FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




FREE CHRISTIAN REPRINT ARTICLES

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US
Translate this Page Here

FOR WRITERS

FOR READERS

FOR PUBLISHERS




Word Count: 1909

Send Article To Friend Print/Use Article

Contact Onyekachukwu Ukeje


The Things of God; Not the Things of Men

by Onyekachukwu Ukeje  
12/29/2011 / Christian Living


'From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me Satan! You are stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." Matt. 16:21-23(NIV).

Now Jesus did not call Peter a stumbling block and tell him to get behind Him because Peter had in mind the things of the devil or because he was a Satan worshiper, but because he had in mind the things of men and not the things of God. 'Satan' means accuser or adversary.

The things of God are His plans and purposes; the desires, the intents of God, the interests of God. The things of God are His will. For many when we hear 'the things of God' we usually consider things like organizations, the church and other ministries and whatever things that pertain to them. Yes those things are part of the things of God but it is the purpose of God that consecrates the organizations and the cars, the computers, the sound systems, the altars etc such that they cannot be used for common purposes. For example two drivers from different industries in an economy may be drivers alright but they are actually not doing the same things. The difference is in the purpose of each industry. Not in driving around but in contributing to success and prosperity of the purpose of that industry through driving. The purpose he is helping to fulfill is what separates him. So it is with ministry and the preaching of the Gospel. The purpose (things) of God encompasses these things. It is the purpose (and holiness) of God that consecrated the Ark of the Covenant such that Uzzah was slain when he touched the ark as he was not qualified to (1 Chronicles 13).

Someone may ask, "But how can I not consider the things of men but only the things of God when really I am human?" Well, if you read down from verse twenty-four of Matthew Chapter Sixteen you will see that Jesus was talking about denying yourself to follow Him. The things of men are those things that appeal to men; those things that men approve of without considering God and His purposes. These things include those things that we really need like food, shelter, clothing, prestige, success, progress, wealth and finances, children, friends etc but without considering God and His intentions of use or the place of these things in our lives. Matthew Chapter Six verses thirty-two and thirty-three say that your heavenly Father knows that we have need of them but that when we seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness (His purposes and will to fulfill them) all these other things will be added to us for then we would be using them for their true intended purposes.

When does one become a stumbling block to the purposes of God? When your desire or consideration for the things of men begin to make you stand opposed to the things of God. Don't forget that it was out good intention that Peter stood rebuking Jesus, yet he was a stumbling block to Him. I am certain part of Peter's fear was that in the past some had arisen in Israel claiming to be the Messiah but when some of them were executed, exiled or imprisoned as the case might have been that was end of their movement; and coupled with the fact of the momentum of Jesus ministry that could not happen at this time. It happening would be such a shame for Jesus and everyone following Him. Nobody wants shame, failure, loss, death and the like even if it's the avenue to the next step or level [in the purposes of God]. Every one wants it 'good' all the time, you know, perfect circumstances. As a result we do not consider the plans and purposes of God especially when they do not fit our stereotyped perfect circumstances. Jesus said, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." Matt.12:30(NIV).

In Acts Chapter One before Jesus was taken to heaven His disciples asked Him whether he was going to restore the kingdom to Israel at that time. He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Vs 7-8(NIV). The point is that we always want the promises of God to be fulfilled at the time we desire, a time we have construed in our minds. We forget that God who made the promise had a set or appointed time in mind when He was making us the promise or informing us about any future event in our lives (Hab.2:2-3). Also we want the promises fulfilled in the manner or form our minds processed or pictured it when God was making the promise and we received it. We do not consider that God also had a picture in mind when He was making the promise. And this is where the struggle begins, and some do not last till end or time for fulfillment of the promise.

The fact is it is not our business to know the exact times and dates (Kronox) in the fulfillment of the purposes of God though He can give us that privilege like He did Abraham (Gen. 18:10), but to be concerned about what is expected of us to be doing at point in time we find ourselves (Eph. 5:17). For the disciples at that time it was for them to wait for the Holy Spirit's outpouring and then to witness. That was what the empowerment of God was for. We do not see the power (grace and enablement) of God if we are involved in what He is not doing at a particular point in time. It is what God will have you be doing at each (the) moment that He gives empowerment, provision, open doors, favors etc for. You don't step out without His empowerment if you do want to get disgraced or frustrated.

