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WHY CHRIST MUST RETURN II
We would continue from where we stopped on, Why Christ Must Return. There is no better time to talk about it than now that the hearts of people are no longer yearning for the coming of the Lord because it is delayed. But I want you to know that it’s all part of the plan and there is a reason for the delay. So, do not let your heart be shaken, the hope of our salvation cannot be disappointed. The last time, we shared a number of scriptures on the first advent of Christ, and how those prophecies fulfilled exactly as prophesied, and we were careful to show all these scriptures in the Old Testament, some 100, some 1000 years before the coming of Christ. If those scriptures on His first advent fulfilled physically, His second advent would fulfill physically as prophesied. We also shared two reasons why people doubt His second coming, misconstrued scriptures and delay. Remember that in his first advent, there were a lot of expectations, the Jews were expecting Him, but they missed Him –there was no reason why they should miss Him considering their level of expectation but they did. When Herod was seeking the child to kill, he called for the scribes to enquire about where Christ would be born, and the prophecies about him, and they were able to provide him with all that information. How then did they miss him since he met all their requirements of the Messiah recorded in their Law? These people knew the law, and the singular reason for studying the Torah was because they were expecting the Messiah, but they missed him. The reason is that the Jews misconstrued some scriptures, which made their expectation unbiblical. This is a reminder to us that, if in His first coming, He did not meet their requirement; He will not meet our requirement in His second coming. That is God’s pattern.
Today, I want us to look into another reason why Christ must return. We would take our reading from Genesis 49:8-10
Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Genesis 49
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city. And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish forever. Numbers 24:17-20
His First Coming Did Not Fulfill All His Prophecies
We have looked into how God promised Christ’s first coming in the Old Testament, so I would want us to look into the promise of His second coming in the Old Testament. I choose those two verses of scriptures to start with, because I want us to see how far back those promises have been made. Moreover, in fact, we saw in Genesis 3:15 how the seed of the woman was promised to bruise the head of the seed of the serpent. All the scriptures that talked about the second coming of Christ were made together with the promise of His first coming and that is one of the main reasons why the Jews missed him at His first advent –they were not able to place scriptures right. Let us start with those scriptures, first in Isaiah 61:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
The entire chapter of scripture talked about the first coming of Christ and His second coming. Now, for a Jew who does not know how to place scriptures, he would just read through and have an unbalanced expectation of the Messiah, because of his inability to dimension that prophecy into His first advent and His second. When Jesus Christ was going to read this prophecy, let us read how he read it in Luke 4:
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Christ knew exactly why he came the first time, when He picked the prophecy of Isaiah to read, he stopped at proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord and closed the book, because that was the purpose of His first advent. Every other wording of that prophecy was referring to His second coming –the day of vengeance and all others would be fulfilled at His second coming. Therefore, when he closed the book, he simply told them that the portion of the scripture He just read is fulfilled before them. When you read the Bible and you are confused because there are some portions that you feel should have been fulfilled, just assuredly that there is nothing wrong with God’s word or will ever be wrong with God’s word, you are the one who is not placing it right.
The Jews were under Roman dominance as at the time Jesus came on the scene, and they knew that a time was supposed to come when Israel would be free. They also know that every time they read about their liberty, it is always tied around their Messiah. What do you think would be their expectation of Jesus Christ declaring Himself as the Messiah? When He showed up and did not fulfill their requirement, they concluded that He was not the Messiah, but that was a scripture misplaced. Not only the Jews were expecting, even the Disciples of Christ who followed him were also waiting for when Jesus would take over the Roman Empire and restore the kingdom back to Jerusalem. Although they saw the works and everything He was doing that only the Messiah would do, they were not fully convinced that He is the One because they had those expectations that He must fulfill but He wasn’t. Remember when Jesus asked them, who do men say that I am? He understood where He was going because He was not concerned about what people thought, He really wanted to know who they say that He was. They really did not have an answer, and even Peter did not say it of His own accord, He received it. That is why Jesus responded to him that flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but the Father in heaven, because Peter himself did not understand what He was saying, if he did, why did he deny Jesus? Everything in the word of God talked about how the Messiah would take over the reins of this world, and Jerusalem would be the admiration of everyone. That is why when He finished and He was going, they asked Him when He would restore the kingdom back to Jerusalem.
Before Christ came, there were people trying to fulfill those scriptures, with a promise of restoring the kingdom back to Israel, giving the people a false hope. Even amongst the Disciples of Christ, we have Simon the zealot –the group of those who were forcefully trying to fulfill a scripture whose time is not yet, but they all failed. If God is not behind a thing, just give it time, you will see that it will fade off. Thus, Jesus Christ corrected placed Isaiah 61, and only read the portion that was going to be fulfilled at that time. Let us read another scripture that talks about the coming of His second advent.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7
When you read this scripture as a Jew, you would expect that when the child is born and the son is given, he would have everything written of him in that promise. However, when he showed up, they were still under Roman governance. Not just that, but after He left in 70AD, Emperor Titus came and destroyed them and their temple. That is why until today, that is the singular reason why a Jew would not believe that Christ was the Messiah, they fail to understand that God would fulfill His word based on His term. Therefore, his first coming was not the time for Christ to take over the reins of this world, but a time for him to die, resurrect and ascend to sit at the Father’s right hand, to make intercession for the sins of both the Jews and the Gentiles, till his enemies be put at his footstool.
