God never promised us perfect relationships! EVERYONE is a DAMAGED PRODUCT from BIRTH. We all need acceptance & help from others who would genuinely choose to give it all it takes!You are well-suited to HELP HEAL ANOTHER person!
Relationships fail when people choose NOT tomature. Immature people avoid reconciliation! It is immature to avoid healing of fractured emotion! The immature shuts-down communication that could help work out relationship differences!
It Is IMPORTANT To Be Involved In Improving Others! Life is usually miserable for those who prefer to eliminate others so as to promote LONE ambition!It is better to build LOVE someone or participate in building a LOVING community! Depression & suicide could be hard to contemplate when working hard at practical goals to help improve others!
Value others’ lives! You are not better off having others SUPPRESSED while you sit on top of the relationship pack.It creates tensions for you. If you love manipulation & excessive control, it would only backfire. Your insecurity, anxiety, worries & stress will multiply!
There is health in JOY! Joy is what you get when your investment in someone else results in smile, radiance & happiness.Give JOY & expect to get JOY back. Invest in a partner’s joy, in due time, God will satisfy & supernaturally return your joy, especially when you do it in God or Christlikeness!
No one make it in life without others! No one is without enemy! Not all adversaries can be destroyed! Grow up! Accommodate others! Give reasonable room for faulty people! Hopefully they learn right lessons from you before too long or too late!
Pathways of happiness, success, promotion & victory are littered with faulty folks who test tolerance limits. Build relationships! Everyone including yourself is a work-in-progress. Some difficult people are in place to improve your needed love capacity & human development relationship skills! No organization, entity, government or society develops without excellent people-management skills!
Life is about people! You only thrive in life to the extent you engage true LOVE to accommodate others regardless of prevailing faulty nature!
True LOVE is a spiritual ability that can be grown to increase emotional capacity for accepting others through high tolerance of their obvious deficiencies & non-obvious tendencies.
Life & relationship becomes stress-less when you master human-beings’ tripartite nature. Everyone can be Mental-nuts. Prepossessed. Divine-wrecks.
Again, nearly everyone is a “MENTAL CASE” with Caged Mindset, Preprogrammed Attitude & Lacking Divine Control!We all have to learn To Live With At Least One Such Individual! It could be a friend, a spouse, a partner or colleague!
God created human relationship to establish balance & order through companionship.An average person hates to be balanced/ordered!
Yeah!Celebrate singleness all you want. You were not created to be single but to actively work-out an intimate relationship!Haa!
Bible counselling help is available to to those who have questions. I can be reached inbox on FB Messenger by the name Olanrewaju Elujoba or by email to bishopolaa@yahoo.com. May God bless you more & MORE!
You can support us @ Worldwide WORD MISSIONS, a Great Commission Initiative that engages non-profit publishing, broadcasting, training & missionary networking to advance the Kingdom of our LORD JESUS CHRIST across the globe. You can partner with & support us by giving some money through cashapp $wwmissions or by using any donate button on our website http://www.worldwidewordmissions.org.
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(This Is An Important MASTERCLASS Lesson – It Is A Liberating & Insightful Education – Please Take Time To Carefully READ THROUGH! It will RICHLY BLESS & ENLIGHTEN you)
During JESUS physical existence here on earth, the word CHURCH was used only ONCE as a direct quotation from him (going by the KJV translation)! It can be found in Mathew 16:18. He did not use the word to refer to a geographically located building that is always packed with gathering of people or a denomination-named after, or by, an individual.
The word church was subsequently used 110 times in the epistles (according to KJV). In all of these times, the use of the word either applied to the body of Christ JESUS believers in an entire city, in a house, or in different cities. In other words, it was used as the church in Lagos, the church in Hyderabad, the church in Columbus, etc. All locations of church should strive to have working relationships across city & regional lines.
In all of the usage in the book of Acts, before the church multiplied to include gentiles, all believers were referred to, collectively, as church. In Revelations 2 & 3, the word church was used to address the collective people in 7 separately named CITIES. It is necessary to note that a single angel was addressed alongside each church, per city. That should indicate that each body of believer per city ought to all be summarized under one leadership/umbrella. If the purpose of Church is one same Faith/Purpose and not divided, denominated or dissenting objectives, then there should be no reason to split one body of people, under same Christ, against the other.
