5/19/2013 PREPARATION

Matthew 24:3-14…..Now as He sat on the Mount of
Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these
things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the
age?”…..

 

The message
of today is titled “Preparation.” God wants everyone here today to
prepare themselves for the coming of Messiah. Many times we are too occupied
with so many things that we are doing; we have forgotten that our coming to
this world is just temporary. Hebrews 13:14….For here we have no continuing
city, but we seek the one to come. Philippians 3:20…..For our citizenship is in
heaven…… So you are not a citizen of this earth; you are a citizen of heaven. When
we were born, Psalm 127:3…..Behold children are a heritage from the Lord, the
fruit of the womb is a reward. And if God is in heaven, then we are also from
heaven. Our citizenship is from heaven, and children are a heritage from God;
so, if the children are the heritage from God, it means that we are from
heaven, because God is in heaven. Psalm 115:3&16…..For our God is in
heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 16The heaven, even the heavens
are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men. We need to
understand that we are from heaven and we are returning back to heaven.  John 14:1-2…… Let not your heart be troubled;
you believe in God, believe also in Me. In my father’s house are many mansions;
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Where did He go? He went to heaven; He ascended to heaven to prepare a place
for us.

  Hebrews 12:2….. 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. Jesus Christ sat down at the right hand of His Majesty. Psalm 110:1…..
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. So God spoke
to Jesus; making us to understand that if Jesus is at the right hand of God the
father; we also, must be at the right hand of God the father, because He said
“He has gone to prepare a place for us” after that, He is coming back again to
take us where He is. Now, His second coming is the major issue this morning,
and that is why I made this message titled “Preparation.” Everyone who wants to
go to any ceremony prepares his/herself; and God wants you to prepare yourself
to meet Messiah. Luke 17:32….. Remember Lot’s wife. The wife of Lot saw salvation in Genesis 19:1; 24-26….
And there came two angels to
Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to
meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 24
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom
and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven.

 

25 And he overthrew those cities, and
all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon
the ground.26 But his wife looked back from behind
him, and she became a pillar of salt. The angels of the Lord that destroyed
Sodom and Gomorrah lodged in their house; she entertained them; she saw
salvation, but she was not saved.  It was
a great regret; life after death is either heaven or hell. As heaven is real,
hell is real.   Luke 17:26-27…. And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also
in the days of the Son of man.27 They did eat, they drank, they
married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered
into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. We may think that
this world will continue like this, but it is a lie. Christ is coming back very
soon; we are so occupied with our lives, and the things of this world, that we
have forgotten the kingdom of God. The soul is going somewhere Matthew 16:26…..
For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own
soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Your real self is not
body; your real self is inside your body. The body will go back to where it
came from. Genesis 3:19…. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till
you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And
to dust you shall return.” Everyone will experience from dust to ashes; there
is no one on earth that will not taste death; but the truth about it is that,
there is life after death.

Life after
death is the question today “where will you
spend eternity?”
after this meeting people has plans about what
they are going to do e.g. what to eat for lunch or dinner, but do you think
that before you get home, death can catch you. Death does not prepare anyone,
we want things and God is able to provide it. Matthew 6:33…. But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you. Are we seeking Christ? Are we thinking that if the world comes to an end
today, you will make it to heaven? The flesh wants us to satisfy it, because it
knows that it will be destroyed; either you take care of it or not, it will
surely be decayed. We have neglected the real thing that is supposed to be
taken care of; in the days of Noah, people were celebrating and partying; but
they did not know, until that day overtook them. When Noah finished the ark;
the Lord said “move into the ark”; out of a billion people on earth that time,
it was only Noah and his household, 8 people were able to enter the ark. As
sluggish as snail and tortoise is, they made it to the ark; as stubborn as goat
is, yet he realized that this is the end time I must make it. As dirty as a pig
is, he made it to the ark; but human beings did not make it to the ark. People
think life will continue this way, God will not allow another millennium to
come, and I do not think there will be another 100 years. The reason is because
we are going to hear about the signs of His coming. All the signs that Jesus
Christ gave have already come to pass, so there is nothing else anybody is
waiting for than rapture. Christ is coming back; every time we think about
ourselves; we think about how to make money; it is good to make money, because
God delights in the prosperity of his people. 
2 Corinthians 8:9…… For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich,
yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become
rich. Yes God wants you to make it.  Genesis 13:2…… Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in
gold. Genesis 24:1…. Now
Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all
things.  Genesis 26:13…… The man began to prosper, and
continued prospering until he became very prosperous. This was Isaac from the
second generation.  Genesis 30:43…..
Thus the man became exceedingly
prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and
donkeys. God wants us to proper; Job prospered, David prospered, Solomon prospered;
God is still prospering His people. A day will come when you will try to wake
up but you will not be able to wake up. When you go for an external exam; to
every examination, there is an opportunity for a person to retake it if you
fail it.  But whenever anyone dies,
whoever dies and has no Christ before he dies, has lost forever. It is possible
to bribe our teacher to be successful in our exams; it is possible to bribe our
father so that he can rate us as the best child; it is possible to even bribe our
pastor so that he can exalt us above all; it is possible to bribe our governors
and president to seek favor from them, to put us in power. But God does not
show partiality; there is no partiality with God; Apostle Paul made us
understand in Galatians 2:6……. But from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no
difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who seemed
to be something added nothing to me. God does not show favoritism to anyone and
we need to understand that we cannot bribe God; you cannot tell God this is
what I want you to do for me.

