Jesus Christ who speaks these days through His send-human-servants is admonishing all human beings to, “patiently( as they continue in well doing)seek for glory and honor and immortality, so that, at the end of the practice, He may give them eternal life-Rom.2:7”. He who is talking here is the one who created all things, and owns the same all,for,”.all things are His servants-Psalm.119:91”.Why is He telling men to seek for glory and honor? According to the today’s generation, some people have already attained honor and are living gloriously. And even before our Lord tells people to seek for honor, everyone is seriously doing it. Why tell them to do what they are already doing? Could it be that men have not known what is honorable? What is it that people honor and are seriously seeking for? Let’s get the answer based on people’s goals in life.
If people’s lives were to be rewound back- wards, and everyone finds him/herself in the womb; then everyone was asked to choose the family in which one wants to be born, which one will be the best family, the most honorable for one’s choice? Let’s be frank and accept the truth. Almost everyone will go for, first, the kingly families in palaces, or the heads of state’s families in state houses. If not those ones, they will choose the wealthiest families. The today’s generation measures glory and honor by wealth and leadership positions. But now, are these two, the things that constitutes to glory and honor?
THE PURPOSE OF WEALTH
After seeing what everyone values, and seeing the kind of respect it holds in every society, somebody concluded; “you are dead without money”. This saying finds acceptance in every human community. So, based on this acceptance, people are classified by the kind of wealth one holds. The wealthiest is the topmost, and most honorable. They are respected, feared, and to a great extent, adored. Now, is it true that the wealthiest and those in leadership are the most honorable and glorious? Are they the most obedient to God because they have sought for, and achieved honor? Is this the honor God is commanding men to seek for? If we will answer these questions rightly, we must first understand what service, wealth gives in human lives. So, apart from people’s notion about it, apart from the greatness and power they attribute to it, what exactly does wealth do in life that makes one honorable? And truly, does it really make one honorable? People in all walks of live are working vigorously, and meeting with success, each in their level of work. They have succeeded in making big money. With the money, they’re making great investments, and all this in an effort to make more.
Billions in terms of investments are individual’s possessions. After all this is done, what do they do with the money? Whether one builds houses, or buys cars, planes, yatches-name any kind of belonging which money can afford; all this is geared at nursing the body. Primarily, it is to eat,drink,dress,shelter one’self,go places and find enjoyment in life, which may come even through being praised, and esteemed by fellow men. If this is basically all that wealth does achieve for someone, why is it considered worthy of more honor to those who have much, than those who have the same but little?
A MISCONCEPTION
Friends, let’s empty ourselves of any kind of prejudice. Let’s remove all sorts of bias. Let’s read this message with an open mind which is free and ready to accept sense. Look at it if you can please. If there is any honor that comes with eating,then,every human being has it(I am going through those things which wealth affords).A wealthy person goes to a butchery and buys himself 2kilogrammes of meat. A poor person goes in the same butchery and buys himself 200grammes of meat.Bottom-line,the two have the same meat and each will go and eat. The wealthy drives himself wherever he wishes to go. The poor gangs up with others of his class and go, driven in a public transport;bottom-line,both are driven in a vehicle and on the same road with each reaching his destination. A street boy finds enjoyment with hard drinks, or even glue on the streets. The wealthy does the same in big pubs; end result, each finds joy. They sleep in different places, but they equally sleep.
