REVIVAL OF FAITH

One of the marks of the revival that is to come upon the earth is a revival of faith in the Lord.

As fundamental as faith is to the Christian Life - for the just shall live by faith - many have strayed far from the expression of same.

Our lack of faith is seen in many areas, chiefly in our complaints and unwillingness to obey the Lord in matters of godly conduct and assignments he gives to us.

We find excuses to prevent us from taking the journey of faith in the direction of God's will for our lives; we take no thought to the matter of dependency on the Lord, but joyfully depend on secular wisdom and the arm of flesh - forgetting that the Lord is in our midst, we spontaneously complain about our challenges and scarcely talk about the promises of our good Lord.

Jesus questioned the presence of faith in our hearts in view of his return to earth when he said, "Will I find faith on the earth when I return?"

The Lord in his wisdom has ordained the days to come as an occasion for the Church universal to restore faith to its central position in our lives. But each of us must first examine ourselves to know whether we are in faith. And if we are found  wanting, the only solution would be to turn to the scriptures of truth and cry out in prayer saying, "Lord, help my unbelief!"

The just shall live by faith: for without it, it is impossible to please God.

God has blessed you.

Apostle Destiny KINGSTON

PREACHING THE GOSPEL

When you preach to a Muslim, what do you emphasize? For him to stop going to Mosque or to believe in Jesus Christ? For him to start going to Church (as important as it is) or for him to know the one who died and lives for him?

The preaching of the gospel to Muslims and non-muslims is simple; the simplicity of the message has set the pace already for a quick work of salvation. Just talk about the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection; only demand they believe in Jesus and confess his lordship. Please don't use many words.

Since the first of January, 2021, I have been preaching daily, being one of my goals for this year - 365 Days of Preaching the Gospel the Organic Way - HIT THE STREETS. 80% of my converts are Muslims and I keep it simple as I preach the simple gospel of salvation.

I may never see most of them in my lifetime, but that doesn't bother me, because I understand the power of the Gospel - the Lord can cause an increase to the seed sown in their hearts and my angels are attending to them daily to ensure they know more about Christ. Also, I get to drop a material with them that the Holy Spirit can nudge them to read at different times. In my case, I give every convert a copy of Rhapsody of Realities.

The emphasis of preaching the Gospel is getting men saved. Preach the gospel and see many become born again.

I hope this blessed you.

Apostle Destiny KINGSTON

STOP THE AGITATION

Let's change our focus and message from trying to prevent the antichrist and one world government from emerging, to preparing the people of God and the peoples of world for the inevitable emergence of the antichrist and his one world government scheme.

In the case where you believe that the Church will not witness those days (which I do not agree with), you have nothing to loose if it happens today as you are insured that you will be raptured before the emergence of the antichrist and the one world government. So, the question of it happening before its time shouldn't be your concern as faith in the scriptures you have believed in assures you of escape before that age.

Let's focus on preparing the Church with teachings on faith and patience for the scripture of truth clearly establishes in the book of Revelation that that age will try the faith and patience of the saints. 

Revelation 13:7,10, NIV: 

7. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.

10. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed. ' This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.

God does not have the habit of having us escape persecution; what will you say about the many persecutions that has happened to Christians over generations and in our present age. The most that will happen to us in that age is that we are killed and it is beautiful that we are killed for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

It is called the great tribulation because it is going to be the time of great persecution on national Israel and the Church of God worldwide and a time of great judgement on those who accept the mark of the beast and the government of the antichrist.

These days are ordained to happen: nothing can stop it; there is how far a Trump or the church can stop it. If Trump wins this election, he only has four years maximum to hold back the deep state and their agenda. 

If these days are ordained to come upon us, let it come speedily for the return of Jesus Christ to establish his reign and rule on Earth is around the corner as prophesied in the scripture of truth.

The Spirit and the Bride say, COME LORD JESUS.

Apostle Destiny KINGSTON

#thevoiceofone

How To Fight The Good Fight Of Faith

What should you do when God's word declares a reality concerning you and you are yet to see it happen in your life? 

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!

What should you do when it looks like you've lost a healing or a provision from the Spirit of God? 

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!

What should you do when your life realities are not consistent with the written word of God and promises from God. 

