Time to Fulfill Purpose and Destiny

God brought us into His Kingdom by a strong arm. His love for us caused Him to release the Second Person of the God Head who paid the prize for our redemption. It is very clear from the planning and execution of our redemption that God loves us so much, but hardly do we meditate on what He did for us. If we do, it will come to our hearts that God would not have gone into such an elaborate and costly length to reconcile us to Himself.

Remember that the redemption plan was conceived before the foundation of the earth. Jesus is called the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the earth. Our redemption caused the God Head to sit in conference; they took a decision to make man in God’s image and likeness. Man was to be like God, a tripartite being, having the ability to choose. God was seeking a race of beings called men, who He could fellowship with on the basis of equality.

Occupy:

Jesus Christ commanded us to occupy till He comes, for He is coming back to receive us unto Himself. But while we are still here on earth, we are to make a difference. We are to affect this world positively and thereby give opportunity for others to come to the knowledge of the truth concerning Him

Light and Salt in the World:

The Book of Matthew chapter 5:13-16 gives an account of words spoken by Jesus to His disciples. These words describe the believer’s ordained purpose in the earth.

Mat 5:13 You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men.

Mat 5:14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Mat 5:15 Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lampstand. And it gives light to all who are in the house.

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

This passage simply reveals that we are saved for a purpose. We were delivered so that we can become agents of change. Here Jesus is telling us WHO WE ARE. Unfortunately majority of believers today do not know who they are. They in turn listen to the lies of the devil and His demons. But it is high time we began to yield to the voice of the Good Shepherd and actively follow in His footsteps.

JESUS DID NOT MINCE WORDS:

On this occasion, Jesus spoke up with authority, telling His disciples and by extension ourselves who we are and what our ordained roles should be

SALT:

Salt primarily was used in the fishing Industry to preserve catches made on the waters. It keeps the fishes caught from deterioration and decay until the fishermen reach the shore. Jesus is saying that by virtue of who we are now, we help to preserve the earth from decay and deterioration.  If we don’t take our place, non other will do it and so we stand the chance of allowing decay and corruption to spread uncontrollably.

Jesus was not trying to persuade His disciples here, He told them who they are and what they are supposed to do. If Jesus says we are the salt of the Earth, so are we! Salt is what brings sweetening to food that’s cooked and it makes all the difference in the world when food has a good taste in the mouth of those eating it.

Destined to Preserve and Bring Goodness to others:

It is unfortunate that the majority of Christians living today are unaware of their purpose on earth. Many are too selfish to see the needs of the world around them. But still their lack of awareness is hinged on the fact that they lack a revelation of this truth spoken here from Jesus’ lips. “You are the salt of the earth,” Salt preserves, salt keeps from decay, salt brings sweetness and good taste, so must we be on the earth. SALT is what we are, anything contrary is an abnormality. We need to wake up daily saying to ourselves, “I am salt in the earth, I am destined to preserve and give sweetness. As I go into my world today, I bring change to the lives of men. I turn ugly situations around; I bring goodness into other people’s lives. I am an agent of change in Jesus Name.

Anything Else is a disaster:

Listen, Jesus said, “but if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? It is no longer good for anything, but to be thrown out and to be trodden underfoot by men.”

The next sentence starts with a “but”, this a conjunction used to join two sentences when the second sentence says something different from the first. It emphasises the aberration and abnormality that the second line of thought or situation suggests as to what we are. We cannot be anything but salt, a situation where our salt loses its savour spells only doom and disaster.

Light of the world:

Jesus proceeds to say that we are the light of the world. Again this is what we are, light! When light is brought into a place, it suggests that darkness is present there.

Satan is synonymous to darkness. His kingdom is called the kingdom of darkness,

The power he exercises and by which he captivates people is called the power of darkness.

The Bible says in Colossians 1:13 that God has delivered us from the “authority and dominion of darkness”,

Ephesians 5:11 say not to “…have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”

2Corinthians 11:14 says Satan has transformed himself into an angel of light, this presupposes that by nature he is an angel of darkness.

On the other hand scripture in many places directly refers to us, believers as light and belonging to the light.

