Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. (Hebrews 11:35)
You see, many of our fathers in this same faith were tortured, yet they refused to accept deliverance. And why were they tortured in the first place? What was the term or condition for their deliverance from torture? Why did they even prefer to be tortured rather than accept deliverance from torture? You see, let me tell you, if you have not gotten to a level whereby you are tortured and afflicted, of which you are asked to pay homage to a certain god so that you can be set free, I tell you, you, you haven’t seen anything yet in your walk with God. You see, your faith will be exposed to this horrible experience. Hear me! For your faith to be purified, God would allow some afflictions and torture to get hold of you and their condition to set you free would be if you can worship devil. You see, you must value your worship so much before you get to this stage of your journey with God, or else, you won’t see any reason to hold on to your worship in the face of torture. Hear me! Whenever devil is beginning to ask for your worship in order to let you have a better life, I tell you, you are just beginning to experience the reality of your journey with God. What do you think that Satan was asking from Job before Job could be set free? I hope you know that it was his worship! If not, the Bible wouldn’t have written it like this in Job 2:9 “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.” The demand of the devil is…… pay homage to me and live. Thank God for Job who actually knows the worth of a man’s worship. See what he did in refusal to the demand of the devil in Job 1:20 “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. Do you see that? He worshipped God, rather than worship the devil. He told the devil……. I will rather worship God than worship you. He simply refused to accept deliverance at the expense of his worship. Let me ask you…..”Why do you think that Job’s affliction extended to the second stage” Or you mean you don’t know that satan appeared to God twice on his demand to afflict Job? See satan’s first appearance, his demand and God’s permission here according to Job 1:12 “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” At satan’s first permission, God allowed him to torture Job emotionally by taking away all that he has. You see, emotional torture is the first torture that devil would always want to use to cause you to willingly submit your worship. Emotional torture is simply the dealing of the devil with all that a man has which gives him joy. It is a serious affliction, I tell you. I have been there beloved. Except God have mercy on you, you would be shaken and lose your stand. Why do you think that the kidnappers would kidnap someone and ask his relatives to meet a demand for the release of the fellow? That is to simply use emotional torture to make them submit! You see, devil knows how many things God has done for you that is actually a joy to you. And if he really wants to torture you and cause you to come cringing before him, he’ll set traps for those things. Hear me! Emotional torture is one of the devil’s strategy to cause a man to give up his worship. That is why Jesus simply gave this condition as a criteria for becoming a disciple in Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” You see, who do you have than all these relatives and siblings? But Jesus knew the tactics of the devil in using emotional torture to cause a man to deny Him, so He says, you must come to a point where you should not be attached to anything that the devil can use to bring you to submission.
You must be careful of where exactly you place in your heart all that God has given you that are giving you joy. Don’t place any of them at the core of your heart! You see, when satan saw that Job refused to accept deliverance from emotional torture, he went back to God for his bodily torture. See it here in Job 2:4-6 “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.” Real torture from the devil begins from emotion and advances to the body while real training by God begins from emotion and also span through the body. I hope you have read a thing like this in 1 Timothy 4:8 “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” Now, don’t just think that satan is just torturing Job without giving him an option for his deliverance. No! That is not the way of satan. You see, whenever satan is behind the predicament of a child of God or he is allowed to tempt a child of God, he will give a condition for deliverance from torture and that condition is often to worship him, which always be by going through his way to solve one’s problem. Beloved! Our fathers refused to accept deliverance from torture because of the exact demand from devil and that demand is nothing but their worship. You must value your worship beloved! Do you know why God is saying this to you? It is because, worship is the key to your resurrection to a better life…. “…..and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection. Hear me! Anyone who loses his worship in order to accept deliverance from torture would never obtain a better resurrection that only worship can bring. You must keep your worship for God at all cost. That is the only key for your better resurrection! Beloved, in what way are you being tortured, either emotionally or bodily because of your precious worship? I want you to know that the worth of your worship is greater than any torture you can can go through. Don’t ever accept deliverance from the torture of barrenness at the expense of your worship. Remember the severe consequences of deliverance from emotional torture that Abraham accepted from his wife. The world has not recovered from it till today and will never recover from it till Jesus comes. Don’t accept deliverance from that torture of singleness at the expense of your worship. Don’t accept deliverance from the torture of failure at the expense of your precious worship. I pray that God will give you His grace like He gave the Hebrew boys which grace actually aided their decision to refuse deliverance from the torture of fiery furnace, in Jesus name. It is well with you. God bless you.
Prayer: Oh God my Father, I ask for your grace to say no to every offer from the devil in an attempt to be delivered from whatever kind of toture I am going through, which is at the expense of my glorious worship, in Jesus’ name.
DNA : which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid , is define as nucleic acid that contain the genetic code.
If you have SEX with a man, his DNA lives in you forever.
Workman noted that a research by university of Seattle USA has proven that; There is now a greater understanding of why God asks us not to have SEX before we get married.
This research proves that any man, that a woman has SEX with leaves a part of his DNA in the woman.
The man who has had more SEX with her, leaves more of his DNA in the woman. So when a woman ovulates, the eggs that she produces contain more of other DNAs.
So we need to educate the girl child to remain a virgin till marriage.
Anytime you have SEX with another man you become one with that man (spiritually too) and carry the man’s DNA and according to Workman this is called SEX Web especially when the woman has multiple SEX partners.
At some point when you have too many of the male DNA in you; you change, because your cells are changing.
That also proves why when married couples live together for a long time they end up looking alike. The woman’s DNA changes when she has sex with men. This is very serious.
The world should know this and stop silly SEX promotions.
It is bad than good. Unfortunately women are the victims.
This was found out in many other research articles mostly released this year. So it is new and we all have to know.
The fact is,women retain DNA from every man they have slept with.
Cells transferred from a man to a woman during intercourse become integrated into the woman’s body after SEX, every single time they have SEX.
This study found the presence of genetically distinct male cells in the brain of women. This also means these other male cells will be found in a foetus when the woman gets pregnant.
(This is called microchimerism.)
Every male you absorb sperm from becomes a living part of your life. Sperm is a living substance. Living cells. It enters your bloodstream and collects in your brain and spine.
Stop experimenting with SEX.
When the sperm enters a woman it swims until it hits a wall and then seeps into your flesh.
If it’s in your mouth, (abomination) it can get into your nasal areas, behind your eyes and even your inner ear. It then enters your bloodstream and collects in your brain and spine. You can never get rid of it.
It becomes a part of you forever. These are the true consequences of sexual intercourse.
Workman Leadership College says this Original research is from University of Seattle and Fred Hutchinson cancer research center.
They accidentally found this when they were researching to find out why pregnant women carrying boys get men neurological diseases.
This is real and not a joke.!!!
Stop having SEX if you are not married.
And stop having SEX with others than your husband, for the married.
The consequences of doing this is devastating,humiliating and horrible
No wonder the world is the way it is,many marriages no longer hold water in peace,truth and love!
Many children from most homes have behavioral tendencies alien to both parents
Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with “last things”. Such eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning “last” (ἔσχατος) and “study” (-λογία) – involves the study of “end things”, whether of the end of an individual life, of the end of the age, of the end of the world or of the nature of the Kingdom of God. Broadly speaking, Christian eschatology focuses on the ultimate destiny of individual souls and of the entire created order, based primarily upon biblical texts within the Old and New Testaments.
Eschatological passages appear in many places in the Bible, in both in the Old and the New Testaments. Many extra-biblical examples of eschatological prophecies also exist, as well as church traditions relating to the subject.
Eschatology is an ancient branch of study in Christian theology, informed by Biblical texts such as the Olivet discourse, The Sheep and the Goats, and other discourses of end times by Jesus, with the doctrine of the Second Coming discussed by Paul the Apostle[1] and Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107 AD),[2] then given more consideration by the Christian apologist, Justin Martyr (c. 100–165).[3] Treatment of eschatology continued in the West in the teachings of Tertullian (c. 160–225), and was given fuller reflection and speculation soon after by Origen (c. 185–254).[4] The word was used first by the Lutheran theologian Abraham Calovius (1612–86) but only came into general usage in the 19th century.[5]
The growing modern interest in eschatology is tied to developments in Anglophone Christianity. Puritans in the 18th and 19th centuries were particularly interested in a postmillennial hope which surrounded Christian conversion.[6] This would be contrasted with the growing interest in premillennialism, advocated by dispensational figures such as J. N. Darby.[7] Both of these strands would have significant influences on the growing interests in eschatology in Christian missions and in Christianity in West Africa and Asia.[8][9] However, in the 20th century, there would be a growing number of German scholars such as Jürgen Moltmann and Wolfhart Pannenberg who would likewise be interested in eschatology.[10]
The following approaches arose from the study of Christianity’s most central eschatological document, the Book of Revelation, but the principles embodied in them can be applied to all prophecy in the Bible. They are by no means mutually exclusive and are often combined to form a more complete and coherent interpretation of prophetic passages. Most interpretations fit into one, or a combination, of these approaches. The alternate methods of prophetic interpretation, Futurism and Preterism which came from Jesuit writings, were brought about to oppose the Historicism interpretation which had been used from Biblical times[11][12][13][14] that Reformers used in teaching that the Antichrist was the Papacy or the power of the Roman Catholic Church.[15]
Historically, preterists and non-preterists have generally agreed that the Jesuit Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613) wrote the first systematic preterist exposition of prophecy—Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (published in 1614)—during the Counter-Reformation.
In Futurism, parallels may be drawn with historical events, but most eschatological prophecies are chiefly referring to events which have not yet been fulfilled, but will take place at the end of the age and the end of the world. Most prophecies will be fulfilled during a global time of chaos known as the Great Tribulation and afterwards.[17] Futurist beliefs usually have a close association with Premillennialism and Dispensationalism. Futurist beliefs were presented in the Left Behind series.
Idealism (also called the spiritual approach, the allegorical approach, the nonliteral approach, and many other names) in Christian eschatology is an interpretation of the Book of Revelation that sees all of the imagery of the book as symbols.[18]
Jacob Taubes writes that idealist eschatology came about as Renaissance thinkers began to doubt that the Kingdom of Heaven had been established on earth, or would be established, but still believed in its establishment.[19] Rather than the Kingdom of Heaven being present in society, it is established subjectively for the individual.[20]
F. D. Maurice interpreted the Kingdom of Heaven idealistically as a symbol representing society’s general improvement, instead of a physical and political kingdom. Karl Barth interprets eschatology as representing existential truths that bring the individual hope, rather than history or future-history.[21] Barth’s ideas provided fuel for the Social Gospel philosophy in America, which saw social change not as performing “required” good works, but because the individuals involved felt that Christians could not simply ignore society’s problems with future dreams.[22]
Different authors have suggested that the Beast represents various social injustices, such as exploitation of workers,[23] wealth, the elite, commerce,[24] materialism, and imperialism.[25] Various Christian anarchists, such as Jacques Ellul, have identified the State and political power as the Beast.[26] Other scholars identify the Beast with the Roman empire of the first century AD, but recognize that the Beast has significance beyond its identification with Rome. For example, Craig R. Koester says “the vision [of the beast] speaks to the imperial context in which Revelation was composed, but it does so with images that go beyond that context, depicting the powers at work in the world in ways that continue to engage readers of subsequent generations.”[27] And his comments on the whore of Babylon are more to the point: “The whore [of Babylon] is Rome, yet more than Rome.”[28] It “is the Roman imperial world, which in turn represents the world alienated from God.”[29] As Stephen Smalley puts it, the beast represents “the powers of evil which lie behind the kingdoms of this world, and which encourage in society, at any moment in history, compromise with the truth and opposition to the justice and mercy of God.”[30]
It is distinct from Preterism, Futurism and Historicism in that it does not see any of the prophecies (except in some cases the Second Coming, and Final Judgment) as being fulfilled in a literal, physical, earthly sense either in the past, present or future,[31] and that to interpret the eschatological portions of the Bible in a historical or future-historical fashion is an erroneous understanding.[32]
Comparison of Futurist, Preterist and Historicist beliefs[edit]
Futurists typically anticipate a future period of time when Bible prophecies will be fulfilled.
Preterists typically argue that most (Partial Preterism), or all (Full Preterism) Bible prophecies were fulfilled during the earthly ministry of Jesus and the generation immediately proceeding it, concluding with the siege and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Historicists typically understand the prophecies to be continuous from the times of the prophets to the present day and beyond.
Various interpretations of a literal number of 144,000, including: 144,000 Evangelical Jews at the end of the world, or 144,000 Christians at the end of the world.
A symbolic number signifying the saved, representing completeness, perfection (The number of Israel; 12, squared and multiplied by 1,000, representing the infinite = 144,000). This symbolises God’s Holy Army, redeemed, purified and complete.
A symbolic number representing the saved who are able to stand through the events of 6:17.
A demonic host released upon the earth at the end of the world.
A demonic host released upon Israel during the siege of Jerusalem 66–70 AD.
The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries.
Large Army from the Euphrates, an army of ‘myriads of myriads’ Revelation 9:13–16
Futurists frequently translate and interpret the Greek phrase ‘myriads of myriads’ as meaning a ‘double myriad’, from which they develop the figure of 200 million. Futurists frequently assign this army of 200 million to China, which they believe will attack Israel in the future. Many Bibles employ a Futurist interpretation of the original Greek when they adopt the figure of 200 million.
