2 Timothy 3:10-12: “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience. 11: Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
The route to eternal life, in heaven, is not and will never be a bed of roses. Christians who are desirous of being with their maker, our Lord Jesus Christ, are bound to face challenges, temptations, and even persecutions in the course of their heavenly race. Devil is in constant war against Christians, this is simply because they have their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In a league with the fallen angels, the Devil mounts challenges, temptations and oppositions against the children of God, so that, they can fall out of faith and be destroyed in hell fire. Devil, as a result of pride, leading to his attempt to usurp power from God, caused war in heaven in which other angels led by Michael, fought, defeated and threw him out of heaven. About a quarter of the angels in heaven then, followed him to earth. He knows there is no chance again for him to enter heaven or be with our Lord Jesus Christ; so, he resorted to fighting the people who are obedient to the words of God. He wants all to disobey God so that nobody will enter God’s Kingdom or be saved. He, therefore, mounts oppositions, challenges, and temptations against God’s children.
Fortunately, challenges and temptations are good for the heaven-bound Christians, as they prepare them for heaven. It is when one faces challenges, the road becomes rough and he overcomes, that he is strengthened to do exploits for the kingdom of God. In the lead scripture, it is written that the people who will truly serve God must suffer persecutions. Christians are bound to suffer challenges and temptations to strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.
In its original Greek translation, the word ‘tempted’ literally means to test for weakness. It is the same word used for the process of testing a sword for strength and proper forging. We can call the same process tempering in today’s parlance; it involves the putting of sword in fire. The steel for the sword is heated until it becomes red-hot and then beaten flat into proper shape. It will then be held up to reveal any gray spots. These grey spots indicate areas of weakness, which then means, the sword has to be taken back into the fire where the weak spots will be beaten with hammer on an anvil to smash the molecules together, make tighter and stronger. After this, the sword is placed in cold water to freeze the molecules. It will after this be heated to be red-hot again and re-examined for weak spots. This process of examination, hammering, cooling, reheating and re-examination are repeated until all the weak spots are beaten out of the sword. Only then is the sword ready for use in battle. An untested sword could break in battle heat and has some deadly consequences for the soldier who uses it in the battlefield.
Therefore, the word ‘tempted’ means to test for weakness, not out of a desire for destruction, but for the purpose of making one stronger and unbreakable. So challenges, oppositions and temptations are to strengthen the believer in the work of God and to face challenges that might arise in the course of the heavenly race.
Temptations and oppositions can never consume the children of God or defeat them in the battlefield because God will always intervene on their behalf and give them victory. In the Bible, the Israelites were turned to slaves in Egypt after Pharaoh who did not know Joseph mounted the throne. They were subjected to forced unpaid labour and their daughters taken into marriage without proper rites. At the heat of these, God’s intervention led to their delivery from this bondage. On their way to the Promised Land, notwithstanding they were moving under the will and guidance of God, they met stiff oppositions and great lack in the wilderness. They faced enemies who engaged them in battles, they lacked food, water and even faced snakebites, but all these are today history because God helped them to be victorious in all situations.
Temptations, oppositions and challenges are meant to strengthen a Christian, make him or her to boldly forge ahead in his or her heavenly journey. Apostle Paul using himself as a case-study to encourage believers to endure whatever comes their way said this in 2Corinthians 11:24-28: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25: Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. 26: In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. 27: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28: Beside those things, that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”
The great Apostle Paul suffered all these, yet he overcame all, to the extent that he announced the waiting of the crown, which the righteous God will give to him and to all the people that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. It should be noted that the more persecutions and oppositions mounted against them, the more they did exploits for God’s Kingdom. God will not allow us to be tested beyond our capacity; He is always with us to ensure we overcome temptations and challenges.
Romans 8:35-39 says: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36: As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ is the focus of every Christian and as long as God is with us, nothing shall separate us from loving, serving and following Him to the end of all things, when we shall reign with Him in the New Jerusalem. Temptations, trials, challenges, and oppositions are bound to come. Whenever we are faced with any, know that God has given us an answer to our troubles and oppositions in Psalm 50:15: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
When we are confronted with troubles from the devil and his agents, the solution is to call upon God for His timely intervention and He will bring deliverance to us. Temptations and challenges are for our good because they are there to strengthen us; but when it becomes hard on us we call on God for intervention and deliverance and our prayers will be answered in Jesus’ name.
Testimony Of The Lord’s Doing
Daughter Saved From Hands Of Kidnappers After G.O’s Prayer
Mat. 19v26 says: “Jesus beheld them and said, with men, this is impossible but with God, all things are possible.”
The above verse aptly captured the condition l was in, when unknown persons kidnapped my daughter about a month ago. In the eyes of men, it was impossible for her to be released without paying any ransom, but God did that which no man can do. May His name be praised in Jesus’ name.
My name is Sister Stella Michael and my daughter’s name is Sister Eniola. I joined The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries in 2014. l reside in Aguda, Surulere, Lagos.
This testimony happened in April 2024. On that fateful day, when my daughter came back from school, I gave her my ATM to go and withdraw some money for me, at about 5.35p.m; the alert of the withdrawal came to my phone. I waited for my daughter, but did not see her, at about 8.00p.m, she was still nowhere to be found. I became worried and I contacted some brethren who prayed with me that same night and we went to the police to formally report the case. The Police said it should take 24 hours before we can declare her missing.
The next day being Thursday, we came to the church and l gave my daughter’s picture to my state women’s leader and she took it to the G.O. who also prayed for her. Truly, as a human being, l was not myself again. Fear was weighing me down, but l managed to hold on to God.
I later returned to the police and l was told to pay some money for the message to be put on the radio and other platforms. l did that, and the report went viral. It was in WAZOBIA F.M and other stations. On Sunday, I came to service and G.O mentioned the case in the course of his prayers, he said: “You sister, they held something that belongs to you; l command them to release it.” l claimed it! Lest l forget, on Friday, the kidnappers called me and asked if the girl in their custody is my child and l said yes!
Quickly, they dropped the call and did not say anything again. On Saturday of that week, they called again and demanded for N5m ransom for her release. They gave me six days to pay the said amount, adding that failure to pay they will kill her. I told them that I am a Chosen and the girl they are holding is a Chosen and a covenant child too. The man at the other end of the receiver said: “Ehh, eeh, ok,” and dropped the call. They did not call me again, that alone heightened my fear even though l still had my trust in the God of Chosen.
Then on May 1, 2024, God of Chosen decided to show me mercy, my phone rang and it was the voice of a stranger who said l should come to Ojodu Berger to pick my daughter. He said that they dropped her at Ojodu Berger.
To the glory of God, my family went to that place and met my daughter, she was very weak, and immediately taken to the hospital, and when she became stronger, l asked her what happened? She said on that fateful day, when she withdrew the money and was about to step out of the ATM machine, a young man hit her on her shoulder and the money dropped on the ground.
The man quickly apologised and helped her to pick the money … that was all she could remember. She did not know where she was again, the following morning she opened her eyes and found herself in a room with a guy whom they also held hostage. They unmasked her, for the whole week she spent there and was fed once a day; at times she would not even eat the food.
I am grateful to God for this wonderful work. He never disappoints, may his name be glorified in Jesus’ name. I promised God that if He recovers my daughter, l would give him a token and I came here with that token. P-r-a-i-s-e, the Lord!
I pray for our G.O., his family and all Chosen members across worldwide, heaven at last in Jesus name…