An invitation to be part of the wall of God’s city is like negotiating for a piece of land. The scriptures liken the heart of man to earth or land Heb 6:7. If the owner sells it to Christ, He occupies it and starts building immediately on the foundation work first. It is on this grounds that true apostles and prophets come in but not to serve tables—they’re not interested in the politicking of those who are yet to grasp the essence of the faith or city to which they’ve been admitted Acts 6:1-4, Rom 14:17. This is not to say that they don’t humbly participate in helping serve the body in practical day to day needs. On the contrary, they definitely do.
I AM SAYING IT IS NOT THE BURDEN OF THE GIFT INFUSED IN THEIR HEARTS. Theirs is to build a firm foundation of Christ IN the hearts of God’s people through doctrine, prayers and signs and wonders by the Holy Spirit Eph 2:20, Acts 2:42, 5:12, 2 Pet 3:2, Jude 1:17. Nicholas Sperling captured this truth when he said, “Everyone leaves footprints in your memory, but you only truly remember the ones that leave footprints in your heart”.
Therefore, the Apostles’ doctrine is Christ himself. It is Christ served as milk, meat and strong meat to those who are born into Him Who is the Head, light and life of the city. The Apostolic doctrines (not men’s apostolic creed) are aimed to call man back to the foundation of God’s intent which is, to worship and serve Him in spirit and truth John 4:23. This is what it means to be properly laid on the foundation of the wall of His city. The strength of the walls is in God.
Their doctrines or teachings refine and polish the lively stones of God and prevent them from succumbing to the tricks of the devil. Such tricks cajole them to put their physical needs above their spiritual needs and seek spiritual help and satisfaction from devils Matt 4:1-11. Obviously, it leads to untold bondages that harden the heart.
It will sound modest and more acceptable to many if it is said that the apostolic doctrines places equal emphasis on our physical and spiritual needs but, unfortunately, it is not the case. They explicitly say that our spiritual need is above and superior to our material needs Col 3:2, Matt 6:21. I hope the holy Spirit has revealed this truth to you!
Apostolic doctrines follow the example Jesus gave of Lazarus
Though he failed woefully in the things of material needs and wants, he made a huge success of his spiritual life by valuing his spiritual needs more than the material to the end of his earthly existence Matt 10:22, Rev 2:26. Praise God! Lazarus made it Luke 16:22-23. The grace of God in him was not in vain. He triumphed by grace. Please note the emphasis is not on poverty but of what holds higher priority in the heart—the heart which is of more importance to God unlike man 1 Sam 16:7.
Job’s Life
The same example is portrayed to us with Job’s life. He had all the wealth that can be desired yet, his heart was firmly established not in the wealth but in God. But, given man’s usual outward way of judging things, Job may have been seen as consumed with thinking only of wealth, riches and pleasure. Especially, given he was a hard working man who had no room for laziness because laziness is not godly character. Even the devil was convinced that the wealth was the motivation for Job loving God so much.
The Contest
So, upon this mortal man, the heavens and earth are to know if, man that God created can love God above self, matter and Satan. The contest was balanced and just—God had already sacrificed the Lamb which Job could rely on and, Satan had permission to exert his entire dimension on Job except kill him. It is worth bearing in mind that Job was not aware of the reason for his situation and because he did not know that God had restricted Satan from killing him, he was subject to think that death would take him.
Astonishing Result
The result of the contest was astonishing! Job—a mortal man defeated Satan by relying on God’s grace in his life. Though, for a season of his life, his material needs and wants eluded him severely, he proved he valued more his spiritual needs by loving God more than those things. He did not just brag, “My redeemer lives and loves me” but, also, I love my redeemer too! And, his perseverance proved it.
I hope and pray that in the differential areas God calls you and I to prove our love for him, we will hold forth with a thankful heart for His praise and glory which translates to our eternal glory Rom 8:17. This is why the Apostles doctrines condense and focus believers to the core purpose of our salvation in Christ. It helps the Church to discern false doctrines coming from self acclaimed Apostles, Prophets and Teachers Rev 2:2.