A street boy can die of sickness on the streets. The wealth can do the same in a London hospital. They are equally endangered by accidents, robbers, enemies, natural catastrophes, and the like. If this be the case, where is the honor of one above the other? The truth is, the wealthy and the poor are equal. This honor placed upon the wealthy is imaginary, but in a practical sense, it doesn’t exist. The creator God who authored life and sustains it confirms what we are saying here, for He says, “We leave this world the same way we came(when born)-with nothing.Inspite of all our work, there is nothing we can take with us…..We live in grief,worried,angry,and sick-Ecles.5:15,17”.This is your maker confirming what we have said, that our wealth doesn’t add any honor to the one who owns it above the one who doesn’t have, “For people who trust in their wealth do see that, the rich and the poor die alike, and no one can uphold himself from the grave. All die and leave their belongings to others-Psalm.49:6-7,10”.Yes,as we have seen, all that the wealth can afford for somebody, is for the body(and the body dies at some point), and this, just as we have said,i.e,”the best thing wealth can do is to eat,drink,and find enjoyment from what one has earned-Ecles.2:24”.Anyone who is sober will agree with God first, and also with us that, there is nothing honorable with wealth other than to sustain the physical body. Once that body dies, the wealth must transfer from that person to another one who is living,for,”We brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it-1Tim.6:7”.From God’s own mouth, and also, from our every day-life experience, as confirmed through the many who have come, gained the so-called honor, and died, we now know for sure that the so-called honor, and glory is a misconception. Why then is it globally acceptable? How come, all these people have not realized this? Who taught men to live and behave according to this misconception?
THE LIE OF EDEN
Though everyone of us do see that all human beings are equal as we have seen, that all were born naked, and the same all die naked, most of us want to continue with this ignorance, styling themselves above or below others. Why?(for details on this, ask for our message, “it is Satan”).Believe me; and even if you don’t want to believe me, then believe God, your maker. Men learned this lie from Satan, who told them that they are as honorable as God, that they don’t die-Gen.3:4-5.So,each began to conduct themselves, ”as somebody when they are nobody, thus deceiving themselves-Gal.6:3”. But God in His great love, made sure that, through His son, and His servants, the truth is made available to all who want to know. What you are reading here is that truth. The practical truth we are seeing, that of sicknesses,injuries,fears,sorrows,and failures happening to all alike;this is God’s position about our lowliness, for He says,”…you are dust(rich and poor alike),and to dust, you shall return(die)-Gen.3:19”.Friends,where is the honorable being? Why continue with a lie, only to get embarrassed when the reality happens? God doesn’t want you to continue in ignorance. This is why He, in so many places has repeatedly reminded us of our vulnerability in this physical life,for He continues to tell us,”…all human beings are like grass(irrespective of their set-classes),they and their so-called glory, last not longer than wild flowers. Grass withers and flower fades. People are no more enduring than grass that looks very green, but all of a sudden, it dries up-Isa.40:6-7”.see also Job.14:1-2;Isa.64:6,8. This is why God doesn’t support these man-made classes, or standards. When Pilate boasted before Jesus, talking of having the power to free or jail him, Christ corrected him,saying,”..you have no power, except only if it is granted you by God-John.19:11”. If then, the wealthy, and the leading in every aspect of life are not honorable, then who is?
HUMBLE YOURSELVES
Even though God wants a man who is as honorable, and as glorious as God Himself, He in this physical life created us, neither honorable nor glorious. We are at the beginning point of that process of being made spirit sons of God. Once that process is completed,then,we will share in His honor and glory, for He will,”..bring many sons to glory-Hebr.2:10”.But Satan, who has “…deceived the whole world-Rev.12:9”,has made man to believe that they are already there; so all they need is to strive and maintain that glory. By this, he is sure to keep man in ignorance, and make him never to attain that promised honor. God is love.So,in His great love,” He so loved the world that he sent His only son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life-John.316”. God knows us very well. He knows our vulnerability,for,”He knows our frame, and remembers that we are only dust-Psalm.103:14”. He also sees our ignorance, and knows very well that, if we don’t change, we will live in problems, and after it all, we will surely die. It is with this in mind that He sent Jesus Christ to come and,”…open the eyes of the blind, and set free those who sit in dark prisons(this ignorance of posing great, when we are not)-Isa.42:7”.When Jesus came, what did he teach about us? What did he say we are, in this physical bodies? God is the creator and He owns and sustains everything. So, He is the only one now who has, and who should be given,”…honor, and glory forever-1Tim.1:17”.And again,”..to Him be honor, and majesty forever-1Tim.6:16”.He created man to make him a god(His own son)-see John.10:34. So, once fully created, we will be honorable and glorious, as God Himself is. His messager,Jesus Christ came to reveal God to all human beings,for,”He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, who sustains the universe with His powerful word(command)-Hebr.1:3”.What Christ did, it was not for Himself, but for we human beings. It was to show us, what God wants to make us and how he will do it, for Jesus is, “our forerunner-Heb.12:2”.Whatever He did in life, He did so that He may teach us in a visible practical way, how we should live,for,He,”…has set us an example so that we should live the way He lived-John.13:15”,for that is the way God created men to follow as life; the way we were deceived by Satan to reject.
