Monday, December 1, 2014

A Warning for Married Christian Couples

Brother Olugbenga Oladejo, Complete in Christ Church
Note: This article addresses issues that may not be appropriate for younger readers. In places, it discusses sexual behavior in plain and frank terms. Please exercise appropriate discretion.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has given a message of warning to a pastor named, Olugbenga Oladejo of Complete In Christ Church in Peterborough, England, which I would like to share with you today. It's important to note that this is a warning for Christian married couples, not for sinners.

I have spoken at length with him and listened to his heart as he shared his testimony of how the Lord saved him in 1990, then brought him back again from backsliding in 2008. He was the pastor of Safeway International Ministries in Edinburgh, Scottland before moving to England in 2013, where he is serving now.  I have also spoken to a church member in Edinburgh, named Christopher O., who still joins brother Oladejo live each week for services via the internet. He spoke very highly of brother Oladejo and described him as someone who is spiritually strong, who is not concerned with gathering large numbers of people to himself, but rather about proclaiming the Truth. Having searched the Scriptures, and done our due diligence to verify his godly character, my wife and I both believe with certainty that this message is from the Lord. 

In March 2014, brother Oladejo was taken to hell and shown a department of hell where demons are torturing the souls of deceased Christians, who defiled their marriage bed.  They are chopping people up like a butcher chops up an animal into little pieces, and then their bodies are reconstituting. They were doing it slowly and painfully to achieve the maximum amount of pain and torment.  The souls are weeping and mourning, while the demons are laughing and taking pleasure in what they are doing to these people.

The Lord told brother Oladejo that His children are confused, so they must be warned about these sins that are taking them to hell, so they will not perish.  He visually showed him these people's sins on the "judgment screen" and audibly warned against married couples masturbating on their beds, looking at pornography, oral sex, trying different styles of sexual intercourse to "spice it up," such as "doggie style" penetration from behind, and various positions, including the wife on top (e.g., so-called "rocking horse," "cowboy," or "cowgirl" positions), and hanging your wife (a type of domination and bondage position, involving tying her down, intended to simulate rape). He said the only position that is holy in God's sight is the face-to-face position with the husband on top.

The Scriptures the Lord gave the pastor were first of all Isaiah 33:14, which says: "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: 'Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?'” He said that hell is so terrible that once you see it, you will not ask any questions. If they told you to stand up for the rest of your life, you would never want to sit down again, if it meant you would avoid going to that place for eternity.

The second Scripture is Isaiah 24:4-5, which says, "The land suffers for the sins of its people. The earth languishes, the crops wither, the skies refuse their rain. The land is defiled by crime; the people have twisted the laws of God and broken his everlasting commands."  The Lord said there are ordinances in the Scriptures about relations between a husband and a wife, and His children have violated these ordinances.

If you read your Bible properly, as Jesus said through this pastor to do, you will know the truth. You cannot dismiss this by saying that it is not written in the Bible how a man and his wife are to properly have sex. It is the same as smoking cigarettes. The Bible does not say smoking cigarettes is sin, but we know intuitively that it is (also see Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations). If you read the Scriptures the Lord gave this pastor and pray for Light to be shed in your heart, God will show you.  The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth.

Adam Knew Eve
For one thing, as he taught in both videos, the Scripture says, "Then Adam had sexual intercourse with Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son." (Gen 4:1a). It does not say Eve lay with Adam or that Eve had sexual intercourse with Adam, or that Eve knew Adam.  It was Adam who "knew" Eve intimately.

If you doubt whether this can be used to teach us as married couples how to have sexual intercourse, then let me remind you of the passage in Genesis that Jesus used to teach against divorce.  When the Pharisees came and asked Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason, He asked them what Moses commanded.  They replied that Moses told them to give her a certificate of divorce, and they seemed to view that as God's commandment about marriage and divorce.  However, Jesus corrected them and said,

"Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore god has joined together, let no man separate." (Mat 19:4-6)

Jesus went on to tell them that the reason Moses permitted them to divorce their wives was because their hearts were hardened.  He said, "But from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." (Mat 19:8-9)

So just as Jesus used Genesis 2:22-24 to teach against divorce, He is also using Genesis 4:1 to teach us how to make love to our wives.

The Husband is the Head of the Wife
Secondly, the Word teaches us that the husband is the head of the wife. "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior." (Eph 5:23; cf. 1 Cor 11:3).  He is supposed to love his wife as Christ loved the Church, not lust after her.  He is supposed to take the lead in the relationship, including in the marital bed.  His wife is not supposed to be the aggressor or the one taking the lead.  She is the responder to his love.

The Man is the Image and the Glory of God
Thirdly, in brother Oladejo's video Warning to Married Couples Who Practice Oral Sex, he stated that the Lord told him to say, “Men are my image and men are my glory! Men are the glory of God.  And every time God is looking at you, He wants you to continue to promote more of His glory. If you now change the glory of God into something that is corruptible, into lust, into immorality, the Lord said you will not make it into heaven.”  The Lord said, “If you are doing oral sex, you are not coming to heaven.” And the same goes for other immoral acts you do on your bed.  Do not do these things.  It is evil before the Lord.

The Scriptures the Lord gave him with regard to this were 1 Cor 11:7 and Rom 1:23.

"A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man." (1 Cor 11:7).

Men “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.” (Rom 1:23).

Brother Oladejo said the Lord told him he should tell you that if you change the glory of God to look like corruptible man or to look like birds, or four-footed beasts, you are not going to come to heaven. You are changing the glory of God into dogs, goats, cows, animals, and into creeping things. You are committing immorality. It's a great sin. It doesn't matter if you are a pastor, bishop, or archbishop. You are not going to make it. Do not change the glory of God into anything on your matrimonial bed or you are not going to heaven. 

The Missionary Position the Only One Holy
Fourthly, it is well known what the "missionary position" is and why it is called that, for the reason this pastor explained.  Missionaries of old who taught their converts about true holiness would teach them that in the marriage bed, face to face with the husband on top is the only position that God has sanctioned. That is a landmarker or boundary stone that was laid by people before this evil generation was born that you and I who live today are a part of.  That was a boundary stone.  We have moved that stone, so we could try new things to fulfill our lusts.  We need to Ask for the Ancient Paths.

I realize that many will balk at this teaching, saying it is unbiblical.  However, a recent research article on penile fractures published in the medical journal, Advances in Urology,  stated in conclusion: "Our study supports the fact that sexual intercourse with 'woman on top' is the potentially riskiest sexual position related to penile fracture" [1]. 

The study examined the cases of forty-four men who attended three hospitals in the city of Campinas, Brazil for suspected penile fractures. Twenty-eight fractures were sustained during heterosexual intercourse, four during homosexual sex, and six after "penile manipulation." Fourteen were in the "woman on top" position, which was the most common position, eight were using “doggy style” with the woman on all fours, and four in which the the cause remained unclear.  Half of the patients reported hearing a "cracking sound" and experiencing pain at the moment of injury. All of these cases were treated on an emergency surgery basis.  Two of them later suffered from erectile dysfunction, following the injury, and one of them was treated by penile prosthesis.

The reason given in the report for the "woman on top" being the most dangerous position was that "...when woman is on top she usually controls the movement with her entire body weight landing on the erect penis, not being able to interrupt it when the penis suffers a wrong way penetration, because the harm is usually minor in woman with no pain but major in the penis." On the other hand, the report stated, "When the man is controlling the movement, he has better chances of stopping the penetration energy in response to the pain related to the penis harm, minimising it."  Therefore, medical science has actually confirmed the wisdom of God's ordinance concerning the missionary position, as well as the risks involved in using other positions and practicing penile manipulation. 

The Marriage Bed Must Be Kept Pure
Fifth, it says in the Bible, "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Heb 13:4).

You can defile the marriage bed by acts you commit by yourself, acts you commit with someone other than your spouse, acts you commit using pornography or other property of satan, and acts you commit with your spouse.  The things the Lord has warned us against in this revelation, some of which I mentioned in the opening, are considered acts of immorality in God's sight. 

A Fruit of the Spirit, Not an Act of the Flesh
Sixth, what we do on the marriage bed must not be an act of the flesh to satisfy the desires of the sinful nature, as Paul said in Galatians 5:

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." (Gal 5:13-25)

If you are fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, you cannot at the same time be producing the fruit of the Spirit.  The flesh can never produce the fruit of the Spirit and can never please God. On the other hand, the Holy Spirit will never fulfill the desires of the sinful nature.  The flesh and the Spirit are absolutely opposed to one another.  They are mutually exclusive. brother Oladejo says, "The marital bed is for matrimonial love.  If it is not for matrimonial love, then it is sin."

All Things Decently and in Order
Seventh, in the house of God, all things must be done decently and in order. When Michael Shigaba testified of his encounter with Jesus, he stated:

"He [Jesus] said I should open to 1 Corinthians 14:40. It talks about doing things decently and in order. He [Jesus] said, 'Heaven is an orderly place, a decent place. But some people are doing things anyhow in the House of God.' He said, 'In My House.' They are doing things anyhow!"

We as Christians must do all things decently and in order, including what we do in our marriage bed.

The Straight and Narrow Path
Eighth, the way of heaven is straight.  I have learned this from the Word, as well as other divine revelations.  It is literally a straight and narrow path, as the Lord revealed so clearly in Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus.  It is straighter, narrower, and more difficult than most Christians realize.  We must Strive to Enter the Kingdom of God.

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.'" (Lk 3:4-5)

"They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness." (2 Pe 2:15)

"Who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways," (Prov 2:13)

"I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." (Prov 4:11)

"In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." (Prov 3:6)

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Mt 7:13-14)

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." (Lk 13:24)

Also see Deu. 32:5; Psa. 18:26; 125:5; Pro. 2:15; 8:8; 17:20; 21:8; 28:6,18; Isa. 59:8; Acts 13:10; Php. 2:15.

The way of heaven is not crooked or deviant.  The road that leads to life is not lustful or perverse.  It is loving and holy.  The problem is that if our hearts are not full of love, then we rely on lust to generate excitement in the marriage bed.  What we (husbands and wives) need is to be cleansed and purged of all lust and be filled with the love of God for one another.  Then we will experience making love the way God intended it to be.

Watch the Videos Yourself
I urge you to watch all three videos yourself and prayerfully consider what the pastor says.  Please don't make any final decision about this matter until you have done so, since I have only summarized him, and it would not be fair to base your decision on only what I have written without hearing him yourself.



