NO CONFUSION… I’M SPENDING ETERNITY IN HEAVEN!

Hi Friends, I am writing this post because I am basically tired – sick and tired – of having to be asked to make some prayers in church that involves me begging to spend eternity in heaven. Prayer points like, “Father, please, do not let me miss heaven… LORD, please, don’t let my name be taken out of the Book of Life… Jesus, don’t forget me in your Kingdom; remember to build my own mansion, etc.” I am honestly sick and tired of those prayer points. However, I will not judge those who make those prayers. They do it out of ignorance and out of fear. Unfortunately, people respond to altar calls out of fear and not love. Isn’t that ironic? Love is what sent Jesus to the cross and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18); but some ministers make people respond to His grace out of fear. My sister and I visited a church once, and we literally grimaced through the entire sermon. I kept blaming her for making us go there. When the altar call was made, she whispered, “At least people are coming to surrender to Christ.” I immediately countered and said, “Anybody can make people respond to an altar call; only make them afraid;” which unfortunately, is what the pastor did that day. When a person “accepts Christ” out of fear, it is expected that they maintain their “salvation” out of fear too. That’s why I cannot be so harsh in judging those who make these prayers.  Regardless though, I have and will continue to encourage everyone who cares to listen to PLEAAASSSSEEEEE study their Bible. It’s liberating. It’s revealing. It makes things clearer. Bible teachings are great. Bible teachers are gifted with the ability to further expound the truth in God’s word, draw scriptures together and make it even clearer. I love Bible teachers. I have Bible teachers. And I teach the Bible as well. But I believe in personal Bible study more. There’s nothing as good as seeing it for yourself, and getting inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself.

I once told y’all about a church I attended for two years in Texas where eternal security was preached. At that time, I wasn’t a Bible studier; I was only a religious Bible reader. So there were several things I didn’t understand and a lot more I didn’t even know; one of which was eternal security. I struggled so much with that subject that I had to go into scriptures myself. A number of years later, I realized they were right all along; but I would maintain that they didn’t do a good job at teaching it. It was a concept they believed, but I think many of them lacked understanding of (I know because I had conversations about it with several people there). Well, now, having studied my own Bible, I have come to the conclusion that as a Believer in Christ and His finished work of redemption for me, having accepted His love & grace and living therein as the righteousness of God in Him, I CANNOT go to hell; and I do NOT have to pray about it. Since I’m always pro-Bible; below are a few Bible passages that support my conclusion. The Bible says in Matthew 18:16 (and in a few OT verses) that in the mouth of two or three witnesses a word is confirmed; so I have included in parenthesis the sources of those passages, so as to confirm my conclusion.

