HOLY COMMUNION

The time we set aside in our churches or our homes to receive Holy Communion serves as a solemn moment to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice and be thankful for Jesus redemption and forgiveness of sins achieved through His death and resurrection.

Communion is important because Jesus has commanded us to take it in remembrance of him . Jesus wants us to remember that he provides for us when we have his bread and wine before us. In some churches or christian denomination the Holy Communion is also known as Eucharist or the Lord’s supper. Communion uses bread as a symbol for Jesus body and wine as a symbol for His blood.

Jesus instructed His followers to use bread and wine to remember the sacrifice he was going to make when He died for our sins on the cross. To partake in the Communion is to celebrate a new life and a new start in Jesus .

The ordinance of Holy Communion originated during the Last Supper, where Jesus inaugurated the practice by sharing bread and wine with His disciples, instructing them to partake in remembrance of Him and so commemorating his death, we can this in the scripture below

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”” Matthew 26:26-29 NKJV

And also from Apostle Paul:

Scripture - 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” I Corinthians 11:23-26

The scripture above says as often as we remember Jesus, we should celebrate the Holy Communion. Remember Jesus said , Do this in remembrance of me.

It is also good to note that you should not take Holy Communion with unconfessed sin in your life .

Please see Scripture below - 1 Cor 11:28-29:

“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.”

A few benefits of partaking in the Holy Communion is outlined below:

1. You can experience physical and spiritual healing by partaking in Holy Communion.

2. God’s bestows his divine protection on you as partake in Holy Communion in unity with other believers.

3. Taking the Communion also revives and renews your relationship with God.

4. It is a spiritual nourishment to strengthen and unite the body of Christ.

The following scriptures provides verses for scriptural foundation for receiving and partaking in the sacrament of Holy Communion .

Mathew 26:26-30, I Corinthians 11:23-30, Mark 14:23-26, 1 Cor 10:16, 1 Corinthians 11:25, Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 , Acts 2:42, John 6:53-58.

Holy Communion is a permanent ordinance in the body of Christ, and is to be observed until Christ come back again.Partaking in Holy Communion signifies the unity among believers in the body of Christ as we share in one bread and wine.

Remember,Jesus said, ‘Do this in remembrance of ME.”( 1 Cor 11:25)

Summary: We as Christians have been commanded by Jesus to participate in the Holy Communion which is an ordinance instituted by Christ himself to celebrate his victory for us when he died on the cross for our sins giving us victory from death, sin and shame into a new life in Christ. The communal elements of bread and wine uses bread as a symbol of the body of Jesus broken for us during his death and wine as a symbol of his blood. Jesus commands us to take the Holy Communion in remembrance of him and so you as a Christian are encouraged and should partake in taking in Holy Communion .

Please consider the scriptures below:

1. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy‬ ‭32:4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

2. “The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

3. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” ‭‭Micah‬ ‭6:8‬ ‭NKJV
   

From these scriptures, We see that God is just, perfect in all his ways, righteous and upright. He hates sin and wickedness and he expects the same from us.

Jesus Christ is also our standard because he lived a sinless life, yet he died so that through his death and resurrection we can be made right with God. While Jesus was on earth, he went about doing good things. ( see this scripture -“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭10:38‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is therefore clear that God does not plan for evil to happen to us (see this scripture -

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Since we live in a broken world where people sin and their consequences impact the lives of others , we see evil in our world today.

God definetely has the ability to stop evil from happening but God has also given us a free will to choose between doing right and wrong . God will not stop you from doing what you want but instead has given us ability to make choices and for any choice, it comes with a consequence which affects you and others.

God still in his kind nature can still prevent evil from happening to us and protect us in ways that we may not always see. We can see this in the scriptures below

1. “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭4:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

2. “I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the grip of the terrible.”” Jeremiah‬ ‭15:21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

3. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalms‬ ‭23:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬
   

God knows when and how to intervene and protect us in dangerous situations. He protects his world or else the world will not be where it is today.

