ENLISTING IN THE VANGUARD FOR TRUTH.

My brother, I have given some thought to what we discussed earlier. So, I started studying the scriptures on my own.  I gave myself the assignment of reading the whole of the New Testament.  You’ll not believe what I saw in Mathew chapter 5 yesterday!

What did you find there my friend?

Let me read you verses 44 and 45: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Now, imagine that I have been taught all these years to pray that my enemies should fall down and die! Honestly, the way I feel now, I will just prayerfully continue my study of the scriptures and seek clarity on each and every doctrine I have accepted thus far. I reckon a lot of work lies ahead for me my brother!

Congratulations my friend; I am sincerely happy for you and rejoice with you!

Now, what do I need to do? Who does one listen to now?  I desire to know the Truth and dedicate my life to it! I thank you for jolting me to take this new course of action. I need to clarify all my doubts…they are like a huge pressure on me now.

My friend, a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. You however need to be truly earnest when you are seek the Truth. Oh, this brings to mind one sentence in a book I will like you to read. It goes like this: “Awake! Look around you! Listen to your inner voice! That alone can open the way!”

Hmmm. That is touching! I’d like to have the book. Honestly, my brother, I have held onto my beliefs without subjecting them to any examination. I simply had to believe… there was no other way since the doctrines cannot be subjected to any investigation. At least so I thought …

I understand you fully my friend, for I have treaded that path before. Teachings that promote the impossible will always demand blind faith because that is the only way such doctrines can be accepted. That was exactly how you accepted that the Saviour can turn stones to bread and jump from the pinnacle of the Temple!  The Truth however does not deviate from what is natural thus stimulating independent thinking, true inner peace and freedom. Truth also leads us to jubilant conviction.

Hmm… I see…

There is absolutely no need for believing the impossible about the Almighty. We do Him no honor by believing that He can act against His Own Laws or that the Son of God has set aside the Laws of His Father for us! As God is Love, so also is He Living Justice! Indeed He is the Law! I can tell you all these because I have personally examined the work In the Light of Truth, The Grail Message. I will share a copy with you as I am convinced that its contents will be a faithful helper to you!

I will examine it, thank you. I am feeling lighter already! But please tell me how I will know the Truth. I am wary of all the sorts of doctrines which confront one at every turn. All call Jesus but we do not know who is genuine. How does one discern the right belief?

My dear friend, the Truth is the preserve of the Creator Who has once more allowed this Truth to be given to mankind after we had confused ourselves through the distortions we introduced into the Word of Jesus. The Truth is! We as human beings should never feel comfortable or safe until we are sure that we have found It. We know that we have found It when all the burning questions of human existence have been answered without resorting to blind faith. Absolutely every question must be answered through the Truth. It is that type of belief system that we should be on the lookout for.

I think I understand what you are talking about my brother. I shall not rest till I find the Truth!

I prayerfully wish you the strength that you need my good friend. 

WHAT DOES JOHN 3:16 REALLY SAY?

It is one of the most popular verses of the Bible. It has been used by preachers, exponents of the Gospel and missionaries of all ages to draw men to the faith. And if there is one verse that most people can recite from memory and even in their sleep, it will be these simple, soothing ,yet powerful and  majestic words: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

But what does this verse really say? Is it about a free unconditional gift to the world? Is the “world” expected to do anything at all? What does it mean to believe in the Son?

Today, I respectfully and sincerely urge you to go over the words again but this time, read it with this at the back of your mind: the Almighty does not need us but rather we need Him!

No doubt if we re-read the words from this standpoint we will realise that the Eternal One sent His Son into the gloomy and dark world to bring light into the souls of human beings. There is one condition however: it is those who believe Him and act in accordance with His words who will rediscover the right way leading to God. It is such people who will pass in the Judgement that will one day come upon the world.

Next, what does it mean to believe in the Son of God? To believe Him simply means we trust in His words and are convinced of the truth of His words. He who believes then needs to live according to what is believed. Confessing His Name, empty faith, the illusory belief that Christ has done it all for us, we are to do nothing at all, expecting miracles from Him and so on will not help! Nothing else will help other than trusting His words and because of this we then live our lives based on His words. We are to live the words in actual deeds! Those who call Him Lord, Lord, and do not do His Father’s Will, which is obedience to God’s Laws and Commandments will still be regarded as failures during the Judgement.

Let us realise the great love extended from above to us through Jesus and from now on thank the Almighty with how we live our lives, indeed with every breath we are permitted to take through His inestimable love!

HEED THIS HITHERTO UNHEEDED EXPO!