Preterists hold to the original Greek description of a large army consisting of ‘myriads of myriads’, as a reference to the large pagan army, which would attack Israel during the Siege of Jerusalem from 66–70 AD. The source of this pagan army from beyond the Euphrates is a symbolic reference to Israel’s history of being attacked and judged by pagan armies from beyond the Euphrates. Some of the Roman units employed during the siege of Jerusalem were assigned from this area.[35]
The Muslim Arab hordes that overran North Africa, the Near East, and Spain during the 6th to 8th centuries.
Two people who will preach in Jerusalem at the end of the world.
The two witnesses and their miracles symbolize the ministries of Moses and Elijah, who in turn symbolize ‘The Law’ and ‘The Prophets’, the Old Testament witnesses to the righteousness of God. When the armies of Rome laid siege to and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, it appeared that the Two Witnesses had been killed.
The two witnesses (AKA “two olive trees” and “two candlesticks”) are the Old and New Testaments.
A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) at the end of the world during which Jerusalem is controlled by pagan nations.
A literal 1260 days (3.5 years) which occurred ‘at the end of the world’ in 70 AD when the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem was decisively destroyed at the hands of the pagan Roman armies following a 3.5-year Roman campaign in Judea and Samaria. The ‘Two Witnesses’ appeared to be dead for 3.5 years during the siege of Jerusalem but were miraculously resurrected as the Early Church.
1260 days = forty and two months (vs. 11:2) = a time, times and the dividing of time (Dan 7:25). 1260 years during which the two witnesses are clothed in sackcloth, typically understood[dubious – discuss]to represent the time from 538 to 1798 A.D., the time of Papal authority over the Christian church.
A future conflict between the State of Israel and Satan.
Symbolic of the Old Covenant Church, the nation of Israel (Woman) giving birth to the Christ child. Satan (the Dragon) was determined to destroy the Christ child. The Woman (the early church), fled Jerusalem before its destruction in 70 AD.
The Dragon represents Satan and any earthly power he uses. The woman represents God’s true church before and after Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. The Woman flees to the desert away from the dominant power of the 1260 years.
The future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians.
The apostate rulers of the Jewish people, who joined in union with the Roman Empire to persecute the early church.
The first is the U.S.A. The second is a future religio-political power in which everyone is forced by the first power to receive the mark of the beast.
The number identifying the future empire of the Anti-Christ, persecuting Christians.
In Hebrew calculations the total sum of Emperor Nero’s name, ‘Nero Caesar’, equated to 666. The number more broadly symbolises the Roman Empire and its persecution of the early church. The number 666 also symbolises an apostate ruler as King Solomon was, who collected 666 talents of gold annually. 1Kings 10:14
cryptogram of one of the names of the pope – the False Prophet: Vicarius Filii Dei, v and u = 5, i = 1, l = 50, c = 100, d = 500[dubious – discuss]
A future literal battle at Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, Israel.
Megiddo is utilised as a symbol of God’s complete victory over His enemies. The battle of Armageddon occurred 2000 years ago when God used the pagan armies of Rome to comprehensively destroy the apostate worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Revelation 16:16 Judges 5:19 2Kings 9:27
A symbolic name concerning the ongoing battle between Jesus and Satan.
Futurists compose various interpretations for the identity of ‘Mystery Babylon’ such as the US, or the UN.
The corrupted city of Jerusalem, who united with pagan nations of the world in their idolatrous practices and participated in persecuting the faithful Old Covenant priests and prophets, and the early church of the New Covenant. Matthew 23:35–37
A virtuous woman represents God’s true church. A whore represents an apostate church. Typically, Mystery Babylon is understood to be the esoteric apostasies, and Great Harlot is understood to be the popular apostasies. Both types of apostasies are already at work, ensnaring the unwary.
As the Bible text explains, the seven heads are seven mountains. This is a direct reference to the Seven hills of Rome. It is also noted that the seven hills ‘refer to seven kings’. This is a reference to the Caesars of Rome. At the time of the writing of the Revelation, five Caesars had already fallen (Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Tiberius Caesar, Caligula and Claudius Caesar), ‘One is’ (Nero, the sixth Caesar, was on the throne as John was writing the Revelation), and the seventh ‘has not yet come’. (Galba, the seventh Caesar, reigned for less than 7 months).[36]
The Millennium is a literal, future 1,000-year reign of Christ following the destruction of God’s enemies.
The Millennium is the current, ongoing rise of God’s Kingdom. The Millennium is a symbolic time frame, not a literal time frame. Preterists believe the Millennium has been ongoing since the earthly ministry and ascension of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and is ongoing today.[37] Daniel 2:34–35
The time period between Christ’s Second Advent and the rapture of all the righteous, both living and formerly dead, from off earth and the third Advent which brings the New Jerusalem and the saints to the planet. While the saved are gone, the planet is inhabited only by Satan and his hosts, for all the wicked are dead.
The Rapture is a future removal of the faithful Christian church from earth.
Preterists generally recognize a future ‘Second Coming’ of Christ, as described in Acts 1:11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. However, they distinguish this from Revelation 4:1 which is construed by Futurists as describing a ‘Rapture’ event that is separate from the ‘Second Coming’.
The ‘Great Tribulation’ is a future period of God’s judgement on earth.
The ‘Great Tribulation’ occurred 2000 years ago when apostate Israel was judged and destroyed by God, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem at the hands of the pagan armies of the Roman Empire. The early Church was delivered from this period of judgment because it heeded the warning of Jesus in Matthew 24:16 to flee Jerusalem when it saw the pagan armies of Rome approaching.
The Great Tribulation was a period of persecution for the Church for 1260 years from 538 to 1798 AD at the hands of papal authorities.[dubious – discuss]
‘The Abomination that causes desolation’ Matthew 24:15
The Abomination that causes desolation is a future system of idolatrous worship based at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
The Abomination that causes desolation was the pagan armies of Rome destroying the apostate system of worship at the Temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago.
Ezekiel 38 refers to a future invasion of Israel by Russia and its allies, resulting in a miraculous deliverance by God.
Ezekiel 38 refers to the Maccabees miraculous defeat of the Seleucids in the 2nd century B.C. As Chilton notes, ‘The word chief is, in the Hebrew, rosh, and according to this view, it does not pertain to Russia.[38]
Expositors of the traditional Protestant interpretation of Revelation known as Historicism have often maintained that Revelation was written in AD 96 and not AD 70. Edward Bishop Elliott, in the Horae Apocalypticae (1862), argues that John wrote the book in exile on Patmos “at the close of the reign of Domitian; that is near the end of the year 95 or beginning of 96”. He notes that Domitian was assassinated in September 96.[39]:47 Elliot begins his lengthy review of historical evidence by quoting Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp. Polycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John. Irenaeus mentions that the Apocalypse was seen “no very long time ago [but] almost in our own age, toward the end of the reign of Domitian”.[39]:32
Other historicists have seen no significance in the date that Revelation was written, and have even held to an early date[40] while Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr., makes an exegetical and historical argument for the pre-AD 70 composition of Revelation.[41]
The division between these interpretations can be somewhat blurred. Most futurists are expecting a rapture of the Church, an antichrist, a Great Tribulation and a second coming of Christ in the near future. But they also accept certain past events, such as the rebirth of the State of Israel and the reunification of Jerusalem as prerequisites to them, in a manner which the earlier historicists have done with other dates. Futurists, who do not normally use the day-year principle, interpret the Prophecy of Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9:24 as years, just as historicists do. Most historicists have chosen timelines, from beginning to end, entirely in the past,[42] but some, such as Adam Clarke, have timelines which also commenced with specific past events, but require a future fulfillment. In his commentary on Daniel 8:14 published in 1831, he stated that the 2,300-year period should be calculated from 334 BC, the year Alexander the Great began his conquest of the Persian Empire.[43] His calculation resulted in the year 1966. He seems to have overlooked the fact that there is no “year zero” between BC and AD dates. For example, the year following 1 BC is 1 AD. Thus his calculations should have required an additional year, ending in 1967. He was not anticipating a literal regathering of the Jewish people prior to the second coming of Christ. But the date is of special significance to futurists since it is the year of Jerusalem’s capture by Israeli forces during the Six-Day War. His commentary on Daniel 7:25 contains a 1260-year period commencing in 755 AD and ending in 2015.[43]
Standard premillennialism posits that Christ’s second coming will inaugurate a literal thousand-year earthly kingdom. Christ’s return will coincide with a time of great tribulation. At this time, there will be a resurrection of the people of God who have died, and a rapture of the people of God who are still living, and they will meet Christ at his coming. A thousand years of peace will follow, during which Christ will reign and Satan will be imprisoned in the Abyss. Those who hold to this view usually fall into one of the following three categories:
Pretribulationists believe that the second coming will be in two stages separated by a seven-year period of tribulation. At the beginning of the tribulation, true Christians will rise to meet the Lord in the air (the Rapture). Then follows a seven-year period of suffering in which the Antichrist will conquer the world and persecute those who refuse to worship him. At the end of this period, Christ returns to defeat the Antichrist and establish the age of peace. This position is supported by a scripture which says, “God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [1 Thess 5:9]
Midtribulationists believe that the Rapture will take place at the halfway point of the seven-year tribulation, i.e. after 3½ years. It coincides with the “abomination of desolation”—a desecration of the temple where the Antichrist puts an end to the Jewish sacrifices, sets up his own image in the temple, and demands that he be worshiped as God. This event begins the second, most intense part of the tribulation.
Some interpreters find support for the “midtrib” position by comparing a passage in Paul’s epistles with the book of Revelation. Paul says, “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor 15:51–52). Revelation divides the great tribulation into three sets of increasingly catastrophic judgments: the Seven Seals, the Seven Trumpets, and the Seven Bowls, in that order. If the “last trumpet” of Paul is equated with the last trumpet of Revelation, the Rapture would be in the middle of the Tribulation. (Not all interpreters agree with this literal interpretation of the chronology of Revelation, however.)
Posttribulationists hold that Christ will not return until the end of the tribulation. Christians, rather than being raptured at the beginning of the tribulation, or halfway through, will live through it and suffer for their faith during the ascendancy of the Antichrist. Proponents of this position believe that the presence of believers during the tribulation is necessary for a final evangelistic effort during a time when external conditions will combine with the Gospel message to bring great numbers of converts into the Church in time for the beginning of the Millennium.
Postmillennialism holds that Jesus Christ establishes his kingdom on earth through his preaching and redemptive work in the first century and that he equips his church with the gospel, empowers her by the Spirit, and charges her with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) to disciple all nations. Postmillennialism expects that eventually the vast majority of people living will be saved. Increasing gospel success will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ’s return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in the affairs of men and of nations. After an extensive era of such conditions Jesus Christ will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously, to end history with the general resurrection and the final judgment after which the eternal order follows.
Postmillenialism was a dominant theological belief among American Protestants who promoted reform movements in the 19th and 20th century such as abolitionism[45] and the Social Gospel.[46] Postmillennialism has become one of the key tenets of a movement known as Christian Reconstructionism. It has been criticized by 20th century religious conservatives as an attempt to immanentize the eschaton.
Amillennialism, in Christian eschatology, involves the rejection of the belief that Jesus will have a literal, thousand-year-long, physical reign on the earth. This rejection contrasts with premillennial and some postmillennial interpretations of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation.
The amillennial view regards the “thousand years” mentioned in Revelation 20 as a symbolic number, not as a literal description; amillennialists hold that the millennium has already begun and is identical with the current church age. Amillennialism holds that while Christ’s reign during the millennium is spiritual in nature, at the end of the church age, Christ will return in final judgment and establish a permanent reign in the new heaven and new earth.
Many proponents dislike the name “amillennialism” because it emphasizes their differences with premillennialism rather than their beliefs about the millennium. “Amillennial” was actually coined in a pejorative way by those who hold premillennial views. Some proponents also prefer alternate terms such as nunc-millennialism (that is, now-millennialism) or realized millennialism, although these other names have achieved only limited acceptance and usage.[47]
There were different schools of thought on the afterlife in Judea during the first century AD. The Sadducees, who recognized only the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) as authoritative, did not believe in an afterlife or any resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees, who not only accepted the Torah, but additional scriptures as well, believed in the resurrection of the dead, and it is known to have been a major point of contention between the two groups (see Acts 23:8). The Pharisees based their belief on passages such as Daniel 12:2, which says: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”
Some traditions (notably the Seventh-day Adventists) teach that the soul sleeps after death, and will not awake again until the resurrection of the dead, while others believe the spirit goes to an intermediate place where it will live consciously until the resurrection of the dead. By “soul”, Seventh-day Adventists theologians mean the physical person (monism), and that no component of human nature survives death; therefore, each human will be “recreated” at resurrection. The biblical Book of Ezekiel provides substantiation for the assertion that souls experience mortality, “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4) [48]
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven—through a purification or immediately—or immediate and everlasting damnation. (Sect. 1022)
Some denominations (a notable exception are Seventh-day Adventists) affirm the statement from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (above), with the exception of the parenthetical phrase, “through a purification or immediately”. This alludes to the Catholic belief in a spiritual state, known as Purgatory, in which those souls who are not condemned to Hell, but are also not completely pure as required for entry into Heaven, go through a final process of purification before their full acceptance into Heaven.
Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism do not believe in Purgatory as such, though the Orthodox Church is willing to allow for a period of continued sanctification (the process of being made pure, or holy) after death. Most Protestants reject the doctrine of Purgatory on the basis that first, Christ has already made full atonement for their sins on the cross, thereby removing all obstacles which prevent them from coming directly into the presence of God after death; and second, it is not found in the Protestant Bible.
