Christ center

'Most of us are naturally interested in rising up the spiritual ladder to spiritual self-mastery. A good part of the climb is definitely about shifting your attitudes out of the conditioning of limiting and negative beliefs and adopting values that are deemed spiritually aligned. Spiritual values are those that feed the soul and advance your spirit and human understanding. Striving to become consistently virtuous, spiritually strong, compassionate, generous, self-aware, wise and, of course, happy will steer you towards spiritual excellence. The mind can be stretched, directed, coached and nurtured to accept a spiritual perspective to life and to adopt attitudes that are aligned with love. But training your mind is only part of the answer. Without your heart actively driving your thoughts, your mind will tend to revert to old conditioning and love will be absent from your thinking. More than "doing the right thing", it is about living a life filled with love—a life t...

Previously on this article, I wrote about what the ministry of a pastor's wife really entails. What they (pastor's wife) are called to do in times of trouble and confusion as well as their role as a mother and role model in the church. Today I will be writing conclusively on this article. Many of our pastors and spouses have chosen to be co-pastors in the church. The husband is actually the lead pastor but giving a place of respect for his spouse, as they are one. Co-pastors often share in the goals and vision of the church, sometimes filling the pulpit or sharing a word of encouragement to the body. Most co-pastors allow the lead pastor, which is usually the husband, to assume the business responsibilities, counseling, and be more visible in the regular duties of a pastor. Whether you designate for both of you, being co-pastors, there is definitely strength in numbers. I mentioned earlier about God calling the whole man, both husband and wife, becoming one flesh. It i...

For the most part, the pastor serves as the spiritual leader and overseer of the church, spending countless hours teaching, preaching, and counseling others. He may challenge or encourage his flock to draw closer and dedicate one’s life to the Lord. In doing so, a pastor is forever trying to lead others down a path of righteousness, which means a change for many of many of our members. Some are willing and some are not so willing. A pastor’s calling is a marvelous calling but at times, can be very challenging, lonely, exciting, frustrating, and yet very satisfying. Just as it is important for any man to have a help mate, it is doubly important for a pastor to have that “special someone” to assist and fulfill God’s calling for their “special work” or ministry. The Bible does not address the involvement of the pastor's wife in any ministry. In other words, the pastor and his wife determine how active the pastor's wife should be. The main area of responsibility for any wi...

Previously on this article, i wrote about how God's will is known in our lives, the effect and how it affects our individual purpose on earth. Today, I'll be writing conclusively on that. 3. SPECIFIC WILL : God's special plan for each believer (whom we marry, career, education, etc.). When we know God's revealed Will and respect His determined Will, we can undrape what most Christians seek in their quest to know God's Will. Simply put, we are prepared to understand His Word, know His thoughts, commands, and call, then apply His Word into our lives so we can be in prayer, seek godly council, and then consciously and productively make the right decisions. How do we Make Good and Healthy Decisions? • First , God leads by the precepts and principles of His Word! The Bible shows us the way. Biblical Precepts are statements that are imperatives such as commands (Mark 12:28-31), and passages that are clearly His Will (Gal. 5). Principles are general concepts in...

Seeking and searching, in our contemporary language, suggests looking for something that is not there or can't be seen. But, is this what we do when we search for the Will of God? When most Christians say they want God's Will, they may actually want Christ to do their will! So, this subject must be sought with reverence and obedience or we will miss it completely, rebalancing our will for His so we can have the trash we want instead of the wonders He has for us. The struggle to seek or find the Will of God has conflicted and confronted countless Christians and non-Christians alike over the millennia. But, most miss the point of the quest and end up with the wrong items, declaring them as God's Will, or they give up and say God's Will cannot be found. So, what is the Will of God? A basic, general idea of what it means to know the Will of God is found in Matthew 6:33 … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as we...

James 5:16-18 " Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that year may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passion as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. " To pray isn't religious as some opined, prayers entails the movement of your life and welfare, if you do not know how to pray, it will be difficult for you to end well, it doesn't matter how brightly you started your life. The end of a thing is better than the beginning. Everyone prays, wether it's a wish,or a desire or a mere words of luck, it's translated into inner self belief, even most people who claim they don't believe in the existence of the Almighty God prays, they actually think things to be better than its with them o...

Previously, i wrote about our call to worship as Christians and believers generally and how we should make God the center point of our service and love. Today i will be writing on the concluding part of that. I have seen people who seem to be unemotional about God but truly they can die for God. Some may think that they are not serious but they really do not joke with the things of God. When you begin to walk with the Lord, and you come to a point where you love Him, the first thing that happen to you is that God will begin to propose to you things that will open the door of your heart (this is not necessarily for blessing) because God's priority is not just to bless you but to change you. That's why no man can really lay down his life for Jesus, the only thing he can do is to permit God to take it. The sacrifices and constrain that brings you to a point that everyone sees your life and knows that Jesus is the master and the owner is almost unbearable except the spirit o...

