Questions and Answers (Forty-Four): Be the Gentleman that you are..

If you have to remind or tell your spouse that you are a man, you are not.

Question: Some women don't really care if you are a man, that's why we have to remind them at times.

Answer: True, but the answer is not to tell them. You live positively as a man. That is the answer to such. You stay at it till the message is received. You never say it. You lose respect when you do. You also lose respect when you become abusive. There is a reason why we use "gentle" before the man. He is strength under control.

Question: I guess he is a man, he probably subconsciously has some self-doubt.

Answer: That self-doubt is a sickness. He needs to go for counseling and possibly therapy, rather than making a hell of the woman's life. He needs to go find his manhood where he forgot or lost it.

Link to Questions and Answers Series:
Questions and Answers (Forty-Three): How to Overcome Perfection Paralysis.
Questions and Answers (Thirty Five): Submission and Obedience

Questions and Answers (Forty-Three): How to Overcome Perfection Paralysis.

Issue: 

I occasionally get, what I call, perfection paralysis. It's very frustrating.


Possible Solution:

I know the feeling. I still get to struggle with perfection, but by and large, I am much better today than I used to be. 

"I still have an eye for excellence, no doubt about that. I have not abandoned my high taste and code of practice. I believe nothing is ever good enough. Everything can always be done better, but I also apply the 80-20 rule. 

I shoot to do my best within the time allotted and leave the consequence to be what it is. I trust the universe (God, nature) to have the rest. It is what it is after I have given it my best. I don't kill myself over the little errors or gaps, once I can assure myself that I gave my best." 

That is so liberating. It has healed all three maladies [perfectionism, shyness, and propensity for depression] for me.

Hoping this helps.

The Saint.

Questions and Answers (Forty-Two): Inherency of Scriptures? (Part One)

Question 1:

Certainly, the apostles in the early church era or even the Apostle Paul heard from God or were inspired by God as are our ‘men of God’ these days. However, we know that no man is perfect, and the best of men are men at best. And with recent revelations in Nigeria, we can now see that even our ‘men of God’ or those we esteem highly spiritually are imperfect too, and they can also recant their once tightly held ‘godly beliefs and opinions.’ In the same vein, while we may not be able to tell, could there be a possibility that if the apostles, even the Apostle Paul, lived in our century, would we witness them going back on their beliefs, commandments, doctrines, instructions, and practices like we are witnessing these days?


Answer 1:

The easy answer to your question is, YES.

That is why the letter kills. It is the Spirit that gives life. Never forget, "The TESTIMONY (person, account) of Jesus is the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY (the RHEMA, profession, and fullness of God)." [Revelations 19:10]

When we read the logos, our aim is not to fill our heads with them, but to extract or be inspired by the RHEMA therein. If all we do is fill our heads with the logos, we will be no different from the Pharisees of old. The Pharisees knew the law and the prophets, but the law and the prophets did not know them.

They had a mental assent to the word, hence remained carnal. They did not allow the word to seep from their head into their heart. We see an example today in the market men and women. They spend the whole day reading the bible, yet their lives are no better. They can quote the scriptures, but the scriptures cannot quote them.

This has nothing to do with dispensation, necessarily. People, whose accounts are shared in Hebrews 11, lived ahead of their times. They allowed the spirit of prophecy to push them into God.

So, yes, not everything the Apostle Paul necessarily said is gospel truth. We judge every scripture with scripture. Some of the things he shared were tainted by the culture and limitations of his time. So, we can and should judge it. Not by our senses, though, but by the inherency of scripture itself.

That is why the Apostle Peter tells us that scriptures are not for private interpretation. [2 Peter 1:20] Whatever one part says MUST ALWAYS agree with the whole.

Chief amongst Paul's possible digressions is his take or disposition on women and their place in public worship.

I hope this answers your question. I'll wait to get your reply before moving on to #2.

Questions and Answers (Forty-One): What Is Witchcraft?

Question:

What is witchcraft, you ask?

Answer:

Witchcraft is anything that bypasses your ability to reason, to force a decision on you. It bypasses your capacity for sound judgment.

In short, it seeks to speak directly to your subconscious mind. It will amaze you the multiplicity of witchcraft going on all around you, seeking to gain mastery and control over you.

Examples of Witchcraft:

The fake churches do it. They try to force you to decide against your better judgment. So, they work on your emotions. Thinking they are doing the work of God, the empty-headed minister is actually a servant of the devil. No wonder the mixed multitude we have in our churches, who have no clue what Christianity is all about.

The advisement agencies do the same. They send all kinds of messages to you that you don't even have a clue about. Yet, they are very effective. Ever heard of the term "subliminal advertising." Subliminal advertising is the act and skill of advertising below the threshold of sensation or consciousness, perceived by or affecting someone's mind without their being aware of it.

About every motion movie contains some kind of subliminal advertisement or the other. At a minimum, the movie producers are trying to sell you their philosophy. This is not to scare you, but simply to raise your awareness. You have to be intentional about life. Life is war whether you like it or not, whether you know it or not. You are being fought against every single second. You have to be intentional. Someone or something somewhere wants to gain mastery over you.

Hypnotism:

In therapy, hypnotism is an accepted practice in healing people with severe mental sickness. Yet, hypnosis is witchcraft. Call it good witchcraft if you care. I know the art and skill involved. I can hypnotize you. Hypnotism is all about getting past your consciousness to your unconsciousness, your conscious mind to your subconscious mind. You don't have to go to sleep to be hypnotized.

