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10-11-2020 weekly message

Meditation of the week: Psalms 91:1-16

Text: Ephesians 4:1-13

Title of the Word: The church of God to be unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ

         When the resurrected Jesus appeared to the Apostle John and told to write to the seven churches, he did not write to each member of the church, but to the angel. Of the seven churches, only the church in Philadelphia was praised by the Lord, and not rebuked at all giving the message that it would not enter into a time of temptation that is the Great Tribulation coming to the whole world:

” I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name... Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. .” (Rev 3:8,10,11)

         The Church of God that became the bride of Christ as well as His body, is to marry to Him only when it reaches the perfect measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. When it marries, it shall become his helper, and come back to the earth with him putting on a crown, and rule with him. He also gave a warning message that that crown could be taken away.

        Apostle Paul knelt down and prayed earnestly for the saints of the inheritance and glory unto the Church of God that received life through the blood of Jesus Christ(Ehisians chapter one through three).  But unfortunately, among those who heard his testimony, everyone in Asia left him (2 Timothy 1:14) and Dema loved the world and also  left him (2 Timothy 4:10).  Jesus spoke unto his disciples, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.“ (Matthew 18:20). He might foresee what is going to happen when the churches of God fall away in the future.

           He testified, “Ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” (v. 1). In the King James English Bible, the word vocation was used instead of calling. The word vocation means a job. Apostle Paul’s testimony here is that the Christian work and profession are to obey Christ in the kingdom of God. What he means is that the job to make a living on this earth should be just “hobby”. All other professions are side jobs, and a Christian’s true profession has nothing to do with astronomy, physics, agriculture, commerce, electrical engineering, architecture, trade, art, music, literature, education, politics, business, economy, civil servants, military and so on .

         The verses “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ” (vs. 2-3) refers to the behaviors we must do when dealing with fellow Christians, It is to the need to strive to become one in the Holy Spirit by bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

        In addition, it is a testimony that we must be one in one hope, one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God.

          Apostle Paul testified to Timothy, a pastor, saying, ” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7). Of what he testified that he had kept his faith to the end, he confessed that he had fought against other Jesus, other gospels, and other spirits that were in the Christian world at that time, and he believed that only Jesus is the Christ. Apostle John also testified of Jesus as the Christ, ” Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” (1 John 5:1)

He testified clearly of Jesus as the only Christ who is the true Savior giving the salvation of the soul.

          However, when we look at the apostated churches in the end times united with the WCC, WEA, and NCCK, most of the churches have accepted different Jesus, different gospels, and different spirits defeated in the spiritual war failed to keep good faith ended up forsaking the Christ to be united with Roman Catholic Church that is the religious Whore Church.

          The testimony of Apostle Paul of “one baptism,” is a very important truth. When Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth and to the Saints in Rome, he testified of its meaning:

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

” Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3).

         Apostle Paul testified of what Christ did before God gave the gifts of Christ to perfect the church to the full measure of Christ:

 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.…..

9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) ” (Ephesians 4:8-10).

        Christ took captives when he rose to heaven when he resurrected. The captives are the saints under the law in the Old Testament period; they were staying in the bosom of Abraham that was the paradise under the earth  Matthew, seeing this sight, testified:

” Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. “(Matthew 27:50-54)

          When Apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, quoting Psalm 16, he testified of where Christ had descended to the lower parts of the earth:

” Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” (Acts 2:29-32)

          That’s right! The lower part of the earth where Jesus descended was the hell where sinners were supposed to go. When Jesus spoke of the sign of Jonah, he shall go down to the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40) as Jonah’s soul cried in the belly of the hell(Jonah 2:2).

          King David and prophet Micah prophesied of the reason why  Jesus descended to the hell after he died and buried:

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.“(Ps 103:12)

“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.“(Micah 7:19)

          The Lord Jesus had our sins transferred unto his flesh unto death, and descended to the hell, and cast all our sins into the fire of the hell. Finally he rose again with the body without sin.

           Apostle Paul testified that Christ gave gifts for the remaining saints in the Church of God on earth as he ascended into heaven to take the Old Testament saints in captivity:

” And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-13).

          Apostle Paul in his last letter unto Timothy charging saying, “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.“(2Tim. 4:5)

For those called as pastor and teacher, he testified that they have to teach the scriptures in details. He testifies of the scriptures:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:“(2Tim. 3:16)

           That’s right! To have the church of God reach unto the perfect measures of God and to fulness of Christ, the man called as pastor and teacher has to teach all the words of God, and have the saints understand the words of God, and have them put of the whole armor of God. This is the way for the saints to be clothed with Christ.

         Apostle Paul encouraged the saint who had learned the words of God from him:

 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:“(Eph. 4:14-15)

       Nowadays, we are living in the time of falling away of the churches of God that have forsaked the sound doctrines. We have to be awakened spiritually to pray for all our soul and all our spirit and all our body blameless at the coming of Christ.

Amen! Hallelujah!