Being a God, and owning all things, and so, having the freedom to choose and belong wherever He pleases, we would expect Christ to choose the best of life. God our father should also, of a necessity, give His first-born-son, the best of life, which is what he created all human beings for. Now then, what did Christ choose for life? What honor and glory did he go for, which is what we should be striving for, if we will be honorable and glorious? Unlike most of us who would go to kings palaces, and wealthiest families, God chose a very poor carpenter to be the family where His son will be born-See Mat.2:18-19.Our Lord and savior did not complain, but was rather very contended there.Remember,Christ is the word which was with God since the beginning, being God also-John.1:1-3. So He was at the pinnacle of life, for, He “..shared with God, the same God’s glory before even the world was made-John.17:5”.So,whatever life Christ will live in this physical body, it is not for Himself but for us to learn the way of honor ,glory and immortality, for,”…Jesus Himself became like human beings, and shared their human nature…..to set free those who were slaves(of deception)-Hebr.2:14-18”. He is through His physical life, showing us the life we will go through before we can attain honor, and glory, just as He and the father have. So, for our sake, He left what every man is looking for now, all that honor, and glory and came down here to be like us; and then, He went further, and drop lower than men,for,”He always had the nature of God………but He gave up all that, and took the nature of a slave, and lowered Himself even further to a level of allowing human beings to kill Him(thus, showing to be stronger than Him)-Phil.2:6-8”.If God wants to make all men like Christ(Ephes.4:24),then why didn’t Christ come in that splendor, and have men see what God has in place for them?
THE SECRET OF HUMBLENESS
Man was deceived to assume an honor and glory which is not there.So,Christ had to begin by showing him where he stands in this physical life. Where do we stand (for details, request for our message, “Christianity’s value”)? We are dust in the making and neither honorable, nor glorious. We even don’t possess knowledge on how to live the right way; a good reason why our lives right now are packed with all sorts of problems (see our message, “in search for peace”, please). Many people have tried to be humble, but all that they have succeeded in doing is to pretend. Why? Because all that we know about ourselves is imagined, not real. Man was deceived and pulled out of the creation process, even before he could gain knowledge on how to live,for,”all have gone astray, and all have done wrongly; no one does what is right, not even one-Rom.3:12”.So,as long as we don’t know ourselves, nor the life we were created to live by, we can’t be sincerely humble; and we will see no need of seeking for honor and glory. Christ knew us very well; He knew how everyone is self-exalted and how in that condition, it is impossible to learn.Therefore,being aware of our blindness, He says, “Unless you change and become like small children, you will never enter the kingdom of God; for the greatest in that kingdom is one who humbles himself like a small child-Mat.18:3-4”.This is the secret of humbleness; to accept that we are not yet gods, and that we have no knowledge(just like small children),and so have nothing to glory in right now. It is also to know that we were created to be made, glorious, even as God our father is, with Christ’s right now nature(see Rev.1:14-16) being our example of that awaited-for-glory,for,”..we shall be like Him-1 John.3:2”.As long as we don’t have the above in mind, it is impossible to be sincerely humble, and so, impossible to allow God to create us into that finished spirit person. “assuming to be wise(and yet we are not),we will die in our foolishness-1 cor.1:20;3:18-19”.This what Christ wanted us to learn by lowering Himself even below the human level,for that is the exact condition and, the true class of all human beings,and a reason why He is telling us to seek for honor. As we always say, this message is for all human beings and is about their lives; only, it is those whom God has revealed it to, whom we are primarily addressing.