Ephesians 5:8 says “we were sometimes darkness, but now we are light in the Lord”.

In 2Corinthians 6:14 and following, Paul by the Holy Spirit was comparing the “believer” with the “unbeliever”, and then in the latter part of verse 14 he says, “And what communion has light with darkness?” He called the believer light and the unbeliever darkness.

Jesus categorically says that we are the light of the world.  Without us, the world will be in utter darkness. Indeed it is in gross darkness. We need to make a conscious effort to shine, lest we be swallowed up in the darkness which already envelopes the earth.

We Are a City Set on a Hill:

We are the prophetic city called Zion. We are SET or established on a platform which God Himself has chosen to exalt. It is our Place of destiny.

Psa 132:13 For the Lord has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His habitation:

Psa 132:14 This is My resting-place forever [says the Lord]; here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

Psa 132:15 I will surely and abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

Psa 132:16 Her priests also will I clothe with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Psa 132:17 There will I make a horn spring forth and bud for David; I have ordained and prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises of old]. [I Kings 11:36; 15:4; II Chron. 21:7; Luke 1:69.]

Psa 132:18 His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

We are in a prophetically auspicious time in history, a time when God has chosen to release His mercy on the gentile world, a time of great favour. If we recognise this and take advantage of what God has already released upon us, we will shine for the entire world to see. Already, God has said He will favour Zion; all we need to do is ARISE and SHINE. God will do the rest. He will cause an unprecedented flow from all the nations of the world to Zion. The sick, the needy, the maimed and the oppressed; all will come, drawn by our light and God will be glorified.

Individually and Collectively:

We must arise individually; we must hear what God is saying, see through His eyes and see a mighty in gathering into His House which He has purposed for this hour. We must arise in prayer and in praise, arise in service unto the King of kings and the Lord of lords. This is our destiny.

Growing Up Into Him In All Things

Jesus is coming for a glorious Bride, a Church without spot, wrinkle, blemish or any such thing. A Church that is victorious completely over Satan, the world and the flesh. When you hear some Christians speak, they give you an impression that Jesus Christ is coming back anytime now. Tomorrow probably! But it is my humble opinion that He cannot come tomorrow, not even next year. This is because He is coming for a GLORIOUS church, a church without SPOT, WRINKLE, BLEMISH or any such thing. The Church I see now falls far short of the scriptural standard stated in Ephesians 5:26-27. But I am certain that The Church that Jesus is coming for will emerge with these qualities before His imminent return.

Jesus Christ Himself gave us His word that He will build His Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I believe He is in the process of raising a glorious Church. An important and outstanding characteristic that will mark out this glorious Church is spiritual maturity. Not that every member of this spiritual organic Body will be matured, no. Individuals in the Church will be at various stages of of spiritual growth, but a large percentage will be matured, knowing who they are and what they have in Christ. They will be individuals who have developed in the 9 fruit of the spirit especially LOVE, and those who are manifesting the GIFTS of the Spirit as the Holy Spirit wills. The glorious Church for which Christ is coming will not be rescued from imminent danger like those who the fire brigade comes to pull out of a burning building before they perish. Rather they will be a people full of the power and manifesting the glory of God before whom no Satanic power can stand. They shall be men and women before whom the gates of hell cannot stand.

Actually, some Old Testament scriptures give us a prophetic view of the glorious Church. One among them is the Book of Haggai, chapter 2: 1-9

Hag 2:1 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Hag 2:2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, Hag 2:3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? Hag 2:4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: Hag 2:5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:9

We are in the latter days and the Church of the Lord Jesus is here referred to as the "latter house". Here in this prophetic message through Prophet Haggai, God speaks to the leadership and people of Israel, calling upon them to be strong and build. The church, the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ of this end time will be one in which both the leadership and followership will stand in STRENGTH, the strength of the Lord. Strength which will come from a revelation of God's word and the power of the Holy Spirit who is at work in the life of every believer. Most of what we see in the Church today is the preaching of a self-serving gospel, messages that pander to the selfish and often covetous desires of people. The Church today is filled with many so called leaders who draw attention to themselves rather than to Jesus, they promise "blessings" and "miracles" which are nothing but quick fixes and fast food approach to things of spiritual importance. We see Christians today whose lives and lifestyles no longer affect or challenge people in their immediate surroundings. The present day believer has so much blended with the world that rather than utilise spiritual principles and methods to solve day to day problems, the Church is importing secular methods to bear upon spiritual matters.

