Funny Video

FOR WOMEN (2)

"So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, home-makers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited)"

Titus 2: 4-5

Before I start my 'sermon', let me say that nothing here supports domestic violence/abuse. If a man is abusing his wife, he is walking in disobedience already...Woman, seek help...

Seriously, I wonder if some young women are sane (I question the sanity of some older women too, but let's leave them for now). You'll see a young woman that has it all going for her and there she is sabotaging all the efforts of the good people that God has placed in her life...I am passionate about women empowerment so it baffles me when I see/hear some things that some women do to make one wonder where they came from. I sincerely wonder when I read about the "liberalism" some women are advocating for. I think some women won't mind displacing God and running the lives of everyone around them...

Manipulation...Check
Lies...Check
Adultery...Check

WOMAN! Hmmmm...Let me continue my sermon before I get lost in a rant...

Dear young wife, you are to love your husband and your children. As passionate as I am about women empowerment, I don't believe your career/business should be more important than your home (I feel the same way about a man too, so this isn't about asking a woman not to work). There is this thing called "Work-Life" balance. I made a personal decision a long time ago that if I ever had to choose between my family andmy job, my job is the one to go. I have a long story of how I had to remind myself of that choice and make life altering decisions. I'll share it in a separate post later. There are many other things that will compete with your love for your husband and kids...Be wise enough to maintain balance...

Self-Control is a fruit of the spirit. It is required of us all as believers. We can't just do as we like because our flesh wants it. We are to die to self and be alive to the Spirit. This is the realm that if we're not careful, we can easily allow abuse without knowing it. I'll digress a bit and talk about a husband that asked his wife to replace every reference to God in the Bible to "husband" and essentially give him all the reverence that is due to the Lord...Sister, proceed at your own risk....That's idolatory and God is not glorified. If your 'self-control' does not bring glory to the Lord, it is idolatry. Staying silent in the face of abuse doesn't glorify God...Self-control is when you really want to give MIL tribal marks for giving your child tribal marks without checking with you but you hold yourself in and let her son handle it instead (Erm, I don't know if shooting arrows with your eyes means you don't have self-control though, lol). Wisdom is keeping your child away from MIL if she has been hinting stuff like that since forever...

Young women, we are required by the scriptures to be chaste...I know there is a spirit that abounds in this age that tells us ‪#‎YOLO‬...It is NOT the Spirit of God...Chastity is still the standard. Chastity and frigidity are not the same, though...You can still maintain pure thoughts in this perverse generation...

I know some will not like this o but I still need to say it. Sisthren, we have been tasked to be home-makers. Do what you can to make your home a place that everyone wants to come to. I know it takes two to tango...Please do your bit to make the home inviting (Yeah, I agree he also needs to share in the chores...While he's learning, please show him the ropes...Remember his people told him that men don't do house chores so he is just learning...Please patiently help him...Thanks).

I also wish I didn't have to say this - Some women are just downright unkind...I mean everything coming from them is just bitter...Yeah, it's possible that a man caused it as I've been informed that all women's problems have MEN at the root - MENstruation, MENopause (add your own). Still, you can't go around spreading "NASTY" everywhere then whine about how no one wants to help you...If there are issues to be addressed, please get help (You can send me a message and let's remove the root of nastiness, okay?).

Eh ehn, the one that I'm sure some women don't even want to hear AT ALL, considering all the terrible things that have been attributed to it...I'll put on my bullet proof and brave it...You are actually required to subordinate yourself to your husband so that the word of the Lord is not exposed to reproach.

You can read my post on "Love and Submission here -http://hephzibahmusings.blogspot.com.ng/…/love-and-submissi…

Your submission is IN THE LORD...Don't join your husband to commit sin in the name of "submission" o; God did not send you on THAT errand....

Ehn ehn, the gist about daughters-in-law...Some daughters-in-law have learnt how to use manipulation to their advantage. You'll tell Sis A that is doing all she can to make you feel at home tales about Sis B and MIL. I'm even hearing now of one that is trying to turn her SIL that sends her things/money into her human ATM...Kontiniu oooo...God is watching you...No ma, you're not being good natured or kind-hearted when you do that...