It is those who accept this truth, who become true Christians, who, knowledge-wise and, behavior-wise, begin to learn from zero. After discovering the deception, they realize they have no honor, nor any glory, and so, they heed to the savior’s call to, “seek for honor, glory and, immortality……Rom.2:7”.Almost everybody in the world is struggling to maintain a position in whatever community one lives. And this is done in that deception by Satan. It makes them to fight, even kill. But for those who discover it, to prove that it is a lie, they abandon all of it, and accept to learn afresh. Brother Paul, and Moses are just but a few examples of the many. He says,”…..if any one things of boasting(being honorable, then it should be me),I can also. A Jew, Pharisee,……….but all these things that I may boast about, I counted as lose,inorder to pursue the true honor-Phil.3:4-9”.Moses was a prince, in pharaoh’s palace. On discovering this truth, “He preferred to suffer the ill-treatment with God’s people, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin…….,for he had concern for the reward-Hebr.11:25-26”.The whole bible is filled with these examples of those who rejected the deceitful honors and glories of this world after discovering the truth. This is why Christ generally said this concerning wealth on which the honors and glories of this world are based; “the life of man does not consist in the abundance of his wealth-Luke.12:15”.He said that it is foolishness to put your trust in wealth-see Luke.12:21. If we truly understand this message,then,all the worldly men-set standards and, their resultant behaviors of pride, self-seeking, throat-cut competitions,hatrate and wars disappear. What do we remain with? Nothing. The true Church of God is a people who are standing at this point of nothingness, and have given themselves to God in Jesus Christ who is creating them, to make them something, for they say, “we consider that, what we suffer at the moment, cannot be compared with the glory that is going to be revealed to us, at Christ’s appearing-Rom.8:18”.What is that glory which makes people abandon all the honors and their so called pleasures? “For from heaven, we await a savior who will change our vile bodies that they may be like his glorious one-Phil.3:21”.How then do we go about, obtaining it?
A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CIVILIZATION.
If we go by Christ’s way of life, and His teachings, we will all agree that the civilization of the coming world which we’re talking about here is a totally different and, an opposite civilization from the present one. The people of the present civilization described those who accepted this Godly one as, “those who have turned the world upside down-Act.17:6”. To confirm this, God says that this Godly life is one which,”..no eye has seen, nor ear has heard, nor the mind understood-1 cor.2:9”.It is further proven by the behaviors of those who believed and lived it.Let’s compare and ascertain please. This world goes for money and will do anything to get it.Those of God’s Church who embark on this life will reject money, if it jeopardizes their obedience, so as to remain in God’s life-see Act.8:20;Dan.5:17.The world appreciates worship and praises by fellow men. The Church rejects it, insisting that it belongs to God alone-see Act.14:15;Rev.19:10. The world would go for fleshly lusts. The church will reject, if it is against the truth-Gen.39:9.The truth is plain. This two lifestyles oppose each other to a level where they don’t even share in anything. Listen to this testimony about the difference.”……the world is dead to me, and I am dead to the world-Gal.6:14”. No wonder, our Lord says,”….the friendship of this world is enmity to God; for what is praised by men is abominable to God; for the carnal mind is opposive to God’s law-James.4:4;Luke.16:15;Rom.8:7”.Therefore,if we will successfully seek for honor and glory, it will not be according to any learned way of our former life, nor will it depend on any of the things, or the knowledge we used for achievement in the worldly style. How then will we do it? Since our physical minds can gain knowledge through the five senses only,i.e,seeing,hearing,smelling,feeling,and tasting,and Christ has told us that the life we are learning from Him can’t be achieved through any of these senses,then,its very true, we can’t understand it, with our carnal minds. So now, how do we get it so that we can apply it to seek for honor and glory? It can only be possible through faith.Since,when we try to know, our simple minds can’t understand,then,all we can do is accept what God says, even