As we read these scriptures to see where the Jews got it wrong and misconstrued the Bible, I am also using that to prove to us that there is a second coming of Christ that must fulfill just as His first coming was fulfilled. Let us read another scripture in Micah 4
But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Micah 4:1-3
This scripture is telling you that the seat of governance would be in Jerusalem, and the law that would govern this world would be from Jerusalem. It looks very far-fetched right now, but if God promised it, He will fulfill it. Do not lose that hope, if you lose the hope of the coming of Christ, everything you are doing is just jamboree –practically meaningless. The church world today has lost the hope of the coming of Christ, and you can see that in their focus, if you ask them, is Christ coming? The confidence in their response will let you know that, they are not expecting Him and their hope of His coming has completely died in them. Why? Because it has delayed, and there are also some ignorant people on social media and everywhere who are trying to prove that the coming of Christ is not what can be realized. Let us continue to read that Micah 4 from verse 3
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. Micah 4:3-8
This is talking about the millennial reign of Christ but all of these were what the Jews were expecting to happen at His first coming, but that was not the time. Let us read again Jeremiah 23:3
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness. Jeremiah 23:3-6
That is the promise of our Messiah to take over the reins of this dying world. All of these promises and many more we are going to read must come to pass; if they don’t come to pass, that means God is a liar, but we know that God will be true and every man a liar. Let us read another one in Zechariah 14. All these are the promise of His second coming in the Old Testament; we are not even in the New Testament yet.
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. Zachariah 14:1-4
Reading this, you will see that there are some nations the Messiah would fight, in order to restore the Kingdom to the Jews. That is why he was missed because they thought he did not fulfill that. That is why Christ must return, because He must fulfill those scriptures –He must! The time to restore the kingdom back to Israel is coming and at that time, he would return.
He went to prepare us a House
The second reason I mentioned that Christ must return is because Christ himself promised it. I want to read a few of those promises.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3
This is one of those promises where Christ promised that He has gone to prepare a place. This promise he is making here is His appearance to His bride, not even His second coming to take over the reins of the earth. If you look at this, He is saying He has gone to prepare a place. The place that Christ has gone to prepare for us is not a building of bricks and mortals. He is talking about something that Paul referenced in the Bible, let us see it; 2 Corinthians 5
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 2Cor. 5:1-5
The house that Christ has gone to prepare for us is what Paul is talking about here –the tabernacle that cannot die –It is the theophany that Christ was clothed with after His resurrection. That is your house that you are looking to get into. Because right now, you are living in a house, that your body is housing you –the body is not you, because as soon as something happens, that body goes back to where it belongs. Christ is promising us that if this earthly tabernacle is dissolved; we have another one that is eternal in the heavens waiting for us. So, Christ Himself promised that He would come back to pick His bride. Amen.
Christ also made the declaration of His returning before the high priests in Mark 14
And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Mark 14:60-64
Let us read another place in Luke 19:11
And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
We know that this is a prophecy about Christ receiving a Kingdom, and also clearly tells us that His coming would be delayed because it says that he went into a far country. We have two reasons now why Christ must return: God promised it, and we see it in some unfulfilled promises in the scriptures that He must come to fulfill. The second reason is Christ promised the return of His kingdom.
