear reader.

No matter where you are in your life,
whether you know Jesus or not,
whether you are religious or irreligious,
whether you believe or not,
there is an open door hinged at the end of a very dark room that seems to say, “Come.”

We agree that the church ought to be the followers of Jesus, but that doesn’t mean that we are all in agreement with that. There is so much disagreement in the church today about what it really means to be a follower of Jesus. And it is a really simple concept. Jesus says,“Follow me.”That’s the first thing He says to His disciples: “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). And that’s also the last thing he implies to them: “Go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matt. 28:19). He was telling them to go out and make these other followers of Him and “baptise them and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Now why doesn’t this command work in every area of our lives?

Imagine if you told your son:

“Go clean your room.”

And then a few moments later he comes to you and says,

“Hey dad, I can memorise what you had commanded me. You said ‘Go clean your room.’”

Or he says something along this line,

“Hey dad, I can say ‘Go clean your room in Greek. Listen…’”

Or he tells you how he would gather his friends every week and they were going to do a study on what it would look like if he actually cleaned his room. Now, as a parent, you know that none of those scenarios are going to fly with you. The boy should know better, right? He should buckle up and go clean his room.

Jesus was as black and white as He could get when He gave us the commands of “Follow me” and “Go and make disciples.” He would look at people and say “Why do you call me Lord, when you don’t do what I say?”(Luke 4:46). Why would you call someone your Master and not listen to Him? And He says in Matt. 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my father who is in heaven.”

In John chapter 6, Jesus said some really difficult words, and this was in front of thousands of people, and when He’s done teaching, everyone leaves except for twelve men. Everyone leaves going, “Arggh, this is some hard teaching, I cannot take that message, I cannot stomach that.” And Jesus looks at the twelve who were left and He asks them a very simple question, “You guys want to leave also?” And then Peter’s reply was very profound and yet simple: “Where are we going to go? You have the keys to eternal life. I know your message is hard, but where are we going to go?”

You think you’re out for this life that is so difficult, then you realise that there is blessing and you have more peace in taking this hard road than going with this wide road that everyone else is going on. And Jesus is at this door, and He says,

“Just take this. Follow me.”

And then you learn that all of the things He is telling you to let go of and walk away from are the things that were going to destroy you anyway.

Joseph blogs here 

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Truth about Tithe @kennykore

Continued from the last post (Please read for better perspective)

‪JEWS‬ DO NOT TITHE TODAY.

They maintain that only Levites have the right to receive tithe of the people.

1.Since their Temple was destroyed by the Romans.

2. No ordained Temple Levite or Priest.

The major factor in fulfilling the laws of tithing does not exist.

*So Jews today have synagogues, and a rabbinic order.

*Many of today's Jewish rabbis are not Levites.

*They use other methods to secure adequate funds with which to operate their religious organizations.

While many Christian ministers today teach that Christians may be in danger of missing salvation itself if they do not pay tithe to the church, Jewish rabbis know that it is biblically improper (actually, it is a blatant disobedience to the laws of the Bible) for anyone to pay or to receive the biblical tithe today. And any minister or ecclesiastical leader who uses the biblical tithe (or any one who pays to a minister the biblical tithe) is a sinner in the eyes of GOD.

Almost all denominations of Christianity have taken portions of the Mosaic Covenant,"Christened them," and added them to the New Covenant. Without being aware of it, this has made most Christians guilty of the whole Mosaic Law, which says TO OFFEND IN ONE IS TO OFFEND IN ALL.-James 2:10.

Mark 2:21-22;“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined.
No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

‪Wrong‬‎ belief is unbelief

READ YOUR BIBLE, MEDITATE, PRAY, AND OBEY GOD...Kuorire

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Are you robbing God? or Yourself?

Hello People,

I have followed Kenny kore on facebook for a good part of this year and listened to him a couple of times as well, he posts short messages almost everyday and I regularly share them but this time I kinda want it to have more reach because of this particular message. Its just amazing because its in-line with what I have been learning in Church over the last week. I have broken down the messages into 4 parts which will run over this week. 

Open your heart to learn and study the Word. God bless you!! 

*******************************************************************************

I was not even a teenager when I heard a testimony about how a brother got a miracle gift of a tear rubber car because of his faithfulness to GOD.

I promised myself, and GOD that I would do the same thing, for the same result.

After several years of making that commitment, I still haven't gotten a car I didn't pay for, rather GOD had me give out my first, hard earned, second hand car.