There is a need in the Body of Christ. A need for anointed Teachers and Preachers of truth that will build up and thus bring the Body of Christ into mature manhood. This now is very necessary because the Church must stand up to do the work of the ministry, i.e. interceding for the lost, preaching the gospel of the Kingdom with power, getting newly born again believers baptised in water and in the Holy Spirit, ministry to the sick and the oppressed of our communities and being the eyes, mouth, hands and feet of God upon the earth. Becoming deliverers from eternal damnation, in the place of the Master who before He left instructed the Church to occupy till He comes. The Book of Obadiah says:
  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.                                                                                                                                              
Oba 1:21

Note in the passage above, "And saviours shall come up on mount Zion ..." The word saviours speaks not of Christ but of His Church. Because now, Christ the Body must walk in the steps of Christ The Head, doing the works that He did and greater works also. For this to happen, the Church must come to maturity. Notice that when Jesus was on earth, He did not begin His ministry until He was 30 years old. 30 is God's number for maturity. The church of the Lord Jesus must come into mature manhood so as to do the work of the ministry effectively and successfully. For this to happen the five fold ministry offices of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher must arise in the Body of Christ to bring the Body into the place of spiritual maturity.

Presently, self styled apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers abound, decieved and deceiving many. The power of these ministry offices is not in the name, but in the function and anointing of God which rests upon the office. A truly anointed man or woman in the 5 fold ministry office will be recognised not by the title, but by the fruit of the ministry in which they stand.

As we speak, God is raising up within the Body of Christ a core of intercessors, who are desiring that God will release into the earth, "teachers of righteousness", men and women who will stand in the 5 fold ministry offices in this end time. Ministers who by the reason of the anointing that raise them up will be engaged in teaching the Body those things necessary for bringing her to the place of spiritual maturity. A church that will be consumed with the passion to see the Kingdom of God become manifested and functioning upon the earth today. A church that does not know her left from her right spiritually will be greatly handicapped, she will be taken advantage of by Satan and his cohorts. A baby church that does not know her rights and privileges in Christ will only be a breeding ground for spiritual failures and the like. It is therefore very important that those who God has raised up  arise and stand in  in the places of their calling to build up a people that will be spiritually matured in this last days, and then build up a company of people that will manifest God's glory. Let us remember that this is the time of Zion's favour. Let us grow up into Christ in character, wisdom, purity and power. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

We Are A Chosen Generation

In Psalm 132, we find a prophetic scripture in which God spoke by the mouth of David about what His intention was concerning Zion. Zion was the seat of David’s rule after he became king over Israel, but prophetically Zion is the name for the Church of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Head and we believers on earth are the Body. So today, Jesus is a corporate unit, He being the Head and we His Church the Body.

No one knew what was in the mind of God the Father regarding dwelling in a spiritual House until David decided he would build a dwelling place for Him. He impressed God by this decision and heart commitment he made while he was still King. He loved God so much that building God a resting place was number one priority on his heart.

Ps. 132:1-5

Psa 132:1 A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:

Psa 132:2 How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

Psa 132:3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

Psa 132:4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

Psa 132:5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

I figure that David must have thought a lot about God to have made him arrive at such a decision. His life of fellowship and intimacy with God must have been what made his thoughts to go along these lines. But whatever the reason was, he ended up thrilling God beyond measure. To the intent that God also made a promise to David that He had never made to any man before or since then.

 Sa 7:1 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest roundabout from all his enemies;

2Sa 7:2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

2Sa 7:3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.

2Sa 7:4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

2Sa 7:5 Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

2Sa 7:6 Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

2Sa 7:7  In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

2Sa 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:

2Sa 7:9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

2Sa 7:10  Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them anymore, as beforetime,

2Sa 7:11 And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.