The third reason I want to give to us as to why Christ must return is that Christ must return to destroy the devil. That takes us to the very first scripture we read when we started this teaching –Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15
I want to ask us this question, where was this promise made, is it in heaven or on earth? That promise was made on earth and this earth is the battleground for the seed of the woman and the serpent. The seed of the serpent bruised his heel here on earth, and we know that was referring to the crucifixion of Christ. That was why the prophet was talking about the trail of serpent from Genesis to Judas who is also the seed of the serpent, because in the same manner of subtlety that serpent deceived Eve in the garden, Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss. That is the bruising of the heel of the woman. So if the seed of the woman was bruised in AD 33 on the cross, brothers and sisters, I want you to know that Christ also who is the seed of the woman must return to bruise the seed of the serpent. I want us to read where that happened. I want to read where Christ crushed the head of the serpent.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Revelation 20:1-5
Remember that the scripture says that the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death –that is the final crushing. Let us read verse 10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
This is the final-end of the devil, Christ must return to fulfill the end of this battle. There has been an ongoing battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent from time, from the very beginning when it was prophesied. And I want you to know that the rightful owner of this earth is Jesus Christ. Let us read a scripture to prove that in Hebrews 1:1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:1-2
Let me help you understand that. When God created this earth, He gave the title deed to a man called Adam. He delivered that title deed to them in Genesis when told them to dominate over this earth and rule over everything. However, we know that man lost that right –the title deed. The title deed is a seal of document that proves ownership of a possession. When man lost that title deed, it went back to God, but that title deed cannot be in the hand of God, because God has given this earth to man, not spirit. So, it is a man that must collect that title deed. Let us read Revelations 5
And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. Revelation 5:1-7
That was Christ who is the man coming to reclaim the title deed of this earth. Because Christ has bought redemption through His blood, He became the rightful owner to this earth. But right now, who is the god of this earth? The Bible tells us that the devil is the god of this earth. We know that by many scriptures, the devil offered this earth to Jesus when he tempted him, that was because he is the god. But how can you be promising someone something that belongs to him? Christ knew that He is the rightful owner of this earth, so He does not have to take it the wrong way, when the time is right, He would have it, because He has the title deed. And the title deed by history can only be opened by the rightful owner that the title deed was ascribed to. Christ is the second Adam that cannot fall.
Let us read another scripture. Psalms 2:6-8
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Christ must return to gain the complete victory over hell and death, and take over the dominance of this world, bruising the head of the seed of serpent since His heel was bruised.
Christ Must be vindicated by His Father
The third reason is, Christ must be vindicated by His Father. This reason is a little emotional. I want to ask us a question, what was the last picture that this earth had about Christ? The last picture that the world had about Christ, we would read it from Matthew 26
But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? Matthew 26:60-68
The last picture that the unbelievers had of Christ was a disgraced, ridiculed, helpless, spat upon individual, naked, thorns hanging upon His head –he was publicly ridiculed, publicly disgraced, that was the last picture the world had about our Lord. A bleeding helpless figure hanging on the cross. I know there are pictures that portrayed that a little piece of cloth was hanging around him, but according to Roman history, the Roman soldiers used to crucify people naked, so there is a high chance that Jesus Christ was stacked naked on the cross. And when He resurrected, He did not appear to one unbeliever. Let us see the people that saw Christ, Paul did a beautiful summary of that
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 1Cor. 15:1-8
If you have a doubt about the resurrection of Christ, this scripture will clear your doubt. It was not a vision that they saw here in this scripture, 500 people cannot be dreaming at this same time, this goes to show that they actually saw the physically resurrected Jesus. As at the time Paul was writing this, Paul was bold to say that some of the brethren that saw him were still alive –essentially saying that his claim could be verified.
Just a side note here, it interests me a lot, how Paul did not see Jesus physically when He was on earth. Paul is the convener of Grace. Paul preached the New Testament that we received to us, and he was not part of those that saw Jesus physically when he could have actually seen Jesus physically, because he was alive when Christ was on earth. You know Jesus told Thomas that, you see and you believe, but blessed are those who did not see but believe. That blessedness is the grace that we have received –it is the blessedness of the New Testament. Therefore, Paul who was the convener of the New Testament did not have to see Christ physically; he had to see Him by faith to be a convener of the New Testament. You do not need to see Christ physically, because now we know no man after the flesh –the flesh of the person of Christ has no relevance to you. What is relevant to you is to receive Him by faith, which is the word of God. What I was getting at that made us get here is that every single person that saw Jesus Christ after His resurrection were believers. There was no unbeliever that Christ appeared to. Why? Were they not the one that He was supposed to appear to, to prove that He is the Christ? The time of His vindication to the world is coming. The last picture of Christ that the world witnessed is in his humiliated person, but we know that the next picture the world would see is His glorification –His glorification must be seen by the entire world.
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Revelation 1:7
The Bible prophesied His humiliation; the Bible also prophesied His glorification. We have seen the precision of the Bible about his first coming, all that he would do, including his humiliation. Similarly, the other part of His prophecies must be fulfilled.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:5-12
Thus, God must vindicate His son to the world, not just to believers –He must!
The True Test of Your Hope
I want to wind it up this way. What is the whole essence of all the mysteries we know about Christ? What is the essence of knowing about His coming? Let us read 1 John 3
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3
The test of all the mysteries you know or will find out is that it will purify you. Ask yourself: does this knowledge have a sanctifying influence on my soul? Does the knowledge of the seventy weeks of Daniel that you have come to know, the knowledge of the six seals that have been revealed, the knowledge of the seven thunders that some people are chasing up and down, have a sanctifying influence on your soul? If it does not, it is not useful! Because every man that has this hope in himself purifies himself believing that someday, this hope would be realized. The way to know that you still believe and you are expecting the coming of Christ is the way you are living your life. If you truly believe in the coming of Christ, it will reflect in the way you are living. Every parable Christ gave concerning His second coming is for us to be eager, for us to be patient, for us to occupy till He comes and have the attitude of expectation, regardless of whether all predictions failed. Like I said before, predictions would fail. Every prediction has failed before now, and they would fail. The day and the hour, no man knows it. If any prediction works, it will nullify that scripture.
