Caution...

" What do you think you are doing?" Tope asked.

Her roommate, Mary, was applying a generous amount of makeup on her face. She was wearing a shirt so tight it just managed to button over her chest, and she was also wearing an extremely short shirt.

"Caleb invited me to a party. I'm going."

Mary liked Caleb, because he was good looking, but he was a typical Don Juan. At 300 level, he had enough relationships to fill the Pacific, and a record as high as the Everest.

"Caleb?!" Tope asked in surprise. She knew all about him, and the fact that he was a stark unbeliever. He sometimes came to church, but to her that didn’t matter. He had been chasing her, and when her no remained firm, he started chasing her roommate, Mary, and had been doing so for the past three months.

"But you are a Christian!" she continued. "Your body is the temple of God and should not be defiled. Eph 5: 3 - 8 tells us ..."

"Abeg, abeg, stop joh. Are you the only Christian? Didn’t our pastor say not to judge others, and it is what is on the inside that counts?" Mary asked, annoyed.

Tope flared up, and her tone changed. Even Mary was surprised.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!! You should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you, after knowing all that you know? Is it not the same you who rejected him at first because you said he was an unbeliever? What happened, Mary?"

As Mary was still shocked, Tope continued.

"Have you no idea what you are dealing with?  When unbelievers sin, they may get away with it, but God won’t ever let anyone who says he belongs to him  to get away with sin."

By this time, Mary was  vibrating. She picked up her handbag and turned towards the door

"You're just jealous because Caleb left you for me. He said he loves me. What do you know about love?"

"Oh Mary," Tope said sadly. "Any love that leads you away from God is no love at all. See how he likes you dressing, exposing yourself. He's lusting after you. He doesn’t love you."

Mary hissed and walked out the room.

"Mary please. This is more dangerous than you think"

"Don’t wait up for me" Mary said acidly, and slammed the door.

Tope closed her eyes. “Father please save her.”

At around 6am the following morning, Tope received a phone call from Mary's phone.

"Mary?" she asked.

" Excuse me. This is the police. Is this the victim's friend?"

"What?!"

"I'm afraid there's been a big problem."

Eph 5:3  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.

Eph 5:5  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Eph 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Eph 5:7  Therefore do not be partners with them.

Salvation

In many cases, the concept of Salvation has been misrepresented. Here, I present it just the way it is in the scriptures.
Man sinned in the garden of Eden by disobeying God, and this made him a sinner. According to the laws that govern nature instituted by God, as a goat will always give birth to a goat, and a rat always to a rat, a sinner will always give birth to a sinner. Therefore comes the passage
Rom 5:12  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--
Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:10  As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;

And the bible also says
Deu_24:16  The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jas_1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

In this case we are not speaking about a physical death, because
Heb_9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

No. We speak of a more greater death, referred to in the bible as "The second death"- or
"The lake of Fire" , which will only be escaped by those whose name are written in God's book of life.
Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev_21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

God looked, and did not want any of us to partake of this death. But someone had to pay the price for sin- which was death, by shedding of blood, because
Heb_9:22  In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
 And the person had to do it voluntarily. That person had to live a sinless life, in order to be the perfect sacrifice for sin- a once for all offering.
God looked, and did not see anyone, so he decided to come himself, in the form of his son, to live a sinless life in order to take the death punishment required for our escape.
Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life
Rom 5:6  You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
Rom 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Christ fulfilled his part, the price was paid, and God forgave all mankind.
Now, that left mankind owing a new person- Jesus Christ.  Honestly, nithing goes for nothing. What Jesus Christ wants in  exchange is that we acknowlege he is the only one capable of saving us, and that he , having bought us, is now our master, and we are his servants slaves.
That is what it means to be born again. It means to acknowledge that you could not pay the price of death for the sinner you are, and that since Christ paid for you, he is now your owner, and that he is now your master, and you are his servant. Christ is a fair master, and his burden is easier to bear than what you would have to face if you cant pay for your own sin.  Being born again entails that when you tell Christ he is your Lord, you can no longer live for yourself, but you must now do the things that please him. You cannot say you are a christian, and still be living in sin, and serving another master. God does NOT allow it, and it is an insult to the name which you bear. Be very warned. If you profess to be a servant of God, or his child, you MUST live as one.  Read Eph 5:1-20, but for reference
Eph 5:3  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
Eph 5:4  Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
Eph 5:5  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Eph 5:6  Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Eph 5:7  Therefore do not be partners with them.
Eph 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
This is the best summary of everything I have said
Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Joh 3:17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Joh 3:18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Joh 3:19  This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
Joh 3:21  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

