The Saddest and Happiest Day

‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord’ (1 Thess 4:16-17).

‘The English word “rapture” is taken from the word used in the Latin translation of the Bible (the Vulgate) which is used to translate the Greek word in 1 Thess 4:17 for caught up together.  Rapture is used to describe the catching up of believers into the air to meet the returning Christ described by Paul in 1 Thess 4:16-18. This single day in the future will divide the whole human race into two camps, saved and unsaved. The saddest and happiest day will be the day Jesus Christ returns in the clouds to gather His Church to himself before the beginning of the seven year tribulation on earth’ (David Jeremiah). Our actions today will determine whether that day will be the saddest or happiest day of our lives. 

For the faithful believers dead or alive, the rapture will be the happiest day of their lives as they are caught up together to meet Jesus - their savior in the clouds. The Bible clearly teaches that after the rapture, the church will go through the judgment at the Bema seat in heaven, where Christians will be rewarded according to their works. Our works are going to be passed through fire. ‘If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire’ (1 Cor 3:15). Here Christians are going to be judged and rewarded for what they did after their salvation. 

For the unsaved, the day of the rapture will be the saddest day of their lives as their loved ones – family and friends who were Christians disappear in a twinkle of an eye. It is said that there will be a lot of accidents as pilots, train drivers, bus drivers etc who are Christians suddenly disappear and are caught up into the clouds to meet Jesus their risen savior. On that day, many who had heard the gospel on numerous occasions and had rejected it will cry uncontrollably. Others who knew the truth but had allowed the lust of the flesh, lust of the eye and pride of life to blind them from the importance of their eternal life will also cry uncontrollably, but will still not be caught up. This will include those who were usually in church and had heard all about the rapture and the period of unbearable pain that will befall those that are left behind to face the period of tribulation; where the antichrist will rule the earth for seven years, as the Holy Spirit and the church are absent from the earth.

I Thess 4:16-18 offers one of the best descriptions about the rapture. The critical question is, are you going to be among the happiest people on earth who will be caught up into the clouds, or are you going to be among the saddest people who will be left behind on that day, to face the seven years of Tribulation?  The choice is yours today. ‘For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). Repent - have a change of mind and believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved. This is your time, tomorrow might be too late.

After the Rain

'And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions' (Joel 2:28).

The promise of Joel 2:28 began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, and it was continued in the converting grace and miraculous gifts conferred on both Jews and Gentiles (Matthew Henry). Taking a close look at Joel’s prophecy, it is clear that after the rains or the massive outpouring of God’s spirit things change. The converting grace and the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit are the results of the rain. The outpouring of God’s spirit at the upper room transformed the disciples and caused them to do the extraordinary. Peter, who was on the run, was now boldly declaring Christ and over 3,000 people got saved after he preached a single message, not forgetting the great manifestation of spiritual gifts (Acts 2:41). Now peoples’ shadows were not scaring Peter anymore, rather his shadow was scaring demonic spirits and casting them away. The fruit of the spirit, Love, Joy, peace, longsuffering etc., were also evident in the church (Gal 5:22-23).

Acts 4:33-35 paints a clear picture about the aftermath of the rain, ‘Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need’. Acts 4:33-35 is a true litmus test of a revival. There may be the ‘Ananias and Sapphiras’ in the Church, but those bad nuts are in the minority during a true revival. Two words that can summarize the aftermath of the rains are the power and love of God.

A few centuries ago people like John Alexander Dowie prayed for and experienced the Revival of God. ‘Born May 25, 1847, in Edinburgh, Scotland, John Alexander Dowie shook the world at the turn of the century with his passion for truth and zeal for the work of the Spirit. He brought to the forefront divine healing and repentance by shaking up a complacent Church and slaking the thirst of a parched society. He is known as the Healing Apostle of the late 19th century. Untold millions came to a revelation of Christ and the living power of the Holy Spirit through his deep conviction, unwavering faith and expansive vision. Against hypocritical, opposing clergy, fierce slanderous tabloids, murderous mobs, and relentless city officials, Dr. Dowie wore his apostolic calling as a crown from God, and his persecution as a badge of honor. Dowie was a force to be reckoned with’ (God’s generals).

