END TIME REALITY

 

THE REALITIES OF THE END TIME

“Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37:37-40

Beloved, the grace that makes the day break will make you break new grounds with ease and beyond your imagination. Your hopes, good dreams and glorious expectations will surely manifest and translate fully to testimonies in Jesus name. As you journey this New Month, the hands of God will be upon you for good, Mercy shall locate you wherever you go and you shall return with Great and Mouthwatering Testimonies in Jesus mighty name, Amen. I wish you a Testimony Filled Month Ahead.

Friends, we give all glory to almighty God for bringing us in to last quarter of the year, it is amazing, despite all the challenges that many could not survive or overcome. The goodness and mercies of the Lord is so evident that the verdicts or the negatives judgments of the evils ones could not stand the light of the day. Indeed! “He disappointed the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprises.” Job 5:12.May His name be highly exalted forever and ever Amen.

Beloved, in this new month, we shall be looking at THE RALITIES OF THE END TIME, and our anchor scripture is taking from the book of 2Timothy 3:1-9

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lust, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.”(2 Timothy 3:1-9)

Beloved, looking at the trajectory of our time and a cursory look at the developments of our present day, we would without doubt come to the undeniable conclusion that time for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly fast approaching. The clock is fast is ticking by the second and we are gradually confronting the reality of the end times which are being expected to usher in the Son of God and the Messiah of the whole world (Matthew 24:29-31)!

As we see it today, the agony or pain of disappointment and betrayal is becoming unbearable. Many people are making a show of their evil and indecent lifestyles without being remorseful. The level of compromise among most believers is increasing day by day to the extent that most people are beginning to doubt whether Jesus will even come back again. Some are overwhelmed, exhausted and depressed by burden of life and life is even becoming hopeless and unbearable. That is why our Lord Jesus in Matthew 25:13 encourages us to; “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Beloved, my observations from Matthew 25:1-13 highlighted in the Bible, are as enumerated hereunder for better understanding:

1. The people did not know the precise time the bridegroom would come.

2. People will wait until they are exhausted, worn out, tired, and overwhelmed.

3. People will engage in wrong assumptions. This could be due to manipulations by the devil (the enemy of our soul).

4. There will be massive misconception, misrepresentation and misplacement of priority for purposeful living.

5. People will be engaging in many activities at the wrong time, in the wrong place and for wrong motives. They were looking to buy oil instead of waiting.

6. Many shall be denied despite their self-righteousness or self-justification life styles.

My sincere prayer for all readers of this edition is that by the special grace of God, they will not be rejected and turned back on the last day. The messages on the rapture, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ are becoming scaring messages amongst Christians today to the extent that most believers are no longer excited when they are being reminded of the rapture and the urgent need to adequately prepare for it. There is a wrong assessment of success in life and ministry. Wealth is now being celebrated most highly in our society at the expense of our souls and soul-winning but the Scriptures in Luke 12:15 emphatically says;

And he said unto them, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

However, many believers have unfortunately been caught in the web of the world system; this is even so, despite the fact that we are currently being confronted by stark reality of the end times.

For the sake of clarity, let us reflect on the event and the character that currently reflect the reality of the end time around the world as we see it today:

a) Hypocritical Character

But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18)

One of the characteristics which the Holy Spirit warns us will be rife in the last days is hypocrisy (1 Timothy 4:2). No wonder the Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that many who expect to be granted access through the pearly gates will be turned back on the last day (Luke 13:24-27).Do you know that many Bishops, Pastors, General Overseers, Apostles, etc. who are professing Christ today will not make it on the day of judgment? May that not be your lot in Jesus Name. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to periodically examine yourself to see if you are still in faith, as received from the Lord. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says; “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Beloved, ask yourself if your name is still written in the Book of Life. Does the Spirit of God still bear witness with your spirit that you are a bona fide child of God? Is your conscience free from guilt and dead works? Can the devil and his agents testify that truly, you are no longer in their camp? Do not pretend to be a child of God when you know you are on your way to hell!

