GOING THROUGH SUFFERINGS DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE CURSED OR DEMON POSSESSED

By Rev.Michael Benson Ajayi

GOING THROUGH SUFFERINGS DOESN’T MEAN YOU ARE DEMON POSSESSED
 Matt 20:23“And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”
 The Greek word for the phrase ‘ye shall drink’ is “pino”  it means to “imbibe” " That is: to receive into the mind and retain as moral principles or  to assimilate or take into solution like a sponge absorbs moisture _   Merriam-Webster dictionary .  As Christ’s disciples, we will indeed be plunged into the same sufferings that He experienced.
         Sufferings are part of the Christian life, they are caused by(1) God (trials)(2)Self: as a consequence of sin and(3) Satan(temptation). Regardless of its origin sufferings end up working out for our greater good when we apply divine wisdom.
      In Matthew 20:17-25, the disciples had imagined Jesus’ kingdom on earth as a kingdom where human dominion and status would be celebrated but they were surprised to learn that it is not God’s will for us to dominate one another. Unfortunately, dominion of man over man is a popular doctrine in churches leading to covetousness and inequitable distribution of resources. Victims of these inequalities are told they are under a curse or demonic bondage. This is the main reasons behind the increase in marital failure and rebel movements the world over . Matt 20:25-28 KJV “Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them .But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” It is the quest to dominate that's behind human sufferings.
     Dominion theology lacks compassion for humanity and leads to exploitation and insensitivity of leaders to the sufferings of their followers.  The church belongs to Jesus Christ and not a personal property of any  preacher.
      Christians are God’s servants and dominion over others shouldn’t be part of our doctrine, this hinders the spread of the gospel.  King Solomon’s wisdom was tainted with dominion theology through his links with idol worshipers (1kings11:1-9) at his death ,his subjects prayed for deliverance from his oppressive regime(1kings12:8-18) resulting in the fall of his empire to king Rehoboam -a notorious cult- gang leader.  
      Praying with wrong motives with an unrepentant heart results in painful trials . James 4:2,3. Jer. 5:25 therefore ,what is needed most times is repentance not deliverance
      Repentance results in persecution for one's faith in Christ and during such periods we develop maturity and create more impact. To experience God’s power , we should be willing to suffer like Jesus did (Phil3:10).If men hated Jesus for his righteousness they will hate us too , however , there is an eternal consolation in all this, Rom 8:18-19 says” Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later”. Your sufferings shall not be in vain in Jesus name. 
+234 8035536911, +234 8098536911
email: michaelbensonajayi@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BREAK EVIL FAMILY PATTERNS

CONSEQUENCES OF LACK OF FAITH

COMMON CAUSES OF DISUNITY.