Trials, temptations and even tribulations, which characterise the Christian race for eternal life in heaven are programmes designed for refining, shaping and perfecting the life of a believer in preparation for the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, because it is only spirit-led individuals that will successfully weather the storms accompanying 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 to find out their true level of spirituality. The heavenly race is not a bed of roses and whoever makes heaven, at last, must be ready to pass through the fire, and the wilderness of difficulties in order to perfect the person’s Christian life. In the lead scripture above, Apostle Paul writing to Timothy as his spiritual son told him the persecutions and long-suffering that he (Paul) went through in some cities that he had visited in the course of the evangelical work emphasising that whoever must serve God in truth and holiness must suffer persecution.
The Bible further confirms this in Hebrews 12:1-11saying, “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. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterwards, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
Even our Lord Jesus Christ suffered persecution to the point of being crucified on the cross of Calvary. He endured all the shame and maltreatment like a common criminal because He was bent on doing the will of God. (Jn4v34). Today, He is sitting at the right hand of God, and 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 forces that will enable us to bear the 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 preparatory for our 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 no. 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 believers’ faith in God programmed to strengthen his/her ability to remain as a child of God when blessing comes to him. It is also the test of spiritual strength. Whoever 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 alive in spirit to know the plans of God for our lives.
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 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 that is not led by the spirit can even stop serving God when temptations come to him. They are the ones that pick offence or even leave the church when they are subjected to corrections for their wrongdoings. Beware of such people because they are capable of leading one into sin. A Christian must be prepared to face trials in the course of his heavenly race. Trials and temptations are not sinned by themselves, but succumbing to them and doing evil 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, and always interested in the things of the spirit, knowing that 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 Romans 8, saying, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
The sons of God are led by the spirit. You, 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, as God is calling you to repentance. Our Lord Jesus Christ is knocking at the door of your heart asking for permission to enter. Accept Him today, He will grant you the salvation of 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
Great Act Of Faith Made Me A Millionaire
Luke 6v38 says” Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”
THE above quotation aptly depicts the great act of faith carried out by Brother Christopher who out of nothing gave God abundantly and God opened a flood gate of breakthrough for him and today he is a multi-millionaire, Hear him as he testifies:
My name is Brother Christopher Okala. I live in Ghana and became a member of Chosen 2014. I glorify the God of Chosen for breaking the yoke of poverty in my life. Before I became a Chosen I was nobody. In fact, I had concluded that I would never be anything again in life, but in 2015, my younger brother gave me N7, 000 to go to Lagos for the programme, which was titled, “From sorrow to joy.”
At the General Overseer, Pastor mounted the pulpit, he said “there is a brother here that has lost hope in life but after today God will take you to a higher level.” I claimed it and said, Amen.
After the programme, I went back home. Then one week later, my brother came back from Ghana and asked me to follow him to Ghana. I did, but without one kobo in my pocket. However, in Ghana, my brother taught me how to sell motorcycle spare parts and then gave me N300, 000 to start the business. We were still living together, then he (my brother) returned to Nigeria and brought his family to Ghana, and immediately he brought his family in 2015, the devil struck and attacked our business and everything crumbled, and I was back to square one. But I continued to pray, one fateful night, I saw the angel of our G.O in my dream and he asked me, ‘if God blesses you, what will you do for this ministry?’ And I told him that in my village, the Lord’s Chosen Church does not have a permanent site and that I will build a church in my village. I also said that where I am living there is no Chosen church there and that I will build one. Thereafter, the angel said, ‘ok. You can go.’ The angel visited me almost three times and then in 2019, our G.O announced a partnership. At the time the partnership was announced, I did not have up to N5, 000 in my bank account. In fact, I was virtually living on borrowing. However, when G.O announced the partnership pledge, I consulted with my wife and we reached a consensus that I will be giving God N10, 000 nairas every month, I calculated it for one year and it was N120, 000, though I did not have even N5, 000 in my account, I went to a local moneylender and borrowed the money and paid. As soon as that was done, the angel of our G.O visited me again in my dream and asked me, ‘do you think you can give above God?’ After that visitation, my situation changed. I did not know how God helped me to pay the N3.5m debt I was owing to my creditors. Praise the Lord.
Then in the same 2019, God made me a millionaire. The God of Chosen is so great, may His name be glorified in Jesus name. I pray and wish for my general overseer and our mummy, and the entire Chosen worldwide, heaven at last in Jesus name.
Praise the Lord!
Brother Christopher Okala.
