by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 29, 2017 | Uncategorized |
The saying that money answers all things is one reason I think many bulls are very much expected in the church. This possibly is also the reason why lots of efforts are focused on money-making activities in some of our house of worship. No doubt, ‘Money is the wheel of the gospel’, as they say, but when this takes the place of sincere worship experience, then it becomes worrisome.
Knowing the need for financial resources in the church, why would God say that he does not want our offerings? In addressing the hypocritical Israelites, He declared, “I have no need of a bull from your stall..for every animal of the forest is mine….” Psalm 50:9. God rejected their offerings because their lives were not pleasing to him.
The anxiety about offerings to give in church prevents some from attending church services because they don’t want to been seen as not participating in the contributions. I have interacted with few who confided in me that they truly wouldn’t like to be embarrassed during offering time especially when they would be required to dance to the alter and drop their offerings. And so they stay away from church until they are financially buoyant.My question is, should this be so?
For self justification, some would usually quote the bible verse that instructed us not to come to God’s presence empty-handed. “…No one is to show up in the Presence of God empty-handed; each man must bring as much as he can manage, giving generously in response to the blessings of God , your God.” -Deuteronomy 16: 16-17 MSG.
Truly, God instructed us to offer our gifts as a way of appreciation and honor to him. But this, He advised must be done out of a cheerful and generous heart, and not by compulsion. Thus, a genuine lack and inability to give offerings is acceptable to God, but a fat offering from a proud and ungodly heart is an abomination to him.
Church offering and tithes are part of our worship experience. It’s purpose is clearly stated in Malachi 3:10: “Bring all the tithes into the store house that there may be food in My house…”. Firstly our offerings or tithes are not useful to God but it is for the propagation of the gospel. He made the world and everything in it, and so He calls for worship that is from a pure heart.
Here the church is the storehouse; the place where one receives spiritual help, where his gospel needs are supplied and where he meets his responsibility in the work of God. Thus, for the proclamation of the gospel, our cheerful contributions are important for the church. However, this should not be done out of force or coercion, rather it should be given out of a cheerful heart and not as a grudging obligation.
Apostle Paul admonished the Corinthians church to give from willing and beneficial hearts, not from a grudging and covetous spirit (2 Corinthians 9:5). He further stated in vs. 7 four things that a man must do in giving. This includes:
1. He must give willingly from the heart
2. He must not give grudgingly
3. He must not give of compulsion
4. He must give cheerfully.
Therefore, God will be pleased to have us enjoy his presence without the burden of what to contribute in church. He’s much more concerned about our hearts of worship than our gifts. He asked, “Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?”(Psalm 50: 14). He’s more interested in the sacrifice of our lives than our meager or bountiful offerings. Remember that Gods acceptance of the sacrifices of Abel and His refusal of that of Cain was not based on the quality of their gifts but on the state of their hearts.
In the same vein, we are sometimes motivated to give beyond our ability so that we can enjoy more of God’s blessings. Oftentimes, this is borne out of compulsion or coercion, and the greedy believers would fall into the trap of testing God with their offerings. God cannot be mocked! If such gifts are from an unwilling heart, it would yield no peaceable fruits except if spiritually manipulated in an ungodly manner.
We should view our sacrifices as an act of commitment and fellowship with God, not as a way of manipulating God into putting His stamp of approval on our plans. No! God is rich beyond our dreams; He has no need of our offerings. What matters to him is the attitude we take towards him.
God is deserving of our sincere worship, absolutely. His acceptance of us is not dependent on the quality or quantity of our offerings. He wants our lives as sacrifices. This is the reasonable and acceptable worship that is pleasing to him.
So, don’t just take bulls to church, take your hearts of worship to church. The pastor might be pleased with your well nourished bulls but to God it may be a disgusting sacrifice and an effort in futility. Rather, take to church a broken spirit, not just a bull! God can despise your beautiful and bountiful offerings but a broken and a contrite heart He will not despise (Psalm 51:17).
Offer yourself wholly to your maker. You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
DIVINE STRATEGIES FOR WINNING III
DIVINE STRATEGIES FOR WINNING III
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 23, 2017 | Uncategorized |
What are the consequences of stress and infertility?
Whether stress and fertility are linked as cause or consequence is unclear, and there is no consensus on the most appropriate methods for measuring stress in fertile women. Controversy aside, well-known academic institutions are offering a spectrum of nontraditional approaches. Facing fertility diagnosis can be an isolating experience, and taking part in support groups can help couples feel like they are alone in their attempts to conceive a child. “For most couples, it’s a very heartfelt journey. It is the number one priority in their life.”