You can ask me about the seven thunders. I know there is a lot of hype around it. But listen to me, the seven thunders is not our business, it is not our making, we are not the one to do it, it is strictly a divine work. What the seven thunders would do is bring the transformation of our bodies, now, is that something a man can do through a self-acclaimed ministry? No. That is something completely divine in the hand of the Lord; it is not what you should be chasing all around. What you need to do is let this hope purify you, because if that hope does not purify you, you will not partake in that. So brothers, you go around, eagerly waiting and expecting, letting the hope of His coming purify you. Because if you like, know every single detail about all mysteries, if that hope does not purify you, you will not be part of it. The coming of the Lord is surer than your breath, do not let anyone take it away from you. Jesus Christ is waiting for those who are waiting for His return. We will continue from here in the next sequel.
WHY CHRIST MUST RETURN I
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. Proverbs 13:12-13
Today, I will begin a subject on, Why Christ Must Return; I will take it in sequels as God leads us but try to lay the foundation today. We know that it has been quite a while since the return of Christ has been promised, and as the Bible says in Proverbs 13, that hope deferred makes the heart sick. When hope is stretched beyond necessary, it can lead to doubt. I would like you to know that doubt is not a sin, although it is not the best place to be –it is part of the human condition. Think of Thomas who exhibited doubt yet a disciple –in fact an apostle of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ helped to dissolve his doubt. Jesus at some point told Peter who received the key to the kingdom that Satan wanted to sift him away as wheat, meaning Satan was going to make him doubt. Jesus however prayed for him that his faith would not fail.
Doubt vs Unbelief
Doubt is mostly human nature caused by lack of knowledge of the truth, and what God does for anyone in doubt is to dissolve his doubt by shedding more light (understanding) on his path –we see him do that for Thomas and Peter. He waited for the time Thomas would be in fellowship, and appeared to convince him with the truth –dissolving in his doubt.
While God dissolves the doubt of His Children, He judges unbelief. Unbelief is the real sin. The Pharisees were in this category, who in spite of all Jesus did to convince them of the truth, would not believe –they choose not to believe. And because we are judged on the basis of our choice, Jesus told them that, “I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins” John 8:24. Therefore, with respect to the topic before us, we would first comb through scriptures hoping to dissolve the doubt of those who do not yet understand fully, because it is becoming very difficult for people, even believers, to continue to hold unto the hope of our calling –the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we go back in time, the way people held onto the coming of Jesus Christ is not the same as today.
The Importance of Having an Unshakable Resolve in the Coming of Our Lord
According to the promise of the Bible, Jesus Christ someday would return physically to the earth and take over the governance of this earth. If you do not firmly believe that, your walk with God would not be enjoyed. Asides this, it will reflect in everything you do including the way you live your life.
His return is not supposed to be a spiritual return as some are now proclaiming which I believe is another level of doubt about His coming. The biggest way that doubt is spread is by words, and there are two reasons why people doubt the coming of Christ
1. Misconstrued Scriptures: let’s consider few of those scriptures that have been misconstrued
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Matthew 24:32-35
Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. Matthew 16:28
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 2Thess. 2:1-8
Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him. And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. Daniel 11:1-4
There are many more scriptures, but let us stay with these four for now. It will interest you to know that some doubters have decided to give their interpretation of what those scriptures mean especially for the book of Daniel that we read last. They argue that the scripture must have been written after the occurrence of those events, because of how precise and accurate they are. However, we know better that the book of Daniel is a prophetic book, and it was speaking to what would happen when Daniel gave the prophecy. The book of Daniel is actually one of the most argued books in the Bible today, also considering that the major prophecies are fulfilled already. We would go into them much later.
2. Delay: When there is a long expectation, people also begin to doubt. But, I want us to know that there is nothing in this Bible that indicates that Christ wasn’t going to delay His coming. If you consider carefully, all of the parables that Jesus gave (of course we know that those are not just parables, but prophecies) –all of them talked about a delay, a prolonged time of waiting for the coming of the Lord. Let us read some of them.
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Luke 12:42-46
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Matthew 25:5
There is no time component to that tarrying spoken of here in Matthew 25, but we know that He tarried so long that those who were waiting for Him slept. There are a lot more scriptures, but showed us these few to tell us that the Bible already told us that His return would be delayed.
Why Christ Must Return
In the face of this increasing level of doubt, I want to tell us that Christ must return and why He must return. I am not into predictions of the date when Christ would return, it is certain that all predictions would fail because Christ must be true to His words that says, no man knows the time or hour when the son of man shall come. So, when you hear a prediction, just know, that is another time we are sure He is not going to return.