Second Warning to Married Couples

Warning to Married Couples Who Practice Oral Sex

Scriptural Basis
The following are a few more Scriptures, in addition to those referenced earlier in this post:

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." (Col 3:5, NIV).

"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;" (1 Thes 4:3-5, NIV).

"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (1 Tim 2:22, KJV)

"Let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Co 14:40, KJV).

"For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." (Rom 8:5-8)

"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live." (Rom 8:12-13)

Also see 1 Pe 1:14-16,22; 2:11,16; 3:7; 4:1-5,7-8,17-18.

Clarifications
After watching the videos, I contacted brother Oladejo, and received further clarification from him on some of the things he said in his messages.

Hanging Your Spouse
In the videos, he mentioned "hanging" your spouse during sexual intercourse (see Video 1 at 13:33 - 13:36 and Video 2 at 11:12).  He clarified this for me by stating that he meant couples who engage in extreme sexual positions by using sex equipment to make their wives helpless, such as tying them to a bed, so it looks like the wife is being raped.  He said, "Some Christians do extreme sexual positions seen in the pornography and buy equipment to make them look like their wives are helpless or being hanged [or] raped when they have relationships. Such things are great wickedness before the Lord."

Masturbating
He also clarified that when he warns against masturbation, it is not only something you do to yourself. It includes masturbating one's spouse to arousal or orgasm. This is consistent with the dictionary definition. He stated, "Do not use your hand to stimulate anyone to orgasm. It is masturbation done on you by your partner rather than yourself." He warned, "Manual stimulation is masturbation. It is a sin."

In fact, the word masturbate comes from two root words that mean "hand" and "defile".

"Touching your wife lovingly is not a sin, but it becomes a sin when she feels like you are masturbating her. Our hands are not meant for such an act.  If your wife touches you such that you release without penetration, that is a great sin, so we need to be careful...I want to be very clear that when I refer to ‘touching your wife lovingly,’ it is not masturbating her for arousal. I do not say a man should do that.  The Lord told me He detests all forms of masturbation."

A Message from the Lord, Not Man
He also clarified for me that he did not come up with this list of sins himself.  He stated, "I did not know that these things were sins myself until the night I saw this revelation. There was one thing that shocked me when I was standing in front of the judgment screen, the sin of masturbation, which is basically using your hand to bring your spouse to orgasm, appeared on the screen...I was told that God disapproves masturbation, even if it is done on you by your partner."

"I did not come up with a list of sins, but what I was told and shown on the screen. You see the voice of the Lord is audible once you cross to the other side. When he speaks, no one will tell you before you know that Jesus is speaking. So the Lord spoke to me in my mind, and I did not even need to ask, because I know it was the Lord."

He added, "I have waited six months to share this revelation. First, I gain nothing by sharing it. It is the hardest part of God's work that He gave me to do. I have struggled with the Lord asking Him to even allow me just to teach this from the Scriptures instead of sharing the revelation, but He told me He would ask the blood from me (of those who go to hell because I did not share the revelation). What He told me is to warn people, and when I obeyed I felt His peace and presence. So, this is not an amazing dream but a divine revelation. I heard heavenly hymns and songs the day I shared this revelation."

Medical and Physical Health Limitations
There are certain, specific cases in which it is impossible to have sexual intercourse with the man on top. After reading this article, one brother submitted a question about that very issue asking, "What if because of medical or physical restrictions, the only way a couple could have sex is if the man was on the bottom?"

When we initially posted this article and began to receive such questions about medical/physical limitations, my wife and I prayed and asked the Lord how to answer them.  We also contacted brother Oladejo to see if the Lord spoke to him about that. While we were waiting for a response from him, my wife was given Numbers 9:6-13.  In the context, the Lord had told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.  Then it says:

But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. Those men said to him, "Though we are unclean because of the dead person, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of the LORD at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?" Moses therefore said to them, "Wait, and I will listen to what the LORD will command concerning you." Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the LORD. 'In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 'They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it. 'But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the LORD at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin. (Num 9:6-13)

If you are thinking about taking an exception, you ought to read that passage. The Lord commanded Moses how and when to celebrate the Passover Feast.  However, some people came to Moses and said they were unclean because they had touched a dead person, yet they wanted to celebrate the feast at its appointed time with everyone else. When Moses prayed about it, the Lord made an exception for them and those who were on a journey at the time of Passover, allowing them to celebrate the feast exactly thirty days later. But the Lord warned that they must observe it according to the statute and not change anything else.  He strictly warned that if anyone who is clean or not on a journey neglects to observe the Passover at the appointed time as the Lord commanded -- in other words, if they take the exception when they are not qualified for it, that person shall be cut off from his people and bear his sin. The same thing applies to anyone who changes the ordinance of God on their marriage bed, who is not truly qualified for an exception.

"Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts." (Pro 21:2)

After we received from the Lord that passage in Numbers, we also received a response by email from brother Oladejo, who replied: "Concerning the questions about people with medical/physical needs, such as stroke patients, I have asked the Lord after my encounter, and received an answer. If it is physically impossible to have sex normally, and therefore, you change the ordinance of God, the Lord told me He would judge you righteously.”

"However, the Lord told me that He knows men that they will say they have one need or the other that made this impossible for them to obey. He told me then that such claims must be true and honest. If you are unable to have sex normally because of medical/physical needs then you have not sinned. But He said that men would hide under this disguise in order to disobey His law. The Lord told me He knows the heart of men."

"The Lord told me he does not like abstinence from sex. Please tell those abstaining they should come together for sex as regularly as they want with each other. God designed sex for us to enjoy and not to abstain.  It is the will of God to have regular sex with your partner. The Lord wants us to take lust and masturbation out of our marital bed."

"At no time did the Lord say He would make exceptions for strange sex like oral sex, masturbation, or vibrators, etc."

To further emphasize the key points of what brother Oladejo has stated, the Lord showed him that; a) He does grant exceptions for married couples with medical/physical limitations. He will judge righteously; b) He does not want any married couple to abstain from sex, but wants them to come together and enjoy each other.  c) However, it is imperative that man does not dishonestly claim to be qualified for the exceptions given by God to those with medical/physical limitations. If he claims this exception when it is not really true, and changes the ordinance of God to fulfill his lusts, the Lord knows the man's heart and will hold him accountable for that sin of disobedience.  He will judge righteously. d) He will not grant exceptions for strange sex.

Lusting After Your Spouse
With regard to lustful feelings of excitement toward one's spouse, brother Oladejo clarified, "Lust is a demon and should not be found on the marital bed. God expects us to have sex in love and not lust. We can have sex out of love, so why would we want sex out of lust as a Christian?" For more on this, please see Lusting After Your Spouse.

Personal Lubricant and Condoms
Lastly, in response to my inquiry, he said, “[Personal] lubricant and condoms were never shown to me as sin at all.”  However, the Lord also did not say to brother Olugbenga that using personal lubricant or condoms is not a sin.  If you have questions, you should seek the face of the Lord Jesus Christ on that (please see Is Contraception a Sin?)

I hope these clarifications help remove any questions you may have about what he meant.

Confirmations
On December 19, nearly three weeks after posting this article, I had been working with brother Oladejo on the clarifications, which we had added to the original article, and he made this statement in an email:

"I have read the article again and have been praying to the Lord. Two nights ago I saw an angel of the Lord in my room telling me to continue with this work. The Lord seriously warned that those who are thinking of breaking His ordinances because of medical/physical reasons should be warned that he will judge them righteously." [Editor's note: This confirmed what the Lord had previously told brother Oladejo, and which we had already added to this article about exceptions and the Lord judging righteously. However, since this angelic visitation, I have now added the Lord's serious warning to the end of that section about exceptions, and I have added the passage from Numbers, which I originally omitted for the sake of space.]

He continued, "Also concerning manual stimulation to reach organism, beloved brother, the Lord has confirmed it to me again that it is a sin. It is masturbation performed on a woman by her husband. We have gone far in lust on our marital bed but the Lord wants us to come back to love."

On December 24, 2014, I received the following email from brother Oladejo:

"Beloved Brother Len, Jesus Christ is being glorified and will be glorified again and again. All glory to His holy name. I am sorry I could not speak to you last night. I felt a heavy sleep and I struggled even to finish my night prayers and I slept off.

"In my sleep I heard a voice of an angel telling me I have messages from the Lord. The message was delivered and it was a voice speaking to me:

'I am pleased with the article written in the blog and I am pleased about the warning that was re-echoed to mankind about taking exceptions.'

"Then I noticed that two other messages were opened, and they were both voices speaking to me, and when I heard them they were two Bible passages: Jude 3 and 1 Thessalonians 4:7.

"Then I heard the voice saying: 'Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints for God has not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness.'  These words were continuously read in my ears for a long time as I lost count of how many times it was said.

"After that I heard the voice saying: 'Many of my servants have ignored my warnings to keep holiness on their matrimonial bed, because they enjoy their sins and are afraid to lose membership of their church, so they compromised. Tell them to repent. I am interested in holiness both in the open and in your secrets places.'

"After this the message started again: 'Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints for God has not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness.' This was continued until I woke up.

"Beloved brother Len, the Lord is happy. All glory to His holy name.
God bless you.
Pastor Oladejo"

If you need further confirmation about these things, then check out Robert Brownell's Little Lessons on his Divine Revelations website. He stated in lesson number forty, "Keep oral and anal sex out of a marriage. These defile you.  In a dream, I was shown an oral sex demon, it was absolutely disgusting, believe me you don't want anything to do with its sin. The desire for oral sex is usually the desire for someone to physically worship you. Stay away from it.  Keep the spirits of domination and bondage out of a marriage bed also. Also, when a person masturbates, they are having sex with a demon and don't know it."  That is not a recent comment of his, but has been posted for quite some time. After I shared this present article with him about the Warning for Christian Married Couples given to brother Oladejo, he replied, "I've concluded the same things that he talks about, in my fifteen years of marriage"

Another confirmation is from a brother named Mario Martinez, who received a revelation of hell in 1994. In Mario's video testimony of hell, he states beginning at 24:16 that he saw, "Even men and women in there, because of their marriage -- the lusting, the fornication, the adultery, the pornography, the sexual desires that they had, which is vanity, it's bondage with the enemy. God created our marriage to be clean and pure for Him. [There were] a lot of Christians there that were getting couples involved in their marriage, and then repent. A lot of people in there that were screaming and shouting -- they had it worse. I mean they were really being tortured in a lot of ways, because of the disgusting things they were doing in their bedroom sexually with animals and what not."