As a church we are at risk of obliterating our significance if we neglect the works of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, anything built will be a mere social organization, falling short of God’s spiritual standard, no matter how good the packaging is. It is time for the church in this century to do away with all complacency and be hungry for the latter rains, a true revival that will bring in a harvest of souls. No matter your race, age or gender you can be used by God in this latter rains, ‘For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him’ (2 Chron 16:9).

Ask for Rain

‘Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone’ (Zech 10:1).

‘In the ancient Near East, when there was poor rainfall, the natural result was famine and poverty. Thus, to maintain peace and prosperity, the people are urged to be in constant touch with God through prayer. The abundance of grain promised in Zechariah 9:16, 17 depended on rainfall, a necessity to the people of the ancient Near East. The Lord alone was able to supply this, and he did when the people prayed to Him’ (Jeremiah 10:13; 14:22). As discussed in the previous lesson (Abundant showers), rain is one of the main symbols used to signify the outpouring of the spirit of God and revival in the Bible. The focus of today’s study is prayer as the master key to experiencing revival.

In Zechariah 10:1 God clearly commands the nation of Israel to ask or pray for the latter rain or rain in the springtime. Also in the New Testament Jesus gave a clear command to the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the empowerment or baptism of the Holy Spirit, before they embark on the great commission. Whiles they waited in prayer in the Upper room on the day of Pentecost, the promised ‘Autumn rains’ or baptism of the Holy Spirit fell. In fact that was the day the church was birthed. So the church was birthed through the prayer and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and it is the same prayer and empowerment of the Holy Spirit that sustains and moves the church.

Again in Acts 4 after Peter and John were arrested and they were forbidden not to teach in the name of Jesus, but ‘…when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness’ (Acts 4:31). Going through church History you will realize that all the revivals recorded were preceded by a hunger for God through prayer and purity. Mary Queen of Scots is reported to have said this about John Knox the 16^th century reformer: “I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe.”

Jesus’ ministry was greatly dependent on prayer. A classic example is in Matthew 14. After Jesus had fed over five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, ‘Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there’ (Mat 14:23, 24). According to Mat 14:25, it was at 3 o’clock in the morning that Jesus came back, no wonder he came back walking on water. He was fully charged with the power of the Holy Spirit after praying all night. Luke 6:12 and Mat 26:37-46 are among other scriptures where Jesus prayed for hours on end.

The 21^st century church cannot fulfill the great commission or prepare the world for the rapture by only relying on the experiences of our fathers; the ‘Autumn rains’ have already come and gone. The Lord is commanding us to ‘ask for the rains in the spring time’. He is beckoning us into a deeper place of hunger for Him through prayer and purity. Ask for rain, ask for rain, Oh!!! Church ask for the latter rain, time is running out and precious souls are perishing. The next lesson is ‘After the rain’.

Abundant Showers

‘Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for He has given you the autumn rains because He is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before’ (Joel 2:23).

Nations in ancient Near East solely depended on rain for a good harvest and consequently a good economy, unlike the 21^st century where mechanical farming enables farmers to experience a good harvest in the midst of drought. ‘In Palestine, there are two major seasons of rain each year: in the autumn or fall, when the rain helps the grain to sprout, and in the spring, when the rain helps the grain to ripen.