2Sa 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

2Sa 7:13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom forever.

This House is The Church:

The House which God promised to build is Zion, and His Son who will reign forever over this house is Jesus. The way it translates to me is that God had had the Church in His heart; He had purposed to make the Church His Place of abode. David just happened to stumble upon that secret in the heart of God. But did he really just “stumble” upon it?

A few other verses in Psalm 132 read;

Psa 132:13 For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

Psa 132:14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Psa 132:15 I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

Psa 132:16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Psa 132:17 There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

Psa 132:18 His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

The angel Gabriel who came to announce the coming of Jesus to His birth mother, further attested to the lineage of David through which the child Jesus would come from and confirmed the tenure of His reign as being      forever.

We are fortunate to be part of that Church today and are blessed to be a part of that “House” in which God has been pleased to dwell. But David indeed has done his part, the other’s Patriarchs in the Old Testament and saints whose names adorn the pages of the New Testament have run their race and finished with Joy. It is left to us, the end-time church, to finish this whole business in flying colours.

David by intimacy with God brought forth God’s intention to have a people called by His Name who He would inhabit as a dwelling place. We also by studying the scriptures and seeing what God has intended to do can put ourselves in a position where we will live and cooperate with Him to actualize His dream of a DWELLING PLACE.

What has God said about Zion?

Zec 12:8  In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

Zec 12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

Notice the phrase “in that day” in this passage. It reminds me of John’s gospel, chapter 16:23 “In that day ye shall ask me nothing …” What day is being referred to here? There is another prophetic scripture in Isaiah 27:1-2 which starts with this same phrase,

“Isa 27:1 In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Isa 27:2 In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine.”

This phrase is referring to no other day but that in which we are living right now. The day of the Lord. The day when these prophetic words will become relevant to the spiritual seed to whom it was directed. More than ever before, God desires to inhabit His HOUSE, the Church. Can we do what David did? Can we upon whom the Spirit of grace and supplication will be poured, stay in the place of prayer and intercession until God will make good to us what He promised to our fathers of faith? Can we endear our hearts to God as we make His concern ours, promising never to slumber nor give sleep to our eyes until Zion becomes the dwelling place for our God?

Yes we can, for we are the generation upon whom the “ends of the world has come.” We are the sons and daughters to whom God has purposed to send the outpouring of His Spirit in this latter days, the generation that will be priviledged to have the former and the latter rain in the first. It is time for us to arise, time to plough our fallow grounds and seek the Lord until He rains righteousness upon us.

Hos 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

THE DAY OF HIS POWER

Psa 110:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."

Psa 110:2  The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Your enemies."

Psa 110:3  Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.

The above is a prophetic Psalm which reveals the purpose of God for Zion, the Church of Christ at this present season. It is a conversation which took place between Jehovah (God the Father) and Adonai (God the Son) after Jesus ascended triumphantly to  heaven after His victory over sin and death. It also reveals to us where Jesus is seated and for how long He will remain there before He comes back for the glorious Church. Some in Christendom have erroneously believed that Jesus is coming back to salvage what will be left of His Church after she might have been battered black and blue by Satan; a fire brigade kind of rescue. But the Above passage completely refutes that notion. Jesus is not coming back for a defeated Church, but as recorded in the Book of Ephesians chapter 2:25-27,

Eph 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Eph 5:26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

Eph 5:27  that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Jesus will come after The Church must have put down and completely routed all His enemies on the earth. He will continue to “sit down” at the Father’s right hand until He makes all His enemies His foot stool. In the first place notice that these enemies are not in heaven, for that is the throne and abode of God. They are on the earth. So while Jesus, the Head sits, His Body, the Church, haven come to the realisation of who she is and what authority has been invested in her, will in these last days arise with strength and power of the Holy Spirit to put under her feet all the enemies of Christ.

Note that the present revelation truth about CHRIST is that He is now a corporate person, Head and Body. Jesus the Head has finished His work on earth and has left the rest of the Job for His Body. He has invested His name in us, His Spirit, dwells mightily in us, His Word is as powerful as His person. It is therefore left to us to rise up with courage and understanding of who we are and what we have IN HIM to do His works and the greater works which He has said we would do.