Lastly, consider these three scriptures

1. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” ‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

2. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭NIV‬‬
   

3. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” ‭John‬ ‭10:10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
   

It is also clear from the scriptures above that devil is behind the evil attacks we suffer in the world . It is the Devil who plans to kill, devour and destroy us. Devil can use people to stir up evil and wicked schemes against us .We must be careful to avoid violent and angry people who can hurt us and we must remain prayerful. Thank God we can trust in God’s righteousness and justice to keep and protect us.

Summary: Devil plans to harm you. God protects you and God never plans to harm you. God always has good plans and purposes for you.

Answered By Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

The word Hell,hades, sheol, grave , death, have all been used interchangeably in the Bible to mean a state or realm of the dead as they await ressurection .

Please consider this verse in different Bible translations below . The six numbered verses are the same but in different translations , see the words in bold to understand how

Hell,hades,sheol,grave ,death have been used interchangeably in this verses.

1.David understood what God would do in a future time. He did not speak about himself, but he spoke about the Messiah. He said that God would cause this man to become alive again after his death. God would not let him remain in Hades, the place for dead people. Nothing would destroy his body.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:31‬ ‭EASY‬‬ ( EASY English Bible Translation)

2.Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:29-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬ ( New International Version Translation)

3.Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:30-31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ( New King James Version Translation)

4.He, foreseeing this, spoke [by foreknowledge] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah) that He was not deserted [in death] and left in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor did His body know decay or see destruction. [Ps. 16:10.]”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:31‬ ‭AMPC‬‬ ( Amplified Bible Classic Edition Translation)

5.Having seen this beforehand, David spoke about the resurrection of Christ, that “ he wasn’t abandoned to the grave, nor did his body experience decay ”.”

‭‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭2:31‬ ‭CEB‬‬ ( Common English Bible Translation)

6.Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:30-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬ ( King James Version Translation)

The context in which Hell is therefore used here as in the Apostles Creed means the realm of dead ( hades)while they await resurrection. Jesus did not descend to Hell fire or Gehenna , which is the place of everlasting punishment reserved for the wicked or those who reject Christ.

Hades is the place where the souls of dead will remain until the final judgement when we will all be bodily resurrected and stand before Christ as our Judge. After the Judgment, the Righteous will go to Heaven and the wicked will depart to the Lake of fire.( Gehenna) .

Jesus went to a place of the departed dead called in the Old Testament ‘Sheol’ and in the New Testament, ‘hell, (for some English Bible translation )which is the word for the translation of the Greek word Hades.

Consider these scriptures

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3:18-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV

“(Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4:9-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When Jesus died on the cross , he took our sins on himself and endured God’s judgement on sins therefore becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins on our behalf instead of the yearly animal sacrifices. Christ died and went to hades , the realm of the dead. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

And so between Christ death and ressurection, his spirit descended to hades to proclaim his victory over death to the souls who were already there, giving them a chance to be forgiven through His sacrifice which was not available before His death.

Summary : Jesus descended to hades not to hell fire or Gehenna , a place of eternal damnation . Due to different translations of the Bible , the word Hell used in the Apostle Creed is the translation of the word, Hades. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word used to describe the realm of the dead is sheol. The New Testament Greek equivalent to sheol is hades, which is the realm of dead where the souls await bodily resurrection. Some English translations of the Bible use Hell as an English equivalent of the Hebrew terms Sheol/ Hades.

The souls of the righteous, at death, go directly into the presence of God—the part of sheol/ hades called paradise,” or “Abraham’s bosom or Heaven (Luke 23:43, John 14:1-4, 2Corinthians5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 , Phillipians1:23-24, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Rev 21:1-5 , Rev 21:23-27)and their final destination is New Heaven and New Earth.

The wicked are in the temporary abode of the dead in hades/sheol and they have the lake of fire, Hell Fire or Gehenna as their final destination in the future when God judges evil ( Isaiah 66:24 , Mark 9:47, Revelation 19:20, Rev 20:10-15, Rev21:8 )

The suffering in Gehenna is that of an eternal one.

Answered By Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

The account of Jesus Christ crucifixion is recorded in the book of

Mathew , Mark , Luke and John.

The scriptures below testifies to Jesus Christ dying on the cross.

The scriptures are from the EASY English Bible translation.

