Sunday, August 25, 2024-Apostle BILLEY
Ephesians 5.8
Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Beloved, no shepherd can save you. The only shepherd who can save you is Pastor Jesus.
We must seek Jesus and all run to Him. We must persevere in God’s way every day. Understand Christ’s way to eternal life.
What I Jesus did not say, we must reject.
It’s just that, everything Jesus said, that’s what we have to follow; if he tells us to consecrate ourselves, we have to do it.
No one will be justified apart from Christ, no one will be saved apart from Jesus.
Those who worship the trees, the waters, the moon, the sun, the stars… can never be saved without repenting and coming to Jesus.
People who are in religions, sects, fraternities, magic… must come to Jesus in order to have eternal life.
God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are Light. And He also calls us to be light.
Light is not only what we see, but it is the nature of God, that is, God’s love, God’s blessing, God’s grace… The whole character of God is Light.
And the Christian must base himself on the Word of God, for it is the light.
Ephesians 5.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light !
The Lord asks us to walk as children of light.
There are 3 places: heaven, earth and hell.
** In heaven, it’s the heaven of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Heaven is glorious, for God is the builder of heaven. And the beauty of the sky characterizes it.
In heaven, there is love, joy, peace, no sickness, no confusion…
Everyone there has the nature of God. Their priority is God.
** In hell, it’s darkness, it’s everything that’s evil, for example jealousy, envy, unforgiveness, suffering, witchcraft, torments…. All that is not worthy of the Light.
Heaven and hell are opposites.
** And in the midst of the two, there is the earth.
And on the earth, there is darkness and light.
We are on earth. We are invaded by darkness and by light.
It’s a choice we have to make every day.
It is on earth that we must recognize our sinful state and accept Jesus in order to go to heaven.
Whoever accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior becomes light, a child of God.
We are passengers on this earth, our life on earth is limited to 120 years.
God’s heart, his will, is that all those who accept Jesus should go to heaven after their life on earth.
Walking with God is not religion, it’s a decision we make to have a relationship with the Lord.
And when it comes to relationships, that means there are laws, so there’s what’s good, what’s bad, what Jesus wants and doesn’t want.
So we need to know what Jesus wants and voluntarily choose to do what he wants.
Those who love Jesus do what he wants.
In this world of darkness, where there are all kinds of bad things, God says that those who accept his Word become light.
And these people can overcome evil, jealousy, fear, shame, hatred, rejection…
For the Word in them is God himself, the power of God.
All those who accept the Word have the power of light to the point that they are able to resist evil, fornication and sin.
They are able to resist everything the devil has to offer in this world.
The devil will never propose sin to animals, but only to men, because he knows that God created us in his image and likeness. He knows that the sinner will not go to heaven. And he himself sinned.
Satan knows heaven, he was there, he was called Lucifer, shining star, he was in charge of praise. But he developed presumption in his heart, which is a sin, and this propelled him out of heaven.
So he knows his end. In his anger, his jealousy, his bitterness, he decided that no one should go to heaven. And his program is for everyone to go to hell with him.
This is how he transmits what is in him to mankind. For example, he will pass on his hatred to a woman or a man who accepts it, and Satan’s spirit will enter these people.
God does not want us to perish, which is why Jesus came to this earth so that we might be saved and walk in the way of eternal life.
That’s why we have to be careful how we dress, how we speak, how we act…
Beloved, the person who invites you to come out of sin really loves you. He’s your best friend.
You have to learn to love Jesus, to love the truth.
Heaven, hell and earth are all truths.
Brother, sister, where do you want to be, where do you want to go?
Matthew 8.11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
Who are these people? Those who accepted Jesus, who obeyed what he said.
Romans 13.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
While we are on earth, we must strip ourselves of the works of darkness.
The fruits of darkness are wickedness and bitterness. The fruits of darkness are wickedness, bitterness, anxiety, ignorance, misery, doubt, fear, all works of the flesh, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, anger, selfish ambitions, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, love of oneself, offenses, love of money, boasting, pride, blasphemies, disobedience, ungratefulness, ungodliness, unforgiveness, slandering, lack of self-control, brutality, despise of good, treachery, stubbornness, haughtiness, love of pleasure rather than love of God, hypocrisy…
What are the weapons of light?
Love, generosity, kindness, goodness…
If someone hates you, but you love them, that person will be disarmed.
You can’t destroy a spirit with natural weapons.
When there’s a spirit of hatred, bitterness, frustration, selfishness – we fight them with prayer and love.
All relationship problems come from darkness. Love is a weapon.
That’s why, in couples, families and neighborhoods, we have to love each other. This will disarm hatred.
Every day that God gives us on this earth is a grace.
An opportunity to choose the way of Christ, to have a relationship with the Lord.
Brothers, let’s remove what’s bad in us and practice what’s good.
Romans 13.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
Let us reject these works of darkness.
If you’re not married, save your body for Jesus. Save yourself.
Watch out for the demons of seduction, of the waters, that drive you to lust while you’re married or even single.
One of the devil’s weapons for destroying souls is sexual intercourse.
Beware of pleasures that lead to hell.
Romans 13.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
How can we clothe ourselves in the Lord?
It’s through the Word.
For example, by showing love to others, we clothe ourselves with the Lord.
We clothe ourselves by what we say, by what we do.
2 Corinthians 6
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?
15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”17 Come out from among them, And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.
The faithful must speak of Jesus to the unfaithful.
We don’t have to do what they do. We must not do what is impure: masturbation, pornography, sodomy, ….
Even when you’re married, you have to honor God with your body.
**Beloved one, what is impure in your life that you must leave?
You know the desires of your heart, the thoughts inside you. Is it pure?
For what is impure, you have to ask God for forgiveness and get out of these things.
2 Corinthians 6
18 I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.
That’s the relationship with God, it’s authentic.
John 4.23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
Through all these passages, we should be able to situate ourselves and know if we’re on the right path.
It’s important for everyone to get away from sin.
God’s love also means loving others, putting up with others, praying for others…
We must go to heaven, along with our families, our neighbors…
We are the light, and it must be visible.
Joy, peace, obedience to God, the Word… must be visible in us.
LET US PRAY →
Lord Jesus, I need your help.
Give me the grace to run this race on earth.
Let your light shine in me every day in this dark world.
Deliver me from all spiritual slavery.
Deliver me from all the powers of darkness.
Lord, give me your bold spirit, your light.
In this dark world, I must shine in the name of Jesus.
I decide to do what God wants.
May the light of my covering be eternal.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.