1. The first is also the one we all know – John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jesus). Here, in this very popular verse, I read that the only reason why I will perish is if I do not believe in God’s only begotten Son. But I do. So I cannot perish. Also see John 3:36.
2. John 6:37-39, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out… And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (Jesus). Jesus who came to die for me said Himself that He shall in NO WISE CAST ME OUT. One mistake we make as believers is that we think we care about our eternal salvation more than God does. That’s insane. He became flesh. Made Himself of no reputation. Took sin upon Himself. Get it! GOD – Holy GOD – took sin upon Himself for your sakes. And you think you care about this eternity or fellowship-with-divinity business more than He does. Don’t make that mistake. Think again!
3. John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (Jesus). I am His sheep, a part of His flock; and I am not confused about that. So except Jesus was lying here OR He somehow loses His grip on me OR the Father becomes less greater than all OR the Father loses His grip on me, I am spending eternity with Him. In fact, I’m already living eternal life right now, because verse 10 of this chapter tells me that my Shepherd gives to me abundant life (He didn’t say He will give it. He has given me already). 
4. John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (Jesus). By the way, “verily, verily” means “assuredly, assuredly; truly, truly; certainly, certainly; for sure, for sure” – just in case you didn’t know; and in case you didn’t notice, Jesus is doubly sure. I will not pass from death unto life. I HAVE passed from death unto life. Done deal. No need to pray about that. It’s done. C’est fini.
5. Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”. (Paul). Now, he wasn’t talking about material things like many of us think he was. He was talking about the work of grace in the believers in Philippi. I’m confident of same too.
6. Romans 8:33-34, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Paul). Ok, I do feel a need to explain this passage. It’s simply saying that there may be a need to charge me (God’s elect) with something; that is to accuse me of something I did wrong. But the only one who’s able to do that to me (being God’s elect) is God Himself; and rather than Him doing that (pointing out my wrong), He chooses to justify me. It also says, I may be condemnable, but the only one who can condemn me (being God’s elect) is Christ. But rather than condemn me, He died for me. He rose for me. He’s now at God’s right Hand interceding for me. Can you beat that? I’m definitely spending eternity with Him.
7. Romans 8:38-39, “For I am PERSUADED, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Paul). NOTHING can separate me from God’s love…NOTHING… ever!
8. Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Paul). I am sealed with the Holy Spirit. There shall no power of hell, neither scheme of man, be able to break that seal.
9. 2 Timothy 1:12_b, “For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” (Paul). I know whom I have believed. And I am persuaded that He is able to keep me till that day. He does the keeping; I do not. So why should I be worried? I do not have a careless God.
10. Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (The Writer of Hebrews). Oh, I love this verse! God saves to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, in the greatest way possible, of highest degree). He doesn’t save halfway. He doesn’t start and ask you to complete it. He saved me perfectly. Completely. Utterly.
11. 1 Peter 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (Peter). My inheritance is incorruptible, undefiled, doesn’t wear out, cannot be destroyed, reserved for me in Heaven and will not be given to anybody else. He keeps me by His power. So unless He grows weak for any reason or His power fails at any time, I’m spending eternity with Him.
12. 1 John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (John). I KNOW I have eternal life. Eternal life cannot go into a place of eternal death. I cannot take the Spirit of the Living Christ inside of me into hell. It is not possible. That can happen only if I do not have His Spirit in me; but I do, so…
13. Jude 1:24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.” (Jude). Except God loses His ability to keep me from falling, He will definitely present me faultless in His glory with exceeding joy.

These are just a few verses of Scripture that confirm my conclusion and I have shared them from six witnesses – Jesus, Paul, The Hebrew Writer, Peter, John and Jude. I think I sense someone saying, “What a proud girl… let him that thinketh he stands take heed lest he falls.” Well, anyone may think anything about me. But I know I am standing in Jesus and I’m not bragging on myself; I’m bragging on Him. Someone once said Christianity is for people who need a crutch. I heard this person said so with ill intentions. But I agree. I need a Crutch and my Crutch never fails. I can brag on Him all my life long. It’s not pride to know that your Father has preserved you till His coming. It’s actually humbling. I know I can’t miss out on heaven, not because I am self-capable but because Christ is more than capable. One of my best portions of the Bible is Philippians 2:13. I call it my Anchor verse, because it helps me realize that I’m not all stable by myself, Christ is for me and I can brag on that. Unfortunately, the verse that precedes that has been used to hold lots of believers in bondage. Philippians 2:12b, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” I think one should first of all notice that it did not say work FOR your salvation; and that this is a verse on spiritual growth not on being saved. Even then, verse 13 tells us, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” God does the work in me. All I need do is yield. So what does one have to be proud of? After all, my salvation is completely a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Asides from pride, people have accused those who preach eternal security of supporting sin. Even Paul was accused of that (Galatians 2:16-18). And I have been too. It’s insane. Absolutely insane! Sin is strengthened by the Law (1 Corinthians 15:56); and Grace replaces the Law. I want to do a little logic here (I hope I’m allowed) – if the strength of sin is the Law, it follows that the strength of righteousness is Grace. The Bible does not put it like that, but it indeed is. Sin is completely contrary – completely contrary – to the message of Grace in Christ. There is nothing about Grace that supports sin (read Romans 6). In fact the more you realize that you are completely God’s and that you cannot be snatched by the devil, the easier it is for you actualize your salvation in godly deeds. Because at this point, you focus on righteousness, rather than on sin. You become God-conscious, rather than sin-conscious. You are what you focus on. You cannot keep on focusing on sin and not sin. You cannot keep on looking down and not fall down. So I choose to look up. I choose to keep my focus on Jesus, the Author & Finisher of my faith. Anytime I think I can do it by myself, I screw up really bad. I have indeed observed that the more I keep my focus on Him, the more I am like Him. Isn’t that what 2^nd Corinthians 3:18 says? – That we are changed into His image as we behold His glory. I choose to behold Him. I choose to live free in Him. I choose the life – eternal life – that He has given to me and I choose to ever live in the consciousness of that.