The truth is that this relationship is very hard to study. Thinking about all the factors that go into our concept of stress makes it all the more difficult. Take an individual who is a Type A personality? Do you like stress and perform better under stress? Is infertility only a small part of the stress such as illness or family problems? These are the issues. Personality styles, ways of coping with stress, the amount of stress in the environment, and support systems are only some of the factors that need to be considered when we look at the relationship of stress and fertility.
Infertile couple giving a bribe for IVF treatment
When working with individuals going through infertility treatment. I often hear them wish they had more control over the events in their lives, particularly their fertility. The desire to be able to directly affect ability to become pregnant is powerful. On the other hand, acting on this desire may make the person feel responsible if he or she is unable to get pregnant because you are “too upright”. “working too many hours” or “not relaxed enough”. It is still unknown whether stress causes infertility. More in search is needy in this area to prove this relationship.
Infertility places a heavy burden upon people’s esteem, and stress arise from the negative self-image. Many men and women report feeling less masculine or feminine after diagnosis of infertility. I often hear infertile women tell me that they feel their bodies do not work right or are defective.Phrases such as “everyone else can get pregnant” or “I must have something wrong to deserve this”: reflects how badly individuals view themselves.
Unknowingly, family or friends can reinforce this image. Hearing statement like “I just had to look at my husband to get pregnant” can be very hurtful. Some mothers have told their daughters “I don’t understand- I never had a problem getting pregnant”. This statement, which may have meant to reassure daughter that there cannot be a major problem because it would have been known previously in the family, only serves to make the infertile daughter feel defective or estranged from her mother.
We grow up assuming we are fertile; most couple with whom I work have been actively using contraception to prevent pregnancy. It feels like we should be able to control our infertility-after all we have always assumed we could control to have a bay. Infertility robs us of our control and choices, leaving us vulnerable to depression and felling of hopelessness. For the infertile couple, feelings of guilt and responsibility can arise. It is not uncommon to hear an infertile partner offer (only half-jokingly) to divorce their partner so that they can have a child with someone else.
UNCERTAINTY
Stress may also arise from uncertainty in the future. Many patients often say to me that they could do this for years if they would just tell me that in the end I will get pregnant. Someone ones describe infertility as “being limbo.” Couples postpone vacations “in case” they are pregnant. Women will put off buying clothes with the hope that they will be pregnant and not need them.
Other women will stop all caffeine, alcohol and heavy exercise. Infertile couples are living in limbo not knowing what the future holds. They also live in limbo because they do not always know when they need to be available to run into the doctor’s offices. Men may find their work schedule impacted because they need to be available for timed intercourse or to provide a specimen.
EFFECT OF INFERTILITY ON SEXUALITY: Many couples experience a change in their sex lives while trying to battle infertility. Sexual intimacy may be replaced by scheduled sex. I frequently hear men joke that they feel like a “sperm donor” during sex. Couples may also feel that sex and pregnancy are no longer related. This may be the case if the couple is going through inseminations or through assisted reproductive technologies. To this couple, sex may represent something that has failed them.
To some, sex seems pointless and indulgent to some couples who feels that their sex lives were changed. Women may also feel that their bodies are changed for the worse medications. Certainly, if you are having an ultrasound every morning and your ovaries are enlarged, you may feel less sexy or sexual than usual.
The treatment of infertility takes time. The medications most women take during infertility treatment can have side effects. These side effects include headaches, fatigue, and premenstrual symptoms such as feeling irritable, sad or moody. For those women who need to take injections, the need mix medications and injections can cause a great fell of stress.
Some couples find that sharing responsibility for mixing medication and injection can prevent all the stress from falling on the woman and can help reduce her feelings that she is going through the treatment on her own.
Above all, it is God who works in us to do and to will for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). With God there is nothing impossible, and to him who has put his faith in God, nothing shall be impossible. Put your confidence in God always, and He will bring it to pass. Don’t fret, this too shall come to pass. You are winning. Yes, we are winning!
Doctor Ajayi (Nordica Fertility Centre, Lagos), 2006
https://yeswearewinning.com/2017/06/07/how-to-cope-with-stress-and-infertility/
https://backup.yeswearewinning.com/2017/06/07/how-to-cope-with-stress-and-infertility/
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 22, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Have you ever wondered how wealthy the church really is? Have you ever wondered how much treasures can be found in the church? Today, we read about top richest pastors, and their many exploits, including their immense amassement of wealth and affluent lifestyles. Of course their wealth cannot be valued outside the financial contributions of their members. And this include those who give cheerfully and those that were coerced into giving their meager resources.
What are the treasures of the church?