Consider the scriptures:

“Then Jesus shouted again with a loud voice, and after that he died.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27:50‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Then Jesus shouted loudly, and after that he died.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭15:37‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Then Jesus shouted loudly, ‘Father, I give my spirit to you.’ After he shouted this, he died.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:46‬ ‭EASY‬‬

“Jesus drank the wine. Then he said, ‘Everything is finished.’ He bent his head down and he let his spirit go.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19:30 EASY

Also see other scriptures below that confirms the death of Jesus Christ .

1.It was the day when the Jews prepare everything for their day of rest. The next day was the day for the Passover meal, so it was a very important day. The Jews did not want the men's bodies to stay on the crosses during that day of rest. So they asked Pilate to tell the soldiers to break the legs of those men. Then they could take the dead bodies down from the crosses. So the soldiers went there. They broke the legs of the two men who were on the crosses next to Jesus. Then they went to Jesus. They saw that he was dead already. So they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers put a spear into Jesus' side. Immediately, blood and water came out of his body. The man who saw these things has spoken about them. What he says is true. He knows that it really happened. He is telling you the truth so that you can believe. The Bible already said how it would happen. It says: ‘Nobody will break any of his bones.’ In another place, the Bible says: ‘People will push a spear into that man's body, and then they will look at him.’ And that is how it really happened.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19:31-37‬ ‭EASY‬‬

***Crucified victims push up with their feet so they could continue breathing to stay alive and so the legs of such victims might be broken inorder to hasten their death. This keeps the victim from breathing and thus the victim dies from asphyxiation/ suffocation.

The soldiers also saw that Jesus was already dead when they came to break his legs so they did not break his legs.

2.Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought about 33 kilograms of spices called myrrh and aloes. The two men covered Jesus' dead body with these spices. And they tied long pieces of linen cloth around it many times. That is how the Jewish people prepare a dead body before they bury it.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19:39-40‬ ‭EASY‬‬

***Myrrh and Aloe used here for Jesus Christ was to control the smell of decomposition. The funeral spices were applied to minimise unpleasant odours .This procedure stifled the smell of putrefaction and so Jesus had died before the myrrh and aloe was applied on him to prepare him for burial.

Further scriptures to consider

“And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:31-33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:44-47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭10:9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:3-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Summary:

Jesus Christ died on the cross before he was buried as the scriptures outlined above shows us . Jesus did not go into a comatose state. There is no scripture supporting Jesus going into a comatose state .

Jesus died for our sins on the cross, He was buried and he resurrected from the dead on the third day. Alleluia.