God is raising up, as we speak, teachers of righteousness, who will feed the people of God with the TRUTH that will cause a mighty army, a type of Joel’s army, to arise in this end time.

Joe 2:1  Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,

Joe 2:2  A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations.

Joe 2:3  A fire consumes before them And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them But a desolate wilderness behind them, And nothing at all escapes them.

Joe 2:4  Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like war horses, so they run.

Joe 2:5  With a noise as of chariots They leap on the tops of the mountains, Like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, Like a mighty people arranged for battle.

Joe 2:6  Before them the people are in anguish; All faces turn pale.

Joe 2:7  They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like soldiers; And they each march in line, Nor do they deviate from their paths.

Joe 2:8  They do not crowd each other, They march everyone in his path; When they burst through the defenses, They do not break ranks.

Joe 2:9  They rush on the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter through the windows like a thief.

Joe 2:10  Before them the earth quakes, The heavens tremble, The sun and the moon grow dark And the stars lose their brightness.

Joe 2:11  The LORD utters His voice before His army; Surely His camp is very great, For strong is he who carries out His word. The day of the LORD is indeed great and very awesome, And who can endure it?

Let us see ourselves as the word sees us, let our mentality be changed. We are the “latter house” prophesied about in the Book of Haggai.


Hag 2:6 "For thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. Hag 2:7 'I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:8 'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.       Hag 2:9 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,'  says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts."

 His glory upon us will greatly outstrip that which was seen on the early Church. We must not miss our Day.

LET ZION ARISE

In the Book of Joel 2:23-27, we have a prophetic word for the Church of Christ, which here is referred to as Zion. The passage reads:

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 

 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.  

And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.  

And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.

Rain, as we know, is figurative of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit from God. The first major out pouring was on the early Church on the Day of Pentecost. The events that were recorded on that day were prophetically foretold in the same Book of Joel in Joel 2:28-29 and following:

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

        And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

The above scripture was quoted by Peter on the Day of Pentecost when he stood up to address the crowd which had gathered to witness what was happening. Peter, speaking by the unction of the Holy Spirit said, "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God; I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

        And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

These prophetic words put the timing of the outpouring in a unique period of time. Joel speaking by the Holy Spirit says, “it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh;". However, Peter, speaking by the Holy Spirit says "it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:” By this progressive revelation of the Holy, we understand that the time in which this outpouring would begin coincides with the Day of Pentecost. So we can safely say that the initial installment of the “former rain" which God promised in Joel 23 came at the inception of the Church at Jerusalem. This outpouring of God's Spirit had continued over the years since the Day of Pentecost in varying measures on the Body of Christ, at several locations on earth upon believers who have continually demanded from God based on His promise. But the Body of Christ has come to what I call the last of the Last Days, now we expect not only the former rain, but also the latter rain as well. This being so, we need to be expectant of a mighty deluge upon our earth.

Notice that a farmer, who tills the ground, is very conversant with the seasons and with the characteristic rainfall patterns of the seasons. This knowledge guides him to plan his farming for maximum profit. In like manner, as students of prophetic scriptures, we need to be like the children of sons of Issachar who not only had understanding of the times, but they also knew what Israel ought to do. (1Chr.12:32). An understanding of where we are prophetically will motivate us to act in line with God's word so that what He has promised for our time and for this season will become a reality in our lives. We are in the last days, we have been promised an outpouring of God's power which has never been witnessed before in the History of any People of God. We need to seek God's face earnestly and receive for our day that which have already been promised.

God promised in the Book of Haggai 2:1-9, the Bible records,  

"In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, 

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."

