THE STRANGER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY 1

THE STRANGER IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY 1

Once Upon a time, there lived a Great King in a far away  kingdom. One day he called his servants and said ‘I am passionate about a community and I desire to send two persons among you who will go to the community and tell them the vision I have for them. The duties of these ones that will be sent include: they should tell the community about me and my kingdom; even though my precept might varies with theirs.

Also they should establish my kingdom so that at the fullness of time, I shall be glad that I did.

But I must not fail to warn of the challenges you must encounter, because I have an arch-enemy who has determine to counter my mission, so you must be careful of his wiles and deception. You must remember you are a stranger in the country I am sending you, so be on guard and watch so that you will not be sway by the tactics of the enemy. The man called to be a soldier should not entangle himself with the affairs of the civilian, so that he may please Him who has enlisted him into the army.

Remember I have made you a light-bearer so be on guard against the works of darkness. I know the deceiver will try to entice you with the beauties and glories of his dark kingdom that never last. But remember you must  fix your eyes not on the things seen but the things unseen, for the things seen are temporal but the things unseen are eternal.

I am given you authority to mach upon scorpion and serpent and the powers of the enemy and nothing by any means shall hot you.

Finally I must not fail to tell you that there is rewards to those who will be faithful with the mission and also punishment to those who will unfaithful or join forces with the enemy to give everyman according as his works shall be. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

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WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS FALLS: LIKE A NEEDLE IN THE COMPASS HE MAY FALL.

WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS FALLS: LIKE A NEEDLE IN THE COMPASS HE MAY FALL.

‘For though the righteous man falls seven times; he rises again’. Proverb 24:16

In the course of a believer’s journey, in his walk with Christ, there is a slide in his faith, such a moment, might be when in his weakness he falls into sin by yielding his member to it. ‘Therefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed less he falls’ I cor10v12. In our previous text when we discuss on falling from grace, we made known that the primary reason that could make a believer to fall from grace, is divided heart. A situation when the heart of the believer is divided between Christ and the world; a time when he now consider striking a balance between the faith and the world. At such a moment he falls. But could that means he is lost forever? Does God cast him out or is he still a child of God? If so how does God deal with him? These are the things we will discuss at length as the Holy Spirit leads us.

Below are the points to consider in this text:

1.     The believer does not commit sins: to be committed to a course is to deliberately and continuously delight in the course. From this definition a believer, do not commit sin, why, the seed of God is in him, for he cannot continue in sin because he is born of God. ‘no one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him, he cannot go on sinning, because he have been born of God’ 1 John 3v9.

2.     He may fall into sin: ‘my dear children, these write me unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins’ 1 john 2:1-2. It is then clear that the believer need not to sin; hence it is not necessary for him to commit known or deliberate sin. ‘These things write I unto you, that you sin not’. In other word it is not the nature of a believer to sin. However occasion can lead a believer ‘… any man sin..’ even though sin is neither the nature of a believer, but he may fall. (A believer is like the needle of a compass. The needle always points to the north, but it is possible for something to detract it and for a moment, it may point in another direction, but inevitably it will swing back and point again north).however the believer need not remain in the mule for there is an Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, hence he can be forgiven. Halleluiah.

3.     God will judge but not cast him away:  2 Samuel 7:13-15 ‘I will be his father and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him and with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. But my love will never be taken away from him’. God is our father, ever merciful, who judges righteously. Just as a father do not cast his son away but punishes him so God will not cast us away but show mercy even though HE judges iniquities.

4.     There is broken fellowship, but through confession it can be restores: 1 John 1:9. Now ‘if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgiven us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’. The moment a believer sin against God, fellowship is broke, no longer in communion as sin come between him and the Lord. At that instance peace and Joy is eluded, simply because he is now living in disobedience. However this fellowship can be restore ‘when we confess our sins to Him’ He been faithful will forgive. ‘And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sins. 1 John 1:7.

Finally, there is no other way to escape chastisement except by immediately confessing your sin, being forgiven and getting with God.

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BEFORE NIGHT FALL 2 As long as it is day: ‘The day is almost here’ what did Jesus means? Opportunity for service. There is a calling even now to manifest God’s glory. ‘ let your light shine before men, that they may see your good work and glorified your father, seeing his glory through you as long as it is day, ‘ let us behave decently, as in the day ‘Rom 13v13 .’ This is the day the Lord has made we must… carry forth the clarion call of manifesting his glory his glory as long as it is day. … for night cometh: pilgrim should understand that night will soon come, a day of reckoning will soon be here with us, as it is appointed unto men to die once, then judgment follow-Heb 9v27. Apostle Paul understanding this says ‘so fight I not as one that beats the air’. No wonder he never regretted it at the end of his journey. ‘I have fought a good fight’. Yea night cometh when no man can work, night cometh when our service shall be judge before the great Judge ‘ And I saw the great white throne and he that sat on it, the earth and sky flew away and I saw the dead: great and small standing before the throne, books were opened. Another was opened; which is the book of life. They were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books… if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he will thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20v11-15. From the above, it is written all were judge according to all they have done. Here we should note that there was a time when these ones had opportunity to do the work of Him that sent them here on earth. A time while it is day ‘yea to everything there is a time… a time to be born and a time to die. Eh are you agitated when you hear this ‘a time to die’. Well the word of God cannot be broken. A day of reckoning is coming when we all shall stand before