All that is needed is to suspend your conscious mind, that is, send it to some cyclical rhythm or do-loop. I know the art but cannot use it anyhow, nor for my own benefit. In the infrequent case of ethical usage, it has to be for the patient's benefit. That is where it finds its use in psychiatry, psychology, and all the other mind-related treatments and therapy.

Work of the Flesh:

Witchcraft is a work of the flesh. Hence, every single person born of a woman has the tendency for and to mysticism. In the flesh, we tend to want to override other people's better judgment with ours. We seek control and domination, not of things, but people. We argue instead of discussing. Why? We think ourselves to know what is right for everyone else, without wanting to hear their views.

We bring upon others our supposed urgency to disrupt their important schedule and feel offended when they refuse to bulge. Sounds familiar? We all need to get off our high horses and stop being the agent of the devil. Let us get a hold of ourselves, plan adequately, and refuse to be driven by the devil, I mean hurry. There is always time to do all things right. Otherwise, it isn't worth doing. Period.

Clear as mud or water?

Still Loving You.
St. Akin de Sage.

© 2021 Akin Akinbodunse.

Link to Questions and Answers Series:

Power Over Witchcraft: Testimony #1

Questions and Answers (Forty): Is Mental Illness a Choice?

Questions and Answers (Forty): Is Mental Illness a Choice?

Taking Ownership of My Mental Health

Question:

I understand your point, but saying "Mental Illness" is a choice?

• I was diagnosed with severe depression last year.
• The thing about mental illness is, when you are mentally ill, you become weak; you lose all will and strength to thrive, to survive, to be alive (do basic life responsibilities – including staying alive, getting out of bed, having one’s bath, etc.). You basically depend on the strength of your family, friends, health providers. 
• Depression is like you being in a pit and not having the strength to come out of that place.
• It might be difficult for depressed persons to adhere to counsels. They might think saying, “saying it is a choice,” is rather being inconsiderate.

Answer:

Thanks for this awesome feedback. This is the kind of engagement I shoot to have. This is why the group was set up in the first place. I want to meet each person where they are. Thanks for taking the risk to be open and trusting.

Yes, depending on the level and stage of depression, what I wrote can either be healing or offensive. That is why I tried to clarify at the beginning.

When one starts playing around with the things that lead to depression, it is very much a choice. One can decide to desist or not. One can decide to build resilience or not. It is a choice. Once captivated by depression, one becomes a captive, and it is as if one does not have a choice.

Yes, it is as if one does not have a choice, but that is not true. The choices are limited, but one still has a choice. Even in the weakness, one can decide to fall back and enjoy the weakness or continue focusing on recovery. It is a choice.

One can continue to surround him or herself with the things that help or not. That is a choice. At every level of depression, there is always something one can do. These are the choices I am referring to. Do you understand me?

© 2021 Akin Akinbodunse.

Links to Questions and Answers Series:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Nine): Tithing in the New Testament Church

Questions and Answers (Forty-One): What Is Witchcraft?

Link to Related Articles:

MENTAL SICKNESS IS A CHOICE:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Nine): Tithing in the New Testament Church

I Have A Question.

Question:

Hi Akin, could you explain why tithes were never required to be paid with money? Also, help me understand why it was never required of the New Testament Christian, especially the gentile, as Paul never once mentioned it in any of the epistles he wrote to the churches. Furthermore, the Levites were those entrusted with collecting the tithes. Is the Levitical priesthood still tenable today? Please help me understand. What do you also have to say about 2 Cor 9:7 which says, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Answer:

Hello Kingsley. Trust this meets you well and winning. Thank you for your awesome questions on the subject of “Tithing.” Let me take them one after the other.

Question #1:

Your first question was why tithe was never required to be paid with money. Right?

Answer #1:

That is pretty straightforward. The first place to start is to ask you where God said they should not pay tithe with money? Do you know? No, you don’t because there is no place like that. In most of ancient history, transactions were made by banter. You will see the same in the contributions to the building of the temple. You see it in Abel and Cain’s offerings, and the list goes on. Things were done according to the norms and limitations of each generation and civilization. In Jesus' days, the Roman civilization introduced its own exchange system. Hence you see such usage in the widow’s mite and Jesus' tax payment. I hope this helps answer your question.

Question #2:

Why Tithe was not required of the New Testament Church in scriptures.

Answer #2:

Many things were not required of the New Testament church that we do today. They are borne more out of common sense and understanding of the scriptures. Paul did things in the New Gentile church that was alien to Judaism and the Jerusalem church. All take reference to the novelty of accepting Gentiles into the fold and staying within the guidance of existing scriptures (The Old Testament) and the witness and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Nowhere in the New Testament nor epistle are we guided on building sanctuaries and churches, but we can take reference from the church's shadow (the Old Testament) to know what to do. That was what the Apostles did in setting up guidance for the New Testament church. Remember when the church council sat to determine how best to absolve the Gentiles. The only guidance they had was from The Old Testament and evidence of what the Holy Spirit was already doing. Right?

That council meeting was only the beginning of more council meetings that have taken place since then till today as we address the right response to the challenge of each generation and civilization. The important thing is not keeping the status quo. The important thing is being relevant to each generation and civilization without ever compromising the truth's sacredness (scriptures – Old and New Testament) we hold.

I love the way FDR puts it. He says, "Eternal truths will be neither true nor eternal unless they have fresh meaning for every new social situation." Yes, I agree with you. Paul did not mention it because it was not a living challenge they faced in his generation. It is in our generation, and we need to address it, not shy away from it. It is very much in line with the truth of scriptures espoused by the church's shadow in its reality.

