It is difficult to understand what is happening to this generation. We’re so blessed with eyes and ears but, we have refused to hear or see. There is something happening here besides pride and stubbornness.
There is a deafening and blinding cloud over the earth—this clouds lifts for us to hear and see only when, making economic progress is preached or written, when more ways for fleshly pleasure is invented for us and when new strategy for man to dominate man is written or being taught.
But, once it pertains to participation in Christ’s divine life which is superior and eternal, we become dull of hearing. As a result, inconsequential things that end when man dies seem to matter far more to majority of us Christians than ever before. Yet, we fervently claim, “This world is coming to an end”. It is a sure sign that we have lost the hope of eternity. We don’t truly believe that this world is coming to an end—not now or even in the future. It is just a religious slogan to hold cowards down. Really!
Christians use to be cowards to non-Christians but now, Christians who forget what is behind and set their eyes on the stature of Christ have become cowards to their fellow brothers—brothers who the god of this world has partially blinded Phil 3:13-16. Paul says, “And if in anything you think otherwise”, that is, you get partially blinded; the Holy Spirit not a brother or sister will reveal it to you.
Who will submit to God to be used to tell us that we’re in trouble if we carry on as things are presently? Hardly any!
No one wants to be torn to shreds. No one wants to be branded unforgiving, holier thou thy, divisive, brother or sister perfect, spooky, know it all, individualistic, wield, graceless, depressed, lonely, anti-social etc. Those who are nicknaming His remnant are unaware that God’s grace that is to be revealed at the appearing of the King of glory is drizzling.
His return is nearer now than ever before—it will soon rain.
The meeting of the former and latter rain is at hand. Just as the people of old who read the Torah did not believe it in their heart, so are MANY of us who read the bible today. They were caught unaware with the birth of the Messiah. They were not prepared for divine reality because they were engrossed with shadow. Though His words were gracious, it vexed and inflicted more pain and anguish on their souls far more than the systematic bondage the reigning temple high priest, chief priest, scribes, Pharisees and the Romans had them in.
Religiosity makes people murderers 1 John 3:15. Fortunately or unfortunately, religious people will always start their killings with their own people 1 Thess 2:15. They indeed murdered Christ—who can escape them!
The 66 books of the bible are awesome, wonderful and unique. But, the book of revelation—Oh, that book is indeed unique! It is in this book that a people clearly with ears are called to hear not what a prophet, apostle, teacher, evangelist or a shepherd is saying but, what THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SAYING. Destruction is sitting on the laps of those who have ears but can’t hear what the Spirit is saying.
Those who’re hearing what the Spirit of God is saying are also receiving the grace accompanying the trumpet sound. This is why the Holy Spirit dwells inside each believer.
There is a time frame in the scheme of the devil when his power will so assail this earth and make it so difficult outwardly to distinguish what comes from God and the things which are of the devil. Those who are not interacting with the Holy Spirit will be thoroughly defeated and destroyed. We’re in that period, a time many will call good evil and evil good.
A time of seared conscience is with us now. A time when after all said and nothing is done, making money is the bottom line– period! The spelling of the word success among God’s people is fast being subtly changed to m-o-n-e-y or c-a-s-h. Good is being branded stupid, uncivilized, and narrow minded and as a result, many are abandoning good for evil.
Unfortunately, for those who hold to the doctrine of Balaam, transferring the wealth of the ungodly to the godly is not the next thing in God’s agenda—don’t be fooled and don’t ever think you’re unfoolable. Safety is only found in giving your ears to the Holy Spirit—His Church will find grace! Amen. 1 Pet 4:19, Gal 6:9, Rom 2:7.
Simeon and Anna refused to be fooled by the deafening cloud of their time because they reserved their ears for the Holy Spirit Luke 2:25-27, 36-38.
It is imperative to note that the Prophetess was not divorced neither was she touring the earth jumping up and down on stages. She recognized that she was from the fading regime in which God allowed things to serve as shadow of the reality–that is, Christ Gal 5:25.