I have laid it out as simply as I can. Joshua said, and I repeat-
Deu 30:19  This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Deu 30:20  and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Giving to God

Jenny was going to church on a Sunday morning, along with a couple of her friends on campus. Last week Sunday, the pastor had preached on giving, and that particular Sunday was thanksgiving Sunday. She had packaged two thousand naira to give in service as offering that Sunday, in appreciation of what God had done for her. There were about six of them walking together, and they had met up after leaving their hostels, and were walking to church.
On the road to the church, there was a hospital, and as they were passing in front of the hospital, Jenny saw a young woman crying. It seemed she was trying to beg the other students and passers-by for money, but virtually everyone ignored her. As she was passing, she asked the woman what the problem was, and the woman told her that her only son, about three years, was very sick, and needed to be treated. There was genuine despair on the woman's features.
"What if you are lying?" Jenny asked
"This is the hospital where he is being treated. If you want, make you enter check whether I dey lie. Abeg, in the name of God, help me", the woman pleaded, tears rushing down her face.
"Hey Jenny, we are  going to be late" her friends said.
Jenny was thinking. in a moment of decision, she pulled open her hand bag, and retrieved her thanksgiving envelope. She turned to face her friends.
"which of you want your offering to get to God express?" she asked.
Her friends looked at her quizzically, and then understood what she was doing.
"You've got to be kidding me.", one of then, Joshua, said. " How can you give away what is meant for God?"
" Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do unto me." Jenny replied. "Isnt this what the money we give in church is supposed to be used fro anyway?"
"You are not well. How can you not respect God's money?" Joshua asked?
He stormed off with three others, leaving just one of her classmates, Daniel. She looked at him imploringy, asking what he was going to do.  He looked at her for a few seconds more , and then pulled his wallet out, and gave Jenny another two thousand naira. Jenny placed it in the envelope, and faced the woman.
"Jesus knew you needed this, and so he sent us your way. Thank him for this gift."
The woman took the money with tears in her eyes, gratitude written over her face.
"Thank you. Thank God. Thank god for sending you. God go bless una."
She promptly got up and raced into the hospital, screaming "Doctor, doctor!!" at the top of her lungs.
Jenny and Daniel resumed their walk towards church.
"So, what about offering?" Daniel asked, smiling.
"I've already given it." Jenny replied.

Mat 25:40  The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Fruit of The Spirit- LOVE

Today is my first in a series I’ll be giving on the fruit of the Spirit.

Today, we’ll be talking on love…. (ahhh) .

However, this type of love is not necessarily the mushy gushy floaty feeling. J

That’s the easy part.

I’m talking about the love that Paul mentioned in the book of 1^st Corinthians 13- the patient, kind, non-envious, non-boastful, humble, wrong- forgetting, believing, hopeful, enduring type of love. *whew*

And, the slightly annoying news is that this type of love also applies to the people we hate. (How can you love those you hate? It’s a contradictory statement)

I’m talking about the people you consider your enemies. This love applies for them too. Jesus said in Matt 5: 43-48, that we should love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who despitefully use us (and not a die-by-fire prayer, oh)

Now this looks hard to do (you think?!!), but Christ says we can do all things through Him that strengthens us. When He tells us something, most times, Christians take it as a suggestion, and not as the order it was meant to be. ( Wait, Christ is giving me orders?) He is our Lord, and must be treated as so. So as a true child of God, we’ve really got no choice. But God wants us to enjoy living in him, and trust him, even in things we may not understand.

So God wants us to obey him and trust, and love as he has commanded. In doing so, everyday, we will change and become more like him, until we look exactly like him.

May God keep you in him, and keep transforming you to the Image of his Son, in Jesus name.