I hope this helps answer your question.

Question #3:

Is the Levitical Priesthood still in operation today? They were the ones saddled with the responsibility of collecting the tithes.

Answer #3:

The direct answer to your question here is yes and yes. Yes, the Levitical priesthood is still in operation today. And, they are saddled with the responsibility of collecting the tithe. The first place to start is to mention the Levitical priesthood was not God’s original, nor perfect plan. It was an afterthought or remedial plan.

God’s original and perfect plan was to make the whole of Israel a nation of priests. However, when He came to meet them at the mountain, the people refused this responsibility. They were scared of meeting God directly. So, they asked Moses to be their intermediary. They refused to be priests unto God. They did not want to carry that responsibility.

In Christ Jesus, God’s still original plan stands. Christ made us all Kings and Priests unto God. We are each priest, just as much as we are each king. So, every one of us is authorized to perform the Levitical priesthood's rites, which was just a shadow of which we are the reality. Yet, when we congregate as a body, Christ has set specific functions for each one, including calling people into Leadership, The Fivefold Ministries, for order and growth of the body.

So, yes, we do have the Priesthood to receive the tithe.

I hope this answers your question.

Question #4:

What do you also have to say about 2 Cor 9:7 which says, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Answer #4:

2 Corinthians 9:7 is self-explicit. Its reference is to freewill offerings. You find the same in the Old Testament. Along with the tithes, there were also offerings of various types. Those were freewill offerings. Those you give according to 2 Corinthians 9:7, but not your tithe. Your tithe is not a freewill offering. It is covenant-offering.

Abraham did not have free will when God demanded Isaac. That was a covenant offering. Your tithe is not a freewill offering. It is covenant-offering.

I hope this helps.

St. Akin the Great.

© 2020 Akin Akinbodunse

Link to Questions and Answers Series:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Eight): Call No One Father

Questions and Answers (Forty): Is Mental Illness a Choice?

Link to Related Articles:

The Tithing Parody: My Take.

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Eight): Call No One Father

I Have a Question

Question:

I have a concern where the church leaders insist on being called (directly or indirectly, especially in the developing world) "father," and it is seen as a mark of disrespect when one doesn't do that. They always reference 1 Timothy 1:18 as part of claiming the spiritual father and son relationship. We call Jesus at every point in time (knowing fully well that He is the godhead - no basis to be compared to our church leaders), and it is not written anywhere that we MUST call him father Jesus to answer our prayers supplications.

In Matthew 23:9 KJV - "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." This makes reference to the spiritual father and son relation.
I'll appreciate it if you could help relate to the common stance of the two Bible verses.

Answer:

Well, to answer your question directly, Jesus's teaching is alluding to the same reason God never planned for Israel to have a king. He was their king. However, the people rebelled against God, forced a king upon themselves, and regretted the consequences.

Same parallel with the church. We are called to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. No other man can fill that position, nor should we allow any to. Unfortunately, like the Israelites, we have rebelled against God's mandate and think we are bigger than life itself. No wonder the atrocities and circus Christianity we see prevalent.

Now, we need to draw the line between pure religious obligations and expectations vs. human relationships. We have biological parents, adopted parents, and godparents outside of religious connections or obligations in human relationships.

There is nothing wrong if you call someone father or son within that human understanding and relationship. That truly is what is depicted here in 1 Timothy 1:18, between Paul and Timothy. Paul was old enough to Father Timothy. That is the true meaning of the Greek word “teknon,” used here.

We see it used in the captured last words of Julius Ceasar, "καὶ σύ τέκνον" (Kaì sú, téknon - You too, [my] child) to Brutus. We see the possibilities of this in the relationships between Eli and Samuel, and Elijah and Elisha. Note the age differences.

Hope the above helps. Let me know what I might have left out.

© 2020 Akin Akinbodunse

Links to Questions and Answers Series:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Seven): Money Skills for Children - Right Age to Start

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Nine): Tithing in the New Testament Church

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Seven): Money Skills for Children - Right Age to Start

QUESTION: 

At what age should we start giving children money to handle?

ANSWER:

This is an excellent question. Thanks for asking. In a sense, this might be subjective and vary from place to place, culture-to-culture, and civilization-to-civilization. It can also vary based on the parent's economic status of the parent(s) and personality – how controlling or trusting they are. All in all, the effect is the same on the child. So, let us focus on answering from the child’s perspective.

Giving money to your child is a show of trust and belief in the person of your child. Unknown to a lot of parents, it means the world to them. They want to be able to say, “This is my money.” So, the earlier you can, the better. Even before you start handing over the physical cash to them, carry them, and use the money gifts that come in for them. Share with them how you break down the money and what you are allocating it for. It goes a long way in building your child.

Opinions vary as to whether or not to give children allowance or pocket money. Some people are all for it. Others are totally against it and would rather have the child always come to them. I think somewhere between the two extremes is the right answer. Life is all about balance. Extremes are easy and lazy positions to take in anything. They do not require exercising one’s endowment – the ability to think.

Three years ago, I decided to stop giving my children offerings and money for petty things. Rather, I estimated an allowance to give to them every month. Then my children’s ages ranged from 10 to 14. Like I told them, I do not give them money because they need it. I give it to them because I want them to learn how to handle money.

The first thing they do for EVERY MONEY that comes into their hands, whether from my wife and myself or their uncles and aunties, is to take out their TITHE, SAVINGS, AND INVESTMENT. This they ALWAYS DO without failing. Funny enough, my youngest has the biggest eyes for money. She has since increased her savings and is already putting money aside for what she calls “Free Time” in college.

