Lessons to learn from the days of Noah and Lot - Luke 17:26-30 (3)

‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)

‘’ likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).

Lesson 3 – Attention and devotion to material things above the spiritual

In the days of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, the people who perished were totally involved in material things and matters: ‘’ they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, and they built.’’
They had virtually no time for God, had no time for spiritual things and matters and they were so engrossed in material values that they did not entertain any suspicions that they would not see the light of another day. They lived as if they would live forever on earth.

It is happening today in this Last Day. Too many people are so engrossed with their work, jobs, businesses, hobbies, pleasures and plans that will perish at the expense of spiritual matters that have eternal values and will determine the eternal destination of the souls of men.

Too many people including Christians have entangled themselves with the affairs of the world. The Rapture of the Saints is the next major event being expected. Yet the Church and Christians are too busy pursuing earthly matters and acquiring material resources and are not preparing for the impending Rapture of the Saints.

The propagation of the gospel surely needs money. The ministry of the Lord Jesus was supported by people who gave their substance to support and promote the gospel (Luke 8:1-3) but money should not become the driving force and controller of the church. The issue of money and how it is raised is making the Last Day church to become indecent.

God takes delight in our prosperity and interested in our material wellbeing but not at the expense of the wellbeing of our immortal souls (Psalm 35:27) (3 John: 2).

Many ministers who should prepare their members for the Rapture are busy preaching and teaching prosperity messages that have to do with acquiring earthly riches and earthly comfort at the expense of heavenly riches and eternal comfort with Christ.

The church that should be raising more souls for the kingdom of God is more interested in raising money for the work of God. The church is busy setting up commercial businesses and building gigantic cathedrals mainly for show and for vain glory but are not investing in, and are not preparing the immortal souls of their members for eternity with Christ.

In this age, the church is worshiping the idols of gold. In the church, it is not enough to have an anointing as an anointing without visible financial prosperity is regarded as a poverty anointing and despised.
Many pastors are servants of gold and silver who have charismatic showmanship but lack character. They have Jezebels singing in their choir and Delilah as ushers and the preachers accommodate them because they love it so.

Many ministers take delight in how many millions of persons were gathered in one sitting which decides how large the offerings will be, rather than how many lives are changed and transformed.
The church is encouraging materialism, extravagant and flamboyant lifestyles and immoral values (Romans 16:18). Church positions are reserved for the highest bidders as financial considerations rather than spiritual consideration is the yardstick.

The Church is purchasing private jets mainly to boost its ego and for pleasure trips around the world and to announce its arrival as a successful ministry. Success in ministry is now measured by material acquisitions in the modern day church yet many members are poor and hungry.

In the church, the testimonies that are welcome are those that are financial in nature while those that are spiritual are looked down upon. Many preachers are preaching fanciful topics to a congregation whose lives are bound in sin and iniquity when Jesus basic mission is the deliverance of lives from the power and bondage of sin (Matthew 1:21) (John 3:16).

Rather than preach first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, these ministers place the cart before the horse focusing on seeking first the financial benefits of the Kingdom above its righteousness.
Rather than focus their preaching on salvation topics that affects the immortal soul such as sin, eternal death, Hell, holiness and righteousness, restitution and purity, they focus mainly on a bread alone message: financial prosperity and success on earth for the mortal body that will perish in the grave (Matthew 4:4).

Is it not a spiritual fraud to be collecting offerings from lost souls deceiving them to believe that money offerings to God is adequate to be in right standing with Him and believe that earthly riches and comforts is what salvation is all about?

The church now preaches a ‘cash and carry gospel’ that has converted it to a business center or a place of merchandising where money making activities are conducted through the commercialization of the gospel (Mark 11:17) (John 2:16) contrary to being a house of prayer.

The church is no longer committed to evangelistic activities to bring the lost into the kingdom of God but are bringing them into the church and making them candidates fit for eternal hell through false teachings, making money from them at the expense of their salvation.

The church is no longer a place of succor for the oppressed but a place where heavier yokes are placed on the oppressed to fleece them of their resources.Many ministries were deliberately set up for the selfish interest of making money. Proceeds of crime and blood money from abominable activities such as robbery and prostitution are collected as offerings in churches. The god of mammon now rules the church (Matthew 6:24).

The schools owned by the churches are charging prohibitive fees and are generally more expensive than government owned schools. The fees charged by church owned schools are so high that most of their members and clergy cannot afford to pay the fees for their children.