Church was defined as mount Sion or Zion in the book of Hebrews 12:22. Zion was not used in the New Testament. Instead, the alternative Sion was used 7 times in Matthew 21:5, John 12:15, Romans 9:33, Romans 11:26, Hebrews 12:22, 1 Peter 2:6 and Revelation 14:1
In none of the scriptures was church used as a means to aggressively promote oneself or elevate another individual to become popularly seen as representing God above the name of JESUS Christ who should be clearly placed PREEMINENTLY over all. Numerous mention & use of JESUS’ name should NOT be a means to achieve personal ends. Nobody in the Bible was sent to become so popular for his or her name to replace JESUS in signifying access to God. There is nothing like God of Ayo Babalola, God of Benson Idahosa, God of Kenneth Hagin, God of Copeland, God of Katherine Khulman, God of Apostle Peter, God of Apostle Paul, or God of any other living human being for that matter, etc.
The name of JESUS is sufficient. Any other name used in prayers other than Christ JESUS is an idol of human worship that has been overrated in hearts of his or her followers.
“Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 Berean Study Bible
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11(NKJV)
In Hebrews 12:22, the Church of Christ JESUS is described as mount Sion. It is a general assembly of Holy Spirit-born people, who gather to look up to ONLY JESUS, who through his blood shed at Calvary is worshiped on the account that He, by grace, has become our advocate, intercessor, mediator and Savior. There is no self effort that qualifies us before God. The Judge of all, who is a Consuming fire is waiting to consume every human with fire, whether born again or not. Only those approved after God’s judgment will survive.
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:22.
Only those that faithfully & truly remain under the covering of JESUS can escape HIM as a consuming fire.
This is what Church Is Not
Here is what Church is NOT!
1. CHURCH IS NOT GOVERNMENT, it should build people with heart to care for organizing the well-being of society. She should lead & guide people into, and those already in, government.
2. CHURCH IS NOT AN INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONAL BUSINESS, she should be led by servants who put interest of congregation above self, not master/slave boss leaders who are essentially in it to fleece people. That does not mean that ministers’ material needs should not be met as needed by church.
3. CHURCH IS NOT A MINISTER’S MEAL TICKET, NEITHER IS IT A COMMERCIAL BANK. It is a commonwealth that cares for and takes care of welfare of all who can not obtain same otherwise. It is not to be besieged for resources that is otherwise available or otherwise obtainable.
4. CHURCH IS NOT HOSPITAL, it should provide means to take care of health if there is no provision otherwise. It should be a spiritual healing center.
5. CHURCH IS NOT A SCIENCE LABORATORY, it should correct scientist if or when they go too far to oppose God or Godliness.
6. CHURCH IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR REGULAR, USUAL OR NATURAL GOD-INSTITUTED LIFE PROCESSES OR PRINCIPLES, she is in place to meet more of SUPERnatural needs. It does not replace natural. It overrides natural ONLY when God deems it necessary. There will be no food and crops without engaging natural principles & processes of farming that works by proper understanding of seasons, sowing & harvests. It does not replace diligence and labors to produce finished goods for economic consumption.
7. CHURCH IS NOT CULT-LOYALTY TO A CONGREGATIONAL LEADER WHETHER SEASONED OR NOT, it is not for any person’s hero-worship, it should submit to, respect & care for leaders who humbly project Christ As ONLY SAVIOR & ensuring people’s affections remain INDIVIDUALLY/personally committed to the unseen JESUS Christ, the son of the living God.
DEFINITIONS OF CHURCH
We can derive more definitions of church by looking at the functions of Zion in the Old Testament. Secondly, Isaiah 2 also described Church as the Mountain of the Lord.
IT IS SION/ZION
“But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. 18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it. 19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south. 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Obadiah 17-21 King James Version (KJV)
Summary of Zion, Sion, or Church Characteristics Derived from Obadiah 17-21 are below:
DELIVERANCE – Healing & setting people free from powers of darkness by engaging spiritual powers available in Christ JESUS.