To answer your question directly, the age to start giving them physical cash is when they can handle it without losing it. That, too, is subjective. Sometimes the loss is part of the training.

In conclusion, once your own agenda is right about what you want to achieve, your heart will lead you.

Hoping this helps and answers your question.

© 2020 Akin Akinbodunse

Link to Related Articles:

Parenting is...

Teach Children to Think

Do Your Children Know?

Be the Prophet Over Your Children

Link to Questions and Answers Series:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Six): Money Skills for Children

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Eight): Call No One Father

Link to Other Resources:

Teach Your Child How to Think (Edward De Bono)

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Six): Money Skills for Children

QUESTION:

At what age should we introduce or expose our children to currency – money?

ANSWER:

That is an excellent question. Thanks for asking. You know, engaging our children, in this wise early is one of the ways we help them grow aright unto maturity. I love the way Ephesians 4:14-15 reads. Permit me to reference it here. It reads,

“Then we will no longer be like children, tossed around here and there upon ocean waves, picked up by every gust of religious teaching spoken by liars or swindlers or deceivers. Instead, by truth spoken in love, we are to grow in every way into Him—the Anointed One, the head.” (VOICE)

Even though the reference here is specifically to the church, we can use the same reference in talking about our children. This is the whole aim and intent of parenting. Any result other than this, and we are a capital FAILURE.

So, getting back to the specific question, the answer is as soon as they can reason. That is as soon as they know the difference between right and left (note, I did not say wrong). Even, you can start sooner if possible. Never take anything for granted. You want to take every opportunity to sow the right seeds into them. If there is a truth you want them to catch. You want to start sowing it into them immediately.

They don’t have to understand at the beginning. Just keep sowing they’ll catch up. You see a pregnant woman speaking to her unborn child and you think she is merely being emotional. Really? Are you that far behind? There is communication taking place. There is a transmission and there is a reception. What else do you need?

In ancient Greece, pregnant women surrounded themselves with beautiful pictures and statutes. This was so the unborn children might receive from their mother’s mind images of health, beauty, symmetry, and order. The women would gaze on the lovely art so that their children would be born with these qualities of grace and reason. We see Jacob applying this same principle in scriptures to sheep.

If unborn children can be so nurtured and mentored, I believe the answer to your question is self-evident.

Hoping this helps and answers your question.

© 2020 Akin Akinbodunse

Link to Related Articles:

Parenting is...
Teach Children to Think
Do Your Children Know?
Be the Prophet Over Your Children

Link to Questions and Answers Series:

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Five): Submission and Obedience
Questions and Answers (Thirty-Seven): Money Skills for Children - Right Age to Start

Link to Other Resources:

Teach Your Child How to Think (Edward De Bono)

Questions and Answers (Thirty Five): Submission and Obedience

        QUESTION:

Friends in the "wisdom for the living classes" we have been discussing issues that border on Family, precisely Husband and wife relationship: one topic of Note is Eph 5: 22 (Submission of Christian wives to their husbands). The word "submission" and its attending misconception are what I am afraid needs immediate clarification and correction. What is the Biblical at the juncture of this verse and how do we apply that to our marital union? What is the difference between "Submission and obedience?"

ANSWER: 

Let me start with your second question. Submission and obedience are not the same. However, one has the propensity to lead to the other.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE

Submission is the act of yielding to another; the act of allowing oneself to come under the influence of another. It means putting others before yourself; it means not always doing what you want to do. A simple illustration is seen when two people go for a walk. Somehow, they adjust to each other's speed. They, in essence, submit to one another if they find an average speed; or one to the other if one is matching to the other's speed.

Submissiveness is not timidity. It is not servility. It is not subservience. It is not docility. It is not degrading. It is not being humbled. It is not a weakness. It is a sign of strength. A greater degree of submission requires a greater degree of strength of personal character. Submission is a position of honor and completeness. It is a beautiful thing when approached with the right heart and the right understanding. Submission is a choice, made not because you are any less, but because you love and want the best for the other person. It comes from one who understands the power of humility and meekness.

Scripture does require us to submit to one another in the fear of the Lord. [Ephesians 5:21] This is irrespective of whether you are married or not. To submit in that context means to respect, love, and honor one another. That is irrespective of sex. [Romans 12:10] It means to prefer one another. It means to give the first place to one another. It means allowing the other person to take the lead. It means to avoid competition with one another. It comes from the understanding we are on the same team/side, and not on opposite teams/sides. It comes from a heart that is submitted first to God, and faith in His sovereignty. This is a truth you will find reverberating all through the epistles, for that is what love does. That is the way the kingdom of God operates, each joint/part preferring one another in love.

Obedience, on the other hand, is simply doing as instructed. One who does has instructed could either be submitted or not. It all depends on the heart of obedience. The obedience could either be out of reverence and respect; or merely for what is to be gained; or some other reason. One who is submitted might not necessarily obey in all things, especially when the essence of the obedience contravenes issues of principles and/or ethics. The person involved can LOVINGLY and RESPECTFULLY disobey.

SUBMISSION IN A MARRIAGE CONTEXT

In the context of marriage, there is an increased emphasis on parts of the word's meaning, without disregard for the first (above). Now that which is operational in the kingdom is brought into perspective in a marriage setting using a metaphor of Christ's relationship with the church. Note marriage does not sever the original “body of Christ” relationship between the two. Submission in marriage always begins with MUTUAL submission to one another and to Christ. Rather than decrease it, it is heightened and empowered is a whole new way.