Paul made a big bold claim in I Cor 15:2 which needs close attention. Part (a) of the claim is this: The gospel he preached saves! And, part (b) states, “if you hold fast to the word I preached to you” this is saying that holding on to the word he preached is what guarantees being saved to the utmost. In part (c), failure to understand and hold on to living in the gospel culminates to a vain belief that does not accomplish God’s redemptive purpose. Paul was not in doubt that he was preaching Christ and nothing else Gal 4:19. Since it is only Christ that saves, preaching any other word other than Christ could have been a big bold waste of time. True apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, shepherds and miracle workers and helpers, take their source from Christ! Examine yours!
Paul in Rom 16: 17-18, warns the Church about deviating from the apostolic teaching. His conclusion is that those who do so, serve their belly. Here, their belly does not just speak about food but, materialism which is governed by Mammon (Satan). In 1 Cor 6:13, he clarifies to us further why the church must stay put on the foundation. So, he is saying that the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets is not given to help the church set her heart and mind on the temporal but on Christ Who lives in her as the Chief corner Stone.
Dear reader, judge every teaching and find out for yourself what it ultimately calls your heart and mind towards. If you’re sincere and diligent about this, you’ll grow in discernment by His word and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Fakes
Apostles or Prophets who claim to come from God with a special anointing or mandate to help the church with the following things are false OR derailed:
Impart anointing to singles to get married
Has special anointing to pray and make every barren woman in their organization or attending their seminar to conceive
Raise specific end-time warriors
Liberate Christian people from poverty
Impart uncommon wisdom to make you an inventor or become “successful”
Sowing seeds of xyz amount of currency to (their companies registered as charities and christened ministries) in other to become millionaires and billionaires
To reveal the evils of our parents/grandparents that’s causing us earthly problems etc
The sin of our grandparents that has troubled mankind is the sin of Adam and Eve. Those who seek refuge in Christ are delivered from that kingdom of darkness and put into the kingdom of Light Col 1:13.
Beloved in Christ, you and I are therefore commanded to walk in the light as precious stones of God’s wall beautifying the four corners of His city. No darkness is ever powerful enough to come into light and survive.
But, be alert for we’re in a generation where we’re religiously, philosophically, psychologically, metaphysically, economically, socially and politically being persuaded daily to step out from the light into darkness. Don’t give in! You and I have the grace of God to ignore silly persuasions like those who have gone before us to join the great cloud of witnesses above.
We need to trust God to bring us to the place where we’re valuing, treasuring and enjoying our relationship with CHRIST JESUS above all else! Paul described such a place as, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” Phil 1:21. For this cause, we’re to rejoice always and pray ceaselessly! 1 Thess 5:16-17.
But, if we’re in the Spirit (kingdom of light) yet, choose to step into darkness, we then make ourselves susceptible to be bitten by the serpent (the king of darkness) that is always waiting to bite Gal 5:25, 1 Pet 5:8. In which case, we must repent from accusing the pain of our bite on people who have finished their earthly business and gone.
While no Christian (those truly regenerated by grace through faith in Christ) is more righteous or holier than another, our level of diligence in loving God, reverencing Him by departing from evil and enjoying Him presently is definitely not the same.
No one enjoys God and grows in grace without an increasing knowledge of Christ and obedience to Him 2 Pet 3:18, Eph 1:17 NLT, Phil 3:10-11. By obedience to Him, I mean obedience to the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set all who are in Him free from the law of sin and death (Ten Commandments amplified).
Those set free from the Old law are brought into the New Law Rom 8. Therefore, God does not have a people without Law. Those who follow the voice of Christ gain abundant life (a depth of Christ’ life) and peace even in the midst of tribulation Rom 8:6, John 5:25.
In Acts 9, Saul heard Christ’s voice and giving his heart to Him, came into life and peace with a new name as Paul! He never stopped listening to His voice as a law unto him. This brought him into Christ’s abundant life John 10:10. Paul’s life as we read in the scriptures is an encouraging RESULT for all who will live by the voice of the Holy Spirit (the Law of life in Christ).
