Category Archives: Church

Narrow Gate: Is the Way to Heaven a Rough One?

Posted by Jul 31, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Gospel Evangelism Leave a Comment
Narrow Gate: Is the Way to Heaven a Rough One?

Jesus Christ used the word ‘narrow gate’ to describe the ‘tough’ process involved in staying fit on the track to Heaven. 

When One of the faithful followers of Jesus compared the popular lifestyles of people to the teachings of Jesus Christ, he asked Jesus: “Lord, are there few who are saved?” Jesus was not surprised about the question and He replied: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you will seek to enter and will not be able”. (Luke 13:23-24)

Is the Narrow Gate an Easy Task?

The message on many pulpits contradicts Jesus’ response in Luke chapter 13 verses 24. Some preachers made statements such as: “You have nothing to do once you give your life to Jesus”; “Your heaven is secured no matter what you do”; “You are under the dispensation of grace, so you have the liberty to do anything you like”…

All these and other similar quotes are ‘pleasing messages’ from the false preachers. The misconception of Paul’s statements is their references. Please test all preaching with the Word of Jesus, so that you won’t be carried away by the fake news about Heaven.

Jesus Christ did not give us the impression that the narrow gate to heaven is easy and He did not tell us that our journey to Heaven is free of hard times. Narrow gate means discipline, endurance, steadfast and denying yourself the pleasure of this world.

What did Jesus Mean by the Narrow Gate?

Jesus said: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…” The word strive means; to try to achieve a result; to make a strenuous effort; to try earnestly and persistently.

The gate is narrow because it’s holy features are unpopular and not generally acceptable by the people.. The other gate that leads to destruction is wide because it’s sinful features are attractive and many people enjoy it so much.

GOD oversees the narrow gate while the Devil controls the wide gate.

Jesus gave an advice to us in the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 13: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it”.

The narrow gate is a symbol of Uniqueness, Exceptional Quality and Premium!!

Prophecy of the Narrow Road

God is so powerful in His Majesty and He knows the end from the beginning. The Lord had prophesied in the book of Matthew chapter 7 verse 14 that narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. The present situation of this generation tends towards the fulfilment of this prophecy.

As of 2010, Christianity had an estimated population of 2.2 billion adherents, which was nearly 31% of the 6.9 billion people on earth (according to Pew report). And the future predictions are not encouraging.

If the human counting (31%) is so low, I wonder what the LORD’s figure would be in the Book of Life…

Many people will go to heaven, but if the figure is compared to the total number of human beings on earth, the outcome is few.

So, the word ‘few’ mentioned by Jesus did not contradict the description of John in Revelation chapter 7 verse 9 to 10: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Few people will pass through the narrow gate because a lot of people are not ready to pay the price of discipleship.

The Trend of Narrow Gate

The trend of few people surviving through the narrow gate started in the generation of Noah. After Noah preached for 120 years, only 8 people passed through the narrow gate.

The Lord said to Noah: “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark-you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.”

The generation of Sodom and Gomorrah would have survived the fire if they obeyed the late night warning of Lot, but only a few survived the hot judgment.

Genesis chapter 19: “…So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city! But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking. When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city… Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens.”

It was only 2 men of Moses’ generation that entered the promised land because majority practiced rebellious lifestyles.

Numbers chapter 32 verse 10 to 12 says: “So the LORD’S anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, ‘except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.’”

Thus, we must not take the love of God for granted. Jesus loves us, and He does not want us to perish. The only way to enjoy His love is for you to obey His instructions and walk through the narrow gate. God’s love for you does not allow disobedience or rebellious acts.

How to Strive your Way to Heaven

1. Give your Body, Soul and Spirit to the LORD

You cannot achieve the outcome of gaining heaven without the Power and Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. John chapter 14 verse 6 says: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

2. Get the Road Map

The Holy Bible is the only authentic map you need for a successful trip to heaven. It is wise you test every word you hear with the Bible.

The common error I noticed in our generation is less zeal for personal Bible Study. Some Pastors won’t preach on the narrow gate because it is not an interesting topic that makes people laugh in the church.

Don’t hesitate to obey the word of God when situation is bearable or unbearable.

3. Be Focused on the Narrow Gate

There are lots of distractions out there. Distractions can steal your precious time for prayers and personal Bible studies. Examples of distractions are; parties, movies, video games, social media etc.

