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Enjoying God’s covenant – Part 1

By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi
24 June 2018   |   3:00 am
God promises many things in the scriptures, and not many people ever get to appropriate those promises. The reason is because they are not ready to enjoy the beneficence of the Almighty God. One of those promises is when He said that He would send His Messenger to the earth. But it is only those…

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

God promises many things in the scriptures, and not many people ever get to appropriate those promises.

The reason is because they are not ready to enjoy the beneficence of the Almighty God.

One of those promises is when He said that He would send His Messenger to the earth.

But it is only those who are prepared for His coming that will enjoy fulfillment of the promise. 

We must delight in the Lord by seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness.

From the moment one surrenders himself to Christ and decides to follow Him, Christ’s goal is to make him a fisher of men, soul-winner, minister and messenger of the gospel.

God has called us to be His messengers to our communities. Malachi and John the Baptist were sent in fulfillment of God’s promise to the children of Israel to send them His messengers: “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me”. 

However, the Lord Jesus Christ, specially referred to as “the messenger of the covenant” and the “Lord”, is sent to us. He is the One we are waiting for.

Jesus Christ is coming again; and He will come suddenly. “And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come… behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts”.

As messengers of the Lord, with His Spirit and power upon us, we are empowered to win souls into the Kingdom of God in preparation for His coming. Also, we need to prepare ourselves to receive Him.

Jesus Christ did not leave us in any doubt about what would happen at His Second Coming. He clearly reveals the: (1) preparation that must herald his return.

He also reveals that He would serve as the Purifier of the chosen race, the Israelites.

Then, He showed that there would be punishment for corrupted reprobates. 

Christ is coming again and we must be ready. In preparation for His coming, we should seek Him in salvation, sanctification, service, sacrifice and surrender (of our time, talent and treasure).

Christ’s return is imminent. The signs of the time confirm that He is about to come.

Thus, where there is sin, we must turn to the Lord in repentance, make our restitutions and stay righteous in Him as we expect His coming. It is our restoration to the Lord that shows we are getting ready for the time He will come to take home the saints. 

In ministry, preparing people for the coming of the Lord should centre on turning their minds unto the Lord and not just entertaining them. We must let them know that money, riches, position and the things of this world will not be able to withstand God’s wrath, if they fail to accept Christ.

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb”.

As the Purifier of the chosen race, Christ is working on the Gentiles who are now receiving the grace for salvation and sanctification because these are “the times of the Gentiles.”

But when the times of the Gentiles will be over, after the rapture, the Lord will concentrate on the children of Israel and pardon, purify, purge and empower them to be His mouthpiece to the rest of the world.

“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness”. 

The times of the Gentiles will soon be over. Those who are not born again must submit themselves to the Lord to be saved before the time runs out, while believers must ensure they faithfully serve the Lord.

When the times of the Gentiles are “fulfilled”, Christ will come, the Church will be taken away and the great tribulation will take place.

The great tribulation will be like a purifying agent on the children of Israel. It will make them to call on God. Eventually, there will be punishment for corrupted reprobates.

Unbelievers, including those who practice sorcery, adultery and those that oppress their workers “in [their] wages”, among other sinners, will be punished in everlasting fire.

Judgment is coming! But salvation is available for everyone who will sincerely call on the Lord today.

Further Reading (King James Version): Malachi 3:1; 2:17; Matthew 11:10,11; Mark 1:2,3; Luke 1:72; John 1:6,7; Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 9:6,7; Haggai 2:7; Malachi 3:1-6; Luke 1:16,17; Revelation 6:12-17; Malachi 3:3,4; Luke 21:24; Daniel 12:10; Malachi 3:5,6.

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