Rain is one of the main symbols used to signify the outpouring of the spirit of God and revival in the Bible. In Acts 2, Peter in an attempt to give an explanation of the Upper Room experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, brought into remembrance the prophecy that Joel gave In Joel 2:28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions’. Peter emphasized that what the disciples were experiencing was a fulfillment of that prophecy. The Upper Room experience that brought in thousands of souls was the ‘Former or Autumn rains’ and it lasted for decades. The good news is that God has also promised of the ‘Latter or Spring rains’. Joel prophesied in Joel 2:23 that we should be glad because God is going to send ‘abundant showers, both Autumn and Spring rains, as before’. The Fall or Autumn rains came to germinate or shoot up the church as recorded on the day of Pentecost, but the promised ‘Spring rains’ combined with the ‘Autumn rains’ are needed for the church to fully grow or mature before the rapture.

In Mat 24:14 Jesus said that ‘this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come’. Jesus’ words were a confirmation of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 2:2 that ‘…it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it’. Like it happened in the book of Acts every revival recorded in Church history was preceded by a hunger for God through prayer and purity. The men of old served God and their generation in their time, this is our time (Acts 13:36).The crucial question is, is your church experiencing the promised abundant showers or revival? Some of the signs or benefits of the revival in the early Church in the book of Acts were the passion for souls, massive harvest of souls, the fear of God and the intense demonstration of God’s power and love through men, which purged the church of sin.

Oh!!!! I hear the ‘sound of abundance of rain’ may the Church today prepare itself like the men of old did, as they purged themselves and waited on the master through prayer. The next lesson of Study is ‘Ask the Lord for rain’.

Who am I and what is my household?

‘Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed, “Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord? ( 2 Samuel 7:18,19, NLT)

The second book of Samuel paints an intriguing picture about a child of God who has been overwhelmed by the goodness and faithfulness of God. ‘David's prayer is full of the breathings of devout affection toward God. He had low thoughts of his own merits. All we have must be looked upon as Divine gifts. He speaks very highly and honorably of the Lord's favors to him. Considering what the character and condition of man is, we may be amazed that God should deal with him as he does’ (Matthew Henry).

At the end of David’s life, God through Nathan the prophet reminded him of how far He had brought him, He said,‘… “I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name, like the name of the great men who are on the earth’ (2 Samuel 7:8,9). Considering all the blessings he was enjoying in his old age and the blessings that God was bringing through his immediate successor and son Solomon, the royal line of Judah, and that which was going to be finally realized through Christ, David went and sat before the Lord and exclaimed ‘Who am I, Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

The goodness and faithfulness of God is seen all around us and looking back at your personal story always puts that picture in a better perspective. God always rewards our faithfulness, so regardless of the storms of today, hold onto your faith, keep serving Him faithfully. ‘… know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandment’ (Deut 7:9).

Today, be reminded of God’s presence with you, where He took you from, how he delivered you from your enemies, how far He has brought you, and where he has promised to take you and keep serving Him faithfully with gratitude, knowing that your labor of love will never be in vain.

Happy is the Person whose Sins are Forgiven

'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV).  

Jesus perfects those that are being made holy. All men who believe in Jesus Christ and repent of their sins are instantly cleansed from their sins. They instantly receive the righteousness of Christ (Justification). However, many fail to appreciate the power of the cross. Even after repenting of their sins they find it difficult to accept the forgiveness of God and forgive themselves. They hold unto the past, and rob themselves of the future that God has ordained for them. Peter denied Christ three times and Judas also betrayed Christ. Both of them felt sorry for what they did, but the difference between the two of them is that, Peter accepted the forgiveness of God and forgave himself but Judas did not, and ended up committing Suicide.

The truth is, there is nothing that you can do about the past, and you can't walk backwards into the future. For you to embrace the future that God has ordained for you, you need to turn your back to the past, start afresh and move forward. The future God has in mind contains more happiness than any past you can remember. Jesus used the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate the power of the cross; that all who repent of their sins and return to their heavenly father receive the compassion and pardon of the father, not forgetting the restoration of their blessings. This study reveals some important lessons about the prodigal son’s restoration.