There are many passages in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, which speak of a time of terrible tribulation such as has never been known, a time of natural and man-made disasters on an awesome scale. Jesus said that at the time of his coming, “There will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever will be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, those days will be shortened.” [Mt 24:21–22]
Furthermore, the Messiah‘s return and the tribulation that accompanies it will come at a time when people are not expecting it:Of that day and hour no-one knows; no, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. [Mt 24:36–39]
Paul echoes this theme, saying, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them.” [1 Thess 5:3]
The abomination of desolation (or desolating sacrilege) is a term found in the Hebrew Bible, in the book of Daniel. The term is used by Jesus Christ in the Olivet discourse, according to both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark. In the Matthew account, Jesus is presented as quoting Daniel explicitly.Matthew 24:15–26 (ESV) “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”Mark 13:14 (ESV) “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”
This verse in the Olivet Discourse also occurs in the Gospel of Luke.Luke 21.20–21 (ESV) “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains …”
Preterist Christian commentators believe that Jesus quoted this prophecy in Mark 13:14 as referring to an event in his “1st century disciples'” immediate future, specifically the pagan Roman forces during the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.[51][52]
Futurist Christians consider the “Abomination of Desolation” prophecy of Daniel mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14 as referring to an event in the end time future, when a 7-year peace treaty will be signed between Israel and a world ruler called “the man of lawlessness“, or the “Antichrist” affirmed by the writings of the Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians.
Other scholars conclude that the Abomination of Desolation refers to the Crucifixion,[53] an attempt by the emperor Hadrian to erect a statue to Jupiter in the Jewish temple,[54] or an attempt by Caligula to have a statue depicting him as Zeus built in the temple.[55]
Many interpreters calculate the length of the tribulation at seven years. The key to this understanding is the “seventy weeks prophecy” in the book of Daniel. The Prophecy of Seventy Septets (or literally ‘seventy times seven’) appears in the angel Gabriel‘s reply to Daniel, beginning with verse 22 and ending with verse 27 in the ninth chapter of the Book of Daniel,[56] a work included in both the JewishTanakh and the ChristianBible; as well as the Septuagint.[57] The prophecy is part of both the Jewish account of history and Christian eschatology.
The prophet has a vision of the angel Gabriel, who tells him, “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city (i.e., Israel and Jerusalem).” [Dan 9:24] After making a comparison with events in the history of Israel, many scholars have concluded that each day in the seventy weeks represents a year. The first sixty-nine weeks are interpreted as covering the period until Christ’s first coming, but the last week is thought to represent the years of the tribulation which will come at the end of this age, directly preceding the millennial age of peace:The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it will be with a flood, and till the end of the war, desolations are determined. Then he will confirm a covenant with many for one week. But in the middle of the week, he will bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations will be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate. [Dan 9:26–27]
This is an obscure prophecy, but in combination with other passages, it has been interpreted to mean that the “prince who is to come” will make a seven-year covenant with Israel that will allow the rebuilding of the temple and the reinstitution of sacrifices, but “in the middle of the week”, he will break the agreement and set up an idol of himself in the temple and force people to worship it—the “abomination of desolation”. Paul writes:Let no-one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. [2 Thess 2:3–4]
The rapture is an eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of North American evangelicalism, referring to an end time event when all Christian believers—living and dead—will rise into Heaven and join Christ.[58][59] Some adherents believe this event is predicted and described in Paul’s First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible,[60] where he uses the Greek harpazo (ἁρπάζω), meaning to snatch away or seize. Though it has been used differently in the past, the term is now often used by certain believers to distinguish this particular event from the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Earth mentioned in Second Thessalonians, Gospel of Matthew, First Corinthians, and Revelation, usually viewing it as preceding the Second Coming and followed by a thousand-year millennial kingdom.[61] Adherents of this perspective are sometimes referred to as premillenialistdispensationalists, but amongst them there are differing viewpoints about the exact timing of the event.
The term “rapture” is especially useful in discussing or disputing the exact timing or the scope of the event, particularly when asserting the “pre-tribulation” view that the rapture will occur before, not during, the Second Coming, with or without an extended Tribulation period.[62] The term is most frequently used among Christian theologians and fundamentalist Christians in the United States.[63] Other, older uses of “rapture” were simply as a term for any mystical union with God or for eternal life in Heaven with God.[64]
There are differing views among Christians regarding the timing of Christ’s return, such as whether it will occur in one event or two, and the meaning of the aerial gathering described in 1 Thessalonians 4. Many Christians do not subscribe to rapture-oriented theological views. Though the term “rapture” is derived from the text of the Latin Vulgate of 1 Thess. 4:17—”we will be caught up”, (Latin: rapiemur), Catholics, as well as Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans and most Reformed Christians, do not generally use “rapture” as a specific theological term, nor do any of these bodies subscribe to the premillennialist dispensationalist theological views associated with its use, but do believe in the phenomenon—primarily in the sense of the elect gathering with Christ in Heaven after his Second Coming.[65][66][67] These denominations do not believe that a group of people is left behind on earth for an extended Tribulation period after the events of 1 Thessalonians 4:17.[68]
Pre-tribulation rapture theology originated in the eighteenth century, with the Puritan preachers Increase and Cotton Mather, and was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby[69][70] and the Plymouth Brethren,[71] and further in the United States by the wide circulation of the Scofield Reference Bible in the early 20th century.[72] Some, including Grant Jeffrey, maintain that an earlier document called Ephraem or Pseudo-Ephraem already supported a pre-tribulation rapture.[73]
The Bible states:Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” [Acts 1:9-11]
Many, but not all, Christians believe:
The coming of Christ will be instantaneous and worldwide.[74] “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” ~ Matthew 24:27
The coming of Christ will be visible to all.[75] “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Matthew 24:30
The coming of Christ will be audible.[76] “And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:31
The resurrection of the righteous will occur.[77] “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:16
In one single event, the saved who are alive at Christ’s coming will be caught up together with the resurrected to meet the Lord in the air.[78] “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:17
In Matthew 24 Jesus states:For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. [Matthew 24:21, 24 NKJV]
These false Christs will perform great signs and are no ordinary people “For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14) Satan’s angels will also appear as godly clergymen, and Satan will appear as an angel of light.[79] “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15) “As his crowning miracle, Satan will claim to be Jesus”[79] (Matthew 24:23, 24).As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. (Revelation 1:13–15). The Great Controversy, p. 624.[80]
After Jesus meets his followers “in the air”, the marriage of the Lamb takes place: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” [Rev 19:7–8] Christ is represented throughout Revelation as “the Lamb”, symbolizing the giving of his life as an atoning sacrifice for the people of the world, just as lambs were sacrificed on the altar for the sins of Israel. His “wife” appears to represent the people of God, for she is dressed in the “righteous acts of the saints”. As the marriage takes place, there is a great celebration in heaven which involves a “great multitude.” [Rev 19:6]
Doctrine of the resurrection predates Christianity[edit]
The word resurrection comes from the Latin resurrectus, which is the past participle of resurgere, meaning to rise again. Although the doctrine of the resurrection comes to the forefront in the New Testament, it predates the Christian era. There is an apparent reference to the resurrection in the book of Job, where Job says, “I know that my redeemer lives, and that he will stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though… worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh I will see God.” [Job 19:25–27] Again, the prophet Daniel writes, “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.” [Dan 12:2] Isaiah says: “Your dead will live. Together with my dead body, they will arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust, for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the dead”. [Isa. 26:19]
This belief was still common among the Jews in New Testament times, as exemplified by the passage which relates the raising of Lazarus from the dead. When Jesus told Lazarus’ sister, Martha, that Lazarus would rise again, she replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” [Jn 11:24] Also, one of the two main branches of the Jewish religious establishment, the Pharisees, believed in and taught the future resurrection of the body. [cf Acts 23:1–8]
An interpretation of the New Testament is the understanding that there will be two resurrections. Revelation says: “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him a thousand years.” [Rev 20:6] The rest of the dead “did not live again until the thousand years were finished”. [Rev 20:5]
Despite this, there are various interpretations:According to the premillennial post-tribulational position there will two physical resurrections, separated by a literal thousand years (one in the Second Coming along with the Rapture, another after a literal 1,000 year reign);According to premillennial pre-tribulationists there will be three physical resurrections more (one in the Rapture at the beginning of tribulation, another in the Second Coming at the final of tribulation, the last one after a literal 1,000 year reign), they claim that the first resurrection includes the resurrection in the Rapture and the resurrection in the Second Coming, the second resurrection would be after the 1,000 year reign;According to premillennial mid-tribulationists there will be three physical resurrections too (one in the rapture at the middle of tribulation, another in the Second Coming at the finale of tribulation, the last one after a literal 1,000 year reign), the first resurrection would be the resurrection in the Rapture and the resurrection in the Second Coming, the second resurrection would be after the 1,000 year reign.According to amillennial position there will be only two resurrections, the first resurrection would be in a spiritual sense (the resurrection of the soul), according to Paul and John as participation right now, in the resurrection of Christ, through faith and baptism, according to Colossians 2:12 and Colossians 3:1 as occurring within the millennium interpreted as an indefinite period between the foundation of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ, the second resurrection would be the general resurrection (the resurrection of the body) that would occur at the time of Jesus’ return.[81]
The Gospel authors wrote that our resurrection bodies will be different from those we have now. Jesus said, “In the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven.” [Mt 22:30] Paul adds, “So also is the resurrection of the dead: the body … is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” [1 Co. 15:42–44]
[999] Christ is raised with his own body: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself”; [553] but he did not return to an earthly life. So, in him, “all of them will rise again with their own bodies which they now bear,” but Christ “will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body,” into a “spiritual body” [554][82]
In some ancient traditions, it was held that the person would be resurrected at the same spot they died and were buried at (just as in the case of Jesus’ resurrection). For example, in the early medieval biography of St Columba written by Adomnan of Iona, Columba at one point prophecies to a penitent at the monastery on Iona that his resurrection would be in Ireland and not in Iona, and this penitent later died at a monastery in Ireland and was buried there [83]
Although Martin Luther personally believed and taught resurrection of the dead in combination with soul sleep, this is not a mainstream teaching of Lutheranism and most Lutherans traditionally believe in resurrection of the body in combination with the immortal soul.[84]
Megiddo is mentioned twelve times in the Old Testament, ten times in reference to the ancient city of Megiddo, and twice with reference to “the plain of Megiddo”, most probably simply meaning “the plain next to the city”.[86] None of these Old Testament passages describes the city of Megiddo as being associated with any particular prophetic beliefs. The one New Testament reference to the city of Armageddon found in Revelation 16:16 also makes no specific mention of any armies being predicted to one day gather in this city, but instead seems to predict only that “they (will gather) the kings together to …. Armageddon”.[87] The text does however seem to imply, based on the text from the earlier passage of Revelation 16:14, that the purpose of this gathering of kings in the “place called Armageddon” is “for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty”. Because of the seemingly highly symbolic and even cryptic language of this one New Testament passage, some Christian scholars conclude that Mount Armageddon must be an idealized location.[88]R. J. Rushdoony says, “There are no mountains of Megiddo, only the Plains of Megiddo. This is a deliberate destruction of the vision of any literal reference to the place.”[89] Other scholars, including C. C. Torrey, Kline and Jordan argue that the word is derived from the Hebrewmoed (מועד), meaning “assembly”. Thus, “Armageddon” would mean “Mountain of Assembly,” which Jordan says is “a reference to the assembly at Mount Sinai, and to its replacement, Mount Zion.”[88]
The traditional viewpoint interprets this Bible prophecy to be symbolic of the progression of the world toward the “great day of God, the Almighty” in which the great looming mountain of God’s just and holy wrath is poured out against unrepentant sinners, led by Satan, in a literal end-of-the-world final confrontation. Armageddon is the symbolic name given to this event based on scripture references regarding divine obliteration of God’s enemies. The hermeneutical method supports this position by referencing Judges 4 and 5 where God miraculously destroys the enemy of His elect, Israel, at Megiddo, also called the Valley of Josaphat.[citation needed]
For this cause, Har Magedon is the symbol of every battle in which, when the need is greatest and believers are oppressed, the Lord suddenly reveals His power in the interest of His distressed people and defeats the enemy. When Sennacherib’s 185,000 are slain by the Angel of Jehovah, that is a shadow of the final Har-Magedon. When God grants a little handful of Maccabees a glorious victory over an enemy which far outnumbers it, that is a type of Har-Magedon. But the real, the great, the final Har Magedon coincides with the time of Satan’s little season. Then the world, under the leadership of Satan, anti-Christian government, and anti-Christian religion—the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet—is gathered against the Church for the final battle, and the need is greatest; when God’s children, oppressed on every side, cry for help; then suddenly, Christ will appear on the clouds of glory to deliver his people; that is Har-Magedon.[90]
Christian millennialism developed out of a Christian interpretation of Jewish apocalypticism. Christian millennialist thinking is primarily based upon the Book of Revelation, specifically 20:1–6,[citation needed] which describes the vision of an angel who descended from heaven with a large chain and a key to a bottomless pit, and captured Satan, imprisoning him for a thousand years:
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and threw him into the pit and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be let out for a little while.— Rev. 20:2–3
The Book of Revelation then describes a series of judges who are seated on thrones, as well as his vision of the souls of those who were beheaded for their testimony in favor of Jesus and their rejection of the mark of the beast. These souls:
came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years— Rev. 20:4–6
Thus, Revelation characterizes a millennium where Christ and the Father will rule over a theocracy of the righteous. While there are an abundance of biblical references to such a kingdom of God throughout the Old and New Testaments, this is the only reference in the Bible to such a period lasting one thousand years. The literal belief in a thousand-year reign of Christ is a later development in Christianity, as it does not seem to have been present in first century texts.[citation needed]
According to the Bible, the Millennial age of peace all but closes the history of planet Earth. However, the story is not yet finished: “When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” [Rev 20:7–8]
There is continuing discussion over the identity of Gog and Magog. In the context of the passage, they seem to equate to something like “east and west”. There is a passage in Ezekiel, however, where God says to the prophet, “Set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him.” [Ezek 38:2] Gog, in this instance, is the name of a person of the land of Magog, who is ruler (“prince”) over the regions of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Ezekiel says of him: “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you…” [Ezek 38:2]
Despite this huge show of force, the battle will be short-lived, for Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation all say that this last desperate attempt to destroy the people and the city of God will end in disaster: “I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed. I will rain down on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him: flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone.” [Ezek 38:22] Revelation concurs: “Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” [Rev 20:9] It may be that the images of fire raining down are an ancient vision of modern weapons, others would say a supernatural intervention by God, yet others that they refer to events in history, and some would say they are symbolic of larger ideas and should not be interpreted literally.