The greatest challenge Jesus had with the Pharisees was the issue of their mindset. They appeared to have good intentions, but it was all a lie. Jesus knew the state of their hearts. The human heart of a man is what shapes his destiny. The reason why some people come to church and are still not blessed is the state of their heart. Their hypocritical hearts are hardened, and so they cannot receive anything from God. If the Pharisees had allowed the message of Jesus Christ to penetrate their hearts, their perception would have been different. If you allow God to work on your heart, your breakthrough will be immeasurable. Our heart is a reflection of who we are. Every time Jesus performed a miracle, instead of being happy that someone in need had received help from God, the Scribes and Pharisees would rather question by what authority He did it (John 9:13-27, Luke 20:1-2). That is what a hypocritical heart looks like. I wish we all knew that God is watching not just our actions but also our motives. He hears and watches everything we do behind closed doors. There is nothing hidden from Him that will not be exposed on the last day. Hypocrites know how to find faults in the lives of others, but their own lives are like sepulchers which appear beautiful on the outside but are full of dead man’s bones (Matthew 23:27). God wants us to reflect a life of righteousness and transparency, a life that radiates the glory of God, a life of virtue and of good works.

b) Ruled By Mammon

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

A crafty and complex form of idolatry in the world today, which has been around for a long time, and yet seems to go undetected by most people, is the reverence and premium place accorded to the god of money, otherwise known as Mammon in the hearts of many. Our Lord Jesus Christ was very clear when He stated what the first and greatest commandment was in Matthew 22:37:

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

When our love which should be given to God exclusively, is diverted to money, we deviate from the faith and expose ourselves to unhappiness and many sorrows. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 5:10 says; “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”

Sometimes I am extremely puzzled as to why people run after vanity. In some countries of the world, government officials steal billions from their sovereign wealth and starch their loot away to foreign lands. Some of these officials have become even “richer” than their country by this inglorious act. One wonders what they would do with all this stolen money. Nothing reasonable for sure! For such people, money has become their god, and so they worship it to the extent that the more they acquire, the more difficult it becomes for them to spend. If you attempt to find out from some of these so-called rich people, you will discover that they find it difficult to spend their millions! They eat like paupers because money has become their god. In the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit offers us a way out of Mammon’s bondage. He said; “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Beloved, our stay here on earth is too short for us to run after Mammon. Therefore, let us follow the Master intimately, because He is the only One that would always stand by us, even after we close our eyes in death. If you worship Mammon, once you breathe your last breath, Mammon would immediately change servants. In view of this, let us be wise and follow after godliness!

Most people have chosen to esteem money and material wealth far more than the human soul. That is why ‘Yahoo boys’ and girls’ can kill for money rituals. The quest for money at all costs by teenagers of the present generation has led many of them to their own damnation and this indeed, is very pathetic.

c) Realities Of Selfishness

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” (2 Timothy 3:2)

Individuals who always want everything to revolve around them and who always want to be in charge are yet to be broken. Another sign of not being broken is selfishness. The Holy Spirit, speaking through Paul, has forewarned the Church of God that selfishness will be the hallmark of sins committed during the last days as revealed by Scriptures in 2 Timothy 3:2.

Selfishness is all about falling in love with oneself to a point where everyone and everything else is second place. The height of selfishness is when you love yourself to the point of idolizing yourself; this is a form of idolatry. The Holy Spirit reveals one class of such people in Philippians 3:19, where He said;

“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”

It is unfortunate that a lot of selfish people are mounting the pulpit of God in our current dispensation parading themselves as ministers of the gospel. Such people do not serve the God of Heaven, but rather they serve their own stomachs. The goal and desires of selfish people revolve around the mundane things of this world. They can never be heavenly-minded.

Now we must understand that selfishness negates God’s eternal word in Mark 12:30 which says; “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

God instructs that you should love Him with all you have, but selfishness says “No, how can I love you when I have not even loved myself enough?” If you are a lover of self, you will always run into problems with God. To obey divine instructions and commands, you will often be required to displease yourself, and that is what a selfish person cannot do. If you are selfish, you will find it almost impossible to please God. A selfish person will hear messages on tithing but will find it difficult to tithe. Why? He would be calculating what he would lose if he gives up the tithe, and what he stands to gain from keeping those funds. A selfish person has no understanding of spiritual things. The question to ask here is - are you controlled by love for God or by selfishness?

d) A Partaker Of Other People’s Sins

“Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins; keep thyself pure. (1 Timothy 5:22)

There is an error now rampant among the children of God, which must be avoided if we will make it to Heaven. That error is partaking in other people’s sins, particularly the unbelievers! The reason for this development is connected with the unwillingness to take our stand in the midst of opposition and antagonism from the unbelieving people of this age. Children of God now conform a lot with the evil in our society because we do not want to be blacklisted, whereas, this is the nature of our calling, Jesus Christ said concerning the experience of His disciples in the world: “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”Matthew 10:22

It is rather unfortunate that those who indulge in aiding and abetting sinful ways do not know that they will also be partakers of the punishment:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whispers…Who knowing the judgement of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Romans 1:28-32

In 2 Chronicles 18:28-34, we saw how Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah partook in the sin of his friend, the king of Israel and was almost killed but for divine intervention. He agreed to disguise to be the king of Israel, not knowing that it was the king of Israel that was being sought for destruction. In a similar vein, many children of God make friends with ungodly people of the world only to discover that they share the punishment with the ungodly. This should not be so because the Scriptures in Psalms 125:2-3 says;

“As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.”

