*To The Unsaved
Right now, it is evident that a greater percentage of the multitudes of church-folks are only coming and going, but remain unsaved.
The reason for this is obvious. These days, being the very last days before the Rapture, are perilous and full of troubles of every sort (2Timothy 3:1; Matthew 24:3-8).
The devils knowing that the beginning of their damnation is almost here, are intensifying their manoeuvres and onslaught, creating a lot of troubles in every area of life - the health sector, the economic sector, the social sector, the political sector, the academic sector, the religious sector and the spiritual sector (cp. Revelations 12:7-12).
Because of this situation, multitudes mill around seeking religious solutions to their afflictions, sicknesses, matrimonial woes, economic woes, insecurity, etc; having sought such solutions without success in the secular world. In the process, either consciously or unconsciously, they forget or neglect their souls’ eternal well-being and remain unsaved.
This is why they have no genuine clear-cut testimonies of salvation and the joy of salvation. Such people are usually conversant with the Christian’s language.
Pastor A.C. Ohanebo Ministering In Lagos In December 2010
They pray, sing and testify to the reality and power of God, but have no clear-cut testimonies of how they encountered Christ, repented, confessed and had their sins forgiven and their hearts regenerated (cp. Titus 1:16; 2Timothy 3:5; Romans 10:1-4; Acts 10:1-5). There are others in the lot who come, partake in some of the activities, yet those things are done as a matter of formality.
But it is not yet late. These unsaved can yet be saved and should be saved now. They should remember that the rule of God is; “Seek ye first the kingdom of God
They should also remember that Lazarus’ soul, whose flesh was full of sores and torments went to Paradise at death while the rich man’s soul, whose flesh was filled with pleasure and goodies, descended into hell (Luke 16:19-23).
They must seek to be born into the kingdom forthwith (John 3:3,5). The simple but definite thing that must be sincerely, willingly and wholeheartedly done is as follows:
* They must look inwards and realize they are yet sinners, though in the church (cp. Luke 15:17a; Acts 2:37 b).
* They must repent and confess their sins to God, asking for His forgiveness, and the granting of the earnest of God’s Spirit to dwell in their hearts (1Peter 51:1-; Proverbs 28:11-13; Acts 3:19)
* They must believe that Jesus died for their sins, and rose up the third day for their justification, and that because of this, their sins are blotted out from God’s record and the guilt cleared from their hearts (Romans 5:1-2)
Pastor A.C. Ohanebo Ministering To Thousands Of Pastors, Evangelists And Several Categories Of Church Leaders/Ministers From Several Parts Of The World At The 2003 Edition Of The International Gospel Ministers Conference Of The Hour (IGMC) Hosted Annually By The Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (WCCRM)--Venue: Rock Chapel, The Watchman Education Project, Awo Omamma, Imo State, Nigeria.
* They must henceforth consider themselves saved and children of God on the basis of the foregoing and continue from there to build up better relationship with God as they endeavour to keep away from those things and persons that could lead them back to their old lives, and as they continue in fellowship, prayers and in His Word (Acts 2:42; John 8:31).
*To Those Blind To Their Evils
There is the terrible evil in mankind which Heaven has lamented through the centuries since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. It is the evil of everyone seeing the error of the other. Adam said, It is the woman whom thou gavest to be with me that is responsible for the sin (Genesis 3:11-12).
On her part Eve said, It is the serpent that caused the disobedience (Genesis 3:13). From that time on till now, the tradition has continued unabated. This is why the brothers of Joseph saw his “evil” of dreaming dreams and sharing same with them, but did not see their real evil, youthful tendencies and behaviours and hatred (cons. Genesis 37:1-8).
The Pharisees and Sadducees on their part saw Jesus’ “evil” of healing the sick on a Sabbath day, but could not see their real evil of mercilessness, injustice, envy, etc (Matthew. 23:23; John. 5:5-16). At their time, Miriam and Aaron readily saw Moses’ “evil” of marrying an Ethiopian lady, but could not see their own evil in not appreciating the magnification the Lord gave him (Numbers 12:1-10).
