2Timothy 3:10-12: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience. 11: Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all, the Lord delivered me. 12: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Trials, temptations and even tribulations, which characterise the Christian race for eternal life in heaven are programmes designed for refining, shaping and perfecting a believer in preparation for the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is because, it is only the spirit-led individuals that will be able to successfully weather the storms accompanying to the race for heaven at last. God, Himself, set out tests for his loved ones to further strengthen their love for Him and the gospel, and to find out their true level of spirituality.
Heavenly race is not a bed of roses and whosoever wants to make heaven must be ready to pass through fire and wilderness of difficulties toperfect his or her Christian life. In the lead scripture above, Apostle Paul writing to Timothy as his spiritual son told him the persecutions and long suffering he, Paul, went through in some cities he had gone, in the course of the evangelical work;emphasising that whosoever must serve God in truth and holiness must suffer or be subjected to similar or even higher level of suffering.
The Bible further confirms this in Hebrews 12:1-11 saying: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 2: Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3: For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4: Ye have not, yet, resisted unto blood, striving against sin.5: And ye have forgotten the exhortation, which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. 6: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8: But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons….” Even our Lord Jesus Christ suffered persecution to the point of being crucified on the Cross of Calvary. He endured all the shame meted to him, like a criminal because He was looking at the reward ahead of Him. Today, He is sitting at the right hand of God, all powers have been given unto Him and at the mention of His name, every knee must bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord. The reward of eternal life in heaven should be the driving force that will enable us endure trials and persecutions confronting us in the course of the heavenly race and honest service to God. God allows those tests to come to us, as they are preparations for the eternal life in heaven.
The Bible further confirms this in Deuteronomy 8:2-5: “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or not. 3:And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. 4:Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. 5:Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.”
Persecutions and trials are tests of believer’s faith in God programmed to strengthen his ability to remain as a child of God when blessing comes to him. It is also test of spiritual strength. Whosoever does not take persecutions and bear them in good faith is not worthy of the Kingdom of God; such a person is not spiritual, hence, we should distance ourselves from such. It is whom God loves He chastises by allowing trials of faith come to the person. When such trials are successfully handled, it is preceded by promotions and blessings of good things. We must be spiritually alert to know God’s plans for our life. The Bible makes it clear in John 4:24: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.”
It takes a man led by the spirit of God to know when God is testing him and when the Devil is attacking him. He is led by the spirit to know how to handle the situations. The people who are led by the spirit are the children of God; hence, they do not offend God while undergoing trials. But a man not led by the spirit can even stop serving God when temptations come his way. They are the ones that pick offence or even leave the church when they are subjected to corrections for their wrong doings; beware of such people they are capable of leading one astray and into sin. A Christian must be prepared to face trials in the course of this heavenly race. Trials and temptations are not sin in itself, but succumbing to them is sinful. Avoid such Christianity.
In Romans 8:5-8,14, the Bible says: “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7: Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8: So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” People that have the capacity to overcome temptations are led by the spirit of God. At every point in time, they are led by the spirit and are interested in the things of the spirit, knowing they lead to life eternal. They are at all times in preparation for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and will eventually meet with the creator, our father in heaven. The Bible further confirms this in verse 14, saying: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” The Spirit of God leadsthe sons of God. As you are reading this message, I do not know your level of spirituality and the divide you belong to, but the Bible has made it clear that to be led by the spirit is eternal life in heaven, while otherwise is death leading to suffering in hell fire at the end of this earthly life.
The choice is yours; God is calling you to repentance, our Lord Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your heart, asking for permission to enter. Accept Jesus Christ, today, and He will grant salvation to your soul. The spirit of God will continue to lead you to make heaven at last in Jesus’ name.
Testimony Of The Lord’s Doing
Former Cultist, Armed Robber Repents, Preaches Christ
My name is Brother S. Onuoha. I am from Imo State and very happy to be a member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries. I joined this great movement in February 2024. Before then, I lived a very rough life.
I was a cultist in Port Harcourt, but because of the commotion we caused there, I left Port Harcourt to Lagos State. When l came to Lagos, l joined a more dangerous group, this time around, armed robbery gang. We robbed in different locations in Lagos State, but on one fateful day that we went out for operation in Badagry area we met our waterloo. We had finished operations and were returning, when we encountered a squad of security operatives made up of police, customs and soldiers. We had gun duel that claimed the life of all my colleagues. Although, l was the only one alive in our gang, I sustained bullet wounds and could not escape. The squad took the corpse of my dead colleagues and I to Panti State CID and after interrogating me, l was sent to prison. I stayed eight years in prison and after that, I was taken to high court, after several adjournments. On the very day l was to be sentenced and probably hanged.
However, there was this lady that came to preach to us when l was in prison in Badagry and after her message, she made an altar call and l was among those that came out and surrendered my life to Jesus Christ. The sister prayed for us and said: “God of Chosen would set you all free in Jesus’ name. I claimed it.” When we went to court that fateful day, the judge after hearing everything, started writing… she bent her head and wrote for long andat the end of her writing raised her head and said: “l hereby, with my prerogative power, discharge and acquit you.”
As soon as l heard this, I fainted and by the time I regained conscious and came out of the court, l made up my mind to serve this “God who gave me a second chance to live again.”
Immediately, l began to preach Christ, the little way l could understand it and after preaching at a particular street in Oshodi, a brother saw me and invited me to his church’s programme, titled: From Sorrow To Joy” and that is why I came to The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries. I have made up my mind to serve this God till the end of time. Praise the Lord!