HOLINESS – A Set-Apart sanctified life distinguishable from typical, regular basic-instinct worldly human nature.
POSSESSING POSSESSIONS – A Faith-Propelled Victory-Enforcing Mind-Renewed Circumstance-Changing Peculiar-People that are empowered to enjoy faith, family & financial victories in a world where good things are skewed to work for those who dip lives in sin and operate in the devil’s camp ways.
FIRE & FLAMES – Raising Light-shining, Holy Spirit-led Spiritually alive, NOT LUKEWARM but active people manifesting Christlikeness & reflecting Godliness.
SAVIORS (verse 21) – Holy Spirit Inspired Community/Sphere of Influence Supernatural-Solution-Provider They church-trained & deploying matured believers & disciples who are adequately trained as deliverers who in turn influence, evangelize & disciple their communities and societies. They advance practical spiritual & physical solutions that awes society.
IT IS MOUNTAIN OF THE LORD From Isaiah 2: we add more definitions to what the church functions in society should be.
The Mountain of the Lord
“This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Isaiah 2:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
Summary Of A Christ-Fragrance Zion/Sion/Church Derived from Isaiah 2:1-6
UPRIGHT – DOMINEERING – STANDARD-SETTING – Highest of the mountains. The highest unshakable standard that all nations recognize and want to “stream to it.”
ATTRACTIVE – Many Peoples shall find it desirable to encourage one another to “go up to the Mountain of the Lord” for teachings, directions on how they “may walk in the Lord’s path.”
AUTHORITATIVE/COMMANDING – The law, will of God, word or God, highest principles for living, emanate from ZionJudge over nations. Settles disputes between governments of nations so that international wars seize. What governments are unable to achieve is superiorly administered by Church.
LIGHTHOUSES – Lights that walk in the light of the Lord, not in the darkness already in the world. They provide Godly directions to spiritually confused people.
I encourage people to purge themselves from craftiness & filthiness that has redefined church into 2020 religion of “churching church-goers.” I call that churchianity. We all need to get back into humbly accepting Bible-ordained Church that is SOLELY rooted & grounded in FAITH in the LORD JESUS Christ.
I am available to help those who may have questions. I can be reached inbox here on FB Messenger or by email to bishopolaa@yahoo.com. May God bless you more & MORE!
Bishop Olan Elujoba
My name is Olanrewaju Elujoba. You can support us @ Worldwide WORD MISSIONS, a Great Commission Initiative that engages non-profit publishing, broadcasting, training & missionary networking to advance the Kingdom of our LORD JESUS CHRIST across the globe. You can partner with & support us by giving some money through cashapp $wwmissions or by using a donate button on our website http://www.worldwidewordmissions.org.
Compromise may have become an acceptable standard in the world, especially within political systems, BUT, it certainly remains unacceptable to God. Compromising Bible standard remains the number one destroyer of God’s WILL among God’s people today, especially those HIS saints that have been given Kingdom Assignments. Compromise is the gray area between TRUTH & LIES!
Compromise is a conjoining of half of a truth with half of a lie! There is so much compromise of Bible TRUTHs today that it seems that most people believe more in compromised-Truths than absolute-TRUTHs!
In making compromises people bend over to accept the unacceptable. Some Church leaders will compromise telling the whole truth, inadvertently hurting God’s absolute truth. Many church goers compromise what they know to be Biblical truth while hiding behind popular excuses that allows indulging in sins & selfishness, shaming the gospel of Christ with hypocrisy & double standard.
Biblical depictions of God and his expectation of HIS sinners-turned-into-saints believers showed that with HIM is either YES or NO! There is nothing like “maybe” with God. God is not involved in political correctness… Meanwhile, in few Biblical events where God “accepted to compromise” to do what mankind dictated, it always ended with perilous consequences on man’s accounts…
Whenever God overlooked and seemed to “compromisingly” accept man’s insistence, in the short run, man runs free, having his/her ways. BUT, in the longer run, HE ends up punishing man’s stubborn will, insisting on & having HIS OWN WAYS ultimately! That God accommodates our compromises in the short run is no indicator of His approval of our ways… He only gives us more time to get-things-right!