So, on that submission matter, if my submission is still offensive (pun intended), please read this...
http://hephzibahmusings.blogspot.com.ng/…/marriage-musings.…

How has your day been?

CONCERNING DELIVERANCE

Good morning friends. I'll like to talk a bit about deliverance today, thanks to a few posts I've read about terrible deliverance sessions. I'll continue with the Titus 2 series shortly.

 

I believe deliverance is a legitimate part of the Gospel package. However, I have concerns about those who seem to magnify the powers of the enemy above God's power. They are false prophets deceiving the elect. They know the names of all the demons but are silent about the ministry of angels. Every mishap is caused by one demon or the other, according to them. Every sickness is caused by Queen of the Coast, marine spirit, serpentine spirit, territorial spirit etc. There is NO mishap caused by negligence in their books.

 

On the day they choose to address taking personal responsibility, they will tell you that it is a spirit that is responsible for the unwillingness to take personal responsibility. Sometimes, I am tempted to believe them, considering the amazing propensity I've observed (online and offline) to blame someone else. However, I know there is no demon responsible for that. For the unbeliever, the first step is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. For the believer, the next step is to develop a closer walk with the Lord and harness the inherent power that comes with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body. Then, in special cases, deliverance is TRULY required.

 

Anyone conducting "deliverance" with palm oil, boiled egg, okazi leaves etc is very likely to be a witchdoctor. If they are going beyond fasting and prayer, my brethren, you may be in the wrong place o. If they answer your question about the scriptures that support what they're doing with never-ending stories of their deliverance sessions, that's a serious red flag. In some cases, they'll have some scripture that bears a semblance with what they're talking about but a critical study of the scripture will reveal that they've taken the scripture out of context.

 

I'll give the example of breaking "covenants of death". The scripture usually referred to is Isaiah 28:18. According to them, they stand on this scripture to annul any covenant of death that may be hanging over the person being delivered. However, if you read from verse 14, you'll realise that the passage is talking about scoffers who rule God's people and claim that because THEY have entered into a covenant with death not to kill them, they can do as they please without any negative consequence. God was saying to the scoffers that He would annul the covenant they had with death that made them bold to misbehave and that the scourge would still kill them.

 

See why you can't afford to delegate the very important life-changing responsibility of personal study of God's word to others? If you do, you'll be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.  Study to show yourself approved, your life actually depends on it.

 

Enjoy your day.

 

PS: Please feel free to share your 'deliverance stories', positive or negative. It'll be nice to have a summary of lessons learnt, if it isn't too much to ask.

AS MANY AS ARE LED

So, today, I had to find my way to the supermarket myself. After a series of incidents, I decided to go to another supermarket.

As I was heading there, I felt led to use a separate route but I ignored the "leading". When I was done with my shopping, I still felt led strongly to go through the same route. So, I 'grudgingly' followed the route I was led to go through. The instruction I had was that when I see the person I was sent to, I would immediately know.
As I dragged my load through the route, it occurred to me that if I had listened immediately I got the leading, I wouldn't have to deal with the heavy load, lol.
As I saw a woman from afar, I KNEW she was the one I was sent to. I met another lady with the woman. As I told her that I wanted to share the word from the Lord with her, the other lady quickly excused herself, claiming that she had to get back to what she was cooking, though I met them gisting casually, lol. I didn't mind.
As I sat with the lady I was sent to, she asked me what church I attend. I told her that I didn't really come to invite her to my church but to deliver a word to her from the Lord. I was in jeans and a top so I guess I didn't look like a 'woli', lol. When I gave her the word from the Lord, I ended it by asking her to accept Jesus as her Lord. She asked me to please repeat myself. I gladly did.
Then she told me that she is currently not a Christian. However, she said there is no way she won't become a Christian. She said she just told a lady that left her shop a few minutes before I arrived that she needed a Bible because she needs to read for herself and address some matters. Then she stunned me by requesting for a Yoruba Bible. If you all remember, I bragged about buying a Yoruba Bible a few months ago. I haven't read it since the first day I bought it.
I told her that I'll be back quickly with the Bibeli Mimo. I guess she is used to people promising and failing to deliver because she told me "I'll be expecting you back o". She looked surprised when I got back with the Bible too.
I quickly gave her the Bible and got her number. She's the second of the women I've met in such circumstances. Hmmm

As I reviewed this, a learning point for me is that it pays to listen and do what God is saying. Some have stopped hearing from God (like Saul) because they've flouted every order He gave so He has left them to their own devices. Go back to Him, ask for mercy and start doing what He asks you to do.
Have an enjoyable week.