In Mathew 24:24 we read:  “

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

This suggests that the false prophets will be very convincing and will have many followers so much so that even the elect might be deceived.  In many prophecies of the end times we find that false prophets will deceive many.

When looking to identify false prophets, has it occurred to us to look critically at our own beloved preachers, the ones we love to listen to and who now have a great following? Might they also be false prophets?

That scripture above is a grave warning that the false teachers are more likely to be the very popular and widely acceptable ones!

I leave you with these ominous words found in Luke 18:8 “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

He who has ears to hear let him hear!

STOP BEING A MINION OF HEROD'S MASTER!

Yes, you are among the minions of Herod’s master! Stop it and leave their camp.

How can you say such a thing about me? I am an ardent believer of the Lord Jesus.

Yes, I hear his Name sounding from your lips all the time and I reckon you believe he could do all things and even turn stones to bread if He wanted to.

Yes He can. He is a miracle working and big Lord! And He is always by my side!

Do you know that the Lord will only act in accordance with the Laws ordained by His Father which preclude such hocus-pocus like turning stones to bread?

No! The Lord is subject to no Law whatsoever! He stands above the Law and can do as He pleases. He is Lord over all! He made the Laws and can set them aside as He deems fit and at any time.

You’ve always said these and that was how I knew that you are amongst the minions of Herod’s master! You fell into his trap when long ago you accepted the doctrine that the Lord acts arbitrarily.

I will even add with all certainty that if He wanted, He could have jumped from the pinnacle of the Temple and no harm would have come to Him!

Wonderful! Do you not see that these two things: turning stones to bread and jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple were the very temptations that were put right before Jesus by non-other that Herod’s master?

Ahaa, I know pretty well. I study scripture daily. It is my daily bread.

Yet you think Jesus would have done them?

Yes of course!

What then is your interpretation of a temptation?

Temptation is a situation of being enticed to do evil.

I am happy at your definition. Can you now see that the enticement to turn stones to bread or jump from on top of the Temple were all calculated to deal a blow on Christ’s Ministry? If these two things were good, why do we refer to them as temptations?

I remain an adamant believer in miracles don’t you also? I can even command the Almighty to do that which I want! In fact, the Laws no longer apply to me as Jesus has abolished all the Laws and set me free by faith and grace! See for yourself how rich and prosperous I have become!

Say no more as you have just proven with all certainty that you belong completely to the camp of Herod’s master! First, you doubt the fact that God’s Laws are the same yesterday, today and forever and remain unchangeable. Secondly, you are so arrogant that you think you can demand from your Creator instead of subordinating yourself and your whole being to Him. Thirdly, you also accept that the Laws have been abolished for you and completely forgot that the Lord Jesus told us that He had come to fulfil the Law of His Father! Think just a little my friend. But do realise that today is the day to leave the camp of Herod’s master!

CAN THE LAWS OF GOD BE ANNULLED?

Never?

The Laws of God cannot be annulled. So for example the Ten Commandments of God in its undiluted form, the Law of Love given by Jesus will not change and must be obeyed by all who wish to be pleasing to the Creator of Heaven and earth.

How can people just believe that they are no more under the Law of God because they now believe in or have faith in Christ Jesus? Such concepts are the propagation of Herod’s master!

Even your conscience will always prick you when you do wrong until you make amends.

The grace is the Word of God. Our faith is to believe in that Word and then we can do works that accord with the Laws of God in all joyful loyalty. Of course we are then rewarded for this! However anyone who works under the laws based on the precepts, dogmas and creeds of men will only be doing works which when viewed from above are like filthy rags!

All said, let us remember the words of the Alpha and Omega in Revelations 22:12 --“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each person according to what he has done.”

ARE WE SAVED BY FAITH ALONE?

In my teens I read so many evangelism tracts and can still tell you what the essential message was for nearly all the tracts! Usually the contents go like this: all have sinned; the wages of sin is death; man is in need of salvation; the Almighty has made a provision for salvation by allowing His Son to die in the place of sinners; all we need do now is accept this sacrifice and we are saved. Ephesians 2:8, 9 is cited to buttress the point that we are saved by faith:  For it is by grace you have been saved through faith … it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.

Saved by faith only? No more laws? Sounds so easy and too good to be true. So, we were told to simply believe!  That was the Gospel!

Many of us have passed our teens now, and it is time to seriously ask ourselves and seek objective answers to these four questions: 1. are we really saved by faith alone? 2. Is it enough just to confess Christ as Lord? 3. Are we no longer under the law? 4. What is grace?