‪How‬ did I get from serving GOD because I wanted a car, to the point where I served GOD by giving a car?

Romans 5:5,"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the LOVE OF GOD IS SHED ABROAD IN OUR HEARTS by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

I didn't give out my car out of abundance of money or because I had several cars;

I didn't give the car because I was pestered, cajoled, manipulated, or bullied to;

I gave the car because I felt compelled by the Holy Spirit to.

It was tough to obey, but I did, and I know that even the ability to obey is a gift from GOD, so I have nothing to boast of.

That car was my 'widows mite'.

Luke 21:1-4,"And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.
So He said, “Truly I say to you THAT THIS POOR WIDOW HAS PUT IN MORE THAN ALL; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for GOD, but she out of her poverty PUT IN ALL THE LIVELIHOOD THAT SHE HAD.”

‪So‬ somebody asked me if I pay tithe; my 10%.
I answer now by saying NO, I REFUSE TO GIVE GOD 10%, WHEN GOD GAVE ME HIS 100%.

I have given my life to Christ, and that includes my money. ALL OF IT!!!

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of GOD, not by works, so that no one can boast.-Ephesians 2:8-9.

IF WE ARE SAVED BY PAYING TITHES, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT YOU'LL NEED MORE THAN 10%.

IF PAYING 10% OF OUR INCOME COULD GET US INTO A SAVING COVENANT WITH GOD, JESUS WOULD NOT HAVE TO SHED A DROP OF BLOOD FOR HUMANITY.

A more penetrating study of the Old Testa­ment laws would reveal that NO CHURCH TODAY IS REALLY TITHING in the stoic sense of the word.

The book of Malachai was originally written to Jews and Levites who practiced three (3) types of tithing.

Hence when GOD said in Malachai 3:8,"Will a mere mortal rob GOD? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How are we robbing YOU?' "In TITHES AND OFFERINGS.

Please note the PLURALITY of those words; Tithes and offerings.

The 3 types of tithes:
1. The tithe for the Levites.-Num. 18: 21, 24.

2. The tithe for the feasts/festival.-Deut.14:22-27.

3. The tithe for the poor.-Deut. 14:28, 29.

‪If‬ we practice one out of three tithes, have we stopped robbing GOD??? (sela).

‪‎Why‬ is the tithe for the Levites a MUST and the tithe for the poor is no longer MANDATORY in the same order???

*Proverbs 19:17," If you help the poor, you are lending to the LORD--and HE will repay you!

*Matthew 25:40," "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me.'

The danger of playing 'selective' with the Laws of GOD couldn't be stated clearer than in James 2:10;

" FOR WHOEVER KEEPS THE WHOLE LAW AND YET STUMBLES AT JUST ONE POINT IS GUILTY OF BREAKING ALL OF IT."

‪Wrong‬ belief is unbelief
READ YOUR BIBLE, MEDITATE, PRAY, AND OBEY GOD...Kuorire

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I found a secret that saves

I saw the book in a corner as I was set to leave home after a long wedding weekend. It wasn't the green cover or petit-ness of the book that made me pick up or the fact that it was the same Author that wrote 'Prayer of Jabez' another book that rocked my world... I don't believe in coindicences and it is obvious that God did want me to read it at this particular point in time. 

And I am sooooo grateful for that. 

I started the book immediately in the car on my way back to my base and Initially I was just facinated at the retell of 

John 15 when Jesus was talking about the vine and us as the branches. Oh! the name of the book is 'Secrets of the vine' by Bruce Wilkinson its the second part to 'Prayer of Jabez' 

It's a book I recommend for anyone and it basically has every season of your christian walk. Everyone wondering why? Everyone in a dark place, you'd definitely find yourself in one of the categories of branches that was mentioned. 

The one that mostly stood out for me was 'Abiding' the state of Abiding in God. The frustration of having a stale walk with God and the dissatisfaction that also comes with it. The writer had a similar experience and the truth dawned on him

''God didn't want me to do more for him. He wanted me to be more with him" 

and this was my defining moment, we do so much for God that we forget to be more with him. I am forgetting to be more with him and this was a great reminder to turn things around and not lose sight of what is important. 

In that moment, there was hope and I know that this is the way out of this rut, going back to being with him as against running around for him. 

I also encourage you to look through and if you're going through something similar just remember that God loves you and more than ever HE wants to fellowship with you. He is bidding you 'come' 

Abide in Jesus...

