Heaven makes a stern declaration to the Inhabitants of the Earth:
“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” [Revelation 12:12].
It is very easy to conclude that God hates the whole of humanity so much as to send them to their sudden destruction. No, Read the rest of this entry »
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” [Genesis 2:7]
Ever wondered why children hardly fall prey to debilitating diseases such as cancer, arthritis, obesity, glaucoma, fibromyalgia, type II diabetes, etc.? It is usually because they don’t have complex lifestyles like adults. Their body systems are not congested with pathogens, toxins, heavy metals, radiation and such like. Read the rest of this entry »
Undoubtedly, we are all aware that we are in the last days of the age, even without being told, there are many changes in politics, nature, lifestyle â in humanity as a whole, pointing us to this fact as truth.
It is time to start asking questions. God is willing to answer anyone who is interested. He has never wanted to keep anything from those who want to know the truth. However, one major principle of His Kingdom is that âif you donât ask you donât getâ.
âAsk, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.â [Matthew 7:7]
In this article, I would want to set our minds to work by asking you some FORTY questions you need to be seeking God for answers. In fact, if you were to check, there are many of such things you need to find answers to in this Book, because the answers will determine where you pitch your eternal tent.
These are the mysteries of the End of Days. Why should you be seeking an understanding to these mysteries or answers to my 40 questions? It is very simple; your future depends on it. The answers you get from these questions will influence your moment-by-moment decisions. You will be able to make the right choices â choices that will resonate in eternity.
Round And Hanging on Nothing
I will be opening one of the most mysterious Books of the Bible â the Book of Revelation! This Book was historically dated to have been written sometime between 70AD and 95AD. Whatever the year may have been, it was definitely some DECADES after Jesus Christ had resurrected.
Out of these 26 key points of this Book, I will be picking on one. It came about at one of our online Bible Studies when a lady asked, âWho is the woman of Revelation 12, and who is the ManChild she gave birth to?â
Before I start my 40 questions to probe what the Bible is saying here, I would like to draw your attention to the statement of Jesus Christ at the very beginning of the Book, this verse is quite important to unlocking this mystery.
âThe Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:â [Revelation 1:1]
Then later as Jesus continued to reveal things to John the Beloved, a mystery was unfolded to him.
âAnd there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.â [Revelation 12:1-2]
The Truth will set YOU Free
Why was this woman in labour?
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John the Baptist was a special man, he was unique and anyone who truly worshipped God in his time loved and respected him. Yet, he suffered untold hardship as a righteous man. Why Do The Righteous Suffer or Why is There Suffering for The Righteous?
âAnd there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.â [Mark 1:5]
In Mark 6:20, we have this testimony of him, âFor Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.â
Even Jesus Christ testified of him, âVerily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.â [Matthew 11:11] There could have been no greater testimony than Christâs for a human being; John got that testimony.
John the Baptist Suffered
But what kind of life did he live? John was a man who:
Wore Sun-baked leather, not the soft Gucci designer-type!
Ate dinner of locusts and honey, not caviar washed down with champagne!
Lived in the wilderness, not in mansion of 10 bedrooms, 20 receptions and whirlpools!
Preached from the door of his wilderness-house, not the Megachurch that counts millions in tithes!
Was found in the company of the poor, not in the parties of the celebrities and royalty!
Stood up against injustice and wickedness, not the compromise of hypocrisy!
In fact, he preached one sermon against the sin of adultery exhibited by the regal Herod, who took and married his brotherâs wife due to his position of power and royalty; and John was later arrested as a result.
Mark 6:17Â For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.
Mark 6:18Â For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.
Mark 6:19Â Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
In the end, while John was in prison, he sent a message to Jesus, perhaps expecting Jesus to âspeak the wordâ and get him miraculously set free to continue his âministryâ. He did not get that âcomfortâ from the Lord.
Matthew 11:2Â Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
Matthew 11:3Â And said unto him, Are you he that should come, or do we look for another?
Matthew 11:4Â Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see:
Matthew 11:5Â The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
What an answer!
Suffering of Imprisonment
I am quite sure if this was a prayer request to a church in this generation, we would start a 24-hour prayer chain, campaign relentlessly and fight for âour rightsâ. But Jesus had a different thing in mind, He saw the whole picture differently, He KNEW something much more beautiful and greater was waiting for John if he would just go the full distance in his sufferings.