Even JESUS sought a compromise for the cup to Passover before He finally submitted to God’s will! THAT IS WHAT A CROSS IS… HAVING TO ENDURE THE INCONVENIENT BECAUSE GOD WANTS IT TO BE SO! That JESUS still carried & died on the cross for the sins of mankind was a great example of crossing crossroads of compromising. Like each one of us today, JESUS had the power of choice to renege on carrying on with God-inspired WILL/CROSS. God’s will is usually a cross that is almost never convenient!
Every Believer has been told to carry his or her own cross & FOLLOW after JESUS example. We may not have to endure a cross in the literal sense as some early disciples/apostles did, but there is no doubt that we will be faced with compromising situations and circumstances when we either endure our own “cross” or compromise and put the Cross of Christ to shame again!
True Christianity is still for carrying “crosses” for Christ (not jewelry crosses)! The place of tempting compromises should always be turned into a place of choosing to hang in there, carrying one’s cross in Christ rather than choosing the more comfortable convenience of excuses, satisfying SELF or satisfyingly pleasing men (&women)! WHENEVER COMPROMISE IS ACCOMMODATED INSTEAD OF ABSOLUTE BIBLICAL TRUTH, THE EXPECTED ACCOMPANYING DEMONSTRATION OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION POWER IS HINDERED FROM BEING CELEBRATED AND IS SABOTAGED…
There are many who live continually in deliberate compromises. They are the ones who hate and feel judged by absolute truths… They would rather give excuses and perambulate about how there are no new crosses to carry in Christ! THOSE WHO COMPROMISE THE FULL GOSPEL LOVE TO ONLY TELL ABOUT THE “GOODIES” IN CHRIST!
We all know that itchy ears cannot tolerate and hate to be taught about carrying Kingdom crosses! Like apostle Paul who needed GRACE to bear a God-permitted “thorn in the flesh”, every believer can ask God for GRACE to endure whatever “cross” they have to carry because of God’s WILL…
GRACE IS NOT ONLY FOR GOODIES IN CHRIST, IT IS ALSO FOR CROSSES IN CHRIST!!!
Just like JESUS, many believers would have to carry their own “crosses”, facing their own red seas or instead they shall remain under oppression of their Biblical Egypt. Crosses have to be carried to cross from failure to Biblical triumph. Crosses are carried to cross from alone-ness in ministry to having many sons & daughters of faith… crosses must be carried to cross from man-made defeat to God-made victory. And crosses have to be carried to cross from earthly death unto eternal life!
Olan Elujoba
Have you ever carried any cross in Christ? Are you carrying any cross for Christ?? Are you willing to carry crosses for Christ? Every true believer has a cross to carry for Christ! Compromise is not what Christ sent us to perfect, His lighter Cross is what he has assigned for each one of us to carry in HIS name and to the ends of the earth…
Embrace your God assigned cross, if you have one & carry it diligently without compromising UNTIL HE says WELL-DONE!!! Shalom! Much Love!
Differences Between Faith, Belief, Conviction & Religion.
(Quite Some Lines To Read. Please READ THROUGH CAREFULLY. It Will Help YOU!)
Belief is a body of information that a MIND is RIGIDLY SET on, rightly & wrongly. Conviction is belief transmitted from head-knowledge into a heart-based action-ready-mode. Many have fixed mindsets on beliefs they do not necessarily practice in face of life situational confrontations. Faith is right conviction that currently & actively defy contradictions in direct moment-by-moment partnership with God. God desires people who are full of faith or are faithful to LIVE BY FAITH!
Wrong beliefs that leads to wrong convictions & wrong actions births religion. Religion can also be based on right beliefs & conviction but lacking current interaction & engagement with God by His Holy Spirit. It is impossible to please God without right belief. Endeavor To Please God! Many church-goers operate in the flesh and not by Spirit-led faith. Faith is action-steps engaged because of inner conviction.
