The Penalty and the Prize
Last week,
as I told you, I believed that the Father wanted me to discuss the remedy to
cure the separation between God and His people, when such a separation exists.
I say when such a separation exists because as we have been taught in
scripture, not all people are separated from God. Saints do walk among us and
there are those who are in a right relationship with God. Jesus said this, “I
came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” This clearly lets
us know that, by His own words, righteous men and women do exist. Further, we understand
that all who choose to follow Jesus should purify ourselves and aspire to be
saints of God, for scripture tells us this, “Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every
man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
And,
“For God
is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
“All
scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Jesus
would not compel His followers to walk as He did if it were not possible. He
would not compel his followers to be holy and perfect if it were not possible
and desired by God. When you read the New Testament scriptures you will find
many instances, especially in the epistles of Paul, where he refers to some
people within the new churches, as saints.
Unfortunately,
today many teach that sinlessness is impossible and they keep people in a state
of sin cycles never really encouraging them in the gospel truths that should
lead the people of God to unity with him. And yes, we know that the bible
teaches us this,
8 If we
say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we
say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the
transgression of the law.
5 And ye
know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him,
neither known him.
7 Little
children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,
even as he is righteous.
8 He that
committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of
the devil.
9
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this
the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever
doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For
this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one
another.
12 Not as
Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he
him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel
not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know
that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that
loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath
eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby
perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But
whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up
his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My
little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in
truth.
19 And
hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before
him.
20 For if
our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do
those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And
this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus
Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he
that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we
know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Contrary to popular belief, even the rich man can enter the kingdom of heaven. Regarding this subject so many speak this,
23 Then
said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall
hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24 And
again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
And
usually that is as far as the preaching goes or the extent of the idea Jesus
was trying to share when there is so much more to what He is trying to convey.
It is not about being rich in and of itself, it’s about being so attached to
wealth and riches that that is where your hope, faith and trust reside. The
scriptures go on to say,
25 When
his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be
saved?
26 But
Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with
God all things are possible.
With God,
all things are possible. Even sainthood, in fact, with God, it is expected. It
is by a devilish spirit or lack of faith and belief, or all of these reasons
for that matter, that makes a preacher preach anything but striving for
perfection and holiness by a right relationship with God. Though there are many
who preach compromise and resignation to human nature covered by grace, we know
different. With God all things are possible. With sin there is no safety in
numbers. With sin death are the wages. We choose life, and life more abundant,
now and ever after. There is and ever
after. This is a promise from our Savior. Will we spend it with Him in everlasting
reward or else ware in everlasting penalty?
In a day
and age of lack of accountability, when few are taught consequences for
actions, the word penalty can seem harsh to most. It should. Today the
disobedient and lawless complain about feeling fearful. They complain about
being labeled with descriptive words designed to categorize their unacceptable
behaviors. Why shouldn’t the lawless be in fear? Today people actually condemn
law enforcement for making people live in fear of being caught, convicted and
made to answer for their crimes. We are truly living in a time where good is
being called evil and evil good. This even happens in churches and with pastors
who do not want to be made a subject of conviction and accountability. So many
fail to teach the truth of the existence of the Holy Spirit for this reason.
Penalty is
a descriptive word that describes an accounting due to some sort of violation
or mis behavior. Our father in Heaven is not a fan of penalizing. He would
rather all come into the knowledge of who He is and what He offers. Penalizing
the unrighteous is far less about a desire to punish workers of evil with the
everlasting lake of fire, but much more about protecting the sanctity, peace
and everlasting life of love and joy in the kingdom of heaven. There is a
heaven and there is a hell. The time to decide on a destination is now. Jesus
wanted His disciples to preach the full gospel of repentance for the remission
or cessation of sin, to all creatures. This to lead to salvation and reward.
Not penalty and suffering. But realize, scripture is quite clear there are
penalties found by living a life in unrepented sin and doing evil. Here are but
a few examples of what scripture teaches us.
Matthew
3:11-12
11 I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12 Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat
into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Matthew13:38-43
38 The
field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the
tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The
enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and
the reapers are the angels.
40 As
therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the
end of this world.
41 The Son
of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And
shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of
teeth.
43 Then
shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who
hath ears to hear, let him hear.
John
3:3-5
3 Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter
the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
1Corinthians
6:7-10
7 Now
therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with
another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded?
8 Nay, ye
do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
9 Know ye
not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived:
neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers
of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor
thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelations
20:12-15
12 And I
saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and
another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged
out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of
fire.
Revelations 21:8
8 But the
fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake
which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
1 For,
behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and
all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them
up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Ephesians
5:2-7
1 Be ye
therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2 And walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
3 But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named
among you, as becometh saints;
4 Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but
rather giving of thanks.
5 For this
ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an
idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no
man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath
of God upon the children of disobedience.
7 Be not
ye therefore partakers with them.
Matthew 25:41-46
41 Then
shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I
was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a
stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in
prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then
shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee?
45 Then
shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not
to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life
eternal.