Myths About Adultery

"There is no man in this God's green earth that is strictly a one woman man. They haven't been born yet. Look around your neck of the wood and see the way women are showing the boobs flaunting it and saying take it."

 

We just need to keep praying for people involved in adultery lest they end up like the proverbial dog that refused to listen to the hunter's whistle.

 

Dear friend caught in the web of adultery/chaste affairs, go back home and work things out with the wife/husband of your youth; that's the Master's desire. Justifying sin, whether it is of the flesh or of the spirit is a recipe for disaster. The Father loves you and needs you to come back home...He's been looking out for you for so long...Return home...

MORE THOUGHTS ON DV&A

In a group I belong to, a lady asked for counsel. It was her second marriage and he was a widower.

Adultery (check),

Abuse (check),

Insolence (check).

 

A good number of us asked her to find her way out of the man's influence. You can imagine my shock when the update from Admin was that the lady expected us to encourage her to fight for her marriage and keep praying.

 

It's been about a year now and I'm still in shock. It doesn't discourage me from trying to reach out to those in abusive relationships; it has only made me review the way I communicate.

 

I think we get impatient with those that we're working with and somehow reinforce the lies the abuser has been telling the victim about abuse being the cause of the abuse and being a 'useless' waste of time.

 

I believe those of us trying to reach out to victims of abuse (and even abusers too) need PATIENCE. We need to be careful not to try to force our wishes and opinions on them. It's a battle we must CONSTANTLY fight as we confront this malaise. May God continue to strengthen and uphold us as we do what HE has called us to do.

 

Enjoy your day.

IN CONCLUSION - Titus2Series

#Titus2Series

I'll be touching on each of the themes covered by verses 9-15.

 

First of all, I find it interesting that slaves were to be taught to respect their masters by their pastors in order to make the teaching about God, our Saviour attractive, not to fight for their emancipation. I'm still chewing on that. I'll appreciate your thoughts on this.

 

Secondly, the grace of God that offers salvation teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions. It teaches us to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. If the grace you're offering doesn't fulfil these requirements; it is NOT the grace of God. Let me shorten this post by not talking about the evil that has been perpetuated in the name of grace.

 

Thirdly, believers are to wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait. Some claim they are waiting but they've stopped living while others have indulged in worldly pleasures and have stopped waiting. We are to live while we wait and wait while we live.

 

Jesus Christ redeemed us from ALL wickedness and purified us to BE HIS OWN (Not your pastor's puppet or to do your own thing, mind you). We are to be eager to do what is good. These days, I see people being eager to do EVERYTHING except what pleases the Master...And I smile as I pass by...You are definitely in my prayers.

 

The minister is to ENCOURAGE AND REBUKE. If, as a minister, all you do is to encourage, well done. However, your work is incomplete. If all your hearers hear every time is a "feel good" message, you need to check again ooo. Lest you've started doing your own. If your own messages are always about HELL FAYA and how everyone has gone astray, please check again...The balanced minister has a healthy dose of encouragement and rebuke.

 

The minister is to encourage and rebuke WITH AUTHORITY. I looked up this verse in the New Living Version. It says that Titus had the right and power to encourage and rebuke his congregation. I'll like to focus a bit on the ministers that claim that they don't want to tell a man when he is the one ruining his marriage and instead guilt-trip the wife about how she should keep praying which, by the way, isn't a totally bad idea. If the man is a member of your congregation, you have the right and the power to encourage AND REBUKE him. Enough of the skewed messages coming from our pulpits that only rebuke victims and encourage abusers. The grace of God has appeared to ALL (male and female) and it teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions.

 

Thanks for staying with me on this Titus 2 series. If you missed any of the posts, you can catch up on the blog. I'll move on to the #FruitOfTheSpirit series.

Enjoy your day.