In this piece we'll be looking at a very sensitive topic, sensitive in the sense that it speaks of the end of time. And I believe the journey that the Holy Spirit wants to take us through, we are going to gain understanding of the end time and particularly, the posture and position that God wants us to take as believers and disciples of our Lord Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus Christ, I pray that the Lord would deepen our understanding in Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus name.
We are looking at “the measuring line of the end-time”. So, we are looking at two key focus in that topic. We're looking at the measuring line and the end-time. So, the Holy Spirit is helping us to infuse two of them together so that we can gain understanding on the measuring line of the end time.
There are two major texts we are going to use, Ezekiel chapter 47:3-6, “And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again, he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again, he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again, he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.”
Now, there are very strong words that were used in Ezekiel chapter 47. But let’s go to Matthew chapter 24:3-14, “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Another word for the end of age is the end-time) And Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
What are we looking at? We are looking at the measuring line of the end-time. I know since we’ve become born again; for many of us, we have heard that the end-time is close, that Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is coming soon. And that the end is closer than we have ever imagined. That a time is coming where all of these, our buying and sell on the face of the earth will come to an end. A time is coming where all of us; we are going to give accounts for the things that we have done in the flesh. A time is coming when our pilgrimage on the earth will cease; where we will truly arrive at a destination that all of us have been trying to arrive at. But what is the heart of God concerning this matter? When we talk about end-time!!! Is it for unbelievers? Is it to scare unbelievers into accepting Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus? Is it to make believers to sit up even in their walk with Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus? Or is it for believers to not care about the activities of this earth and just live their lives in their own solitary, living their lives for themselves and by themselves with the race of making heaven? Why does God want us to know about the end time?
If there will be no end time, Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus will not speak about it. If the time of age will not come to an end, Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus will not mention it. So, why is He mentioning it? I want us to see a Scripture in Luke chapter 12:56, Hypocrites, you can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it, you do not discern this time? Why is Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus mentioning the end-time? Why did Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus talk about the end of Age? It is because, as human beings we should not be hypocrites. As followers of Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus, we should not be hypocrites. We should not just be about the time and the season of rain and sunshine.
We have two types of weather in Nigeria, we have the rainy season and the dry season; there is also spiritual seasons. And that's what Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus was calling their attention to; He said but how is it that you do not discern this time? The Bible says concerning the sons of Issachar, that they understood times and seasons and they knew what to do part time.
So, what was Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus saying here in Luke chapter twelve? As believers, as disciples of Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus, don't just be carried away by the physical times and seasons; you must know spiritual times and seasons. For us to thrive and not be hypocrites, we must be able to discern spiritually; times and seasons. And that's what everything Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24 is to let us in into spiritual times and seasons that will come upon us on the earth. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus mentioned five important things there.
Number One: From verse four to five, He mentioned deception. A season of deception is going to come on the earth and on the body of Christ, where error will persist, where many people will come in the name of the Lord; He said it is part of the measuring line of the end time. If you are a believer, you are following Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus and you are not able to discern this time, Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus said many will be deceived. So, there is a season coming; if not that it is already here, that many believers will be deceived. Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus said many will say come here, I am Christ and He said many will follow them. He said one of the signs of the end-time is that even the very elect, if they are not careful, they will be deceived. He said deception will be the order of the day. We must be able to discern that time spiritually.
The measuring line of the end time is understanding the times and seasons spiritually, that the Lord Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus and God had set as the mark of the end time. Now, we are going back to Ezekiel chapter 47:3-6, “And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles.”
What is the importance of the ankle season? Any believer that is in the ankle season or is in that place of the ankle can be deceived. If you put your ankle in the water, you can remove it. Will you feel cold? Will you feel as if anything as happened? Will it be difficult? No! When believers are in that place of the ankle, they can be deceived.
So, have we come to a season in the body of Christ, where deception is the order of the day? Where people are saying that Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is not against you helping or trying to support yourself in diabolical means? So, with Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus, they give you black soap to bath, sponge to wash your head in the river, they give you something to put under your pillow; that after all, we have given you in the name of Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus; that is deception. But you know the reason you are deceived is because your experience in God is in the ankle level. The reason many believers are deceived and continue to get deceived is because in our journey with the Holy Spirit, we have only followed Him for a thousand cubits. So, the experience is at the ankle.
Verse 4, “Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees.” We were looking at deception, because Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus repeated it three times in Matthew 24. He said many will be deceived, so it is the crux of the matter. Somebody that has an experience with God at the ankle level will easily be deceived, it won’t even take time. But in the knee, it is more difficult, but it is still easier.
