PLEASING THE MASTER IN TIMES LIKE THESE – PART ONE

PLEASING THE MASTER IN TIMES LIKE THESE –  PART ONE

 

 

Beloveth, toady, I want to speak on: Pleasing the Master in Times Like these.

 

Pleasing the Master in Times Like these

 

PRAYER

 

Our Father and our God, we want to say thank You for the way You have been with us these days, the blessings we have received, those you have touched. You’ve ministered to us in various ways. Thank You for safety, thank You for salvation, thank You for healings in Your presence. We pray, dear Lord, that each many would go home with measurable blessings that will touch many lives, that would glorify your Name, even more…in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

Pleasing the Master in Times Like these

 

We have two tasks in this discussion: first, we need to clarify what we mean by “times like these”; and secondly, we need to explore the way to please the Master in such times. Certainly, the scriptures and experience especially the former, that’s the scriptures, will aid us in accomplishing this task.

 

Let’s go to the scriptures as we explore what we mean by “times like these”. The first scripture we would look at is 1 Timothy 4:1-2.

 

1 Timothy 4:1-2

 

1Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

 

 

In 2 Timothy 3:1-7,

 

2 Timothy 3:1-7

 

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

Finally, Jude 17-19.

 

Jude 17-19

 

17 But you, beloveth, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ:

18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk at to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

 

What does times like these mean? From the above scriptures, the following are clear regarding the times in question:

  1. We are in the times already – as indicated by latter times, in 1 Timothy 4:1;
  2. In the last days, 2 Timothy 3:1;
  3. And in the last time Jude 18.

 

  1. Experience tells us that the times the scripture spoke of are upon us already.
  2. Secondly, these times are engineered by deceiving spirits and deceiving men and women. False preachers, false teachers who do not have the Spirit of God in them: which means they are not born of God – for any one who does not have the Spirit of God is not of His – in Romans 8.
  • Thirdly, these times are times of religious apostasy. The time of departure from the faith marked by false teachings, marked by spiritual blindness, extreme selfishness, moral decadence, unspeakable wickedness or cruelty, dysfunctional families and many social or societal ills. We’re in those times.
  1. Fourthly, these times are dangerous times; they are times of uncertainty.
  2. And then fifthly, they are times of untold difficulties and hardship.

 

 

Today we find that the religious landscape around the world and also where we live – the religious landscape is awash with unimaginable strange doctrines: strange strange doctrines everywhere. And these strange doctrines attract adherents – followers in the millions. Fables are paraded as Gospel Truth.

In our day, we see legalized infanticide. By infanticide I mean the murder of helpless babies within the divinely mandated safety of their mothers’ wombs: and we call it abortion. It is legalized in a number of places. Today, we see the divine institution of marriage and family turned up-side-down. Legally in many parts of the world today men marry men; women marry women; even incestuous relationships are explained away as normal or near normal.

 

Listen to this shocking story of our times. This thing happened recently in the United States. And I quote: “According to USA today, a mother in New Mexico, in the United states, gave her son up for adoption when he was a baby. He’s now 19 years old. They found each other on Facebook last year and began a sexual relationship.” This is a mother and son. The quote goes on to say, “They have been arrested for incest and now want to bring attention to something called ‘genetic sexual attraction,’ defined as: ‘intense sexual desire that can arise between genetically related people who are united in Adulthood, after having been denied the opportunity to form proper emotional bonds.” Advocates want to “eliminate the irresponsible stigma associated with such relationships.” The minister of God who brought this quote continues to say, “You and I…” [Those in the United States – and of course it applies to where we live in Nigeria. “You and I live in a culture which no longer has the tools necessary to determine right from wrong.” This quote is August 12th 2016.

 

Time will not permit us to discuss the times in which we live even in a summarized form. But for those of us who live in Nigeria we do not only see the many of the evils and dysfunctions the scriptures reveal – we also experience personally the uncertainties, the difficulties, the economic hardships brought about by man’s inhumanity to man – otherwise nicknamed corruption. Corruption in the Nigerian context has been defined so narrowly that the corrupt people sit in judgment over corrupt people. I don’t know what corruption is anymore when allocation of resources and appointment are so unfair that they shout to the high heavens and yet are not heard by those who are responsible for them.

 

We will continue from here next time.

 

Shall we pray.

 

PRAYER

 

Our Father, we want to say thanks again for leading us through these times secluded to seek your face. Lord, we are trusting that as many as have sought You with their whole heart shall find You. And Lord, are there some still who do not know the Savior, it is my prayer that the Spirit of God will go after them with conviction  – conviction of sin of righteousness and of judgment – and then not only to convict but to convert them that they would become children of the Living God. And those who have made up their minds to please You the Master, to love You with their whole hearts, it is my prayer, Holy Spirit, that You would enable us, that You would enable everyone who has taken this position –  this stand; for You know apart from You we can do nothing. Glorify Yourself in Your saints. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen!

Comments(9)

  1. Reply
    Dzungwenen Mbanyaghen says:

    Your Sermon is apt and edifying

    • Reply
      I A says:

      To GOD be all the glory

  2. Reply
    Pastor Yomi Pedro says:

    I will be so glad to be having more soul lifting messages like this from time to time on my my mails.

    • Reply
      I A says:

      We thank the LORD for speaking to your heart through the lips of clay. Remain blessed

  3. Reply
    Peters says:

    Thank God for this .it’s inspiring.

  4. Reply
    Ekpa Priscilla says:

    This message is so inspiring. Can we have the conclusion part?

  5. Reply
    Unimniake J Ugbe says:

    Great message for our times.Need the concluding parts.

  6. Reply
    Odenusi Oluwafunke says:

    This is a divine and spirit lifting message

  7. Reply
    Anyim Daniel C says:

    This is very inspiring message.
    Can I get the concluding part of it through my email.
    More grace to you sir.

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