RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRISTIAN'S FAITH AND REASON

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND REASON
From the point of view of a theist and Christian theologian ,faith is not a mere anticipation of events or delusion , as portrayed in this discuss, it is against this background that i would like to throw some light on The relationship between the object of faith and reason. Faith ( "pistis" in the Greek ) simply means man's total reliance on God while appropriating all that has been created to achieve a desired objective. It is the dictionary by which we decode concepts and positively access and manipulate the essence of creation.
The dynamics of Faith :
1 the object of faith means all the things believed .
2. the act of faith is more than merely an act of belief , it is something to live every moment for. It involves 1. The intellect 2. Emotions 3. Volition 4. Heart.
Emotional faith is feeling assurance or trust or confidence in a person this includes hope and peace .
Intellectual faith is belief. This is stronger that emotional faith in that it more stable and unchanging . my mind could believe while my feelings are shaken “.it is the act of the intellect, prompted by the will , by which we believe everything God has revealed on the grounds of the authority of the One who revealed it.”
Volitional faith is an act of the will, a commitment to obey God’s will. This is also known as fidelity.
The intellect is the soul’s navigator, but the will is the captain
Faith begins in the heart. The heart is where the Holy Spirit walks in us . The scriptures declare that the just shall live by faith. Rom 1:16-17 . For instance, by faith we believe in the effectiveness of the internet as an effective means of communication without necessarily knowing the internal workings of the computers and series of technicians involved in making this process possible . To appropriate this we simply made some hypothetical assumptions of 1) believe the internet exists 2) it can do what the makers say about it. we took them at their word and today we are beneficiaries of our faith in them: so is our relationship with God, he created all things for man's enjoyment and to give him glory.

FAITH AND REASON CAN NEVER CONTRADICT EACH OTHER

Why Faith And Reason Can Never Contradict Each Other

 Only Falsehood Can Contradict Truth , the truth that the human reason naturally knows cannot be opposed to the truth of the Christian faith. For that with which the human reason is naturally endowed is clearly true, thus it is impossible to deny or think of such truths as false. For instance, what has colour has size. We cannot deny the truth of such a proposition. Since, therefore, only the false is opposed to the true , as is clearly evident from an examination of their definitions , it is impossible that truth of faith should be opposed to those principles that the human reason knows naturally.

God is the teacher of truth and faith. That which is introduced into the soul of the student by the teacher is contained in the knowledge of the teacher- unless the teacher is fictitious, which it is improper to say of God. The knowledge of the principles that are known to us naturally has been implanted in us by God: for God is the author of our nature. These principles are contained in divine wisdom. Opposing them is opposing divine wisdom.In other words, every possible argument against every Christian doctrine has a rational mistake in it somewhere, and therefore can be answered by reason alone.

Inputs from Peter  Kreeft & Ronald k. Tacelli 

GOD HAS GIVEN US POWER TO LIVE IN FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE

ACTIVATE THE POWER FOR FINANCIAL ABUNDANCE

Faithfulness will energize you to be diligent even if you have never been that way in the natural.

The Word repeatedly says we are to diligently seek God, hearken to what He says and obey His commands. Why? Deuteronomy 28:1-2 says when you hearken diligently, blessings overtake you! Because ".he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Diligence increases you. As Proverbs 10:4 says, "The hand of the diligent maketh rich."

Be diligent and faithful to God in your natural life as well. Make a decision to be faithful on your job, at your church, in your prayer life and in putting the Word first place in your life.

BUILD A LIFESTYLE AROUND THE WORD

Building a life around the Word of God ensures you are always in tune with the anointing to prosper . You should always be ready for a divine prompting for you can never tell when God will give a directive that would lead to the place of plenty. We should not only be diligent when faced with an emergency. This creates panic and anxiety which makes it difficult to hear from God.     Our soul – mind, thoughts, emotions and senses- prospers as we spend time in the Word, believe it and create a lifestyle of obeying God. The result will be what I John 3:22 says: "And we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we [watchfully] obey His orders [observe His suggestions and injunctions, follow His plan for us] and [habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him" (The Amplified Bible).

The number one law of receiving is never quit! Stay with the Word. Stay with what God has told you to do. Even if you make a mistake, repent and get back on track in obedience to the Word . That's faithfulness. It's part of the prosperous life because "a faithful man shall abound with blessings." (Proverbs 28:20).

Tithing and Sowing

"Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine" (Proverbs 3:9-10, The Amplified Bible).

My wife and I never knew what financial increase was until we became  faithful in tithing. At first it looked impossible to give that 10 percent. But when we did, the 90 percent we had left went further than the 100 percent we had before. We found out that we spent less to acquire more as the anointing of favour enveloped us as we obeyed this unfailing principle of financial increase.