Does this mean believers do not sin? No, it doesn’t mean that. But does my wrongdoing make me less of God’s child? No. Does it mean I automatically disbelieve Christ and lose His Spirit inside of me? That’s a crazy thought! I’ve heard some people say that each time a believer sins, the Holy Spirit leaves him for a while until He repents of His sin. If that isn’t so sad, it would have been very funny. That spirit must be a highly itinerant one to have to be going in and out, in and out of every believer each time we sin. Boy, is that demanding! That’s definitely not the Spirit of God in me. I’ve also heard that each time a believer sins, his name is taken out of the Book of Life and then restored after he repents. To that I usually respond, “Heaven must be a very busy place then. The angels are fully employed in Computer Business Services – erasing & rewriting, erasing & rewriting. No wonder we don’t have angelic experiences as often anymore; angels are busy, mehn; they’ve got a full time job.” (Now, I’m being silly). All those theories are unfounded and unbiblical. Grace does not permit sin. In fact, sin is very harmful to the believer (check out my next blogpost for Dangerous Effects of Sin to a Believer).  Believers should not sin, but we do sometimes, and anytime we sin, we know that “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins…” (1 John 2:1-2).

I choose to focus on my Advocate. How about you? Will you realign your focus today?

Free Food… You Should Have Some!

Hi friends. I’m so sorry I’ve not posted anything in over a month. Thing is, I’ve not been inspired to write anything blog-worthy and to be honest, I wasn’t really looking to write anything. This time in my Christian Race is a time strictly for learning, so I’ve tried to avoid teaching. I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing, but it’s the truth. Anyway, I was giving this some thoughts in the weekend, feeling guilty that it’s well over a month and nothing new on Temi’s Race, so I have decided to share with you how I am learning. I hope it inspires you somehow.

So, let me start by saying I recently got a new Teacher of the Word. Okay, fine, he does not know who I am – at all. But he’s become one of my teachers. And we have something in common – he loves Bro. Hagin too. Anyhow, so some time ago, I was complaining to Kunle (co-author, Temi’s Race) on my need to get “Real Food” and he suggested that I went on the church website of this my new teacher and download some of his free audio teachings. This I attempted to do, but that time, the church website seemed to be down. I tried a couple more times --- didn’t work, so I just let it go. Luckily, recently, a friend, Pastor Ibk, told me again about my new teacher and shared some of his audio sermons with me, I listened to a few and I was intrigued. Later, I found out that they had a branch of their church here in Port Harcourt, the city where I live. So, I began “stalking” their website. I made some calls and long story short, I found myself in their Port Harcourt branch – completely off my route… but I made it there. While I sat in the short pew waiting for service to start that evening, I almost began crying. You know the feeling – when you’ve been starved for soooo long and then you know that good food is coming, you just want to cry and laugh and sing at once, but then at the same time, you’re wondering where is the food… when is it coming? That’s how I felt. Anyway, fast forward… service started. It started with prayers. Pastor Ibk already told me that their service started with one hour prayers (in tongues). So I was ready for that. I however, did not know that I had been invited for a “Workers’ Retreat”; we prayed in tongues for two hours and half. It was refreshing. I couldn’t wait for the Word that night… ’cause remember, I said it was completely off my route. I had to find my way back home through the streets of highly unsafe city of Port Harcourt. The next day though, I left my house at 6:30AM and went for more Food. This time, I was ready for prayers and the Word was good. I have not been able to visit them again, but I’ve been stalking their website. It was on one of my “stalking” moments that I found their “media room” – lots of teachings. Good teachings and they were free. Free Food? Oh Heavens!!! I immediately downloaded some and the first I listened to on prayers was “When We Don’t Pray” and then “Unraveling the Myth of Unanswered Prayers”.  

Oh goodness! Friends, these two sets of teachings have helped change my prayer life. I’ve always known something wasn’t right with my prayer life. I could recognize wrong ways to pray and was careful to listen to people praying before saying “Amen”. But something was off, I knew. Funnily enough, I’d read Kenneth Hagin’s, “The Art of Prayer” which my new teacher referenced a lot in his teachings. I think, unlike my new teacher, what I got from that great book was more of sense knowledge (a mental assent) – sadly (all my fault)! I should have put the lessons from the book into better practice, like I did when I read “Tongues”. Gratefully, my new teacher exposed things in a way that made it all clearer to me. I also think visiting their church during that Workers’ Retreat was very helpful and timely. It helped kick start a new level in my prayer life. One thing I liked also was listening to a young modern day pastor who is so knowledgeable about the Word, and his place in Christ, take prayers very seriously. That in itself is inspiring. 

