DELAYED REPENTANCE

“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts 24:25).

The man had the opportunity to repent, but he deferred his salvation to a time he thought he would be ready. Though he had a more perfect knowledge of these things – of God’s expectation and judgment, yet he postponed the opportunity to make Heaven and escape hell.

Pilate had the opportunity to know the truth, but he asked a question and never waited for the answer: “Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:38).

There was a man whom  Jesus said was not far from the kingdom: “And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). He was not far, but he was not in. This is the case of everyone that postpones repentance and salvation. Unfortunately, some shall be locked outside because no one knows when the door shall be locked. I pray that we shall not be locked outside of Heaven in Jesus’ name. To delay repentance is to play with eternity.

Do not delay to stop sinning. Do not delay to do restitution. Do not delay to do what is right. Today is the day of salvation…eternity may be a blink away.

Maranatha.

THE POWER OF TESTIMONY

For four (4) generations, the Herod’s class was a perpetual antagonist to the gospel of Jesus.

i)        Herod the great who killed innocent children while he tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:16).

ii)      Herod the Tetrarch (Herod Antipas) who killed John the Baptist (Matthew 14:1-11).

iii)    Herod Agrippa I (Grandson of Herod the great) who killed James and wanted to kill Peter (Acts 12:1-5).

iv)    And then Agrippa (Herod Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I). It was this Agrippa that Paul encountered and it is amazing how Paul stood before this man but the same man whose ancestors hated the gospel, the same man requested to hear Paul and vindicated him (Acts 26:1, 31-32).

Not only was Agrippa there, his sister (Bernice) was there and also was governor Festus (Acts 25:23). There was a king, a governor and a princess all gathered and Jesus’ words were fulfilled: “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:18).

Paul stood and shared his testimony and after his testimony, Herod Agrippa II stood up and said he (Paul) has done nothing deserving of death. His ancestors killed Jesus’ people, but his own wings were plucked by the reason of Paul’s testimony. This is a confirmation of Revelation 12:11a: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony”.

Paul’s testimony brought to an end four (4) generations of spiritual opposition and antagonism against the church. How powerful is a man’s testimony! The most difficult man to stop is a man with an intact testimony before God. Death could not stop Enoch because God took him “for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5b). Enoch’s testimony opened a door to glory that not even death could shut. Amen.

By your testimony of holiness and grace before God, you can bring to an end generations of manipulation in your family and ministry. The apostles battled Herod by prayers and suspended antagonism for a while, but Paul terminated oppression and hostility by testimony!

When your testimony before God is intact, the devil stays away from you. This was the story of Job, by his testimony, the devil stayed away from his life and became a wanderer (Job 1:6-8).

You may have been praying and fasting because of spiritual oppositions and it might look like the battle has been long. But, I charge you today, examine your standing and testimony before the Lord. The devil is scared of certain people…these are men whose testimony before God (not men) is well pleasing. It is these ones that overcome by the word of their testimony.

THE TRUTH THAT SAVES

Nathan; he was David’s friend and prophet. Though David was king, Nathan told him the truth however painful it was (2 Samuel 12:1-12). It was a heavy truth that sent David on his knees in repentance.

The reason why we have not seen the fruit of repentance in the lives of some of our friends is because we do not tell them the whole truth. For many, familiarity has sealed their lips for truth. For some, they cannot say the truth because they themselves do not have testimony of the truth.

David saw a man who could tell him the truth and he kept him (Nathan) as a life-long friend. Even on his death bed, Nathan was there (1 Kings 1:23). This was one of David’s secret – love for the truth! Tell him the truth, he would love you more. It was him that said: “The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips” (Psalm 12:3). Truth sustained him and preserved him: “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me” (Psalm 25:21). If you hate to hear the truth, then you hate true greatness and you dislike Heaven. Those who seek to close up the truth end up with a ‘closed destiny’: “For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8).

David heard the truth and repented, whereas Saul heard the same truth but tried to cover up by blaming the people (1 Samuel 15:24). When we wrong, we must accept the truth and repent without looking for excuses. Our attitude to the truth determines our altitude in life through grace.

A friend is someone who tells you not just what you want to hear, but what God is saying to you. He tells you the truth whether you love to hear it or not, but he stays there to help you through getting it right.

Many who say they are believers are comfortable seeing their friends in sin(s) and error(s) and keep quiet. For this reason, many such friends sin comfortably even in their presence. The truth is, if your presence does not ‘rebuke’ or represent a ‘check’ to someone who knows you as a believer of wrongdoing/sin, then check your testimony. By the Holy Spirit’s presence and operation in your life, your presence should ‘discourage’ your friends from their sins/wrongdoing (John 16:8).

What kind of friends do you have around you; those who tell you the truth or tell you want you want to hear? There are people who stopped talking to some people simply because the latter spoke the truth to them. Do you belong here? The truth you do not want to hear might just be your lifeline for eternity in Heaven.

Choose friends whose presence in your life pushes you closer to God and Heaven.

WHAT IS THE HOPE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS?

We are in a time and a generation where righteousness has been regarded as old fashioned and outdated. What a lie from the devil! It is this same lie that many have believed and having been taught so, they have concluded that it is impossible to live and do well without compromise, cheating and corruption. When few people choose to stand for righteousness, integrity and truth they are seen as foolish and destined to fail. For this reason, corruption is being celebrated and evil has become a standard. But God has not changed, neither has His standards. As it was in the days of Noah, so it remains today...nothing short of righteousness will qualify for the rapture and for Heaven.

God is a righteous God and righteousness is a pre-requisite for divine destiny and Heavenly eternity. Unlike the devil suggests to men, holiness is never a negative. Holiness is God's lifestyle and pattern for His children, and it is also God's pathway to a blessed life (Matthew 6:33). It implies putting God, Heaven and eternity ahead of earthly possessions and relevance.

Here are a few of God's plans for His righteous children;

- "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous" (Psalm 118:15a).

- "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in lebanon" (Psalm 92:12).

- "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psalm 37:37).

- "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).

- "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isaiah 3:10).

- "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psalm 37:25).

- "Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows" (Psalm 45:7; Hebrews 1:9).

- "Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serve God and him that serve Him not" (Malachi 3:18).

- "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever" (Isaiah 32:17).

I have been led of the LORD to share these scriptures with you and to say to you exactly what the scriptures say. I have found no other way to excellence and distinction apart from the way of holiness and purity. The seed of God is in us and we are equally made in His image. The call to holiness is not for material gain but as a demonstration of love for God, and a necessity for effective spiritual fellowship with the trinity (God, Jesus, Holy Spirit) and other brethren, and as a requirement for eternal fellowship in Heaven. And as we live righteously  and contently, we are also correctly positioned for God’s favour, provisions and preservation.

The devil promotes sin (corruption, cheating, compromises, etc) as way to greatness, but that greatness ends in Hell (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Unfortunately, this is the way many are following and hell has widened its mouth. But there is one way to TRUE Greatness - divine destiny and Heavenly eternity; it is the way of holiness and truth (Isaiah 35:8). It is an highway...a way above sin, above lust for money and the flesh, above greed and corruption, and a way above accusation and eternal regrets. I pray that you shall find that way in Jesus' name, and everyone who finds that way, please do not depart from it (Proverbs 23:23).