The above passage is speaking prophetically to the end-time Church of Jesus Christ, which here is referred to as the "latter house". God by His Spirit is releasing upon the latter house His mighty glory; this will cause the attention of the world to be focused on the Church, thus the Church, witnessing to the fact of Jesus as Messiah will lead an unprecedented multitude who will believe in Jesus into the Kingdom of God. By the operation of the Holy Spirit, multitudes around the world hearing the good news of Jesus will come to God and make Jesus their personal Saviour. Believers after being empowered by the Holy Spirit will perform signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus. Miraculous healings will take place Great signs and wonders will abound to advertise that wonderful name JESUS. The kingdom of Satan will be depopulated; glory will come to the Name of Jesus and blessings to multitudes of men from one end of the world to another. For these things to get underway, a glorious Church who knows its rights and privilege in Christ, walking in holiness and the righteousness of the Lord must emerge. There must arise a company of mature sons and daughters of God, who knowing what the Word has said concerning them will take the World by storm through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We must therefore arise. Arise in prayer and intercession, arise boldly confessing what God has said in His Word about us and about our time, arise by the power of the Spirit of God within us to shine as the light which God has made us to be in the earth. We've got to manifest the glory of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.  

LET IT RAIN LORD (2)

A little over a week ago, I saw a beautiful picture of a lightning bolt which appeared to strike the Statue of Liberty in New York. This picture was taken by a photographer (Jay Fine) who for years had waited around the Statue, to capture such an image Lightning Strike. As I looked at this picture and wondered at the beauty and awesomeness of the phenomenon that produced the lightning; the verse of scripture in Zechariah 10:1 came to me. This scripture reads, “Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain; so the LORD shall make bright clouds, and give them showers of rain, to every one grass in the field.”  The BBE (Bible in Basic English) translation of the Bible renders this verse of scripture in a way that I prefer. It reads, “Make your request to the Lord for rain in the time of the spring rains, even to the Lord who makes the thunder-flames; and he will give them showers of rain, to every man grass in the field.”

Like a few other instances in the Bible, God throws out a challenge to His people who believe in and serve Him to make a demand of Him. And consequent upon this demand, He in turn will move and act in direct response to their request. Before I go on further, let me share with you why this verse of scripture has captivated my attention.

Because I have come to understand the times we are in presently (The last days), and because I have come to know how faithful and reliable God is to fulfilling His word, I see Zechariah 10:1 as a blank cheque handed to the end time church, by which we can collaborate with God to precipitate the Plans and purposes of God for these last days. This end time Church of Christ is destined to MANIFEST the GLORY of God. The other signs and happenings which tell us of the “season” we are in spiritually have already become so visible, they are all over our faces. For example, the problems of humanity have now been compounded by a strong demonic involvement more than ever before. Our sensibility to moral decadence, inhuman practices, social injustice and human right abuses, are being gradually removed. Selfishness, self-centredness, racial prejudice, etc. are on the increase. There is a general attitude of disrespect for constituted authority and in a majority of places, the idea of a Holy God has become a myth only fit for history books. Self-love has replaced the love for God even in those who profess to know God. It is equally alarming that parallel to all these is a growing religious fundamentalism which is threatening modern civilization, seeking to engrave a psyche of fear and terror on the mentality of human kind. No other power or force can stand face to face with these threats and overcome them except the divine power of The Most High God who created the heavens and the earth.  We, the Body of Christ cannot afford to miss our great moment in history. What we see generally of the Body of Christ today is nothing compared to what it really ought to be. Today, the Christianity that is popular is man centred, self-serving and need oriented. It is as if God exists to pander to our lust for earthly gains. But really, it is not about us, it is about Him. God has an eternal plan He is executing. Man and the earth are central to this plan. As God’s people, the prophetic scriptures put a burden on us at this time to grow up into MATURITY in CHRIST and begin to do not only the works Jesus did, but greater work than He did so that through us God’s glory might be revealed.

We tend to have the idea that God is all powerful and can do anything and will eventually intervene when He gets ready to. As true as this is, it is not complete truth. God always needs men in order to move or manifest His power on earth. Please do not misunderstand me, God is sovereign and does act sovereignly. But in the issues regarding His eternal purposes for the earth and the Church of Christ, His Word is clear in passages below. 

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD'S: but the earth hath he given to the children of men."(Ps.115:16). Because God has given man authority in the earth, He requires His men and women, through their prayers and intercessions, to exercise His power.

"And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." Eze.22:30

 Israel was in captivity in Babylon. God has said through the prophetic declarations of Jeremaiah that Israel will go into the Babylonian captivity, but after 70 years have been accomplished, they will be released to go back to their land.  