Holiness teachings are fast going out of fashion and are being despised as unpopular. Many Christian believers have no fruits to show for all their years in the church, only the leaves. Holiness and love for the brethren is totally lost in the lives of many Christians yet holiness and love are among the criteria for eternity with Christ (Hebrews 12:14) (Matthew 22:37-39).

They have material wealth to flaunt – beautiful houses, cars and wardrobes; high sounding titles and positions of authority and fantastic church buildings that many admire - that are leaves but not the fruit that Christ is expecting.

In the days of the apostles in the Book of Acts, gospel sermons ended with altar calls where many were led to submit their lives to Christ ( Acts 2:38). In the church today, gospel messages end with ‘sowing seeds’ where different denominations are called and many rush to the altar to make pledges and donations in exchange for some miracle. Gospel messages in many churches now end with a donation and money collection campaign.

In the church today, God’s ability to answer prayers is attached to the ability of the congregation to give Him money. Many steal to buy their way into positions and places of favour in the church. Many pastors now engage in a ‘pull-him-down’ syndrome to occupy the positions and offices of others where money can be made.

The ‘cash and carry’ gospel is fast turning the church to a den of thieves and robbers (John2:16). If men can buy their way into positions in the church, can they buy their way into heaven? The church is not lacking in crowds but the members are church sinners and are not a congregation of saints. The church has many gigantic cathedrals where worshippers swarm like bees but crimes and evil increases daily.

There is too much wickedness and idolatry going on everywhere including the church. The church has too many miracle workers yet the souls of men are not changed and transformed. Many come to church but do not change from their old ways. They are in church but are not in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Not many preachers are telling their congregation what Ezekiel 18:4 says that the soul that sinneth shall die. Not many preachers are teaching their members what Hebrews 12:14 says that ‘follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.’’

Not many preachers are teaching their members to observe all things that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:20 but are teaching a watered down, one-sided gospel that benefits the mortal body but neglects and jeopardizes the eternal destination of the immortal soul.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe.
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com
Lagos, Nigeria.

Knowing and Loving Jesus without Obedience?

John 10:27 says ‘my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.’’ Matthew 7:23 says ‘’and I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.’’

Do you know Jesus? If you know Jesus, does Jesus know you as one of his sheep? Those who know Jesus and believe in Him must also love Him by obedience to His Word and commands. It is possible to claim that we know Jesus and believe in Him without loving Him practically through obedience.

Belief in Jesus should not be limited to a mere mental acceptance of the historical fact that He died, was buried and rose again and is coming back again. The demons also know and believe these facts but have been condemned already. The demons’ knowing and believing these facts cannot reverse their fate.

One of the messages of the Gospel is its strong emphasis on obedience to God and His Word both in the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament in Deuteronomy 5:29 says ‘O that there was a heart in them that they would fear me and obey my commandments always…’’

In the New Testament, Luke 6:46 says ‘And why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

Matthew 19:17 says ‘…but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments.’’

John14:15 say ‘If ye love me, keep my commandments.’’

John 14:21 say ‘he that hath my commandments and keeps them is he that loves me.’’

John 15:10 say ‘if ye keep my commandments, ye shall dwell in my love.’’

Therefore, if we claim to know God but do not abide by His commands, then we do not really know Him. if we speak in tongues, prophesy and cast out devils but are not obeying His commands, then Jesus does not recognize us as his sheep (John 10:27). 

Those who claim or profess to know Jesus but do not keep His commands are liars who lack the truth and all liars shall be cast into the lake of fire ( Revelations 21:8). The commandments of God have not changed and will never change because the Word of God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8) (2 John 1:6). The command that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 17:1 to walk before Him blamelessly is the same command given to us today.

 

The true sheep are they who keep the commandments of God. Revelations 14:12 say ‘here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’’

God cannot dwell in anyone who is not keeping His commands. One can call himself a Man of God but in reality is not a Man with God anymore. There are many who claim to be Men of God and men see them so because they have strong prophetic anointing and miraculous powers. However, they are not Men with God if they do not abide by God’s commandments and are not walking in His will. 

The Spirit of God may have departed them and another contrary spirit could have taken over. God may not withdraw their anointing because the gifts of God are usually without repentance (Romans 11:29). God did not withdraw the Devil’s powers when he fell out of His favour and while King Solomon backslid, his gift of wisdom remained with him.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 says ‘let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and obey His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.’’ In Matthew 28:20 Jesus says we should teach the congregation to observe ALL THINGS that he commanded. 