Lawrence was a deacon serving in Rome in the third century when a wave of persecution broke out. When Pope Sixtus and others were killed Lawrence knew it was only a matter of time before they came for him. As keeper of the Church’s goods, he had already been responsible for giving alms to the poor. Now he started giving them even more.
Soon Lawrence was called before Roman officials who demanded he hand over the church’s treasure. He replied that indeed the church was rich and asked for three days to get everything in order.
The days passed and the Roman officials arrived not to a church filled with silver and gold but one filled with the poor, blind, lame and leprous. “Here are the treasures of the church” declared Lawrence. The official were furious and in the year 258 had Lawrence executed.2
Are the treasures of the church truly the indigent, the poor, and the sick? Are the treasures of the church not the silver and gold, state-of-the-art facilities, beautiful edifices and mansions, real estates, shares and stocks, schools, hospitals, and other numerous investments of the church? No doubt, the articles of silver and gold that Saint Lawrence gave to the poor and needy was more important to the church officials who had him executed for ‘mismanaging the treasures of the church.’
In his book, ‘The Vatican Billions’, writer and philosopher Avro Manhattan gives us a glimpse of the true financial worth of the catholic church. He wrote, “The Catholic church is the biggest financial power, wealth accumulator and property owner in existence. She is a greater possessor of material riches than any other single institution, corporation, bank, giant trust, government or state of the whole globe.”1
About the affluence of the Pope, he said, “The pope, as the visible ruler of this immense amassment of wealth, is consequently the richest individual of the twentieth century. No one can realistically assess how much he is worth in terms of billions of dollars.” 1
It is amazing how so much wealth is in the church, and yet the gap of inequality continues to widen among members of church. The Scriptures tells of the history of the early church in its infancy, when all the believers were together and had everything in common. “Selling their possessions and goods,they shared with anyone who was in need.Selling their possessions and goods,they shared with anyone who was in need. Acts 2: 45. What has happened to the devotion, piety, and love that characterized the early church? Why is the accumulation of wealth more important to the salvation of souls?
Gone are the days when the passion of the Church is the welfare of members and the indigent people. When the desire to build lives through discipleship ranks topmost in the mission of the church. Now, it looks very different. Many leaders would prefer to suck members dry and leave them in abject poverty just because they want to build edifices or compete favourably with other churches. Agreed, it is good to build comfortable places of worship, but it is far more rewarding to build lives and lead them heavenwards.
Avro Manhattan further noted that, “Jesus was the poorest of the poor. Roman Catholicism, which claims to be His church, is the richest of the rich, the wealthiest institution on earth. How come, that such an institution, ruling in the name of this same itinerant preacher, whose want was such that he had not even a pillow upon which to rest his head, is now so top-heavy with riches that she can rival – indeed, that she can put to shame – the combined might of the most redoubtable financial trusts, of the most potent industrial super-giants, and of the most prosperous global corporation of the world?”1
I do know that few of our churches are involved in humanitarian services, and benevolent programs, but I think we are not doing enough. Whilst we build church edifices, and establish several businesses for the church, we need to devote our resources to bridging the gap of inequalities amongst members of the church by creating more welfare programs for the poor in our midst.
Lawrence was right about the treasures of the church was he not? The people are the treasures of the church! A wealthy church is such that is devoted to building lives in accordance with the mandate of the head of the church, Jesus Christ.
You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
WORLD’S MOST FLOURISHING BUSINESS
GreatMark
Read more: 1 The Vartican Billions by Avro Mahantan
2. Internet source
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 21, 2017 | Uncategorized |
Certainly, if you are reading this, then you are not dead! And if you are not dead, then you should wake up and play! Rise up from your depressed and frustrated state, and launch yourself into possibilities. If you’re living, then God is not done with you! So don’t give in because your best is yet to come!
There may be many things about you that are dead, but you’re not dead! You have not even taken a swing, yet you worry about missing the target! ‘Suppose I miss’, you say. “All life is an experiment. The more experiment you make the better.”- Ralph Emerson.
Do not allow you past disappointments make you to adjust your expectations to your limitations! God can do super abundantly, far over and above all that we can dare ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). You’re not dead! Wake up, and play! You’re winning! Yes, we are winning!
CHORUS OF COMPLAINT: AN EVER-TRENDING TRACK
GreatMark
by Mark Ibigbami GreatMark | Jun 20, 2017 | Uncategorized |
People come and go; one generation after another. Great businesses are started, they fail and are extinct. Many business which trended in the past are no longer in vogue today. However, the most flourishing business in the world is the one initiated by the creator of the earth! God’s business has survived times and seasons and would remain relevant as long as the earth remains. What is this business, and why has it survived the worst recessions?