Following the defeat of Gog, the last judgment begins: “The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” [Rev 20:10] Satan will join the Antichrist and the False Prophet, who were condemned to the lake of fire at the beginning of the Millennium.
Following Satan’s consignment to the lake of fire, his followers come up for judgment. This is the “second resurrection”, and all those who were not a part of the first resurrection at the coming of Christ now rise up for judgment:
I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. And Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. [Rev 20:11,13-15]
John had earlier written, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power.” [Rev 20:6] Those who are included in the Resurrection and the Rapture are excluded from the final judgment, and are not subject to the second death. Due to the description of the seat upon which the Lord sits, this final judgment is often referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment.
A decisive factor in the Last Judgement will be the question, if the corporal works of mercy were practiced or not during lifetime. They rate as important acts of charity. Therefore, and according to the biblical sources (Mt 5:31–46), the conjunction of the Last Judgement and the works of mercy is very frequent in the pictorial tradition of Christian art.[91]
But, in accordance with his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home (2 Peter3:13).
The basic difference with the promises of the Old Testament is that in Revelation they also have an ontological value (Rev 21:1;4: “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea…’He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”) and no longer just gnosiological (Isaiah 65:17: “See, I will create/new heavens and a new earth./The former things will not be remembered,/nor will they come to mind”).[92][93]
The focus turns to one city in particular, the New Jerusalem. Once again, we see the imagery of the marriage: “I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” [Rev 21:2] In the New Jerusalem, God “will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God..” [Rev 21:3] As a result, there is “no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple”. Nor is there a need for the sun to give its light, “for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light”. [Rev 21:22–23] The city will also be a place of great peace and joy, for “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there will be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” [Rev 21:4]
The city itself has a large wall with twelve gates in it which are never shut, and which have the names of the twelve tribes of Israel written on them. Each of the gates is made of a single pearl, and there is an angel standing in each one. The wall also has twelve foundations which are adorned with precious stones, and upon the foundations are written the names of the twelve apostles. The gates and foundations are often interpreted[by whom?] as symbolizing the people of God before and after Christ.
The city and its streets are pure gold, but not like the gold we know, for this gold is described as being like clear glass. The city is square in shape, and is twelve thousand furlongs long and wide (fifteen hundred miles). If these are comparable to earthly measurements, the city will cover an area about half the size of the contiguous United States. The height is the same as the length and breadth, and although this has led most people to conclude that it is shaped like a cube, it could also be a pyramid.
Main article: Tree of life (biblical)The tree of life[Rev 22:2], a print from the Phillip Medhurst Collection of Bible illustrations in the possession of Revd. Philip De Vere at St. George’s Court, Kidderminster, England.
The city has a river which proceeds “out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” [Rev 22:1] Next to the river is the tree of life, which bears twelve fruits and yields its fruit every month. The last time we saw the tree of life was in the Garden of Eden. [Gen 2:9] God drove Adam and Eve out from the garden, guarding it with cherubim and a flaming sword, because it gave eternal life to those who ate of it. [Gen 3:22] In the New Jerusalem, the tree of life reappears, and everyone in the city has access to it. Genesis says that the earth was cursed because of Adam’s sin, [Gen 3:17] but the author of John writes that in the New Jerusalem, “there will be no more curse.” [Rev 22:3]
The rich symbolism reaches beyond our finest imaginings, not only to the beatific vision but to a renewed, joyous, industrious, orderly, holy, loving, eternal, and abundant existence. Perhaps the most moving element in the description is what is missing: there is no temple in the New Jerusalem, ‘because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.’ Vastly outstripping the expectations of Judaism, this stated omission signals the ultimate reconciliation.
And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way _rejoicing. ( Acts 8:34-39)
It is often said that, “whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” Hear me! Baptism is worth doing and it must be done well. Anyway, I cannot actually say about how the mercy of God would handle the issue of water baptism that is not done well or done ignorantly. The question is, how should a minister of God conduct water baptism and what should be the doctrine of his recitation? You see, right inside the Christ Apostolic Church order of service, under the order of service for water baptism, you’ll find what a minister of God ought to recite. There it reads thus…. “The Pastor shall ask the person to be baptised the following questions….. (Q) Your name……(A) My name is…….(Q) Do you believe in Jesus Christ?……(A) _I believe in Jesus Christ whole heartedly that He is the Son of God and He is my Saviour. And on this answers by the fellow who is to be baptised, the Pastor shall say ” …..On this declaration of your faith, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and the Son; and of the Holy Ghost.” Now, I have come to realise that this doctrine of water baptism is from the Holy Scripture and that makes it more valid in my sight. See how the Scripture gave us its own example of the doctrine of water baptism according to Acts 8:36-37 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.” You see, out of all the identities of Jesus Christ, His identity as the Son of God is so preeminent to the extent that it must be the core of the belief of whoever is willing to be baptised. The revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God should precede the baptism of anyone. Hear me beloved! It is expedient for a minister of God or a leader of a folk to always check out the belief of the people he is leading whether they have obtained the correct revelation of who Jesus Christ is or not. You see, as for Jesus, He didn’t assume that His followers would have known who He is, He still went ahead to confirm the core of their belief in Matthew 16:13-17 “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Thank God that Jesus didn’t call Himself the Son of God when He was asking them the question, we would have thought that He manipulated their answer. See how He referred to Himself in Matthew 16:13 when He says, “Whom do men say that I the SON OF MAN am?” You see, one of the ways to know that God has brought anyone to the true knowledge of Jesus Christ is when the fellow has wholeheartedly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. You see, Jesus is always excited whenever anyone is fully persuaded of this wonder of His identity. At this stage of belief Jesus excitedly said to Peter, “…..Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” You see, the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is one major sign that God has fully persuaded someone to come into the faith of Jesus Christ. You see, as a preacher also, you must constantly preach Jesus as the ‘Son of God,’ so that God can assists the hearer to catch up with the revelation. Hear me! It takes a divine revelation for anyone to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and this is the major belief that the devil does not want anyone to conceive. He prefers you to see Jesus as any other thing than seeing Him as the Son of God. Devil also has been fully persuaded that the whole portion of the benefits for every believer in Christ can only be released to them when they have been assisted by God to whole heartedly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Now, let me ask you, what was your declaration when you were baptised into Christ? You see, it is not the dipping of your body into water that really matters; what really matters is what you wholeheartedly believe in before you are baptised and that should be Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is what we derived from the acts of one of the outstanding evangelists in Acts 8:36-37 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This also implies that baptism is forbidden for anyone who has not been fully persuaded of this divine revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Hear me! This is where those who are doing infant baptism are missing it. There must be a declaration of belief before anyone is baptised. May God assists those who are yet to know the importance of seeing Jesus as the Son of God in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: I receive the grace and enlightenment of God to see Jesus Christ as the Son of God, in Jesus’ name.
When people have no love in their lives, there is automatic separation between them and God.
SCRIPTURE: Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:1-2.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When people have no love in their lives, there is automatic separation between them and God.
Sometime ago, I heard a story of a young man whose father divorced his mother when he was a little boy. He became a man of almost forty years of age but had never seen his mother because he was bitter with her. According to him, he had never felt or encountered God’s presence in church all his life, obviously because there was a fence of separation around his life.
But one day, he came to church, and heard a message on bitterness. This message filled his heart with remorse, and he began to look for his mother’s phone number. He connected with his mother, forgave her and they reconciled. He said after he did that, he began to feel the presence of God that he had never felt before. He felt the Presence of God that bitterness and unforgiveness separated him from.
Think about this: is it possible for someone to be separated from God on earth because of bitterness and get to heaven by chance? If God couldn’t cope with you on earth because of bitterness, can He cope with your bitterness in heaven? The same nature inside you – the nature of bitterness, hatred or unforgiveness, that makes God not to come near you on earth, will make Him not to grant you entry into heaven.
Beloved, this will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name. Indeed, when people have no love in their lives, there is automatic separation between them and God.
Remember this: When people have no love in their lives, there is automatic separation between them and God.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Make up your mind not to be separated from God.
Deal with the spirit of bitterness at the place of prayer.
Promptly forgive everyone you need to forgive.
PRAYER: Thank You Lord for Your Word to me today. I ask that You help me not to be separated from You. Rid from my life every lifestyle that will jeopardise my relationship with You, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
QUOTE: In response to God’s kindness therefore, you must determine to come out of bitterness and begin to live a life of praise and celebration to God and make a determination never to walk yourself back into the realm of bitterness again.
Culled from “AM I BITTER?” by Dr Becky Enenche.
DAILY READING: Revelation 11-13
AMAZING FACT: Your right lung can take in more air than your left.
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: Every spell/yoke of bitterness on your life is broken now in Jesus’ Name
Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented. Matthew 3:15, NIV
A denominational leader was asked, “Why do you like visiting local assemblies unannounced, and when directed forward you declined and stayed under the ministration of the assembly pastor?” “God uses anybody to pass a message at particular time and for a particular purpose,” he responded. When Jesus was at River Jordan to be baptized by John (v 13), He remained resolute. despite all efforts by John the Baptist to stop Him, Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (v 15). John though not in the same category with Jesus, was assigned to carry out the divine assignment. God designed every situation to pass a message and also prepared a suitable channel by which the message will be well communicated to the particular audience. And a voice from heaven said, this is my son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased (v 17). Likewise, believers should stand firm in the course of which they are assigned, and work without fear, favour, or jittery, even when superiors, or colleagues are present. It is then we can be counted worthy and pleasing unto Christ.
Insight: Let us do the work of our Father at the right time.
Prayer: Help me, Lord not to fail you and my generation.
Dear Servants of God all over the World, please hear me very well, “The Battle against your Spiritual Father is a Battle you can NEVER WIN, no matter who is backing you”.
Don’t even attempt it, you can never win it.
You may be annointed to kill Goliath but will forever not be Anointed and Permitted to Kill Saul. Ask David whenever you see him.
You cannot ERASE the Man who RAISED you.
You cannot DISHONOUR the Man who made people HONOUR you.
You cannot bring EMBARRASSMENT to the Man who gave you ENDORSEMENT.
Never become a PROBLEM to the Man who gave you a PLATFORM to Rise.
Why become a WARFARE to the Man who took care of your WELFARE.
Determine not to become a DISAPPOINTMENT to the Man who gave you APPOINTMENT.
How can a Man put so much INVESTMENT into your life, and your thank you to him, is to put so much BEREAVEMENT into his own life.
In most cases, Fathers may be the one who WRONGED you, but still remember, the God who ANOINTED David to kill Goliath will not ALLOW him to kill Saul.
The DRUNKENNESS of Noah is not a licence to expose his NAKEDNESS. That will be WICKEDNESS AND FOOLISHNESS in the sight Of God.
One of the Sons of Noah EXPOSED his Father’s NAKEDNESS, FORGETTING it was his Father’s RIGHTEOUSNESS that once SAVED him from the FLOOD.
Remember, Noah found GRACE with GOD, yet he found DISGRACE with his Son.
Some Sons think they are more RIGHTEOUS than God who CHOSE a Man despite his WEAKNESS.
If you KNOW the WEAKNESS of your Father, it is because he gave you the ACCESS you don’t DESERVE.
Imagine for a moment, if Noah had LOCKED himself up ALONE in his BEDROOM to drink his stuff, he will wake up and package himself all by himself, without any Son SEEING him and coming under a CURSE.
The MISTAKE of Moses in MARRYING an Ethiopian Woman has not taken away from him the MANTLE to make Mariam LEPROUS. Members must beware of Assistant Pastor Aaron. They will lead you in a FIGHT AGAINST your GOD-GIVEN MOSES, but when it is time for Leprosy to be given, the oil on their head MAY save them, but the GULLIBLE Mariam will suffer alone for following what is wrong. It was Aaron that led the attack against Moses, yet it was Miriam alone that suffered Leprosy.
God respects the Priesthood ANYDAY and ANYTIME.
I AM NOT HERE TO DEFEND THE ERRORS OF SPIRITUAL FATHERS. ALLOW THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER TO DEAL WITH THEM IN HIS OWN WAY AND TIME IF THEY DON’T REPENT.
BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN SONS FIGHT THEIR SPIRITUAL FATHERS ON BEHALF OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER ONLY TO BE PUNISHED BY THE SAME HEAVENLY FATHER.
You know why, EVERY FIGHT AGAINST SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY, REMINDS GOD OF SATAN’S REBELLION AGAINST HIM.