• "He came to his senses": meaning he repented. He had a change of mind and heart (Luke 15:17).
• "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you": He acknowledged his sins and confessed them (Luke 15:18).
• "He got up and went to his father": When you fall down don’t remain there, pick something up and get up. Learn from your mistakes, make an effort and take steps to return to God and redeem your blessings (Luke 15:18, 20).
• "He said ‘I am no longer worthy to be called your son…": Like the prodigal son, most of us think we are not worthy of God’s blessings, but the good news is God sees us through the cross. Quit seeing yourself through your own lenses and see yourself as God sees you (Luke 15:21) .
• “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet" (Luke 15:22): Through the cross, God forgives and restores all men that repent and believe in Christ, no matter their sins (John 3:16).
• "Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found…": Heaven is rejoicing and celebrating your repentance so join them. (Luke 15:23,24)

The blood of Christ cleanses the believer’s conscience. So ‘boldly go into the Holy of Holies, the very presence of God, to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:22). Stop punishing yourself with the 'if only's'. After sinning and having God pick him up, David wrote, 'Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven... whom the Lord does not consider guilty...' (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV). Forgive yourself because God has, and you are 'accepted' (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). If you have wronged others, confess your faults to them and restitute where possible. Learn from your mistakes and allow God to take care of the past.

But I will Sing

‘I am so troubled that I can not speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times; I call to remembrance my song in the night’ (Psalm 77:4-6).

  

It is interesting to note in the passage above that even though the psalmist declares that he is so troubled that he cannot speak, he is able to sing unto the Lord. ‘But doesn’t singing require speaking?’ Someone may ask. A song has great power. Basically songs come from a different reservoir than speech. Psychologists sometimes speak of music as coming from “the right brain”. Not that there are two brains but while singing, brain wave activity goes on in the right hemisphere of the brain. Reasoned speech is more naturally located in the left hemisphere. Music has the mysterious power to strain out the sadness and leave us somehow feeling better. Putting our sorrows into song often enables us to sing them right out again’ (Jack Hayford –The heart of praise).

No wonder the Bible admonishes us to praise the Lord at all times regardless of our situation. Whenever God makes a command He knows that He has given us what it takes to obey that command. Sometimes the storms of life leave us at a place of speechlessness. But even there we can praise God. Are you too troubled to talk? Sing unto the Lord. Anyone can praise God when all is well, but it takes understanding to give God a sacrifice of praise or praise Him when you are troubled. The psalmist says, seven times a day I will praise him. Clearly it is our responsibility to praise God at all times. Praising God in troubled times brings great victories.

Someone may ask, ‘what should I praise God for when I am in pain?’ You praise Him for what He has done, what He is doing and for what He is going to do. Praising God in troubled times is an act of great faith that yields great results. It proves one’s understanding of God’s goodness, that He has allowed the troubles for a good purpose. Praising God in troubled times is a great act of faith and a great offensive weapon against the devil. Paul and Silas ended up in a maximum security prison for preaching the Gospel. But in the midnight instead of wining they praised and prayed; as they did, they experienced the wonders of praise. Their praise caused an earthquake, the foundations of the prison shook, their chains were broken and the prison gates broke open. Today as you count your blessings give God a praise bubbling from a heart of gratitude. May every bondage in your life give way to the power of God.

As a Christian, the joy of the Lord is your strength, when your joy is gone your strength is gone. The devil can never oppress you until he depresses you. The moment the devil steals your joy you cannot function normally, so don’t allow the devil to steal it. Those that trust in God are like mount Zion that can never be moved. Your joy is not dependent on your circumstance but it flows from the spirit of God within you. It is a fruit of the spirit of God within you.

Count your blessings, until you acknowledge and appreciate what you have in your hands; What God has done in your life you don’t qualify to ask for more. Don’t just be grateful; express your gratitude to God. Praise expresses gratitude. Let your praise be contagious and Glorious. As you praise God in the midst of your pain it will be a testimony onto the world, they will be affected by your faith and faithfulness and your God will be revealed to them. Is any troubled? Let him sing a song of praise bubbling from the heart, and be assured that help is on the way.