But note this: the inability to see one’s errors, faults and sins is one inability too many and too costly. It is little wonder that families are in crises, relationships are sour or broken; the political realm is in turmoil; the church of God
It is common knowledge that many in church today do not bother about examining themselves, spotting and dealing with their own sins, but readily pick the faults of others.
However, on no condition must the church of God
The infallible Word has commanded us to make the habit of examining and correcting ourselves first (2Corinthians 13:5). The Lord Jesus charged His listeners thus, “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt...thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
The apostle lambasted the Roman Christians thus, “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? (Romans. 2:21-22).
The flocks are picking the faults of the pastors and vice-versa. The husband is picking the faults of the wife and vice-versa. Without restraint, every body is busy examining and discovering the faults in the other.
But it is not yet late for these categories of sinners in the church to be changed and healed. The night of the rapture or death has not come yet (cp. John. 9:4). But the night can come tomorrow!
Note this: it is dangerous for anybody to kick against the pricks (Acts 9), in other words, it is dangerous for anyone, after hearing or reading this to continue to go against those qualities upon which the Lord originally built His church; those who have been faulted must repent in dust and ashes forthwith, following this; if they must henceforth be free, they must begin the practice of examining their own selves first and doing away with whatever faults they find in themselves (Psalm 139:23-24; 2Corinthians 13:5). The principle is, physician, heal thyself (cp. Luke 4:23).
*To Those Who Think They Know Too Much
It is the issue of people in church knowing only in part (as shown in scriptures - 1Corinthians 13: 9) but thinking that they know much that has resulted in some stubbornness that we find among the church-folks of today. More often than not, those who have this terrible fault are zealous, but heady, unrulable and therefore disruptive to the harmony required in the church.
How many people have jumped out to commence ministries or church organizations (albeit, without success) and put their salvation and entire lives of other people into jeopardy because they had thought they knew much, not realizing that they knew just a little?
How many others have ruined their Christian lives, falling from grace to grass for not heeding experienced pastors’ counsels, just because they erroneously thought they knew much?
Part of what usually leads people into this evil is the privilege of dreams, trances, revelations, voice of the Spirit of God. No doubt, God does grant whosoever He wills the privilege of dreams, trances, revelations, voice of the Spirit (e.g. Numbers 12:1-6; Joel 2:28).
Very often we hear people say, “the Lord spoke to me; the Lord ministered to me”, but what then is the common error of such people whom the Lord speaks or ministers to from time to time?
While it may be true that the Lord speaks or ministers to such people from time to time on some matters, their error is the fact that they do not realize that the Lord will not give dreams, trances or the Spirit’s voice for just every matter of their lives.
As a result some will hardly listen to sermons objectively, hardly go for counselling, hardly learn anything from any other person or quarter.
But hear these: young Samuel thought that Eli was calling him, until more mature Eli made him know it was God and instructed him on what to do (1Samuel 3:7-10); the disciples of the Lord thought that the kingdom was to appear physically upon their arrival at Jerusalem, until the Lord disabused their minds of the erroneous notion (Luke 19:10).
Experience and maturity usually count in interpreting the voice of the Lord through dreams, trances and the Spirit’s voice.
Now, it’s not yet late for all who have this terrible fault of “I know it” to be rescued. Hereunder is what they must realize today and do.
We all know in part, no matter the volume of what we think we know (1Cor. 13:8,9). Let us assume that Brother or Sister A knows some things, and that Brother or Sister B knows better than Brother or Sister A, and that Brother C knows more than A & B, nevertheless, all of them know in part, given the unquantifiable volume of what can be known (Romans 11:33; Isaiah 55:8-9).
Even the angels know in part, not knowing the day and hour of the Lord’s Second Advent (Matt. 24:36). They must repent today and begin to learn from the spoken Word, the written Word, listen to counselling and learn from others.