Therefore, our invitation is to be weak in ourselves and consequently, be strong in Christ Jesus!
The apostolic doctrines state without ambiguity that God loves mankind and, for that reason, He seeks our love. John recorded the question which “The Apostle of the church” that is Christ Heb 3:1, posed for you and I to answer. “___, do you love me morethanthese?” John 21:15. PLEASE don’t fill in Peter’s name in the blank. He finished his earthly ministry to God by following the law of life in Christ. The law of life in Christ, leads His people to be refined, polished and fitted to their place in His glorious city.
The precious stones of God’s city are the embodiment of the measure and power of Christ Rev 21:9-27. Because of this, all the powers of darkness can’t prevail! Matt 16:18. May God be praised forever—for He has loved His city with an everlasting love! Amen.
May the grace and peace of Christ abound to you as you think upon Christ!
Scriptures establishes that as believer, we cannot have true growth in Christ and be strong except we’re first weak in ourselves. It means that the measure to which a Christian retains his or her own strength is the same measure to which the person is weak in Christ. This pill (truth) is hard to swallow, but if it’s taken, it cures the sickness of being weak in Christ.
Until this truth is understood, accepted and applied to oneself, praying aright and without ceasing will be hard and, humility will remain mere talk.
At the present time, a major problem confronting the Church is her weakness Rev 3:1-3. The message of God to the seven churches representing the gatherings of His people then, as well as the Church today, points to how God views His people’s weaknesses.
A dependence on the Holy Spirit in studying His message to the churches shows clearly that God does not kill His people because of their weaknesses. But, neither does He take it lightly that His people should continue in weakness.
His invitation is always that His people should become over-comers and inheritors of good Rom 12:21.
Peter the apostle gives us the clue why God wants us to always overcome evil in 2 Pet 2:19, “For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage”. This is the reason why Paul and others always unashamedly declared that their bondage or prisoner status was only to Christ and not the devil Eph. 4:1, Eph. 6:6.
So, we are either in bondage to good or evil depending on our choice—that is, based on who we submit to.
Each time we submit, we are either being refined and polished as precious stones, or sadly giving room for our gift of a heart of flesh to be hardened Ezekiel 11:19, Heb 3:13. If we yield to Christ, we enter into bondage to righteousness (Christ). This is a beautiful thing! Conversely, if we yield to the devil we enter into slavery to do his mischievousness. This is ugly!
God does not want any stone that is ‘not precious’ but in bondage, to form part of the wall of His city. Hardened hearts are not precious stones! Therefore, He has established that every stone en-grafted into His city be laid properly on the foundation of His wall Rev 21:1-27, Eph 4:12-15. How is this to happen?
Well, Paul the apostle tells us, “The Foundation being Christ Jesus is laid and no other foundation can be laid—no other is accepted by God”. This Foundation is laid by the holy apostles with the prophets Eph 2:20.
In the next post, we will look at the apostle’s doctrine and how they help us answer the question asked earlier–how is this to happen?
There’s a difference between having discernment and having the gift of discernment of spirits. The understanding of their difference is getting narrower in the Church today. Yet, the importance of keeping them wide apart and praying God to bless the church with both is needed now more than ever before.
Discernment
A simple definition of discernment is, to have the ability to distinguish between things—knowing the difference between a male and a female (so we don’t marry a man thinking he is a woman and vice versa), a plane and a helicopter, an ocean and a creek, facial expressions, economies etc. To this extent, every human has discernment though, at varying levels especially when the distinction required gets more technical e.g., the ecology of an ocean compared to a creek or reading humans beyond facial expressions.
So, the more complex and technical a thing is required to be discerned, the more the depth of knowledge required to accomplish the task of discerning. Besides the intuitive knowledge all humans are born with which is limited, education plays an important role to condense and deepen our knowledge in specific fields e.g., while we may have a basic understanding from biology about the human body, medical doctors know far better.