The first reason why Christ must return is because God promised it. The promise of Christ in scripture started even from the beginning and by that, I mean Genesis down to Malachi.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Malachi 4:2
Christ is the Sun of Righteousness that will rise with healing in His wings for all men to see. He is not rising now because not all men can see Him as the light. When the sun rises, everybody sees it. Right now, we are in the face of time when the Moon hides the Sun –the moon is reflecting the light of the sun to the world, and we know that the Moon is the Church. But we know that a time is coming when the morning would break and the sun would rise.
Between Genesis and Malachi, there are many promises made concerning the coming of Christ, both His first coming and His coming. Hear this, if the coming of His first coming fulfilled literally to the letter, be rest assured His second coming would fulfill literally to the letter. Let us consider His first coming –the virgin birth. We would read the promise, and where the promise was fulfilled.
Bible Prophecies and their Fulfillment on His First coming
God did not just promise that Christ would come, but He gave an impossible promise that a virgin would conceive. We may not appreciate it now because it has been fulfilled, but there are many people who would have placed their interpretation on that prophecy just so it could make sense and be more believable. My advice to you is that you should let the fulfillment of prophecy interpret the prophecy; do not place your personal interpretation on it. Now, we are going to be contrasting the prophecies of the Old Testament years before Christ came to the fulfillment in the New Testament, and we can see how God fulfilled His word to the letter.
Event | Prophecy | Fulfillment |
His Virgin Birth | Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 | And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. Luke 1:26-31 |
His Place of Birth | But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2 | Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Matthew 2:1 |
His Call out of Egypt | When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. Hosea 11:1 | And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. Matthew 2:13 |
His tribe | And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1 | And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; Matthew 1:6 |
His Triumphant Entering | Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Zach. 9:9 | And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. Luke 19:35-38 |
His Betrayal | Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 | And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Luke 22:47-48 |
His Arrest | Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones Zach.13:7 | And they all forsook him, and fled. Mark 14:50 |
His betrayed price | And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the Lord. Zach. 11:12-13 | And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. Matthew 26:15And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in. Matthew 27:5-7 |
His crucifixion | Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Isaiah 52:12-15Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12 | Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. Matthew 27:38-42 |
His Garment parting | They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. Psalms 22:18 | And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. Matthew 27:35 |
His unbroken bones | He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalms 34:20 | The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. John 19:31-36 |
His Resurrection | For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Psalms 16:10 | And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. Matthew 28:5-6 |
Seeing all these scriptures fulfilled exactly as prophesied about His first coming, the prophecies about His second coming would fulfill as well, because God promised it. Aside from the virgin birth, another impossible prophecy in the Bible is the coming back of Israel in Ezekiel 37. They were dry bones meaning they were dead and there was no hope of reviving them to live. When the angel asked Ezekiel if the dry bones could live, he responded that only God knows that. It has never been recorded in history that a nation ceased to exist for 2000 years and would revive again. But for the people of Israel, that prophecy was fulfilled in our time. We can use that to speak to doubt in our mind.
The second reason why Christ must return the second time is because, Christ Himself when He was here on earth promised that He would come back, and His credibility is at stake here –not just His credibility but His Father’s credibility. This simply means that if Christ does not return, then God is a liar. And the Bible tells us that, let every man be a liar but God be true. So, you are at a crossroad, especially the youth where you need to make a decision on who to believe –whether the word of God or the Devil who is the father of lies.
The devil will not come in a way that would be easy for you to detect him and shut him up. He is the father of lies, meaning he knows exactly how to get you. The devil knows your weakness and how to get you in a customized way –he pretty much fashions weapons for every one peculiar to their weakness. The Bible says, no weapon fashioned –meaning weapons are fashioned. He knows how to tailor his design to fit into your conditioning, he will not just pick any weapon and throw it at you; he will study you well enough to know what you could fall for easily. Being the father of lies, he has experience with lies –over 6000 years of experience from Adam, he will come in a way that makes sense to you. If your weakness is your phone, the devil will come through that phone. So, you need to pay particular attention to that area of weakness, because that is where the devil wants to deal with you and you will begin to fall gradually from your faith.
Let’s see where Christ made a promise of His return in Luke 21
5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”
7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”
8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
The prophet told us and we can prove from the Old Testament that the fig tree is the land of Israel. The question before us as we read this passage is, “all these things” –which? Is it the return of Christ or all the events prophesied in the preceding verses talking about the things that must happen before His coming? In addition, what do we have to say about the points of the scoffers and those doubting? We would continue that in the next episode.
AMBITION VS PASSION
There is a thin line between these two words—Passion and Ambition. Ambition is a personal strong drive to achieve something, often for self-fulfillment and self-glory. Passion, on the other hand, is also a strong drive to achieve, but the difference is that passion is not usually focused on self. Often, the object of your passion can take you over so much that you care less about yourself. In fact, for a person to be said to be PASSIONATE about something, it means that thing means more to them than anything else in the world, including themselves.