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH!

There is such an activity as fighting in the Christian faith and God was thoughtful to let us know the character of that fight - a good fight. It is a good fight when it is the fight of faith.

Here is a scripture to support this reality,

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

We fight the good fight of faith to keep our faith and the things we received by faith. satan is still in the business of stealing, killing and destroying. In most cases of life and spirituality, you really don't have something until you have fought to keep it. 

Apostle Paul fought the good fight of faith and consequently kept the faith. If he didn't fight the good fight of faith, he wouldn't have kept the faith.

"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" 2 Timothy 4:7

You received a provision from the Spirit of God - miracle, healing, prosperity, relationship etc. - and now it appears like you don't have it anymore: you are not disadvantaged, you've just been presented an opportunity to fight the good fight of faith.

The devil steals the word of God from the hearts of Christians and consequently the experience of their reality in God by bringing situations that appear contrary to God's word, expecting the Christian to believe it as her reality.

Once the situation has been believed, it becomes the reality of the Christian and consequently the word of God and the experience from God has been stolen from the heart of that Christian.

This is the reason you need to Fight the good fight of faith.

"How do I fight the good fight of faith?"

It is pretty simple. 

Faith comes from hearing the word of God. To fight the good fight of faith is to hold on to the word of God you have received by declaring it when situations arises that seeks to negate it and impose another reality.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God; faith stays by speaking and speaking by the word of God.

You probably know God's word concerning that area of your life, but now you have to speak that word whenever it appears there is a contention against your position and possession in Christ. 

Fight the good fight of faith!

Apostle Destiny KINGSTON

#thevoiceofone

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GO YOU OUT

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him.”

              MATTHEW 25:6 (KJV)

The statement in the opening scripture is said against the background of the parable of the ten virgins. The preceding verses let us know that they were appointed to meet with the bridegroom. Five of them were defined as being wise; while, the other five were defined as being foolish.

They all waited for the bridegroom, and while he delayed in coming they slumbered and slept. Scripture says that at midnight there was a cry made, “Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him.”

Why was an emphasis placed on them going out to meet the bridegroom? Couldn’t they have stayed where they were for the bridegroom to come meet them since they’ve been waiting for him? It is interesting to know that the parables of Jesus conceal Kingdom principles by which we are to live our lives.

Jesus, being the bridegroom, cannot be met in the present location where we are. We will have to go away from our present location to meet with him. This location does not refer to a physical one: it is a state of life. To meet with Jesus, you have to leave the state of sin, sickness, oppression, poverty, mediocrity, complacency etc. Staying where you are because of your present state of life will not make you meet with the bridegroom who has the solution to the problems of your life. The four lepers in 2 Kings 7 didn’t experience wealth until they left their present state. Blind Bartimeaus didn’t experience a change of condition until he left his present state. The woman who had the issue of blood didn’t experience a change of experience until she left her state of illness. Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “stretch forth your hand:” he wanted him to leave where he was.

Often, our present unpleasant state of life may want to confine us to inactivity, but we are to step out in faith to meet Jesus who has the solution that we need. We go out to meet Jesus when we take decisions that our present state will not encourage us to take. You can’t continue to wallow in past hurts and mistakes and experience a change of situation. You can’t continue to stay in prayerlessness and experience a change of life. You can’t continue to hold back from giving to others and experience prosperity.

Scripture let us know that the wise virgins demanded that the foolish ones went out to buy oil for their lamps. This lets us know about another type of “going out.”

The foolish virgins thought they needed oil before they could meet with the bridegroom. Oil makes for a state of wellness; as scripture says that oil makes the face shine. A dull face, which is a product of lack of oil, signifies an ill state.

The foolish virgins went out to seek solution to their problem before meeting with the bridegroom, but on returning they were denied entrance into the marriage because they were late. Notice, scripture didn’t say that possession of oil was the criterion for meeting with the bridegroom; availability was the criterion. Scripture says, “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.” The word “ready” connotes availability.

