Not Just Notes!

19th January 2007

Hi Everyone,

We continue to pray for the families that lost their dear ones yesterday in the storms.

We continue to pray for all victims/families around the world suffering terribly; things that we cannot even begin to imagine.

We also continue to pray for those suffering in body and soul that relief may come.

We do not have any 'Why' answers. All we can supply is the 'When' answers.

For being downtrodden is not the end.
Despair will not raise its head a 2nd time!
Disasters of this world will cease. Creation has been put into turmoil - it shall yet be stopped!

A scientist said in the newspapers today, 'there is no evidence for God'.
Oh! If he knew that he himself is evidence enough!

But I also sense a similar feeling of disbelief amongst God's people.

This will be a hard message, but may you see the bleeding heart.

It is the murmurings against this word of reconciliation. A word that was the major Christian world-view for the first 3 centuries.

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19  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.
2Co 5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
May I say that it's time to end the grumbling!

"I mean! God can't be that good! What are you thinking man?! After all I've gone through for Christ!"

Erh? What have you gone through?
Have you yet resisted unto blood like the saints of old or the saints now in China or in Pakistan?

Heb 12:3  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Do I hear echoes of the 'gutted' older brother of the prodigal son?

Luke 15:29  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

Do I see the tired annoyed workers who have borne the heat of the day speaking indignantly to the Master about the '1-hour workers', who now receive the same pay?

Mat 20:12  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

Is your eye evil because God is Just and Good?

Mat 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

"Then there is no point. Let me go back to my sinful ways. If all will be merry in the end".

Then you have not really known Him who was slain for you.

This is the word for this last hour:

Rev 22:11   He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

A delineation is being made. Whose side are you going to join?

I will remind all those sceptical about this word of reconciliation what our Lord has done and why we are Christians:

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Notice verse 6?

Wrath of God. What is this wrath?

The greek word is orge (pronounced or-gay). 

According to Strong's concordance it means 'desire', 'passion' 'abhorrence'. Thayer also defines it as, 'the anger exhibited in punishment' (emphasis mine); also as, 'the movement exhibited by the soul, anger, impulse'.

It is also the same word translated 'anger' in verse 8, but the 'wrath' in that verse is thumos. Thayer's Greek Dictionary defines 'thumos' as 'anger boiling forthwith but soon subsiding again'.

God abhors sin, but it's not some randomless incontrollable rage that has no purpose (i.e. on & on & on &...) . He will purge sin out (and I don't mean purgatory by indulgences!), yet the person himself will suffer loss - a loss of body/soul, but a salvation of spirit. I do not know the form this loss will take; each one will experience it for himself. But it can even occur while you are physically alive as well. But we (His Body) are not the ministers of loss, we have the ministration of spirit!

There is judgment. But may God purge the hearts of the judges - for we are them! May we be righteous judges, for we know where we have come from - and we must know how to gather those trodden down with patience.

Did you know He has committed all judgment to the Son?

Joh 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

And that the Son has appointed us to be judges?

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them...

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?

2Ti 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1Pe 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

May we not lose our crowns.

Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

I will say it now: Those who have not heard with quickened ears will be judged by the light they have received till Christ be revealed in and to them! Those who refuse will continue on the broad way till they return again to seek the narrow path to Life!

Go to! We have work to do. The gospel will not be preached without us!
Christ Jesus' cross remains the ONLY WAY to Life. Those who seek it will find it. That is His promise and it's not tied to a beating heart!

His heart is Love. He will not give up on anyone. Not you, not anyone else. No, not ever!

Stay blessed in Him,

Tony Asakpa