Never forget this statement for the rest of your life: The MAN who came to TELL King David that Saul had DIED, would have been expecting David to rejoice that “finally my enemy is dead.” Instead, King David killed him and said your BLOOD be upon your own HEAD for your MOUTH has TESTIFIED against you that you KILLED the LORD’S ANNOINTED.
Let us pray for Spiritual Fathers:
Dear Lord, We ask you keep our Fathers all over the World from Failing and Falling. Help them to live a life of Scriptural Examples at all times. For those going through the pain of betrayal, heal them and bring them out stronger.
Some are Bleeding and Leading at the same time, let your Grace be sufficient for them.
This I ask for, In Jesus Mighty Name I have prayed. AMEN.
If you have been blessed by any Spiritual Father, all over the World, let this message bless someone by sharing it.
And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way _rejoicing. ( Acts 8:34-39)
It is often said that, “whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.” Hear me! Baptism is worth doing and it must be done well. Anyway, I cannot actually say about how the mercy of God would handle the issue of water baptism that is not done well or done ignorantly. The question is, how should a minister of God conduct water baptism and what should be the doctrine of his recitation? You see, under the order of service for water baptism, you’ll find what a minister of God ought to recite. There it reads thus…. “The Pastor shall ask the person to be baptised the following questions….. (Q) Your name……(A) My name is…….(Q) Do you believe in Jesus Christ?……(A) _I believe in Jesus Christ whole heartedly that He is the Son of God and He is my Saviour. And on this answers by the fellow who is to be baptised, the Pastor shall say ” …..On this declaration of your faith, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and the Son; and of the Holy Ghost.” Now, I have come to realise that this doctrine of water baptism is from the Holy Scripture and that makes it more valid in my sight. See how the Scripture gave us its own example of the doctrine of water baptism according to Acts 8:36-37 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.” You see, out of all the identities of Jesus Christ, His identity as the Son of God is so preeminent to the extent that it must be the core of the belief of whoever is willing to be baptised. The revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God should precede the baptism of anyone. Hear me beloved! It is expedient for a minister of God or a leader of a folk to always check out the belief of the people he is leading whether they have obtained the correct revelation of who Jesus Christ is or not. You see, as for Jesus, He didn’t assume that His followers would have known who He is, He still went ahead to confirm the core of their belief in Matthew 16:13-17 “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Thank God that Jesus didn’t call Himself the Son of God when He was asking them the question, we would have thought that He manipulated their answer. See how He referred to Himself in Matthew 16:13 when He says, “Whom do men say that I the SON OF MAN am?” You see, one of the ways to know that God has brought anyone to the true knowledge of Jesus Christ is when the fellow has wholeheartedly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God. You see, Jesus is always excited whenever anyone is fully persuaded of this wonder of His identity. At this stage of belief Jesus excitedly said to Peter, “…..Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” You see, the revelation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is one major sign that God has fully persuaded someone to come into the faith of Jesus Christ. You see, as a preacher also, you must constantly preach Jesus as the ‘Son of God,’ so that God can assists the hearer to catch up with the revelation. Hear me! It takes a divine revelation for anyone to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and this is the major belief that the devil does not want anyone to conceive. He prefers you to see Jesus as any other thing than seeing Him as the Son of God. Devil also has been fully persuaded that the whole portion of the benefits for every believer in Christ can only be released to them when they have been assisted by God to whole heartedly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Now, let me ask you, what was your declaration when you were baptised into Christ? You see, it is not the dipping of your body into water that really matters; what really matters is what you wholeheartedly believe in before you are baptised and that should be Jesus Christ is the Son of God. This is what we derived from the acts of one of the outstanding evangelists in Acts 8:36-37 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This also implies that baptism is forbidden for anyone who has not been fully persuaded of this divine revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Hear me! This is where those who are doing infant baptism are missing it. There must be a declaration of belief before anyone is baptised. May God assists those who are yet to know the importance of seeing Jesus as the Son of God in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: I receive the grace and enlightenment of God to see Jesus Christ as the Son of God, in Jesus’ name.
In verse 6 of this wonderful psalm, the psalmist prays for revival. Multitudes today are praying a similar prayer, and in this study we shall discover some of the things that God says about revival. Some of us have seen revivals on a very small scale, where in crowded meetings many souls have been saved, lives have been transformed and there has been a deep spirit of prayer resting upon the people of God; but few of us have seen any large-scale revivals. We have read sufficient about such mighty movements of the Spirit of God to make us long for the Lord to do it again! But – what is revival? Revival is renewal, restoration - a fresh inflow of the life, love and power of God. People faint and then, when help is brought, they revive. Flowers droop, and when placed in fresh water they revive. Christians and churches also droop, faint and need reviving. There are degrees of revival. A sick person may revive and get a little better, and then later be restored to full health and strength. The same is true with Christians and churches.
As we study this psalm let us pray that we may become deeply burdened for God to send a full-scale Holy Ghost revival in our land, and indeed throughout the world. What are the steps that lead to such a revival?
We must confess our NEED of Revival The psalmist’s prayer was a confession of need; it was only when he felt the need that he prayed – verse 6. Think of the need for revival:
In the outside world. Multitudes are without God and without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12); most of them are outside the churches, and revival is the only key to this tragic situation.
In the Church. Many churches are worldly, formal and lacking in spiritual power and vitality. Only revival can alter this state of affairs.
In our own lives. How powerless we are! How frequently we fail, our testimony seems ineffective, and how little we pray! Revival is our personal need. There will never be any revival until we are willing to admit our desperate need for it.
We must admit the POSSIBILITY of Revival. Are we convinced that revival is possible? The psalmist was! Six times in verses 1-3 he reminded God of what He had done - “You showed… You restored“. And the fact that God has sent revival in the past demonstrates the possibility of revival coming again. Some people will not admit the possibility of revival coming in our day; for example, the ultra-dispensationalists, and all pessimistic, unbelieving, self-satisfied, worldly Christians will be slow to admit the possibility. But history, plus the promises of God, prove the possibility of revival. Look up 2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 33:3; Malachi 3:10
We must recognise the SOURCE of Revival Where does revival come from? Verse 6 tells us. “You …” - look up Psalm 62:11. It comes from God; it is not worked up but sent down, and therefore our eyes must not be upon men, methods, churches or denominations - but upon Him.
“When we look to man, we get what man can do; when we look to money, we get what money can do; when we look to organisation, we get what organisation can do; when we look to denominations, we get what denominations can do; but when we look to God, we get what God can do.” Look up Psalm 62:5.
We must employ the MEANS for securing Revival. What is the secret of revival? It is prayer – “Will you not… ?” (verse 6) – passionate, believing, urgent prayer. Has there ever been a revival that was not preceded by prayer? Pentecost, the Moravian Revival, the 1859 Revival, the Welsh Revival, movements of the Spirit that are taking place in different parts of the world today …Look up 2 Chronicles 7:14 again.
We must provide the CHANNELS for Revival. God is wanting to send revival, but He needs channels - “us” (verse 6) - believers, Christians; for - “Revival is the outflow of the Spirit of God through the regenerated spirit of man” (John 7:38-39). Thus, if revival is to come, you and I are to be ready to receive the full blessing of God and to be channels through whom that blessing can flow.
We must remove the OBSTACLES to Revival. In verse 6 the psalmist prays for revival - “that your people may rejoice in you.” This indicates fellowship, walking with God, agreement with God (Amos 3:3) - being right with God. The greatest barrier to revival is sin. Are you right with God? Is there sin in your life? Are you living in disobedience to the Lord? Face up to this!
Many years ago D. L. Moody heard Henry Varley say, “The world has yet to see what God will do with one man who is fully surrendered to Him.” Moody said, “By God’s grace, I’ll be that man!” Will you be another? Will you begin now to pray the same prayer for your church, that the world may see what God can do?
We shall enjoy the RESULTS of Revival. Read the rest of the psalm, and notice several results which are mentioned: salvation (7); peace (8); glory (9); harmony (10); increase (11); provision (12); Psalm 37:23!
CHURCH CLOTHES The man behind the pulpit is a sex addict and He is struggling but no one knows..There are things clothes covered
CHURCH CLOTHES She blast in tongues like a multipurpose machine gun.. Brutal in prayer meetings.. BUT dying deep down because she’s struggling with masturbation.
CHURCH CLOTHES I was once a victim many years ago.. Sitting with some of my friends one day and they said “.. Bro, please tell us your story and hide nothing” I tried to answer them; I looked at them and as I replied, I struggled not to get emotional and I said “.. My tongues were deep and brutal in prayer, everyone hailed my fine voice but no one knew I was struggling with a secret sin until God delivered me….”
CHURCH CLOTHES He always used the word “Bless you brother” on me, he was my leader in our Christian gathering. but I didn’t know HE WAS A GAY.. Hmmmm…
CHURCH CLOTHES The beautiful angel on the microphone watch pornography every night to satisfy her lust she wishes to stop, sadly she can’t break free BUT SHE LAYS HANDS ON PEOPLE’S HEAD EVERY SUNDAY… And she’s called “MAMA” hmmm…
CHURCH CLOTHES She hates it, He hates it but they just can’t stop and no one knows that they have sore underneath their garments, they look good on Sunday.. They lift up holy hands.. They are pure on Sundays but impure on Mondays… But no one knows because….. church clothes
CHURCH CLOTHES She or he have a nice voice but she struggles with immorality…… …. Everyone knows them as choir masters or choir mistress but they are abortionist
CHURCH CLOTHES He perform miracles everyday, but have a lady who have a child for him out of wedlock. World wide Prophet, Apostle, bishop, evangelist, gospel artists, let’s humble ourselves and deal with our secret sins
AREN’T YOU TIRED OF THE CHURCH CLOTHES/CHURCH DRAMA? So many DRAMA in the church today… So many religious drama on Facebook, WhatsApp … Everyone is preaching… Why not admit you need help?..
CHURCH CLOTHES Preaching publicly against the same thing we struggle with in the secret, public success but private failure
CHURCH CLOTHES So many people DYING INSIDE/STRUGGLING inside… So many people in Church… Youth leaders… Youths…Pastors, Bishops, Evangelist, Reverend, Apostles, dying of masturbation.. Sex addiction.. Pornography… BUTTTTTTTTT THEY CAN’T OPEN UP… WHY??? CHURCH CLOTHES….
Church clothes give them a covering… CHURCH GLORY… CHURCH REPUTATION… CHURCH CLOTHEEEESSSSS…
THEY ARE SUFFERRRRINGGG!!!!! THEY ARE DYING!!!! THEY WANT TO BREAK FREE!!!! MY LOVE WHO CARE ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION???????… WHO CARES IF YOU BREAK HIS HEART??? WHO CARES IF SHE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOU??? YOUR DESTINY!!!!
BEWARE OF HIDING BENEATH CHURCH CLOTHES… THE WIND WILL BLOW ONE DAY AND IT WILL EXPOSE WHAT’S UNDERNEATH…
I told them I LEARNT THE HARDWAY THAT THERE ARE SOME MISTAKES THAT CAN’T BE CORRECTED. Oh Lord, am tired of CHURCH CLOTHES, I want to make heaven, this is my earnest crying for myself and my generation……
Oh Lord, invade my privacy Why not cry out today.
BIBLICAL PRESCRIPTION TO OVERCOMING ADDICTION:
• PURIFY YOUR MIND DAILY WITH GOD’S WORD – Psalm 119:9 (NIV) says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”
• WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS AND GUARD YOUR HEART – Proverb 4:23 “Carefully guard your thoughts because they are the source of true life.”
• WATCH THE THINGS YOU WATCH. YOUR EYES CAN SET YOUR BODY ON FIRE. Job 31:1 says, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” Matthew 6:22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
May God deliver us from every secret SIN AMEN…
DON’T LET SHARING THIS BE A BURDEN TO YOU, YOU NEVER CAN TELL WHO YOU ARE BLESSING AND SAVING BY SHARING
There is something both the aged and the infant do not know anything about.
The church also has closed her eyes on this particular issue. Nobody wants to talk about it but it is very real.
In case you are not aware my brethren, I want to tell you that: SEXUAL IMMORALITY is the last bullet the kingdom of darkness has thrown against the church of God, and the church is wounded very sore that there seems to be no cure or remedy.
I want to make it so clear and not in jargons or vocabularies that, you cannot count the number of people who go to church and proclaim the name of God, that are still living in immorality. They may either be suffering from lust, masturbation, pornography, adultery, incest, homosexual, lesbianism, sodomy, bestiality and many more which time will fail me to mention.
Hardly will you come across a young lady who has not been misused by ‘so called boyfriends’. And every guy is now dating because of sex.
God is watching all those that are having sex with people they haven’t married.
It’s a headache for God seeing his own created people perishing in a sin called sexual immorality. How many young men today in the church can you count and point fingers at that fornication has not pulled down?
A pastor slept with his junior pastor’s wife, impregnated her, and used the name of God to defend himself that it was God who instructed him to do so.
Sex that is supposed to be between husband and wife only, is now between father and daughter in the church, do I need to tell you there is fire on the mountain?
If sex that is only legalized between a man and his wife, is now between a guy and his girlfriend or between a man and his fiancee, do you need angels to come and sound the warning against sexual immorality?
If sex that is a sacred thing in marriage has become a desecrated thing in dating, what else do you want before you prepare the way of the Lord?
PASTOR, WHY ARE YOU QUIET?!
Cry aloud, spare not. And tell the house of Jacob their sins, and Israel their transgressions. Pastor why are you not crying aloud? Why are you so mute like ELI? Heaven is shedding tears over the perishing souls every day and you are there raising funds every Sunday to build bigger Auditorium.