Some people seek to solve the problems of their life before they meet with Jesus in an intimate and sincere relationship. They say things like, “when I am through with this issue I will get serious with God.” It ought not to be so. The foolish virgins could have relied on the reflection from the lamps of the wise virgins, or relied on the light from the moon, but they wanted to be in good shape before meeting with Jesus. We need understand that Jesus wants us to come to him just the way we are. He only requires faith in our hearts as we approach him. The mad man of Gadarene meet Jesus the way he was and he was healed and commissioned for the work of the gospel.

When we seek to solve our problems ourselves, we could fall into wrong hands, get the wrong solutions, and worst of all miss Jesus because of our lateness in heeding his invitation to salvation and a life of significance.

THE LIFE OF GOD

“And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

John 17:3 (KJV)

The promise made by Jesus to everyone that believes in him is life eternal. This simply means a life that last: as the word eternal means continuing forever or indefinitely. The contrast is death eternal: this is a death that continues forever or indefinitely. Those who refuse Jesus are sure to experience death eternal as they spend their existence in hell fire alongside the devil and all his wicked demons.

Life eternal is the life of God. It is the very life that the Father possesses which causes him to exist in the atmosphere of righteousness, peace and joy. Whoever possesses this life comes into the same experience as the father.

Let us take a moment to consider on a simpler level what the life of God is as it relates to human existence, judging from the fact that the reception of this life does not mean a termination of the present life you have which is a function of exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon-dioxide). Since the receptor still has the human life, how then do we know that we have received the life of God?

Our opening text lets us in on the answer. It says, “. . . this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ . . .” The life of God is the knowledge of God, or what can be called the awareness of God. It can’t be any simpler than this.

Some people may be quick to say that they have the life of God because they know that there is only one God, and yet they may not be possessors of this life. The unbelievers out there know about God’s existence, even those who feign to be Christians and are not know about God’s existence, yet they do not know God.

What then is the true knowledge of God. The true knowledge of God is the information about God that causes a man to serve him. This is what is called revelation of God. We are judged as being in service to God when we live for him and speak about him to others.

The man who possess the life of God encapsulated in the knowledge of God will live his life in allegiance to God’s ways of doing things. The knowledge of God is communicated by the word of God as either written in the scripture of truth or revealed by the spirit of truth. Scripture says we are born of God’s word, and this confirms that the life of God is a product of the word of God in the heart of a man.

As it is with the human life where we have to continually exchange gases to survive, we have to take in God’s word always and release the ignorance that is in us. Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes out of the father. Do not stay far from the oxygen of God’s word: you need it daily to survive.

PATHWAY TO GOD’S FULLNESS

“And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:9

The fullness of God is something that we can possess as humans. This is in harmony with what scripture says in Romans 8: 29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Jesus is an exact representation and manifestation of God to humans. Conformity to his image is the act of behaving and thinking in the same way as he does.

One may say that, “Jesus is not around here in person: so how can I know to behave as he does and think as he does when I can’t see him?” Scripture says for us to conform to his image, this is the alternative to his physical presence that we may require.

There can’t be an image without a projection. But first, what is an image? An image is a mental representation of someone. It is interesting to know that the gospel presents us with a mental representation of Jesus. The gospels contain the behavioural patterns and thought patterns of Jesus.

Our opening text reveals that LOVE is the pathway to the fullness of God. The fullness of God consists of his anointing, blessings and dimensions. The anointing of God is the power of the spirit that causes supernatural results to happen in a man’s life. Once it is at work in a man’s life, that man only needs to speak the word and the Holy Spirit will produce the result.

The blessings of God are the very provisions of the father that defines him as a wealthy one; they include all the resources needed for life and godliness. The dimensions of God are phenomena like fire, wind, thunder, lightning etc.

God desires for man to carry his fullness, and he furthermore made it possible through the life of Jesus. Scripture reveals that certain people in the early church had the fullness of God. In Acts 11:24, it was said of Barnabas that he was full of the Spirit. It was also said of Stephen and Phillip Acts 6:3. The fullness of the Spirit- seven spirit of God- is the Fullness of God.

The knowing of Jesus’ love for us brings us into this estate in the spirit. The love of Christ to mankind was revealed in his willingness to die for man in order to liberate him from Satan who held him in bondage through fear, sin, and afflictions.