What Does This Have to Do with a Christian or a Preacher?
The Gospel has been around for many centuries, and 2000 years later, the world is still awed by the person of one man—Jesus Christ, who was born in the lowest of ways. There is no way the world could or will recover from the impact of that show of passion to finish his Father’s work, expressed in the greatest Love ever shown! Regardless of how “woke” the world becomes, the show of Love expressed in Christ remains unmatched and will continue to be the greatest Love as no greater Love than this exists—that a man will lay down his life for his friends. As John 15:13 (NIV) says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Passion was expressed in that Love! One thing, though, that was not expressed in that Love/work/sacrifice is Ambition. Christ showed no ounce of ambition in his 3.5 years on earth. These are not the words of an ambitious man: “I can of myself do nothing” (John 5:30, NIV), “the works that I do, it is my father who does the work” (John 14:10, NIV). “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
But his Passion was unmistakable: “The zeal of his Father’s house hath eaten him up” (John 2:17, KJV), “I have meat to eat that ye know not of, my meat is to do the works of Him that sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:32-34, KJV). All of these say one thing: he was PASSIONATE about representing his father and fulfilling his Father’s cause more than he was about achieving a personal ambition.
Passion Over Ambition
There is no ambition that will be rewarded. Since it is for self-glory, it is not built upon the example of Christ, which is Passion. Christ, our example, was not ambitious. As it is written, “But emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, ESV).
Ambition is a show of self. Passion is a show of Christ. A ministry that is not drawing people closer to Christ, a ministry that is not showcasing Christ and lifting him up in the minds of the people, is an ambition. It is totally IMPOSSIBLE that a Man and Christ can be glorified at the same time. God is not glorifying a living man. Even our Lord was not glorified until he died. He essentially was glorified by his death: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32, NIV). And Peter glorified God by his death: “This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God” (John 21:19, ESV). Only dead men can glorify God because God is glorified through the death of the flesh!
If you are still looking for likes and acknowledgment (not acceptance because Paul asked for prayers that his ministration be acceptable to the saints), but if the central goal of ALL your ministerial or service work is not to Glorify Jesus Christ—so that his cause on earth should flourish—if it is anything short of that, if the motive is to become something, to achieve the status of so and so person, Brothers! Make a U-turn, you are on an ambitious voyage that will not be rewarded!
Ministers Should Be Passionate
Ministers should be absolutely PASSIONATE individuals who bear the burden of Jesus Christ upon their hearts and want nothing more than that his kingdom be birthed in the hearts of the people so badly they can’t help but talk about it. IF a venture into ministry is done based on anything short of this, it is sacrilegious! If it is ventured into for financial gratification or to become part of an elite or belong to a class, that is profaning divine things and nicolaitanism!
We are nothing, every one of us. We have individually received grace (unmerited choice) from the Lord, and that grace is to achieve one singular goal—Build a kingdom for Christ, not for ourselves.
The Danger of Shifting from Passion to Ambition
It is possible that an initial passion can become overshadowed by ambition. In fact, that is
exactly what the human mind is prone to become. Demas was an example. He was no doubt passionate at the beginning, sticking with Paul as a co-worker as mentioned in Philemon 24 (KJV) and Colossians 4:14 (KJV). But we quickly see how his seeming love was clouded by his ambitious love for the world: “For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me” (2 Timothy 4:10, ESV). Do not for one second think Demas went into fornication or some low down lifestyle (WMB said so—”The Present Stage of My Ministry, Para 55); his focus only shifted. Christ wasn’t the object of his service anymore, even though he might yet be a preacher, he now has self-actualization and other self-gratification ambitions as a goal. No, he is not saying that to everyone, but what motivates him shows that clearly. You may study Balaam the prophet, a gifted prophet, he can teach us one or two things about how ambitious men end.
Ambition is dead! Passion is alive! Passion is fire; it lights up others! Ambition is water; it
quenches others and lords itself over them! It achieves nothing genuine. You cannot light a fire with no fire.
I have read about some of the major revivals through which God witnessed to this world of his certainty. From the Welsh revival to Azusa Street to William Branham, none of them has ever been sparked by an ambitious individual who has said, “I just wanted to be able to speak to millions of people” or “be the center of attraction for thousands of people,” or “I just wanted to be able to travel the world,” or any such things! One thing I have found common with them all is: they wanted to see Christ reborn and glorified in the hearts of men. They wanted it so badly that it took sleep from their eyes in some cases.
Check yourselves watchman, check yourself brother, sister and friend, and ask if your attention may have shifted within rather than above. Check if your personal interest is overriding the singular objective of “Go tell the world about ME” (Mark 16:15, NIV), not “YOURSELF.”
