MODULE 24 THE NEW TESTAMENT WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR HUMAN ENEMIES BY EVANGELIST OGHOGHOR IKPONMWOSA (PHD)

In this module we shall continue to look at what Apostle John said in re-echoing what Jesus said about LOVE.

     

1 John 4:20-21

20 If a man say, I LOVE God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that LOVETH not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he LOVE God whom he hath not seen?

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who LOVETH God LOVE his brother also.KJV

In this scripture Apostle John comes out clear to tell us that if we say we LOVE God but hate our brother (our fellow human being) we are liars. If we do not LOVE people we can see, how can we LOVE God whom we have not seen.

He proceeded to tell us that the commandment we have from Jesus is that if we LOVE God we should also LOVE our brother whom we can see.

Many of us have people around us who are going through a lot of issues but we don’t bother to identify with them and do all we can to try to help them as much as possible. Demonstrating our LOVE for people around us is our way of demonstrating our LOVE for God.

Look around you and you will see that there are people in need that you can be a blessing to. As a husband do I LOVE my wife and treat her as God desires? As a wife do I LOVE my husband and submit to his authority? As a Boss do I LOVE my subordinates in the office and treat them with respect and dignity?

Do I take my eyes off those who have no food to eat and ignore their suffering even though I have what it takes to alleviate their suffering? Do we close our eyes to those who cannot pay their school fees and those who cannot buy clothes to wear? God expects us to do something about them.

I personally believe that every month we must have a specific sum of money in our income meant for helping those who are less privileged in the society. Pure religion is to identify with the fatherless and widows in their suffering (James 1:27).

In one of the Private Universities where I taught, a student came to me and told me his challenge with paying his School fees. I felt for him and prayed with him trusting God to supernaturally supply his needs.

I had done some investments and was expecting some profits hence in my heart I decided to give him part of my profits. However the business did not go as I planned hence I could not help him as I had thought.

The examinations just began and this young man still could not raise his fees hence he could not write the first exam. In one of our Chapel services, I was on my knees with my heart bleeding and crying to God on his behalf. I said to God “Father you know if I have this money, I will give it to him without delay” Immediately the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said “You have it pay it”

Knowing that this amount runs into hundreds of thousands of naira,  I asked Him Lord where is the money if you say I have it? Then He answered “It is in your cooperative account go and close it if you have to do so” I immediately got up went to the young man inside the Chapel and told him what God just told me.

At this time I had my Ph.D fees to pay because I was close to my final oral presentation at the Post Graduate School but I put his fees ahead of mine and decided to pay the required amount for him to write his exams.

I was glad that he could write his exams and was able to continue with his academic work in that same Institution. This young man has now finished his final exams and his convocation is now next week.

I did not struggle to get money for the remaining aspects of my Ph.D. programme which I put down so as to pay this man’s fees. I finished my Ph.D. research in record time and every aspect of it was completed with speed.

I was privileged to present one of the papers from my Ph.D. research at Princeton University, New Jersey USA on full sponsorship by that Institution where I was teaching. Just about a year later I got a job in another Institution without an interview.

On the day I was resuming, I was not only interviewed, I was also confirmed as a full time staff. This is very rare in a Government Institution in Nigeria but God broke all protocols in my favour.

We don’t lose our rewards if we put other people’s needs ahead of ours. Jesus put our need for salvation ahead of his personal comfort hence he chose to die for our sins. Today he has been given the name above all names.

Let us LOVE in words and in deeds because by doing so we are showing that we actually LOVE God and are abiding in Him.

To be continued…

EVANGELIST OGHOGHO IKPONMWOSA (PHD)

PRESIDENT: SAVE THE LOST GOSPEL EVANGEVANGELISTIC MINISTRY

EMAIL: oghoghoik@gmail.com

TEL: +2348060676748