It is easy for us to misunderstand one another’s motives and so, refuse to listen to what God is saying to us through one another. God understands this possibility. However, when His Spirit speaks to us, is distinct, most forceful and gracious all in one. Therefore, we can’t be excused to think His Spirit is bias, jealous, unforgiving, not submitting, individualist et al.
Do you have ears?! Are you hearing what God is saying about eternity? What He is saying regarding today, the season mankind is at—this generation.
You and I need to hear it before we aspire to conquer our communities and the world for Him. Don’t just stream along with those who want to change the culture of their community and the world—a thing which even God has not succeeded to do because He is not looking to do so. He wants to wipe-out this earth and her disfigured values, culture, ethos, conventions and traditions once and forever.
And in its place, a new earth is fast coming—its culture has been determined from the beginning of time by the ancient of days Eph 2:10. The foundation of this culture is love.
John clarifies it in 2 John 1:6. Love is to walk in the things Christ or the Holy Spirit commands us—summed as one command—that is, to walk in it John 14:15. We obey what He says to us to do towards God and our fellow men.
Jesus Christ’s birth, sufferings, death and resurrection was given to us as a gift to SHOW mankind what a great price it cost to purchase the culture that will reign in the heavenly Jerusalem that is coming down to the earth. Mankind has seen it—that is, Christ’ stature (nature and attitude). All peoples are being invited to thirst and hunger for Him. Those who thirst are told “come and drink freely and you’ll never thirst again” because He will keep welling up in them to eternity. Those who refuse to thirst and who dislike and hate His stature, God says, ‘Destruction and gnashing of teeth awaits you’. Universalism or ultimate reconciliation floating in Christendom is foolery.
The world can end for you and me even sooner before the final collapse of the earth. Some of the richest, poorest, literates, illiterates, saints and sinners I’ve known or have heard about in the past four decades are no more on the earth with us. Their world ended—eternity opened facing them. Its reality is doubtless more real to them where they are now than the earth where we are. Selah!
Religious people have done God most disservice. See how He pays them back in Deut 30:19. What a Fatherly, loving and gracious advise! Who will you and I choose or, who have we chosen? Life and blessing (Christ) or, death and curse (Satan).
The Lion of the tribe of Judah is coming! Don’t be deceived! Surely He is coming. When is He coming? Oh, I wish I know. However, for the “one people” whom He is preparing on the earth, fire is devouring in front of them and behind them—they are increasingly beside themselves yet, as sane as sane could be. This “one people” BETROTHED to Him who’re scattered in the four corners of the ends of the earth are being moved by the Spirit of God from one degree of glory to another 2 Cor 3:18, 2 Thess 3:5.
Because of this blessing of His glory towards us who have fled to God for refuge, the Spirit revealed to Paul the apostle thus; “So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours,and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” 1 Cor 3:21-23.
So, stop forcing yourselves to be mere human and listen to the Holy Spirit because, all things are working together for your good—you who love God and are called in Christ Jesus (the Purpose of God). Amen!
John 1:12 says, all who receive or accept Christ, who believe in His name, God gives the right or power to become sons of God. The right or power to grow in the stature of Christ (God’s pattern Son). Not power to crucify Him the second time or to cause Him shame but to glory in Him because of His love for us.
He has blessed (transformed) us with grace and given us privilege by His blood that has sprinkled our conscience to enter the throne of grace and to obtain mercy and grace whenever we are in need Heb 4:16. So, our hidden and shameful lifestyles should be a thing of the past now Eph 2:2. Every hidden thing is now being revealed.
It is wonderful you are reading this write up! God’s love is overtaking this earth. How is this? It is through the revealing of Jesus Christ. Those who sit in darkness are getting to know Christ and those who truly know Him are experiencing a deepening relationship with Him — not religion or churchianity. In this window of opportunity, within the framework of the last days, God wants His children to take ownership of what belongs to them. However, it can only happen through His precious and great promises by which we swim in His divine nature—that is, mortals participating in God’s Image and likeness 2 Pet 1:4.