Another confirmation is from a Hungarian sister in Christ, who received a divine revelation of heaven and hell. As I wrote in my article, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, she was shown a demon in hell, who is deceiving people who are alive on earth, so that they will commit that sin of masturbation and go to that unimaginably terrible place of eternal torment. Eudoxia stated, "There was another room. We went on. And there was a very big bed in it. And I found it strange, because there was a very beautiful woman lying on that bed. And I was even looking at her that, 'Oh, how beautiful she is!' But it really, it wasn’t normal what she looked like, how beautiful she was. Then I saw that she started to do things with herself. Well, I don’t want to use that word. And, she did it—that sin. You understand it. Then she woke up and went to the [devil's] council chamber and started to say whom she deceived. And that was horrible, that even children were in it. And she said, 'And even Christians.' And she started to laugh with an evil laugh. And she praised and kissed the lips of satan. And as she was laughing, there came snakes from her mouth. And as she was laughing, the lust and dirt just came out of her mouth. Literally, the lust and dirt just flowed out of her mouth. And she immediately went to report to satan...And as this woman was pleasing herself in the bed, she was casting spells as she did it. 'There are people,' the Lord said, 'who don’t want to do it, but they do it because they’re in bondage.' This is when she’s casting spells upon them. And if he doesn’t want to do it, he still does it, because he’s in bondage. This is horrible."

These are but a few examples I can cite for you, aside from the many Scriptures calling for sexual purity, some of which I have already mentioned.

A Word to the Skeptic
I would like to just briefly address the skeptic who may be reading this.  I cannot possibly address all possible doubts any skeptic may have, but let me respond to two possible questions:

1. Where in God's word does it explain how to properly have marital sex?

There are many Scriptures that apply to this, including those that directly speak of intercourse (eg., Gen 4:1a; Lev 15:33; 18:19; 20:18), as well as many more that speak indirectly, such as all the ones I mentioned in this article.

In other words, if the Bible tells me that I must love my neighbor, I can assume that this command applies in all situations at all times, including on the marriage bed.  Or I can try to justify myself and ask, "Who is my neighbor?" (Lk 10:29).  So Scriptures that admonish us to do all things in decency and order, flee youthful lusts, to pursue holiness, to flee from immorality, to love our wives as Christ loved the Church (Eph 5:25) are all applicable in every aspect of life, not just the ones that don't have to do with sex.  And by the way, speaking of the way Christ loved the Church, He never lusts after His Church.  He loves her in such a way as to give Himself up for her, making her holy, and cleansing her (Eph 5:26). May the Lord help us be like Him in this world.

2. This revelation implies that even though we do not know or understand that something is sinful, we will still end up in hell despite having faith in Christ to save us.  How can that be so?

This is basic Truth as recorded in Scripture.

In Leviticus 5:15-18, it speaks about unintentional sins.  But look especially at verse 17, which says, "If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible."  Our civil laws in society are the same; ignorance of the law is no excuse for violating it, and they will still punish you anyway.

In Romans 2, Paul addresses this.  Especially look at verses 12-16.  In verse 12, he says, "All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law."  So if you haven't heard that something is against God's law, because you don't have the law, you will still perish if you don't repent and ask forgiveness.

It's called ignorance.  "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." (Hos 4:6).  Jesus said, the servant who did not know his Master's will, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few; however, he will not go unpunished (Luk 12:47-48a). When it comes to sin, Ignorance is Not Bliss.

Most people who are living in sin, whether they call themselves a Christian or not, they often do not know that they are living in sin.  I mean, in their hearts when they first began doing it, they knew it was wrong.  But they rejected the truth and bought a lie, so God gave them over to unclean spirits (Rom 1:24-25; Prov 1:20-33).  This is called deception.  The devil is a master of deception, so he deceives humanity into thinking that what they are doing is not sin (Gen 3:1-7; Jn 8:44).  The nature of deception is that if you knew you were deceived, you would no longer be deceived. If people realized that what they were doing was sin, and that it would take them to hell, many would repent.  Others still would not, because their hearts are already so hardened that they can no longer repent.  That's why it is so important not to harden your heart if you hear His voice today (Heb 3:8,15; 4:7).

When you speak to non-believers about Christ, you find that they are ignorant of the fact that they are living in sin and going to hell.  But that doesn't change the fact that they are living in sin and going to hell.  Just because someone doesn't know or believe something does not alter the truth of the matter.  That's why it is important to read the Bible, which exposes the Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven.

And lastly, God will not repent or confess your sin for you.  This is something you must do yourself.  It is a condition for forgiveness (see 1 Jn 1:9; Mk 1:15; Ac 2:38; 2 Tim 2:19).  You cannot be forgiven if you do not repent.  This is why repentance is an essential part of salvation initially, and on an ongoing basis.  A daily life of repentance is the shortest path to God's mercy.  Therefore, if you are still struggling with this message, I recommend reading A Warning to the Nay Sayers, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, and Restored Truth.
 
Putting it All Together
The Lord began speaking to me two years ago about the need for purity and holiness in the marriage bed, and had already convicted me of certain things He was not pleased with, from which I then repented at that time. This message provided a confirmation that I have indeed heard from God, and also gave me further warnings that I needed to hear at this time.  I do not question this revelation for a moment.  I am positively sure the devil did not give this pastor this revelation.  The devil is the inventor of these evil things, so why would he want to warn us not to do them.

For those who say this is legalism, I will respond to you as the late brother Leonard Ravenhill once said, “When there's something in the Bible that churches don't like, they call it legalism.” And I will add that "legalistic" is often defined as "anyone who follows the commandments closer than I do."

I have done my part in warning you.  As the pastor said, I have cleared myself by warning you, regardless of what you decide to do with it.  I counsel you that we have been led astray by those who have told us that whatever a married couple does together that they both enjoy is fine with God.  That is not true.  It is the devil's deception.

During our engagement period, eighteen years ago, my wife and I read a book by Dr. Ed and Gaye Wheat, called Intended for Pleasure: Sex Technique and Sexual Fulfillment in Christian Marriage; and we now see that much of what he taught was not from God. God is holy and all His ways are holy.  He does not approve of immoral practices, evil acts, lust, or worldliness in the marriage bed of His children.  Anyone performing masturbation and oral sex will not see God, as this is a serious sin before the Lord.  The Lord will will judge all men righteously. Therefore, if you care about your own soul and the soul of your spouse, I urge you to repent and cry out to God for mercy. Any changes you make should be out of total love for Jesus and surrender to Him, understanding Who He is and who you are in Him. Your attitude should be that because you love Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you will do whatever pleases Him by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are a minister who has ignored the Lord's warnings to keep holiness on your matrimonial bed, because you enjoy your sins and are afraid to lose members from your church or supporters from your ministry, and you have compromised, then repent. The Lord is interested in holiness both in the open and in your secrets places. Therefore, prepare to meet your God.

[1] Advances in Urology, Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 768158, 4 pages. Research Article: Mechanisms Predisposing Penile Fracture and Long-Term Outcomes on Erectile and Voiding Functions. Leonardo O. Reis, Marcelo Cartapatti, Rafael Marmiroli, Eduardo Jeronimo de Oliveira Júnior, Ricardo Destro Saade, and Adriano Fregonesi.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, unless otherwise noted. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: Please prayerfully listen to this testimony, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to this pastor.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not.  

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like Lusting After Your SpouseThe Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, Is Obedience Optional?, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian, An Open Mind that Loves the Truth, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Restored Truth, Pleasing the Lord, Ignorance is Not BlissTesting the Spirits of False Prophets, A Warning to the Nay Sayers, The Ways of Life, Eudoxia Varga Testimony of Heaven and Hell, and the other posts on the home page. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Judgment Seat of Christ

There are people who teach that Christians will undergo a different kind of judgment than non-believers.  This has led to misconceptions and confusion about eternal judgment, which is one of the elementary truths of the faith that we should all understand clearly.

“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” (Heb 6:1-2)

So we need to examine the Scriptures and see what is meant by eternal judgment. 

Its Eternal Consequences
First of all, based on the passage above, it is eternal in nature in that the decision rendered by God at that point is irreversible and final.  As Jesus taught, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Mt 25:46).  It determines the eternal destination of the person being judged, so it is permanent.  And in light of the tremendous glories of heaven, as well as the enormous horrors of hell, the consequences of this judgment are of the utmost seriousness.

One Judgment for All Mankind
Jesus taught one judgment seat for all mankind.  "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” (Mat 25:31-33)

At the judgment, all the nations will be gathered before Him.  The Father has entrusted all judgment to Him (Jn 5:22).  Therefore, He will separate the people from one another, putting the righteous sheep on His right and the wicked goats on His left.  Both the righteous and the wicked will stand before the same judgment seat.

Standard of Judgment
The same standard of judgment will be used for both the righteous and the wicked. It will be based on what they did and didn’t do.

Note the standard for the righteous:
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'” (Mat 25:34-40)

Note the same standard He will use for the wicked:
"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Mat 25:41-46)

We know that we are saved by grace through faith, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).  And it is only by the blood of Jesus that we can be washed of our sin. “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1Jn 1:7) But according to Jesus, the standard that He will use will be the same one for both the righteous and the wicked. To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of His, even the least of them, you did it to Him, and to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Him.

We know we must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, and “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9)  But being a believer is not the same as being righteous.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'” (Mat 7:21-23)

He will have to tell some of those who call Him Lord to depart from Him, because although they believed in Him and confessed His name, they practiced lawlessness. They prophesy and perform miracles, but they do not do the will of the Father.  This is why it is so critical to be a doer and not only a hearer of the Word of God, because Jesus said that those who hear His words and act on them will be able to withstand the judgment like the house built on the solid rock. However, those who hear His words and do not act on them are foolish, because they will be destroyed like the house built on sand.

Our actions include the words we speak, which are part of the same standard the Lord will use in the judgment.  Jesus also said, "But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mat 12:36-37).  By this He meant that both His disciples and everyone else would give an accounting on judgment day for every careless word they have spoken. Since our words may either justify or condemn us, we must be very careful not to open our mouths easily.  And if we do speak a careless word, we should repent and ask forgiveness.

Timing of the Judgment
Jesus taught that the eternal judgment would occur when He returns in His glory and all the holy angels with Him (Mt 25:31).  Beyond that I prefer not to get into exact details about the timing of the judgment, since it is a future event and it’s not necessary for us to know the exact sequences of such things.  Any issues relative to timing would not affect the fact that there will be a Day of Judgment.

The apostle Paul said the judgment will happen "On the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." (Rom 2:16)

The Judgment Seat
At that time, the Lord Jesus will sit on His glorious throne (Mt 25:31).  This is the judgment seat of Christ.