The only thing that will save us, the only thing that will deliver us from deception is to go all the way with God. What is all the way? Verse 5, “Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.”
When it was in my ankle, I could cross, when it was my knee, I could cross, when it was my waist, I could cross; but this time I could not cross. I could not change my loyalty from Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus. I could not switch party. I could not do small time in Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus, and small time elsewhere. I was already deep in Him. He said, I could not cross for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim. Must!! You can't get out of it. We must get to that time. What will deliver us from deception of the end time is that we get to verse 5 of Ezekiel 47. Where our experience with Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is such that it is too deep; nobody can come and bamboozle you. Your relationship with Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is too deep, you can't get out. Your fellowship with Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is too deep, you must swim in it; you can't get out. That is the only saving grace from the deception season, because it will come. There is no matter how much we pray, we can’t pray against the season of deception. It will come; surely it will come, but there is a position we must take.
The one thing is to follow the One that has the measuring line. The One that has the measuring line is the Holy Spirit and as He is dealing with us, He is measuring for us. And as He's measuring for us, we follow Him. That is why the Bible says that as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God; they will arrive at that destination.
Our destination in God is not heaven; our destination in God is being sons of God. The Bible says till we measure up to the fullness, the fullness is not heaven; the fullness is Christ: being sons of God; because if heaven is the goal, then the day we were born again; God should just call us home and say now you have come to Me, I will not let you go away. Come! Then, why is He leaving us here? It is so that we can grow to the fullness of the stature of Christ so that we can become sons of God; being the sons of God is the destination. This walk that we are walking, this life that we are living, what we are actually pursuing in God is to become sons of God. That's why it's important that we understand the measuring line.
The measuring line is how we get to become sons of God. He measured a thousand, and he measured another thousand, another thousand, and he measured another thousand. If it's not a process, he should have measured the four thousand at once.
The reason many of us feel as if we have disappointed God; and the devil is allowing you to go into condemnation is because the devil is making you think that he's just going to measure 4000. And if you don't follow that 4000, you are doomed; no! It is a 1000 and another 1000, and another 1000, and another 1000. And if all you could do is 500, out of 1000; you have made progress, so don't let the devil lie to you: because what is left is 500. So, if you make up your mind, and you do the next 500; you have done a 1000.
The goal is that we become sons of God. That's the goal! That's why Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus was saying to them that you understand physical signs, how come you don't understand spiritual signs? And it is the same issue today. What He is saying to them; He is saying to us. How come we understand physical signs, but don't understand spiritual signs? On this journey, it is important we understand that we can't do it without the Holy Spirit. He is the One that has the measuring line.
2 Timothy chapter 3:1, But know this, that in the last days (the last days is the end-time) perilous times will come; not might come. That means, it is only a matter of time. Know this, disciple of Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus; know this, follower of the Lord Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus that perilous times will come: for men will be (they won’t start like that) lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents. These are signs, when they want to do a diagnosis, the doctor will ask you; what are you feeling? How are you feeling? Then you will start mentioning the things: maybe it is headache, cold, and then they will ask if you feel pain. What are they trying to do? They are trying to do a diagnosis.
So, if we are going to do a diagnosis from what we are reading in Second Timothy, are we in the end of time? Because this is the diagnosis the Bible has done. People will be unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good (they say what is it, what is there), traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. If we had called and done a flier, and say, we are going to have a party here today and we're bringing Wizkid or Davido. This venue will be packed-full, in fact, there won’t be space and the whole compound will be filled; why? The people are lovers of pleasure.
Believers, we can't pray against it; they are diagnosis, they are symptoms. So, we must understand the symptoms. Then, what is God asking us to do? He said there will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying His power. And from such people turn away! From such people he says, turn away! Perilous times will come; and in Matthew 24, that was what Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus was also saying; that Paul was saying here to Timothy. Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus mentioned five things and we have mentioned one, which is deception. You know, the reason why we are laying a lot of emphasis on deception is because we're already in the season. So, we must be watchful.
Number Two: Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus mentioned in Matthew chapter 24; wars and rumors of war. How many countries are at war today? I'm sure you remember Ukraine is still fighting with Russia, South Sudan in Africa here. Different countries in Africa; going through their own war, perpetual war in Palestine and Israel: sometimes you will hear and sometimes you will not hear it, but it is happening; so many things going on.
Number Three: Persecution. He made mentioned of it in verse nine and ten. Persecution! These are symptoms.
Number Four: Lawlessness. This is part of what we read in Second Timothy chapter three from verse one to five. Lawlessness, isn't already happening? Before this time, have you heard of people turning from one sex (gender) to another? That, I just don't feel as if I'm a man; I feel I'm a woman. And they will go to the hospital, and they will go and do surgery and turn themselves to a woman.