To God be the glory, my prayer life has improved greatly. These days, every day, when I’m awoken at night (don’t ask me by who), I have learned to discipline myself to choose prayers over sleep. At first, it wasn’t easy and it affected me a little at work; but now, it’s getting better and I’m keeping it together with chewing gums at work. My productivity level is still awesome. Praise God. I’ll get used to it as time goes on. And I won’t give up.  No no no. I’ll pray every day & night; even in traffic [traffic has been a blessing to me listening to these sermons, by the way].

Well, friends, so that’s what’s been up with me in my Race. I found Real Food and it’s highly uplifting. With permission obtained from my new teacher, I’m inviting you to the table too. If you’re tired of eating stale bread or finding no bread at all, check out this link from Saints Community Church and listen to sermons by my new teacher, Pastor Chris Onayinka. If your prayer life is as confusing as mine was, please, listen to these: When We Don’t Pray and Unraveling the Myth of Unanswered Prayers. I also encourage you to take some time out to read Kenneth Hagin’s “The Art of Prayer” and “Tongues: Beyond the Upper Room”. I trust you’ll not remain the same. 

I know I didn’t tell you anything I learned. That’s on purpose. Go get yours. ***wink***.

Finally though, let me state this clearly. Please, do NOT base your spiritual growth on just listening to someone else’s teachings. Please, study the Word for yourself. Each time I attend a church service, and leave unfilled, I always take consolation in the fact that I have my own Bible and I always study it. So as good Bible students, please, study your Bibles regularly and check out anybody’s teachings with what the Bible says. Don’t just accept anything you hear, even if it sounds great. 

God bless you.

There's More... So Much More!

Hi Folks. Happy New Year… Welcome to 2016. I’m trusting God that this will be a great year for all of us in Jesus’ name. Last year, on January 1^st, I challenged y’all to take God’s Word as it is and live in His promises. I know some of us who took that challenge seriously and are happy we did. Praise God for that.

For about three weeks now, I’ve been praying, asking God what He wanted to share with us here on Temi’s Race for the New Year. Just a few days ago, I sensed that He'd like me to share what He's been dealing with me on.

Recently, as I studied my Bible, I had a sort of déjà vu kinda moment. I didn’t enjoy my Bible study that day like I should have. I realized there was hardly any connect between my spirit and God’s; and honestly to myself I observed it had been going on for days. I was learning alright, but the thrill wasn’t there and it sucked. (For someone who enjoys studying her Bible more than anything else, that was a big deal). I’d been there before. That was some years ago. That time my drum was a lot smaller and so was the content, but proportionally, it wasn’t much different from what I realized that it is now. Yeah, now I have a bigger drum and more content of God, but there’s still too much space for more in my bigger drum. The knowledge I have about Christ isn’t enough. Now, I want Christ Himself. I want closeness. I want a more intimate relationship. Yes, I have Him. But what I have is not enough anymore. I am thirsty; I need my thirst to be quenched. But after it is quenched, I want to thirst again. I am hungry; I want to be filled. But once I’m filled, I want to be hungry again. I need more of God. Not a one time or seasonal dish anymore. I want Him daily; every moment of every day – all of the time. This is what I found myself telling God over and over again during my church’s one week global congress this past December. I just really couldn’t pray for anything else sufficiently. I just want more of HIM. 

And from this year on, He wants you to desire more of Him too – desperately, like everything depends on it, because it does.

Enough of doing things to please yourself. Enough of running after ambition for your own benefit. Oh, brothers, enough of getting drowned in those success, prosperity and self-improving sermons. Enough of flipping over Matthew 6:33. Enough of using Christ only for your personal gain; quoting and holding on to scriptures in “faith” for the sole purpose of enriching yourself and having having having. Enough! Enough, please. Let’s focus on Him. There’s sooo much in Him. So so much. Focus on Him this year and beyond. Enough of all that pleases you. You were made for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11; Isaiah 3:7); please, give Him pleasure. 