4. Love Endurance

The acceptance of Jesus Christ into your life does not imply a challenge-free life. So, you don’t have the freedom to live a careless lifestyle, but endure every trial that comes your way. Don’t give excuses for stumbling into temptations. It’s good you always seek God’s Power to overcome sin and He will give you.

Thus, don’t look for “better life” through the Broadway. The end of such “better life” is destruction. Always remember the promise of Jesus in John chapter 16 verses 33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

5. Be a Faithful Follower

Your work on the route to the narrow gate is to love God than all the things of this world. Luke chapter 9 verse 23 to 25 says: “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?”  

 

God cannot force you to do the right things, but spend all your power of choice to follow Jesus on the path of the narrow gate that leads to Heaven.

Temple of God: What Does it has to do with My Body?

Posted by Jul 20, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Family, Gospel Evangelism 1 Comment
Temple of God: What Does it has to do with My Body?

The temple of God is a sacred place of worship filled with the awesome presence of the Lord. God designed two types of temple. The first one is made from materials (structures of heaven and church buildings on earth). And the second type of temple is constructed through His breath (the body of Angels and Man).

The main purpose of creation is to worship God in praises. Psalm 66 verse 4 says: “All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.”

Why did God create our body as a form of temple? Well, the answer is not far fetched, because God dwells in the Praises of His people. Thus, our body must be designed to contain His presence. You will understand this point clearly if you are the type that worship God with all your heart. My body is not always the same when the Lord dwells in my praises to Him…it is a wonderful experience I love so much. Psalm 22 verse 3 says: “But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.”

If you engage yourself in praise and worship to the Lord, then His Presence will dwell in your body (which is linked to your soul and spirit).

The plan of God for the population of about 7 billion people on earth is to become His temples (dwelling places of praise and worship). But the publication released by the International Bulletin of Missionary Research in mid-2015 showed that the total number of Christian in the world is about 2.42 billion. Does that translate to 2.42 billion temples?

False Teaching about the Body

Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made by God. The psalmist meditated and discovered the great significance of the body. “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)

But, devil cooked-up false teachings about our body so that we can sin against God’s temple. Few of the false teachings are:

  1. God does not care about your body, but cares about your spirit and soul…
  2. You can do anything to ‘beautify’ your body…
  3. Since you are born again then you have the liberty to do anything…

They deceive people through the misconception of Paul’s statements such as: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)

How to Purify God’s Temple

Your body is the temple of God. And he will dwell in you if your body is holy. The book of Leviticus chapter 19 verse 2 says: “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

  1. Clean with the Blood of Jesus

The temple of the Old Testament was purified with the blood of the spotless lamb. But our body (temple) must be purified with the Blood of Jesus. “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (First Peter 1:18-19)

God does not dwell in the temple of sinners. Thus, you have to give your life to Jesus by forsaking all sinful attitudes. Jesus fulfilled His promise mentioned in the book of John chapter 14 verses 16. The presence of the Holy Spirit in us took away the forces of loneliness. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…”

 

  1. Don’t Change the Structure

God created you in His image and He won’t be glad to see the temple He created to be restructured by another fake creator. For instance;God did not support the popular fashion of tattoo on the body. “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:28)

 

The Spirit of God disapproves the use of cosmetics, bleaching creams and ornaments because they transform the image of God on the body to another strange image.

First Peter chapter 3 verse 3 and 4 says: “Do not let your adornment be merely outward–arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel–rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

Bad eating habits such as; gluttony, fast food, alcohol, concentrate juice and lack of balance diet defiles the body formation. The defilement of the body through this medium contributes to low life span in this generation.

It’s also a causal agent to the high occurrence of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart attack, kidney problem etc.

  1. Abstain from Sexual Immorality

I always preach in the Ministers’ conference that anointing does not guarantee over-confidence to sex related temptations. The best you can do is not to cast and bind, but to flee from the venue of temptation.

An African adage says: “you don’t smell the meal you won’t eat.” Thus, God detests any form of sexual sins with our body because He dwells in the temple filled with holiness.

Your country might legalize gay marriage, divorce and remarriage, fornication/adultery, but God will never accept such body as His temple.

First Corinthians chapter 6 verse 14 to 20 says: “…But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

What happens if the Temple is defiled?

God is holy and He also wants you to be holy. It is only the holy interrelationship that can make God to dwell in you. If the temple is defiled, then God will be angry and His Spirit will not dwell in such body.