John saw this throne and said, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them” (Rev 20:11).  He is so terrifying on His judgment seat as to cause earth and heaven to flee from Him.

The apostle Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:10-11).

In his epistle to the Romans, he called it the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, when he wrote: "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to his deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.  (Rom 2:5-11).

God does not show favoritism.  So whether you are a Jew or a a Gentile believer in Christ, God will render to each person according to his own deeds.  That is why it is so important to do good, so that you may receive glory and honor and peace, rather than the tribulation and distress of those who do evil.

The Purpose of the Judgment
Some people try to twist Paul’s words to make them say something different than what Christ taught, but we must understand all the teachings of the apostles through the Words of Jesus. They cannot be interpreted in such as way that contradicts Jesus.  Yet some cite the fact that the word translated “judgment seat” here is the Greek word “bema,” meaning “a step, that is, foot breath; by implication a rostrum, that is, tribunal: - judgment-seat, set [foot] on, throne.” (Strongs).  They admit that this word connotes the kind of raised platform where a Roman magistrate or ruler sat to make decisions and pass sentence, which is correct.  However, even though they admit the word refers to the place of judgment occupied by rulers and magistrates to make decisions and pass sentence, they prefer to emphasize the analogy of the athletic games. They say that Paul used this Greek word in light of his frequent reference to athletic games, since such a raised platform was used in the Olympic games, at which the judge rewarded those who had won.  They force every aspect of the Olympic awards ceremony to fit, as if God must conform to man’s rules.  They say that no punishment is meted out to the losers at such a judgment, only rewards for the winners or loss of rewards for others.

In fact, Lewis Sperry Chafer states: “It cannot be too strongly emphasized that the judgment is unrelated to the problem of sin, that it is more for the bestowing of rewards than the rejection of failure.” (Systematic Theology, Vol. IV: Ecclesiology-Eschatology, Dallas Seminary Press, Dallas, TX, 1948, p. 406).  They teach that the bema judgment is not to judge believers for sin of any kind, confessed or unconfessed; however, this does not agree with the context of the passage written by the apostle Paul.

First, Paul stated, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,” which agrees with what I have already stated, and which Jesus taught, that it is one judgment for all nations.  Elsewhere Paul had said, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.  For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Rom 14:10-12).  In this context, Paul was warning believers not to judge their brothers, since we will all stand before the judgment seat of God, and each one will give an account of himself to God.

Secondly, Paul stated the purpose of the bema judgment is “so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  The Greek word for “recompensed” is “komizo,” meaning, “properly to provide for, that is, (by implication) to carry off (as if from harm; generally obtain): - bring, receive.” (Strongs).  Each one may receive or be provided with what is due to him or her for the deeds in the body, meaning those committed while living on earth. This recompense is for both good and bad.  It relates to what each person has done. The word for “done” is the Greek word “prasso,” meaning “to practice, that is, perform repeatedly or habitually; commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts” (Strongs).  This agrees completely with the teaching of Jesus that He will judge each one based on what they did and didn’t do, whether they did good and bad.

Therefore, the only sins that are not dealt with are the ones that have been forgiven by God and washed away in the blood of Jesus.  The Lord will never bring up any sins that He has forgiven, because when He forgives, he remembers them no more.  As the Scripture says: “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Heb 8:12).  Yet the only way to receive forgiveness for sin is to repent of it before God, confess it, and ask forgiveness.  That is why the apostle John placed the conditional word “if” on the phrase, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn 1:9). To say we are already forgiven for unconfessed sin is incorrect and unbiblical. 

In the epistle to the Hebrews, Paul wrote, "For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries." (Heb 10:26-27)

That is why we do fear the Lord when we think about the eternal judgment, which is why Paul went on to say, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.” (2Co 5:11).  Paul spoke in the context of the bema judgment about the terror of the Lord.  He said, including himself, “we,” when he said, “knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men.”  However, the proponents of the “rewards-only” bema seat judgment for Christians don’t quote the verse in its proper context.  They leave the part out where Paul said in the context of the bema seat judgment, “We know what it is to fear the Lord…” Paul knew what it was to fear the Lord, and this was one of the main reasons why he tried to persuade men to live for Christ.

Confidence in the Day of Judgment
The Scripture tells us that we may have confidence on the Day of Judgment and how that is possible.  The apostle John said:

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” (1Jn 4:15-17)

This is a key passage to know and live by, if you want to have confidence on the Day of Judgment.  This is the only way you can be free from the fear of punishment on that day.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us.” (1Jn 4:18-19)

But if you desire to have confidence at the judgment, which John spoke of, rather than fear, it’s not enough to simply say “I confesses that Jesus is the Son of God.” Of course, you must believe in the Son of God in order to have eternal life (1 Jn 5:10,13).  But you must also act on the words in the rest of John’s epistle.  He said many hard things about the narrow path we must walk to reach heaven.  If you hate your brother and say you know God, you’re a liar.  Nobody who hates his brother truly loves God (1 Jn 2:9; 4:20). If you don’t love, then you don’t know God (1 Jn 4:8). You’ve got to love your brother in deed and truth (1 Jn 3:7,19). You can’t have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness (1 Jn 1:6). You must walk in the Light as Jesus is in the Light (1 Jn 1:7). If you say you have no sin, the Truth is not in you (1 Jn 1:8). If you say you’ve come to know Him and you don’t keep His commandments, you’re a liar (1 Jn 2:4). You’ve got to love God and keep His commandments (1 Jn 3:22-24; 5:2-3). If you love the world or the things of this world, the love of the Father is not in you (1 Jn 2:15). You’ve got to abide in Christ if you want to have confidence and not shrink away at His coming when He appears (1Jn 2:28). You must purify yourself just as He is pure, which is as pure as the River of the Water of Life itself (1 Jn 3:3). No one who abides in Him sins or practices sin (1 Jn 3:6,9). You may not sin (1 Jn 2:1).  In fact, no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him (1 Jn 3:6). If you practice sin, you’re of the devil. You must practice righteousness (1 Jn 3:7,19). Therefore, if you do sin, you must repent and confess your sin in order to be forgiven (1 Jn 1:9).  If we do, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The Great White Throne Judgment
As I’ve already pointed out, some teach that there will be two judgments, one for the believers and another for the non-believers.  They say the bema judgment is for believers and the “Great White Throne Judgment” is for non-believers.  However, I hope that I have made it clear there is one judgment. If you are still not clear about this, then I kindly refer you back to my previous section in this article, called One Judgment for All Mankind.  Here is what John saw:

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev 20:11-15).

Let’s look at each part of this passage and compare it with the previous ones I’ve already mentioned:

First, he saw “a great white throne and Him who sat upon it.”  Why should this be different from the throne of judgment about which both Jesus and Paul both spoke? While this is the first time the color of the throne is mentioned in Scripture, it does not mean it is a different throne or a different judgment than what is spoken of elsewhere.

Secondly, John said, “…I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne…” Certainly one could make a case that John saw “the dead” before the throne, and not the living, which would imply that this is not referring to the saints, since we are alive in Christ.  However, if we view this in light of the previous passages in which Jesus and Paul spoke of the judgment, then it could also mean that every person who ever lived will one day stand before the throne for judgment. This would agree with the passages where Jesus and Paul spoke of the eternal judgment.  They both referred to it as the resurrection from the dead.

Thirdly, John said, “…and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds” (20:12).  This agrees completely with what both Jesus and Paul taught about the judgment, whereby we are all judged according to our deeds, which are written in the books.  This is repeated again in verse thirteen, where John wrote, “and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds” (20:13). 

Notice John said, “and another book was opened, which is the book of life;” Jesus spoke of this book when He told His disciples, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luk 10:20).  When you repent of your sins, and put your faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, your name is written in the book of life.  This is a very important, because “…if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (20:15).  The fact that John said, “If” seems to indicate that among all of those standing before the throne, there are some whose names are in fact written in the book of life.  The implication is that these souls will NOT be thrown into the lake of fire.  However, the mistake that people make is thinking that once their name is written in the book of life, it can never be erased.  That is incorrect.  After giving your life to Jesus, if you go back into the world and into a life of sin, your name is erased.  For more on this see The Book of Life.

Fourthly, John said, “…and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.”  This means that after people are already in hell, they will be brought out of hell to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  Hell will literally give up the dead so they can receive their judgment from the Lord Jesus Christ, who sits upon the throne.  This is what some call the second resurrection, because it is the resurrection of the wicked dead, who awake to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan 12:2). However, while that is true, the Scripture simply calls it the second death.

This begs the question why they were in hell if they had not yet received judgment.  The reason is that when a person dies, God knows at the time they die what the final judgment will be on judgment day. How does He know this?  God knows everything before it happens.  He knows the end from the beginning and the beginning from the end.  There is nothing He does not know. 

In order to explain this more clearly, let me use the devil and his fallen angels as an example.  We know the eternal fire is prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41).  It was not created for humans, but for the devil and his angels.  However, Jesus taught that all the wicked go to that same place (Mt 25:41). 

And Peter drew some parallels between the fallen angels and the wicked in the second chapter of his second epistle.  In that passage he said, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;” (2Pe 2:4).  Peter taught that God sent the fallen angels down to hell to be reserved unto judgment.  That means He knew already what their final outcome would be, but He cast them into hell to await the judgment.  They were cast into hell before the judgment, but immediately following the judgment they will be thrown into the lake of fire.

In that same passage, Peter spoke in the same way of the unrighteous people saying, “Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the Day of Judgment.” (2Pe 2:9).  This means that when unrighteous people die, God keeps them under punishment for the Day of Judgment.

Likewise, Paul said, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Heb 9:27).  We know that means exactly what it says, that each person has an appointment with death and we are not going to miss it.  Once we die, then comes the judgment.  It agrees with the fact that the judgment seat of Christ will happen one day at the very end for all mankind.  However, it can also be understood to mean that immediately following death, men must face a judgment that determines whether they will be allowed into heaven or sent to hell to be reserved unto judgment.  In other words, God handles it the same way he handled the fallen angels. 

This is in agreement with what many people have testified, who have received divine revelations from the Lord.  For example, Ezekiel Moses testified that he died, stood before the judgment as a believer, and was sent to hell.  When he stood there for judgment, the angels had the book of life and other books, in which all of his deeds had been recorded. (For more, see Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell). Likewise, Samuel Oghenetega testified that the Lord showed him the day Archbishop Benson Idahosa died and stood before the angels for judgment.  The angels opened the book of life and other books were opened.  His name was not found in the book of life.  Off in the distance he saw the throne of the Lord God Almighty.  It was radiating with such bright, white light, that He could not see God inside the light.  But he saw the hand of God extend outside the glory and raising only His index finger; He waved it back and forth to indicate that Idahosa would not be allowed into heaven.  He was sent to hell.  (For more, see The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness).