âFor whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.â [Matthew 16:25]
Jesus wanted John to lose his life for Him. Why? It was going to be the ultimate suffering of the righteous. It is the thing that makes God to stand up in His throne and receive the saint into his place of rest (Acts 7:55-56).
The road of suffering is a cold and lonely place. It is also the place where no one enjoys to walk. David the shepherd boy, a reject of the family, will confirm to you. Hannah the barren woman will tell you of her endless tears on that path.
God’s Perspective of Suffering…
Looking at John the Baptist, who would argue that he was not mentally imbalanced, considering the type of life he lived or chose to live? He could have chosen to become a hugely successful politician, but he chose to be a preacher!
The truth of the matter is that the righteous that seems to be suffering from the human perspective is seen differently in the sight of God. In Godâs Presence, he is highly admired and belovedâ (Job 1:8, 2:3).
âHenceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.â [John 15:15]
âAnd he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.â [Luke 16:15]
This is in contrast to the things we hold dearly to, we <a title="Prosperity of the Wicked?" href="http://brotherjohn.org/prosperity
Real Spiritual Warfare? Can you imagine a serpent with a deadly fang biting and trying to chew away at titanium? That snake would be totally frustrated and damaged. It would waste its venom and the fangs would be broken!
The devil will be like the snake and you will be like the titanium metal! You will be able to stand face-to-face with the devil or any of his subordinates, binding them, shutting down their acts, and delivering the captives without being destroyed. That means you will be able to deliver prostitutes, drug-users, murderers, serial sinners (paedophiliacs, adulterers, fornicators) etc. WITHOUT getting scathed by their acts.
âThen certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon themselves to call over them who had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.â (Act 19:13-16)
See these topics:
Spiritual Warfare: The Invisible Bunker
Spiritual Warfare: The Illuminating Salesman
Spiritual Warfare: The Dead Cobra!
Excellent Poem!
Women have strengths that amaze men…..IT IS THAT
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in..
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know…
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Lazarus – Manifesting God’s Glory
Lazarus is sick.
“Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” [John 11:3]
This is the final part of the three-part series on the Three Churches of the End-time. It is about a man of who little was written in the Bible, but has so much to tell us in this end time. He was Mary and Martha’s brother, but more importantly, Jesus’ friend.
NOTE: If you have not read the previous articles in the series, please do so before you read this one: #1. Martha’s Church & #2. Mary’s Church
As I discuss Lazarus, ask yourself if you are anything like him, if not, you will not be part of the Church that will manifest God’s glory for the end-time harvest. The Church is not a denomination, but a group of people.
Lazarus was said to be sick; but what does a sick person experience? It means experiencing displeasure, stress, imprisonment, weakness, feebleness, inconvenience, trouble, helplessness, lack, vulnerability, and all sorts of inability.
They sent (prayed) to Jesus. He heard them quite well that Lazarus was sick, yet He stayed TWO more days. …. A day to God is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day …. “For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” [Psalm 90:4] We have been waiting for the Coming of Jesus for the past two thousand years; In essence, Christ has been gone for just “two days”.
The world has hated and rejected Christ since the advent of the Church, but either they like it or loathe it, He’s Coming back very soon. “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,” (Jude 1:14).
“Then said Thomas, who is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.” [John 11:16]
Who is Lazarus?
Lazarus was Jesus’ friend (John 11:11). Remember, Jesus is God (John 1:1). Who are God’s friends? Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Daniel, Enoch, Elijah were typical examples of God’s friends. Who qualifies as Jesus’ friend?
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [John 15:14]
“Lazarus is asleep,” Jesus said in verse 11. This means Lazarus’ life stagnates and there is no visible progress. But, in the real sense of it, there is a biological change taking place in his body – his body was decaying.
“Lazarus is dead,” Jesus finally says in verse 14. What does this mean? People are mourning his existence, some mocking his life while others genuinely miss him; people are distressed because of him and disheartened because of his state. People can’t help him in his situation and neither can he help himself!
The truth of the matter is that Christ will not move until Lazarus ceases trying to help himself. He just has to die.
The world congregates around the Marthas and Marys, but has nothing to do with the “dead” Lazarus. Why? There is nothing Lazarus can really do for them, they can’t gain or derive any benefit from him, because he’s dead. In fact, he “stinks”. His outlook and demeanor is opposite theirs. The world doesn’t have time for “losers” like Lazarus.