Anyone that defiles his or her body with sins will face the wrath of the Lord. First Corinthians chapter 3 verse 17 says: “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

Your body is the temple of God and it carries the personality of your soul and spirit. God designed your trinity in this form so that He can dwell in you when you praise and worship Him. John chapter 4 verse 24 say: “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

If you notice that the temple of God in you is not purified, please do not hesitate to run to Jesus for a cleanup. Jesus will restore and save you from eternal destruction.

Christian Race: How to Avoid Falling Away!!

Posted by Jul 11, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Gospel Evangelism, Word of Faith Leave a Comment
Christian Race: How to Avoid Falling Away!!

Christian race is a lifestyle that is tasking and it is worthwhile because the umpire of the race is Jesus Christ. The beauty of the Christian race is that it has a finish line and the winners shall be rewarded with beautiful mansions and eternal peace in heaven.

I had an interesting experience on track events during my primary school inter-house sport. My dad trained me to always obey the rules of the race; to hear the gunshot before moving, to focus on the finish line, to move fast with all my strength, and never to look back.

During the competition, he was always on the field to encourage me to move fast, even when am comfortable with the second place. I always came home with gifts at the end of every race. So, the secrets of my winnings were consistent training and obedience to the rules of the race.

Similarly, we need to follow some rules before winning the Christian race. The finish line for everyone is the courtyard in heaven. And only the winners of the Christian race will receive the massive gift of heavenly mansions.

Don’t let your heart be troubled in this race. Jesus says in John chapter 14 verse 1 and 2: “Let not your heart be troubled; you 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.”

Let me share with you the winning tactics:

  1. Understand the significance of the Christian race

The significance of the race is to get Christians ready for their eternity into the glorious gifts at heaven. Jesus advised in the book of Luke chapter 13 verses 24: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

Thus, it is important to be an active Christian and not a passive one who is just a church goer.

  1. Get yourself qualified for the Christian race

You must forsake the things of this world and give the power of your choice to Jesus. Then your faith in Jesus Christ qualifies you for the Christian race. John chapter 14 verse 23 says: “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

  1. Acknowledge the Right Goals

The Lord wants us to regain our rightful status. So, He admonished the Israelite in the book of Leviticus chapter 19 verse 1 and 2: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”

In the New Testament, Jesus told us to be perfect just as our Father in Heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

All the goals of every child of God centers on transformation into the Christ like nature. So your main goals include:

(a) To run a Christian race with the strength of God’s holiness.

(b) To be faithful to God in your stewardship.

  1. Run the Christian Race

Don’t trek on your track, but run the Christian race. Examples of those trekking are; people who hardly study their Bible, they don’t take the word of God with all seriousness and they are sluggish in their spiritual dealings with God.

You have to run and win the Christian race by: reading the bible always, complete obedience to the word of God, love God with all your strength, and press on without looking back to your past. Luke chapter 9 verse 62 says: “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

  1. Throw away every heavy laden

One thing I dislike in track events is the half-clothed of the athletes. I asked a coach the reason for such outfit and he said: “The burden of heavy cloth will hinder the performance of the athlete”. I was not comfortable with his response, but I pondered on the effect of the heavy burden.

I realized that we can’t run the Christian race with any form of heavy burdens. For instance, heavy laden could be; addictions, excessive attention to television, magazines, the internet, lukewarm friends or procrastination.

All these heavy laden cannot make you a winner in the Christian race.

So, drop the lifestyle that gets you depressed to the feet of the Lord.

Jesus says in the book of Matthew chapter 11 verse 28 to 30: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

  1. Uphold Strict Discipline

The grace of the Lord is available for everyone to be successful. But, you must play your role of obedience to sustain this grace in your Christian race. Scriptures says that we can’t continue in sin and ask grace to abound (Romans 6:1-2).

Most of the winners in sport exhibit strict discipline during their training for any competition. For instance, they restrain themselves from sex, alcohol, parties, gluttony and drugs. Wow! If a worldly athlete could be so disciplined in his training, then no Christian should have any excuse to justify indiscipline.

You have to discipline your body, soul and spirit in the way of the Lord. Paul shared his experience with us in first Corinthians chapter 9 verses 26 and 27: “So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (NLT)

  1. Don’t Judge Yourself

In the course of your Christian race, do not look back to compare yourself with others. Jesus Christ is the Judge of the Christian race. So, always compare your status with the biblical standard of God.

Don’t rate yourself with the standard of anyone, church doctrines or customs of the land. Such ratings might make you look like a ‘super Christian’. Let the word of God control your speed and you will never fall away.

 

Christian race is challenging, but your faithful obedience to God will make you a winner. Give God the chance to rule your life and your race on earth will not be a loss. Be an active Christian on earth and you will be a winner in heaven.