The revealing of our mundane affairs e.g., How we’ll be the next heavy weight champion is good but that does not bring anyone into the increasing glory or likeness of Christ.
The only thing that does is the beholding of God in the face of Christ. Paul in 2 Cor 3:18 tells us, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another—for this, comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
It’s whoever we are beholding and keeping in step with we’re transforming into and that, in an increasing measure. We as the Church and individuals are not transforming into what we’re preaching rather, we’re preaching what we’ve attained in Him. Our knowledge of Him is only in part.
The more we grow in His stature, the more we preach His stature we’ve attained. Note the phrase “unveiled or open face”—not faces in verse 18 of 2 Cor 3. It is not faces because Paul is speaking about the Spirit and not our different faces. The Spirit of God that indwells His children is directing them to gaze upon Christ who is the glory. This is the reason the Holy Spirit is in this last days increasingly giving the saints revelation not of their ambitions but their destinies which is in Christ.
To those who love their lives and ambitions more than the Lordship of Christ and His pre-eminence over ALL things in heaven and on earth, the time to take a stand have come.
As Christians, we must now worship Him whole-heartedly or, we’ll not worship Him at all. The time to use Him as a front to achieve what WE WANT has expired! Increasingly, the knowledge of God’s word is filling His people as the waters cover the sea. Daily interaction with Christ as the Head of His Church and the good Shepherd is knocking out the wrong desire in His true people to seek for a leader.
The hunger for Christ in His people is causing them to earnestly seek to bless and be blessed by others with Christ’ measure and gift in them. This is happening within the context of the gathering of the saints and without.
They’re not seeking ambitious visionaries and religious politicians who want protégés or church as an organisation.
Rom 12:2 addressed to regenerated souls says, “Do not be conformed to the world pattern, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
The world pattern says, “Men can marry men and women can marry women (they’re right), it is the world pattern after all. They say, “You can belong to the occult so long you’re philanthropic and read the bible” and we must seek world peace by subtle union of all faith. Again, they’re right—it is the world pattern.
The mind can only be renewed increasingly by looking and interacting with Jesus and not by behavioural adjustment or moral instructions. Not by planting church or learning leadership strategies. It’s only the mind that looking to Christ that can test and discern. It’s only a renewing mind that test and discern and recognizes that God has what He considers as good, acceptable and perfect.
The good, acceptable and perfect is the likeness of Christ and nothing else. Grace is given to enable us pursue or keep in step with the likeness of Christ but, it is the thing the devil and his cohorts’ fights against the most in our lives as Christians and not our bread and fish.
What the world pattern declares as good is opposite to the likeness of Christ. Their good is evil, not good, acceptable and perfect before God.
It is in the revelation of Christ that the mystery of God will be finished. Dear reader, God is increasingly bringing His people on the earth to a dimension of the stature of the fullness of Christ. On the other hand, Satan is also increasingly growing his stature in those outside Christ, those who are double-minded, lukewarm and those seeking to use Christ to achieve their carefully planned strategy to make a name for themselves.
God is more interested in you and I submitting to the pre-eminence of Christ in our lives more than we “winning souls” and “planting Churches” for ourselves. Paul the Apostle tells us this,” some preach the gospel out of envy, nevertheless they preach.” Phil 1:15. Well, the people who hear the gospel and believe it will be saved but the person preaching out of envy is a tomb painted white.
Jesus was killed because of envy. Search through the bible for envy and you will understand what Paul was saying about those people preaching out of envy.
Looking unto Christ is not a slang! It is not a cool speech for avoiding being labelled legalistic. It is the stay of the faith, the bases for abiding in Christ. His gaze is consistently upon all who His spirit indwells. Our gaze must be on Him too or we sink. None who have ever kept their gaze on Him has ever sunk Ps 125:1. The church receives her greatest persecution when she keeps her eyes ONLY on Christ.
