TOP CAROL SERVICE 2012

JESUS CURSED THE LYING FIG TREE

Beloved,

FOCUS: And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it (Mark 11:12-14).

I worked for 6 years in a remote area in West Africa. One of the disturbing things I encountered was that they had a major health centre that serious cases were referred to but the place was not well staffed. I saw very ill people who travelled a long distance through dirt roads only to meet untrained and ill-equipped staff. That was false hope and at best wickedness. What was Jesus attitude to such deception? We saw it from his attitude to the lying-fig tree. Jesus cursed the tree. Are you who you say you are or just deceiving people like the fig tree? Are you giving the output that you represent?

Christians are light of the world. We are solution to our fellow Christians and the world at large. When we find a hundred and one reasons why we should not fulfill our role, we disappoint God. For instance, the Bible says this of the church: Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King (Psalms 48:2). Anytime anybody comes to a church where we belong and goes away same, we are partly responsible for that failure. People enjoy answering big names but do not realize it carries implication: pastor, bishop, apostle, prophet and born again but had no realization of the implications. Friend, each of are expected to give account. Just like Jesus approached the fig tree, if people come to you and you are found wanting, you become a lying bishop or pastor or prophet or Christian. And for the tree that gave false hopes, Jesus cursed. Friend, we shall not be cursed in Jesus name.

We need to sit down and ask ourselves some questions. If it were in my time, would Jesus have sent me to restore the sight of Saul and tell him what he ought to do like he did Ananias (Acts 9:11-16)? Could God has been confidence in my faithfulness to send Elijah to me as he did the widow (Luke 4:25-26)? Could I have sold my land as Barnabas did so that the brethren could have food (Acts 4:36-37)? Yes, could God have depended on me to be the mother of the Savior? I mean, could Naaman have been sent to me because I am anointed and ready to use it? I am a Christian, so what (Luke 4:27)? This is what the scripture said: And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Luke 3:9). Friend, Jesus cursed the fig tree! We shall not be hewn down in the name of Jesus Christ.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin (James 4:17). Negligence to equip yourself to do the work you are called to do, according to the Bible is a sin. Hey, do you realize that the whole creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19)? Are we working towards fulfilling our purpose here? We have been so busy in our own things that we are almost not useful to God. Think! And just like was done to Jesus, church members actively shut-off the anointing on their pastors through their unbelief (Mark 6:5). Others refuse to commit themselves to any responsibility whatsoever. What is it really that you are after?

Now is the time to sit up. Are we born again? Then let’s bear fruits that befit our repentance. Let’s live the kind of life that Jesus typified. His environment recognized the virtues that he carried. He displayed a life that had passion and commitment. Friend, his meat was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish his work (John 4:34). We need to make a choice on where we belong.

Jesus committed himself to study the Word of God (and found where it was written concerning him Luke 4:17). He committed himself to prayer and fasting (and returned in the power of the Holy Ghost Luke 4:14). Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). He loved righteousness, hated wickedness and spoke only the Word (Psalms 45:7, John 3:34). The result was that he was anointed above his fellows. Friend, these are how to get on key with God.

Who do we represent? Do we represent who God has called us or are we living a lie like the fig tree?

God has loaded you with his nature. You have a lot to give to this generation. Don’t waste it.

Shalom

TOP CHURCH FOR KIDS AFRICAN DAY - 21ST OCTOBER, 2012. YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS OUT

EDEN IS GOD'S IDEA

Beloved,

FOCUS: And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.  In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:  And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.  And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5  

Get this straight: God’s idea has never been suffering. Don’t let anyone confuse you and refuse to endure adverse situations. They are never God’s idea. Till eternity comes and last, God’s will is that we prosper and be in good health (3 John 2). Let economies fail and earthquakes happen, none changes God’s purpose for his children. Let science proclaim their discoveries, and let their analysis say what they like: they can never change God’s idea. Friend God’s idea is Eden.

In the beginning God created everything that will make man comfortable before he created man. This was what he said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth (Genesis 1:26).  To ensure that man did not miss anything, God carved out the garden of plenty with every good thing you can imagine and put man into it. Let nothing confuse you, God’s intensions has always been for us to enjoy good. Think about it, who among us wants suffering for his household or relations? If we don’t, why do we call God wicked by thinking that he wants us to suffer? Friend, Eden is God’s idea; not just an idea of supplies. God’s ideas included man operating in power and glory. The glory was so much that Adam and Eve did not know they were naked. They had the power that controlled their environment.

God has not changed. Even when man messed up and listened to the devil, God set mechanisms through which man can get back to living the life in the Eden. The difference was that this time, man would work it out using the tools God gave him. I mean he set tools to lead us back to that edenic life. This is clearly detailed in Deuteronomy 28:1-14, but for space let’s see verse one:  And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. So to get back to the Eden, man needed to diligently hearken to God’s word and obey them. There is no other option. This was how he put it to Joshua. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8). Good success and prosperity were at their reach, and at their command. “Thou shall make thy way prosperous and successful”, God told them. So Eden has always been God’s, but now man had to work it out using the tools God provided.

Let’s fast forward to Jesus. The son of God brought back Eden with a different kind of work. This was what he said about his coming: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). The more abundant life is life in the presence of God: delivered from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). So we are not going to have eternal life. We already have eternal life. To avoid any confusion, the scripture said These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13) . But a different kind of work is required to enjoy the fullness of eternal life. Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent (John 6:29). Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all (Romans 4:16). I see from these scriptures that the fullness of eternal is sure and available to everyone and how much of it anyone enjoys in this side of eternity is defined by the person. Do challenges come?  Plenty but the tool of faith can deprive them of power to harm you (1 John 5:4). Hallelujah!

The beauty of it is that a time is coming, and very soon too when there will be no challenges for those in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation22:1-5). There shall be no tears or suffering or pains. The question is: how well are you preparing to be there?

Eden has always been God’s idea. Fight the good fight of faith, so that you can lay hold on that eternal life from now on and till eternity (1 Timothy 6:12)  

Shalom