Are we teaching all things that Jesus commanded or are we teaching a watered down, one-sided gospel that benefits the mortal body on earth but neglects and jeopardizes the eternal destination of the immortal soul of man? Are we determined to obey all things as commanded or are we selecting some and throwing out the rest as impractical commands?

 

            

Prayers:

Ø Power to obey God all the days of my life, possess me in Jesus name

Ø Anything in my life that is not of God, dragging me to Hell, be uprooted in Jesus name

Ø Lord, break me down and remould me to your taste in Jesus name

Ø Holy Spirit purge me afresh and refill me with your spirit

Ø Lord, deliver me from the power of presumptuous sinning in Jesus name

Ø Lord, give me a new heart and a new spirit in Jesus name

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com

Lagos, Nigeria

Falling by Transgression: 3 Lessons to Learn From the Life of Judas Iscariot

He was one of the Twelve apostles of Jesus Christ who were appointed by the Lord Himself (Mark 3:14). He was ordained to preach the gospel, to heal and to cast out devils (Mark 3:14-15). He was endued with power (Matthew 10:1-8) and was a successful preacher and healer (Mark 6:12-13) (Luke 9:6).Judas Iscariot was also a baptizer in water (John 4:2) and possessed eternal life (John17:12). 

His name was written in the Book of Life (Luke 10:20) and was promised an eternal kingship (Matthew 19:28). He had a part in the apostolic ministry (Acts 1:17) and was the first treasurer of the church (John12:6). He was a saved man and an unsaved man could not have been written in the Book of Life. He was a friend of Jesus and trusted by Him (Psalm 41:9) (John 13:18). 

Later he became a thief who stole from the funds in his custody (John 12:4-6), and became an adversary to Christ (John 6:70). He fell by transgression (Acts 1:25) and his name was blotted out of the book of life (Psalm 69:25-28).

LESSON ONE:

One can come so close to the Kingdom of God and still lose it. 1 Corinthians 10:12 warns that he that thinks he is standing should take heed lest he fall. Judas Iscariot is the sad and tragic story of a man who had impressive and impeccable credentials in the service of Christ which once secured his name in the Book of Life and was given eternal life but lost it by transgression when he betrayed His Master into the hands of His enemies (Mark 14:43-46) for thirty pieces of silver. 

LESSON TWO:

There is a leaven or work of darkness in the life of every man on earth whether he is Born Again or not, which must be dealt with else it can derail his destiny or terminate his ministry and also consign him to eternal Hell. In Judas Iscariot, the leaven was covetousness by which he fell and is eternally lost.

In the life of Moses, the leaven was his temper which he lost at the wrong time, which terminated his ministry and he lost the opportunity to enter into the Promised Land. In the life of King Saul, the leaven was self-will which brought him into disfavor with God and the kingship was transferred from his lineage to another. 

In the life of Samson, the leaven was sexual lust that terminated his ministry and cut short his glorious destiny. In the life of Gehazi, the leaven was also covetousness that terminated his ministry and destiny and denied him the opportunity to succeed his master and become one of the greatest prophets if he also received a double anointing.

LESSON THREE:

We can fail God in the point of our greatest strength. Abraham’s greatest strength was his faith, yet his faith failed him when he got to Egypt and lied to Pharaoh that Sarah was not his wife (Genesis 12:10- 13:4). Moses strength was his meekness. The Bible described him as the meekest man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). 

Moses was the only Prophet whom God spoke with face-to-face yet he failed the Lord God when he lost his temper at the waters of Meribah. Samson was a great warrior who was powerfully anointed from his mother’s womb but ended his ministry and destiny on the laps of a prostitute.

What is the leaven or work of darkness hiding in you which the Devil planted in your life to derail your destiny and rubbish your salvation? Have you identified it? Is it pride, lust, unforgiveness, bitterness, malice, arrogance, hatred, drunkenness, gossip, anger, greed, covetousness or whatever? 

Having identified it, you need to call upon the Lord to root it out of your life (Matthew 15:13). May we not fall by transgression in Jesus name. 

He that thinks he is standing should take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12).

 

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.xtianrace.blogspot.com

Lagos, Nigeria.

LESSONS from the days of Noah and Lot - Luke 17:26-30 (2

‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)

‘’ likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).