I believe that one day, all these people who have been sent to hell will be brought before the judgment throne of Christ to give an account for every deed done while in the body, whether good or bad.  Likewise, all those whose names are written in the book of life, because they followed Jesus, will be in heaven.  And because they are the righteous who have already taken part in the first resurrection, they will not be harmed at all by the second death, which is the lake of fire.  John wrote:

“Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Rev 20:4-6)

First, John said “I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” 

Secondly, he defines this event when these souls come to life by saying, “This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” That can be understood to mean that the first resurrection occurs a thousand years before the Great White Throne Judgment, at which the wicked will be sentenced to the second death in the eternal fire. But even if you don't think so, you must agree that the "first" resurrection occurs first, as the term implies, which places it before the second resurrection.

Since the second death has no power over those who take part in the first resurrection, then when they stand in the judgment, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.  In other words, they will not be thrown into the lake of fire, because their names are written in the book of life. They will have confidence on the Day of Judgment.

Thirdly, in John's description of those who take part in the first resurrection, he said, "I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them." This reference to the righteous sitting on thrones and judgment being given to them agrees with the words of the apostle Paul, who said the Lord's people will judge the world (1 Cor 6:2). These are the righteous who endure to the end; they will take part in the first resurrection and will awake to everlasting life to reign with Christ (Dan 12:2; 2 Tim 2:12).  This also agrees with the words of our Lord, who spoke of the King's servants one day being given charge of cities (Lk 19:11-19).  These are the ones who are victorious and do His will to the end, to whom He will give authority over the nations just as He has received authority from the Father (Rev 2:26-27).

Striving to Attain to the Resurrection from the Dead
I'd like to say one last word about participating in the first resurrection and avoiding the second one with its second death -- the lake of fire. There is only one road that anyone can take, if they wish to reach heaven, which is through Jesus Christ -- the Way (Jn 14:6), and it is a narrow road (Mt 7:14).  That road is very difficult and full of hardships (Ac 14:22).  Many have started out on it and then given up.

Therefore Paul said, "I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:10).  Paul did not even claim to have already obtained all this, but he pressed on to take hold of it one day (Phil 3:11). The standard to do so, according to Paul, was participating in Christ's sufferings, being made like Him in His death.  And that's still the standard today, which includes considering all things loss for the sake of Christ, and losing all things (Phil 3:8). In this way Paul hoped to somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead, which is the first resurrection, the one in which the righteous shall participate.

Likewise, our Lord also called it the resurrection from the dead, saying, "but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;" (Luk 20:35).  From this we learn that you must be "considered worthy to attain" to the resurrection from the dead, in order to participate in it.

Jesus also spoke of this first resurrection as the resurrection of the righteous.  He said, "You will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." (Lk 14:14b). So we know that this is when the righteous will be rewarded. I hope it is your desire, as it is mine also, to attain to the first resurrection from the dead, as Paul said.

The Manner and Timing of the Resurrection from the Dead
Our Lord Jesus taught us the manner and the timing of the resurrection from the dead.  He said:

"Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment." (Joh 5:28-29)

Jesus taught that there will be a resurrection of life and a resurrection of judgment.  The first resurrection he spoke of was the resurrection of life, and that is only for those who did good deedsThe resurrection of judgment is for those who committed evil deeds. He said that it would be His voice that all who are in the tombs would hear at a certain coming hour, which would cause them to come forth to one resurrection or the other.

The apostle Paul also taught about the timing and manner of the resurrection from the dead.  He wrote: “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, ‘death is swallowed up in victory.’”  (1Co 15:51-54).

The resurrection from the dead will happen suddenly, in a moment, very quickly, at the time when the last trumpet is sounded.  At that time, the dead will be raised imperishable.

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” (1Th 4:15-17)

The resurrection from the dead will happen at the coming of the Lord, when He descends from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God's last trumpet.  First the dead in Christ will rise, and then we (righteous) who are alive and remain on earth will be snatched up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

The Resurrection and the Life
If it is your desire to attain to the resurrection from the dead on the last day, then you need to follow Jesus, live for Him, and trust Him to keep you. 

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." (Joh 6:38-40)

If you truly believe in Him, you must keep His Word, obeying His commands. Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death." (Joh 8:51) 

“Jesus said to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’" (Joh 11:25-26)

Putting it All Together
So to recap what we have learned from the Scriptures, the eternal judgment has eternal consequences, which are final and irreversible.  There is one judgment for all mankind, one judgment seat, which is the glorious throne of Christ, and one standard of judgment, based on what each person did and didn’t do during his or her life on earth.  Each one of us must appear before the judgment seat, and there are no exceptions.  It’s appointed to each man once to die and then comes the judgment. Each one will be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The righteous will be rewarded at the resurrection of the righteous, which is the first resurrection.  That is the resurrection of the dead that we must all seek to attain to. It will happen at the coming of the Lord, when He descends from heaven with a shout, at the last trumpet.

Some people who teach about the judgment get caught up in the details of timing, sequence, and whether there will be two judgments, rather than one. But to me those are nonessential matters of "arrangement." Getting caught up in those aspects of how it will all unfold, and failing to warn people about the fact that we must all face judgment is a grave mistake that can give many people false confidence that results in their eternal destruction.  However, even if I am mistaken about some aspects of the "arrangement" in this article, I have hopefully communicated the fact that there is a judgment we must all undergo, and that we need to be ready for it.

Thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Resurrection and the Life, it is possible to have confidence on the Day of Judgment.  You must repent of your sin and believe in the Son of God in order to have eternal life, and then your name will be written in the Book of Life. But don’t stop at simply believing or saying you believe.  Act upon the Words of Jesus, proving your repentance by your deeds (Ac 26:20). Maintaining a white robe is connected with your righteous deeds.  Don’t be a mere hearer of His words, but one who keeps His Word and puts it into practice.  Live a righteous life by doing what is right, so that you may be considered worthy to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

If you died today, do you know where you would go?  Just because you think you are saved and going to heaven does not mean you are going there.  Plenty of people say, “I confess Jesus is the Son of God,” yet they don’t live like the apostle John taught in His epistle.  They don’t do what Jesus commanded, and they are like the foolish man who built on sand.  When they die, they are sent to hell with the wicked to await the judgment, while their punishment continues.  On the other hand, plenty of people are trusting in their own good works to save them, and they are wrong also.  We are saved by grace through faith. It is the gift of God; not as a result of works.  You cannot be saved without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  He loves you with an everlasting love, and died on the cross for you. But He won't lower the standard of heaven for anybody.  Please repent and turn to Him, cry out to God for mercy, and trust Jesus to save you today.  Truth, Righteousness and Holiness in Him are the only way that can bring man to heaven.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "All Hail King Jesus" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Book of Life, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, and the other posts on the home page. I also recommend watching the video by Leonard Ravenhill, The Judgment Seat of Christ (video). You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Michael Shigaba's Encounter with Jesus

A Christian brother I know in Nigeria, named Dr. Theophilus Ayodele, recently sent me a video testimony of a brother, named brother Michael Shigaba.  Dr. Ayodele is a civilian medical doctor serving in the military hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Brother Michael Shigaba is a member of the Apostolic Faith Church in Gwagwalada Abuja FCT, Nigeria.  The story below is a transcript of his experience when the Lord Jesus Christ and an angel appeared to him and took him to heaven in the year 2010.  It is based on the video of his testimony as recorded in The Apostolic Faith Church Anthony Village in Lagos State Nigeria.

Brother Michael Shigaba
Brother Michael was raised in a pagan family. By the mercy of God, he was drawn out of that in 1995, and began to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.  But on March 7, 2010, he became sick after an evening worship service. Before he reached home it became worse. His wife had traveled abroad, so he remained at home alone. He cried out to the Lord to heal him, but he became worse.

Around noon the next day, which was Monday, a brother came and prayed for him and said he would be healed.  However, he became even worse.

On the next day, Tuesday, he went to work and when his workers saw him, they immediately saw that he was sick.  They wanted him to go to the hospital, but he refused to do so.  He simply returned home and just rested.

On Wednesday March 10, 2010, he entered his house and asked God to heal him. At one point, he came out to the kitchen for water. As he was going back to the sitting room, he tripped and fell, hitting his head. He opened his eyes and he found himself in another village on top of his mother’s grave, who had just passed away the previous month. She had not been a Christian.  It was very dark there, but suddenly it became very bright. It was so bright he had to cover his face with his hand. Here is brother Michael's testimony in his own words, regarding the amazing encounter that happened next.

Michael Shigaba's Testimony
After a few minutes, I saw a man with white garments, very tall, holding a sword in his right hand. He was coming toward me. He used his sword and pointed at me saying, “Take that Word of God.” And behold, it was a Bible – a very big Bible. He said I should open the Bible and read Proverbs 5:21, which I read. He asked me, “Have you read?” Yes. “Ok. We are going back to your house now.” Immediately [when] He said it I found myself with that angel, that white man, in my bedroom in Gwagadalada Abuja. And now there was a second man there with me and the angel. The room was full of bright light (more than at village). The man was sitting beside my bed, on a chair, although there was no chair in my bedroom. His garments were a brighter white than the other one. And His face was so bright, I could not look at it. He now asked the angel, “Are you back?” The angel bowed before Him and said, “Yes, I’m back, Master.” He said, “Ok.” He called my name. He said, “Mike.” I said, “Sir.” He said, “Do you know Who is talking to you?” I said, “No, Sir.” He said, “Mike, you don’t know me? But you have my picture in your house. But you don’t know Me. I am the Master. I am Jesus.” As soon as He said “I am the Master. I am Jesus,” I became weak. Then I was not able to look at him directly. He had to use His right hand as if He cleaned His face. Then I was able to look at Him. It was wonderful. He said, “Do you know why you found yourself on top of your Mommy’s grave?” I said, “No, Sir.” He said, “Good. It’s because you love that dead woman more than Myself.” (His mother was not a Christian).

I said, “But, Sir…”

He said, “No” in a gentle voice. In fact, I cannot describe how that gentle voice is—very gentle.

He said, “No, no, no, no. Don’t argue. Yes!” And right then, I knew that “Yes”. He said, “What you used to do for me since you came back, from your Mommy’s burial, you have stopped doing it. You used to pray for thirty minutes every day…for the work of God. Have you been doing it?” I said, “No, Sir.”