Those who may refuse to heed this counsel are only waiting to crash out. Satan knows that they know in part, but are unwilling to learn. So he will set traps for them, usually long-term traps. Do not be caught in that trap.
*To The Murmurers In Church
Murmuring can be defined as, complaining or speaking against a thing, a person or the church because of some adverse situation, or because of something one does not agree to, or does not understand. The church in the wilderness had this terrible evil spot of murmuring on the way to Canaan land, and even when they arrived there.
* They murmured after the first three days of the journey through the wilderness for lack of water or drinkable water (Exodus 15:22-24; 17:1-3).
* They murmured again fifteen days into their journey for lack of the former courses of meals in Egypt and wished they were killed by the Lord in Egypt
* As the journey progressed, they murmured yet again because an evil picture had been painted of the land they were heading to and decided to dump Moses for another leader to return to Egypt (Numbers 13:31- 14:4).
* In the course of time, a band of them (Miriam and Aaron) murmured against Moses, their younger brother and leader for what he did which they did not understand (Numbers 12:1-2).
Having come into the land, they murmured again against their leaders for what they (the leaders) disallowed which they did not understand (Joshua 9:17-18; see Psalm 106:26).
In the New Testament, Jesus’ detractors murmured against Him for a number of things He did allow, or said which they did not agree with or understand (e.g. Mark 14:3-5; Luke 5:29-30; 19:5-7; John 6:41). There was also murmuring in the early church for a perceived discrimination (Acts 6:1). Later, in the church, there were murmurers (Jude 16).
And today, even at 21/2 Minutes to the Midnight, there are still murmurers in the church. Some murmur because of some adverse situations they are into and they speak against the church as if the church is responsible for such situation.
Others murmur because of the modus operandi of the church or ministry. Yet others murmur because of the projects the church is undertaking, or because of some things they do not understand or that do not appeal to them.
Whatever the reasons behind any murmuring, murmuring is a great evil, carrying terrible consequences. For example, murmuring made God to change the period of the journey from Egypt to Canaan from 40 days to 40 years, till the adults that were involved were wasted (Numbers 14:26-37).
Murmuring brought leprosy and ostracism to Miriam (Numbers 12:1-15). It was murmuring that brought destruction to the people (1Corinthians 10:10; Numbers 14:37). In the New Testament murmuring is still punishable (see Jude 16:10-15).
It is not yet late for all murmurers and all other evil-tongued folks to repent and desist. But it may become late after one has read this message and closed one’s ears to its warnings, and then Rapture or death occurs.
The church must be returned to the foundations the Apostles carefully laid. The Lord will not continue to watch while the apple of His eye is being pricked. He that hath ear to hear let him hear (Matthew. 13:9, 43).
*Have You Lost Your First Love?
It has been observed that in the church today, the affection of many brethren for the Lord, the things of God and for the brethren has badly waned or dissipated. For some it is the myriad of the adverse situations of our day that has entered their hearts and caused this (cp. Matthew 24:12; 2Timothy 3:1(a)). For others it is the eating and drinking, and the pursuit of the other mundane things that has led to their predicament (cp. Matthew 24:37-39; Deuteronomy 32:13-15).
The evidence of this situation is so glaring. They miss fellowships, leaders’ and workers’ meetings, follow-up work, retreats, and will engage in things that serve not the interest of others in the church.
All these they do for no genuine reasons other than having grown cold with secular activities (Deuteronomy 32:13-15). They constitute a discouragement to their pastors and the other brethren. Unto such we can hear heaven exclaiming, “How are the mighty fallen” (2Samuel 1:17, 19, 20, 25).
But the dry bones can rise again before it’s late. All they need do is to recognize with godly sorrow that they have fallen (Revelation 2:5; Luke 15:17a); give into the voice of God’s Word (1Kings. 19a; Ezekiel 37:4-6; Revelation 2:5), shake off their fatness, indolence, lack of interest, etc (if need be violently) to save themselves from this untoward situation (cp. Acts 2:40).
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