Matthew 25:31-40
31 When
the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And
before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he
shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I
was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was
a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked,
and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came
unto me.
37 Then
shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and
fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When
saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when
saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the
King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew
7:13-14
13 Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because
strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few
there be that find it.
13 I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of
life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For
without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and
idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Romans
6:19-23
19 I speak
after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have
yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity;
even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For
when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What
fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of
those things is death.
22 But now
being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto
holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Revelation
3:19-22
19 As many
as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him
that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also
overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that
hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
1Corinthians
9:24-25
24 Know ye
not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run,
that ye may obtain.
25 And
every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Psalm
16:5-11
5 The Lord
is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The
lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will
bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the
night seasons.
8 I have
set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be
moved.
9
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in
hope.
10 For
thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to
see corruption.
11 Thou
wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right
hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Matthew
5:10-12
10 Blessed
are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed
are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
James
1:12
12 Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the
crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Psalm
1:1-3
1 Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the
way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his
delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and
night.
3 And he
shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his
fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth
shall prosper.
7 Blessed
is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
8 For he
shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by
the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and
shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding
fruit.
John
14:1-3
1 Let not
your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my
Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also.
We know
that Gods ways are higher and His thoughts are not our thoughts. What He has
planned is beyond our thoughts, beyond our imagination. He tells us this, “For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace,
and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and
ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek
me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”
After a time,
walking with the Lord, seeking His counsel in all things while sincerely
working to be a doer of the word of God, I have come to find that the more I
learn the more I desire to learn more and the more I experience, the more I
long to increase experiences. I am sold out, on fire and know by my own
testimony that God is real. Anyone who chooses, can have experiences with the
heavenlies that can only lead to a belief in Him and His word and His Holy
Spirit. After a while one begins to accumulate experiential testimonies that certify
the existence of the Kingdom of heaven.
In 2009 I was in a town in east Africa called Sumbawanga. Sumbawanga means throw out the witches. While in this town I was playing soccer with some street children in a small dirt parking lot next to my hotel. In the middle of our game some of the children stopped as a messenger entered our field and spoke a word to one of the players. After the message was conveyed the small boy came to me and asked, in extremely broken English, if I would go to the House of a woman named Ester. You see, this wasn’t my first trip to Sumbawanga. I had met Ester on my first trip. Ester was a woman who was suffering from HIV. On my first trip, some months before, I was introduced to her and we prayed over her for healing. Now on this second trip, Ester heard that I was in the town and asked one of the children to find me and ask if I would visit her again. So me and about a dozen children left the soccer lot and walked to Ester’s house. She welcomed us in with gladness. We all entered and the children sat along the walls of the living room. This is when an amazing thing began to happen. I spoke virtually no Swahili and they no English however I found myself talking to the children about Easter her illness and the importance of prayer and faith in God for miracles of healing. It was in the middle of the talk when I realized that this house full of people who spoke no English and I who spoke no Swahili were understanding each other. Our conversations were being translated. It seemed as if I spoke in English and they heard in Swahili. They spoke in Swahili and I heard in English. I had instructed the children in what scripture said about the laying on of hands and praying believing with your whole heart. It was amazing we were in a special atmosphere. When I said that we were going to lay hands on and pray for Ester she came to the center of the room and knelt down. I stood behind her and encouraged the children to lay hands on her and pray. They gathered in and all placed a hand on her or me or both. As soon as my hands rested on Ester, I felt a strong electrical energy come up through my feet through my body then into my shoulders down my arms and into her. In that moment all of the children were verbally speaking prayers.
We were all speaking proclamations
over Ester. In a moment it seemed as if all of us lifted up off of the floor
and began floating around in an energy that was breath taking. I literally
couldn’t breathe for the lump in my throat but at the same time, didn’t need
to. We were floating in a sea of
electric thrill, my body humming with an indescribable energy. I was completely
lost in the moment. It seemed like we were going to keep floating and being
electrified and made speechless when I felt the intense power slowly soften and
recede. I found myself being able to speak and began to say no, no, I didn’t
want it to end. But it did. It seemed to leave just as it came. I knew that in
that moment I felt what it was like in the kingdom of heaven. Electric joy.
Overwhelming thrill. I got to taste heaven. I hope to go back into that realm
one day. As soon as it ended the children and Ester all ran out of the house
laughing and began to play soccer. While Ester, in her dress, started to
dribble and tap the ball in the air like a pro.
I remember
immediately calling my fiancé, now wife, in America, to tell her the news of
what had just happened we rejoiced together and my wife Tomika wanted me to be
sure to let Ester Know that she had been healed. I looked for her to convey the
firm belief of her healing, but she was nowhere to be found.
I returned
to Sumbawanga nearly eight years later with my wife and a friend. I took them
to see the neighborhood where many miracles occurred during my last visits. The
neighborhood had changed. Most people moved away, some died and Ester was
nowhere to be found. I remember being so desirous to see her and of having my
wife meet the person and witness the result of the miracle God had performed
all those years ago, first hand. But the new residents did not know her or
where she may have gone. Ester was not to be found.