“Without active faith, it is impossible to please God.” Heb 11:6 “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6.
Faith is strengthened and grown by feeding on right spiritual facts. The more time a Christian spends on feeding on & digesting Gods words by the help of the Holy Spirit, the easier it gets to be propelled by deep-seated assurance of strong personal faith and not by presumptions.
Faith engages body of beliefs to practically seek a yet-to-be-seen impossible solution regardless of facts that are up in arms against it.
Faith is always seeking a premeditated change. It relies on unseen spiritual insight & guidance & patiently waits for the evidently seen to be overcome by the expected physically unseen.
“that ye may not become slothful, but followers of those who through faith and patient endurance are inheriting the promises.” Hebrews 6:12. Young’s Literal Translation
Faith is initiated in the heart of one who choose to act on God’s ability, knocks on God’s doors for divine-enabled answers, and waits on God for rigid physical circumstances to turnaround into a new testimony and miracle.
Bible faith keeps trudging on a lonely path to work out a change even when physical information or facts insists that it will not add up. The woman with more than a decade issue of blood problem, collected her miracle by personally motivated and inspired faith.
“And Jesus told the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50
Faith is spiritual insight that actively relies on God supplying desired outcome. Faith actively waits on internal guidance and takes bold steps throughout moments of hope, expectancy & turnaround.
Faith is not needed when expected outcomes are naturally certain. Faith does not underestimate physical facts, rather, it insists on superior supernatural facts derived from need for change, fired-up by right belief and convictions.
Faith is a human acting sensually foolish but with certain inner trust and continued assurance that God will show up with supernatural parts to what is hoped for.
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[a] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-20 New International Version (NIV)
Faith is incomplete when it is all about what a human can accomplish without room for what God should add to the belief, conviction & faith equation.
Faith is usually a dangerous risky endeavor that only God’s answer or response can diffuse and turn into testimonies or miracle for the faith-actor.
Faith is not commonplace. It swims against natural inclinations for the most part. It can pitch its operator against friends, families and colleagues who most times would turn themselves into arch enemies.
Faith is a personal responsibility & engagement of divinity in human activity. Since it is rarely a secret engagement it will usually raise wrath of other close-by folks who will be intimidated, embarrassed or unhappy because of exposure of own lack of convictions.
“And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Luke 17:19 New Living Translation
Faith does not leave things to chance and ask God to fix things. Rather, it actively takes steps based on spiritually & scripture-ascertained information on what God already promised and assured that He will do.
Faith takes the promissory word of God on its face value and for what it is, and takes steps ahead of physical manifestation of the promise.
“Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 1 Kings 17:1 New American Standard Bible
Faith is personal and not a follow-follow reaction to what others in religious believing-crowds are engaging in. Faith is engaged-in INTENTIONALLY, for moments of necessities.
Religion is the fake-faith or false-faith that engages automatic repetitive means & permanent ritualistic methods that are assumed to please God permanently.
Faith is a forward-leaning current daily/weekly engagement with God. It seeks to be current with God’s mind as they may be freshly revealed.
Religion is backward-leaning and is always trusting to repeat past traditions that once made God respond to man’s needs. God desires daily 2-way, heaven-earth, interactions with each one of those who believe in Him. He is known to change his modus-operandi from time to time and is NOT RIGID in mathematically repeating traditions. King David in the Bible never assumed battle strategies without consulting the oracles of God. He always asked and got divine directions for EACH day & battle. God’s answers to him were not always the same regardless that his situations or circumstances were very similar. Also, JESUS sought God’s face in prayers & fellowship, DAILY. Apostle Paul did not assume he could put God in a mold inspite of the fact he was extremely close to God.
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 King James Version (KJV)
FAITH IS FRESH DAILY 2-WAY PERSONALIZED INTERACTION WITH GOD. IT IS NOT A SCHEDULED PROGRAM FOR SPECIFIED BUILDINGS OR ROOMS.