Always Check!
He that lifts himself up, regardless of how subtle, may draw men to the church, but never to Christ!
What Have You Come to Seek? – Pastor Tommy
As Christians, let’s reflect on a question prompted by Pastor Tommy Stapleton’s recent sermon: What is our purpose in attending the burial (Celebration of Life and Times) of Pastor Billy Joseph? Each of us has come here with a purpose in mind, and it’s important to consider what we seek as we gather together.
Text: Job 8:5, Deuteronomy 11:22, Song of Solomon 3:2, Psalms 42:79
While reflecting on this sermon, it’s crucial to recognize that there’s a deeper significance beyond the funeral arrangements and programs we’ve organized. Are we here solely to pay our final respects to Pastor Billy, or do we aspire to discover something more profound? Are we seeking a person or material prosperity? I leave it to each of us to ponder and answer. Our existence should be oriented towards something greater than the transient aspects of this world. Simply paying respects to Pastor Billy won’t guarantee entry into heaven; he would likely desire us to pursue a deeper connection beyond this temporal realm and embrace the life offered in Christ Jesus. (Amen)
Let’s take a brief journey to Job chapter 8, where Bildad, one of Job’s friends, sought to offer him comfort—an admirable gesture. However, Job’s focus transcended his friend’s efforts. He grasped the truth that true comfort cannot be found in any human being; it can only come from the greatest man to walk the earth, Jesus Christ. Therefore, when we seek, we must seek beyond mere human comforts. Seeking involves both resorting to and searching for something, and it also entails discovery. Are we here merely to find solace, or are we here to seek in the truest sense? Pastor Billy would undoubtedly want us to pursue what he sought in life—something beyond the confines of this earthly realm.
We gather here to pursue the word of God, a pursuit of utmost significance—one that can provide direction and earn commendation from God Himself. However, how exactly do we approach this pursuit? Brethren, seeking cannot be done at our convenience; it requires commitment. We seek on our knees, amidst challenges, and especially when our lives lack direction. Our seeking must be grounded in the word of God, as His word serves as the ultimate guide in our quest.
Are we seeking worldly desires such as popularity or wealth, or are we seeking a profound spiritual renewal? We require a deep-seated transformation that qualifies us for heaven, and this pursuit cannot be sporadic; it must be a daily endeavor. Whether in our cars or in our private moments, we seek God through His word sincerely, devoid of hypocrisy, for before God, we stand transparent, and He discerns our sincerity, longing for genuine seekers.
To collaborate with God requires steadfastness and perseverance—an endeavor marked by a profound calling unto the depths of our souls and anchored in faith. As Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The emphasis lies on the unseen. How then do we gain sight? Through seeking. No one can see through another’s eyes; each must embark on their own journey of seeking diligently the face of God, inviting His presence to manifest in our midst.
Do we seek God before retiring for the night, or do we spend our time watching television before bed? The choice rests with each of us, for we will all give an account of how we utilized the word of God in our lives. The same accountability faced the disciples of Jesus Christ. Were they merely accompanying Him for material gains, or were they seeking to unearth profound truths in their lives? Their fruits provide the answer. It is incumbent upon us to choose our path wisely. Today, we must emulate the spiritual discipleship of the early church, continuously breaking bread and delving into self-discovery, for Christ desires to utilize us for His divine purpose.
Walking alongside Christ is not without its trials and tribulations. However, the God we serve encompasses all our physical needs and, in times of spiritual drought, expects us to seek Him fervently for revival. Regrettably, the modern church has veered from the path of seeking God earnestly. Yet, the Christ we serve never shuts the door, patiently awaiting our invitation to fill us with His presence.
As we conclude our reflection, the pivotal question remains: What shall we do now? Are we prepared to seek the Lord beyond superficial activities? Are we willing to invite Christ into the depths of our hearts and become part of His family? The decision lies in our hands—to determine what we seek and how we seek God.
Shalom
The Burial Ground of The Most honourable – Pastor Elijah
In this world we have different types of burials most especially among the wealthy ones, they like to exhibit their money in their burial, we even have people prepare their burial ground before dying. But I tell you sir/ma no matter how they construct your grave on earth, or how much was spent on the day of your burial that does not give you honor. If you need to have a honorable burial, you must have acquired your burial ground, and that ground is hidden to the world.
Text: 2chronicle 32:27, Romans 6:1, Revelation 20:6, Revelation 14:30
An example of someone who could not acquire this hidden burial ground is the rich man in Mark 10:17 – 22, he had virtually everything a man can think of on earth, even the scriptures emphasized on the height of his wealth, but when the proposition was made to him on how to acquire for himself the best burial ground for. The honorable one, he couldn’t afford it despite his riches. He could not buy a slot by just selling all he had, give to the poor, and follow Christ.
