A few weeks now, there has been much concern about the significance of our time and what next to expect next among christian scholars of eschatology, especially with the completion of the red blood moons and its interpretations and biblical deductions. Of a truth, several happenings on the global scene are too in line with biblical prophecies to be mere co-incidences.
Many began taking it a step further to predict Christ return this September, but we must remember that He said He will come unannounced like a thief in the night. In all, what should be the reaction of the believer to all of these? Are we to just sit and wait expectantly gazing up to the skies in anticipation of a cosmological order of planet earth’s invasion by Jesus Christ? Or are we to simply ignore signs and shun any significance of the head line news we see globally and go about our daily duties and pursuit of life’s goals? I will briefly try to answer this explicitly just in case you are someone who never takes time to follow through on our series. To answer this, we must look at what Christ said about this situation we are faced with today. Actually, He did want us to live with the consciousness of the times and with an attitude expecting His return. He declared:
And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:7(ASV)
Elsewhere, he declared:
Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.
Rev 22:12(ASV)
and lastly,
I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.
Rev 3:11(ASV)
From the above scriptures, Christ warns us to,
1. First take cognisance of His return and keep to heart every sign He has given us in prophecies. Now why should we be conscious? This brings us to the next point.
2. He is coming to reward our works. and thirdly,
3. We must be careful in the final lap, We must continue in fervency at our work (our assignments, our purpose, our reason for creation) so that we don’t lose out of winning the prize in this marathon.
According as His Work Is (Rev. 22:12)
We should understand the signs, keep them to heart, yet it is a crime to just lie dormant awaiting to be raptured. We shall be rewarded, in accordance with what heaven has defined as our own work – “…according as hos work is”. We are in the midst of the last days prophecies. And we are to engage in our work – our purpose, our calling, our assignment. You don’t get rewarded for just running. You must run on your track, else you have run a disqualified race. No two men have the same track in a race. So you have a specific assignment, a specific lane you must run. Else all of your efforts on earth and your running speed only earns you a disqualified race. It is good to achieve feats but what matters in the Kingdom is your specific assignment. What God had in mind when he gave you breath.
Occupy Till I Come
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come
Luke 19:13(KJV)
The role of the end time church is to “Occupy” not for a while again, but till Jesus comes! This is the era of the kingdom. This message of the Kingdom shall be preached and then the end shall come, says the scriptures. Occupy! Occupy! Occupy! This is the primary essence of understanding the times. In it, we realize how that man has brought darkness on his world and how we are to become the lights that turn many to righteousness. It is the season of bringing the kingdom culture to solve humanity’s delima in all works of life. This is how to occupy in glory. No we are not denying the signs that Jesus spoke about and just running after career and business. Neither are we focusing on Christs Kingdom , to go to heaven and hence becoming earthly useless. No, Christ said we MUST OCCUPY. It means we are focusing at bringing down God’s Kingdom on earth. Heaven on Earth. This was Jesus’ prayer- “…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done (here) on Earth as it is (done) in Heaven”. We must live with this mindset and channel our efforts, our career, our business, our ideas, our goals, our visions in this direction. When you do so, you are seeking first God’s kingdom and he prosepers that career, business that would be the platform of birthing His kingdom. I give you a secret the fastest way to be a success in this end time as a believer is to simply tie whatever you want in life to the message of the Kingdom. Thus, you have Heavens end time agenda backing your life’s endeavours. Hallelujah!
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES MAKES US RELEVANT IN GOD’S GLOBAL MOVE
Back to our topic today, how does Understanding the Times make us relevant in God’s global move?
Almost everyone whom God used to achieve feats in His agenda for humanity were people who had an encounter or a ‘pre’-understanding of that agenda in which God eventually used them.
Moses, 40 years before he was actually sent back to rescue Israel, had understood that it was high time Israel got freed. (Acts 7:25). In fact, he already sensed he had to be the one to fulfill that prophecy. There is nothing like understanding God’s move and knowing your place in it. ow your career line can fit in to fulfill it. Jesus said,
Lo i come (in the volume of the book, It is written of me) to do Thy will, O God. (Heb. 10:7, Psalm 40:7)
We must discover what is written of us. Hallelujah!
For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not (Acts 7:25) (talking about Moses)
This has always been a challenge for God. When we on our part do not understand the times from His perspective. The Israelites never understood. The result? They stayed an extra 40 years and Moses ran away for his dear life.
What shall we say about Daniel, Daniel understood through books, God’s intention for his generation (Daniel 9:2). He became a vessel for future revelations, and a man of unparalleled intellectual capabilities. He was set as a President under three consecutive global kings. Also, he and the other three Hebrew boys like him were the vessels God used to preserve the Jewish religion when it got threatened under these three kings.
All up to Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith; He understood God’s timing and His slot in it. Jacob understood the blessedness of the geneology he partook of, Esau did not, Jacob went for the birthright, Esau despised it. Jacob became Israel in place of Esau.
God always uses people of understanding in His global move. It is a form of qualification. Why?
1. Men of understanding pray down prophecies. E.g Daniel, Jesus Christ, Nehemiah, Ezra.
2. Men of understanding, see what others do not see. And God always brings us as far as our eyes can see.
3. Men of understanding are likened to Watchmen. They are the ones who blow the trumpet. The city lies at their command.
4. Men of understanding walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise, redeeming the times.
Space will not permit me to go further with the list.
In conclusion, let us endeavor to search the scriptures and live in the light of Christ’s return, walking in the Spirit and being attentive to every instruction God gives us in these last days. It is the days of Visions and dreams as scriptures has said, as a result of the out-pour of His Spirit upon the church. Now is the time to write these visions as they come and make them plain, and run with the light of His word and humanity shall partake of your glory in these last days.
The only way to live a relevant life of purpose with direct significance to God’s kingdom agenda is via an understanding of What he seeks to achieve in our time. This series is to validate the truth and importance of this understanding.
We will soon dig further into biblical interpretations of our season and our role in it and how it relates to purpose and success here on earth.
LORD, I pray for all my readers that you open up the eyes of our understanding, may we be sensitive to your call this night season, and we receive the wisdom to walk by your Spirit of revelation. May the visions flow as you pour out your Spirit. We receive the power to write it down, make it plain and run with these visions on our track to the end that we might win the prize; In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
God bless you and have a great week ahead, Living on purpose!
Nonso Aniamaka.