though we have not seen, nor experienced it.This is what faith helps us to do,for,”Faith is the acceptance of things hoped for; the conviction of things unseen-Hebr.11:1”.Now,what is that we should have faith in;yes,what is that we should accept? Christ was send to reveal to all human beings, the life which God created them to live by. It is this life which is explained in scriptures that we have faith(accept)in, For our Lord tells us,”. That faith comes by hearing (and accepting) the message which Christ preached (the gospel)-Rom10:17”.Even though we will accept that this is the true life, we find that our carnal minds still struggles to get it but in vain. And because God knows it, then, for those who believe,”..Christ has given them the power of the holy spirit-John.1:12”.It is by this spirit that a sixth sense begins to operate in the believer’s mind, and enables them to understand this spiritual life,for,that which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither mind conceived,”..God has revealed to us through His spirit…….for we have received the spirit of God that we may understand His spiritual life-1 cor.2:10-12”.Once the spirit is in us, it gives us to think,know,love,and so, freely do what He Himself does,yes,we through the spirit receive the faith of God in Jesus Christ. Starting from here on, we get impregnated in the spiritual womb, and though not yet born(just like the way an embryo is a child of its parents),we are called Children of God.Yes,even though we don’t know exactly how we will be, we are still children, for our Lord says,”My dear friends, we are now children of God, but it is not yet clear what we shall become(Why? Because we are still in the womb, not yet born).But we know that, when Christ will appear, we will be like Him-1 John.3:2”.Everyone who receives the spirit of God, gets into the second stage of man’s creation which is spiritual, and has to do with the mind (request for our message, “the spiritual protection” for details).The search for honor, and glory begins here. Now that we are impregnated, and only wait to be born, does our search end here? Why are we being told to search for it,”….as we patiently continue in well doing-Rom.2:7?”Why the patience?
GROW IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE
“Be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil is roaming around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour-1 Pet.5:8”.Let’s get it please. We were baptized into the word (the life of God)-Rom.6:3-4.We have very little knowledge.So,a great percentage of our minds are still filled with the former thoughts, and habitual attitudes. We also have this flesh which is,”….fighting against the law(word of God) through which Christ is teaching us-Rom.7:23”.So,Satan,through this habitual attitudes, and fleshly desires, is striving to take us back to his deceitful worldly life. It is by resisting him, and going by what the word of God(our true life) says, that we grow into Godliness, and away from Satan’s life.Remember,we have grown up, as a people who do what we imagine and plan. But now we,” No longer do according to what we think, but rather,in everything,we have to refer to God for guidance-Prov.3:5”.This means, we must first know what God says through His word. It will take a serious bible study to arrive there, through which also, God is writing His laws in our minds, to make them our thoughts and so, our way of doing things. This is why we need patience, because, as much as we have decided to live Godly, as we continue to grow in this new knowledge so that we can live by it, we stumble a lot. We know very well that a behavior or, a habit is never developed instantly. In the same way we grew into this worldly life, and in our physical bodies, so shall we also grow in the Godly spiritual life. It is a gradual process. But know and understand this very important point. No one can successfully do something without an aim- yes, without a goal. In the same way we strove the worldly way to gain wealth so that we can be honorable, and glorious, so also here, we are striving for that which will give us the right and true honor. But now that we have known how wealth can only give us a faked honor, which is not honor in reality, we are here striving for the true wealth(God’s life),which is, “more desirable than fine gold, and sweeter than honey-Psalm.19:10”.”It is more profitable than silver(money),more valuable than gold-Prov.3:14”. It gives, “more joy to those who live by it than, the joy people experience when they get a bumper harvest-Psalm.4:7”.This understanding is the one that gives those who believe, the