“What about the Higher Way, the tracts that you used to give people, even at home and the place of work. Have you been doing it? You have been doing it secretly. Nobody knows. But we keep the record.”
I was speechless. I was just looking at him. He said, “Mike,” with a smile. “That is why you found yourself on top of your Mommy’s grave, because you love her more than Me. Now…we are going for a long journey.”

As soon as he said that, my mind thought of money. I now opened up and said, “Sir, there is no money I have. The only money I have is 2,000 inside my Bible.”

He looked at me and He smiled. He said, “Mike, the journey we are about to go on doesn’t need any currency of the world for that journey. Just dress yourself.”

I looked at my “standing hangar” and I brought out the clothes which I had already ironed, and I dressed myself. After I had dressed myself, He looked at me and said, “Mike,” with a smile. He said, "Those clothes you are putting on will not qualify you for the journey."

Overseer: "What dress was that -- shirt and trousers?"

Michael: "Shirt and trousers and shoes."

I said, “Sir.”

He said, “No. No problem. Don’t worry. I am going to dress you well.”

Immediately when he said, “Don’t worry. I am going to dress you.” How we disappeared from that room I cannot tell. Is it through the window or through the door, or through the roof? I cannot tell. The place where I found myself with Jesus and the angel was a very big roundabout. Very big! And it was decorated with flowers, which in fact, my mouth cannot describe those type of flowers. I have never seen that type of flower in this world. Then the glass [pavement] that they use to create that roundabout…this time around I was with [wearing] white, like Jesus and the angel. So, I cannot describe how that place looked.

Then there were two roads, one by the right and one by the left. And Jesus told the angel, “Lead him to the right side.” I was following the angel. As I was following the angel, we started the journey from that roundabout. In fact, the road was so narrow—very narrow—that both sides of the road were decorated with flowers again, just like the roundabout. The flowers—oh, what beautiful flowers!—which my mouth cannot describe. The road was in the middle of those flowers. But the road was very rough. I fact, I could not trek fast on that road like the angel did.

By the right, there were white garments on top of those flowers. White garments! Some garments were old and some were new. And I saw buckets, brooms, and two small towels on top of some of the garments. Then on the left side of the road there were musical instruments. There were violins, trumpets—many! Then there were songbooks that the choir orchestra uses for the service of the Lord. There were there. I looked around. Then I asked Jesus, “Sir, what are all of those things—the garments?”

He looked at me and He said, “Oh, you are wise to ask that question. I am happy to hear that. Yes, I’m happy.” He now said, “These are the garments of salvation that were given to men and women who were born again, who pray through to salvation. The God of heaven gave them this garment of salvation. They belong to the children of God. They have dropped them on their own." That is what He said.  He said, "Those ones that you see -- brooms, buckets, towels...They belong to some ushers." And those are the brooms that we used to clean as ushers! He said, "The instruments, the songbooks, they belong to choirs. They have left! Oh, they used to praise God. They used to praise Us, to worship God, but they dropped them and they left on their own." To where? He said, "Some of them were in miracle centers," which He Himself is not there -- that is Jesus. He said Himself is not there.

There was one particularly white garment [I spotted] that was very new and fresh. I touched that garment. I said, “This one looks like the one my wife used on the day of our wedding.”

He said, “You want to know the owner?”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Just wait until we cross over there. I will show you the owner of that garment.”

The road! He said, “Do you know this road?”

I said, “No, I don’t know this road.”

He said, “This is the road that leads to heaven—very narrow. Were you able to walk faster?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “This is the road that leads to heaven, and that is why some have gone off this road, dropped their garments. And they were complaining about this road. No man, no woman that wants to get to heaven will be able to without passing this road. It’s impossible! Anyone who wants to make heaven must pass through this road. But because it’s very difficult, you see them complaining and murmuring, and then they leave.”

He said He has the power to command, and he will find himself where they are going. But He wanted me to experience that road. That is why He allowed to walk on that road.

As we were going, the garments were on top of those flowers...the instruments, the song books.

There is place we reach with a river, very narrow river. It was such a beautiful river. In fact, he said that a three-year-old child could cross that river. When we got there, Jesus crossed and the angel crossed. But I tried to cross, and I could not cross. Jesus was telling me, “Just cross!” I tried. No way. I cannot cross. He looked at me. He spoke in a language I have never heard.

Immediately when He spoke, I found myself in the middle.

He said, “Do you know why you cannot cross that river?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Without Me, you can do nothing. That is why you cannot cross that river on your own.” And no child of God can do anything without Him.

He said, “Let’s go.”

In fact, that river I can’t describe. The stones inside that water you see there. So beautiful! Pure white stones!

He said, “Let’s go ahead.”

After we left that river, He now brought something like a mobile phone, and He gave it to the angel. He said, “Show him the record!” When I heard it, I didn’t know what He was talking about.

Immediately the angel opened it. It's just like open and close." [Michael motions as if he is opening a flip-top phone]. "Immediately he opened it, and it became a big screen. Jesus now said, “Just sit down and watch.” Immediately when He said, “Just sit down and watch,” He left. And the angel did, too.

So I was looking around for a place to sit. There was nothing to sit down on. After some minutes, Jesus came back again. And He said, “Oh, you are looking for where to sit down. Don’t worry.” He spoke again in another language that I did not understand. Immediately when He spoke, a big stone—white stone!—precious stone!—came out. He said, “Just sit down here.” That is where I sat down. And immediately, the angel came back.

He now told the angel, “Start from the head. Let the angel start from the head.” When he opened the screen, behold, it was our district headquarters, Jabi Church (In Abuja , Nigeria).

He said, “Yes, you know this place.”

I said, “Yes. This is our district headquarters.”

He said, “Ok, let the angel open the inside,” because that was the outside. Then he opened the inside. Ha! The congregation! As I was watching, I saw myself again, in that screen, following Jesus. As we just entered, the ushers—we started from the ushers—some ushers were putting masks on their faces—masks, starting from the ushers. Then the congregation, the majority of [them], were putting masks on their faces.

Then Jesus now asked, “Do you know those people who were putting on masks?”

I said, “No.”

He said, “Ah! Their salvation is fake, and they are still in My house.”

Overseer: Were you able to recognize anybody?

Michael: No, because the masks covered their faces. But those that did not put masks on their faces—oh, the light that shined on their faces was brighter! But I can still recognize some faces in the congregation. You know, I don’t worship there. [I am] not [acquainted with] much people.

Then, after the congregation, the platform. The ministers sit, just a few ministers, that were putting on that mask. I saw our overseer. "Ah!" I said, “This is our overseer.” He said, “Do you know him?”

I said, “Yes.” Oh, the face was shining! I was not able to look at his face a second time.

He said, “I have settled* his case, and I’m still praying for him.”

After that, I saw the wife, our mom. I said, “This is his wife. This is our mother.”

“I have settled* her case, and I’m still praying for her.”

Then our assistant overseer, Brother Hope, the same thing!—and other ministers followed.

He said, “I have settled* their case.” And those in the congregation, that their faces are shining, the same thing.

He said, “I have settled*..." They belong to me.

Then the majority of the choirs were putting masks on. The majority. He said, “Do you see them? They are having fake salvation, like others in the congregation.” He said, “They do not belong to Me.” But one thing Jesus said. He said, “If they can come back today, there would be their garment of salvation. And I’m going to receive them again.”

After that, He now told the angel to bring another group—two groups. The first group was women. In fact, the way the worldly women used to chew their gum—that is how their mouths were so busy—very busy! He said, “You see those people?”

I said, “Yes.”

“That is their own department in My House. That is their own work.”

I was so surprised.

Overseer: Which work?

Michael: That is gossip, backbiting. He said, “That is their own work.”
 
Then the second group—oh, the way they were dressed! These costly clothes, They dress well. All of them were holding food flasks. All of them!

As they were holding the food flasks, I saw them busy, checking other people’s food flasks.

Jesus said, “Do you see them? That is their work again—fashion of the world. They are after the things of the world. They dress like the world.” They don’t belong to Him. “And you see them? They are checking other people’s food. They want to know the kind of food so-and-so family cooks, the kind of food so-and-so individual are preparing —in My House! He said they don’t belong to Him.

He repeated the same thing, He said, “But if they repent and come back to Me, their garment is available. I’m going to give it to them again.”

After that, He now told the angel that opened the branch, the angel opened the branch. Behold, it was my branch where I was worshipping -- the Gwagdalada branch.

I said, “This is my church?”

He said, “Yes! You know this place?”

I said, “Yes, this is my church.”

He said, “Ok.” Behold! All the members, starting from the pastor, Reverend Jima, he was the first person in the queue—one single line! He said I should open to 1 Corinthians 14:40. It talks about doing things decently and in order.

He said, "Heaven is an orderly place, a decent place. But some people are doing things anyhow in the House of God." He said, “In My House.” They are doing things anyhow.

He said, “Look at that single line, starting with the pastor.” And each – both the children and the adults -- were holding golden staff. Golden staff! Each! And there was a fire, a very big fire. Before you cross that fire, you have to put your golden staff inside that fire. Jesus said, “Just watch and see.”

The first person is that pastor. When the pastor got there, he put his golden staff. Immediately the staff came out, back to his hand. And he crossed. And the next person is the assistant pastor. He put down his own staff. It came out again. And so the wife of the pastor, the same thing. And others!

He said, “You see that staff, that represents their salvation. Those that their own came out and they were able to cross, their salvation is genuine.” They belong to Him. But there are some that cannot make it. When they put their staff, it remains there, and they cannot cross. But the children’s (inaudible) is automatic. It’s automatic! And those at the age of accountability, they cannot. They didn’t cross. And what happened is that maybe a husband would cross, and the wife failed to cross. You see the husband begging.

Jesus said, “You see? There is no begging here. And there is no help here.” And He said when they were on Earth, they can beg, they can help each other. When He called that name “earth”, the world, it was then that I remembered, “Did I come from another place?”

He said, “Those people, their own salvation is fake. Their mind is not there, but they’re still in My House. So, because of a little problem, they left. For some, because their prayer is not yet answered, they cannot endure. They left."

They now brought out someone, a sister. I know this sister. I call this sister’s name.

He said, “Do you know her? That is the owner of the fresh white garment you saw on the road. You said how you want to know who the owner is. That is the owner.” And I looked at this sister, who was preparing for her wedding, and the wedding was outside the Church.

He said, “That is the owner. It was just recently that she dropped her own garment, and she’s going to the world. But if she can only turn back now, I am going to receive her back, and give her garment of salvation.

He now said I should read Proverbs 6:27-28, which I read, which is a question there.  After I read of that place, He said, “This is that place. The reason why their clothes are not yet burned is because of His mercy. The reason why they passed that hot coal and their feet did not burn is because of His mercy. But very soon—He said very, very soon—His mercy is going to cease. He’s going to close the door of His mercy. And there will be no more mercy given.

Overseer: The Bible that you read, where did you get it from?

Michael: It was from the screen, but in the village, it was Bible. I hold it like this. But in the screen, He said read it. And behold, the chapter and the verse is there.

Then the angel, after I read that place, the angel now asked Jesus. He bowed down himself and he said, “Master, what is the next for this man?”

He said, “Let him read Daniel 12:13,” which I read. [Editor's note: The verse states: "But as for you, go your way to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise again for your allotted portion at the end of the age." (Dan 12:13)].

He said, “Take him. Let him go and rest, just like what he read in that chapter.”

Immediately when he said that, I found myself in another place this time around. The road, the road was gold. In fact, I cannot describe how that road is. With flowers again. Decorated with flowers. It is different from the other route, the first one.

When you are walking, you see yourself as you are." [Michael looks down as if he is looking at his reflection in the transparent gold pavement.] "Oh! I was afraid. The angel looked at me and said, “Are you afraid? There is no fear here! You will not fall down. You are free. Walk as I’m walking.” In fact, I can’t describe that place. My mouth cannot describe that place. That place, so beautiful. The kind of leaves, the kind of cloud, the weather. In fact, I was so happy, and immediately, I forgot about what I saw in that screen. I forgot about it! Very beautiful place! In fact, I see there was another peace, joy in me, as I was moving, following the angel. It was a beautiful place, a place that I can never forget. I can’t forget.

I travel with my director in the place of work, going to many places, but I have never seen such a place that I can compare with that place. It is a beautiful place.

As I was moving together with the angel, somebody touched my back. I looked. Behold, it was Jesus. He said, “Look at your right side.” I looked at my right side. Behold! My wife and my single brother and the baby. He said, “Do you know these faces?”

I said, “Yes! This is my wife. This is my single brother.”

He said, “What about that baby?”

I said, “My wife is still pregnant.”

He said, “That is your baby. Talk about your baby. That is your baby.”

They were wearing white garments, my brother and my wife and the little baby. They were by the roadside, smiling.

Jesus now said, “Look.” And before them on the front of the road, there was a big gate—very big gate. Oh! The place was very far, but you can be able to see yourself, like a mirror. The gate. Hallelujah songs. It was a wonderful place. I regret of coming back. It was a wonderful place!

Jesus said, “You are going back because of your wife and because of your brother. You remember he’s the only one on earth...” Anytime He said “earth”, I would now say, “So I am from another place?”

He said, “Yes, you are going back.”

I said, “No, I’m not going back.”

He said, “Listen,” with His gentle voice. “This place is obedient. There is no disobedient there.” He said “obedient”. “Whatever you hear here, just obey.”

I was not happy. I know after my God is my wife. I love my wife. But that while I saw the face of my wife, I don’t want to leave that place. I said I should come back because of my wife: no. But that place, whatever they tell you to do, you have to do it! And I turn back—with sadness. I was not happy to turn back. I had already seen the city, the pearly gate. Ahh! It’s a wonderful gate! If I cannot describe that place, how I wish everyone of us here would experience what I experienced.

He now said when we were coming back. He now said, He called me. He said, “Michael.”

I said, “Sir.”

He said, “What is your purpose in life?’

I was speechless.

He said, “Your purpose in life is Me, Jesus, in you. That! You are going back, you are not going to the world, to start pursuing the things of the world.” In fact, after He said it, He said I should read Proverbs 5:8. [Editor's note: The verse states: "Keep your way far from her And do not go near the door of her house." (Pro 5:8)]. I read that place, He now told the angel, “Take him back.” So He told them that I was going back to the world. He said, “Take him back.”

As we were coming, Jesus now called the angel again. He said, "When you’re coming back, cover him with this end time message.” That is what I heard. I don’t know what He gave the angel. Immediately the angel collected it.  How we found ourself in my bedroom, I cannot tell. Myself and the angel again, back to my bedroom. I was surprised. Do you know what happened? The angel said, “Look, look at the bed.” I looked at the bed. I saw myself again, lying down. And myself standing with the angel! He said, “That is your body. That is your house. You know, you have a house. You are free to go out and you are free to come out. You went out. Now enter.”
I was afraid. I said, “No.”

He smiled. He said, “Enter! That is your body.”

I looked at myself.

“It’s okay. You don’t know what you’re going to do. Just lie down, very close.”

I went and I laid down very close to the body, and I became one. Then I started feeling the heat, the hotness of this world of sin. Then I know that yes, it’s just like you are in the AC. And after some time you went out, feel the hotness.

That was 5:00AM, Friday, from Wednesday. The angel now asked, “Where is your CGS?”

I said, “That is the place I kept.”

He said, “Do you know this is the time you use to pray for morning prayer?” And yes, when I was alone, I used to have my morning prayer, 5:30AM. But when I married, my wife said, “No, let’s start at 5:00AM.” And that is exactly the time I came back to this world of woe.

We opened. The angel opened. He said, “Let’s sing hymn number twenty.” We sang together with the angel. He now said, “Lie down.” I laid down, and he said, “The Master said I should cover you with this end-time message. So I’m going to cover you.”

He now brought white cloth and covered me. I was covered with that white cloth. Then after that, the angel left. I don’t know how the angel disappeared from that place. I don’t know. He left.

Overseer: Before you were covered, were you inside your body?

Michael: Yes, I was already inside. I’ve already entered inside my body. Before the angel now asked me, he said, “Where is the CGS?” He left. Then, after the angel left, I saw myself covered with white cloth. I was afraid! I have to shift that cloth beside my bed. It was then that I was able to use my handset and call one of our brothers to come and pray for me. In that text, I told him that I was inside my house since Wednesday. Let him come and pray for me.

When the brother came, it was around 6:00. The brother came. He said, “Ah! Bro Mike, what is the problem?” that since Tuesday has been trying my line till Wednesday. And some time if he tried, it rang. Before they would say, it switch off. And then, when they were there, the angel and Jesus, anytime my phone rang, the angel would just off the handset. He said, “This is no time for you to receive a call,” before we left.

Overseer: Now, when you came back, you were dressed in your natural clothing? What happened to the dress you are wearing?

Michael: When I came back, in fact, the only thing is the cloth that the angel used to cover me and my knickers. The dress that I put on, for the journey, is…that brother that I called, he is the one that picked that dress from the floor with my shoes.

Overseer: …what you were wearing before.

Michael: Yes! But when I came back, I just found myself covered with the cloth and my short knickers.

Then when the brother came, he said, “Ah! What!" He has been trying…


I said, “Yes, heaven visited me…the sickness is for our own good, it’s for our help, it’s for the glory of God.”

Overseer: What happened to your knee? Do you know when you started with that? You were sick, you had a bad headache, and you knocked your head. So when you came back, no more pain like that.

Michael: Yes, no more pain. And when the angel was going, he said, “Do you know that Jesus has healed you?" before he left. But the leg is because of that while we were walking on that route, my leg became heavy, but the head, the pain disappeared. But these two legs I was not able to walk with it then. It was when the brother came and prayed over me that I was able to walk again. Then I now told the brother that I look at that cloth.

He said, “Ah! White cloth? How could?”

I said, “The angel covered—‘

He said, ‘Eh? He said a long journey; two days: a long journey.”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “This cloth that you were—“ he was able to touch the cloth. He folded it with fear! And kept it somewhere. He prayed over me and then he was preparing to go to work. So he said when he comes back from work, he will hear better. Then he has called my senior brother from the town to come down.

When the brother left, it was around 12:00PM that my brother came. When he entered, he said, “Ah! What is the problem? Hen   …since four days before this now, we have been trying your line. It was no going.” He said it was later that they told him I am sick.

I said, “Yes, but Jesus has healed me already.” My mind still went to that cloth. I now told him that, “Check that cloth.”

He said, "Which cloth?” He looked at the wardrobe. He said, “Ah!” He was afraid. He said, “This cloth is not ordinary. Where did you get it?”

I said, “Yes, I traveled with Jesus.”

For him to touch that cloth, he was afraid. I said, “Just try to open it.” It was when he opened it that I noticed there is something—there is a writing there. Even myself, I didn’t know that there is a writing there.

He said, “This is blood?’ The brother started weeping. He said, “This is blood. How?”

I said, “No. Jesus said that is the end time message. Can you read it?” He read it. He said, “’Jesus is coming soon.’” He started weeping. He started weeping.  He said, “How do you –-We can—How do you?— You can touch it?” And when we were coming back, Jesus said, “When you go back, tell the head of the church!" That is what Jesus said. "Tell the head of the church.” That is what He said before we came back with the angel.

I now folded it inside black nylon and I tie it. On Sunday, I went to the church. I met the pastor. I speak everything. He said, "Ahh!" The man was afraid. He was weeping! He said, “Ok, what is there on Monday, by the grace of God? I am going to pray for you so that the Spirit of God will remind you so that you will not forget. You will go and meet the overseer. I am not the head. Go and meet with the overseer. And I am going to try to call him that you are coming.”

On that Monday, I go the overseer’s office. He was not on site. And on Wednesday, as I was going back, the devil said, “Ah! There is no need for you to go and meet your overseer. In fact, you will not even meet him. That you have already told the pastor, ‘What is the need of you to go and tell your overseer?’” I said, “Ah! This is the voice of the devil. Is it not the pastor that said I should go and tell the overseer? I entered the vehicle. There is a place called the [inaudible around 50:49]. After we passed that place, the front tire of that vehicle busted. I said, “Whether you like it or not (the devil), I am going to deliver that message.”

Overseer: Was there any other message that you were supposed to give to the head of the church?

Michael: [Shaking his head, “No."] That was just [my testimony of the experience].

Michael: So before I went to the overseer’s place, that Sunday that I met the pastor, when I came back with that cloth, that I was going to the overseer’s next day, which is Monday, the cloth came out from that nylon. I tied the nylon, but it came out on its own. In fact, it was that time that I was afraid to handle the cloth. It was then that I went and bought a new brown envelope. I kept it.

Overseer: You put it in a black nylon before, and it came out on its own? Now you have a brown envelope where you keep it and nothing. How did you get the brown envelope?