While believers (those with mind set on specific beliefs) are in billions of population numbers, those with conviction (who are ready to stand up to faithfully resist contrary beliefs) are far in between numbers, and, people of faith (those who would pay some spiritual price and make necessary “sacrifices” like being labelled extreme, being outcasted for choosing to stand out, punished for spiritual choices, etc), are rare to find.
Where are you regarding belief, conviction, faith or religion? I am personally not interested in traditional beliefs/religioon. I am keen on having a lively faith in Christ JESUS and in relating with Him, freshly, daily. I have always leaned on faith for material, biological & spiritual provisions more than physical world promises. I have tried my best to get most of my Christian livelihood, results and testimonies by staying firm with my convictions. I want to always be found hanging-in-there on daily faith and trust in a living God rather than in what is physically available by evil-propelled corrupted compromising systems here on earth.
“It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.” Hebrew 11:6 The Message Bible
I encourage you to personally grow your faith in the LORD JESUS Christ. I am available to help those who may be interested. I can be reached inbox here on FB Messenger or by email to bishopolaa@yahoo.com. May God bless you more & MORE!
My name is Olanrewaju Elujoba. You can support us @ Worldwide WORD MISSIONS, a Great Commission Initiative that engages non-profit publishing, broadcasting, training & missionary networking to advance the Kingdom of our LORD JESUS CHRIST across the globe.
Olanrewaju Elujoba
You can partner with & support us by giving some money through cashapp $wwmissions or by using a donate button on our website http://www.worldwidewordmissions.org.
Abraham, a Mesopotamian idolater who twice ‘lied’ to protect himself
His son Isaac who cherished the taste of pepper-soup above his children’s destiny
Waoh! see Jacob whose name as supplanter was shaping his outcomes until God stepped in
Ah! Look at Judah in that corner
That one who craved illicit romps in prostitutes’ beds until one turned out to be his daughter-in-lawPharez, product of a one-night-stand between father-in-law and daughter-in-lawOh! I can see David, shepherd minstrel and Commander-in-Chief who took over his soldier’s wife and covered it up with the innocent man’s murder.And Solomon! The one who could not manage success! Three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines!
Only God knows what aphrodisiac sustained such beastly concupiscence
What on earth is he doing in this album?I thought this was supposed to be a most glorious assemblage?What kind of characters are these?And these women? How did they get into the picture?Thamar, who feigned prostitution to seduce a philandering father-in-law Whaaaat? Rahab, courtesan to city elders with deep pockets
How did she get here?And Bathsheba, “her that had been the wife of Urias”I see you put your nose in the air and sneer, “This is one heck of an album!”
But be reminded, this is the tapestry of the Savior’s ancestry!
If you were God and you were writing the story of your venture into the realm of time in the flesh
Would you have admitted or identified with this ‘inglorious’ lineage to birth a purpose so glorious?
Would you have permitted their being mentioned in Messiah’s lineage?
Would you have committed to the documentation in such graphic details?
Seriously, would you?
What kind of Savior would come from such ‘tainted’ lineage?
But thank God, you are not God
And neither am I!
He came through “damaged goods”
To reinforce His plan of fixing the broken
He chose the weak to demonstrate His power
He chose the despised to show His glory
He became High Priest because He came through our infirmities
He chose men to show He didn’t come for angels
He came as man so man could become as HIM
How bad is your story?
Bad enough to earn men’s sneers and neighbors’ jeers?
Awful enough to make your head bowed in shame, unable to greet a new day with zeal?
Tossed aside from having been so tossed around?
Just come with the fragments of your broken life
Surrender every little detail into His skillful hands
Watch Him weave it into the tapestry of His story
Every line written in indelible lines of love dipped in blood. His blood
Filling each chapter with His glory as He brings beauty out of your ashes
Rewriting mournful looks into dancing steps, ululations into joyful expressions
For He did not come to save angels, but the seed of Abraham
It’s a curious album alright.
But that’s the only way it could have accommodated YOU!
Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!
The message above was approved and permitted to be published by The Author, Tope Popoola. The actual message title was adjusted from the actual title, THE FAMILY ALBUM by Worldwide WORD Missions editors. Rev. Tope Popoola can be reached by the name TOPE POPOOLA on Facebook.