driving force. They are a people who have discovered it’s value and are “..searching for it, in the same way they search for money-Prov.2:4”.Why is it more valuable than all else? Because it gives what we look for. What? We are striving for a good and long life. People have wrongly thought that wealth can prolong their lives, but that is not true. It is God who gives and prolongs life. It is the life that uses the wealth.So,if I may ask you; which is more valuable? Is it the wealth, or the life? Without the life, wealth is useless. This is why, when someone dies,”…he has to leave his wealth to those who are alive-Psalm.49:10”. So, on this discovery, it follows that the most honorable thing, and glorious is to live godly lives in everything that we do in life. Since we are in this physical life for the purpose of learning to live like God, that He may at the end make us to be like Him,then,everytime we obey His word, we grow in His glorious behavior, for,”…we transform from one degree of glory to another- 2 Cor.4:18”.This is the true honor and glory. Those who go for the deceitful honor and glory based on wealth, leadership positions, and men’s approval, according to their set-standards, end up in death as we have seen. But those who pursue this godly honor and glory and God’s approval end up in, living for ever, for our Lord promises; “Those who in patient endurance, continue to do well as they pursue honor, glory and, immortality, God will give everlasting life-Rom.2:7”. Unlike the worldly people, who “receive glory from one another, and compare themselves with each other-John.5:44;2 Cor.10:12”,The believers in this Godly life receive the only glory and right approval which comes from God, “For it is people whom God comments,
who are truly approved, not those who approve themselves, or are approved by their fellow men-2 Cor.10:18”. What people say or don’t say about them is of less concern. In pursuit of this true honor, they meet with a very strong opposition from the devil, who doesn’t want this Godly life to be displayed before men. But they know one thing. Even if they shy off and go by what men(agents of Satan),want, even if they strive and get the best of the wealth, and get all the honor and acknowledgement from men, they will still die.So,since what man fears most is death, and what they go for(this worldly standards) doesn’t protect them from it, these Godly people don’t fear what man may do to them. They don’t fear isolation, torture, being plundered or, any ill treatment applied on them. They don’t recant their obedience to God to secure their lives,for,they know that, God will give them eternal life at the end, if they will successfully undergo this character-development course. Everyone wants to be the most honorable, and most glorious; one whom all people look at and say, “wow! What a King, a wealthy person, a strong,wise,glorious-name it”. The climax which people afford to reach in ( compared to the entire universe)owning wealth, or fame is neglegeable.One becomes a president of a very small country, and owns a portion of its wealth, ruling over a very adamant and opposive people.So,he/she, though seemingly exalted, lives a very troubled life, and at the end, he can lose the positon,the wealth may get finished, and after whatever happens, he dies. But those who believe in Christ, and turns from this simple life of lies, and are seriously seeking for the true honor and glory, God has promised to,”…give them His kingdom…Luke.12:32”;”and will put all things(the entire universe) in subjection under their feet-Hebr.2:7-8”;”and eternal life-John.5:24”.Tell me please if you can.Who is more honorable between the two? Is it the worldly president, ruling over one country with some portion of wealth, who dies after some time, or the universal king who lives forever? Surely, intelligence forbids any doubt as to the answer, for it is obvious that the king is more honorable and has what everyone in their true senses will go for. This is why the people of God’s Church say, “For we cannot compare the right now sufferings with the glory that is going to be revealed to us-Rom.8:18”.See also 2 Cor.4:17; 3:18.Brethren, this is the truth of the matter laid bare before you. Will we continue in ignorance, chasing after wind, or we will heed Christ’s call, and seek the genuine honor, and glory which will culminate in eternal life? Choose.
The grace of God be with as many as have taken to this road. More of this training is available for everyone who wishes to learn more.
It is Christ’s massagers speaking to you from,
ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD,