SUFFER SUFFER FOR WORLD, ENJOY FOR HEAVEN?

It was the great musical icon, late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti who sang the song: "Suffer Suffer for World, Enjoy for Heaven". But is it true that suffering i.e. poverty and hardship, are the reward for true Christians while on this earth because they want to be part of God's Kingdom? The answer is NO!
It is unfortunate that a lot of unbelievers have this erroneous belief that once you are a genuine and practising Christian, you will not be able to live comfortably, let alone enjoy the good things of life while on this earth until you get to God's Kingdom. At the time the late Fela sang this song, he seemed to have observed that Christians were, indeed, suffering from poverty and hardship and I want to believe that, that was what informed the composition of the song. The song appeared to make a mockery of Christians at that time, but in reality it was a big challenge to Christians. Most Christians, really, at that time never understood the principles of wealth, good health and success in all endeavours of life as provided by God in the Bible and assuming they understood, it appeared they never put them into practice.. But I thank God that some Christians now know these principles and applied them in their lives hence you see them enjoying life comfortably. Some are even very wealthy by applying these principles. Our God is the creator and owner of wealth. See what He said in Haggai 2:8 "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts/" and Deut. 8:18: says: "You shall remember the LORD your GOD, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth......" So, Christians have no business with poverty and hardship.

Let us, however, see a brief summary of these principles -

1) Be a genuine born-again and practising Christian with the fear of God in everything you do. Read and study the Bible regularly and observe to do all that is written therein. Joshua 1:8 says:
"This Book of the Law (the Bible) shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night and thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein, for then thou shalt make thy way PROSPEROUS and then thou shalt have GOOD SUCCESS."

2. Cultivate the habit of giving bountiful offering in the House of God. In 2nd Corinthians 9:6, we are advised: "He who sows bountifully will also REAP bountifully."

3. Learn to give sacrificial offering - an offering that will temporarily hurt your finances ,like the widow who gave her all in the Bible See what King David said in 2 Samuel 24:24: "........I will not offer burnt offering to the LORD my GOD that cost me nothing.." When you give like that to God, the Lord will definitely bless you a thousand fold.

4. Pay your tithe faithfully and regularly. See what God says in Malachi 3:10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse (the House of God) that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith if I will not open you the windows of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be ROOM ENOUGH to CONTAIN IT."

5. Learn also to give to the poor, the needy, the widows and the orphans. Proverbs 19:17 has this to say: "He that hath pity on the poor (the needy) lendeth unto the LORD and that which he hath given will He (the LORD) pay to him (the giver). And when the LORD is paying you, you know what that means.

6. Do a honest work or business and work hard.

If we apply the above principles diligently and sincerely, you will no longer be part of Fela's song, but shall live a very comfortable life while on this earth. But the TRUTH is that our inability to apply these principles faithfully is one of the causes of poverty and hardship amongst Christians. We find it difficult to give in the House of God. Poverty and hardship is not the portion of a true child of God, so apply the above principles and ENJOY THIS EARTH AND ALSO be prepared to ENJOY HEAVEN when you eventually get into God's Kingdom. See what God assured us in 1 Cor. 2:9: "........Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." Remain blessed in the name of Jesus.
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