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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Are you Paradoxical?

Hello Everyone,

Thank you ALL for the words of encouragement in my last post I really do appreciate it.  Now unto the marra of the day.

[Source]

I am not one to speak plenty grammar. I like to keep things simple and straight to the point anything to avoid complexity. I understand abit of grammar not the obahiagbon kind, but you get my drift. I have a walking encyclopaedia (As I like to call her) as a sister and any time I encounter any big words or I need a correct spelling, I consult her. But she wasn't around the day I heard this big grammar.

One of the ladies during our Immerse white glam get-together mentioned ¨Paradoxical¨ as she was trying to describe herself and as I was still trying to process what that word meant another lady asked ¨Please what does it mean?¨  and she went ahead to say the meaning as being ¨Contradictory¨ Over the next weeks I pondered more on the word which was now etched in my sub-conscious.

What exactly does the word mean? 

paradoxical

ˌparəˈdɒksɪk(ə)l/

adjective

1. seemingly absurd or self-contradictory.

Then I wondered some more how I have been paradoxical in my life, believing one thing and not necessarily acting it out. Like I am a follower of Jesus and I do believe in him and all that he says but when I look in my life and try to see what I live out when the chips are down theeen there is a huge question mark. 

Its easy to be 'good' on sunday, but what are you doing on Monday? 

I also looked around me and see other people like me in the ''Christian¨ Category that do somethings then I begin to question 'Is she really a Christian?' but as much as I point the accusing/judgemental finger, I have 3 pointing back at me. 

I ask myself, does my actions or inaction as the case my be reflect the Jesus I follow? Can people that interact with me during the week vouch for me as much as my Sunday peeps can? or even more than? Can I say 'follow me as I follow Christ and people will gladly oblige?' In all honesty, I have pulled down a post -Which I might put up later - because If I answered sincerely I knew my answer on somethings was 'No'

I have been looking and thinking of what and what to help me in this and during Thursday sermon in church which was talking about the truth about grace, I got my answer although its a popular verse it came to me in a different light. 

¨I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.¨ Gal 5:16

Which screams to me that all I have to do is walk in the spirit and all the fleshy lust will not be fulfilled even with simple things as getting/staying angry, getting jealous, speaking against someone, treating people right, having compassion etc.    

My question to you is this: Are your beliefs in Christ reflecting in the way you live or are you paradoxical? 

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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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No shades of grey

As a church community we read the new testament in 35 days as a challenge. Among many other things I was learning in Church what stood out for me was that there was no second guessing with God.

His way is clear.

His word is true.

and He is not an author of confusion.

Someone wrote recently on twitter ¨It is quite surprising that two Christians from one source (Jesus) argue over one Bible, due to different doctrines *sigh*” - @Ifeolunu

One of the things that became clear to me after this challenge, I sure had no desire to sit and ‘argue’ theology as I used to nor did I have any desire to idly talk about what someone thought about what this or that passage of scripture meant.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Word of God is clear! Black and white and in the words of Frank donga ¨No dilly dallying or meri go randing¨ Its on point.

Anything that is hidden, is hidden. What's revealed is revealed.

We often insert our shades of grey and taking words of context like the awkward moment when you realise that Jesus is not the rock when you put Matt 7:24-27 in context.

Shades of grey are man-made - whether one or 50 -_- *Pun Intended*

'Black and white' is God-made

He is not the author of confusion.

Read your Bible in context.

One of the best things that happened in my walk with God this year was reading the new testament from Matthew to Revelation chronologically

It was simply amazing, one that I will do again, again and again. I want to challenge you to prayerfully drop your Biblical ‘Shades of grey’ (If you are reading that book, really drop it) and pick Gods Word.

If you want the plan I used to be on track for 35 days and also want some level of accountability, kindly let me know and I will Email it to you.

Have a great week ahead!

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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Bible is the mark of the beast?

O_O You can imagine my shock when I saw this statement about 2 weeks ago.

I am a YouTube troller, I will go watch one video and end up watching 10 other "Related" Links and by the time I start from Joyce meyer I am done with probably some make-up or food tutorials. Can you relate?

This faithful day, Was going through some P4CM poetry then I saw another video that a guy made trying to analyse and counter all their messages( He is/was an atheist) and this was about 3 years ago, know the amazing thing p4cm is still going strong and this other guy hasn't uploaded a video in about 2 years

"..Love never faileth"

Anyways, Moving on. In the comment section of the guys video is where I saw "The Bible is the mark of the beast" 

Now I regret the fact that I didn't bookmark it, and I don't have a reference (I've tried to re-trace my e-steps - didn't get it)

I opened the link and read through the man's ideology and of how the Bible is the mark of the beast.

Here are a few of his points

• The Bible has 66 books and the mark of the beast is 666 (-__-) Really??
• The Bible is drawing people away from God than its original purpose - This I kinda agree with and I will explain
• The Bible wasn't written by God exactly -  Well who said it was? It was Inspired by the holy spirit

These were his major point, know the amazing thing? He has read the Bible cover-to-cover a number of times and it was in one of those times that "God spoke" to him that "This is not my word"

another amazing thing is that in all his trying to prove that the Bible is not 'true' he keeps referencing the it - Like using the principles in the Bible and all. In reading this article these questions plagued my mind

~ If the Bible is not real, out of the 100% of the body of Christ, the almighty God just decided to reveal it to just what? 1% I don't get it.

~ If the Bible Isn't God inspired and just a book of historical events(Like he put it) Why does it steadily change lives?

~ If the Bible is the mark of the beast why is it drawing people closer to God than away? (shouldn't that be what the beast want?)

"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." ~ Matthew 15:14  

I did a research of my own about the history of the Bible a while back, I was more concerned about translations and  which to read and let sink in my spirit. I have been a believer of the Bible since forever, Just carrying it around and not knowing to actually 'read' it or reading and struggling not to fall asleep. 

But when I let Jesus be the Lord of my life  and i spent hours studying the word without getting tired then I knew its power, I knew it was no ordinary book. Reading Gods word changed me, helped me build a relationship with God.

"...The word is quick and powerful..." ~ Hebrews 4:12 

Now saying that the Bible is drawing people away from God instead of  TO God might be correct( don't throw stones yet) A few months ago I was travelling to Jos and I forgot my Bible at home, I mean I FORGOT MY BIBLE AT HOME, note that I have not been without a Bible in my bag in over a year and No, Its not always for decoration. I will whip it out anytime anywhere to mark-up something or read, I don't count the one on my phone, some of us are old school like that. I felt really disconnected because I forgot it, I knew then I had Idolized my Bible, we are encouraged to read the word and keep it in our heard then guarding our hearts with all diligence, but letting it become an Idol and feeling 'Incomplete' without it? Then it becomes a problem. 

In my panicky state after realising, I reached to Salt and 'confessed' She calmed me down and encouraged me.

So, Yes we have the tendency to Idolize the Bible but does it make it any less the word of God? No!

I don't believe because 'people' say, I believe because I've seen it work for me. The standard of the the Bible is so high and really no-one could've written it in his/her knowledge. Over decades and centuries the Bible has survived criticism  and is one of the most influential and most popular books. 

As much as I don't care whatever anyone says about the Bible and I believe what it says, sometimes you have to confront questions like these so you KNOW for yourself. We want to believe because we KNOW what we believe not because someone keeps saying so.

In conclusion, He(or anyone else out there) might see the Bible as the mark of the beast but I see it as the mark of the Beast destroyer - Go figure!

I Love God, I Love Jesus, I Love the Holy Spirit and I Love listening to teachings from the Bible - all day, everyday and will continue to read it. :)

What say you? 

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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