However, she also receives God’s awesome protection, preservation, true conversions, grace and mercy. The beauty of looking to Christ Jesus is this; we don’t just get fish and bread—much more, you and I get changed into a dimension of His inexhaustible glory.
We must remember that before Christ came, people have being getting fish and bread. The almighty God, the Great Father of love have being giving fish and bread to mankind since He created the world. What mankind lost which is imperative to recover is the glory of God in the—INSIDE OF MAN not around man. As a reminder, the great prophets of Old and the righteous ones did not have the Glory of God INSIDE THEM. They had God’s glory around them and with them.
The revelation of Christ who dwells inside of us is what transforms us. Let us keep our eyes on Him and refuse to be seduced and deceived by fish and bread that is common to mankind. Yes, fish and bread is common to all men at varying measure—both sinners and saints. The Spirit of God is interested to bring us to the greatest riches of His glory. Man has being talking about big bang—the true big bang is yet ahead of us. The big bang of the grace that is to be revealed at the appearing of the KING OF GLORY 1 Pet 1:13.
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming 1 John 2:28.
In Rom 8:18 and 1 Peter 5:1 Paul and Peter, Apostles of Christ exhorts us to set our hope on the glory yet to be revealed. This glory surely will envelop God’s people—the heirs of salvation. Amen
Doubtless, man on earth is sailing through unprecedented spiritual darkness IN THIS AGE. It is not strange to those acquainted with their bible. The things prophesied by the prophets of God in the Old Testament as shadows are all finding their reality in Christ since His birth, death and resurrection as the King of glory, Lord of the heavens and the earth.
The economic crisis in the world today is child’s play compared to the spiritual crisis. It is no surprise that both are occurring almost simultaneously.
To inflict partial blindness to man, his attention must be directed away from what you don’t want him to see by focusing him on another thing. In this time, like never before, Church organizations are powerfully focusing man’s attention on materialism. The American Heritage Dictionary defines materialism as “The theory or attitude that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and highest value in life.” How sad!
Except for benefit of hind-sight, some of us who refer to Job favorably would not. Many “powerful ministers” of God and those following their “mandate” still can’t get the lesson the Almighty God is teaching mankind—especially His people (the Church).
The lesson is crystal clear. That which is physical is temporal and that which is spiritual is eternal. What are the implications?
*The spiritual doesn’t die!
*The spiritual is superior to the physical which passes away like grass—blown away by the wind at God’s command. In the light of this, who does God consider as wise? The answer is obvious.
It is certainly not those with doctorate degrees, not those who know how to magnate cash, not the diplomat and not the minister who has more followers than Christ or who knows how to maintain his or her followers by making sure none escapes.
Rather, it is those who refuse to depart from the fear of the Lord! Those who truly recognize the Treasure the grace of God and faith has deposited inside them freely. Those who know that a farmyard is better than a barn and so are willing to sell the barn to purchase the farmyard.
It is those who know the difference between clay and God’s surpassing power that resides in the clay and give thanks and glory to Him who lives forever. It is those desiring to live forever with the Father of light and as such, affliction never crushes them neither does perplexity leave them in a state of despair.
It is those that persecution never discourages but rather leads them to remember that Christ never forsakes them. Those who are never surprised that they’re struck down because they know they can never be destroyed. So, they cling to the resurrection mystery and power working in them knowing THAT THROUGH IT ALONE, is the life of Christ Jesus produced in them; a life that serves as a blessing to many as are being saved.
Truly, the times are dark and the mighty is falling! The first are fast becoming the last—those who claim to love Christ are treating Him and His sheep most wickedly. Those who promised Jesus that they will be His temple are permitting devil’s to inhabit the same temple they turned over to Him 1 Cor 6:19.
When materialism takes over any individual or gathering of the Church, blindness takes them over. When blindness takes over, the sad signs are; much about Jesus, talk of love, grace, peace, prosperity, prayer and holiness without any being present. Oh! How you and I must be sound in our judgement of these things and be sober minded! The benefit of sound judgment and soberness over these matters will surely lead us all to repentance and prayer 1 Pet 4:7.
