CLEANSING BEFORE OCCUPATION

CLEANSING BEFORE OCCUPATION

🔑 KEY VERSE: "And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho" (JOSHUA 10:30).

Israelites’ conquest of the Southern region of the land of Palestine may be a moving account but really, it was God at work: cleansing the land of evil. God would not allow His people to inherit the pollution of those they would displace. So, these heathen nations had to be judged for their wickedness and immorality "…because of these abominations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee" (Deuteronomy 18:12).

Today’s passage therefore was more than the story of a conquest, but also a promise fulfilled concerning the Lord’s preparation for His people and an object lesson that God’s desire is to have a cleansed people and an equally cleansed environment. When our Lord Jesus entered the temple and saw the abomination of buying and selling there, He did not hesitate to purge it by casting out those responsible. With the prevalence of evil in the world, the judgment of God hangs over it with very little time left for the fall of the sword of justice. The Lord said "… I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible" (Isaiah 13:11).

*A localized judgment was experienced in the days of Joshua but a worldwide one will occur when the Lord returns in full-blown judgment. The way of escape is to make peace with God through confession of sins, forsaking them and accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Only the one who judges himself ahead of God’s judgment by renouncing his sin, asking for forgiveness and receiving Christ, will no longer be judged "for if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31).

THE THIRTY-ONE (31) SILENT FACTS ABOUT THE RAPTURE*

1. It is going to be the next greatest event that will shock all the continents of the world. Matt 24:40-42.

1. It is going to take place suddenly, abruptly, unexpectedly, without warning and without prior notice. 1 Thess 5:2

1. There shall be no second version of the event. 1 Thess 5:4

1. A greater percentage of Christians may be taken unawares. Matt 24:38-39

1. Careless Christians who miss the event will have no other similar gracious opportunity. Matt 13:49-50

1. The event shall have no regard or respect for ecclesiastical titles or church leadership positions. Matt 5:20

1. It shall be a day when the sheep shall be separated from the goats. Matt 25:32-33.

1. The day shall differentiate between the Broad Way Christians and the Narrow Way Christians. Matt 7:13-14

1. The day shall separate sincerity from hypocrisy. Gal 5:21

1. The day shall differentiate between those who harbour secret sins from those who abhor secret sins. Gal 5:20-21

1. The day shall separate those whose lives are hidden in Christ from those who are hiding in the church. Luke 13:27

1. The day shall show a glaring, clear, conspicuous, demarcation between Christians who walk on the path of holiness from those who walk on the path of worldliness. Heb 12:14

1. It shall be a day of double emotion: joy for some and unimaginable, indescribable, uncontrollable regrets for others. Luke 13:28

1. It shall be a day of surprises- some “Big names” may miss the flight while some “Less known” may be on board. 1 Cor 1:27

1. Another surprise may be that a man or woman who had faithfully served the Lord for many years may defile his or her garment a few minutes before the sound of that summoning trumpet and miss the flight while a notorious sinner may surrender his or her life to Jesus within the same time frame and go to heaven. Ezekiel 3:20

1. This event may happen now, today, this week, this month, this year or next year! Matt 24:36

1. Wise Christians, like the five virgins that took extra oil, are expected to get ready, yes, to get prepared. Matt 25:1-13

1. After the event, all those who are bitter against one another, malicious, unforgiving, jealous, arrogant, haters, hypocrites, drunkards, fornicators, adulterers, adulteresses, murderers with weapons and murderers with tongue etc, shall have enough time to continue in their trade. Heb 12:14-15.

1. When the event is over there shall be revival among those who have chosen to stay behind not because there will be a second chance, no, but because the reality of the event would have struck them like a thunderbolt. But they will have to pay with their own blood. 2 Tim 4:3

1. When the event is over, those who are left behind shall no longer be safe to worship in their gigantic, fanciful and multi-billion Dollars/Naira cathedrals. Instead they shall seek safety in caves, bushes and abandoned and dilapidated but hidden structures. Rev 6:15-17

1. When this great event is over, each time those who will miss their flight manage to gather for worship, they will pay attention to only one sermon- whether they gather in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North or South America; the sermon will only centre on “How to Meet the Divine Standard and Join the Other Saints”. Rev 14:6-7

1. It is also worthy to note that those who will be left behind will never have any business with comedians at their altars anymore. No! There shall no longer be gatherings for entertainments. Whenever, they manage to gather, it shall always be for serious religious business only. Luke 21:34

1. The prayer pattern of those who will be left behind will also undergo a radical change. They will not be praying for things anymore. They will only be praying for strength to withstand the tortures of the Anti-Christ and die bravely to join the other saints. None will be praying for jobs, marriages, etc. Rev 8:3-4

1. It is equally worthy of note that some of those who will miss their flight will not be able to endure the torture of the Anti Christ. They will receive the mark of the beast and thereby be doomed forever. Rev 14:9-11

1. When the ready saints are gone, all our denominational walls of partition will collapse. The man or woman who use to worship in Omega Fire, Jesus Chapel, Exousia Kingdom Gospel Centre, Deeper Life, RCCG. MFM. Winners for instance, will hide in the same place with those who worship in Christ Embassy, Church of God Mission, Assemblies of God, Word Aflame, Action Chapel, Winners Chapel, Lighthouse Chapel etc and nobody will remember to claim superiority anymore because then they will be facing a common enemy. Eph 4:1-6

1. When this event is over, each time believers who will miss their flight manage to gather anywhere for worship, there will be an atmosphere of sobriety. This rowdiness we witness today shall be no more. 1 Peter 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8

1. There shall also be a radical change in the attitude of those who will miss their flight towards Bible study. What we have now is an attitude characterized by a high degree of nonchalance and indifference, but when the ready saints are gone, those who will be left behind will begin to take their bible study seriously. 2 Tim 2:15

1. All the teens and youths who come to church to please their parents will repent after this great event; yes, they will begin to seek God for themselves.

Rev

1. When the event is over, all those who will do any form of business in the schools, hospitals, banks, etc, will have to bear the mark of beast (666) or be hunted down and killed like common criminals. Rev 13:17

2. One of the gains of this reminder is that there may be someone reading this piece today who will take a firm decision to ensure that he/she gets on board that celestial flight travelling to glory.

3. However, one of the greatest tragedies of this reminder is that there may be someone too who is reading this piece today but who will see no need to heed this warning. A tragedy indeed!