In fact, I heard of an absurdity some weeks back, a young person said to himself, that he feels within himself that he is an old person; that he wants them to introduce some genetics into his body that will make him old. That he feels he is an old person. So, if everybody is going by their feelings; which we are made to understand that God did not instruct that we should be led by our feelings; He said be led by the Spirit.
So, the lawlessness going on in the world is because people are not led by the Spirit. And their destination is sure, that they will be sons of the devil. But as believers, as disciples of Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus, our destination is to be sons of God; so that where He is, we can be there also: that’s where heaven comes in. If we are sons of God, we are heirs of God; then we will be where our Father is. Those that follow the devil, they are on a march race to becoming like him. And the more they become like him, the more they share in his destination. So, that is why it is not a race of heaven or hell; it is a race of being a son of God or being a son of the devil.
Number Five: In verse 12 of Matthew 24, it says the love of many will wax cold. Why? The love of many will wax cold because they will stop looking at Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus. The love of many will wax cold because they will stop focusing on the Light. The Bible says if your eye be single, your body will be full of light. The reason many people’s love will wax cold is because their eye will no longer be single. That's why you'll be hearing things like Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is not against you helping or supporting yourself diabolically.
When you start hearing things like Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus is not against you supporting, or adding something to whatever you are doing; when you start doing that, your eye is not single: then your body will not be full of light; then your love will wax cold. And in Revelation, Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus said, you are neither hot nor cold; He said I will spew you out. The love of many will wax cold because they will stop looking unto Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus.
Do you know many countries of the world today, their government has done it in such a way that there is no problem you're going to have that they cannot solve with credit? You need a new car, go and buy it on credit. You need a new house, go and do mortgage. So, people are living as though there is no God; because all their needs are met. But the question I often ask is this; has the government been able to feel the voidness in your heart? Because every human being will come to that point where there is a vacuum. There is voidness that car cannot fill, that house cannot fill, those clothes in your closets cannot fill; that is only God that can fill. That’s why the answer; over and over again is JESUS.
This is the posture and this is the answer; this is what God wants us to do henceforth, in responding to the measuring line of the end-time. Matthew chapter 24:14, “And this gospel (gospel is good news) of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Just like perilous time will come; this gospel of the kingdom will be preached. When we were looking at the parable of the wheat and the tares; we were given example of having a large sum of two things, how do you sort them out? Do you label yourself to pick out the ones that is much or the ones that is few? It is easier for you to pick out the few ones and put them aside, so that what you are left with is the one that is much; right!
The Bible made us to understand that the angels will sit down (so they have time), and they will remove the tares from the weeds. So, if you think that everybody is lawless, everybody is a lover of pleasure; it is not true! There are lovers of God. That the world is too bad; are there even believers left like this? That means you have entered the mindset of Elijah; where Elijah said, I'm not better than my fathers; God, I'm the only one left. And God said no, Elijah, you are getting it wrong; you are not the only one left, I have thousands that have not bowed to Baal. Was Elijah aware? No! That is how you and I are not aware that all over the nations of the earth; there are people of God following God. Let it not be too late on the judgment day when you see people from Saudi Arabia and you say, so they've been following Jesus on CentreNDL”>Jesus. Yes, God have people all over. He is the sovereign ruler, Monarch of the universe. There is no nation of the world (If you read this in the Scripture, you understand) including China, that God does not have His people.
The Bible says that when the New Jerusalem comes on the earth; that nations will bring their glory into it, and no nation will be missing. Nations will bring their glory into it, including Nigeria, including Sudan; where they are fighting now: they will bring their glory into it. And He said, and this good news of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world.
So, the measuring line of the end time is tied to the world. What you will use to escape as a believer; from the deception, from the cold love, from the wars and rumors of war, so that your heart will not be panting; so that you will have peace is the WORD. And what will usher in the End of Time is the WORD. He said this gospel will be preached throughout all the world as a testimony. So, this is the testimony. So, all the nations and then the end will come. The end will not come until the word has been preached in all.
Now, there's a two way to this; I want us to take note. You and I, will not arrive at our end in God without the word. What is our end? Our end is to become sons of God. We can't get to that place without the word. The end of time will not come without the word.
So, what should we be doing? We should keep following the measuring line in the word. What should be our posture? Giving ourselves to the Holy Spirit; measure for me a thousand: because the Holy Spirit will not measure for you in Nigeria; He will measure for you in the WORD.
