GIFTED TO LIVE ETERNALLY

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:28 (KJV).

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*”As long as man thinks he can save himself, he remains lost”* (Martyn Lloyd-Jones). It takes the grace of God for any one to be saved through the Blood of Jesus Christ. People work assiduously to obtain food, clothing, money, land, buildings and other expensive things, but their strength and expertise cannot earn them salvation. Hard work pays, but the grace of God pays better.

It is good to obtain some great treasures of this world, yet the most needful thing in the life of an individual is to accept Jesus Christ and obtain eternal life from God. Know that the blessings of this collapsing world, have their days numbered.

As long as we obey His Word, God is willing to keep us in His safest hand, where nothing can pluck away our salvation. One thing the devil uses as a stumbling block in the ways of those who have been saved, is to unconsciously allow them to overlook the “little foxes” of sin. He doesn’t only want our spiritual gifts to be driven on the wheels of carnality, he also wants mature Christians to underrate some sinful acts, but we need to be vigilant.

No form of misbehavior must be tolerated to take away the gift of eternal life from us. Christ is almost here for those who are saved by His grace. When we fight the good fight of faith by refusing to give in to the comfort of sin, we shall forever be together in the holy abode of our Everlasting Father.
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*PRAYER: Lord Jesus, keep me graced to act responsibly until your return. *AMEN*
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FOCUS ON CHRIST

“I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” Psalm 16:8 (KJV).

*📮MESSAGE*

Matthew Henry once said, *”Christ is hated because sin is loved.”* Sin has kept many people from wanting to be like Christ, while Christ is the focus of all those who have come to believe in Him. Focus gives goal to life. It offers the right direction for the one who seeks to make efforts towards the achievement of an ambition.

Tailors and shoemakers, are among the numerous professionals who make good use of patterns to get their desired shapes and right measurements. The patterns help to avoid mistakes and maintain accuracy in order to achieve their focuses.

Unbelievers do not only trust in the intelligence of their role models and in the might of scientific knowledge. They also rely on the achievement of their goals, through the milestones of sin. Due to the “right hand” position which they have given to the systems and philosophies of this sinful world, Christ is sidelined and hated.

We are fortunate to have Christ before us. His Word is our pattern of righteousness which can only bring us into His full stature and character. We are not to make any unpardonable mistake by following the ideologies of this world because they will misdirected us from attaining the ticket of holiness which can only lead us to Heaven. Very soon, our Lord Jesus Christ will come for those who have kept themselves according to His perfect and just measurement (Deuteronomy 25:15).

Those who are persistently looking into Jesus Christ as the author and the finisher of their lives, have no mistakes to commit. Inasmuch as Christ is still our perfect example of righteousness, we have no other focus to consider. We are still alive to erase the mess and put ourselves in the right path. If we persevere by making Him our “right hand”, then shall we never be moved by the storms of the devil.
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*PRAYER: Father in Heaven, keep my eyes fixed on your Son Jesus Christ as my right pattern of righteousness. *AMEN*
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ESPOUSED TO CHRIST

“For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Cor.11:2 KJV).

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All Scriptures come from the breath of God; they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. In Paul’s second letter to the church of Corinth, we see a revelation of godly jealousy. The Bible says, _”For you shall worship no other god: for the LORD, *whose name is Jealous*, is a jealous God” (Ex. 34:14)._ The Lord through Apostle Paul revealed how Jealous He is over His Church.

Every husband is jealous over his wife; he won’t be in any position to let another man take away or have an affair with his wife. Our Lord Jesus will never let anything separate His bride from Him. The Bible says, “Your Maker is Your Husband” (Isaiah 54:5). The Holy Spirit has espoused believers to one Husband— Christ Jesus. We can’t marry two husbands; we can’t serve two masters. It’s either we are with the Lord or with Satan and the world.

The Lord had already paid the dowry of His bride with His Blood. We are engaged with Him when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Our wedding with Him will be celebrated in Heaven. The Best Man, who is the Holy Spirit, will present us as a chaste virgin to the Lord. That’s why we must live in holiness and truth before God. The Lord can’t marry a whore who is married to the world.