Usually it takes a while, in many cases years for fulfillment of God's promises. For organizations, families or nations it may be centuries. It's not because God is slow in carrying out His purposes but because that was the time set even before the promise was made. Don't forget that it was only one or two aspects that you were informed about out of possibly a vast array of events, activities and purposes all being worked towards one goal (Eph. 1:11). Each event or fulfillment of a promise occurs in the fullness of time, which of course coincides with a (its) set time, and so you hear things like 'in the fullness of time', 'and it came to pass'. This is 'kairos' time a time when all factors necessary to make an event occur have been brought together. Then the event inevitably takes place (Eccl. 11:3a). It is with the knowledge of kairos that kronox (times and dates) can be successfully fixed. That is how God works.

So the thing is to find out what God will have you be doing at each point in time and doing it. The reason God gives us promises of an 'end' or fulfillment and not giving us an idea of the exact points in time these will be is to help continue to work in hope and so be able to play our parts in the fulfillment of His purposes in faith. If you knew the exact time the rapture was to take place you may become complacent until just about that time. That is assuming it will happen in your time. So he does not tell Abraham when Isaac was to be born until after about twenty-four years of expecting. Joseph sees the fulfillment of his dream twenty-two years after, two years into the famine, possibly without even being informed of the timing, David finally becomes king over Israel twenty years after being anointed, Solomon starts seeing real extent of fulfillment of God's promises about twenty-four years later. In all these God was working them towards their fulfillment. And Moses, he had forty years of training to be the deliverer of Israel.

In Deuteronomy Chapter Eight verses two to four Moses was reminding the children of Israel how God led them through the desert and fed them with manna to " teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years."(NIV). God was sending them out into the wilderness where they could not cultivate or harvest enough for the whole community and so he made a provision of manna supernaturally. He also protected them from adverse whether conditions of that wilderness supernaturally. In Exodus Chapter Thirty-four verses twenty-three to twenty-four God commanded the men to appear before Him three times a year and gave them the assurance that no one would covet their land. In times when they were disobedient God allowed their land to be taken over even with the men around (Judges 6) but this time He was assuring them of protection of their lands when they went up three times a year. In First Kings Chapter Seventeen He told Elijah to go and hide where no one would know and commanded ravens to feed him. He also provided supernaturally for the widow of Zarephath when she gave her last to take care of the man of God. For the Levites He commanded that they receive the tithes since they were to receive no land inheritance He was their portion (Num. 18:21-32). Jesus said that if we sought first the kingdom of God and His righteousness all other things we would have gone for at the expenses of the intents, plans and purposes of God will be added unto us (Matt. 6:31-33).

The point is that God knows you are taking a risk against the natural consequences of the existing order of things when you make up your mind to identify with His purposes and so He commits Himself to supernaturally provide for you and He does not fail. I have proved Him in this regard. Just like He did it for Mary when she accepted to be the mother of Jesus and saved her from the lifetime false accusation of adultery and the shame and other effects that go with divorce in that society when He sent an angel to instruct Joseph to take her in as his wife as what was happening was of the Holy Spirit so God is committed to do whatever it takes to supernaturally intervene and provide for you when you commit to His things His plans and purposes, His will (Luke 1:36-38, Matt. 1:18-25).

?Onyekachukwu Ukeje is an itinerant preacher based in Enugu, Nigeria and can be followed on www.facebook.com/onyekachukwukejep and on www.twitter.com/onyiukeje and his channel subscribed on www.youtube.com/onyekachukwuukeje

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW

Read more articles by Onyekachukwu Ukeje

Like reading Christian Articles? Check out some more options. Read articles in Main Site Articles, Most Read Articles or our highly acclaimed Challenge Articles. Read Great New Release Christian Books for FREE in our Free Reads for Reviews Program. Or enter a keyword for a topic in the search box to search our articles.

User Comments

Enter comments below. Due to spam, all hyperlinks posted in the comments are now immediately disabled by our system.

Please type the following word below:


Not readable? Change text.



The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Hire a Christian Writer, Christian Writer Wanted, Christian Writer Needed, Christian Content Needed, Find a Christian Editor, Hire a Christian Editor, Christian Editor, Find a Christian Writer


Main FaithWriters Site | Acceptable Use Policy

By using this site you agree to our Acceptable Use Policy .

© FaithWriters.com. All rights reserved.