We tithe under the dispensation of grace just as we use the anointing oil and take the holy communion , they all have the same origin : the Abraham covenant of which we are partakers , it is not to be seen as a do or die affair. Tithing is a covenant transaction that gets God involved in what you are doing. The first 10 percent of your income or  your net profit as a business person —the tithe—belongs to God. It is sacred .  The Bible calls it firstfruits. It's devoted to God, and it goes to support ministries that feed you spiritually. It is your token or symbol of honour to God. It is your proof of submission to divinely constituted authority, a mark of humility which is a prerequisite to promotion financially.  “God sets himself against the proud,

but he shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6, when I was struggling with finacial stagnation God told me non tithers were proud people and that tithing was a way of humbling yourself before God before a human witness.  

Tithing is how you honor God with your money. It makes a way for God to release the blessings upon you supernaturally. Honouring God through tithing frees you from financial insecurity.  Ever time we tithe ,we are sowing a seed of honour  and in return we receive a harvest of honour ,e.g  our proposals are honoured as a result of the anointing for honour initiated by our sacrificial giving of the tenth.  Dt 14:23......

so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always.

NIV this is the reason we give the tenth part, learning to put God first in our lives.

Notice Malachi 3:8-10 says we are to bring all the tithes to God. It also says by doing so God will open the windows of heaven and bless you "That there shall not be room to receive it!" You don't want to keep anything that belongs to God. Leviticus 27:30 declares, "And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord."

Real tithing is done with the heart and with the mouth, in faith. God's people were commanded to bring their firstfruits: "And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house…" (Deuteronomy 26:10-11). They were to recount how God had delivered them out of bondage. And they were to worship Him and rejoice for all the good He had given them.

Whatever we do must be in obedience and in faith for God to be pleased with it.

Everything we do toward God must come from our heart. Otherwise it doesn't count. Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing." (John 6:63). We are to give with a willing heart, as an honor to God, and worship Him with our tithes. Then He is in partnership with us.

After we tithe, we are to sow according to what the Lord lays on our heart, and we are to do it with the right attitude. The Hebrew word for offering comes from a root word that means to "draw nigh." We draw nigh to God with our offering. II Corinthians 9:6 says: "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

The Scripture plainly says you reap what you sow (Galatians 6:7). If you desire to be a receiver, you have to be a giver. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again" (Luke 6:38).

Tithing is supernatural—don't miss out on the benefits. God has an interest in your finances—He desires to increase you and bless you because He loves you.

BELIEVING AND SAYING

"We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak" (II Corinthians 4:13).

The Bible says several times, "The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Abraham was blessed because he lived by faith. He believed God. We're supposed to live the same way: "So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham" (Galatians 3:9).

Faith must be in two places—in your heart and in your mouth. "The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Romans 10:8). Believing in your heart and saying with your mouth produce the operation of faith.

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith" (Mark 11:23).

 I have learned for over twenty years that when it comes to operating supernatural laws , it is best to take the Word literally as God speaking to me. I discovered  if we put it in our eyes, put it in our ears, and let it get down into our hearts in abundance, it would come out our mouths in faith-filled words and it would change our lives and circumstances.

We realized all that stood between us and walking in the dream God had for us was knowing what is in the Bible and doing it. "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that 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" (Joshua 1:8).

 These principles are infallible , they work all the time regardless of who works them. They will bring you in to a place of supper abundance at all times. Receive your financial breakthrough as you read and put these principles to work in Jesus name.

Prayer of Salvation : heavenly father I come to you as a sinner , I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and I receive Him now as my lord and Saviour. And I ask that you fill my heart with your Holy spirit . Amen.

Contact for counseling : Rev. Mike Benson Ajayi. 234-08035536911, 234-08056036091. email. gracevinemin@yahoo.com. Address: 23 alcon road woji Ph.  Po box 1084. 

HOW TO LOVE AGAIN IN A LOVELESS RELATIONSHIP

 


HOW TO OVERCOME  A LOVELESS RELATIONSHIP

“Let brotherly love continue” Heb.13¹

 What Is Love? Simply put love could be described as kind actions. It exists in two variants  (1)Eros’ which is love due to attributes such as looks; intellects; in which case you may love an individual because such a person(s) possesses certain physical features you cherish so much, or because he or she is very intelligent. This is the kind of love we have for our friends.

This kind of love has it’s limitation in that as soon as there appears to be a distortion of the features we cherish, there automatically seem to be a reduction to our devotion or love to such individuals. That is why as soon as most women loose their physical beauty attributes such as skin colour, weight, the so-called “figure eight” due to an ailment or child birth, their partners tend to seek for love from someone else. As soon as boyfriend runs in to financial difficulty girlfriends love for boyfriend disappears. This love has no commitment to it , it is self centered and exploitative, that’s why there are so many broken hearts in the world today , may your heart be healed in Jesus  name .