A woman is required to submit to her husband in the context of giving him the lead. That is to allow him to be the leader in the home. [Ephesians 5:22-24] In this context it means she should respect and give him honor as the leader in the home. [1 Peter 3:5-6] This in no way makes him better than her in any way, or sense of the word. It is simply respecting, showing regard and honoring his person and the part he is called to play in the home. [Ephesians 5:33] And, this she is expected to do willingly and without coercion, or force.

A man also submits in the context of marriage. The focus of his submission is that he pulls himself together to love his wife. He submits by loving his wife. That is to say, he allows himself, by an act of the will, to be under the influence of his wife. [Ephesians 5:25-29, 33] In so doing he is supposed to provide cover for her. This is the way he exhibits his submission in the marriage context. And, that includes respecting her. [1 Peter 3:7]

Note, the Submission of the wife, and the love expected of the husband are both voluntarily done as acts of obedience to God, not in response to each other’s performance. Your wife’s performance in the area of submission is no excuse not to love her. And, the reverse is also true.

Hoping this helps.

Links to Related Topic:
Questions and Answers (Nine): Quarrels & Ego?
The Leader in The Home

Links to Questions and Answers:
Questions and Answers (Thirty Four): Our Father, Our Confidence
Questions and Answers (Thirty-Six): Money Skills for Children


More Thoughts on Love:

"The basis of my marriage is that I have been called of God to lay down my life for a certain daughter of God." (Paul Washer)

"Headship is the divine calling of a husband to take primary responsibility for Christlike, servant leadership, protection, and provision in the home." (John Piper)

Sandy Ralya's Daily Marriage Action Plan – Free Download


More Thoughts on Submission:

"Marriage is an opportunity to die." (Paul Washer)

"The purpose of marriage is that through your marriage you might be conformed to the image of God." (Paul Washer)


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Questions and Answers (Thirty Four): Our Father, Our Confidence

Trusting God (Part Six): God - Our Father, Our Confidence

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s really hard to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something and in the end, you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please sir maybe I can get some more ideas of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

When we come to God, we come based on GRACE; we come based on His LOVE. We come as a son/daughter who comes to his/her father. This is what we learn from Jesus. He taught us to start praying with recognition of the ground of our prayers. And, what is that ground? It is the fact that prayers are about talking to “OUR FATHER.” Hallelujah! I don’t know if you understand the import of that acknowledgment, or how it hits you, but it is a very big deal. It makes all the difference in a world, as it relates to prayers. No wonder Jesus asked that we start with this mindset.

When we come into the place of prayers, we do not come to contend with one who is against us. God and we are not in opposite (opposing) camps. We come in partnership with one who is for us. We come to one who is and wants to fight our course (our battles). We do not come to a stranger. We do not come as strangers. We do not come to a tyrant. We do not come as intruders. We come as people who have a RIGHT to be there. We come as people who have ACCESS. We come as people who are used to being there. We come to a place, and do a thing that is common with/for us.

We come to our Father, God. And what is more, He means well for us. Our father is not a wicked judge. He is not a hireling. He is a good God. He is the very definition of the word good. He is the very definition of the word love. He is a perfect God, and the very definition of the word, perfect. He wants to do us good. He wants to give to us of His grace (abundant riches, empowerment, enrichment, etc.) and His mercy (mark us out as different (redeemed) - His special, favored ones, the apple of His eyes, etc.).

I don’t know where we get our religious picture of God from, but it sure is far from the whole truth conveyed in the word. Out of ignorance, a lack of trust and sheer laziness, a lot of people get stuck in the shadows and types of the old covenant. They refuse to receive the fullness and fulfillment that is in Christ Jesus. They try to understand spiritual things with their carnal mindset. They fail to key in into the progressive revelation of the word. It’s time we get back to the word of God, and “get off our high horses.” Walking with God is not about what we think things ought to be. It is ALWAYS and ALWAYS WILL BE what His word says.

Even the prodigal son knew a whole lot better than a whole many of us. He was confident in the person of His father. How confident are we in the person of our Father, God? Therein is the power and strength of prayer; and the foundation of our trust.

WOW! WHAT A FATHER? WOW! WHAT A GOD? WOW! WHAT A FRIEND? WOW! WHAT A SHIELD? WOW! WHAT A COVER? WE TRULY ARE BLESSED. HALLELUJAH!

SCRIPTURES: Luke 11:2; Numbers 14:8, 9; 2 Chronicles 20:15; Romans 5:1-2; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6; Isaiah 56:7; Hebrews 4:14-16; Luke 18:6-8; John 10:10; James 1:17; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31, 33; Psalm 18:30, 32; Zechariah 2:8; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Luke 12:32; Ephesians 1:3-6; John 1:12-13; Matthew 6:24-34; John 16:24; Isaiah 65:24; Luke 15:11-31.

© 2015 Akin Akinbodunse

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Three)
Questions and Answers (Thirty Five)
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Questions and Answers (Thirty Three): The Heart of a Father

Trusting God (Part Five): The Heart of a Father

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s tough to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something, and in the end, you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean, you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please, sir, maybe I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

I’m I then discountenancing good works? God forbid! Good works have their place. IT IS THE NATURAL RESPONSE TO THE LOVE OF THE FATHER. IT IS NOT THE BASIS OF OUR RECEIVING FROM HIM!