Peter the Apostle said, ” the end of all things are at hand” can you and I appreciate what the Holy Spirit is saying to us as part of Christ’ body—the things that are temporal are closing down while, the Thing that is of God is exalted. Therefore, those associated with the Thing exalted are also being exalted or glorified Rom 8:17.
Now, because of the false doctrine that, ” poverty enhances godliness”, I’ll like to state that the suffering referenced in verse 17 of Romans 8 has nothing to do with lack of money though Paul suffered lack of money often times. The clues of how he solved money issues are found in Philippians 4:11-13 and Acts 18:3.
Poverty or riches have no power to enhance or deter godliness except the soul is sold to either rather than to Jesus Christ Acts 4:12.
Physical poverty and riches can only stop us from doing the many things WE WANT TO DO FOR GOD but, they can’t stop God from doing the things He wishes to do in us and through us. Selah
It is important for us to know that materialism is not just about money—it includes “Health & wealth, purpose & power, & getting the most out of this present life as Capt. George Perezputs it in his tweet of May 8, 2012, it has become the drawing cards of contemporary Christianity”. Observe the obsession with leadership or wanting to lead and encouragement to be a leader in modern Christianity. Note the focus; then go and STUDY the book of Acts and the deception upon us will be clear.
The Spirit of God says to all who have ears “hear what the Spirit says to the gathering of His people (Churches).
Refuse to be dominated and controlled by the mind set of, “let’s build a kingdom for God on earth”. The right thing is, “lets open up His temple 1 Cor 6:19, Matt 22:37-40 for Him—after-all, He purchased it with His own blood”. We must refuse for anything—not our jobs, wives and husbands, children, friends or parents, sin or Satan to dominate our thoughts Matt 6:21. Let it be Christ dominating and controlling us while we’re busy with the affairs we engage in—in this present temporal life that is fast passing away.
This year, a beloved brother and a dear friend of mine (Patrick Njoku) whom I believed will be with us on earth for many years to come was brutally murdered. I was gripped with sorrow and wept like a child—but, my Saviour and Lord Christ Jesus comforted me by the Holy Spirit and set me loose to a fresh joy, hope and strength. The earthly or temporal business God sent the brother to do on earth suddenly has closed down—indeed, all things temporal are fast closing down.
Therefore, we’re persuaded by the Holy Spirit to give more attention to the things that will never close down. Set not your affection on treasures that close down. Set your heart on the Treasure that remains forever.
Phil Driscoll puts it like this in His song, “Christ remains“. Through every chaos and storm, Christ still remains. What does He remain doing? Watching over His sheep in life and in sleep! What shall we say concerning such a Messiah but to call Him Immanuel. Amen
God has told us that, “Even our ability to prophesy His word, speak in tongues and teach it which is only in part will pass away” much less our varied mundane abilities and possessions.
Only Love will stand and those inside Love because Love has no end 1 John 4:8, 1 Cor 13:8-9, 13. Paul tells us, ‘ that childish ways are associated with children but, the mature give it up’. Children think temporally but the mature look into the future knowing that better things lie ahead. Things that God knows we don’t and it causes the matured to always look to the face of Christ Who only, is the revelation of God’s wonderful purpose.
Wherever God is there is love—and where love is, there is no selfish ambition! Where there is selfish ambition, Love can’t be found there—what is found is every manner of evil! By this, a wise person will judge himself or herself and their environment James 3:16.
The aim of this post is to call your mind to meditate upon Christ not some days but all the days of your life. May the grace and word of Christ cause an increasing measure of this flame in me, in you and ultimately in His Church. Amen
If superstores are posting profit and growth amid the present economic upheaval, those that are heaven bound can grow too in the stature of Christ amid the spiritual darkness. This is the ultimate purpose of God for His Church.