Discernment for God’s people
Consistent heart involvement in reading the bible educates us to know or discern between good and evil ordinarily. This leads us to loving, praying and reverencing God and helps us to obey God in the things He instructs. It teaches us to love others and do right by them and to receive love from them as they do right by us. To this extent, all Christians know right from wrong.
Over time, consistent fellowship with the Holy Spirit, study of the scriptures and both pleasant and unpleasant practical experiences within and outside of the community of the faith, we acquire discernment at the level of our individual walk with God.
In Acts 17, the Berean Christians exercised discernment by checking the scriptures after Paul and Silas (Apostles) taught them the word of God. They understood that the word of God is light and it exposes lies and darkness. Every child of God is commanded to study consistently and meditate always on God’s word because it reveals God’s will for man. It renews the mind and a renewed mind is en-graced to do God’s good and perfect will which is the essence of all discernment.
This kind of discernment that comes from a relationship with Christ, study of His word and fellowship with the saints is used for one’s benefit and for others. A person with spiritual discernment gains protection and blessings for him or herself and others.
How does it benefit others?
By sharing the same insight with others—this is possible because Christ speaks to His sheep and speaks through them by the power of the Holy Spirit Heb 3:13.
Negative sources of discernment
Many people undertake studies and practical training to acquire dark knowledge within and outside religious circles to enable them gain discernment. The fields mostly used to gain this dark knowledge are rooted in ESP (extrasensory perception).
Those who subject themselves to these studies and its practical exercises acquire skills which can enable them discern or read people beyond the surface and so know how to predict them and possibly gain mastery over them for whatever purpose! More often than not, it’s used primarily for gaining power and control and only secondarily for material gain. The point I’m making is this; most of the people who get involved in this craft, are not so much money hungry as much as they’re hungry to have control of souls to rule. Discernment is a big thing with rulership or leadership. Those seeking discernment from sources other than God understand the preciousness of the soul and know that to have one soul under them is to advance over that soul as its god, master or guru. The god or master status can be nicknamed any circular or religious title depending on the purpose of the persons involved. Those in the business world take on the title suited for them and those in religious empires take on religious titles and mix their theology with HPM (human potential movement) teachings or its latest versions.
To achieve their objective, they can sacrifice and endure anything knowing that whatever they lose in the short term can be gained even much more if they chose to be materialist after souls are under their control. It’s for this reason, that some become super rich through fooling and exploiting others or their congregations without any application of force. Still, others will even chose to be modest but have multitudes all over the world follow and worship them as their guru. For those sitting over religious people, their words carry more weight than even God’s word in the bible to their subjects. They become the source for authenticating the truth of God’s word and not the word itself. Regrettable disaster!
The Limitations
Though there are limitations to this type of discernment, I just want to state its two major limitations which are:
It deals primarily at the mind level (the soul realm). It works by influencing people’s minds. This is why both the people who practice it and those it is practiced on get demonized.
It can’t discern the mind of God.
The Gift of Discernment of spirits
The difference between the gift of discerning spirits and having discernment is like the distant between continents. Majorly, it does not just deal with the mind realm and its motive but detects the kind of spirit in operation. It bypasses whether the motive is good or bad. This is an important point to note. A deceived person may have good intentions but is controlled by satanic spirits. It’s for this reason God has gifted some in His body with the gift of discernment of spirits which travels deep into a thing or being to discover if the propelling spirit is of God or the devil. People who have this gift can be uneducated because it has nothing to do with intellect.
The scripture warns believers to discern the body of Christ. In other words, we’re to recognize Christ’s Spirit in the midst of the gathering of saints and reverence His presence by sincerely loving and honouring one another. This includes esteeming God’s word above ourselves and subjecting everyone’s teaching and service to a healthy scrutiny through God’s word.
Having this gift does not make the bearer a Prophet. However, a Prophet not just a prophetic person carries this gift. All those with ministry gifts have it— especially Apostles and Prophets for the sake of their foundational work in God’s great house (Church) in the earth. While Simon had a bitter spirit and bond in iniquity which separated his heart from Jesus and denied him any portion with Christ though a believer, he was active in evangelism with Philip the Evangelist till, an apostolic team arrived to strengthen the gathering of the saints who were seeing new believers added to them. Please see Acts 8:9-25. Jesus knew when Satan entered Judas though he was participating in breaking of bread John 13:27. Also, Jesus knew when Satan spoke through Peter though Peter had good intentions Matt 16:23. By discernment, Peter knew that Ananias heart was overtaken by Satan—not that he made a slip of tongue Acts 5:3.
