It is careless to accept any and every teaching without interrogating if the interpretation is right. God inspired the Apostle John and others to warn us against certain teachings within the Christian church that is contrary to faith. Have you interrogated the teachings of the community you worship with? Have you read for yourself and confirmed if they are the proper interpretations of scripture? If the Apostles
Prayer gets corrupted when we treat it as a requisition form to get stuff from God. Prayer ceases to be prayer when it becomes an opportunity to hand over a list of needs to God. A relationship where the only communication is making requests and demands will not survive for long. Communication should be an opportunity to interact, appreciate and express concerns, fears, and expectations as we do to our friends.
The needs will not be met according to our list of needs but according to the riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Many times when we think of this text, we think of needs being met according to the list we have developed. Our list may not match the list that is developed in the riches of the glory in Christ Jesus. When the list we have and God’s list differ, we expect God will use our list, but He uses His own list for our needs. Therefore when we say Amen to this text, many times we do not have God’s list of our needs in mind. That is why it is easy to misunderstand this verse.
When troubles occur we ask so many questions. We ask why it is us who must suffer. We wonder how long it will last. We even question why a loving God would allow this. We sometimes feel our life has just been all trouble.
What power do we rely on? What power influences us? What power do we subscribe to? What power do we believe in? The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. Talk is nothing power is everything!
Faith faces the reality that saying no to sexual advances may cost me dating partners. Faith faces the reality that honesty and integrity may cost me the favor of my bosses. Faith faces the reality and the obvious harm, then faith walks in the opposite direction of that reality believing that God will make the impossible possible. Faith faces the reality and then walks in the opposite direction!
You can’t work hard enough to please God. God has to enable you to please Him. Without God you can’t or it is of no effect. Without God you can give tithes and offerings but it elicits no sense of satisfaction. You can’t work for salvation!
The evidence of conversion is not just understanding the teachings of the church and active participation. The evidence of conversion must include a generous giving to support the mission of the church. You are not truly converted if you are reluctant to support the mission of the church you have joined. Your conversion is fake if your giving is tokenism. If you believe in it you finance it!
May God grant us wisdom to know which threats to confront and which ones to withdraw from, in Jesus’ name, Amen!