KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 13:24 KJV” Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able”.

The Lord calls on us to strive to enter the kingdom. The call to ‘strive’ to enter into glory reveals there is an opposing enemy to stop us from getting to our destination. If this is so concerning the Christian, then it is more serious for the man who has not found Christ. Apostle Paul speaks of adversaries that would not allow him to possess and do what God has commissioned him to do. 1 Corinth 16:9 KJV “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries”.

There is an enemy who schemes and does everything possible to possess the souls of men.

What is the modus operandi of the enemy? The number one strategy of the devil to steal the souls of men is deceit. He tells men he does not exist. He tells men everything that occurs is as a result of natural forces. He entices men to sin and assures them, that the best way to live is to do that which will make you feel satisfied. The devil may raise certain individuals to be men of God to serve his purposes so people would ridicule the gospel and the church. Rev 12:9 KJV “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” .He seeks to get you into sin and rebellion against God. In Europe the craze for homosexualism is stirred by the believe that there is no God. Almost all governments in Europe and other affluent nations accept these things. They get irritated at the site of the Bible. It is evil spirit that stirs up hostility against God, so he could destroy their souls in hell. Be wise and don’t fall for that

Satan is a master deceiver The Bible says he deceives the whole world. Many are they that have fallen for his deceptions. Events around show that Satan actually exists and he is behind all the evil going on. Dear brother or sister stop buying what the devil is saying to you. You would end up in hell fire if you don’t make a turn from your ways. Listen to the Lord of life and what he says, Rev 3:20 KJV “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” .Turn from the deceiver and accept the request from our Lord Jesus. You may pray the following prayer

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father I come to you in the name of our Lord Jesus. I have fallen to the deceptions of the devil. I accept the truth about you and believe you died for my sins. You rose to life on the third day. I now confess you as the Lord of my life. Amen.

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Corinth 11:3 KJV” But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”.

John 8:44 KJV “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 13:27 KJV” But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.”

As we seek to win those outside the church walls, those of us within must examine ourselves whether we are in the faith. In our key scripture the Lord said, He will say to some who claimed to be Christians, that” he never knew them”. My question is, what would make the master say he does not know the man who has been going to church, preaching to others and might have been working some miracles? The Lord described such people as workers of iniquity. Dear child of God what are your works?

The scriptures teach us one virtue that would make the Lord know you. 1Corinthians 8:3 KJV” But if any man love God, the same is known of him.” God is seeking for lovers. He says if a man loves Him, that man is known to Him. The great error of most Christians is that they use God to achieve what they anticipate to get. The needs of men have very wide ranges. When the need becomes more important than God, God becomes a tool to obtaining that need. Such a person does not love God, but loves what he or she wants to get. A growing young girl may be looking for marriage, and that is all that fills her mind. All she may be doing in church is not unto the Lord, but to get that marriage. This lady does not love God in any way. She loves her marriage. Sadly, because she does not love the Lord, He likewise does not know her. Her works becomes actions of iniquity. There are various dimensions of this error. My question to you is, do you love the Lord or other things?

There are some who are practicing iniquity in the name of God. He knows your heart. Dear fellow Christian make your calling and election sure. Apostle Paul cautions the brethren in Corinth to examine themselves whether they are in the faith. Paul gives us a clue in 1st Corinth 9:27″ But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway”. He says he put his body (desires, motives) under subjection so that after he has preached to, others he would not be a castaway. Dear brother or sister who calls yourself a Christian, does the lord know you.? You can be known by the Lord if you would examine yourself and align your motives, desires and actions to suit what His word says.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, I repent from every self-centered way. I surrender my will to please you in all I do. I love to please you. Amen.

FURTHER STUDIES

Matthew 7:22 KJV” Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”

2 Timothy 2:19 KJV.” Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 33:11 KJV “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”

GOD the Lord of all flesh expresses His candid desire and will for the man and woman who have not surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus. He says, He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He desires to see the wicked repented, and living right. Who is the wicked? The wicked is not just the man who kills his neighbor or perpetuates evil. The wicked is simply the man who has no regard for the word Of God. The root of all wickedness is the lack of submission to God and his Word. The act of neglect or lack of submission to the word of God gives free license to death to fully function in such an individual.

