20/03/13

The Righteous shall possess the land

Obadiah 1:19 - And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.


A few days back a sister in the Lord was sharing with me her experience when ministering a person on whom great calamity fell. He was asking her why he being a Christian, worshiping a Living God had problems when the unbelievers were enjoying life. As the sister shared more about his family life we could see, although he knew God he denied God in his life.

Yesterday I was with a Man of God and we were just sharing on the problems we were facing and we realized many along with us were struggling great difficulties at the moment. That was a serious point of concern.

We need to know those who are ignorant of the Truth are also ignored by God. They may enjoy life or may completely perish in a moment. The Bible calls them the grass of the field which, when time comes are gathered and burnt. But Christians are called to be fruit bearing trees. It is on these plants and trees that the husbandman works actively on. He puts water, fertilizer, good soil and at times stretches it tying it various points, prunes it and sprays insecticides on it so that we bear good fruits.

As Christians we need to remember we are going to be worked on. We may be spiritually infants or maturing greatly in spirit, yet we will be worked on with the same zeal by the Holy Spirit. The struggle as a new born Christian or as a mature Christian is the same, only the areas of struggle vary. Until we cross the winning line all of us struggle.

When God called His people righteous it does not mean those who are not struggling; it is only the unbelievers who do not struggle. Those who pursue the winning line even while they struggle are the ones whom the Lord calls His righteous. Like I shared in one of my previous messages the term righteous used is not comparing to God's righteousness, for our righteousness compared to Him are filthy rags, but compared to the Son of Man Jesus Christ who judges us at the end as man not as God.

Today's message talks of a time in the timeline towards the end days when the righteous will rule the world. This rule does not mean like worldly ruling but means they will have spiritual victory over the false religions that are flourishing now like Islam, Catholicism, prosperity gospel believers and misguiding sects of Christianity.

In the 7 stages of the Church (7 letters in Revelation) we are currently moving from the fourth to the fifth stage. It is in the sixth stage that the Church of God shines in glory. It is in the sixth stage the world will see the power of being a Christian and of knowing God. The last seventh stage is when the Church will take God for granted. They will forget the Lord because of all the blessings they have received and thus they overcome the Lord. That is time the greatest deceit hits them (the false prophet - son of perdition comes) and Satan is released from Hell. After that Jesus Christ comes again with His Angels.

What is written in the Bible will surely come to pass and nothing can stop it; but some things spoken by God we can delay or quicken by our faith. God is telling us to believe in His Word and pursue righteousness with all vigour. We may be facing great problems but we should not be distracted or be burdened by them. We should trust God to help us overcome them for He has said we His righteous will face many trails but shall overcome. The word 'shall' assures us not by ourselves but with His help; He will be with us through our trials. We should keep our eyes focused on the harvest that the Lord has set for us, more than anything.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You have given us your Word and your Word tells us what is set for us. Your Word Lord builds us and gives us the courage to pursue tirelessly the things You have set for us. Lord we pray for all those who are going through trials, that they do not lose hope, that You strengthen them and carry them on your wings of grace...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
1 Peter 1:3-9
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials,
7 that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:
8 whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of souls.

Revelation 3:1-13
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Stages:
Falling away
Sin be revealed
Son of perdition

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)