Answered By Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

The End time events are the events that will occur before the second coming of Christ to this world or simply put the events that will occur before the end of this present world. End-time events can be summarised as follows . Signs of the End Time Events. ◦ The Rapture ◦ The Great Tribulation. ◦ Armageddon War . Second Coming of Christ on Earth. ◦ The Millennial Reign of Christ ◦ The Judgment. Jesus was taken up in a cloud in a resurrected body from this world to his rightful place and he will return in the same way to the earth . ( Acts 1:1-11, Daniel 7:13-14, Zechariah 14:4 ,Mathew 24:29-31, Rev1:7-8, 2 Peter 3:10-13) Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after ressurection in a bodily, visible manner and Jesus return to the earth will also be in a bodily and visible form ( Acts 1:8-11) and this is called the second coming of Christ. Consider the scriptures - When Jesus first ascended into the heavens in a cloud, the angel asked those watching, “Why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:1-11) The events preceding the return of Jesus Christ on earth in his bodily form are the end time events. 1.Let’s look at the signs of the End Times In Mathew 24, Jesus also told his Disciples what the signs of his return and the end of age will be . Consider the scriptures: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:3-14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ False Christ and false prophets will arise leading people into erronous teachings and doctrines thereby deceiving them from true teaching teachings of the word of God. False Christ are those who will falsely come up and proclaim they are Jesus Christ,the Messiah . We can see that is already happening. Consider the scriptures: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:21-24, 26-27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ There will also be wars and rumours of wars which we are already facing now. We see this in the Israel- Palestinian conflict, Ukraine- Russian conflict,terrorist activities amongst many others .( Mathew 24:6) There will also be famines and pestilences in various places . We have had disease outbreak such as SARS, Ebola , Covid -19 and so many others.( Mathew 24:7) Persecution of Christians as Christians have faced violence, mal treatment ,torture oppression and death in the hands of religious extremist. ( Mathew 24:9-10) . Lawlessness will abound and the love of many for God will grow cold. We see moral decline as family relationships breakdown, high crime rates and killings in our societies, domestic violence, substance abuse , sexual abuse , pornography , theft , robbery , terrorist attacks, rebelling against authorities.( Mathew 24: 12). The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations , then the end will come ( Mathew 24:14) 2.The Rapture:There is a difference between Christ coming at the Rapture and his second coming to earth. During the rapture, the saints will be caught up to meet Him in the air. 1Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Philippians3:20-21. The purpose of the rapture is to raise the righteous dead and change the righteous living and also to escort the church, His bride, to the marriage supper. Ephesians 5:23,Revelation 19:6-9 Rapture involves removing all believers or church from the earth ( believers in Christ) before the great tribulation. It is good to note that there are different views of when the Rapture will occur .Some are of the thought that rapture may take place before the Great Tribulation or during the Great Tribulation. In the second coming of Christ to earth, Christ will return to the earth in a visible form ( Acts 1:10) . 3.The Great Tribulation This will be for a period of 7years . The first three and half years will be peaceful and the other years will be the rule of the Antichrist.There will be great persecution of those who will stand up for Christ. It is during this time that the mark of the beast [666] will written on the right hand or foreheads of those who follow the Antichrist.It will be difficult for anyone to purchase or sell anything without the mark as there will be economic sanctions for those who do not receive the mark. Rev 13:15-18 . Consider these scriptures: Let no one in any way deceive you by any means, for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition(Thesselanions 2:3) “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:21-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13:16-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The Antichrist will brand its followers with 666 and put to death those who do not worship him . Since the book of Revelation where John, the disciple of Jesus recorded this event is an apocalypse literature ( a prophetic literature speaking of events to come) a lot of symbolic numbers and imageries are used in the book of Revelation to communicate . The number 666 has also been used here as a symbolic number. 666 is the number of the name of the expected AntiChrist. NERO who opposed Christianity was a leader with the spirit of the Antichrist and a picture of the AntiChrist to come whose number name will add up to 666 as the book of Revelation is predictive of events to come. When human governments acts as divinity and neglect God they become beasts. The Roman Nero has been represented as such in the time of John who wrote the Book of Revelation and his name adds up to 666. Gematria( a practice of assigning a numerical value to a name ) was used to assign a number to the name NERO . The Hebrew Gematria involves reading words as numbers thereby assigning numbers to each letter. It is also related to the word Isosephy in Greek , a practice of adding up the numerical value of letters in a word to form a single number. Nero Caesar" in the Hebrew alphabet is נרון קסר NRON QSR, which when interpreted numerically add up to 666. In Greek numerals the number of the beast is six hundred sixty-six or χξϛ (χ represents 600, ξ represents 60 and ϛ represents 6). The Greek name “Nero Caesar” or Beast put into Hebrew letters is NRON QSRN, which adds up to six hundred and sixty-six and it is the number of the expected Antichrist . Some views has also treated the number to mean a duration of time. 4.Armageddon War By the end of the great Tribulation, there will be anger against God, His Son and His church. There will be a gathering together of the nations against God and his rule to destroy it. The Lord will come down with the saints and with great anger to destroy those nations who oppose his authority and establish His kingdom. This is the Armageddon War. Armageddon refers to a plain in northern Israel where many battles had been fought against invading nations ( 2 Kings 23:29) The word "Armageddon" is derived from the Hebrew "Har-Megiddo," and has been used as a symbolic location for a final battle before the coming of Christ. The Battle of Armageddon is a confrontation between the forces of good, led by Jesus Christ and the forces of evil represented by the beast and the false prophet. The antichrist gathers kings in a place called Armageddon. The ungodly armies will wage war against the people of God. This battle results in the defeat of the enemies of God and the armies of God’s heavenly host triumph over evil. ( Revelation 16:14 ,Revelation 19:11-21, Revelation 20:7-9) Consider the scriptures: “And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭16:13-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19:19-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ 5.In the second stage of Christ coming, Christ will appear bodily, personal and visibly on earth. Acts 1:11 It will be at the close of the tribulation period. It will be ushered in by Armageddon war. No one knows the exact time except God. Mathew 24:36-42; 1 Thess 5:1-5. The millennium rule of Christ ,the resurrection and the judgments will follow from this. The Bible Says , After the Tribulation , Jesus will return , coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Consider the scriptures: ““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:29-31‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ ““But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:44‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The Second Coming of Christ to the Earth will occur at the end of the seven years of the Great Tribulation. The scroll with the seven seals will have been opened, the seven trumpets have been blown, and the seven bowls of wrath have been poured out.( Revelation 6, Revelation 7,Revelation 11,Revelation 16 ).