If you find the book, please do get it or just look for it!!! It's worth every bit of it. 

Abide in Jesus...

John 15 1-5 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing

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¨Its spiritual doesn’t make it less painful'' Introducing: My God & I

Hello people,

I have been working with African Naturalistas for a while and running an Interview column called mane matters and i've watched how its been helpful and encouraging other people on their natural hair journey. I then decided to replicate it here for our walk with God after all that's what's most important. I have a couple of responses already that I will post over the next weeks and hopefully you are encouraged to share yours.

Here is my story; 

I was born into a Christian home and for as long as I remember I have always gone to church. Children’s church, teenagers then adult church… gone through all the Sunday school classes till I became a member of the church and that was it. I remember thinking to myself ¨So, What next?¨

Routines.

Instructions.

you-must-do-this-rules.

I mean, I didn’t want to go to hell. It’s a horrible place to go to. God, religion and Sunday was a part of my life, nothing more. I didn’t even understand it and looking backI wonder how/why alot of things flew over my head.

Reading the Bible? Struggle.

It was boring and I always fell asleep or just forgot.

Praying? Great chore. Morning devotion was enough.

Then 2012 happened.

I must say this, there is a God-sized hole in every heart whether we fail to admit or not. Its there.

I was in Niger state, lonely, depressed (I wrote somethings on here at the time) and after having suicidal thoughts I knew that was the height.

I started reading the book purpose driven life and followed it for the 40days which propelled me into Gods waiting arms

He had been waiting for me.

I also bought a Bible and my journey started. It was a real radical change, I knew I was broken and only God could fix/heal me with all my sins, my bad attitude, emotional baggage, unforgiveness etc. I took major steps with the help of the holy spirit and walked through those times.

I cried.

I cried alot.

I cried so much.

He specialises in unearthing the deep ugliness inside of you not to show you how ugly you are but to let you see how much beauty HE can bring out of that ugliness.

And boy! The Lord did unearth. I don’t know how long you've been reading my blog but I’m sure you will notice through every hard lesson the Lord has passed me through.

Change? Growth? Painful. Just because its spiritual doesn’t make it less painful.

Who says walking with the Lord is easy? But it is worth it. 

Its been over 2 years since I accepted Christ life and started to find my foot in HIS by following in the steps he left behind.

Do I still fall asleep when I read the Bible? Sometimes

Do I still struggle with prayer? Yes

Do I get shy when I want to share my faith with someone?  Yes

But just like a child learning to walk, every time I fall (short) HE is there to support me and help me up.

¨Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me¨ John 15:5

 I am not perfect but abiding in Christ, I am walking to perfection. I understand that living the life of Christ in this world that is anti-Christ is not going to be easy but as long as I abide in him, I will be fine. Always.

Are you willing to share about your walk with the Lord? Shoot me an email tomi.akibo@gmail.com

Have you come to an end of yourself? Have you come to a point where nothing else seems to be working out and you've tried all you could? Click to meet GRACE

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Dead men walking

Hello Everyone,

How is your weekend going? :) 

One thing i'm beginning to notice is the Irony that exists in following Jesus. 

I've been attending membership class for my not-so-new-church for the last 3 weeks and we treated salvation in one of the classes and it was a major paradigm shift for me. 

We keep saying ¨I gave my life to Christ¨ so much that it doesn't hold water anymore, but that isn't even what I'm dwelling on right now, but the fact that logically, spiritually, scientifically, materially, financially and every -ally. It is not possible. 

Why? 

We are dead! ¨But God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die¨ Genesis 3:3 

And God meant it. 

That day Adam died. and upon arrival on the earth, We die too. 

Death, it was in the Genes. 

but then.... *Ghen ghen* 

Isaiah 53 New International Version (NIV)

53 Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

4 Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
    and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
    nor was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
    and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
    and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
    he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
    and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
    and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

JESUS!! 

He gave his life for us. We don't give our life to him, technically, we had none. 

We accept HIS. 

Its the acceptance of salvation. 

We then go ahead and live our lives for HIM, the one who gave himself for us. 

Here is a poem I loved and is line with this by Preston and Jackie Hill Perry of P4cm ¨The Fall'' 

Enjoy! 

Have you come to an end of yourself? Have you come to a point where nothing else seems to be working out and you've tried all you could? Click to meet GRACE

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