Unless children of God cease from being partakers of the sins of the unbelievers, we may continue to suffer just because of our alliance with the wicked people of this world.

e) Hater Of God

“Thus saith the Lord; cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departed from the Lord.” (Jeremiah 17:5)

Our current situation requires urgent intervention because the society is becoming unsafe due to emerging trends. There are many people rising up in many quarters, questioning the rationality of looking unto God. They despise the idea of putting God at the centre of human knowledge and existence. They question the efficacy of God’s knowledge and authority, and this is making the love of some believers to wax cold. Haters of God are those who put the fear of man over and above the fear of God. They believe more in the inventions of man than in the creation of God. They are those who rely on their own vain imagination rather than the absolute truth of God. They prefer to stay away from God and His house because they don’t want His truth to locate them. They prefer to use their wisdom to solve their problems rather than find solution in Christ alone. When they are in trouble, the first thing on their minds is running to the wrong places for solution, which eventually compounds their problem.

Looking up to a man when one should trust in God can be a very futile endeavor. Those who put their confidence in man will always end up with disappointing experiences. But if you align with God He will keep you in perfect peace. However, there are many people who have no experience of what the Peace of God is. May this never be your portion in Jesus name.

Now haters of God allow their hearts to be dominated by impure thoughts. They allow demons to control their hearts, and this is why they find it impossible to experience the Peace of God.

Those who hate God will never know the peace of God. Do not allow the power of hell to dominate your life. Every place of activity through which evil ideas come into your life must be avoided. Separate yourself totally from those things separating you from the blessings of God. Maintain a distance from those negative connections and influences that lure you into evil including internet views and indecent television programmes. Stop feeding your eyes with lust inducing items like pornography and other materials. Do not give yourself further to those things that will attract the wrath of God upon your life – things such as masturbation, fornication, incest, rape, same sex relationship and occultism. Through the power of the Lord, you can dominate these evil practices that keep you away from the grace of God.

f) Reprobate

“But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.”

(2 Corinthians 13:6)

To be reprobate is very dangerous for the society and for the Christian faith in particular. The reason is not far-fetched; a reprobate does immoral and unethical things without any sense of guilt or remorse because his or her conscience has been seared with hot iron of defiance. In 2 Corinthians 13:6, Apostle Paul affirmed his confidence in the Corinthian Church premised on the fact that they would do according to the godly instructions he passed on to them.

The problem of some of the 21st century believers is the philosophy of relativism which makes them think that an acceptable statement or action in the time of war will also be acceptable in the time of peace. For instance, if you kill while on a battle field, you are valiant and patriotic. However, if you kill in the time of peace, even as a soldier, you will be charged with murder. An extreme case of relativism is when killing in the time of peace is considered the same with killing in the time of war. This is a human error that should not be allowed in the body of Christ because it turns believers into reprobates.

As we can see here, Apostle Paul admonished the Church at Corinth, and by extension, the Church of today to ensure they are still in the faith. He goes further to challenge us to prove that we are carriers of Jesus’ image. This is the reason why John, the beloved wrote in 1 John 3:9: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Some people have sold themselves to reprobate minds, and so no number of sermons they hear can change them. They keep saying, “My conscience does not condemn me.” The truth is that a dead conscience cannot condemn, because it is not active!

g) Enslaved By Falsehood

“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.” (Proverbs 12:22)

There are dangerous traps of the devil set to derail people from inheriting their possessions in Christ Jesus. There are many who have been deceived and enslaved in falsehood because they were not sensitive. This is why Jesus warned that if care is not taken, even the very elect will fall for the deceits of the devil. By all standards, lies are the devil’s greatest weapons with which he enslaves people into falsehood. A lie is anything other than the absolute truth. The first man and woman to exist on the earth were victims of lies when the devil intentionally misinterpreted the instructions that God gave them to keep. It is upon this that the Scripture tells us to be as wise as serpents, because the devil will always try to prove to the children of God how ‘unreasonable’ the commandments of God are. You have to make up your mind to obey God rather than question simple instructions that are intended to make you happy and give you rest. The devil will also make efforts to question the reputation of God. Some teachers have taught that one can continue in sin since grace abounds. False teachers will tell you to live your life as you deem it fit because there is liberty in Christ. These are all lies of the devil; those who fall for them will always have woeful experiences. The Scripture tells us not only to hate lies but to keep the utmost distance from it because those who engage in lies are abominable in the sight of God.