Revelation chapter 21 verse 4 to 7 says: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

Prayer: 5 Ways to Get Your Requests Answered!

Posted by Jun 27, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Family, Word of Faith, Youths Leave a Comment
Prayer: 5 Ways to Get Your Requests Answered!

Prayer is not only begging for God’s intervention, but also a channel of acknowledging the greatness of God. Prayer is a vital medium of getting supernatural results. Some people’s prayers go unanswered due to some irregularities. But, don’t lose hope in prayers to God.

According to a 2014 Pew Research center survey, 55% of Americans said they pray every day. 21% said they pray weekly and 23% said they seldom pray. It is interesting to discover that Americans ages 65 and older are far more likely than adults under 30 to say they pray daily (65% vs 41%).

I want you to agree with me that God who created ears is not a deaf Being. Thus, He hears when we speak. The book of Isaiah chapter 59 verse 1 and 2 says: “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

This post will show the important ways of presenting your requests to God for quick answers.

  1. Use Distraction-Free Venue

If your prayers at public centers (such as church etc.) are not answered, then consider a private place. God answers the prayer of those who speak to Him with an undivided attention.

For instance, an earthly father would never take his son seriously if the boy requests for a new bicycle while watching Tom and Jerry (cartoons). The boy is expected to avoid distractions, look straight into his father’s face and present his request.

I got this style of prayer from Jesus and it is working great for me. Matthew chapter 14 verses 23 say: “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.”

Jesus prayed in the temple and public gatherings, but He always retreats to private places for uninterrupted prayers… This style of prayer plays a vital role in the success of Jesus on earth.

Don’t get tired of prayer! You might be using a wrong venue filled with distractions. Find a place of prayer where your heart and attention will not be carried away from the God’s presence.

  1. Fix Fasting

Prayers you have done for a while without an answer may fall into the category of prayer and fasting. Not all prayers need fasting, but some requests that need instant supernatural miracle will require such. Jesus Christ did not start His public ministration without fasting and prayer.

He asked God to bless Him with great authority, wisdom, power of healing and miracles. And God answered His prayers without hesitation. “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing…” (Luke 4:1 & 2)

Jesus’ disciples tried to emulate Him, but they couldn’t due to a prayerful lifestyle that lack essential fasting. “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

So I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him… Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief… “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

If your prayer requires a spectacular outcome for people to see, then it is wise to fast.

Note: Don’t wound yourself with ‘almighty doctrines’ because you want to fast and pray. Jesus says: “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.” (Matthew 6: 16 & 17)

    1. Call the Right Name in Your Prayer

Prayer is all about communication between you and God. But your relationship with God will be stronger if you call Him by His rightful names. When praying to God, call Him JEHOVAH, I AM WHO I AM, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, Prince of Peace… (Exodus 3:14 & 15, Isaiah 9:6)

You cannot call Him in reverence and stay the same. When you call His holy name, your prayers would receive feedback.

At this point, I want to advice you not to attach the name of God to any man (pastor, overseer or founder of a ministry) because the minister might not be serving the Almighty God.

I remembered a true life story of a female gospel musician in Nigeria. She always mentions the name of her pastor as a suffix to God’s name. She sang in her albums that it is the god of her pastor that saved and blessed her life…she thought she was making reference to God Almighty.

After the pastor died, she and everyone discovered that he belonged to a famous cult in his home town. And the false pastor was buried by his cult members. This scandal affected the reputation of the gospel musician.

If you don’t abuse the Lord by calling Him names He never told you He is, then He will listen to your prayers.

  1. Have a Firm Faith

Don’t waste your time praying, if you discover some level of bias in your heart. Such prayers will hit the rock. A vital role you need to play for your prayer to be answered is having faith in the power of God.

For instance, Jesus ensured that the faith of the blind men corresponded with their prayers before He answered their request. (Jesus is not a magician). “…two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”… And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matthew 9:27-29)

Jesus emphasizes faith as a key reason for prayers to be answered. Matthew chapter 17 verse 20 says: “So Jesus said to them… if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

  1. Do Away with Materialism

A lot of prayers go unanswered because of the idolatry medium involved in it. The false pastors and prophets introduced the practice of materialism into the Christendom and this had affected genuine relationship with God.

Some church doctrines encourage their members to always pray with the aid of materials such as; candle, water, soap, handkerchief, oil, rosary etc. Such prayers cannot be answered by God. Though, am aware of devil’s manipulations of “answering” such idolatry prayers at times.