The Millennial Reign of Christ . The millennium means the one thousand years‘ reign of Christ upon the earth [Revelation 20:1-5]. It begins with the coming of Christ to the Earth after the Great Tribulation Matthew 24:29-30. The devil will be bound for one thousand years and Christ will rule during those years. At the end of the 1000 years, Satan is released from his prison as he take his last stand on earth against God’s people and he gathers the nations for battle against God's people. Fire from heaven devours them and all those who followed the Beast, and Satan himself are thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:7-9,10. 7.Great White Throne Judgement At the close of the millennium, there will come the Judgement when the dead will be raised to face the judgment for what they have done recorded in the Book. Everyone will be judged according to what they have done. Sinners will go to HellFire. Revelation 20:11-15 Followed by the world transitioned into a New Heaven and the New Earth for God will make all things new-This is the paradise of eternal life with God( Rev 21 &22). Only those whose names are written in the book of life ( the righteous ) will dwell in it with God. God will live with humanity forever . Creation will be healed of pain,sin and evil , crying and death( Revelation 21:4). It will be a new Garden of Eden. “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” ‭‭II Peter‬ ‭3:1-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Summary: The End Times are the events preceding the coming of Jesus Christ physically on earth . They are as follows •Signs of the End Time Events- Mathew 24:3-14 ◦ The Rapture -1Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-52; Philippians3:20-21. ◦ The Great tribulation- 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Mathew 24:21-22, Rev 13:16-18 ◦ Armageddon War-Revelation16:14 ,Revelation 19:11-21, Revelation 20:7-9 . The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the Earth - Acts 1:4-11, Mathew 24:36-42. ◦ The Millennial reign of Christ- Revelation 20:1-4 ◦ The Judgment - Revelation 20:11-15 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. God will one day return to remove evil from this world and make all things new. We should therefore remain faithful to God and his word as we await his return.Let us continue to be digilent workers for the Lord as we continue to spread the good news. Be Prepared. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Answered by Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

God exists in three persons as Father , Son and the Holy Spirit yet he is one God. ( Phil 1:2, Titus 2:13,Acts 5:3-4) . This doctrine is known as the Trinity. Oneness of the three personhood of God. God is infinite existing in eternity as three coequal persons. The Being of each person of the Trinity is equal to the whole being of God and so there is only one God.

A good example to hand to think of mystery of the Trinity is the three states in which water exists yet it is still the same water. Water, Ice and Steam are all water but in different forms.

Consider these scriptures below that highlight the triune nature of God .

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:19-20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:15-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!””

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The Holy Spirit has been since the beginning of creation.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭9:14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The ministry of Jesus right from conception to his death and ressurection was by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit .

Jesus conception- Luke. 1:30-35

Jesus Baptism-Matthew 3:16

Jesus Ministry-Matthew. 4:1, Luke. 4:1-2, Luke 4:18-19, Acts 10:38

Jesus Death - Heb 9:14

Jesus Ressurection -1 Peter 3:18

From Pentecost to the Second Coming of Christ - The Holy Spirit resides in the church from the day of Pentecost forming the BODY OF CHRIST or the Church.He will remain until the return of Jesus Christ . Acts 2:1-4 , 1Corinthian6:19, 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 .

What the Holy Spirit Does ?

1.The Holy Spirit convicts us of Sin so that we may turn to God who forgives all sins .