The practice of sin is a clear demonstration that death is at work in you. 1 Corinth 15:56 KJV “The sting of a death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law”. Living a sinful life means the venom of death, is at work in you. As the scripture says death is not an event but a person who lives and rules the wicked. The event of death, is only the ultimate consummation of all the activities of this being in the life of that man. The sad and miserable aspect is that most men don’t realize death is actively working in them. The first sign of the reign of death in a man, is lack of peace in that man’s heart. It also demonstrates itself in many other ways in the lives of humanity. It leads the individual into all acts of sin and rebellion against God. Sicknesses, demonic controls with all kinds of inner instability. It finally ends in death. The next stage for such a man is hell fire.

The Lord says he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. 1Timothy 2:4 KJV “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth”. God does not only desire the salvation of all but has made a way for your salvation and deliverance from the power of death. 2Timothy 1:10 KJV” But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”: This is the wonderful news. Jesus through His death has dealt with death and brought life and immortality to light. Do not allow Satan to laugh over you when he puts you into hell fire. Surrender your life to Jesus today and escape eternal destruction. You can pray the following prayer.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, forgive me for neglecting your word. I submit my life to your word and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. I confess Him as the Lord of my life and I believe He rose up from death after the third day. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul.

FURTHER STUDIES

Ezekiel 33:19 KJV “But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.”

Ezekiel 18:23 KJV” Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 1:18 KJV “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”.

The Lord Jesus spoke about a second son of a wealthy man who collected the inheritance of his father that will be his. He went to a far country and spent everything on riotous living. He was left with nothing and had to take care of pigs, with no food to take and no one gave to him. (Luke 15:11–32) The Bible said he came to himself and reasoned out. How did he do it? He did so by considering the conditions in his father’s house and his. Out of that moment of reasoning he went back home and that changed his state.

Dear reader you might have made some very bad decisions which has resulted in shameful and deplorable conditions. It may even be death that looms at you. You might have committed the worst of acts. The Lord says it is time to come and reason with Him. How do you reason with God when you’ve made very grievous acts of sin and error.? You do so by considering what God has said. He says, all your sins were placed on Jesus and He does not count any of those sins against you. (2nd Corinth 5:19, Acts 13:38,39)

Acts 13:38, &39 reads,

 ” Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses”. To reason with Him is to believe in Him, and to accept what he says about your sins.  He declares to you that believe in Him that, you are guiltless, justified or just as if you have not sinned before. Don’t let anything keep you back come to Him and accept His great pardon. Jesus death on the cross was God’s judgment for all mankind. It was your offences that was punished on the cross. YOU HAVE BEEN PUNISHED ALREADY IN Christ. Believe it. It becomes real and yours when you believe it. If you don’t accept it, it is not yours. So, believe it and thank God for it.

PRAYER

Heavenly father I know I have sinned against you in a terrible way. I know my Lord Jesus took all the punishment and judgment on my behalf. I believe and accept the forgiveness of my sins. I also confess Jesus as Lord of my life. Amen.

FURTHER STUDIES

Isaiah 53:5 KJV ” But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed”.

2 Corinth 5:19 KJV “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 1:13 KJV “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,”

A seal according to the Oxford learners dictionary, is a piece of wax, lead or other material with an individual (special or specific) design, stamped into it or attached to a document as a guarantee of authenticity. In simple terms it is an embossment stamped on a document showing it is genuine. Everyman who has surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ has received the Holy Spirit. He comes into the life of the Christian to play various roles. He is our comforter, teacher, guard, guide, advocate and many more. (John 14:26) Among these many roles, He also acts as a seal.

The following verse teaches us the essence of the Holy Spirit as our seal. Ephesians 1:14 KJV ” Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory”. The meaning of this verse is that the Holy Spirit in us becomes God’s guarantee that we are His. Another word is that the Holy Spirit is God’s down payment awaiting the day Christ would come to take total possession of us. The Christian is God’s purchased possession. The second coming of our Lord Jesus is to fully redeem what he has already made a down payment. Without the Holy Spirit in a man’s life there is no identification of God’s ownership. You may be a morally good and upright person, yet without the Holy Spirit God has no claims over you.

YOU may be a very religious individual yet that cannot guarantee any acceptable place in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is the one who sanctifies us. His presence in us makes us qualified to belong to God. Do you have the seal of the Holy Spirit in your life? How can one have the seal of the Holy Spirit in his or her life? Our key scripture shows us how. It says when a man places his trust in the Lord after hearing the message of salvation he is sealed with the Holy Spirit. You can also have the seal of the Holy Spirit today by placing your trust in Jesus who died to save your soul.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for giving us your only begotten Son to die for me. I believe He rose from the grave. I confess Him as the Lord of my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul.

