Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,151,754 members, 7,813,490 topics. Date: Tuesday, 30 April 2024 at 12:57 PM

What Do You Consider As GREAT OPPOSITES Of God? - Religion - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Religion / What Do You Consider As GREAT OPPOSITES Of God? (143 Views)

10 Battles You Must Fight and Win To Become As Great As You're Destined To Be / Atheist, What Would You Consider Evidence Of God's Existence? / What Do You Consider As The Church (2) (3) (4)

(1) (Reply)

What Do You Consider As GREAT OPPOSITES Of God? by davidinchrist(m): 8:32pm On Jul 20, 2020
Well, according to Jesus himself, ONE MAJOR (not the only) opposite of God is MAMMON (Money and Material things).

Matt.6.24 - "No one can SERVE TWO masters;

...You CANNOT serve God and Mammon.

That's actually one MAJOR thing we've got to check in ourselves, if we are TRUE Christians, and not just having a religious name, and thereby fooling ourselves.

Jesus, Paul and other Apostles were not ENSLAVED by Money. They did use Money and other things, but their lives were not RULED nor ATTACHED to it in any case. And neither did they PREACH nor SERVE God to make Money unlike many GREAT Pastors/Prophets/Church founders today, who have become extremely RICH by preaching the gospel:

1Tim. 6:5 ... Their minds are CORRUPT, and they DON'T TELL the truth. To them religion is just a WAY TO GET RICH.

As much as I need to check myself, and thoroughly judge my OWN life on this subject, I need to also check that in others, "especially" Christian leaders/Church founders. Because if I follow the Blind, WE shall both END UP in the ditch (Eternity in Hell). Matt. 15:14

However, someone might get offended and say, "Hey, the Bible says JUDGE NOT, so mind your business!" (As in Matt. 7:1)

Right, but that's an incomplete truth. It says further down in verse 5 of that same chapter, "FIRST remove the log in our own eyes (oneself), THEN you shall be able to SEE CLEARLY the problems of others and help them.

The lesson there is judge yourself FIRST: don't be a Hypocrite, judging others when you are also an UNREPENTANT sinner.

Moreover, have you not read 1 John 4:

1John.4.1 - Beloved, DO NOT BELIEVE every spirit, but TEST the "spirits", whether they are of God; because MANY FALSE Prophets have "gone out" into the world.

That's very clear.

And since I've got light on all that, I've been having very Little to ZERO "spiritual" respect for many small and so-called GREAT Preachers/Pastors/Church founders of today. Some of whom I used to esteem VERY highly before. Who have Monetized or Commercialized the Gospel for themselves, DECEIVING "the weak and the lukewarm".

Titus.1.11- NLT
... Such teachers ONLY want your MONEY.

Jude.1.11 - NLT
... Like Balaam, they will do anything for MONEY.

I had to use the phrase "weak and lukewarm" because I know it takes REAL diligence or ZEAL for the Truth: the Fear God (and not of Men) to take a STAND, and escape their "strange grip" or STRONGHOLD on oneself. Otherwise, we got to just continue in their lukewarmness and DECEPTION of serving Money, People, Politicians, Pleasures, etc. But yet, having some forms of godliness: CORRECT doctrines, good dressing or appearance, Church activities, etc.

2Pet.2.3 - In their GREED they will "make up" CLEVER LIES to get hold of your MONEY. But God condemned them long ago, and "their destruction" is on the way.

Did you notice the phrase CLEVER LIES above?

Exactly, that's how these Great Men "cook up" interesting LIES to get HUGE MONEY from the POOR and the Rich today. They'll spend hours preaching on Old Covenant TITHING, First Fruits Laws, Monetary Vows and Sowing of seeds, etc of which Jesus and his Apostles didn't ask nor EVEN preach about.

And if they must preach the truth, it's mere Words, not real in their normal lives:

Matt.23.3 - NLT
... For they don't PRACTISE what they TEACH.

Now, the main problem is this, MANY professing Christians just SIT there with them with their mouths WIDELY OPENED: "Wow, what a "great" man of god!"

No, he's not, I MUST confess. But if by GREAT you mean like that of Celebrities, World Rulers, Superstars or Idols, etc.

Then Fine, that's absolutely Right! Except for the Religious whitewash he puts on it.

But regarding such as a TRUE Man of God: FAR from it!

I say, these Men LOVE MONEY and the Honour of the World; even tell Religious LIES: ignoring the COMPLETE truth of the New Testament Gospel, to preach a CLEVERLY MIXED Old covenant gospel in order to make Huge Money and live in Grand Styles; and yet, you call them "followers" of Jesus?

Well, I'm not EVEN SURE if they're truly CONVERTED yet, or maybe they're now backslidden and LOST.

Because Jesus said:
Matt.6.24 - "No one can SERVE TWO Masters;

... You CANNOT SERVE God and MAMMON.

It's that simple.

But show me a Man or Men like Paul and other Apostles of Christ: who planted Churches and showed good examples by working with their OWN HANDS to Preach the gospel, even though they had THE POWER to get Money (lawfully) from the believers they were serving:

Acts.20.33 - NLT
"I have NEVER COVETED anyone's MONEY or fine clothing.

2Thess.3.7 - For you yourselves know how it is necessary to IMITATE our examples...

2Thess.3.8 - Nor did we EAT anyone 's bread WITHOUT PAYING for it, but "with toil and struggle WE WORKED NIGHT AND DAY", that we might NOT BE A BURDEN or impose on any of you... (Financially or Money wise).

Men like these are the True Men of God. Not out for Money and the honour of Men, but for Reality of the Love and the Fear of God.

Great Men who didn't go about preaching Old covenant TITHING, and even threatening people with CURSES in order to get the POOR's Money.

In the same vein, we must FIRST watch out for our OWN selves inwardly and REPENT of all unchristlikeness: Sins. Asking God for grace to overcome in all things, so as not get MISLED by False Men in the World.

Alas, MANY of these erring Men may never be willing to REPENT of their evil ways, as long as it involves Money (remember Balaam and Judas). But only to look for more and more LIES; twisting Bible verses to "justify" their GREED.

Finally:
However, sufficient is the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. (In the books of Matthew to Revelation)

2Thess.3.6 - But we COMMAND YOU, brethren, in the NAME of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you WITHDRAW from "every brother" (might even be a Pastor/Church founder) WHO walks "disorderly" and NOT according to the "tradition" which he RECEIVED from us.

2Tim.3.1 - But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
2Tim.3.2 - For Men will be LOVERS of themselves, LOVERS of MONEY, boasters, PROUD...

2Tim.3.5 - HAVING A FORM of godliness but DENYING its power. And from such people TURN AWAY!

2Tim.4.10 - for Demas has FORSAKEN ME, having LOVED "this Present World"...

2Tim.3.13 - But "Evil Men" (Money and Popularity minded Men) and impostors will grow Worse and WORSE, DECEIVING and being DECEIVED.

1Tim.6.9 - But people who long to be rich FALL into temptation and are TRAPPED by many foolish and harmful desires...

1Tim.6.6 - Yet TRUE religion with "contentment" is GREAT WEALTH.

May the Lord Jesus bless you.

1 Like

Re: What Do You Consider As GREAT OPPOSITES Of God? by davidinchrist(m): 10:28am On Jul 21, 2020
Matt.6.24 - "No one can SERVE TWO masters;

...You CANNOT serve God and Mammon.

(1) (Reply)

Words Of Encouragement / INSPIRATIONAL SHOT- The Ghost That Killed A Father And Son But Saved The Last / God Has A Million Ways

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 25
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.