We need to be men and women who delight in the truths of God in all matters. The problem with human beings is that we always do not appreciate the truth when we find it. There are people who prefer to seek counsel from people that will destroy them through wrong counsels. Some people know that there is nothing biblical about their church, yet they remain in such places.

There are various wolves in sheep clothing parading themselves as true prophets sent by God, but if you allow the Lord to open your eyes, you will see clearly who they are. Many people have suffered untold damages in the hands of these fake prophets; this is why you need to be watchful. If you are a liar, or you are engaged in anything fraudulent, you need to stop it before the wrath of God comes upon you. If you are living a life that misrepresents the Kingdom of God, you have to quickly amend your ways before it becomes too late. If you give yourself to ungodly living, you will be enslaved by falsehood because you have refused to retain God in your knowledge. Are you under a ‘man of God’ who is performing miracles, signs and wonders, but whose life does not resemble that of Christ? I will advise that you relocate immediately to where the Truth will find you. You shall know the Truth and the Truth will set you free; in accordance to John 8:32 which says; “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It is important to highlight here that above indices of the total reflection of the events and character of the end time are not exhaustible. Rather, there are more negative vices of the devil that are constantly and consistently being unleashed on the world on a daily basis. The major task now is for the believer to endeavour to make it till the end despite these numerous obstacles in order to finish strong. What is the way out and what can you do to escape the impending judgment or damnation that is to come upon the children of disobedience at the end time.

Friend, some of the ways out or routes of escape are as follows:-

a) Beware Of The TripartiteSins

“Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:15)

Christians are not to align themselves with this world. When you get consumed with the affairs of this life you are distracted from keeping your mind on the things of God. But the Bible in Romans 12:2 encourages us to be heavenly minded:

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Satan and his agents are trying to deceive people, to see the things of this world as desirable but we must not give room for the evil values and morals that have been embraced by those who have given their hearts to the devil. The devil always wants to prove a point against God. He is always devising ways by which men will focus on themselves and the material possessions of this world. Is your mind occupied with the material things of this world? Are you a victim of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life? These three are the tripartite sins which we must avoid. All that the world system contains is built around these three categories of sin.

The lust of the flesh refers to those things we crave for with the intent of satisfying our fleshy desires. They could be the pursuit of food and other things that give the flesh a good feeling. We must not forget the encounter Jesus had with the devil after fasting for 40 days. The first test is the test of food. There are many people who are serving God today only because of their stomachs. Are you one of them?

The lust of the eyes refers to those activities that make men follow after things that look appealing to the eyes. The experience of David with Bathsheba is a good example of the lust of the eyes. The moment he set his eyes upon her, he could not resist the temptation, until he felt for it. That same lust also pushed him to murder her husband, Uriah the Hittite and lost his kingdom. Today there are people as well as those who claim to be believers that are still engaged in this evil enterprise and many things people do because of their desire to satisfy the lust of the eyes. The moment they see that someone’s house or car is better than theirs, they do all manner of things to get it. They are never grateful for what they have, but rather they chase after fleshy things. Are you in that category?

The pride of life refers to those things you do in order to make a point about how important you are in the society. It is the accumulation of things not just because you need them, but to engage in a show of self-worth and superiority. This has become the norm these days even among believers such that they boast about their titles, academic qualifications and background.

b) Avoid Carnality

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

Beloved, if you want to do great exploits for God you have to rise above your carnal mind because no serious exploit can be done in the flesh. One of the things responsible for the miraculous events in the early church is that everything was done in the atmosphere of God’s Spirit. That is why we need to thirst for more of His presence in our midst if we want an outpouring of His spiritual blessings. It takes the Spirit of God for one to have access to deeper revelations of God. Ephesians 2:18 says; “For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the father.”

Anyone who wants to experience and encounter the glorious presence of God must be ready to let go of the flesh and allow the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Truth to take over. The carnal man is manipulated by his emotions and thinking. The carnal man is vulnerable to lust. The carnal man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. The carnal man is always a victim of strife and questionable actions. The carnal man will always be found in questionable environments and circumstances, but the man who allows the Spirit of God to dwell in him will always be sensitive to the leading of the spirit.