BEFORE NIGHT FALL 2

As long as it is day: ‘The day is almost here’ what did Jesus means? Opportunity for service. There is a calling even now to manifest God’s glory. ‘ let your light shine before men, that they may see your good work and glorified your father, seeing his glory through you as long as it is day, ‘ let us behave decently, as in the day ‘Rom 13v13 .’ This is the day the Lord has made we must… carry forth the clarion call of manifesting his glory his glory as long as it is day.

… for night cometh: pilgrim should understand that night will soon come, a day of reckoning will soon be here with us, as it is appointed unto men to die once, then judgment follow-Heb 9v27. Apostle Paul understanding this says ‘so fight I not as one that beats the air’. No wonder he never regretted it at the end of his journey. ‘I have fought a good fight’. Yea night cometh when no man can work, night cometh when our service shall be judge before the great Judge ‘ And I saw the great white throne and he that sat on it, the earth and sky flew away and I saw the dead: great and small standing before the throne, books were opened. Another was opened; which is the book of life. They were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books… if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he will thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20v11-15.

From the above, it is written all were judge according to all they have done. Here we should note that there was a time when these ones had opportunity to do the work of Him that sent them here on earth. A time while it is day ‘yea to everything there is a time… a time to be born and a time to die. Eh are you agitated when you hear this ‘a time to die’. Well the word of God cannot be broken. A day of reckoning is coming when we all shall stand before God to give account of our works here on earth, whether good or evil. On this day these ones are standing before the throne of judgment had to give account; because their night-fall has come so they must stand to give account of their life. Remember there was a time they had it as golden moment of opportunity here on  earth as you are now, may be they know or maybe not, that their works here on earth have recorded books. Then at the end of their journey here on earth, they were summarized in the book of life. And whosoever was not found written in this book, be it a professor, bishop, Evangelist, Pastor, whosoever is  not found written in this book of life will be thrown into lake of life. May God grant us the grace never to be a waste in this life journey, that we might make haste to do and fulfill his will BEFORE NIGHT-FALL.

BEFORE NIGHT FALL PART 1

BEFORE NIGHT FALL PART 1

John 9v1-4 ‘As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi who sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered ‘neither this man nor his parent sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no man can work while I am in the world I am the light of the world’.

Let us also look at Rev 12v12 ‘therefore rejoice you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the habitant of the earth and the sea because the devil has gone down to you. Filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. Lastly psalm 90v12 ‘Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our heart unto wisdom’.

If you ask me, I will tell you that it is five minutes to 12; 11:55. Very soon it will be 12 and then night will fall! It is high time that pilgrims should come to term of the briefness of time. The bible captured the missionary work of Jesus; as he went along, here says they saw a man blind from birth. How often do we have blind in our midst who have fail to understand the briefness of the time we are in ‘who fail to redeem the time in this evil days’. His disciples ask Him, could sin be the cause of his blindness? Though it might be a right question but at the wrong footing; Jesus responds, inform how out of context they are. They are out of the main issue which is to use issues and circumstances of life to manifest God’s Glory. Most often, we blame people over certain things and situations, instead of using such occasion to manifest the glory of God. ‘For the whole creation wait in agony and eagerly for the manifestation of children of God’. Rom 8v19.

Is high time we should stop blaming our leaders, now is the time for the children of the Kingdom, to showcase God’s glory unto men and not to join the world to ask ‘ whose sin resulted to these deteriorating state of the economy, relationship, health issues etc. As victorious saint of the Lord our prayer should be ‘Lord let thy Kingdom come’ Yes this happened so that the work of God might be display’… You may say, man of God, what of this one, could this be the handwork of God that this bad situation come to be. Abraham could have ask that question after waiting on God’s promises for so many years, David after been anointed King of Israel had to pass wilderness journey for 15years, likewise Joseph who waiting for a decade after God gave him a dream. Israel a nation of covenant stayed in a foreign land as slave for 430 years. Sometimes we do not need to understand God, because His ways are higher than ours. All we have to do is to follow Him in faith. All the patriarchs of old in Heb 11 have one testimony in their walk with God: FAITH! Without which no one can pleased God!  So I say to you what the Lord says ‘ this happened that the work of God, might be display in you’. So cast off every doubt, fear and unbelief and look unto Jesus who is ever faithful to manifest His glory through you in this quest challenging and perilous time of life!

Keep a time with us for the second sere of this sermon. God bless you!