The Lord Jesus is coming soon for His bride. Only those who remain chaste in Him, free from the corruption of this world, shall be raptured.
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PRAYER: I love You with all my heart Lord Jesus. Please groom me to be a pure bride unto You.
AMEN

THE CORRUPT CHURCH

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3)
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The Church is espoused to Christ Jesus. It is His will to present her as a chaste virgin to Himself. He loved her so much that He gave himself for her. The Bible says, _”Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; *but that it should be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27)*._ The Lord is Holy so must His bride also be holy.

As the serpent beguiled Eve through subtility, so is he luring the Church and robbing her of her relationship with the Lord. He has corrupted her mind with the things of the world; she has allowed the little foxes to spoil the vines which bear the tender grapes (Song of Sol. 2:15). He has swayed her from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. The love of the Father is no more in her for she has befriended the world.

Our Lord Jesus is coming for those who overcome the deceitfulness of Satan. If He didn’t spare the first woman who followed the voice of Satan, will He let anyone who do same go scout free? No! Even as He cursed and moved them out of His presence, so will all those who follow suit be thrown into His eternal wrath.
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PRAYER: Wash my mind from the corruption of this world Lord Jesus, present me holy unto Yourself.
AMEN

THE RESURRECTION, OUR GLORY

“Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40).

*📮MESSAGE*

Many mysteries surround the resurrection of Jesus Christ, including a connection with three people respectively resurrected in the Old and New Testaments. Christ could have been the fourth to be resurrected in the Bible and the first in the New Testament, but why did He resurrect three people and became the seventh? Was this a mistake?

“I am the resurrection and the life”, were the words of Jesus Christ to Martha indicating His power to resurrect Lazarus. If Jesus is the resurrection, then He is life. Resurrection means restoration. It is only that which is dead that can be restored. It is restoring that which is dead to life.

Anything that has life cannot be resurrected. Jesus Christ is the source of life and the resurrection of the dead to life. He is the source of life; He was not neither will He be the source but He is the source of life.

And the Lord further told Martha, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” Jesus wanted Martha to understand that if she can believe in Him, she will see the manifestation of the resurrection which is God’s glory. Jesus alluded that the resurrection is God’s glory and He is the glory. So the glory of God is the manifestation of the efficacy of the resurrection which is the presence of God.

The rapture will manifest Gods presence; we must die to sin and believe in the Lord so we can experience His presence.

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*PRAYER:* Lord Jesus, please revive me to see the glory in Your resurrection. *AMEN*
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DESCENDING TO DISCERN

“Then shall ye return to discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” Malachi 3:18 (KJV ).

*📮MESSAGE*

Jesus Christ remains the Saviour of the world. Before His ascension into Heaven, He enlightened us in the Gospel and shed His Blood for our sins, as Scriptures foretold of Him. Those who believe in His death and resurrection, are commissioned to bear the fruit of righteousness by obeying His Word under the influence of His Spirit.

The imminent coming of our Lord will be a joyful news for the righteous. They shall be saved to live eternally with Him in Heaven. He is coming to discern between the righteous and the wicked; *”between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. “*

Brethren, will we rejoice in Heaven together with the saints and our Lord? We need not forget that there is no middle ground for those who choose to believe or disbelieve in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is the right time for us to take a very bold decision to accept Christ Jesus as our Lord, obey His Word and endure in His Spirit unto the end.
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*PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, help me to adequately prepare for your Second Coming. *AMEN*
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THE RESURRECTION, OUR ELIXIR

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. ” (1 Peter 1:3).
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*📮MESSAGE*

I was helping a senior staff to prepare a report to Management and suddenly, our conversation digressed. She talked about medicines been sold in vehicles which the sellers believe to cure almost all diseases.

I later asked her if she knows a word to describe such a medicine, but she answered contrary. I told her it is “elixir”. That was her initial hearing of elixir and she laughed as she could. She started calling me elixir as well as another senior staff. They did not call me so as if they comprehended the word but it was funny to them.