The second kind of love is the Agape love: this kind is unconditional and is based on commitment. It is the highest form of love. Agape removes fear especially the fear of divorce or rejection. Agape gives one a sense of assurance and removes shame. Agape gives the lover and the loved boldness to face whatever challenge life may throw at them.

This Kind of love can only be expressed by and through Christ Jesus. “God is love, and all who live in love live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid… 1 Jn. 4:17.

HOW DO WE IDENTIFY AGAPE IN A MAN: The bible gives us fifteen behavioral characteristics of such an individual. 1Cor. 13:4 -7 It describes such a person as being patient and kind: Having the quality of being able calmly to endure suffering, toil, delay, vexation, or any similar condition; sufferance, and being disposed to doing good to others; benevolent; helpful; agreeable.

Agape love Does Not Envy: This means, there is no feeling of discontent at the good looks, quality, fortune, etc of another, Does Not boast: He /she does not brag of speak proudly or confidently to justify himself/herself.

Is Not Proud: He/she does not have excessive self-esteem; arrogance: isn’t haughty, or has a proper sense of self –respect; is exultantly aware of the credit due to or reflected on oneself, is not untamable; fearless; swelling, sexually excited or promiscuous .

Agape Is Not Rude He/she is not, uncultured; unskilled; discourteously unmannerly; coarse; vulgar; harsh; crude; undeveloped, unwrought; rugged; rough; roughly or unskillfully fashioned; violent; robust.

Agape Is Not Self-seeking He/She is not the kind of person who looks mainly to his or her own interest or advantage.

Agape Is Not Easily Angered He/She does not show a hot displeasure provoked by some action, incident, situation, etc, often involving hostility and a desire form retaliation, wrath; affliction.

Keeps No Record Of Wrongs: He/She does not set down in writing or other permanent form information on incorrect; erroneous; morally unacceptable; immoral, wicked, sinful, acts that where meted against them.

Does Not Delight In Evil : He/She does not rejoice when disaster or misfortune befalls anyone. “Do not rejoice when your enemies fall into trouble. Don’t be happy when they stumble” Prov. 24: 17

Rejoices with the Truth : He/She celebrates when truth prevails.

Always protects: He/She acts as a shield from danger, inquiry, change, capture or loss. Defends and strengthens those he/she loves always.

Agape Always Trusts: He/She always has a confident expectation on those he/she loves; he/she rests on their integrity, friendship, faith; hope.

Love Always Hopes : This means to always cherish the desire (that something good will happen), with some expectation of success or fulfillment; it also means to always have confidence or be hopeful with belief in the possibility of fulfillment. Agape always desires for something good, with a certain expectation of obtaining it, with confidence and anticipation.

Agape Always Perseveres: This is the continuous act or state of persevering and continuously applying to anything which one has begun persistently, despite setbacks.

Agape Love Never Fails: Whenever agape is in operation in any relationship, there would never be any room for failure. Any marriage born out of agape love will stand the test of time.

Married couples are expected to have both ‘eros’ and Agape love for each other.

Love is kind actions, therefore if we choose to be kind and helpful, we have chosen to love. If a man is not loving his wife, it is not because there is no love but because he has not chosen to do actions of love for her.

THE FEELING OF LOVE: The feeling of love is not the same thing as love. The feeling of love is just a feeling our feelings towards each other changes due to cultural biological and physiological, religious factors.

Love blues: Immediately after the wedding and subsequently the sexual union, for most couple the feeling of love starts to nose dive. Regrets, depression sets in.

Remember, God has not commanded us to have a certain feeling. Love is not just a feeling .He has commanded us to love. Love means choosing to serve my partner even when I don’t feel like it.

Remember, God proffers a  two-fold solution to this kind of situation.

1.       Love as commanded: So love even if your feeling of love has disappeared, love your marriage partner, child, brother, sister, etc. in Christ. Love him/her with kind actions. Be careful to be helpful, polite, generous, faithful and self – giving.

2.       The Promise of love: As you continue the loving actions, sooner or later your feeling of love will return. Yes, you don’t need to stay together, for the rest of your lives without any feeling of love. That wonderful feeling of love can return. It will return as you continue choosing loving actions, of course, the feeling of love is just a feeling. You won’t have it everyday. It will come and go.

         

          But don’t worry, if you choose to love in action, the feeling of love will never stay away for long.

          HOW DOES IT WORK?

          First we do, then, we feel!

          Love is action. It is the action of being gentle, thoughtful, patience, etc you can choose to love. The feeling of love is just a feeling. Therefore, it comes and goes. If you stop choosing to love in action, your feeling of love will begin to disappear.

          If your feeling of love disappears, bring it back. How? Choose to love in action!

 Start by praying to God to heal your heart from the hurt you have suffered and ask God to touch the heart of you partner and fill your hearts with fresh love for one another. May God heal your heart in Jesus name. 

for counseling phone +2348098536911 BB PIN 29DB98C6 email; michaelbenson3000@yahoo.com