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End-Time Prophecy: Is Jesus Coming Back?

Posted by Ekundayo Sep 8, 2015 Holy Word, Gospel Evangelism, Podcast, Word of Faith end-time prophesy, second-coming 2 Comments

Jesus’ end-time prophecy was a sign for us to know that this present world will come to an end one day. There are arguments about the reality of the end-time. Some people said that this world will exist forever, while some argued that it may probably be destroyed by the meteorites in the space.

Late Harold Camping was so mathematical about the end-time prophecy, and he fixed dates for the end of the world (September 6, 1994 and May 21, 2011). But his predictions failed several times, thereby misleading a lot of people.
Is Jesus’ end-time prophecy true or false? Let’s check it out!
The book of Matthew chapter 24 explained how curious the disciples were interested in the end-time prophesies, and Jesus gave full predictions from verse 4 to 14;

1. Many will Come and Proclaim to be Messiah

This was the first end-time prophecy predicted by Jesus, and it came to pass few years after His ascension to heaven. Among these false messiahs are Dositheus, the Samaritan, who affirmed that he was Christ; Simon Magus, who said he appeared among the Jews as the Son of God; and Theudas, who persuaded many to go with him to the river Jordan, to see the waters divided.

Matthew chapter 24 verse 4 and 5 says: “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.’’

2. Wars will Break Out

This second end-time prophecy came to pass in the history of Rome that the most violent agitations prevailed in the Roman Empire before the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, suffered violent deaths, in the short space of eighteen months.

In consequence of these changes in the government, there were commotions throughout the empire, Parties were formed; bloody and violent wars were the consequence of attachment to the particular emperors. Mathew chapter 24 verses 6 say: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

3. World War/Famine/Earthquake

This third end-time prophecy started its fulfillment at Caesarea in AD 59, the Jews and Syrians contended about the right to the city, and twenty thousand of the Jews were slain. At this blow the nation of the Jews was exasperated, and carried war and desolation through the Syrian cities and villages. Sedition and civil war spread throughout Judea; Italy was also thrown into civil war, by the contests between Otho and Vitellius for the crown.

The First World War centered in Europe on 28th July 1914, and the Second World War in 193. The occurrence of these world wars is a strong sign for you to believe the end-time prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 805 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, (one in nine) were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2012-2014. The worst affected countries include Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Djibouti, and Eritrea.

Earthquake had been a consistent occurrence since the first record of 1769 near Los Angeles. Mathew chapter 24 verse 7 and 8 says: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

4. Great Persecution

This end-time prophecy started its fulfillment when Peter and John were brought before the council as recorded in the book of Act chapter 4 and verse 5 to 7. Paul and Silas were also beaten and imprisoned. Stephen was stoned to death, and James was killed by Herod…

Mathew chapter 24 verses 9 and 10 say: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another”.

5. Emergence of False Prophets

This end-time prophecy came to fulfillment when Simon Magus, Hymeneus and Philetus, (2Timothy2:17) emerged in the early days after Christ’s ascension. Many false prophets are also available in our time.

Mathew chapter 24 verses 11 say: ‘’Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.”

6. Sin will be Common Everywhere

This end-time prophecy gave me the understanding that the living sacrifices of Jesus’ blood on the cross will only wash the sins of people who genuinely surrender their lives to Jesus. This generation is filled with enough grace to live a holy life, unfortunately the love of many Christians had gone cold and sinful occurrences can be found everywhere.

Mathew chapter 24 verses 12 and 13 say: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

7. Global Evangelism

Global evangelism is the only end-time prophecy that is not fulfilled yet. The Good News must get to the nooks and crannies of the earth before the second coming of Jesus. Presently, bold missionaries are taking the Gospel to the tough regions of the Asia continent. And majority of the Evangelists are making use of the internet facilities to preach globally through the website.

Mathew chapter 24 verses 14 say: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

The end of this world will come when all the nations are fully aware of the Good News. Since, all the end-time prophecy had come to pass except the seventh, then I want you to believe that this world will surely come to an end.
Live a holy life according to the instructions of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible, to avoid missing the glory of His second-coming. Make sure you get ready for His second-coming every day you wake up from bed, because only God knows the D-day. Matthew chapter 24 verses 36 say: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

The end-time prophecy is coming to pass in our generation, so it is not a joke, but a reality that Jesus Christ is coming back to take the saints to Heaven. Are you ready?

Can God Give me a Second Chance?

Posted by Ekundayo Aug 30, 2015 Holy Word, Gospel Evangelism, Podcast, Word of Faith second chance 3 Comments

God always designs an opportunity for every human being to enjoy restoration, which is referred to as a second chance. I remembered the story of a Christian woman who lost her virginity three months to her wedding day. She committed fornication with the man she intend to marry.