See folks, it may surprise you to learn that God does NOT have a purpose for YOUR life. No, He doesn’t. God has a purpose. God has a plan. It DOES include you; but it is NOT about you. The fact that it includes you is what makes Jeremiah 29:11 for you; but there is no part of His purpose or plan that is about you. No. there isn’t. It is not, it cannot – never has, never will be – about you. So, enough of making it about you. It is His desire that every believer would understand this truth and begin to live it out. You see, at every crucial/changing point in your life, God expects you to take a step back, and rather than ask, “What is God’s plan for me here, or at this point?” He wants you to ask, “What is God doing in this place, at this point? What is His purpose? And how can I fit myself into His plan?” Whatever the answers to these latter questions are become your purpose. That is, His will becomes your will. His desires become your desires and His plans, your plans. It is always about Him.

This simply means that your good paying job, your education, your nice house/car, your business, your money in the bank aren’t part of His plan for your life. No. Instead, they are some of the tools you will need to achieve His purpose. Your spouse, your children aren’t His purpose for your life. No. Your union with your spouse and your children is a tool you’d use in fulfilling your own bit of His purpose. There is no “your” ministry. There is HIS ministry that you are meant to work in. 

Brothers and sisters, stop paying too much attention on the tools; focus on the task and more on the One who assigned you the task. A mechanic who keeps admiring His solid and beautiful new tools will never get the job done. Focus on His task. Give Him pleasure. When you understand that nothing is about you, you won’t be too downcast when things don’t seem to be going favorably. If you’re in the center of His will, you’ll know that however things go, as long as they work together to get His job done, you’re good. Unlike the fair weather believer, you’ll be able to say, “When things look up, LORD, it’s all about you; and when things look south, it’s still all about you, GOD.” (But don’t be afraid. No one works for Him without getting rewarded). 

Folks, it’s not enough to know about God. This is especially to my fellow New Creation Realities’ friends, Bible teachers, and Pastors. I know we love to seek His word, hold on “Rhemas” and share them. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, that’s awesome and highly encouraged. But let’s not only learn about Christ, let us learn Christ. Let’s know Him (Ephesians 4:20; Philippians 3:10). Anybody can know about anybody. But not anybody can know anybody. There must be relationship. There must be fellowship. There must be intimacy. I know too many pastors/ministers who search scriptures only because they have to preach a sermon. This should not be so. No. This is why hungry sinners come to church and go back hungry. A lot of “active” believers don’t even know their Shepherd. They don’t know His voice. They don’t hear. They don’t listen. They don’t follow. This is why winds of doctrines come and attempt to sway them about. Jesus said in John 10:28-29 that there are some people who can NEVER be snatched from His hands. He described them in verses 3-5, 27. They are His sheep. Are you His sheep? Do you know His voice? Or you’ve only heard that He’s a gentle talker? Do you know Him? Or you only know about Him? Do you listen to Him? Or you only listen to those who listen to Him? Do you follow Him? Or you only follow man and what men say? If you don’t even know to whom you belong, how do you expect sinners to come to Him? Paul said, I know whom I have believed (1^st Timothy 1:12). This means, it is one thing to believe Him, it’s another to know Him. God is calling out to us at this time, folks. He’s inviting us to come know Him like we never have before. How will you RSVP His invite? Positively or negatively? 

Brother and sisters, I’m writing with so much passion. There is more of Him. He wants that quiet moment with you – often, not seasonally. He wants to tell you secrets. He wants to whisper in your ears. He was to listen to you too (a back-and-forth communication with Him). He wants you to find solace in His arms. He wants to love you. He said this in Zephaniah 3:17 (I love the NLT version). Don’t get carried away with the busyness of life. This world will pass away. It’s only a matter of time. Don’t get carried away by the beauty and sturdiness of the tools He has given you. Partner with Him who has given you the tools and together with Him, get the job done. Stop running after the comfortable things of life. I know they are nice. But I’d rather you run after Him who is called Comforter. In the words of Tommy Tenney, be a God Chaser. There’s so much more of Him that you can have, and like me, I know there’s a lot lot lot of space in your drum for more. You only need ask. He’s more than willing to give you more of Himself in ways that can’t be explained with words.

I encourage you brethren in Christ, from this year on, have Him and seek to have more of Him – every moment of every day. It’s so much worth more than anything else. 

 

Happy New Year once again. I long to hear from you as you experience intimacy on a fresher level with HIM this year. God bless you.

And please, share this post with other believers. Perhaps, this is a timely message for them too.