As we perceive how much God loves us, we will naturally reciprocate this love to him through our love for one another. We love God by loving mankind. As we persist in loving mankind, the fullness of God will become a reality in our lives.

Paul also lets us know that the accurate way to the gifts of the Spirit, which is an expression of his anointing, is through love. “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I to you a more excellent way. 1Cor 12:31” Then Paul further said, “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts. . . 1Cor 14:1” This lets us know that Love is the excellent way to the anointing.

While we can pray our way to realities of the fullness of God, we may be deficient of love, and as scripture says we would only amount to nothing in life and in the kingdom of God 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

TIMES OF TEMPTATION

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10:13 NKJV”

The presence of evil in the world has made temptation, which is also known as trial, a reality of Christians. As darkness continues to attack light, they of the light may go through experiences that are in contrast to the promises in God’s word. This need not bother a Christian so much as Christ has put us on a vantage position over our enemies and their works.

Scripture lets us know that Christians have a role to play with respect to temptations that come their way. I need, at this point, clarify the word temptation before continuing. The word temptation is readily associated with sinful activities, but this is not all to the word temptation. The Greek form of the word temptation as used in the New Testament is “peirasmos (pi-ras-mos');” which means a putting to proof (by experience [of good], experience [of evil].¹

A financial challenge is a temptation to a Christian, a case of sickness is a temptation to a Christian, a moment of depression is a temptation to a Christian, and a season of abundance is a temptation to a Christian. These and many more are forms of temptation to Christians.

Our role with respect to the experience of temptation is in Jesus’ encouragement for us to pray that we fall not into temptation.² In another occasion, he admonished we prayed against being led by God into times of temptation:³ this has to do with a case where God permits a temptation to come to us partly because we did nothing to avert it in the first place.

This role of ours is very important with respect to the degree to which we experience the blessings of God’s kingdom. Scripture lets us know that the kingdom of God suffers violence and that those that will experience the kingdom are they that take it by force.⁴

Prayer averts evil. We do not need to wait until a trying time comes our way before we begin praying: we can, through praying in the Spirit or understanding direct prayers into our future that will keep the evil day at bay. God asked Job if he has shaken evil out of his days.⁵ Job didn’t, and he was bound to go through that trying time.⁶ When we pray we avert temptation, when we don’t pray we allow temptation.

God’s role in our times of temptation is to occasion it for our good. Scripture says that all things work together for good to them that love God and are the called according to his purpose.⁷ God allows some temptations come our way – after we failed to avert them – in a bid to have our faith tested to know the quality it is made up of. Testing in the life of a Christian is a very important part of his Christian growth: it reveals the fault-lines in his character and also gives him an opportunity to know the progress he has made in his spiritual growth. Bear in mind that whenever God allows temptation come our way, it is always for character formation and life promotion.

Scripture admonishes us to allow trying times because it works patience in us and we are to allow patience do her work of making us whole and lacking nothing in character when we respond positively to temptations, and lacking nothing in possession when the time of temptation is over.⁸

The way of escape is promised, but the taking away of the temptation is not promised. The way of escape is designed to cause us to bear the temptation while it last. Every temptation will pass away when it has accomplished what it is intended for. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.⁹ The way of escape is communion with Christ either through prayers or partaking of the flesh and blood of Jesus.

Certain times, times of temptation, may not be as a result of our prayerlessness, it could be a case of divine ordination: the more reason we have to pray to be able to bear it. Several of Paul’s temptation was as a result of divine ordination, Jesus, speaking to Ananias, concerning Paul said, “For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.”¹⁰ The way of escape is still the same for whatever the cause may be. The exit of the temptation is still the same for whatever the temptation may be.

If Christians fail to avert times of temptation through praying, they are encouraged to subject themselves to the learning process instituted by the temptation by responding positively to it through right attitude and heartfelt communion with Christ. The faster they respond, the earlier the temptation leaves.

Since God allowed it come, He can allow it go.

References

¹ (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded   Greek-Hebrew   Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

² Mark 14:38

³ Luke 11:4

⁴ Matthew 11:12

⁵ Job 38:12-13

⁶ Job 3:25

⁷ Romans 8:28

⁸ James 1:4

⁹ Psalms 30:5

¹⁰ Acts 9:16