After two months of the regrettable act, she got pregnant. Since, the marriage counseling committee of the church must not discover the atrocity, she aborted the innocent baby.

She committed the murder to escape the sanction of the church’s disciplinary committee. On her wedding day, everyone around her were happy and they rejoice with her, but she was bitter in the deepest part of heart.

She was depressed for many years, because she felt God was greatly disappointed by her ungodly actions. The Christian woman backslides from God’s presence and thought she cannot get a second chance.

Devil had made a lot of Christians who found themselves in a mess to believe that God cannot give them a second chance. People suffering from depression or suicide attempt can only be healed if they believe in the power and grace of the second chance from God.

Isaiah chapter 1 verses 18 says: “Come now, and let us reason together, “ Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”

The Lord revealed Himself to me in my sleep on the 5th of August 2003 and He said: “Preach to the people! I will forgive the sin(s) of anyone who is ready to do my perfect will”. This message from the Lord shows that He will give you a second chance, if you repent genuinely from your sins.

When you invite God into your life, and you give your ‘sense of decision-making’ to Him, then your second chance shall be sustained. John chapter 14 and 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.”

Requirements for the Grant of a Second Chance

1. Forgive yourself!
I had come across some Christians who find it difficult to forgive themselves after committing sins. You cannot enjoy the second chance of God if you don’t forgive yourself for any wrong you must have committed. Do not lose hope!

Christian race on earth is rough and tough, only the tough can win the race. The book of Matthew chapter 7 verses 14 says: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
If you find it difficult to forgive yourself, then you won’t know when God has forgiven your sins for a second chance of restoration.

2. Make a list
Identify all the causes that made you find yourself in such a mess, and be determined not to repeat the same process when God gives you the second chance.

3. Live in the Spirit
You must be ready to allow God control every action of your life. Your ability is not enough to make you free from committing sins, but you need the divine power of God to enjoy your second chance. Paul advised in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

How to Know the Availability of a Second Chance

When you self-realized your sins and your heart is sober for repentance, then pray to God for forgiveness and a second chance. The Lord will test your heart to confirm your sincerity, and your second chance shall be made available once you pass His test.

King David was one of the great men in the Bible who passed the test and he enjoyed the second chance from the Lord. Psalm 17 verse 3 says: “You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”

The physical proof to show the availability of your second chance is the presence of life in your body. A dead person has no second chance to enjoy anymore.

Is God’s Second Chance a Surplus?

It is a dangerous risk to take the second chance from God for granted with the intention to ask for more opportunities. Our God is a loving Father, but He is not a wasteful Being. No one can fool Him!

Romans chapter 6 verse 1 and 2 says: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!…”

If you allow the Holy Spirit to control your lifestyle, then you won’t cry to God every day for a second chance. You cannot continue to delight in sinful actions, and expect God to give you a basket-full of second chances.

Listen to what Jesus told a sick man who was given a second chance: “…See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you…” (John 5:7-14) Jesus gave us the understanding that a second chance is the grace from God for a consistent relationship with Him.

The 3 major ways to sustain God’s second chance

1. Acknowledge His grace, and surrender your power of choice to the Holy Spirit.

2. Adopt regular prayerful lifestyle, and obey the word of God in the Bible with all your heart.

3. Love God more than anyone or anything in this world, and your second chance will not lead to second failure.

Angry: How to Control Anger

Posted by Ekundayo Aug 24, 2015 Family, Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith anger 14 Comments

God created anger as one of the emotions in us for positive usage. Unfortunately, a lot of people get angry always, because they could not control their anger. I heard a true life story of a couple in Nigeria few weeks before the March presidential election. The husband supported the ruling party while the wife was a supporter of the major opposition party. After a hot political argument between the couple, the wife was angry and she went to the kitchen for one of her sharp knives. She stabbed her husband to death. The wife committed this murderous act because she allowed anger to control her sense of judgment.
Anger is like a two sided coin. There are two dimensions to anger which I called; holy anger and unholy anger.

Is Holy Anger a Sin?

Holy anger is a harmless emotional expression which is meant to correct wrong situation. For instance, a judge got angry to a thief and sentenced him to six months imprisonment for rehabilitation. The holy anger of the judge is to help the thief to change from his bad lifestyle to a good one.
The expression of your holy anger is acceptable by God when you act against unholy circumstances. Jesus got angry when He discovered that the temple of God had been rented to some business men for trading. Every action He took when he was angry was meant to restore the primary purpose of the temple.