The resurrection of Christ Jesus is treated as my senior staff treat elixir; people find it easy to talk about it yet do not fully utilize the power thereof.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is our elixir and we must not find it joy to talk about it and retire to self. The resurrection is the greatest mystery and history to humanity. It is much potent in that through His resurrection, His Spirit quickens our inner person to walk in the Spirit. Through His resurrection, the greatest disease of sin which became our nature is healed. Through His resurrection, we have the peace offering, meal offering, burnt offering, sin offering and trespass offering.

The initial step of believing in the Lord to be saved is pinned to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The absence of resurrection means no Gospel to preach. Our elixir to be cured of malice, bitterness, envy, greed and the likes depend on the resurrection of Jesus Christ; this is our restoration.
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*PRAYER:* Lord Jesus, please help me understand the implications of Your death. *AMEN*
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WHAT FEEDS YOU?

“And they did all eat, and were filled” Mark 6:42 (KJV ).

*📮MESSAGE*

Nutritious food is good for the body. There is a kind of hunger which cannot be satisfied with physical food. Jesus Christ fed the multitude with bread and fish because that was the kind of food their bodies needed. This is not the only existing hunger which needs food.

Jesus Christ told us in the course of His teachings that our generation shall worship the LORD in spirit and in truth. It is a clear indication that our spiritual service to God will demand a spiritual food known as God’s Word.

As spiritual beings, the food we eat determines our growth. We must be very concerned about our spiritual wellness: because Jesus Christ is soon coming for those who have grown into His spiritual stature after feeding on His Word. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which comes out of the mouth of God.”
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*PRAYER: Father in Heaven, feed my soul with your Word in Jesus name. *AMEN*
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TIME TO WAX STRONGER

“Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded” 2 Chronicles 15:7 (KJV ).

*📮MESSAGE*

God told Azariah to inform King Asa of Judah about how he could persistently please Him. This took place in a period which followed the division of Israel into two parts; Israel (ten tribes) in the north and Judah together with Benjamin formed a kingdom in the south.

During the reign of Asa, the King of Judah, the kingdom of Israel forsook God and plunged into Idol worship. They forced the Levites (priests) out of the kingdom, failed to obey the commandments of God and went further to offer abominable sacrifices to strange gods. God also forsook them and they were defeated and plundered by their enemies.

However, God told King Asa of Judah that He would continue to be with him and the kingdom, only if they would continue to be strong in obedience to His commandments. Asa lived righteously and submitted his kingdom into the hands of God. He made some number of reforms which solidified his kingdom for God, and destroyed the shrine presided over by his evil mother.

It is our turn to work hard as righteous children of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is almost ready to judge the righteous and the wicked. The hands of the people of Israel waxed weaker in carrying out the work of righteousness. This drifted them into idolatry and they got severely punished for that.

We need to firmly hold our faith in God and His free gift of salvation. We can achieve this when we practise God’s Word daily. By so doing, our determination to please the Lord in both good and bad times, will force secret, inner and outer sins to disappear from us. We have to wax stronger in righteousness and get rewarded eternally.
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*PRAYER: Eternal Father, grant me the strength to work out my salvation in Christ. *AMEN*
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IS YOUR HEART PURE?

“He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend” (Prov. 22:11).
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There are many Christians who want to be endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit, but hate to live in the purity of His Word. Purity of heart is the objective of our warfare with the world. We are at war with the things of the world; they make the heart impure. The Lord Jesus can’t live in a filthy place for He is Holy.

The Lord reveals Himself to those that are pure in heart (Matt. 5:8). When you hunger to be free from the impurities of this world and thirst after the righteousness of the Lord, you shall surely be filled (Matt. 5:6). He that love to live in holiness, and whose conversations are salted with the grace of the Word of God, will be the friend of the King of Kings—Christ Jesus.The Lord loves the righteous; He keeps the pure in heart as the apple of His eyes. It is the heartbeat of God for all His children to live in purity.

Beloved, is your heart right with God? Mathew Henry said, “A man in whose spirit there is no guile, and whose speech is always with grace, God will be his friend, Messiah, the Prince, will be his friend. This honour have all the saints”.
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PRAYER: I thirst and hunger for Your Righteousness Lord Jesus. Please purify my heart.
AMEN