You call your members for anointing services and prayer meetings without urging sin out of them.
Some are living together with men that did not pay any dowry on them.
Some commit abortion and cover it up. Some are lesbians and homosexuals. What are you doing about that?
Where has the word of God that says “flee fornication” gone to in your Bible? From henceforth, if you don’t take this warning and start declaring war against this strange spirit that has taken over the church, you’ll have questions to answer.
And those who claim they love holiness messages with negligence to this particular truth about sex have actually missed the mark.
AND YOU CHURCH MEMBERS!
To be active in church and still be committing immorality, God is watching you.
To be a child of God and still having a boyfriend or girlfriend, God is watching you.
To be a choir member or youth leader and still be doing what the married are doing, if you like continue.
All you need is genuine repentance.
CHRIST’S COMING IS VERY IMMINENT!
YOUR GROUP MEMBERS NEED THIS MESSAGE. YOUR FRIENDS AND ENEMIES ALSO NEED IT. KEEP SHARING UNTIL IT SAVES A SOUL FROM THE BONDAGE AND DANGER OF HELL FIRE, AND GOD WILL BLESS YOU FOR THAT IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!!! SHALOM
God Said : There will come a time when mankind will love five things and forget five things.*
They will love the enjoyment of this world and forget the day of judgement.
They will love money and forget the day of accountability of how they acquired and spend the money.
They will fear things that are created and forget the creator.
They will love beautiful mansions and forget their grave.
They will love sins and forget to seek for God’s forgiveness.
Think twice
Repent, confess your sins, believe in Christ, turn away from sin and you shall be saved.
We always think of
Valentine’s day
Birth day
Father’s day
Mother’s day
Children’s day
Our day,
Farmer’s day
Teacher’s day
Christmas day
Independence day
Boxing day,
This day,
That day,
Day in Day out.
Have you ever thought of Judgement Day, is it going to be a day of celebration or condemnation for you ?
If you’re safe, what about your friends & loved ones. Show them love by telling them about the Judgement Day. Please pass this to any group and let heaven be happy for you today. Please don’t say later, do it now because tomorrow may be too late! [10:57, 10/30/2020] +234 806 351 0796: He who called the fisherman of Galilee is still calling men to His service. And He is just as willing to manifest His power through us as through the first disciples. However imperfect and sinful we may be, the Lord holds out to us the offer of partnership with Himself, of apprenticeship to Christ. He invites us to come under the divine instruction, that, uniting with Christ, we may work the works of God.{DA 297.1}
‘But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.’ – Ephesians 4:7, NIV
A minister was moved to request for the gift of working of miracles after seeing the great exploits of his colleagues who have the gift. All his efforts yielded no positive results. At last, God told him that He wouldn’t give him that gift because he has other gifts that his colleagues do not have. In life, there can only be age mates; there can never be grace mates. The unity and oneness of believers are rooted in the sovereignty of God who made all things and has absolute authority over all of creation (v. 6). This unity is perfectly positioned in diversity and does not mean uniformity in God’s sharing formula. This is why Paul observed that even though our faith is unified under God who is the Father of all and who works in everyone (1Corinthians 8:6), He gives each person the gift of grace in the exact measure that is needed, depending on who we are and our assignments (v. 7). The measure of the gifts of God in our lives is in accordance to our calling and the largeness of our capacity because God does not give little fights to big soldiers. Building your spiritual capacity today is very important for the multiplication of your gifts. You can achieve this by studying the Word of God and praying more in your secret place.
Insight: God does not give spiritual gifts for competition but for completeness.
Prayer: God, help me not to take Your grace upon my life for granted.
Inferior mentality or low self-esteem is the strength of captivity, adversity and calamity.SCRIPTURE: And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Numbers 13:33.THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Inferior mentality or low self-esteem is the strength of captivity, adversity and calamity.It has been confirmed that one deadly enemy of destiny is called inferiority complex, rejection or low self-esteem.Dr Mike Murdock calls it the “Grasshopper mentality”. It is the mentality one has when one says, “I am not like other people. I cannot make it in life. God does not love me. Other people can succeed but not me.” Inferior mentality or low self-esteem is the strength of captivity, adversity and calamity. Resist it!In Numbers 13:33, where Dr Mike Murdock got the phrase, the “Grasshopper mentality”, the Bible says, “And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”Can you see how the children of Israel saw themselves? They saw themselves as grasshoppers; that is, they were confined by their mentality to the grass. When people talk, they simply manifest the mentality they have in them. For instance, you tell someone, “I saw your name as one of the new employees the Central Bank of Nigeria just shortlisted. Are you not John Michael?” And he may say, “Me? Who ‘dash monkey banana?’ It must be another John Michael.” He has limited his destiny to that of a monkey and its constant feeding on banana because of inferiority complex. That will never be your portion in Jesus’ Name. Beloved, determine never to be resisted by inferiority complex.Remember this: Inferior mentality or low self-esteem is the strength of captivity, adversity and calamity.ASSIGNMENTS:Refuse to belittle yourself and God’s purpose for your life.Reject every grasshopper mentality.See yourself the way God sees you.PRAYER: O Lord, I reject every grasshopper mentality. I receive the grace to renew my mind and see myself as You see me, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
DAILY READING: Luke 22-24
AMAZING FACT: The Naked Mole-Rat can live in an almost zero oxygen atmosphere. Incredibly, in a zero oxygen environment, the Naked Mole-Rat can still survive for up to 20-minutes without suffering any harm at all.
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: In the Name of Jesus, every power of inferiority mentality is broken off your mind today.
Memorise : That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, – Ephesians 5:26
Read : Colossians 3:5-17 (KJV)
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Bible in One Year : Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9:28-62
MESSAGE : Some people keep returning to sin over and over, despite having asked Jesus to come into their lives. They wonder how others live above sin. The answer is sanctification. When a person is sanctified, he/she loses the taste for sin. The Bible describes it in Hebrews 1:9:
“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
When a person is sanctified, sinful habits that used to excite him/her become irritating. As a result, the fellow is able to lead a life of holiness in Christ. Sanctification is the grace of God that helps man to live above sin. If you are still struggling with sin, then you need to be sanctified.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
To be sanctified, you must first confess all your sins to God (1 John 1:9). You can also experience sanctification if you are an avid student of the word of God. John 17:17 says:
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
If you want to enjoy your Christian life; feed on the word of God. David said in Psalm 119:11:
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
The more of God’s word you study, the more sin will disgust you. If you are always studying your Bible, God’s word will begin to influence the way you see things and how you behave.
The word of God has a Spirit which gives life, and that life, being Jesus will enter into you as you study it daily. It is Jesus who makes it easy for you to live holy. Take up the challenge today and you will overcome sin, in the mighty name of Jesus
Action Point : Study at least one chapter of the Bible by yourself daily. You need the word to stay sanctified.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4
READ: 2 Samuel 23:8-17
8 These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.
13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!
16 And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.
MESSAGE:
Sometimes ago in the American Army, battalion was dropped behind enemy lines. Initially, it was believed that the enemies were not aware, however the enemies eventually surrounded the battalion. Once it became clear that the battalion would be defeated, the leader of the group phoned their headquarters for support saying “We are totally surrounded and outnumbered at least 100 to 1; send the Marines” Legend has it that the phrase “send the marines” was derived from this event. At that time, only three Marines were available for the assignment and they were all sent. They worked all night and created a path for the battalion to escape. While the battalion was moving, they saw thousands of dead enemies. The three commandos had killed them in just one night.
There are ordinary Christian soldiers and there are Christian commandos. As for me, I have determined not to be an ordinary soldier for Christ, I want to be a commando. What about you?
Commandos go through the most rigorous qualification training. That is why a commando for Christ can weather any storm. He is unshakable. Job was a commando. No wonder he stood strong and even came out stronger in the face of adversity.
The true strength of boxer is measured by the opponent he/she faces. Likewise, the strength of a true Christian soldier is known by the kind of opponents he/she has brought down. If an ordinary insult is enough to bring you down, then you are not yet ready to be a member of this select group in the army of Christ. If you are still finding ‘good’ excuses to commit sin, you are obviously not yet ready for the training, talk less of becoming a commando.
If you would be used of God, you must go through the training. Just as no one can join the army without being fit, God cannot use an untrained person. If you would be a commando for God, you must go through the most rigorous training. Surrender all and make yourself available today. Stay on the winning side.
PRAYER REQUEST:
Father, I surrender all to You. Please help me to trust You even more as You train me to become a commando for You, in the mighty name of Jesus.
HYMN 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER.
All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. o Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender, Humbly at His feet I bow; Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me, Jesus, take me now.
All to Jesus I surrender, Make me, Savior, wholly Thine; Let me feel the Holy Spirit, Truly know that Thou art mine.
All to Jesus I surrender, Lord, I give myself to Thee; Fill me with Thy love and power, Let Thy blessing fall on me.
All to Jesus I surrender, Now I feel the sacred flame; Oh, the joy of full salvation! Glory, glory, to His Name!
Pastor kumuyi Is not NORMAL.He is one of the most powerful men on planet Earth,His life is filled with so much Supernatural endowmentsI personally describe pastor w.f kumuyi as a man who is not normal,Because he doesn’t struggle for the supernatural. WHO IS PASTOR W.F KUMUYI Pastor w.f kumuyi is the founder and General suprintendent of the Deeperlife Bible church A.k.a Deeper Christian Life ministry(D.L.C.M)Pastor W.f Kumuyi was born into a Christian family in Erin-Ijesha, Osun State, western part of Nigeria. He completed his secondary school education in 1961 at Mayflower School in Ikenne, Ogun State, from where he proceeded to the University of Ibadan and in 1967 graduated with a first-class honours degree in mathematics where he graduated as overall best graduating student in that year. He subsequently took a post-graduate course in Education at the University of Lagos.He became a born-again Christian in April 1964.On his upbringing, Pastor W.f Kumuyi was quoted to have saidHe was influenced by John Wesley, Charles Finney and Charles Spurgeon. His father was a member of the Anglican Church. According to an article in The Sun (Nigeria), Kumuyi is also said to be “a one-time member of the Anglican Church (now Anglican Communion), Celestial Church of Christ, Scripture Union (SU) movement and Apostolic Faith before breaking away to found Deeper Life.”Pastor w.f Kumuyi began teaching mathematics in 1962 at Mayflower School, his alma mater.He went on, in the early 1970s, to become a lecturer of mathematics at the University of Lagos. In 1973, while being a lecturer of mathematics at the University of Lagos, Kumuyi began a Bible study group with 15 students who had come to him for Bible training. This training became the foundation of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry. In 1975, Pastor w.f Kumuyi was expelled from the Apostolic Faith Church for preaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He continued his independent ministry, which in 1982 became the Deeper Life Bible Church. As at 2005, the Christian ministry is said to have over 800,000 affiliates.Pastor w.f Kumuyi met Abiodun Olowu in September 1972. She became one of his Bible study students and a member of his fledging Christian ministry. They got married on 13 September 1980 in Lagos, and they have two children, Jeremiah and John. Abiodun Kumuyi died on 11 April 2009.On 13 October 2010, exactly 18 months after the death of his first wife, Kumuyi married Folashade Adenike Blaize in London. Folashade is the Administrator of the Deeper Life Bible Church, London.In 2013, Foreign Policy magazine listed Pastor W.f Kumuyi among the “500 most powerful people on the earth.
GIFT OF PROPHECY
Pastor Paul eneche said the first man on planet Earth I saw real word of knowledge from was pastor w.f kumuyi.AWARDSBilly Graham church came to Nigeria to give pastor kumuyi an AWARD for the gospel.Pastor kumuyi was a university DonIn 2018, Kumuyi received an honorary PhD from the University of Abuja.
LAGOS ANCIENT PYTHON AND PASTOR W.F KUMUYI
There was an ancient python in Lagos which killed pastors so the land was left untouchedThe king said who ever could kill the snake should take over the landPastor kumuyi was told about it he sent his pastors there they went there and ran backSo pastor kumuyi himself gathered prayer warriors and they stormed the land not too long the ancient python started approaching and all the pastors who came with pastor kumuyi ran awayBut pastor kumuyi stood still and was opening the Bible and quoting the scriptures as the giant snake kept approaching he was quoting the scriptures the snake got to where he was turned back and started turning, fell on the floor died and dried upThe pastors who ran away thought baba kumuyi was dead they came back to check on Pastor kumuyi only to discover the ancient python on the floor dead,and the land was handed over to the church.That is where deeperlife head quarters is now
FINANCIAL STATUS
Pastor kumuyi was one of the first pastors who ought to have own private jet in the early 90s but he declined when he was opportunedPastor kumuyi doesn’t have a BANK ACCOUNTHe is been taken care of by the church.GROWTH OF PASTORS Pastor w.f kumuyi lowest level of pastors in the church do raises dead bodies.
DANGEROUS MIRACLES PERFORM BY PASTOR W.F KUMUYI THROUGH GOD
Pastor kumuyi is known for his short prayers and has not been seen laying hands on people he declares from the pullpit and there are miracle outburts in the mammoth crowdHis prayers are usually 4/5minutes then after the final AmenThere will be serious uproar in the congregation
PASTOR SUNDAY ADELAJA COMPLIMENT
Pastor Sunday adelaja said somebody having a plastic eye began to see after the prayers of pastor w.f kumuyiPastor Sunday adelaja confirmed that he got repented under the sermon of pastor w.f Kumuyi.Numerous dead Individuals have been brought back to life after the prayers of pastor kumuyiPastor kumuyi said he has seen almost all the Miracles in the Bible happen.