There is no verse in the Bible, where God instructed us to come before Him with such materials. I studied the prayer life of Jesus and discovered that the only instrument He used during His prayer is faith. So, if you believe in the power of Jesus, then do not put any material (idol) between your faith and God.

The danger in such practice is that your faith would cling to the soap, oil or handkerchief (and not to Jesus alone).

Stop the purchase of ‘spiritual materials’ from these dubious false bishops, pastors and prophets. They are swindling you of your hard-earned money. Jesus says: “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)

A true man of God will freely show you the right way to pray just as Jesus thought His disciple how to pray in Luke chapter 11 verses 1 to 4.

I am a living witness to tell you that God answers prayers. Though, He won’t answer any prayer which is against His will. Thus, always worship God in spirit and in truth, so that your entire prayer requests will not contradict His plan for your life.

RAPTURE: How to Get Prepared for the Second Coming

Posted by Jun 15, 2016 Holy Word, Church, Gospel Evangelism Leave a Comment
RAPTURE: How to Get Prepared for the Second Coming

The Rapture is a “designed technology” by God to airlift the Christians to meet Jesus – an escape route from deadly tribulations. Rapture is derived from the Latin word ‘raptus’ and it means: “a carrying off”.

There are different teachings about the rapture and its timing. The pre-tribulation, during-tribulation and post-tribulation doctrines are causing a lot of confusion. I am not introducing a new teaching about the rapture, but I want to show you the clarity on this topic.

Is Rapture a Real Future Event?

The failed predictions of the end-time by some people such as: John Wesley 1836, Margaret Rowen 1925, Jehovah’s Witness 1941, Herbert Armstrong 1943, Pat Robertson 1982 and Harold Camping 2011 could make you become bias about the rapture.

But, I had discovered that the best way to avoid confusion about the second coming of Jesus is to believe the word of Jesus only. Any new prophesy from anyone should be thrown into the ‘trash can’.

Rapture is real. Listen to Jesus in the book of Matthew chapter 24 verses 30 and 31: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

When is the Rapture?

We’d had enough from our professors (Theologians), prophets and pastors who were very ‘good’ in biblical mathematics! But, none of their dates are correct. This substantiates the statement of Jesus Christ to be true. Jesus says: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)

God chose to make the rapture day unknown so that the cheater will not corrupt His judgment. If the date of the second coming of Jesus is known by everyone, some will choose to be unfaithful to God till the last hour.

Funnily, in less than twenty-four hours to the take-off, they will ask for God’s forgiveness and to usher them into the rapture day as a saint… No one can cheat God! Galatians chapter 6 verses 7 and 8 say: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”

The information from Jesus did not give a date, but the rapture is certain immediately after the dreadful tribulations.

Jesus says: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven…” (Matthew 24:29 and 30)

The Bitter Pills of Tribulations

Tribulations are unwanted events happening to human beings. And end-time tribulations precede the occurrence of rapture. You might want to ask me if Christians will be a partaker of these tribulations.

Tribulations such as flood, disease outbreak, wars etc. had been in existence before the arrival of Jesus Christ. The tribulations never stopped on earth when He came to shed His blood for our salvation.

Rather, Jesus predicted more tribulations, and He made it known that we would meet many trials and sorrows.

Jesus says in the book of John chapter 16 verses 33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Don’t be scared of tribulations, because the love of God in your life is not quantifiable. The Lord Jesus Christ told us that the end time tribulations will be severed, but the LORD had made provision (rapture) for the saints to survive it.

Jesus says in Matthew chapter 24 verses 21 and 22: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.’’

The difference between Christians (elect) and non-Christians during the tribulations is that only the Christians will overcome in the end-time tribulations.

How to Prepare for the Rapture

 

  1. Understand the Purpose of the Rapture

You had found out from the scriptures mentioned earlier that the rapture is a ‘special flight’ for the saints during the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And rapture is designed for the end-time harvest.

First Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 15 to 17 say: “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and stay until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

  1. Keep your Light Burning

There is no shortcut to get the ticket for rapture. The need includes; accepting Jesus Christ into your life as the Savior. And your daily lifestyle must be controlled by His holy Will.

Sinners cannot catch-up with Jesus during His second coming. So, don’t be enticed into sin by your carnal thoughts, friends, society or the government.

Jesus concluded the story of the ten virgins narrated in the book of Matthew chapter 25 verses 1 to 13 with this advice: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming”.