John 16:7-8, Acts 5:3-4

2.When a person accept Jesus as their Lord and saviour , the Holy Spirit seals them for redemption . That means the Holy Spirit remains in us as a seal of promise until the day of Jesus return.Ephesians4:30

3.The Holy Spirit bestows spiritual gifts on a person when he or she becomes God ‘s child, believes that Jesus died for him or her and confesses that Jesus is Lord and begins to follow the ways of Jesus. Ephesians 4:11, Romans 12:6-8 ,1 Corinthians 12:3-11.

4.The Holy Spirit is also to teach the Church and guide her. The Holy Spirit enlightens our heart and mind and helps us understand the scriptures and reminds us of all we need to know. John16:12-13

5.The Holy Spirit helps us develop godly character as he works in us . We begin to see such fruits as love, kindness, gentleness , patience ,self control and the list in Galatians 5:22-23 in our character and others can see these in us too as we reflect the love of Jesus to them.

6.The Holy Spirit fills individuals and empowers them to carry out various responsibilities.

Balaam -Numbers 24:2-9,

Samson - Judges 13:24-25

Saul - 1 Samuel 10:6-13

Joshua – Numbers 27:18-23

Daniel - Daniel 4:8-9, 18

Also consider these scriptures -

And Moses said to the children of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭35:30-33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

7.The Holysirit encourages , strengthens and comforts us .

When we feel low and distressed in life through tests, trials and challenges. It is the Holy Spirit that encourages and strengthens us .

Romans 15:13 , John 14:16

8.He help us in our prayers. When we are overwhelmed in a situation ,we may not know how to pray but the Holy Spirit knows all our sighs and groans and will help us pray.

Romans 8: 26-27, Acts 5:9

9.He guides and directs us through our decisions and our journies in life and keep us on the right path . Acts 13:4 , Acts 20:23, John 16:13 , Gal 5:16-25, Col 3:23-24 . He knows our future and speaks to us about it. He warns and protects of dangers ahead.

Summary: God exists in three persons as Father , Son and the Holy Spirit yet he is one God. This doctrine is known as the Trinity .

God the Holy Spirit is a third person of Trinity and is he is God .He is a person who can speak, make decisions, teach, communes with us , feels ,loves ,grieves, guides and When you accept Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior , you become Born again by spirit of God into God’s family of Believers .The Holy Spirit indwells you and this indwelling of the Holy Spirit empowers you or helps you to do a lot of things as a child of God . The Holy Spirit convicts one of sinful habits so that they can repent and turn to Christ, the Holy Spirit gives every believer a spiritual gift so that they can be blessed and be a blessing to others by using their giftings to serve others, he helps us to develop godly character, he teaches , strengthens, guides, protects, comforts, helps us to pray amongst many other things.

Let’s thank God for the Holy Spirit our Teacher and Comforter .

Answered By Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

Jesus spoke of a birth more important than your physical birth. It is the spiritual birth which Jesus referred to as been born twice , meaning been ‘Born Again’.

Your first birth is a physical birth but the second is a spiritual birth which means to be Born Again. The first step to hearing God’s voice is to become ‘Born again’.

These are steps to become Born Again

• Admit your mistakes and be willing to let God give you a new beginning

• Believe that the Lord Jesus is your Savior and He died on the cross and ressurected to save you.

• Confess your sins through prayer and invite Jesus Christ into your life. Now you are Born Again and starting a new life.

When you are born again it means you have been born into God’s family and you have a relationship with God as you are now his child and have decided to follow Jesus.

Just as a new born baby grows, learns to know his parents , hear and know their voice so when you are born again you grow spiritually in faith as you learn to know God who is your father. You will also learn to know and hear God’s voice.

Just like any loving Father, God loves you and wants to talk with you regarding every detail of your life. He is your friend and father and he can help you through all life difficulties and challenges.

As you develop a relationship with your Father, you talk more with him and want to spend more time listening to him talk to you .

These are some ways God talks or speaks to us.

1. Through his words which is the Bible . As You read it and meditate on it ,God gives you instructions on how to live and how not to live and you should obey if you love him. The scripture is the main way that God speaks to us.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ .

2.You also talk to God by praying from your heart .When you pray ,you are talking to God from your heart . You also need to listen as God wants to speak to you . He will give you peace after you pray.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

3.God can speak to you through your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, through godly advice from friends and church members.