ON THE 2ND OF NOVEMBER 2015 PASTOR ENOCH ADEBOYE INVITED PASTOR KUMUYI TO MINISTER IN HIS HOLYGHOST CONVENTION.DUNANIS MIRACLE EXPLOSION PROGRAM
. It was a wowing moment at the Dunamis International Gospel Center Abuja. God used Pastor W F Kumuyi to do the Miracle that have never been seen in Deeper Life Church for the past 10 years of my experience in Deeper Life as said by a Man. The Theme of The Programme being COME UP HITHER Pastor WF Kumuyi derived his Message title from the theme titled COME UP HITHER AND GO UP HIGHER, after introducing the title, he divided the message into three subheadings as well:After the sermon, pastor kumuyi made an altar call and thousands of people were rushing ? to come and surrender their lives to Christ. When Daddy led them to Christ, he told the congregation that they should get ready to dance because there is going to be an explosion of MiracleDaddy kumuyi made a short prayer, after the last amen brethren come and see Miracles. The lame began to drop their crutches, the mad people began to recover, the paralyzed began to run, the deaf began to hear. In fact, we cannot fathom the depth or the extent of the miracles that happened in Dunamis but it’s greater than the ones I have been seeing in Deeper Life Church as said by an attendant.The Miracles were incredible. In fact, Pastor Paul Enenche had to come and give a hand shake to Daddy Kumuyi telling him to come back again. A woman that have not walked for the past 22 years ago, began to walk and run. She said after the prayers, she saw some beings on black attires going out from her leg and that’s when she began to walk. Oh it’s was all wonderful!Pastor Paul Enenche led the congregation into another realm of dancing to fulfill the prophecy given by Daddy Kumuyi.
LAGOS STATE INVASION
one striking feature of the Deeper Christian Life Mini-stries’ Lagos City-Wide Crusade in partnership with the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, besides the rain of miraculous feats in all the venues the train had birthed thus far, has been that despite the huge financial outlay in logistical arrange-ments the church has not collect-ed offering from the numerous participants.The month-long city-wide crusade intended to usher in a new vista of spiritual, moral, physical, material, political and economic transformation for the state and by implication the country at large, was flagged off on September 8 at the Police College, Ikeja and has since moved to different locations in the state as participants silently expressed pleasant surprise that the church was not collecting offering as most churches do.Participants loudly wondered how the church would be able to defray the enormous cost of paying for the venues, renting and moving audio-visual equipment to locations, renting electric generators, rugs, flower pots, chairs, canopies, tents and pay-ment for live television coverage as well as security of life and property. At each of the venues, A reporter noticed several mobile toilets and a brand new standby ambulance for the convenience of partici-pants.A journalist who has covered a few crusades in the past, descri-bed the development as un-Pentecostal, arguing that most denominations would have taken advantage of the huge financial outlay to collect two or more offerings to offset their expense.A spokesperson for the church who does not want his name mentioned, told a reporter that the church does not charge people to attend its crusades, insisting that rather it’s more concerned about winning souls for the kingdom of God.
HARVEST OF MIRACLES
The crusade train had been to 11 locations in the state and at each of those places there had been outstanding testimonies of miraculous happenings in the lives of the participants.
TESTIMONIES
Mrs Marvellous Archibong who was born blind, testified how she regained her sight after Pastor Kumuyi’s ministration and prayer in her state.Archibong said: “After Kumuyi’s prayer that day, I had a dream and in the dream, I saw a man in a white robe operating a lady and the man told her that the lady is me. When I woke up the following day, I started seeing.”Jumoke Adediran, resident of Ikeja, could not contain her joy when she narrated her deliveran-ce from rectal cancer. For her, it was a horrible experience she would never wish her enemy to go through. Like any other participant, Jumoke went to the crusade with great expectation because two years earlier, the devil had afflicted her with cancer of the rectum—abnormal cancerous growth in the lower part of the colon that connects the anus to the large bowel.Doctors told her to prepare for surgery but she hesitated and by the time she was ready the doctors said the situation had grown beyond their imagination, as the cancerous lump had enter-ed into her private part.They then scheduled her for colostomy, a surgical procedure of bringing one end of the large intestine out through the stom-ach to enable her pass faeces, as against the normal use of anus. This, the doctors said, would help her rest her anus. Before the advice for colostomy, they directed her to undergo both hormone therapy and radio-therapy.According to Jumoke, she fini-shed the hormone therapy and was to do radiotherapy for four weeks, “but two days into the treatment, faeces started coming out from my private parts and I was told to discontinue the radiotherapy. Now, they have scheduled me for colostomy, which is to puncture my stomach to rest my anus so that I will not be able to do my normal passing of faeces from the anus.“When my husband told me that Daddy Kumuyi was coming to Police College, Ikeja, I said I must be there. I told God that I would not like to come back home with this sickness.“As our daddy said that we should lay our hands were we had problem, I did and after the prayer, I could not see it again. Before, I could not sit down comfortably, but now I can sit down well.“Many people have gone with this ailment; but God did not allow it to claim my life. Even when I am not faithful, when I have anger, impatient and all the work of the flesh, God has been merciful unto me.“That is why when our daddy made an altar call, I said whatever the devil wants to use against me will not stand. So, I have to come out again to rededicate my life to God. I said, ‘God, I give you everything. Have your way in my life.’ I thank God that tonight I have received the power to live a righteous life, to live a holy life. So, no more going for surgical operation for any-thing. The Lord has done it and the devil has been put to shame,” she stressed.SCANDALSYou dare not scandal pastor w.f kumuyi because your judgement is InstantaneousPastor kumuyi was in his hotel room with his wife and the media organized a naked lady to set him up so while she came to his hotel door shouting for help pastor kumuyi sent his wife to open the door since it is a female his wife went.Behold as she opened the door the naked woman grabbed the wife, thinking it was pastor kumuyi and immmediately media started taking photos only to discover it was not PASTOR W.F KUMUYI but his wife.A lady came out during Testimonies session and lied that pastor kumuyi wanted to rape her in his office when she came for counsellingShe said I don’t know men of God are like this I thought since he is preaching holiness,He is differentImmmediately pastor kumuyi climbed the pullpit took a microphone and said God is the God of judgement with his calm voice in whom all secrets are beared above all He is the God of Judgement the power of God picked the girlStretched her and she died on the pullpit the second girl beside her knelt down and started begging that they were paid to come and carry such news Pastor kumuyi is hardly scandalized because the judgement is Instantaneous.Do you want to die,dare scandalize pastor w.F kumuyi.IF YOU COMMIT SIN YOU CANT CLIMP PASTOR KUMUYI PULPIT pastor was ministrying at pastor kumuyi’s pullpit as he was ministrying, he fell from the pullpit and straight ahead he was placed on disciplineHOLY COMMUNIONIt is been said that when pastor kumuyi is handling holy Communion service and you are a sinner you dare not take the holy CommunionAs it is said during holy Communion service smoke comes out of the churchSometimes people who eat unworthily faintsThere are ambulances available during the service.
BISHOP OYEDEPO SPOKE OF A MAD INDIVIDUAL WHICH HE PRAYED FOR BUT SHE DIDNT RECEIVE HER HEALING BUT COMPLAINED SHE SAW PASTOR KUMUYI AND QUICKLY BISHOP OYEDEPO UNDERSTOOD THE MESSAGE OF THE SPIRIT
And bishop oyedepo pen down a letter and sent her to pastor w.f kumuyi over her problem after a short prayer from pastor kumuyi insanity dissappeared.Pastor kumuyi pened down and said this is your daughter she has been healed.
BIBLE STUDY ALTER
Pastor kumuyi is one of the men of God that closes stadiums down just with Bible studyThere is no stadiums that he goes that is not filledThere are times he doesn’t hold miracle service he just does Bible study and explosion of Miracles stadium filled up.Pastor kumuyi has a unique Grace when it comes to Bible study which other pastors learn from
SALVATION MESSAGE
Pastor kumuyi has been preaching salvation message from JOHN3:16 FOR MORE THAN 30YEARS Crowd keep running to church at different centres just to Hear John 3:16 and Holiness Message and they are not tired,Thousands troop in numbers.
CHURCH TRADITIONS
Pastor kumuyi church doesn’t allow trousers and ear rings still he pulls one of the largest crowd in the world.
BENIN INVASION
Pastor kumuyi was ministrying at benin crusade and Miracles were taking place at UBTH CENTERDEAF AND DUMB SCHOOLwhile pastor kumuyi was ministrying in a program the power of God struck people in the deaf and dumb class and they began to hear and talk.AN AGENTAn agent was on a mission so the agent saw a huge fire coming out from the earth some agents where sent to check what was the cause they went and didn’t come back and the agent went to enquire of the devil himself and the devil told him don’t go there oohIt is kumuyi that is prayingDon’t start talking like pastor kumuyi until you have done twice of what he has donePastor kumuyi is not normal that man is highly endowned with the supernatural.
SHOCKING FACT
Pastor kumuyi is close to his 80s but still he Doesn’t allow anyone to carry his Bible for Him.PASTOR W.F KUMUYI IS A SYMBOL OF HUMILITY
484 years ago on October 6, Reformer William Tyndale, at the age of 42, was executed by being burned alive at the stake. His crime? He had translated the Bible into English and the “common people” were reading it.
William Tyndale was the Captain of the Army of Reformers, and was their spiritual leader. Tyndale holds the distinction of being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the English language. He was a true scholar and a genius, so fluent in eight languages that it was said one would think any one of them to be his native tongue.
Pope Clement VII was the main one persecuting Tyndale about translating the bible into English and had him imprisoned a year and a half before Tyndale was actually killed but Clement died in 1534 and didn’t get to see Tyndale executed. Pope Paul III was in power when Tyndale was burned at the stake.
Catholics are taught that the early vernacular Bibles were untrustworthy, and riddled with errors and that this is why they were suppressed. The fact is that they were too close to the truth for the Roman Church to tolerate.
So what had Tyndale done in his translation that was so heretical? Tyndale had translated the Greek word for ‘elder’ as ‘elder’ instead of ‘priest’, he had translated the Greek word for ‘congregation’ as ‘congregation’ instead of ‘church’, the Greek word for ‘repentance’ as ‘repentance’ instead of ‘penance’ etc. Why were such differences important to the church? The Roman Church has priests, not elders. A congregation implies a locally autonomous group of believers guided by the Holy Spirit and not a hierarchical unified church subject to a Pope. The Roman Church is built on penance and indulgences to the priest and Church, not repentance to, and forgiveness from God. (See Martin Luther’s 95 Theses on Indulgences, the debate that sparked the Reformation). In trying to faithfully render the Greek into English, Tyndale’s translation exposed the errors of the church to the people, which quickly brought the wrath of the Catholic church down on him.
It was common practice, and Roman Catholic teaching, for “heretics” to be turned over to secular authorities for execution. This was nothing more than a transparent and quite unsuccessful attempt to keep the blood off the hands of the Church. As a result, King Henry VIII got blamed for it.
A clergyman hopelessly entrenched in Roman Catholic dogma once taunted William Tyndale with the statement, “We are better to be without God’s laws than the Pope’s”. Tyndale was infuriated by such Roman Catholic heresies, and he replied, “I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than you!”
His final words as he stood on the pyre were, “Lord! Open the king of England’s eyes”. The Lord answered that prayer; within 4 years of Tyndale’s death the king of England, in defiance of the papacy, ordered that 4 english translations of the Bible be published and made available to the people. This resulted in the furthering of the protestant movement.
All 4 translations were based on Tyndale’s work. Today there is a Bible publishing company named after William Tyndale, Tyndale Publishing House and the Tyndale Bible. Much of the King James Bible was a result of Tyndale’s work.
Only one complete copy of this first edition is known to exist, and the British Museum paid $2 million for it in 1948!
To ALL of the reformers we owe a debt we can never hope to pay.
One of the best kept secrets from Church critics is the extent of generousity of Dr David Oyedepo and the Living Faith Church Worldwide over which he presides as Bishop. The news about all that was done by him for poor people during the COVID-19 pandemic is out in the open with tangible proof but largely ignored by those who would rather insult him. It is humorous that instead of showing off his numerous deeds to the poor African and humanity at large, he prefers not to flaunt it. As Bishop Oyedepo clocks 66 on Sunday 27th September, Daniel Breakforth reveals just one of these many stories that secured a prayer from Nigeria’s Former Dictator and Strongman, late General Sani Abacha.
On 24 December 1989, Charles Taylor, a Liberian who had escaped from an American Prison fearing extradition to Liberia, crossed over into the Liberian border and led with others together and separately, a rebellion against Sergeant Samuel Doe, the Liberian Head of State. The First Liberian War had commenced and over the next 7 years, about 250,000 people were killed. Early in the crisis, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) established the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) largely made up of Nigerian troops as well as troops from other West African Nations. Samuel Doe, captured at the ECOMOG Headquarters was tortured to death in September 1990 and the war took another dimension with different belligerents fighting for the soul of Liberia. By March 1991 also, the Sierra-Leonean crisis began and over the next 11 years left over 500,000 dead. Worse still, the Rwandan Genocide, a mass slaughter of Tutsi, Twa and moderate Hutu in Rwanda took place between 7th April and 15th July 1994 in which about a million people were murdered.
That same 1989, a 6 year old church which has now become the largest Pentecostal church located in Barnawa, Kaduna in the northern part of Nigeria, Living Faith Church had just moved headquarters to a group of disused brothels at Iyana Ipaja. The Pastor and Leader, David Oyedepo who had on some occasions visited his church members and military friends at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna took some interest in the events in these nations. The 12th June 1993 elections led to the stepping aside of Nigeria’s Military President and eventual resignation of the Interim National Government’s Chief Ernest Shonekan and take over of General Sani Abacha. From September to December 1993, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) was established and by July 1995, her mandate was renewed.
