….So Many Believers Might Sadly Miss Their Target Of Making Heaven At Last, Not Because Of Sin, But Their Inability To Understand God’s Body Language In Our Time And Follow Him Accordingly
I have no doubt in me that Ministers of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement are infact the disciples of the end time, but what has remained a major concern is that a lot of charismatics like most Christians appear not to have a grasp of the body language of God, relative to the age that we are in. And there is no way one can effectively worship and please the Almighty unless the person knows God’s expectations from him or her.
God is same yesterday,today and tomorrow, but the way he manifests himself and relates with peoples varies according to ages of human existence. So , his expectations from peoples also vary based on the ages of human race. People of every age must realise the body language of God based on how he moves in their age, so they can satisfy his expectations. Thus the saying in Daniel 11:32(b) that “those who know the God of their age shall do exploits”.
God’s Manifestations Relative To Ages
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Since the existence of man beginning with the creation of the first humans-Adam and Eve, God though same has manifested in different ways and during those episodes related with believers in peculiar ways.
- For instance, in the age of creation and unveiling of the people of Israel as heavenly favourites, God was fierce in his relationship with human beings. People suffered instant punishment which included immediate physical death for their wrongdoings.
Then also, God did not relate separately with everyone, as he reached the people through their prophets.” In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe”Hebrew 1:1&2 New International Version.
Even the presence of the Holy Spirit followed a particular dimension. We read in the Bible how the “dreadlock” of Samson was a sign of God’s presence ,likewise the burning bush that Moses was sorted out as the one to lead his people out of persecution in the hands of the Egyptians.
Worthy of mention is how manner fell from heaven for the Israelites to eat in the desert.
-After that came the age of the apostles when God’s grace was sufficient for the people, through our Lord Jesus Christ. One striking thing about this age is that the release of the holy Spirit upon believers was instant. People experienced instant outpouring of the Holy Spirit just by hearing the word of truth and they manifested the wonders of the spirit at once such as speaking in tongues and miracles.
This age birthed the church.
Salvation through grace was introduced in this age. Grace is an unmerited favour which has been made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
–The last and latest age of God’s manifestation is this present age , which is the End Time. It is the summarization of everything, in preparation for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This age is entirely different; God is moving in different way as oppossed to the time of the Israelites and that of the apostles. This age, manner no longer fall from heaven as it did for the Israelites, just also as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not manifesting easily. People now have to pass through rigorous spiritual activities like the Life in the Spirit Seminars in order to manifest their spiritual gifts. At the end of such programmes some still do not manifest anything.
The reason for this is that this is the age of perfection, when all believers are under obligation to pay a price in working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Though Christ has purchased salvation for us, we no longer get it on a platter.
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him”.John 4:24 New King James Version.
The implication of this is that believers should not totally rely on grace to be saved, but must buckle- up to keep the commandments of God in order to enjoy God’s kingdom both as building and a place to spend eternity.
Therefore it is written that, ” What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid”. Romans 6:1 KJV.
But the most interesting thing about this age of end-time is that it is an age of great powers, signs and wonders; but people are rewarded based on their works.
Brethren, the times have changed; God is moving in a different dimension this time and it takes a spiritually wise and discerning believer to understand this.
THE BIBLE HASN’T HELPED SO MANY
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At every gathering of the spirit, believers are advised and encouraged to invest more time in the study of the Bible, yet so many are yet to get real empowerment from the Holy book. The Bible carries the mind of God. Most importantly, it captures the testimonies of people’s victories over sin, the world and worldliness through the powers of God. It also educates us about the body language of God through the ages of human existence. It demands careful study in the Holy Ghost to properly connect the ages and know where we fall.
The ages are like a relay race, A leading to B and B to C. The present day believers haven’t done much in documenting their victories in the Lord , unlike the early believers that left behind a legacy of the Bible.
Without mincing word, God is moving marvelously in this age and men and women of God are doing great exploits , which if documented would make a powerful Bible. So, while studying the Bible is always advised, we should listen to ourselves more to hear God and know how he is moving within us and in our age. That way, we will understand his body language in respect to what he expects from us in this end time.
Lack Of The Knowledge Of The Time Is The Real Cause Of Unseriousness Among Modern Day Believers, Even Some Charismatics.
Because of this lack of knowledge of the time, we see believers taking the works of God for granted. They keep away from prayer meetings and on the day they decide to attend, they come late just as their participation is nothing to write home about.
On the days of vigil, you hear people giving flimsy excuses like being tired, returning home late from work , rainfall and flooding of their surroundings as reasons for not attending.
Infact, a lot of our people are not learning and sad to say that so many are disconnected from the reality of our time.
- Let our people know that serving God is all about commitment. A lot more commitment is needed from us in this end time because we must serve God in spirit and truth. The truth here is that God is perfect, those who worship him must equally be perfect. We must therefore be ready to sacrifice our time, comfort and resources for us to encounter God specially in our time.
*We have to start raising prayer points for the eyes of our people to be opened to the reality of our time.
Bro. Innocent Onoh