To effectively deal with the problem of carnality, wisdom demands you take it from the root. A tree that is cut down but not uprooted will grow again; it is only a matter of time. The only time you can be assured of permanent victory over the flesh is when you uproot the carnal man from its root. The moment you turn on the light, darkness automatically ceases. There is a need for you to turn on the Spirit man, who is nourished through a life of holiness and consecration to the Almighty God. As long as the Spirit is in charge, you cannot be defeated. You remain a champion and everything that is not of God will keep its distance from you, but the moment you give the carnal man a little attention, it begins to take over again. The best way to deal with the carnal man is to flee from every appearance of evil.

Anything done with the carnal mind will always bring problem and fear, but where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty and rest of mind. Are you in the company of those who will feed your flesh? Return to Jesus, His grace will overcome the works of the devil. Obey His Word, walk closely with Him and you will see yourself exercising victory over your weakness.

c) Get Out From Among Them

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in counsel of the ungodly; nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalms 1:1)

Right from the Garden of Eden, there have been two categories of people in the world; the godly and the ungodly. Ungodliness didn’t just start in the 21st century; it is an age-long problem. Therefore, all conscientious children of God must make up their minds to watch out for ungodly groups and do everything possible to avoid keeping their company. The difference between the heroes of faith and other people that lived in their generations is that the heroes of faith refused to be influenced by the lifestyle of the ungodly. The Psalmist in Psalms 1:1 says;

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly; nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

An example of a hero of faith who distinguished himself in godliness is Noah. The Bible records that as perverted as his world was, he decided to live in the fear of the Lord with his household;

“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”…”It repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” Genesis 6:9,6

It is very important that the lovers of God abstain from all appearances of evil. The Scriptures clearly admonishes us not to keep company with the ungodly for there is no resemblance in the life of the godly and that of the ungodly. The difference is clear and Apostle John spells it out in 1 John 3:8-10 by saying;

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil…In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteous is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

The world is full of the ungodly, sinners and enemies of God. We live among them and they want to keep our company. They entice us to keep their company also. The Almighty God is speaking to us today to come out from among them. And for those who have come out in genuine repentance but are thinking of going back; don’t do it. For those still in sin, the command of God to you right now is to get out of your life of sin. You stand to be blessed if you will obey the voice of the Lord today. As a matter of fact, the evil you plan to execute today may be your last action on the face of the earth if you do not repent!

Look at your life and the company you keep. Does this company glorify the Name of your God? If not, get out of that company, thought, action and habit today.

d) Be a Blameless Vessel

“Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.” (Isaiah 52:11)

One thing that anyone who wants to be used by God should bear in mind is the need to be blameless. This is the prerequisite for a child of God who wants to serve God at any level. The Bible in 1 Timothy 3:1-2a says; “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A Bishop then must be blameless…”

Being blameless has two advantages: In the place, it saves the vessel the calamity of being destroyed by the User, the Almighty God. When a person volunteers to serve the Lord, it is dangerous for the fellow to be unclean, because the holiness of God destroys unclean vessels, just like electric current without insulation. There is a measure of holiness that God Himself bestowed upon man through obedience to His Word, which qualifies man to serve Him. The Bible says concerning Isaiah, how he admitted his sinful state, then God purified and cleansed him of his iniquity to qualify as a true prophet (Isaiah 6:5). Then, the angel of the Lord came and touched him with fire from Heaven and he was purged of his iniquity. Here, we see the mercy of the Lord upon the vessel that He decided to use for His glory. There is a lesson we must learn from this Scripture: the prophet admitted his sinful state and God came to his aid for cleansing. How wonderful would it be if those who profess to be children and ministers of God will be homely with the verdict of God concerning the Adamic nature of man and surrender to His holiness for mercy?

The second advantage of a blameless vessel is that his life glorifies the Almighty God. God is honoured in his life and He shows-off the fellow, as in the case of Job in the Book of Job 1:8. He also ultimately prospers and protects him eternally.

“And the Lord said unto Satan, has thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?”

Although Job went through many trial, the Bible records in Job 42:12 that his end was better than his beginning; “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning…”

Some Of The Key Prayers That A Believer Needs To Pray In Order To Finish Strong In Life:

• Lord Jesus, please cleanse my conscience with Your Blood so that it may be more active and sensitive for You.

• Father, I want to be blameless, please help me to live a life of obedience to Your Word and let Your Name be glorified in my life.

• Father, mortify every deed of the flesh in my life in Jesus Name.

• Father, please help me never to deny you however though the trial may be in Jesus Name.

• Father, please help me not to be a victim of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life in Jesus Name.

• Father, please give me the grace to please you in Jesus Name.

• Father, deliver me from all forms of self-deception in Jesus Name.

• Father, please fill my heart with godliness and contentment. Grant me the grace to love You more than anything else in this world in Jesus Name.