We see in the story of the prodigal son when he came to himself, he said, “…MAKE ME….” (Luke 15:19) That makes all the difference between heaven and earth as it relates to good works. It is NEVER what we can do for God. It is ALWAYS what He can do with and through us as we submit our lives into His hands. GOOD WORKS is an acceptable offering before God is NEVER about the act, but ALWAYS about the HEART BEHIND THE ACT. And, IT IS NOT THE BASIS OF OUR RECEIVING FROM GOD.

So when we come to God, we come based on GRACE; we come based on His LOVE. We come as a son/daughter comes to his/her father. 

(It will be foolhardy of me to assume everyone understands this relationship. Some have had ugly experiences with their natural fathers (either biological or otherwise), or men in general, while others just never had a father, they could relate with it. These tend to color our picture of God as a father. For such, I’ll employ you to take the extra step of renewing your mind in this area. Do a study of what the original place of a father ought to be. (You can synthesize this experience by meditating on the same and seeing yourself in this light). Let the truth heal your wounds and renew your mind.)
 

The word that is most closely related to the word father is LOVE. Take love away from the relationship, and the person is no more worthy of the name – father. A father loves – love gives. Love gives of itself, and most of all gives itself. A father gives of himself and himself. The second word most closely associated with the word/position father is COVER. A father is known by the covering he provides. A person that does not provide cover (to the best of his ability) is not worthy of the name father. He might be any other thing, but a father.

Hence, being a father has all to do with the WHO (HEART) of the person and the WHAT the WHO (HEART) causes to be. That is, that which effuses out of the person. WOW! WHAT A FATHER? WOW! WHAT A GOD? WOW! WHAT A FRIEND? WOW! WHAT A SHIELD? WOW! WHAT A COVER? WE TRULY ARE BLESSED. HALLELUJAH!

SCRIPTURES: John 6:28-29; Isaiah 1:11-19; Amos 5:21-24; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 3:16; Psalm 91:1-4; Deuteronomy 32:9-14; Matthew 23:37; Hebrews 13:5.

© 2015 Akin Akinbodunse

Questions and Answers (Thirty-Two)
Questions and Answers (Thirty Four)

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Questions and Answers (Thirty Two): Christ Our Sufficency

Trusting God (Part Five): Christ Our Sufficiency

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s really hard to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something and at end you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please sir may be I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

What is it about man that makes him think he has to suffer to gain God’s attention and/or approval? What is it about him that makes him think things have to be difficult before they can be considered godly? We sure don’t learn these from God. We don’t learn these from the word of life. These are mere concoctions of men to feed their ego. They seek to deserve that which God freely gives. Oh, what foolishness, and exercise in futility. Rather than believing and trusting God, they are motivated by their pride, and sense of wanting to be in control. (In some cases, these are put together to gain control over others – placing men whom God has set free back under bondage.)

As Papa Hagin (Kenneth E. Hagin) once said, “we have too many ‘Cross Christians.’” All their focus is on suffering. All their focus is on THE CROSS, but that is not where the story ends. Jesus is no more on the cross. He died. He was buried. And, that is not where the story ends. There was/is RESURRECTION MORNING – the place of our victory. Hallelujah! And, that is not where the story ends either. There is PENTECOST DAY – when we received the fullness of grace in the Holy Spirit. And, that is not where the story ends, CHRIST ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN, AND WE ARE SEATED WITH HIM (not that we are going to; we are, present continuous tense) IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES…. HALLELUJAH!

All we have ever needed is Christ. All we need is Christ. All we will ever need is Christ. CHRIST AND CHRIST ALONE IS HE WHO SAVED US - Not our good works, or supposed “holy” suffering(s). Christ and Christ alone is He who sustains us, and brings us into the fullness of the kingdom. Christ and Christ alone is he who will take us home, bringing us to the fullness of salvation. We are complete in Christ. His sacrifice met the full requirement.

Our place is to trust and rest in Him. He is ALL that we need to receive from the Father. In Him we are accepted. In Him we have entrance to the Father. If God could give Christ, what else will He not give? Rest my brother, rest. Rest my sister, rest. We have confidence before the Father.

COMPLETE, COMPLETE, COMPLETE IN HIM. WE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM. WE TRULY ARE BLESSED. HALLELUJAH!

SCRIPTURES: Galatians 5:1; Colossians 2:9-23; John 19:30; Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:4-9; John 16:24; Hebrews 4:14-16; Romans 8:32.

Questions and Answers (Thirty One)
Questions and Answers (Thirty Three)

Other Resources:

Our Sufficiency is in Christ (John E. MacArthur, Jr.)

Questions and Answers (Thirty One): The Certainty of His Person

Trusting God (Part Four): The Certainty of His Person

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s really hard to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something and at end you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please sir may be I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

How much good works did the theft on the cross have to enter into paradise? How much good works did the prodigal son have to be received back? It sure blew the mind of the elder brother. Just how many more elder brothers fill our churches and gatherings today? How much good works did the Syro-Phoenician woman have to get healing for her daughter? She did not even belong to the common wealth of Israel. And what about the woman bent over in the temple? What was Jesus basis of healing her – her good works, or because she was a daughter of Abraham?