Worship in this context is not to sing praises and raise hands in the church or any spiritual gathering, it is when you take the value system for God, your love and your passion for Him will increase. Our love for God can go cold at any point in time, not because we don't love God, but the tempo and fervency will reduce due to the society we find ourselves. We live in a society that everything seems to be choking our love for God, so it gets to a point in our lives when we begin to question if God is still there because daily our convictions are dwindling. Everybody begin their spiritual journey with some degree of fervency, at a point we have the ability to reject that which is not of God and stand for the things of the spirit but gradually our strength seem to fail us. " But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 Let...

Some think Jesus came so we can become rich. Well, that’s wrong because before Jesus came, many people have been rich. The trend continues today because even people who do not believe in Jesus are also rich! During his earth walk, people thought Jesus was going to become a political leader and save the Jews from the Romans. Even his disciples thought along these lines. But that was not why Jesus came! So why did he come? The answer can be found in Matthew 1 when an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, Mary’s husband. Let’s do a quick read of what the angel said. Matthew 1:20 " But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 1:21 " And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:22 Now all ...

John 8:22-25. Peace is what everyone whether young or old, male or female, rich or poor, name it is entitled to. It is a basic need for every individual walking under the sun. God created the world in a peaceful manner, because God Himself is a God of peace. During the old testament, God did some things in order for peace to reign. Our God is not an author of confusion (1cor.14:33) but wholly endowed with peace. In the world we live in today, it is quite difficult to experience peace, most people think it is such an herculean effort for any man to have joy and peace in his /her life. People believe that peace is either unattainable or difficult to achieve (believers inclusive). We hear people say 'even if there is peace in one aspect of one's life,  it's certain there would be chaos and troubles on other sides. I wouldn't say those justifications are wrong because looking at the troubles going on in the world, the increase in youth unemployment,  criminal activi...

When God is silent to us in a trial, this tends to bring everything out into the open about us. It certainly brings out the bad, but will ultimately prove faith in us. Yet right in the middle of all of this is something more. God wants to PROVE and to BUILD faith in us. But faith is a relationship word. It must be rested upon something or someone. In a nutshell, God wants to reveal Himself to us. Here we see the ultimate reason God is silent to us especially during a trial. It isn’t that God could not tell us things. It isn’t that He could not give us information about Himself, or about what He is doing. In fact, I might say that He already has given that it is all in the Bible. Yet during some of these terrible times of trial, none of that seems to be able to get us far. God is silent to us during a trial because He wants to do more than simply give us information. He wants to give us revelation. God wants to reveal HIMSELF to us. Initially, reading that might not get us too e...

One of the most difficult seasons in the life of a Christian is when God seems silent. And the fact is, those seasons when God seems silent are usually when we think we need Him to speak the most. God is usually silent to us when we are in a trial. Indeed, I have found that the silence of God, and my inability to understand Him can, in itself, become a greater trial than any circumstances. Actually, what I am describing is THE TRIAL OF FAITH . A trial of faith, when everything is said and done, is not a struggle over circumstances – the real struggle is not to make circumstances work out, or to make suffering end. The trial of faith has to do with what is going on between myself and God. The circumstances are simply the venue. FAITH is at issue in any trial of faith – my FAITH in God is what is being TRIED or PROVEN. If there is one thing that is a trial of faith it is the silence of God. When God is silent the enemy will come in and play upon our fears. The suggestion will be...

God has a wonderful plan by which you can have a worldwide influence. This plan is not just for a chosen few. It is for you. Let me tell you about it. God has great expectations for you and me. He has every right. The average person has more ability to influence others Today than before. This is especially true for Christians. Through the tremendous help of the media, and the expanding technology, we have the facilities to speed up God's work beyond anything we have yet known. We can reach the farthest nation more quickly, we can present the gospel in more languages, and we have the means to recruit and guide prayer for the whole world more efficiently. We can reach our world, If we will. The greatest lack today is not people or funds. The greatest need is prayer. We could see multiplied results if we would only multiply prayer. There have been outstanding prayer saint over the centuries. By no means do we forget them or the tremendous histcry-changing role they played ...

We rejoice in the fact that the LORD in his loving providence sent his angel and delivered the Apostle Peter from the power of King Herod and his soldiers. The Apostle James had been apprehended and put to death. The Apostle Peter was in prison, bound with two chains and guarded by sixteen soldiers. It is reasonable to believe that Peter was informed that on the next day he would be led forth to be executed. Perhaps the soldiers who were guarding him, understanding that he was a good man, sought to comfort him on what they believed was the last night of his earthly life, by offering to watch with him through the night. Peter doubtless answered them something like this: “ My God, whom I serve, is able to deliver me from King Herod and his power, but whether or not he will do so, I do not know. I do know, however, that his will for me is best. My conscience is clear; I suggest that we lie down and take our rest as usual.” While Peter and the soldiers were asleep, a light shone in...