Michael: Yes, sir… (inaudible)…I bought it.

Overseer: And you put the cloth inside the brown envelope.

Michael: Yes. And it is then that the cloth has been there.

[At this point in the video, the cloth is held up by two people who are standing behind it to display it.]  

Overseer: The name of two people you mentioned you didn’t mention their names. The first brother that you called when you came back to your senses, and then secondly your brother that came to your house.

Michael: The first brother that I mentioned is, his name is Bro DimejiYusuf.  He is the organist in our church, (Gwagdalada) church, by the grace of God. And the second brother is my senior brother, that is Bro Samson Shigaba. …On the road to heaven, yes.

Overseer: That is the same person you saw [beside the road to heaven near the pearly gate].

Michael: On that Wednesday that I finally met the overseer, as I was coming back, I started praying, telling God, committing my wife into His hand, that God should please on that date for her, on the day that she would deliver. Let her deliver safely. God said I should stop praying. I should start praising Him. And immediately I started praising Him. He now said stop. He now asked me a question. Can I remember the date of my wedding? I said, “Yes. It was on the nineteenth, Friday, September 2008.”

He said, “Okay. Watch! I’m going to surprise you on that nineteenth.” Then I don’t understand. I continued praising Him.

Then Thursday I now called my wife that there I’m coming to Zaria tomorrow, Friday, by the grace of God. She said, no, what she needs is prayer, that I should not disturb myself, that the money I have, I should be managing it. That the brethren are praying for her, and I should just be praying for her. I said, “No. no problem. God has already made a way for me. I’m coming down.”

On Friday, I got there. After I entered the vehicle, God said, “As you are going, you are to hold your baby.”

I said, “Amen.” Twice!

When I got there, oh! I looked at my wife. She said, “Yesterday that you called, which is Thursday, immediately you finished talking with me, the baby, the labor started little.” That was 2:11AM [when] I got to Zaria.

After we talked for some minute, the labor become much. She cannot talk to me again. I was inside the mother’s sitting room while she was inside the bedroom. God said, “What are you waiting for? Go on your knees.”

It was around 11 AM. I went on my knee. I said a prayer. And she was there, praying. It came a time that she cannot even pray again.

From that 11 AM till 17 minutes past 3, the baby came out.  I heard the cry of a baby. Then I have already called the pastor and some of our brethren.

When the baby came out, God said, “Look at the calendar.” It was our church calendar, (inaudible). Behold, it was the nineteenth, which is Friday again. He said, “You remember the date of your wedding?”

I said, ‘Yes.’

He said, “That is it. I surprised you. I told you that I’m going to surprise you.”

I don’t know how to describe this God. That is how the baby came out, on the same date!

Overseer: But then, Brother Mike, why are you surprised? We’ve heard before that women delivered on the date of their marriage.

Michael: You know, God said that He was going to surprise me. And that is why. It happened. Exactly what God said.

The video is prefaced by an audio introduction by the present overseer of the Apostolic Faith Church in Lagos, Reverend Adeniran. This is the head of the church whom the Lord Jesus told Michael to take the message to.  He endorses the testimony and says we should accept it along with the end time message, because "the cloth is here."

Watch Michael's Video Testimony.

The White Cloth with Its End Time Message
White cloth from heaven with end time message in blood
When the Lord sent brother Michael back to earth, he handed the angel a white cloth and told him to give Michael this end time message and cover him with it.  Since the cloth and the message written on it came from the Lord, and the message is about the Lord Himself, the message must be written in none other than His own precious blood. Dr. Ayodelle advised me that the church obtained forensic lab testing on the blood that is on the cloth and the results determined that it is not normal blood.

In brother Michael's testimony, he said that when he returned to his body and showed the cloth to people, they were afraid to touch it.  They noted that it was no ordinary cloth and wondered where he got it.  They wept when they saw it and read the writing upon it.  This was true of the two brothers who came to Michael's home, as well as his pastor. 

The white cloth with the end time message
I looked at the photo of the cloth very carefully, zooming in to the highest level of magnification in my photo software, so that I could see individual pixels.  When I did so, I made the following observations:

1. The blood turned the cloth whiter along the edge of the written letters.  It is not visible to the naked eye unless you zoom in to a high magnification level with the photo software.

2. The words were written at the bottom right corner as if they were the final words on a page. The implication is that there is nothing else left to happen before the Lord's return.

3. The letters of the very last word ("Soon") were on the very bottom edge of the cloth, even to the point of being written on the final row of thread.  Again, it emphasized the finality of the time we are in right now, the lateness of the hour, and the nearness of His return.

The word "soon" showing whitening
4. The final stroke of the letter "N" in the last word ("soon") seemed to extend off the cloth!

Seven Lessons Learned
I am personally convinced that this testimony is true, because it agrees with Scripture, there are witnesses, and we have the cloth to prove it, along with its urgent, end-time message written in human blood that is not normal.  So I would like to recap seven of the lessons we have learned from it.

First of all, Jesus is coming soon, and the church is late getting herself ready.  There is no time left to put off getting ready.  That is the most critical message from this entire testimony.

Secondly, this sickness that brother Michael had was for the glory of God, so that we might be warned and have the chance to get ready for the Lord's imminent return. Let us not be like brother Michael, who had left his first love, after his mother died, and had stopped doing the good works he did for the Lord that he did at first.  That is a very dark place to be in, as the Lord showed him when he found himself at the grave of his dead mother, who was not even a believer.  Be careful not to dwell upon dead loved ones, always remembering them and missing them in such a way that it causes you to slacken in your zeal and service for the Lord.  Keep Him first and love Him above all others, even your mother and father.

Thirdly, it is possible to be a born again Christian, who even has a picture of Jesus in your house, and yet not even recognize Jesus when you see Him in person.  Don't let that happen to you! Spend time with Him in prayer and His Word getting to know the real Jesus.  He is holy, all-powerful, majestic, more beautiful than diamonds, and his face shines brighter than the sun.  Angels bow before Him and answer to his beckon call.  He is all-knowing, and keeps the record of everything we do, whether good or bad.  Remember the Scripture the angel gave to brother Michael: "For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths." (Pro 5:21).  If you are spending time with the Lord in private prayer, or handing out gospel tracts to people, He is watching it all and keeping a record.  The same goes if you are putting anyone else or anything else before Him, or if you are not praying and doing good works for Him.

Fourthly, the clothes of this world -- no matter how beautiful -- cannot qualify you for the journey to heaven.  You need to be dressed in the white robe of righteousness that only the Lord Jesus can cloth you in. (See Righteous Deeds and White Robes).

Fifthly, the road to heaven is a very difficult and narrow road! Anyone wanting to get to heaven must take this route.  There is no other way.  Walking on that road is arduous, painstaking, slow going, and requires great effort.  yet those who journey on it have great peace and joy in their hearts.  Many who were once on the narrow road have left it, because it was too difficult, or because of some little problem, and also left their white robes behind on it. This does not mean they have left the Church, because they may in fact still be in the house of the Lord, but their mind is not there. Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14).  If anyone has left the narrow road and returns to the Lord Jesus now before it's too late, their white robe is waiting for them.

Sixthly, many people in Church actually have fake salvation.  They are not putting into practice the words of Jesus and acting upon them.  Instead they are wearing the fashions of this world, concerning themselves with worldly things like food, coveting what others have, backbiting and gossiping about others.  While they may be serving in the Church in various ways, such as choir members, worship leaders, or ushers, they are wearing masks as hypocrites do, which is perhaps why the Lord does not recognize them on judgment day. Although they call Him Lord, He will say to them, I never knew you.  Jesus said, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.' (Mat 7:22-23)

Seventh, heaven is a glorious and beautiful place.  All things there are done decently and in orderly fashion, just like the straight line that brother Michael saw the people lined up in at church, beginning with the pastor and his wife, who were first in line.  We cannot do things any way we like in the Lord's House.  "But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner" (1Co 14:40).  The people in heaven are dressed in white robes; the grass and flowers are beyond human description; the road is paved in pure, transparent gold; the gates of that city are pure gold. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city." (Rev 22:14). Just to see the gates of that city, you would never want to come back to this world of woe. 

There is also another place where the fire burns up people who are not qualified for heaven, although they may be in the Church.  "Can a man take fire in his bosom And his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched?" (Pro 6:27-28).  The only reason they are not being burned up by the fire immediately here on earth is because of the Lord's mercy.  But very soon — very, very soon — His mercy is going to cease. He’s going to close the door of His mercy. And there will be no more mercy given.  No amount of begging by them or their loved ones will change their plight.  They will be unable to pass through the fire without being hurt by it, and they will be destroyed.  While all the little children will be able to pass through the fire and enter heaven, that is not the case with the children who have reached the age of accountability or with the adults who are in church, who do not have a genuine salvation. Therefore, as you walk through this life, stay away from sin, "Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house," (Pro 5:8).

Your purpose in life is not to pursue the things of this world.  Your purpose in life is Christ in you.

Jesus is coming soon! Repent and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Prepare to meet your God!
--

Footnote:
*By the expression "I have settled their case," the Lord meant that the particular people are safe in the arms of Jesus, and are free from harm, since they have genuine salvation and are not hypocrites, unlike some in the congregation.  The Scriptural basis for the expression "settled their case" may be found in John's first epistle, which states: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn 2:1-2)

Credits: All the praise and glory goes to Jesus for giving brother Michael Shigaba this encounter and its message.  And I would like to thank my oldest daughter for the many days and hours she spent lovingly and painstakingly transcribing this entire testimony into writing, so that people all over the world can read it, who may not be able to understand brother Michael's English so clearly.  This written version also provides a means for others to translate it into other languages, so that the maximum number of people may be impacted by it.  I would like to thank my dear brother, Dr. Theophilus Ayodele, for informing me about this testimony and for mailing me a DVD copy of it all the way from Africa.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  Michael Shigaba is not personally connected with this site. Please prayerfully listen to this brother's testimony, and use the Testimony Review Process adopted by this blog, as you decide for yourself whether the Lord has spoken to him.  For issues and concerns, each person must confirm with the Lord, whether something is valid or not. For more information on our position, please see Disclaimers.

You are invited to read or listen to the many, amazing testimonies of the supernatural realm on the Home page of this blog, a few of which are listed below. I also recommend reading Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega,   The Judgment Seat of Christ, Only the Holy -- Three Shocking Testimonies, Angelica Zambrano Hell and Heaven, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Drifting Away, and Discerning the Things of the Spirit. You may access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.