Luke chapter 19 verse 45 to 47 says: “Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’” And He was teaching daily in the temple…”
You are not a sinner when you get angry to a wrong situation. But make sure your holy anger contributes to the positive change of the improper circumstances. Holy anger is not a regular character of God, but He gets angry when disobedient people compromise the laid down rules of living a good life.

The book of Judges chapter 2 verses 20 to 22 says: “Then the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, “I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, “so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.”
Few Pastors preach on the altar with holy anger, because they dislike the choice of people who act against the will of God in the Bible. For instance, I recently watched Pastor John Hagee on the television, and I was impressed with the way he preached with holy anger against homosexual. Same-sex marriage was recently legalized by the supreme court of the United States. Holy anger is always expressed with love, but unholy anger is disastrous!

How Disastrous is Unholy Anger?

Unholy anger is a destructive emotion with unproductive outcomes. Sometimes it emanates from a heart filled with jealousy. Unholy anger is impatient and has no solution to offer…
Unholy anger in our society had caused unpleasant crises such as:
• Divorce
• Drug abuse
• Domestic violence
• Division in some churches
• Death as a result of racism and non-racism issues.
You have to be careful with the way you react to any unpleasant issue that comes your way. For instance, the first murderer in the Bible, Cain, found himself in the mess because of his unholy anger to Abel whose offering was respected by the Lord. “…And Cain was very angry,…Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him…” (Genesis 4:3-12)
Anger in its broad sense is not a comfortable mood for you, so the following steps will help you control anger:
1. Always forgive the offender
2. Express yourself in Agape love
3. Pray for the initiator of the anger
4. In case of cheat; do not revenge but let God be the Judge
5. Always allow the Holy Spirit in you to control your actions when you are angry.

5 Unique Ways to Hear from God

Posted by Ekundayo Aug 15, 2015 Gospel Evangelism, Holy Word, Podcast, Word of Faith hear God 3 Comments

To hear from God is a critical issue that had always disturbs the heart of a lot of Christians. When Jesus Christ was preached to me as the only One who has the master-key to open all the closed doors of my life, I was eager to meet Him for a serious discussion. I asked myself: “how can I communicate to God and hear His response?” You might be going through a similar experience, but when you read this article, I’m sure you will hear from God.

1. Hear from God through your Mind

God speaks to our mind, but we don’t hear Him. Simply because our thoughtful desires are more audible than His small still voice. He can speak to your mind anytime and anywhere, but you can only hear from God if your mind had been transformed from the thoughts of worldliness to holiness.

Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 says: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
If you practice the habit of frequent prayers and awesome worship to the Lord in your mind, then you will hear His response to whatever you ask from Him. God loves to be in a regular communication with genuine Christians.
My Christian life in God had been so awesome through His steady communication to my mind. Whenever I hear from God in my mind, it sounds like a fast typist typing on the keyboard of a computer. His speech to me through my mind has a high-speed. The speed of my brain to plan thoughtful expressions can never be compared to the speed of God’s voice in my mind.

The easiest way to differentiate the voice of God from that of Devil is to test the message with the word of God in the Bible. If there is no misconception of the scriptures, then the voice of Devil will always fail the test.

2. Hear from God through Vision

You do not need any special eyes or ears to hear from God through visions. Vision is a medium of communication which involves display of pictorial images or active conversation in another realm different from the earth. The unique experience in vision is the conscious mode of your body, unlike the dream realm.

God conveys a lot of prophetic messages to me through visions. And none of the visions had failed the Bible test. For instance, I was on my bed on the 8th of May 2003 (am not fast asleep because my mind is conscious of my environment) and in the vision I saw a huge Being sitting on a chair. I had the understanding in the vision that He is my Master. I sat on a chair in front of Him, and He opened the Bible in His Hands to Galatians chapter 6:15&16, He told me to read it, which I did. Then He said: ‘’Preach to the people, only those practicing holiness will I take to heaven’’. When the vision came to an end, I opened my eyes and I was amazed that I heard God speak to me!

The tendency to hear from God through visions involves genuine repentance from sinful lifestyle. When you give your life to Christ, His Spirit will come upon you and it will become possible for you to see visions. The book of Act chapter 2 and verses 17 says: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.”

3. Hear from God through Dream

God uses this medium to communicate to a lot of us who always experience a busy day. You can hear from God through your dreams (unconscious sleeping mode). Some dreams requires interpretations unlike vision which has a direct meaning. Don’t be confused when you hear from God through dreams, He will explain the meaning of the dream to you in your prayers to Him.

When I was in the University, I always pray to God to glorify my hard work and sometimes He responded to my prayers by revealing some course topics to me in the dream. Surprisingly, all He revealed to me in the dream were part of the exam questions. Am sure God will not show such dream to a lazy student who does not pray and read his book…

4. God Speaks through the Word in the Bible

The easiest way I had discovered that God can speak to you without any confusion or wrong interpretation is through His word in the Bible. If you want to hear from God, then read the Bible regularly with a humble mind.