Spiritually speaking the rich man died a wretched man, but to the world his death must have been a wonderful one, even I’m sure his burial ceremony would include a nice tribute and activities, but to God his death was a lost. This goes to tell us why we need to die on the right faith, not the faith of one general overseer, it must be the faith of the bible.
We can pick our example from the man Job. He understood the necessity to acquire for himself the best burial ground to live after this ephemeral world, he knew there was more to just dying, there’s life after death and that’s why he didn’t allow anything distract him from his lively hope not even his wife, sickness, or friend could do that.
Job died holding to that hope of resurrection, and this acquired for him a burial ground for honorable people. The burial ground of the most honorable is nothing but your FAITH, not any kind of FAITH, but the FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are dead in Adam drove to divers’ lusts, but when we heard the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ we were raised from dead to life.
If you think funeral services made for men makes them honorable, then what do you think about the martyrs of faith? – scriptures say many of them were torn by lions, sawed into two with no befitting burial but they had the best burial ground and that is to die in the right FAITH. You too can acquire your own burial ground today; all you must do is accept the true gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and this gospel requires you to be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that’s when you start a walk with God.
If you want to be in the burial ground of the most honorable ones, it’s not something hard, all you need do is examine your faith today, examine what you carry. If your faith is anti-scripture, if your faith allows women on the pulpit, then your faith is against the faith of the son of God, and you cannot rest in peace. Not everyone is resting in peace because their death was on the wrong faith.
What will be your excuse when Christ calls for you, what will you give in exchange for your soul if God comes for you? Please let us allow the word of God to do the expected work in our lives and our end will be remarkable
Shalom.
Don’t Be Idle
Today, we embark on another pivotal topic concerning idleness. Is it acceptable for a Christian to be idle? What role does idleness play in God’s plan for humanity? These are the inquiries we aim to address in today’s discussion. Idleness is defined as spending time without purposeful activity. In God’s design, nothing on Earth is intended to be idle, as evidenced by the activities of animals, plants, and humans alike. God has crafted us all as beings who not only consume but also labor for sustenance. An intriguing aspect of God’s design for humanity is that every means of sustenance necessitates effort; without such exertion, survival becomes untenable. This underscores the inherent necessity for us to engage in productive work; indeed, we are created to labor.
Text: Acts 20:27, Hebrews 6:9, John 3:16, Proverbs 30:24, Proverbs 12:23, Ecclesiastes 10:18, Genesis 2:5, proverbs 19:15, Proverbs 18:9, Proverbs 21:5,25, Proverbs 22:13, Proverbs 24:30 Proverbs 26:14-15
The Wisdom of the Ants (Proverbs 30:24)
If there’s a creature worthy of emulation, it’s the ant. As depicted in scripture, despite their lack of strength, ants never suffer from hunger because they grasp the principle of working for sustenance. Regrettably, many believers today exhibit a tendency towards laziness, preferring to rely solely on receiving from people rather than engaging in productive labor. Is this the demeanor that a Christian should embody? I believe not.
As humans, we must engage in both giving and receiving—participating in transactions of exchange—to avoid falling into poverty. The key to practicing this lies in abstaining from idleness (Proverbs 12:23-25). In God’s economy, there is no room for idleness. Some of us are idle both physically and spiritually, You can’t be spiritually dormant, doing nothing and expect God’s experiences.
God’s greatness is evident in how He has endowed all His creatures with intelligence; not a single creature on earth, even as small as an ant, is without it. How much more you and I, who have been given even greater intelligence to bless ourselves. The question is, are we utilizing it? Brothers and sisters, there is an urgent need for us to make use of the gifts God has bestowed upon us to improve our lives. It’s time to stop making excuses and complaining. We need to take action for God to bless our efforts. You cannot remain idle and expect God to bless you in your idleness.
Another thing to be cautious of is wastefulness, God does not have the attitude of wasting things, so where do you get yours from as Christians? It is a sin to be wasteful, it’s not an act of God, whether what you got was a gift from someone or you bought it, you should not waste it regardless – it’s a sin!
Adam Called to Work – Genesis 2:5
We need to understand that what we are raising with you in today’s review is what you can’t see it God right from the beginning, God was never idle and will not be, the bile right there in Genesis, initializes the workings of our almighty, and this was exactly what he made sure he inculcate into Adam, he withhold rain from failing until Adam came to the picture. If Adam was called to work, then who are we? – Don’t forget that he was working even before sin came, what sin brought was just hardship, but it didn’t stop work.
I’ll round up this review calling out the youth to work. We can’t be slothful and expect God to be happy with us, we can’t be idle and expect God to bless you, you can’t be earning and spending it on unnecessary things, you can’t be wasting God’s provided resources and expect him to smile at you – At all !!!
I live us to ruminate on these things and remember that The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. Let’s get to work and see how God will open the windows of heavens for us.
Don’t Be Idle !!!!
Shalom.