FURTHER STUDIES

Act 2:38 KJV ” Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”.

Act 10:45 KJV “And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:20 KJV “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?”

I shared the gospel with a young man but he said he would respond when he was ready. I kept talking and appealing to him to make a concrete decision to follow Jesus, yet he kept postponing his decision to make Jesus Lord of his life. One day I received a call, that informed me that, he had been involved in an automobile accident and died instantly. This man had been anticipating to make his decision to make Jesus Lord of his life in the future, yet that future never came. Tomorrow is never yours.

In our key scripture, the Lord Jesus spoke about a parable in which a rich man had stored up so much goods and spoke to his soul to be merry and relax because he had so much to enjoy for the rest of his life. The Lord said. God spoke to him and said, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of you. My brother or sister tomorrow does not belong to you. God is the owner of your soul, and he determines whether you see tomorrow or not. There are two ends to the life and activities of the man who does not know Jesus. The day of your death or the day the Lord will come. If you do not die and go to hell, you would meet Jesus when he comes. THE ONLY CONDITION TO MAKE THESE TWO OCCASIONS A GLORIOUS MOMENT IS TO MAKE JESUS LORD OF YOUR LIFE

Now this is the Biblical advice to you.

 2Corinth 6:2 KJV ” (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.). Today is yours. You can make the best of the moment today. Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation. Do not postponed your salvation. Just as you would never attempt to postponed breathing so should you not postponed your salvation. It is extremely dangerous to die without knowing Jesus as your Lord. In Luke 16:19–31, the Rich man who did not know God died and sadly realized he was in hell fire. Tomorrow is God’s. Dying without Jesus means hell fire is your ultimate location. Give your life to the master of your soul today. The man I spoke about in the first paragraph, said he would make his decision Tomorrow. Tomorrow never came to him. Tomorrow may never come to you. Make it now.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly Father, I will no longer postponed my salvation. I believe in Jesus who died for my sins and rose up on the third day, now I declare Jesus is the Lord of my life. Amen

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 16:23 KJV” And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom”.

Mark 9:47 KJV “And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire”:

KEY SCRIPTURE: Romans 1:16 KJV “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” .

Life for all humanity has never been smooth sailing. There is an evil tide that seem to come against all men, no matter who you are or where you are. Men in their wisdom and effort have worked so hard to tame or control the storms that rise up against men yet to no avail. Man’s problems range from personal failures that causes him to act in ways that enslave him. This is what the Bible calls sin. It is a power or influence beyond man’s ability to control. Some in defiant claim there is nothing like sin yet their actions drive them into acts that their own conscience accuses them.

There are problems of sicknesses and diseases. Modernization has given birth to all kinds of sophisticated crimes that overwhelm many with fear. These and many more leave men with lots and lots of questions. Dear brother or sister I wish to make a humble submission to you that, the gospel remains God’s answer and solution to these seas of trouble that has drawn mankind. Please listen to what God’s word says. 1Corinth 1:18 KJV “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”. The gospel is about our Lord Jesus sacrifice of His life on the cross for all mankind. To those who believe it is the power of God unto salvation. If you would not believe you cannot encounter this mighty power to save and set you free.

By faith in the gospel I have encountered people with sinful lives set free to live godly lives. I have seen the dead raised to life by faith in the gospel. Deadly incurable sicknesses have been stopped by faith in the gospel. The gospel can either be foolishness to you and your burdens will remain on your head or, it can be the power of God to you, rolling away those burdens. Which one would you choose? The gospel is the power of God to those who would Believe in Jesus our Lord. Do not delay any longer, make that concrete decision to welcome Jesus as Lord of your life NOW.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, I am sorry for my sinful lifestyle, forgive me. I believe in Jesus who died for my sins and I confess Him as Lord of my life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Gal 1:3 KJV” Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father”:

1 Corinthians 1:21 KJV ” For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

KEY Scripture 3:12 KJV” They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

Our key scripture makes a very serious statement about the state of men. It clearly reveals that men are lost. Man is lost because sin has taken over the hearts of men. Romans 3:9 KJV” What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin”;

What demonstrates that man is lost? To be lost means the heart of man has been taken over by another influence or power which is not God’s. It also means you are not in the kingdom of God. Every child of God is presently in the kingdom of God (Hebrew 12:22). We see men are lost in the level of depravity all around us. Crime have multiplied in our time than any other. Immorality is in a dimension that beats one’s imagination. One basic acid test to check how men are lost is the absence of peace in the hearts of most people. The level of hatred for Christ is alarming. An elderly man preaching in a bus was violently attacked by a woman in the USA. John 3:19 KJV “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil”.