When the Lord comes back what will He find? Jesus arrives and finds Martha exercising so much unbelief that her words caused Jesus to stand still (Matthew 13:58). The Church will be filled with so much unbelief that they will almost hinder Jesus and cause Him to stand still. God hates unbelief. Right now, the church preaches the Second Coming of Christ but live as if He will never show up. That is unbelief.
At the moment, Martha is busy organizing crusades and prayer meetings, usually filled with the spirit of unbelief and the prayers are filled with unbelief and can cause delays.
Just as it was at the time, there was an expectation that Jesus was going to show up. At the moment, the world is full of expectation. The world has no idea of what God is capable of doing and hence the world is yet to see God’s glory. God will manifest His glory through Lazarus!
But Lazarus is dead!
How can a dead man manifest God’s glory? Lazarus is:
A sick man, ready to manifest God’s glory, a sick man who does not seek his own glory, a sick man who has no personal agenda, a sick man whose only aim is to fulfill God’s will, a sick man who has no lust of the eyes, a sick man who has no lust of the flesh and he’s a sick man who has no pride of life.
The day he gives up all the remaining desires of self-life and truly dies is the day Christ will start coming to show forth His glory through him.
Are You “Sick” Yet?
Yes. Are you “sick” yet in the eyes of the world? Are you accounted as stupid yet? Are you accounted as “dead” yet? Have they taken your coat and you surrender your shirt as well? When people offend you and you quickly, without hesitation, forgive them. When he dead man is offended, he will not react by doing to them as they have done to him.
A sick man is not bothered with pleasure, especially the pleasure of sin. A sick man is not planning his next activity and a seriously sick man, in most cases, just want to die.
As a man, women are seductively parading themselves around you, but you’re not interested, in fact, it makes you feel sick! You don’t really care about the world on this side of life; your greatest desire is to be with Christ. I mean, are your fleshly (emotional) desires dead?
Friends, the earlier you “die” (death to self-life), the better; It is then you can truly say, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” [Galatians 2:20]
Lazarus cannot and will not remain sick for too long, he has to die, so that Christ may come and occupy His life with the power of resurrection.
What Happens When Lazarus Dies?
But Before Lazarus Died…..
He believed in the power of resurrection. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” [John 11:25] He previously heard Jesus teach it, because his sisters heard Him (John 11:24).
Lazarus entered the cave and was shut in like Noah entered the Ark and God shut him and his family in (Genesis 7:16). However, this time, it is individuals that God is shutting into His Ark. Lazarus was the only one shut in in the cave.
Lazarus gave up his life and received it back (Mark 8:35). Christ fulfilled His promise to him. Lazarus died but came alive again.
Lazarus partook in the fellowship of His sufferings and because of this he experienced the power of His resurrection.
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” [Philippians 3:10-11]
Lazarus Died…..
After Lazarus died, Christ started coming (vs7); his death was to glorify God (vs4). He gave up his life for the glory of God to be manifested through him. He “died”.
“Many people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.” [John 12:9-11 Emphasis mine]
“If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” [Luke 14:26]
He was “made conformable unto his death”, hence he attained “unto the resurrection of the dead”.
A Glimpse of The Lazarus Church
Are there prophecies about the Lazarus Church that will manifest the glory of God in this End-Time? Resoundingly – Yes!
“So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” [Ezekiel 37:10]
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD comes, for it is near at hand;
“A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great and strong people; there has not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, through the years of many generations.
“A fire devours before them; and behind them a flame burns: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
“Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
“Before their face the people shall be in great pain: all faces are drained of color.
“They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march each one on his way, and they shall not break their ranks:
“Neither shall one jostle another; they shall walk each one in his path: and when they lunge between the swords, they shall not be wounded.
“They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
“And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executes his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can endure it?” [Joel 2:1-11]
“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. …. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” [Revelation 11:3-6]
God will fill these people with His Spirit and with immeasurable power!
The Lazarus Church will walk the Earth like Moses and Elijah, manifesting the glory of Christ. They will preach the Truth and confirm it with signs and wonders.”
We got a glimpse of this in Luke 9:30-31 – “And, behold, there talked with him two men, who were Moses and Elijah: Who appeared in glory, and spoke of his death which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”
Finally, the Lazarus Church will walk the earth like Jesus Himself. Everywhere the Lazarus Church is found, people will see the manifestation of God’s glory.
“And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” [Mark 2:12]
“And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.” [Luke 7:16]
“And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” [Luke 13:13]
“For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.” [Romans 8:19 KJ2000]
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