To hear from God, you must be ready to obey all His instructions in the Bible. You will agree with me that only an obedient child can receive the full attention of his father when the need arises. Thus, your obedience to the word of God in the Bible is a sign that you will surely hear from God. Jesus says: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4)

5. Your Neighbor can be God’s Mouth-Piece

I do not argue about the gift of prophesy, but run away from the false prophets who prophesy because of the money/gift they intend to get from you. God made the Israelite to hear from Him through prophet Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah. So, you can also hear from God through genuine Christians in your neighborhood or on the media.

You don’t need to jump from one pastor to another before you hear from God. The Lord will direct the right person to you, or He can make you stumble on the right solution-providing article on the internet. Every message from the Lord through your neighbor will never contradict the scriptures.
It is essential to hear from God for a cordial relationship with Him. God is not limited to these five major ways of communication, but you cannot be deaf to His voice when you read and obey the word of God in the Bible daily. Your reformed mind and prayerful lifestyle are essential prerequisites of a good chat with the Lord!!

Wine; Is it Wise for Christians to Drink Alcohol?

Posted by Ekundayo Aug 5, 2015 Holy Word, Podcast, Youths alcohol, wine 3 Comments

Alcohol is mainly derived from the fermentation of grains and fruits. The ancient discovery of alcohol was mainly used for social enjoyment and medical purposes.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 88,000 people die from alcohol-related causes annually, making it the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
If the accumulative in-take of alcohol is harmful to me, then I need someone to fill my tummy with water!
Noah was the first wine-brewer in the Bible after the flood, but the social enjoyment he derived from the alcohol made him lose his right senses. He threw himself naked and made a wrong judgment by pronouncing curse on Canaan instead of Ham. (Genesis 9:20-25).
It is quite easy for people drinking alcohol to take more than the reasonable quantity, which eventually leads to drunkenness.

King Solomon who had an unpleasant experience related to alcoholism advised in the book of Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 29 to 33: ‘’Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart will utter perverse things.’’
It is not a sin to take drugs with alcoholic content for healing purposes, because it is impossible to get drunk with such doses prescribed by the doctor.
There are references in the Old and New Testament to show that alcohol in wine can be used for medicinal purposes. Ziba gave a bottle of wine to King David for the purpose of healing the sick. You’ll discover this in the book of 2Samuel chapter 16 and verses 2 “…So Ziba said, ’’The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on, the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for those who are faint in the wilderness to drink.’’

Paul advised Timothy to take little wine for his stomach infirmity in 1Timothy chapter 5 and verse 23, ‘’ No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.’’
I always feel sad when some drunkards in the church quote Paul’s statement to Timothy as a justification for their drunkenness. Paul had never advised anyone to take wine for enjoyment.

Paul advised Christians to stay away from drinking alcohol. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18 and 19 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.’’

The abuse of alcohol in our generation is heartbreaking! During the days of the Israelite, God did not condemn the intake of alcohol until He noticed the abuse by the people. And He gave an instruction to the priests not to drink alcohol anymore, to prevent them from messing up the altar.

Leviticus chapter 10 and verse 9 says: “Do not drink wine or intoxicating drink, you, or your sons with you, when you go into the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean.’’
If your heart is the altar of the Lord, then it is wise to avoid alcohol that could separate your soul from God’s presence.

After the miracle that took place in Cana of Galilee, Jesus also noticed that the abuse of alcohol by people will make them lose heaven. He also warned everyone to stay away from drinking alcohol to avoid drunkenness. Luke chapter 21 and verse 34 says, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day (of judgment) come on you unexpectedly.’’

God dislikes the act of drunkenness. Since, there is more than 90% chance of getting drunk at the bar, it is wise for Christians to abstain from drinking alcohol to avoid the sin of drunkenness.
Many years ago, I drink ‘responsibly’, but there were some occasions I got drunk. I don’t feel bad, because I thought am not a regular drunkard. If rapture had occurred, or I got struck by a car accident to the point of death, my last action on earth at that moment would have been recorded in heaven as drunkenness. I repent from drinking alcohol when I noticed the spiritual separation it caused between me and God.

The effects of drinking alcohol to our physical and mental status are enormous. Alcohol is a depressant drug, which slows down the functions of the brain. Some other side-effects of drinking alcohol include:

• Memory problems,
• Slurred speech,
• Violent character,
• Suicide,
• Breathing difficulties
• And various forms of accidents such as auto crash.

It’s wise for Christians to stay away from alcohol than to take the risk which leads to spiritual and mental problems attributed to drunkenness.