You may be quick to think that by the term God’s business, I mean the Church business. Isn’t it? Not really, although it is related in a way. Today the church is adjudged a flourishing business especially in Africa where the hunger for miracles ranks highest in the list of reasons why many people go to church. This desperate need is also a reason why many who are not approved of God venture into church business, and endear many gullible people by fake and deceitful miracles, thereby enriching their own pockets.
The church is supposed to be the assemble of followers of Christ, but not defined by geographical location or physical boundaries. The church is not the edifice, neither is it defined by the affluence or poverty associated with it. Rather it is the people who are united in the worship of God through Christ. The people are the church. Sadly, the church has been redefined in many ways.
Is the church supposed to be a business venture? Some believes the church is a business organization why some says it is not. According to the renown Evangelist and founder of the Uma Ukpa Evangelistic Association, Rev. Dr. Uma Ukpai, “Jesus calls church business. He said, ‘I am about my father’s business’. He called church work business and what is business? Business is investment plus gain, minus loss. In church planting, no pastor can collect offering without giving account and survive. Every church has elders and the job of the elders is to make sure that account is given; it is not even publicly but given internally but the account must be given.” 1
For those who thinks the Church is not a business organization, they believe the Church is not a business because ideally, it exists to render humanitarian services and not necessarily to make profit. Some have argued that if the church is supposed to be an organization where the sole purpose of establishment is to draw people closer to God and provide solace from danger, why then is it perceived or portrayed as a business venture?
On how the business work in church is done, Dr. Uma Ukpa said, ”Church is all about investment and the gain they make is not in money but in people; that is the gain they make. People also can be called money because for instance, if a pastor’s ministry can cause 20 women to get pregnant; those women will not forget the pastor. If a pastor’s ministry can produce one of the richest 10 men in the country, those men will not forget the man who made them what they are.” 1
Crown of thorns hanging on a wooden cross at Easter
The most flourishing business, for me, is not the church’s business. It is not related to how wealthy the church or her founder is. In talking about the Jews and their misplaced zeal, Apostle Paul said, “…I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God—but they are doing everything exactly backward. They don’t seem to realize that this comprehensive setting-things-right that is salvation is God’s business, and a most flourishing business (emphasis mine). Right across the street they set up their own salvation shops and noisily hawk their wares. After all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead on making their own deals, they have nothing to show for it (Romans 10:1-3 MSG).
The picture painted in the passage above is about what people do contrary to God’s way of doing things. The act of ‘making their own deals’ is what many people call Church business. Therefore, any church organization set up to “turn stones to bread” by enriching the pockets of some through deceits, while neglecting the proclamation of the truth, and the task of seeking to reconcile men to God, is a perversion of God’s purpose for establishing the church.
What exactly is a church supposed to be? I read the story of a meeting of a local Rotary club. Each week at the meetings a different member was asked to give a brief statement about his job. When it was the turn of a Christian minister he stood up and said: “I’m with a global enterprise. We have branches in every country in the world. We have our representatives in nearly every parliament and board room on earth. We’re into motivation and behavior alteration.
“We run hospitals, feeding stations, crisis pregnancy centers, universities, publishing houses, and nursing homes. We care for our clients from birth to death. “We are into life insurance and fire insurance. We perform spiritual heart transplants. Our original Organizer owns all the real estate on earth plus an assortment of galaxies and constellations. He knows everything and lives everywhere. Our product is free for the asking. (There’s not enough money to buy it.)
“Our CEO was born in a hick town, worked as a carpenter, didn’t own a home, was misunderstood by his family, hated by enemies, walked on water, was condemned to death without a trial, and arose from the dead—I talk with him everyday.” Amazing, isn’t it? Yes, the church is the most amazing organization in the world! 2
The church is neither the gigantic edifice, nor the tattered structure where people gather to worship. Rather, it is the group of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Sacrificial lamb of God, Jesus Christ, and who are faithfully representing His interest on earth. Thus, the most flourishing business is salvaging those who are perishing from eternal condemnation in hell, and leading to the eternal God.
It is the business of proclaiming the message of salvation which is a free gift borne out of God’s love. This business, even though it continued to be threatened by persecution, tribulation, recession, and even death, have never ceased to trend through generations. And assuredly, it will never go bankrupt as long as the earth remains. God will continue to reconcile men to Himself, and the gates of Hell shall never prevail against this business of salvation! This is the world’s most flourishing business!
You are winning! Yes, we are winning!
GreatMark
Source: found circulating on the internet.2
Read more: https://www.naij.com/347013-uma-ukpai-explains-why-church-is-a-business.html 1