We sure have come up with a different gospel, different from that we received from Christ. We are no different in this age from the Galatian church in Paul's days. He rebuked them as follows,

“O you poor and silly and thoughtless and unreflecting and senseless Galatians! Who has fascinated or bewitched or cast a spell over you, unto whom—right before your very eyes—Jesus Christ (the Messiah) was openly and graphically set forth and portrayed as crucified? Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing its works, or was it by hearing [the message of the Gospel] and believing [it]? [Was it from observing a law of rituals or from a message of faith?] Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun [your new life spiritually] with the [Holy] Spirit, are you now reaching perfection [by dependence] on the flesh? Have you suffered so many things and experienced so much all for nothing (to no purpose)—if it really is to no purpose and in vain? Then does He Who supplies you with His marvelous [Holy] Spirit and works powerfully and miraculously among you do so on [the grounds of your doing] what the Law demands, or because of your believing in and adhering to and trusting in and relying on the message that you heard?” (Galatians 3:1-5, AMP)

Friend, God is asking you and me the same questions today. How are we answering? Are we depending on our good works, or on His grace and mercy? Are we rested in His love, or are we busy trying to build our own way to Him – trying to deserve Him? MY FRIEND, REST. REST IN JESUS. REST IN THE PRICE HE HAS ALREADY PAID. HE BORE IT ALL FOR US. Our place is to receive of His grace, mercy and love. THE PLATFORM FOR RECEIVING FROM GOD IS “THE CERTAINTY OF HIS PERSON.” IT IS HIS GOODNESS AND HIS LOVE, NOT OUR GOOD WORKS. HALLELUJAH!

SCRIPTURES: Psalm 119:90; Luke 23:40-43; 15:11-32; Mark 7:24-30; Luke 13:10-17; Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:3-7, 16; 6:16-20; John 19:30; Romans 4:1-17; 3:31; James 2:17-26.

Questions and Answers (Thirty)
Questions and Answers (Thirty Two)

Questions and Answers (Thirty): God of Grace

Trusting God (Part Four): He is a God of Grace

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s really hard to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something and at end you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please sir may be I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

In the same false piety, religious mindset, we all too often miss it, thinking we can work out some good works to deserve God’s blessing. I wonder how much good works our own children do, or have to do, to deserve our fatherly/motherly love, provision and protection. What is the basis of our love to/for our children – what they do, or who they are? How come we expect less from God? Do we see ourselves to be more righteous than Him?

There is something about humanity that makes it feel it has to deserve everything it gets. Part of it is pride; part of it is a lack of trust and part of it is simply ignorance. Even though it is a deep wish of our hearts, we struggle with getting things on a platter of gold. Our brain wants to make the linkage. It wants to make the connections. The challenge is “GRACE DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.” It was never meant to. In fact, if it ever makes sense it will stop being grace. It is not to be understood. It is not a feeling. It is to be believed and accepted.

Here in is our dilemma. Here in is the dilemma of religion – for it seeks to give an explanation to all things, even the things it does not understand. (It exists in the same realm as science, which refuses to accept anything it cannot explain). This was the dilemma of the prodigal’s elder brother. (Timothy Keller’s book: “The Prodigal God” does a good study on this) There are things in life that are not for explanation. That is the essence of faith.

No doubt, it is not our intent to devalue God, when we equate His goodness to our good works. We don’t mean to belittle Him when we think we have to bribe him with our Tithes and Offerings, duties in church, Fasting, Prayer meetings, Evangelism, etc. (These are worthwhile Christian Disciplines with tremendous power, when used rightly, but we have corrupted them by our carnal disposition). However, that is what our actions and thoughts portend. When we see our good works as the basis of God’s blessings in and over our lives we insult Him. We place a limitation on what He wants to (and can) do in our lives. We attempt to rob Him of His glory. We try to reduce Him to a mere PAYMASTER. We try to put on Him a name that is not His.

GOD IS NO PAYMASTER! HE IS A GOD OF GRACE.

SCRIPTURES: Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 11:6; Matthew 7:9-11; Luke 11:11-13; Romans 9:9-18; Luke15: 11-32; 1 John 4:8; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 145:8; 1 Kings 3:13.

Questions and Answers (Twenty Nine)
Questions and Answers (Thirty One)

Questions and Answers (Twenty Nine): Platform of Grace

Trusting God (Part Three): Platform of Grace

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s tough to trust after so many days of prayers and believing in something, and in the end, you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean, you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please, sir, maybe I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

When we come to God, we must come on the PLATFORM OF GRACE. It is not about us. It is all about Him. It is not about what we deserve. It is all about what He gives OUT OF HIS RICHES. Herein is the foolishness of those who think, or say, that God only gives us our needs, not our wants. Such is an insult to God. They, unknown to them, devalue God by equating His riches to our needs. 

"Grace is the only thing that is ever enough. — Ann Voskamp.

GOD DOES NOT GIVE US OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO OUR NEEDS! HE GIVES US OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES, HIS FULNESS, HIS LARGENESS, HIS GLORY, HIS WEALTH, HIS ABUNDANCE, HIS UNLIMITEDNESS! It is time to get rid of those false religious goggles and see God as He is, as His Word depicts Him, and not some cooked-up, false piety, religious disposition.

"Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." — John Newton. 

When we give to our own children, do we only give them their needs? Do we give them according to their needs, or according to our riches, our bounty? GIVING ACCORDING TO NEEDS IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF MERCY. Anything over and above, that is called GRACE. We don’t relate with our children out of mere mercy. We relate with our children out of grace. 

We are gracious towards them out of a heart of love. How come we expect less of God, who is love – the very definition of the word? How come we expect less of Him, who is weighty in grace? Just how much evil religion has done to us, shortchanging us of the fullness of God? GOD DOES NOT GIVE US OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO OUR NEEDS! HE GIVES US OUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES! HALLELUJAH!

"What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God." — Rick Warren.

SCRIPTURES: Romans 5:1-2; John 1:16-17; Philippians 4:19; John 10:10; Luke 11:11-13; Matthew 7:9-11; 1 John 4:8; Exodus 34:6; Psalm 145:8; 1 Kings 3:13.