At this point, Oyedepo who had been monitoring the crisis in these nations and reading stories of the sufferings of war victims going on in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda was overtaken with compassion. He decided to do something about it. Bishop Oyedepo believes that African challenges can be solved by Africans alone while wars are a manifestation of satanic oppression. The Mandate he received was to liberate the World from all oppression of the devil, through the priority of preaching of the Word of Faith.
This was however not the first time the Living Faith Church was going to be engaged in acts of generousity. As far back as 9th April 1984 when Ten Naira (N10) was the total offering on Sunday service, a member who had challenges was given the whole amount. The Church had therefore always been involved in matters of welfare but crystallized it into an official organ in 1992 by introducing the Education Bursary as well as the Creativity Promotion Forum in Kaduna, apart from other empowerment schemes. Up till today, a chunk of the Church budget is dedicated towards welfare but that is not the point here. The Church subsequently created the Relief Promotion Agency to embark on humanitarian services to provide food, clothing and shelter for victims of natural disasters and civil unrest.
The General Sani Abacha led Provisional Military Council (PRC) and Nigerian Military Government through ECOMOG was leading efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Though same could not be done in Rwanda, Nigeria nevertheless decided to send relief to all 3 African countries. The Government through the Nigerian Ministry of Defence led these efforts. Several shiploads were sent to these countries. Commodore Peter Ebhaleme, a Top Brass Officer in the Nigerian Navy and member of the Living Faith Church who happened to be a member of the Church and Director of Operations at the Naval Headquarters was coordinating the Navy role in the ECOMOG efforts. Being close to the leadership of the Living Faith Church and knowing the interest of Bishop Oyedepo, he acted as go between and link between the 2 organizations. Whenever the Government was to make a delivery to any of the countries, he would inform Bishop Oyedepo. Bishop Oyedepo would consequently mobilize the Church. So much supplies were gathered that sometimes there was no space for worship. Within a short time, supplies of relief were made to Rwanda, Liberia and Sierra Leone in no small measure. Notably, anytime the Ministry of Defence was sending a shipload of supplies on behalf of Nigeria, Living Faith Church would send twice the volume of what the Government of Nigeria was sending. Consequently, a partnership was established between the Nigerian Government and the Church as regards welfare to the needy.
Charity Begins at Home: The Advent into KOMA
In January 1998, a documentary done by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) went viral. It was that of more than 55,000 people living and moving about naked on the Koma Hills in Jada Local Government, Adamawa State of North Eastern Nigeria. The news eventually got to Bishop Oyedepo. He was filled with compassion and decided to do something about it as usual. The announcement was made in Church. I was earning N3000 monthly then and did not think I could afford giving money. Bishop Oyedepo had taught us to give only what we have and not what we do not have. 2 Corinthians 9:7…A message you never hear from his false accusers who always bandy the rhetoric of collecting offering from poor members. (sic) I remember giving my best and only pair of suit which had just been gifted to me by my Dad after he got a new job in an oil servicing company. (my parents had both been jobless for some years) I also added the Aiwa Walkman he got me from Dubai and gave it at the end of that January. This story will be shared another day.
Going forward, the Church members gave generously to the Koma People. The Koma People are mainly subsistence farmers who feed mainly on food crops such as rice, maize and millet which are grown in commercial scale. To this end, the Church raised millions of naira in cash while trailer loads of food and cloths were contributed. However, there was a major problem. There were no roads to Koma hills and because of the terrain, trailers could not go up the Hills to deliver the supplies. In essence, there were no vehicles to convey these supplies. The supplies were thus stuck in Adamawa. Peter Ebhaleme who was now a Rear Admiral and Navy Secretary thought of a solution. Some 2 years earlier, General Abacha had ordered the purchase of TATA Trucks through Umaru Dikko, a former powerful Nigerian Minister of the ‘UK Kidnap Fame’. The Trucks were under the custody of the Nigerian Navy for distribution to the Armed Forces as well as the Nigeria Police once the directive was given. Admiral Ebhaleme did the unthinkable. He loaned 15 of the Trucks to take to Koma to make the delivery before they were allocated as part of the partnership that had been going on with Living Faith Church but he did it by committing a grave error. To avoid the possibility of being denied his request, he refused to inform his boss and the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe. The whole delivery operation took 4 days from Lagos to Koma and back with Admiral Ebhaleme getting up the Koma Hills to witness the movement before flying back to Lagos.
Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, the NTA news crew in the newly created Adamawa State met the team making the delivery to Koma. Inquisitive on seeing a group comprising soldiers and pastors with trucks tagged ‘Ministry of Defence’ and banners with the inscription ‘Living Faith Church’ asked to know the relationship between the Church and the Ministry of Defence. The team not knowing how the vehicles had come about referred NTA to the Ministry of Defence. At that time, the Minister of Defence was the Nigerian Head of State himself, General Sani Abacha. The NTA Team reported this in the News same day at 4pm, Mrs Ebhaleme saw the news and asked her husband if he got permission. His response was that he did a fast one to help the Koma People.
Admiral Akhigbe Provoked Same night, as the news was on, the CNS who had previously complained about Ebhaleme’s fanaticism called Rear Admiral Ebhaleme and asked him if he was watching the news. He responded in the affirmative. Who permitted the release of the vehicles to Yola, the CNS asked. “I did” Ebhaleme responded. “On whose authority” Admiral Akhigbe asked again. After a quick pause, Ebhaleme answered “The Holy Spirit”. The CNS boiled over. “Holy what? What Nonsense!? What holy rubbish? How dare you? God punish your father, mother and Holy Spirit.” Akhigbe soon reported the matter to Admiral Aikhomu, the former CNS and Vice President under General Babangida who was a close friend and boss to Ebhaleme especially while Ebhaleme was the Director of the Naval Intelligence. Admiral Aikhomu pleaded on behalf of the Navy Secretary knowing the gravity of the offence, a case of misappropriation and misapplication of government property with penalty as dismissal from service.
Akhigbe however added a caveat that since he did not send Ehaleme, he would not defend him before General Abacha. He consequently gave Admiral Ebhaleme the option of a quiet resignation before the Head of State got to know about it. Ebhaleme requested to go and think about it and went into prayers. He believed that his action was not for self-aggrandisement as he had not taken the vehicles to his village in Edo but to Yola. Finally, he decided to serve the punishment instead of resigning. At that time, General Diya and a few others were already in the Jos Prisons and were around this time sentenced to death by firing squad in April 1998. Admiral Akhigbe consequently raised a team to investigate while Ebhaleme was sent on compulsory leave. The Navy Secretary then used the opportunity to spend more time at the Winners’ Chapel in Raji Oba, Iyana Ipaja, always dancing excitedly and praising God despite the circumstances. His Orderly could not understand this and went to inform Bishop Oyedepo that his boss had just lost his job. Bishop Oyedepo sent for the Admiral after service and the following ensued:
Bishop: What am I hearing?
Admiral: I am on leave.
Bishop: How long is your leave?
Sensing no escape, Admiral Ebhaleme opened up to Bishop Oyedepo.
Bishop: “He abused your parents and the Holy Spirit? Give me your hand: You said the Holy Spirit told you? I join my faith with yours and I decree that if anything adverse comes from this matter, God did not call me… Go and tell your Boss what I have said”.
Few weeks later, Admiral Peter Ebhaleme was asked to return to work pending the report of the investigation. Some 3 months later in May 1998 however, during a top security meeting with the Chiefs of Army, Naval and Air Force Staff, a phone call came to Admiral Ebhaleme. It was Bishop Oyedepo asking him to come as soon as possible. Once Ebhaleme got the opportunity, he went straight to Iyana Ipaja to meet the Bishop. On arrival, Bishop Oyedepo presented a letter to Admiral Ebhaleme. It had arrived earlier from the Presidential Villa, Abuja and what was more, it had been signed by General Abacha himself.
The letter read thus:
“Dear Bishop,
It has come to the knowledge of the Federal Government what you and your able Lieutenants have done for the people of Koma Hills…If all religious organisations can do the same thing, Nigeria would be a place worth living for inter-religious relationship. On behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I wish to thank you and your able Lieutenants for a job well done, May Allah bless you.
Signed:
Sani Abacha,
General, Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The Admiral read the letter about 3 times and began to jump and dance in excitement. Eventually, he began to weep profusely, shedding tears of joy.
What had happened was that the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) had heard what Winners’ Chapel had done at Koma by providing supplies and digging boreholes. UNICEF decided to take over from the Church and needed the permission of the Federal Government to do so. Consequently, they sent a request to the Head of State. It should be noted that Nigeria had become a pariah nation at that time with all sorts of sanctions placed on the Country by major western nations and that added lots of significance to the UNICEF request made to Abacha.
Epilogue
To cut this long story short, the next day, Admiral Ebhaleme took the letter to work and presented it to the CNS. Admiral Mike Ahigbe first glanced at the letter; not sure of what he was seeing, he put on his glasses and adjusted himself in his chair and read again. He was confused, looked at Ebhaleme and said “Peter, I am tired of you, Leave my office, just go away”. That was the end of the matter while General Abacha died the next month.
Finally, I could have been rated among the poor church members when I GAVE to the Koma Project. Today, I am no longer in that category; infact for the records, I have given out 2 cars including a brand new one and sponsored a few people who are not my children through secondary school and even Covenant University.
Givers Never Lack and Lackers Never Give! Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16) That confirmeth the Word of His Servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers… (Isaiah 44:26).
Every time people disobey God, they widen their distance from God; and distance from God equals disaster in life.
SCRIPTURE: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:6
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When your obedience is complete, nothing is permitted to disobey you.
It has been established that the devil fights God’s purpose for your life using some enemies of destiny.
Now, one enemy of destiny is the lifestyle of disobedience. It was disobedience that aborted the destiny of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:24). Every time people agree to disobey God, they have also agreed to abort their destiny.
Now, let me give you three key thoughts on disobedience.
Disobedience to God equals disconnection from destiny.
The glorious destiny of Adam and Eve was aborted because of their disobedience to God (Genesis 3:24). To disobey God is to be disconnected from destiny.
Disobedience to God equals distance from God.
Adam and Eve were driven from the Presence of God at the frequency of disobedience (Genesis 3:24). Every time people disobey God, they widen their distance from God; and distance from God equals disaster in life.
Rebellion to God provokes rebellion from the earth.
Adam rebelled against God and the earth also rebelled against him (Genesis 3:17-18). Everything rebels against the person who rebels against God. When your obedience is complete, nothing is permitted to disobey you (2 Corinthians 10:6). But when your obedience is not complete, everything is permitted to rebel against you.
Beloved, my counsel is, make up your mind to live a lifestyle of obedience.
Remember this: When your obedience is complete, nothing is permitted to disobey you.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Ask God to deliver you from the lifestyle of disobedience.
Make the choice to obey God always.
PRAYER: Thank You Lord for showing me the lifestyle of disobedience as an enemy of destiny. I receive the grace for total and complete obedience, Lord, in Jesus’ Name.
FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING, GET THIS MESSAGE: DEADLY ENEMIES OF DESTINY (PART 1).
QUOTE: The extent of contribution you can make in your generation, the extent to which you can speak and be heard, the extent to which you can command and be obeyed is hooked up to your character. Culled from “WHO ARE YOU?” by Dr Paul Enenche.
AMAZING FACT: The horned lizard is able to shoot blood from its own eyes, up to a distance of 3 feet away. The rather bizarre and disgusting act is a defensive mechanism to confuse predators.
PROPHETIC DECLARATION/WORD: Receive the grace to walk in obedience to God in this season in Jesus’ Name.
In the early years of my Christian walk as a youth,1. Fridays night were ment for vigils in the Church2. Youth convention was purely for prayers, fasting, Bible study, and edifying activities3. As a single when you are going to visit an opposite sex you don’t dare go alone4. When your Pastor scolds you, you bow your head in tears for being a source of concern to him5. We don’t purchase any clothe we can’t wear to church6. During youth programmes we engage in activities like draw your sword, Bible quizzes7. Every Saturday was for Evangelism 8. We were mobile Bibles as we could quote tens of scriptures by heart9.We don’t dare leave our houses for church without a Bible10. We arrive church hours before service to prepare the church11. Virginity was dignity to us and not lack of opportunity12. It wasn’t difficult to identify us from unbelievers even as classroom students because you see God’s glory on us13. We were not ashamed to publicly declare our Christian faith14. We go out for morning cry as early as 5:00AM daily15. We always preached in every bus we took 16. There was this deep hunger in us to attend programmes in church17. Even without an official ordination we were called Pastors and Evangelists18. We usually go to pray for the sick in hospitals for healing19. We dared to pray for the dead to come back to life20. Having a daily devotional was important to us21. We challenged ourselves to spend more time in the things of the kingdom22. We looked forward to our yearly camp meeting for an encounter with God23. During worship sessions we received accurate words of knowledge from the Lord24. We were used as models to correct unbelievers25. We were a source of Joy and honour to our parents and church26. Our conscience were very active and alive to admit when our ways were not right with God…27. And this is the reason why many of us then are now Pastors and YOUTHS of nowadays found it difficult to challenge our achievement because they are not ready to pay the price!Do I have witnesses out there!!!WHAT WENT WRONG AND WHERE DID WE MISS IT?Can there still be revival again?.