1.      On whether we are saved by faith alone, James 2:14-18 tells us: What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

One can safely infer that the “works” mentioned in Ephesians 2:8, 9 can only refer to the outward performance of rites, sacrifices, human commandments and ordinances which really counts for no righteousness and are like filthy rags before the Lord! Such should not be confused with works done loyally in fulfilling the Laws of God and in obedience to His Holy Will!

2.      On whether it is enough just to believe and confess Christ as Lord, please be guided by James 2:19- “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” 

Your belief alone is therefore nothing great and you will still remain in the camp of Herod’s master- Lucifer and his minions unless you do the Will of the Father which is the same as obedience to His Laws.

3.      So are we no longer under the Law? We remain under the Laws of God which Christ Himself said He had come to fulfill! However, Jesus the Son of God through His Teaching has released us from the mundane laws, injunctions and traditions of men which include the dogmas of old and the creeds of today employed to enslave men and put them under the control of religious leaders. Therefore, Christ was quoted to have said: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? . . . Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: . . . "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." (Mathew 15:3-9)

4.      Finally, what is grace? The grace of God is the Word of Truth Jesus brought to us at great pains and an enormous sacrifice. This Holy Word shows us the Laws of our Father without dilution and these Laws are our path to salvation, being born anew and our path to Heaven! So it is correct to say we are no more under the laws imposed by men (i.e. the yoke imposed by men through their traditions and wrong interpretations of God’s Commandments) but under grace (i.e. the gift of God to man which is the Word of God which at the same time are the Laws of God explained in all Purity by Jesus devoid of human embellishments).

Let us always bow in humility and give jubilant thanks to the Most High Who in His Wisdom and Love gave us the Laws through which we can save and redeem ourselves!

IT IS NO USE LOOKING AT OTHERS.

Let me use an analogy to drive home this point. It is my exaggerated fiction of a jobless young man who at a job interview was asked to suggest his own salary. He suggested N50, 000 per month thinking it was cool and good enough. The company then offered him N200, 000 per month and he nearly went berserk in surprise. He therefore came to the job will all happiness.

Two months down the road out of curiosity he spied on the pay slip of a guy on a similar level as his and discovered he earns more than him monthly. Because of this he lost his happiness and lost all interest in the job as well! Imagine that.

So for our own sake, we should learn to be content and thankful for what we already have while we remain open for development and progress which will always be ours because of our positive attitude.

May we remain open to receive all the blessings that surround us each day!

“RENDER UNTO THE EMPEROR THAT WHICH IS DUE TO THE EMPEROR, AND UNTO GOD THAT WHICH IS DUE TO GOD!”

I am sure you are wondering where I am going with this. I am here talking about New Year resolutions and how to make such an exercise beneficial. Many have come to make it a point of duty to make New Year resolutions as one year rolls into another. A person might make a resolution to set clear goals for the New Year. It could be a decision to drop an undesirable habit, or a general guide as to how the next 12 months is to be spent.

If the reason behind this effort is genuine and focused on what is noble, uplifting, pure, and not meant to harm our fellow men, then certainly it is a well meant practice and should be encouraged.

One must add quickly that in setting our goals, we need to ensure that we do not focus solely on setting earthly goals. No doubt we may not forget or disregard earthly necessities with impunity but at the same time they must not become the principal aim of our thoughts and actions.

Jesus already long ago demanded that we fulfil both material, earthly or mundane responsibilities on the one hand and spiritual responsibilities on the other hand. Hence He told us “Render unto the Emperor that which is due to the Emperor, and unto God that which is due to God!” —

Furthermore, in setting our earthly goals let us steer clear of self-aggrandizement, crass materialistic ambition and vanity.  Inordinate ambition to amass material wealth, break sports record, to strive to be the envy of others, buying the latest phones, cars or jets and all such “achievements” brings no blessing to humanity, no progress, and no gain for anyone’s existence in this Creation, but only encourages people to fritter away their time upon earth.

Instead, our priority should be to consider that which helps in our spiritual ascent, furthers Creation in which we are permitted to live and improves the lives of our fellow men. We need to have goals which are high, noble, good and ideal. Let us have a spiritual aim, high goals for eternity, to look upwards and ascend. Also, an ideal aim and prayer is to plead for strength finally to pull ourselves together for permanent improvement, humbly strive to throw off all former stubbornness, and joyfully greet the Word of Truth from the Light as redemption!

Our resolution or firm decision will be well directed therefore if it is focused on the observance of the Laws of God. Let us also fulfill our earthly obligations be it in work, business or to the government by observing earthly laws.

I wish you a happy New Year. May our lives and the years ahead of us be blissful as we think upon God and His Will at all times!