Possessing this gift doesn’t mean one can’t be tricked by people with wrong motives. Paul had this gift yet he suffered in the hands of false brothers 2 Cor 11:26.
Its focus is discerning which spirit is at work and not reading people’s minds or motives. Having a wrong motive is not always a sign of the presence of an evil spirit. For example, many zealous Christians want to eradicate poverty from the world. So, they work harder and smarter to make lots of money for charitable purposes than they devote themselves for intimacy with God. If the example startles you, it means you need to study and meditate on the scripture more and devote yourself to a lifestyle of prayer.
Today, we’re fighting the deceiving spirits the early Church fought with an added tilt. While, one of the major focuses of the early church was to withstand those who wanted to take the church back to Judaism, ours is the infiltration of occult teachings by many false teachers with loads of doctrines to mislead the undiscerning. With so many occult words becoming increasingly acceptable for Christian leaders to use, the lines are vanishing fast.
The depth of the mixture of truth and error is showing that the end is nearer than any other prophetic sign I know in the bible. They have succeeded in misleading many vibrant and good intentioned Christians who have the trust of God’s people. Therefore, the danger has become even more wide spread and harder to detect. In time past, a Christian has to deliberately go out of his or her way to be able to join occult organizations but now, one can easily imbibe occult teachings and even practice it while in a supposedly decent Christian community. Think of yoga, the different forms of transcendental meditation, crowd or mind control techniques blatantly used in the Church today.
In the early Church, those who exercised their spiritual gifts and those with the five-fold ministries, especially the Apostles and Prophets fought against these dangers with all they had—but in our time, there has been a lot of failing to do this. As a result, diviners and sorcerers are now ministering in the camp and are even highly respected as they do so!! Acts 16:16, 8:9-21 and 5:3, 1 Tim 1:19-20. Voo doo doctors are springing up in the gatherings of saints all over the world. They have abandoned their dressing styles by which they are usually known and are now dressed in clean suits or stylish modern jeans and T-shirts with leather bibles in their hands. It would have been marvelous if they had also dropped the spirit of their trade but no, they haven’t—they don’t have the Spirit of Christ.
There are many young and vibrant men and women (26-50 years old) in the church now who have imbibed occult teachings and are perfecting blending it with Christian doctrines. These are leadership minded folks who’ll do anything to sustain their ambition. Now and in no distant time, they are causing and will yet cause the church such problems as never before. There is much need now to stop the mouth of some people in the church. The leaders who have nurtured these people should have been stopped decades but it didn’t happen. No one wants to be seen as a trouble maker. No one wants to lose their reputation. Most people want acceptance, great following and to accomplish some great things for God—all at the expense of God’s pleasure. A pleasure God sacrificed His only Son to purchase.
We’re in need of not only discernment but also the gift of discernment of spirits.
If you have the gift of discernment of spirits (not the gift of suspicion), may the Lord our God strengthen you to speak out in the community of saints where God has set you Isaiah 62.
Exposing the false spirits that have come into the church gatherings and warning and sharply rebuking those who may have unknowingly been ensnared is within the context of the word edify. And those who’ve understood their error but are bent on travelling that route must be handed over to Satan by the church that they may be ashamed and repent—turning again sincerely to the Spirit of the Lord of glory, Christ Jesus.
2 Tim 3:16, tells us that the word of God is the substance of discernment and edifying as His Spirit through His sheep use the instrumentality of teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness (participation in divine nature or character). The prompt application of these instruments of God is crucial for the assemblies of God’s people to abide in the mind of Christ (have one mind) Rom 15:5, enjoy unity of the spirit Eph 4:3 and its attendant benefits Ps 133:1-3.
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
