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Five Preliminary Issues Related To The Lord’s First Coming As Prophesied By Hosea The Prophet.By: Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Introduction
How God does His work is incomprehensible. When you think you have an understanding suddenly He springs surprises.
He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, the most powerful and the wisest. God is Wisdom incorporated.
Prophet Hosea repeatedly echoed threefold messages which are: God abhors the sins of His people, judgment is certain, and that God’s loyal love stands firm.
Hosea 2:1, strikingly fills one with awe of God. The instruction from God in that verse stands bizarre such that one may not take it seriously. We should fear God and learn not to judge people quickly.
Anybody seeing Hosea married to a harlot will conclude that the Prophet had backslidden. Yet it was Hosea who first revealed that before Christ comes for us He must first come to us. Hosea 6:1-3.
The Lord at His first coming clearly stated why He came which was to demonstrate how to do the Will of God. The first Adam did his own will, while the last Adam did the Will of the Father Hebrew 10:5-7.
Jesus came to do the Will of who sent Him. John 4:34, John 9:4, John 17: 1-4. (John 17: 4 is instructive; before getting to the Cross Jesus said He had finished the work he was sent to do. What He was saying here is that He had reproduced Himself in others so that there will be a continuum after He had gone) John 19:30.
The texts of the Scriptures mentioned above will serve as the anchor to the subject matter of today’s Search the Scriptures.
Issue 1
Jesus was sent by God.* John 4:34, John 6: 28-29.
He was not just sent by God He was sanctified by God before He was sent, John 10: 22-23.
It should be noted that the same way the Father sanctified the Son and sent Him, the Son Himself also sent the Apostles and by extension the Church. John 17:13-21. *The proof that God sent Him is that we can see on the face of the Earth men and women sanctified and then sent.*
A serious look at the ministry of Churches in the world today reveals two classes of Pastors and leaders: those who are Sent, and those who just got up and Went (the Sent and the Went), Philippians 3:17-19.
It is outright rubbish if the measure of your success in ministry is the number of your congregation, and how much you have in your bank account.
It means nothing to God if you are not Sent.
The glory of those who went is their shame, they are the enemy of Christ, operating within the Church. Their end is destruction because they set their hearts mainly on Earthly things.
The Sent v the Went – Isaiah 8: 5-10.
The two rivers Isaiah prophesied about represent the Sent and the Went.
In verse 6 of the Scripture above, the first river is called Shiloah or Siloam – the river that flows softly. The word Siloam means – Sent.
In John 9: 1-7 Jesus instructed the man that was born blind to “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
May we like the man who was born blind from birth, follow the Lord’s instruction so that the cataract of religion will be far removed from us in Jesus Name.
True Apostles are Sent people. The Lord sent them two by two, Matthew 10:1 and 5, Mark 6:7.
We have established that the Father sanctified the Son, and sent Him to the World. In like manner the Lord sanctified the Apostles and by extension the Church and sent them to the World.
The standard remains today. Apostles are sent out by the Holy Spirit and the Church Elders, Acts 13: 1-4.
If you are looking for a prophetic ministry that is fruitful and result oriented you have to be sent. Going into ministry is not based on ideas or feelings about time. God must send you.
In the Old Testament God did not lower the standard.
Moses was sanctified and was sent, Numbers 16: 23-24; Isaiah was Isaiah 6: 1-8 and Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1: 4-10, 17-19; Ezekiel, in Ezekiel 3:1-3 and Gideon in Judges 6:14.
The second river did not flow smoothly. It flowed swiftly. This river is likened to Rezin, the last king of Syria who reigned in Damascus, and along with Pekah the son of Ramaliah who reigned over Israel in Samaria.
The combination of these two personas represent the water of the strong and mighty river that goes over its channels and over all its banks. It has no boundary. It is interesting to know that the word Rezin means – goodwill message.
Today there are many goodwill ministries who peddle the gospel as a mere goodwill message to attract those who are desperate for instant gratification and progress without process.
The ministry peddlers, gospel merchants and money mongers grow so fast and quickly.
Because they lack depth and endurance they fizzle out in no time.
The verdict of Jehovah on those who got up and went will be very serious, Jeremiah 23:16-32.
Prophet Ezekiel called those who went without being called – foxes in the desert, Ezekiel 13:1-16.
2 Samuel 18: 19-32 provides a good example of a person that was Sent – the Cushite and another person that Went – Ahimaaz. If you are not Sent under authority you cannot exercise authority. Ahimaaz did so at his own peril.
It is always advisable to wait to be Sent by God. Those who went on the frolics of their own sometimes end up as casualties of needless Warfare.
Jesus the Lord was sent by God. He finished up well, Acts 3:25-26. When you are sent you carry the unction to set people free. Those who are sent are also equipped. They don’t get at things. They wait on God to be directed and when they follow instructions they get result.
Issue No 2
The Lord Jesus described His mission on Earth as being about His Father’s business.
The business is a joint venture between the Father and the Son. Luke 2:41-50, John 10:30.
True worship is Father and Son business. Abraham: said I and the Lad will go yonder and Worship. If you do not have the Revelation of God inside you, you cannot be a worshiper, you can be anything else.
Issue 3.
He committed Himself to the business of His Father at an early age.
It was at the age of twelve that He said “Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49.
Issue 4.
He used Pure and Unadulterated imitation as strategy to carry out His Father’s business. John 5:19
The problem of most people is that they follow their own whims and caprices. Paul imitated the pattern of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1-2. You cannot walk in love, light and wisdom except you are an imitator of God. Ephesians 5:1.
Issue 5.
In order for Jesus to be effective in His Father’s business He had to subject Himself to His earthly parents.
In the process He learned Joseph’s trade and distinguished Himself in an Earthly Occupation as a Carpenter, Luke 2: 51-52. He was addressed as a Carpenter in Mark 6:3.
The world will want to know you by your Occupation, Genesis 46:33, Genesis 47:3, Jonah 1:8.
Two unassailable truths.
There is dignity in labour.
Proverbs 10:15-16, Proverbs 14:23. The disciplined labour, especially righteous labour, is not a criminal enterprise like ‘ Yahoo, Yahoo’ or robbing one’s parents by stealing from them or stealing from your company.
Anyone that does not work will have to steal. Ephesians 4:28, 2Thessalonians 3:6-12.
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