It is God
that makes everything happen and everything possible. Some people believe they
are in power they can oppress, destroy, and terminate; but the truth about it is
that Christ is coming back. God sees everything that we are doing in secret;
Psalms 19:12…. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.
The problem we have is that we do not want to understand or acknowledge our
errors. Psalms 51:3-4….. For
I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4
Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—……… So
we have sinned against God; whoever covereth his sins shall not prosper but he
who confesses and forsakes them shall have the mercy of God. God is ready to
take care of us; He is ready to deliver us. 1 John 1:7-9….But if we walk in the
light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  9 If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. God is waiting for us. Revelations 3:20…… Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in
to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Jesus is ready to take us, but the
truth about it is to let everyone know that the world will come to an end one
day.  The heaven will be rolled away; the
moon and sun will no longer give light because they will be melted in the heat.
Because God created them and He can destroy them.

I want
everyone to understand this, without you and I, God will do His work, because
before we were born, He has been doing His work. If He gives us an opportunity
to serve Him, let us use it. I want you to understand today that Jesus Christ
is coming back very soon; you are coming to church so that you might be able to
meet your maker; to worship your maker; to understand your maker and to do His
will. Ecclesiastes 12:1…. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have
no pleasure in them.” This is the time in 2 Corinthians 6:2….. For He says: “In
an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped
you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
This is the time, tomorrow might be too late; this is the time for us to come
to Jesus. Lamentations 3:40….. Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; God is
ready to receive us. Isaiah 1:18-19….. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though
your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red
like crimson, They shall be as wool. 19 If you are willing and
obedient, You shall eat the good of the land. This is God; He is ready to take
care and deliver us; He has never forsaken anybody, He is not going to cast us out.
There is good thing in this land, but we must to be willing and obedient.  As long as we do the will of God, He is under
the obligation to deliver us. God is approachable, He is so good and faithful,
He will not say something and do something different; whatever He says, that is
what He will do.

3 Things
About God

1.      He is Omnipotent God: Omnipotent means all powerful, there is no other power
behind Him; God is only one that has that power. Isaiah 45:6…. That they may
know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I
am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no other God, He is the only one;
and because He is the only God, every other god is an idol.  Psalm 115:1-8…. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But
to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth. 2
Why should the Gentiles say, “So where is their God?” 3 But our God
is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. 4 Their idols are silver
and gold, The work of men’s hands.5 They have mouths, but they do
not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; 6 They have ears,
but they do not hear Noses they have, but they do not smell; 7They
have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor
do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them So is
everyone who trusts in them. God is the only God. Elijah Kings 18:24; 38-40….. Then
you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord; and
the God who answers by fire, He is God.” So all the people answered and said,
“It is well spoken.” 38 Then the
fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the
stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.  39 Now when all the people saw it,
they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is
God!……” They agreed that God is God.

 

2.      He has power to do anything He likes: May He be pleased to bless you in
the name of Jesus Christ….. May it please Him to deliver you today in the name
of Jesus Christ….

3.      He is God of love: He loves us; God is not like man. Numbers 23:19…. “God is not a man, that He should
lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? He cares for us. Lamentations
3:22-23…. Through the
Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23
They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Malachi 3:6…. “For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. He is a God that does not
change.  Isaiah 42:8….. I am the Lord, that is My name; And
My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. Ladies and
gentlemen, Christ is coming back soon, have you prepared yourself? If He comes
today, will you make it? Peter 3:9…… The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance. Now, this was 2000 years ago when the
bible was written; if God is longsuffering for 2000 years it is enough.  Psalm 90:4…… For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday
when it is past, And like a watch in the night.

Signs of
His Coming

1.      Impersonation: Matthew 24:5…. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and
will deceive many. Impersonation will be the first thing, where people will say
they are for Christ. Jesus said, “People will come in His own name, they will
say ‘they are Christ.’” When we are hearing this, we know that Christ is coming
back very soon.

2.       War:   Matthew
24:6-7…. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not
troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  7 For nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,
and earthquakes in various places. America waged war against Iraq and Afghanistan;
before then there had been first and second world war. The devil raised someone
from Germany called Hitler, who wanted to govern the whole world, he was executing
the Jews. In Syria now, there is war, there has been civil war in many nations.

3.      Famine: Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences…… Jesus Christ made us to understand
that there will be famine. Example is the global economy recession that
affected the whole world.

4.      Pestilence: These are deadly epidemic diseases examples are AIDS/HIV,
SARS, cancerous diseases, leukemia, lupus, and all sorts of deadly diseases. Some
of them are incurable; it is only God that can cure.