Lesson 2   -   Rejecting the Ark of Salvation

God always warns men about an impending judgment and destruction for sin. Are we listening and heeding His calls to us for the salvation of our souls? He sent Prophet Jonah to warn the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh about the need to repent from their wicked ways or else they would perish in their sins. 

Repent or you perish in your sins is one of the messages of the Gospel (Luke 13:3). God warns men to repent because He is a merciful God who is not willing that men perish but that they come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is merciful and more willing to exercise mercy than judgment (James 2:13).

In the days of Noah, God created an Ark for the salvation of men based on repentance. Unfortunately, only 8 persons entered into the Ark and were saved from destruction while the unbelieving multitudes that refused to repent perished in the 40 day floods due to their disobedience and unbelief in God’s Word.

The Ark of salvation that God has created to rescue men from eternal death in this Last Days is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is the sacrifice for the sins of men. He is the one who died at Calvary, was buried but rose again from the dead and is living forever more (Revelations 1:8). Jesus’ resurrection conquered death and sin and is the assurance of eternal life to anyone who believes in Him.

As God warned in Noah’s days, He is warning and calling for all men to repent and be converted in this Last Day. He has set aside a day to judge this present world on account of sin and that day is the Day of Judgment also called the Day of Wrath or Day of Reckoning (Acts 17:30-31). 

Man born in sin is estranged from God and doomed to eternal separation if he dies in sin. He must be reconciled with God first before he can spend his eternity with God. The reconciliation is what salvation is all about i.e. sin and death must be conquered in the lives of men which Jesus Christ did for all men by His resurrection from the dead. 

If men reject the salvation which God offers the world through Jesus Christ, there are several reasons as there were in the days of Noah and Lot. In the days of Noah and Lot, many doubted God’s calls for repentance and salvation. Therefore, one of the reasons is unbelief in God and what He says (His Word). 

Unbelief was one major reason why the multitudes perished in the days of Noah and Lot. Many who perished in the days of Noah doubted the reality of the flood just as some today are denying the reality of Hellfire as an eternal place of punishment and torment for lost souls. Some even deny that God and Heaven are real.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 that the preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness to those that are perishing but to those that are saved, the message of the Cross is the power of God unto salvation. 

The unbelief of men in the Word of God does not invalidate God and His Word (Romans 3:3-4). Salvation is personal and an individual decision as every man will render a personal account of his life before God on the Day of Judgment.

There are many false doctrines that are circulating, blinding the eyes of men from seeing the truth. ‘Rather than diligently seek for the truth that sets free, many are seeking and following after popular opinions instead of convictions and are being led astray by false doctrines.’’ (Warren Wiersbe). 

The Bible writes in 1Timothy 4:1 that in the Last Days, many shall fall victim to seducing doctrines of demons that leads astray. Men are falling for other ‘gospels’ or ‘teachings’ that are contrary to the teachings of the Gospel of Christ. 

Some deny the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some deny that Jesus is the Son of God. Some do not accept that Jesus is God who came in the flesh. Some deny the existence of the Trinity. Some do not accept the reality of the Holy Spirit as one of the Trinity.  Some do not believe the virgin birth and the deity of Christ. 

Some believe in the false doctrine of eternal security or ‘Once saved, forever saved’ and the doctrine of good works which is religion without salvation. Some do not believe the reality of Judgment saying that because God is Love, He cannot cast unrepentant sinners who died in sin into Hell. They seem to forget that the God of love and mercy is also the God of Judgment.

Some deny the existence of a Heaven and a Hell. Some believe in a place called Purgatory where they say they would go after physical death to be cleansed of their sins and from there would be transported to Heaven. Some do not accept that Jesus is the Saviour of the world and that He died for the sins of all men. Some do not believe that the Blood of Jesus cleanses one from sin.

False and strange teachings of demons are one reason why many doubt the Gospel of Christ and are rejecting the Jesus Ark of salvation as in the days of Noah and Lot. These false doctrines are a leaven that corrupts the whole in the lives of those who believe them. False doctrines are a reason why those who subscribe to them will not be allowed into the Ark unless the leaven is purged out of them.

Admission into the Ark of Salvation is by faith in Christ. To inherit eternal life in Christ which is the only solution to eternal death, one must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him his Lord and Saviour. 

One must confess Jesus with his mouth and believe in his heart that He was raised from the dead and is alive forever more. One must surrender his heart and life to Jesus Christ and allow Jesus to be the director and controller of his life going forward (Romans 10:9-10) (Revelations 3:20).