Dear one, are you lost or found, do you have the peace of God in your life? Who is in charge of your life.? Do you sincerely love the Lord Jesus? Jesus is the only one who truly loves you. Satan is called the adversary because he is the enemy of your soul. This spirit called Satan is the one who is holding most men captives. He would ultimately lead you to hell, if you do not respond to Jesus’ call. Revelation 3:20 KJV “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. “You can be found if you would allow Jesus to be your Lord. You would be right in the kingdom of God. This is your moment to be found(saved) . Turn your life to the master today.

PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, my sins have sent me away, forgive my sins. I declare that Jesus is the Lord of my life.

FURTHER STUDIES

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Titus 1:16 KJV “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate”.

The above scripture is a very important one, speaking to many who profess they are Christians yet in reality, they are not. The serious aspect of this is that: you may be involved in religion all throughout your lifetime, but may end up in hell fire at the end of the day. Matthew 7:21 KJV “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” .The Lord says it is those who consistently do the will of the father that would be admitted into the kingdom of God.

 There are some people who are always present in church yet the church is not in them. They are basically full of themselves. They are self-righteous and are always right, whiles every other person is wrong. Some practice secret sins, keep hurts and grudges about their neighbours. They are always bitter about something or somebody. They complain a lot, about almost everything. Dear brother or sister such an attitude and live style makes you a perfect candidate for hell fire. Just consider what the scriptures teach: Romans 2:21,22 KJV” Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written”. This should not be the testimony about you.

The sad truth about such people is that they claim to have been born again, knowing all the scriptures that speak on these matters, yet they are not born again. To be born again is to submit your life to the Lordship of Jesus. You are no longer in charge of your life. It is Jesus who expresses Himself through you. You are no more self centered but Christ centered. Gal 2:20 KJV” I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me”. If the above description paints a picture of your life, then be humble and repent today. Surrender the control of your life to the Lord of Lords, Jesus, who died to save you.

PRAYER

Dear heavenly father, my life has been in my own hands. I have been full of myself. Have mercy on me. Forgive all my sins. I surrender the rule of my life into your hands. Be the true Lord over my life. Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul today.

FURTHER STUDIES

 Galatians 6:7, 8 KJV “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Luke 20:25 KJV “And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”

Our key scripture is among the many scriptures that those who wish to gratify their carnal desires wrongly   use. The story behind this comment from our Lord Jesus concerns the Jews who came to Him seeking to tempt Him to say something wrong against the authorities, so he would be arrested and killed.

These Pharisees came to the master and asked, ‘is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not (Luke 20:22). The Lord asked them to bring Him a coin. He asked whose image and inscription are on the coin? They answered Caesar’s. He remarked, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.

Now our lesson from the story. Whose image is on you, or whose image do you carry? Genesis 1:27 KJV” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” The Bible says we were made in the image of God. If it is so then we ought to give ourselves to God.

Many of us have given ourselves to all kinds of things. Some, it is drink, illicit sex, smoking, stealing, crave for wealth and to many to philosophical persuasions that controls our lives. There are many who worship idols and refuse to serve the creator of all things. Listen to what the scriptures say about you. Rom 1:21 KJV” Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” You cannot pretend not to know God exists or ignore Him. If you do so, your heart only become foolish and grope in the dark according to the scriptures.

Dear brother or sister God’s image is upon you, you are His, why give your life to something else?  Anything that should not owe you, nor created you would destroy you, if you serve that thing.  In Romans 1:22-26, those who refused to honor God although they knew He is Lord over all, were given to a reprobate heart and mind. You are in God’s image, so surrender your life to Him today.

YOU may do so by praying the following prayer

PRAYER

Oh, heavenly father, you created me in your image I belong to you. Forgive me for living for myself and other things. I surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ today.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 1:25 KJV” Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen”.

Romans 1:21 KJV Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”