5.      Earthquakes: Matthew 24:7…..And there will be famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes in various places. Recently, it happened in China; it is happening every
day. Japan, Malaysia, America, and many nations has experienced earthquake. For
nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

6.      Persecution: Matthew 24:9…. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you,
and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. They will persecute
us; if you go to Sudan now, they persecute Christians. In Arab nations they
persecute Christians.

7.      Betrayal of trust: Matthew 24:10…..And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and
will hate one another. People are not trustworthy anymore.

8.      Enemity: We hate one another; enemity is so wide and terrible. People hate you
for no reason. Psalm 69:4….. Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They
are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have
stolen nothing, I still must restore it.

9.      False Ministers: False ministers and prophets are in many places. Matthew
24:11…..Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. All they care
about is how to get money from you. We can adjust our lives right now, but
after we have closed our eyes, we have no other adjustment. If anybody losses
his soul, he is lost forever

10.  Lawlessness: Matthew 24:12…..And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold. There is lawlessness now, when someone is
governing a nation, and takes a billion dollar and put the money in their
private account, and there is nobody to catch the person. Homosexuality is
lawlessness, and people are cherishing it right now; nations are agreeing with
it, what we know that is an abomination. Christ is coming back very soon.

11.  No more commitment: Matthew 24:12…..And because lawlessness will abound, the
love of many will grow cold. People are no more committed to God; in the olden
days, people serve God with all their hearts. Nowadays, people come to church
for find out how they can be blessed, but not how to be a blessing to His
kingdom. The love people have for Christ, the love they have for churches, the
love they have for God, is cold.

12.  End time revival: Matthew 24:14….. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the
world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. This means
that there will be an end time revival. The gospel will be preached in all
nations, which is happening right now. Before when Russia was USSR, they did
not want to hear anything about God, 20 to 30 years ago, if you studied in
Russia and want to graduate; you have to prove that there is no God in your project.
But when the time came for the word of God to come to pass; God broke USSR in pieces.
In China, before you cannot talk about Christ, but a lot of Chinese have become
Christians now; a lot of Indians have become Christians. I want you to
understand that the gospel will be preached in all nations, every nation has
received in one way or the other, what they call CHRIST. God specifically
allowed Dubai to exist so that Christianity can spread across the Arab nations.

Jesus is
Lord; I want to say to us, always think of two things any time you wake up; any
time you are going out; or any time when you want to sleep; “I may die tonight;
I may die today; or Christ may come today.” When you are thinking about this
two things; you are saying that “the world will come to an end”; and if the
world will comes to an end, it means that you are going somewhere. You have a
choice to make today; let me say this to us “when the trumpet sounds the dead
will first be raised”, and nobody will know the activity or action that is
taking place because it is spiritual; then after that, we that are alive will
be raptured, but those who are in Christ. Now the bible says “in the twinkling
of an eye” it means that rapture will not take 15 seconds. So if anyone misses
it by that time, he/she has missed. When Christ comes, He takes His own, by that
time the Holy Spirit has finished His work. You cannot bind the witches and
wizards anymore, because the power binding them has already gone. When Jesus ascended
to heaven He gave us Holy Spirit; Holy Spirit is working right now, and the Holy
Spirit finishes its work on the day of rapture; after the rapture, Holy Spirit goes
back to heaven, and from that day forward you are on your own. How will it be
that morning after everybody had left and people could see you again? People know
that you are Christians and talked about Christ; and if you do not make it,
what are you going to tell them.

I want to
say today, Christ has given us another opportunity to repent, and to change. Noah
shouted and shouted, but people looked down on him; but when it was too late,
by the time they were locking the door, God shut the ark so that Noah will not
pity anybody. Noah had no assess to the ark; nobody has assess to your
salvation, it is only Christ. In the time of Sodom and Gomorrah Lot went to all
his sons-in-law, he said “God will destroy this city” the bible said” they took
him for a joke” read Genesis 19. By the time the wife of Lot realized what she
was doing, it was too late for her. Pharaoh wanted to repent, but by the time
he would have repented it was too late for him; by the time he looked back, the
water had covered all the Egyptians. Before Eve knew what was happening she has
found herself naked. Stubbornness with disobedience and arrogance leads one to
hell; Psalm 95:7-8 Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 “Do not
harden your hearts….. 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23….. All things
are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for
me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:13….. Foods
for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and
them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord
for the body. We need to understand that this world will come to an end; not
everyone that preaches will make it to heaven. Not everyone that call me Lord will
get into heaven but those who do the will of my father. What is your choice
today; what is your faith today; are you preparing yourself for the mark of 666
or are you preparing yourself for salvation? Why can we not repent? What will
it cost us to quit from what will lead us to hell. How will you feel when you
are talking to your child, he proves stubborn and does not listen to you. Will you
not be mad with that child? God maybe mad with us, He has given us the last
thing; what death needed for our salvation; He gave His only son, so death has
no power over us anymore. On that day there will not be any mercy; the mercy of
God will come to an end the moment the rapture takes place. Where will you
spend your eternity? May I seek your indulgence to think about your live today
and repent?

 

Remain Blessed in the
Lord

By Apostle Matthew
Oluwajoba (General Overseer)

Christ United Ministries
International (CUMI)
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