© 2015 Akin Akinbodunse

Links to the Series:
Questions and Answers (Twenty Eight): God is For Us
Questions and Answers (Thirty): God of Grace

Link to Related Topic:

The Platform of Grace (Part One)

Other Resources for Further Study:
The Father Heart of God (Floyd McClung)

Questions and Answers (Twenty Eight): God is For Us

Trusting God (Part Two): God is For Us 

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s tough to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something, and in the end, you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean, you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please, sir, maybe I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

When we come to God, we must know that He has our best interest at heart. We can never love ourselves more than God loves us. This needs to be the basis of our trust – GOD LOVES ME! GOD IS FOR US! HE IS NOT AGAINST US! YOU CAN NEVER LOVE YOURSELF MORE THAN GOD LOVES YOU. And, He knows more about life than you do. He knows more about our lives than we do. 

"It is time to correct the old men’s fable that equates piety to being deprived of the good things life has to offer. That is a figment of men’s imagination, concocted to steal from us." ― St. Akin de Sage.

YOU CAN TRUST HIM WITH YOUR LIFE (YOUR ALL). He is actively working all things together for your good. He is able and wants to bring good out of EVERY AND ANY SITUATION that might confront us, if only we TRUST HIM with it. When we come to God, we must understand that He can never be second. He is either first in our life or nothing at all. 

ANYTHING (good or bad) that we put before Him becomes a god to us. And, God is not going to support that. In fact, God CANNOT support that. It is contrary to His nature and person. Whatever we want God to do or give to us MUST, and ALWAYS, be subservient to Him. God is going to test that. He will test it either by delaying it coming to pass or checking how freely we are willing to release it back to Him. 

FOR ANYTHING WE CANNOT LET GO OF, WE CANNOT HAVE. This is more about the disposition of our heart than anything we might say, do, or not do outwardly. GOD AND GOD ALONE HAS TO BE NUMBER ONE, AND THE ONE AND ONLY THING WE CANNOT DO WITHOUT. Until the tour heart's disposition is such, we cannot have the fullness of heaven’s backing.

SCRIPTURES: 1 John 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 18:4; Psalm 35:27; 25:3; Isaiah 28:16; 46:4; 49:23; Deuteronomy 6:15; Exodus 20:5; Genesis 22:2; Hebrews 11:19; Luke 18:18-30; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 9:23-24.

© 2015 Akin Akinbodunse

Link to the Series:
Questions and Answers (Twenty Seven): Trusting God
Questions and Answers (Twenty Nine): Platform of Grace

Other Resources for Further Study:
The Father Heart of God (Floyd McClung)

Questions and Answers (Twenty Seven): Trusting God

Trusting God (Part One): Introduction

QUESTION: 

Sometimes it’s tough to trust after so many days of prayers and believing for something, and in the end, you didn't get answers. I really feel abandoned. I mean, you have been praying for this particular thing for years, and this is one of the basics in life. Please, sir, maybe I can get some more idea of different ways of trusting from you. ― RH (Lagos, Nigeria)

ANSWER: 

The Answer is in the Question:

Awesome questions. What are the different ways of trusting? What do you do when that which you have been praying, forever, for is not coming to pass? These are pivotal questions that have been asked by various people over the ages. The answers concocted to these have produced giants of faith, atheists, and different other colorations of religion. Our lives are the product of the questions we ask or don’t ask. 

The quality of our life is dependent on the quality of these questions. And, it sure matters the way the questions are defined (or framed). Why? Quality Questions = Quality Answers, just as much as Stupid Questions = Stupid Answers. Your question needs to be focused on the solution and not on the problem. For, energy always goes where the focus goes. Right?

"Work on being and not on having; for with what you are, you will have." — Daisy Osborne.

God's Focus is on Our Being:

Our first approach to God must always be for who He is, not what He does or what we can get from Him. (I know this goes against the Holy Grail, but we are here concerned about truth, not what is popular.) In a sense, God could care less about what we get. He is more concerned about who we become and are becoming. 

Who we become is a function of how much of God we come to know. (It is the heart of God that changes us, not His hands.) So, our trust in God must always rest on His person, not what He did or did not do. His operation and way of doing things might change, but His person will NEVER (and can NEVER) change. Hidden in who we become, or are becoming are all the treasures of life - all we ever seek or pray for. 

Things Come By Being:

Things are not meant to be pursued, but rather to be attracted by the person we become and are becoming. THAT IS GOD’S ORDER OF THINGS. The problem with us is that we try to “put the cart before the horse.” No wonder we live life with frustration. God’s order is that the vessel is prepared first. He will not give you a blessing He knows you cannot carry. 

"The most important lesson that I have learned is to trust God in every circumstance. Lots of times we go through different trials and following God's plan seems like it doesn't make any sense at all. God is always in control and he will never leave us." — Allyson Felix.

You have to show you can manage it before He places it in your hands. Otherwise, the blessing will kill you. God will not give you anything bigger than you. God will not give you a blessing that will kill you. He will wait till you are ready. Hence, the ball is in our court, not His. We need to allow ourselves to go through the process.

SCRIPTURES: Exodus 20:3; 33:19; Psalm 103:7; Deuteronomy 5:23-27; James 1:17; 2 Timothy 2:13; Matthew 6:31-33; 3 John 2; Proverbs 10:22

St. Akin de Sage.

© 2015 Akin Akinbodunse.

Links to Other Q&As:

Questions and Answers (Twenty Six): Wrong Man

Questions and Answers (Twenty Eight): God is For Us

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