About four
years after this, we were in the local soccer stadium in Sumbawanga praying
over the ground for an upcoming worship event. In my spirit I believed that I
heard the lord say. “Go now and find Ester”. This was so out of the blue, so
random, So powerfully God. I was with five other companions at this time. I
explained what I believe I had heard. Some tried to convince me that because
night was falling, we should attempt to find her in the morning. To this I
exclaimed no, God said go now. Some remained while me and three others jumped
into the car and set out to find her. “Where are we going?” Asked our faithful
Tanzanian driver. To which I said, “I don’t know, just drive, the Lord will
lead us.” And He did.
Our driver
picked a seemingly random road that took us up a hill side over looking the
town. At the top of the hill was an intersection. At the intersection was a
large group of boda drivers (motor cycle taxies). Our driver got out and asked
the group if they knew of a woman named Ester and tried to describe what she
might look like her approximate age and where she might have come from. But
nothing struck a chord with them. This he was doing as I was looking for a
picture, I thought I had archived on my phone. I eventually found it. I gave
the picture to Manny, our driver. He showed them the picture but it yielded no
fruit. We got into the car and began driving down a different road that
connected to the intersection. As we got about fifty yards down the road Manny
stopped the car and began to turn it around. When asked why he was
turning around he explained that he saw in his rear view mirror another
motorcycle join the group and felt he should go back and ask him.
We
approached the group again and when Manny showed the new arrival Ester’s
picture, he immediately recognized her. It turns out he knew her son but did
not know where she lived. The young man began to make phone calls and got ahold
of who he thought was Ester’s son. After this young man explained the situation
to Ester’s son a plan was formed. The young man would get in our van and lead
us to Ester’s by the directions given to him over the phone, however before we
did, the boda driver requested that we promise to pay for his time and for his
phone airtime. After some brief negotiations we settled on a price structure
and set off to find Ester’s house. By this time, it had become dark and the way
was not easy to find as much of this area was overgrown and all of the streets
were narrow bumpy dirt roads.
Eventually,
we arrived at a house that was inside a small compound fenced in by brick walls
that were overgrown with trees shrubs and vines. We left the car and were
escorted into the court yard of the little compound. There on the dimly lit
patio stood Easter. She looked well and healthy, just a little older. I could
tell that she did not recognize me at first but after reminding her about the
events that occurred nearly twelve years earlier, I could see recognition now
enter her eyes as she smiled. She became much less reserved about these
strangers who came to visit her in the night and increasingly excited to
welcome us to her home. And, as all those years ago, she gladly welcomed me and
my companions into her home. In her living room stood Ester, me, her son, the
boda driver, my friend Shilingi, our friend and driver Manny and my brother-in-law,
Rusty.
As we
stood there, I just felt led to tell the story of the miracle that had had
transpired just as I have conveyed above. I told Easter that we had tried to
find her to see how she was doing but she had moved and no one knew where. I
explained that the Lord directed us there that night to find her. And in so
doing obviously wanted to bless us all in the process. At this time, we all
joined hands and began to pray and thank God for revealing himself to us. We
began to pray over Ester and her home. As we did the atmosphere in the house
became thick, we could feel the Spirit of God wash over us. Soon, there we
stood together, six grown men and Ester all weeping in the presence of the
Lord. It was un mistakeable.
The Lord
had said “Go now”, we went not knowing where to go but He led us. His timing
was right, if we had waited until the next day, we would have missed the boda
driver arriving on the street corner, who knew Ester’s son. God revealed
himself in a powerful way that evening and we all rejoiced knowing we were
blessed beyond measure. For some, faith was found for others faith was
reignited. For me, faith grew. I was so encouraged and am still. The scriptures
compel us to stir up our faith. My faith continues to grow and is stirred up
even now as I write this testimony to you. What a glorious life our Father in
heaven has for us, now and in the ever after, on earth as it is in heaven.
Feeling His presence, hearing His voice and doing His word will reveal His
existence to you in a manner that is inarguably authentic. There is nothing
that this world has to offer you that can compare to His manifest presence
guiding and enshrouding you. This is the relationship. This is the prize.
We left
Ester’s house and drove back to the intersection where the boda drivers
congregated. On arrival I noticed that our guide, who was previously talkative
and commanding in nature seemed now to be reserved and demure. He was visibly
moved and still in a solemn state due to the experience. As he stepped out of the car, we thanked him
and I asked him what the price was for his services. His response was, “how can
I charge you? I can not charge you”. We thanked him again and began driving
back to our hotel. The atmosphere in the car was electrifying. We each knew we
had experienced something very special and for me, additionally, after nearly
twelve years I was able to proclaim to Ester, “In the name of Jesus, you are
healed.”
I believe
I have been able to personally experience a taste of the atmosphere of heaven.
Believe me, in that atmosphere, the world and earthly things will quickly lose
their lure and importance.
Nothing
can compare to that reward. It is the prize. Keep your eye on the prize. The
prize is eternal. An eternal immersion in love and joy with breath taking
electric thrill, almost too much to bear.