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:19-22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:17-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

4.Through Sermons from godly preachers, priest, pastors and through godly leaders.

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

5.Through Dreams , God can reveal a situation to us-Dream occurs when you are asleep . You need to ask God for the meaning ,interpretation and how to apply the dream.

“For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭33:14-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You can also read Genesis 41

6.Through Visions / Trance , God can also reveal his thoughts and plan to us- Visions are like having dreams but you are awake . Trance is like a having a vision , that is the person is awake and then fall into an unconscious state.

“Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.”

‭‭Numbers‬ ‭12:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

7.Through your experiences in life, God can speak to you - If you have recurring pattern of event in your life . God may be drawing your attention to a situation you have experienced and now you know how to deal with it . The timing of God’s voice speaking to us will always align with his events in our life .

8.Impressions- God’s speaks to you as an inner voice like idea, feeling or an opinion in your heart about a situation or someone and it will turn out to be true.

9.Through prophets -Prophets are God’s messengers. They receive messages from God for his children and tell them . This message help to bring comfort and direction to God’s people and sometimes as a warning or a challenge.

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭II Peter‬ ‭1:19-21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

10.A strong impression in your heart that you just know that what you are thinking is true. The holyspirit in you will guide you through this thought.

11.Through prompts ,feelings and your senses-You may just constantly feel a certain way about someone or something. You will be constantly nudged / pricked by the Holy spirit to do something or that something is not right.

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:6-10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

1. God can speak to you through godly writings, books , magazines or articles . Develop your faith in God through reading godly articles and informations.

God has said you should serve him and he will reward you. Your heart must be pure before God. God does not like sin , Jesus requires us to be willing and obedient to him and live a holy life . The more you align yourself with the truth of God’s , the more you will hear from God .

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1-2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Summary : God wants to speak to us as a Father speaks to his son or daughter . God is your Father and wants intimacy. You cannot be intimate with a person you don’t talk and listen to. When you listen to God’s speak continuously to you through life you will begin to discern to his voice and know it is him but first you must be ‘Born again’ by accepting and confessing that Jesus died for you and resurrected to save you from you sins and wants a new victorious life for you where you want to please God and live in obedience to him . You cannot live in obedience when you don’t know what God says in the Bible .

God will speak to you through reading the Bible , by praying, through godly advice from fellow spirit filled Christians, through godly Sermons, dreams, visions , his prophets , goodly books and articles , impressions in the heart , prompting from the Holyspirit and many other ways . It should be your desire to hear from God daily . You should always yearn for God’s voice to guide you in all you do.

Answered By Pastor (Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin

Prayer is simply talking or speaking with God . God is our Father and he wants us to talk to him regularly and continuously. You cannot have a meaningful relationship with someone you do not communicate with , so it is with our relationship with God. God wants us to grow in intimacy with him by communicating with him through prayer. Prayer is genuine communion with God.

‭ “pray without ceasing,”

‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When we pray to God , God wants intimacy and heartfelt communication like speaking to a dear cherished friend. It is good that we focus our thoughts on God when we pray . We can do this by going into a quiet place where we are alone and can focus . We can also pray while walking , sitting , standing or in any convenient posture and still focus on God. Prayer should not be a show off affair but to glorify and honour God . We do not need to please people with our words and grammar but God wants us to communicate with him sincerely .

We also should not pray to look good or more spiritual to others.

Do not gossip or manipulate people using prayers . It is good practice to ask for people’s permission before you pray for their issues in public as they may want privacy.

Jesus told us this in the model he gave us to pray.

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:5-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It is important that your heart is right before God before you pray. Confess any known or unknown sin and ask God to forgive you . The scriptures says that our sins seperate us from God and God does not hear us when we sin.

“Behold, the LORD 's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:1-2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We must also pray to exalt God and not our ourselves.

Luke 18:11-12 says, “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’”

When we pray and ask God our father he hears and responds. The response may be YES, WAIT or NO.

When God responds , he gives us what we need at the right time .

I remember when I ask my mum for things when I was a young child and she says ‘ NO ‘ that’s not the right shoe size for you.I’ll get you another one , so WAIT till I can go buy a new one over the weekend and YES I got the right one for you ,You can have your shoes now .

“‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7-11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Consider this from John Stott

God answers with either a Yes or No or Wait

A No if things we ask for are either not good in themselves, not good for others, directly or indirectly. We don’t always get to know the reason for No as the answer but God sees things from eternal perspective and there are some things we may not understand in this life.

Rick Warren also writes , God says No when the request is not right . When the timing is not right God says slow or wait but when when the request is right and the timing is right , God says Yes.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

‭‭I John‬ ‭5:14-15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭11:24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will. ””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:32-36‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

You must also come confidently before God believing that he hears you and he can help you.

Come Boldly says the Lord as you pray(Hebrews4:16). Trust God and have faith in him that he can handle it. He is the greatest, the richest , the wisest and the maker of the world and he knows all you need.

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”

‭‭James‬ ‭1:6-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Listen to God to speak as you pray since communication is a two way process . Prayer is a dialogue . Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 . Be also careful to obey what God tells you .

Jesus modelled a prayer for us

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:5-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

From this model ,

Jesus prayed glorifying and worshipping God .He began by acknowledging that God is our Father and should be worshipped , honoured and adored.

Jesus prayed according to God’s will

Jesus prayed for our needs to be met knowing that all blessings come from God.

Jesus prayed for forgiveness of sins as we forgive others their sins against us .

Jesus prayed for others.

Jesus prayed for protection . It is God’s hand that will lead , guide and comfort us through any circumstances and trials that come our way.

These are also a few models of prayer in the Bible . We can use them to pray for ourselves and for others .

Jesus : Mark 14:32-36, Luke 6:12-16

Moses: Exodus 32:11-14, Exodus 33:12-23

Hezekiah: Isaiah37, Isaiah 37:14-20, Isaiah 38

Gideon: Judges 6:36-40

Hannah : 1 Samuel 1:10-18

Solomon: 1 Kings 3:7-14

Elijah : 1 Kings 18:24-39

Jabez: 1 Chronicles 4:10

David : Psalm 51

Daniel : Daniel 9:3-19

The church prayed for Peter : Acts 12:5

Paul: Ephesians 1:15-19, Ephesians 3: 14-21 , Phillipians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-12 , 2Corinthians 12:7-9

Summary:

Prayer is a genuine communication or talk with God . We are faced with situations in our life time when we do not know how to pray and we can ask God to help and guide us

The Scripture says-

”In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.” (Romans 8:26).

We are also sure and confident that when we call on God genuinely without hypocrisy of heart he will hear us in his own timing and wisdom .

“Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:12-13‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let Us Pray

Answered By Pastor( Mrs) Tolu Olawoyin .

In today’s verses, I'll start the reading from Matthew 7:21 to fully understand better what the passage is talking about.

Matthew 7:21-23 NKJV

[21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ [23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Jesus is talking about fake disciples.

Only those who follow God the Father’s will, and not their own, are real disciples. It’s our obedience to God that makes us disciples and a part of God’s family.

Our motives count! Jesus sees into our hearts and knows whether we are genuinely serving, giving, and loving in His name, even if we affix "in Jesus' name" to our actions. We cannot honor God with lip service!

Jesus is teaching His followers and us to discern between good and bad lifestyle choices, genuine and fraudulent prophets, and real and fake disciples.

Jeremiah 23:16 NKJV

[16] Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the Lord.

Then Jesus identifies false prophets in the above scripture, There were many people then, and there are still many people today, who claim they teach the truth on behalf of God but they don’t. They speak from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. It might sound like it’s from God, but Jesus teaches us to analyze the fruit.

In John 15, we read Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We’re useless without Him. Abiding in Christ produces good fruit. Good fruit represents the result of a virtuous life and godly character.

Finally,

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Knowing Him will make it simple for us to distinguish between what is real and what is fake. Jesus made it possible for us to know Him through His death on the cross and resurrection. He gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth. By walking in obedience to Him, we can easily pass any true or false test we’re given!

Prayer: Make a list of the fruit you see in your own life—both good and bad. It could be things like favor at your job, health in your relationships, or anxiety about something. Thank God for areas you see healthy fruit. Ask God to help you dig up unhealthy roots and replace them with healthy ones.

Answered by: Mrs Patience Opeyemi