"And this whole land shall be desolation, and astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations." (Jer 25:11-12)

We find out in the Book of Daniel that when the 70 years was accomplished, nothing was happening. It took a person like Daniel who had the understanding of the prophetic scriptures, to start interceding on behalf of Israel, reminding God of His promises before God was able to initiate the release of Israel from Babylon, by sending angel Gabriel who brought the good news of the answered prayer to Daniel after 21 days of delay by satanic force, who presented a stiff opposition to the angel bringing the answer in the heavenlies.

An interceding company like Daniel is being raised by God as we speak, through whom God will release His power to bring forth the rain of His power and glory upon The Church and then through the church to the earth.

There is coming a purging in the church, a washing and cleansing that will bring forth a glorious church, not having any spot, wrinkle, blemish or any such thing. This purging will separate the true Church from the Synagogue of Satan. It will bring a demarcation between the true and the false which will be made so glaring by the mighty power of God that the true Church will manifest.

We need to ask The LORD to send the RAIN, for NOW is the TIME. An outpouring of God's Spirit that is unprecedented in the History of the Church. This rain on one hand will cause a release by and from God of TRUE fivefold Ministry. Teachers of Righteousness who will teach and preach God's Word with power, thereby EQUIPING THE CHURCH to do the work of the Ministry. This will bring about the greatest ingathering of souls into the Kingdom of God that will ever be witnessed by any generation of peoples upon the earth.

We have a direct promise from God to ask for rain in the time of the latter rain. This type of "asking" is not something that you do once and forget about it. We keep on asking or making a demand from God based on His promise. Note that it is only God who can cause this rain to fall. He is the One who causes lightnings to flash. He is the One who will give EVERYONE (who asks) grass in his field. Let's be up and about our Father's business and it won't be long till we'll begin to see the manifestations of His power and Glory in The Church. 

Welcome to my Blog

May I use this opportunity to welcome you to my blog. In this maiden edition, I want to introduce myself to you. I am the Pastor of a vibrant and growing church located at Ibadan, Nigeria. The name of the Church is Christ the Dayspring Church.  This  blog post is primarily for believers in Christ Jesus. Those who are passionate to see God's glory in manifestation in their lives and our time.I will be sharing with you truths from The Bible, thought provoking comments from other blog posts and materials which are spiritually edifying for The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ today.

The Bible says we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. As light, we illuminate the darkness around us and make manifest the deeds of darkness, exposing the evil works of Satan and stopping the advancement of the kingdom of darkness, As salt, we preserve this world from  rot and consequent destruction, or at least keep it at bay until the Work of God on Earth is done.

We are in a time unlike any other in the history of mankind. The very atmosphere over our heads testify to this fact. Unfolding world events daily attest to it also, that times have changed. Never before in the history of our world has there been such a hunger for solutions to the myriad of problems humanity faces today. It just appears that a power beyond us is all out to devour us and completely annihilate the human race. But will it happen this way? Is there a solution? What does the Bible say about all these?

The time we are in now is described in the Bible as both "Great" and Terrible". Great for the believers who would continue in all they've learnt from God, daily striving to follow God as they are led by Him, through His Spirit and His Word; but terrible, first for the believer who just pays lip service to the things of God, not putting into practice or doing what the Word of God says. Secondly, it will be terrible for those who have not yet made Jesus the Lord of their lives and so have kept on living as if God is non-existent.

It is very important to serve  God at this time with all we've got, knowing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Do you have a local church where you worship and serve God? If so, continue and keep rendering your service to God and His people there. If not, pray about it and let God guide you to a place where you will serve God, learn more and grow up spiritually.

Before I conclude these opening statements, I'd like you to read and meditate on the Zechariah 10:1 and post your thoughts and comments. The Lord bless you.

Do you find time to read and meditate on God's word daily. It is a HABIT you MUST cultivate as a christian. There is a site I'd like to introduce to you where you can develope and maintain this habit. You can even read your Bible on your mobile phone. It is youversion. Visit this site today.