#3 - God On Trial - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Prophecy

Welcome to prophecy. May I answer two questions? There are three questions that I've received. It's important if you have a question, you write me a message or you write on a piece of paper. I find [clears throat] those ones helpful. Just in case I may need to research on them so that I have enough time to do that. The first question was that how many books are in heaven? How many books are in heaven? I love that question. Now, there is no single book in heaven. No single book in heaven. What there are are records. A small boy doing nothing, just a first year, helped to me put that matter in concept, in perspective. He asked, "Can God still have books when we humans have already advanced to a light book, Oppo and what have you? Does God still need books?" I said, "No, God doesn't need books." Um what are there are records. You need to know that the Bible uses a language and terms which humans are conversant with. Otherwise, when you go to heaven, you'll be shocked. So, do not be bothered with books. The book of remembrance, the books from which the wicked will be judged based on the works written there, and the book of life. Just know we have records. And the nature of the record will be closer to the nature of our technology just before Jesus comes. So, right now we are still below in technology. We cannot even say with precision the nature of the paraphernalia that are in heaven. So, don't be bothered. You want to struggle to make sure that your name is written in the book of life. By the way, if you study theologically, you will notice that everybody, as soon as you are born, your name is written in the book of life. So, it is you who will delete it. It is you who will delete it. All right, that's details you can see me personally. Another question was uh I mentioned about works briefly and somebody has asked the role of works and salvation. I mentioned clearly that we are saved by faith. That's justification, sanctification, and glorification are aspects of salvation. If you like, you can call them levels of salvation. So, I'm justified by faith. The Bible says we are you are sanctified by faith. And when Paul is giving a report to one of the rulers in Rome, he said Jesus told him to serve people and to be among those who are being sanctified by faith. Uh when you look at Romans chapter 8 verse 20, Romans chapter 8 verse 20, verse 30 actually. Romans 8 verse 30. Look, moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. Whom he called, these he also justified. And whom he justified, he did what? He glorified. So, that is a very serious point that Christians need to know that even glorification is by faith. In other words, only those who are justified will be glorified. And if justification is by faith and sanctification is by faith, glorification is by faith. What I mean is this, those who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who are sure that they are going to enter. Assurance of salvation is very important. And in my presentation on judgment, you will meet those things seriously. Now, I I want to just quickly for 1 minute tell you that the reason why works good works cannot earn heaven is because heaven is very costly. Heaven is not cheap to be bought by good works. Heaven is so costly that you cannot buy it even with good works. How was heaven bought? Through the death the eternal death of Jesus Christ. No human being has tasted that death. And remember, you cannot taste it. No human being can taste the death of Jesus because Jesus was God man. God man. It is wrong to say that it is the humanity of Jesus that died. Strictly speaking, Jesus did not have two natures. He had one nature. I noticed that even Ellen White says that. A fusion of the divine and human one nature. That nature is what died. God can die. What Jesus said in John 10 is that he cannot be killed. He can take away his life and take it back. Only God can say that. No human being can take away his life and take it back. That mysterious that taking away of life and taking it back because it was not possible for death to chain him in hell is what bought our salvation. No human being can buy salvation even with the very best of good works. I'll be telling you as we continue the role of works. Works are very important, but they play a role which has nothing to do with the acquiring the kingdom of God. So, please note that very clearly. My students many things are happening in the universities. And I came here in Nairobi one day and I preached and I they told me, "Where do you come from?" I said, "I'm the pastor of Masinde Muliro." And they said, "What? That is the mother of all heresies in Kenya." >> [laughter] >> I said, "Yeah, that's where I am." And I found students there with very weird teachings. There was one lady that I was trying to help. She does not eat eggs. She does not take milk. She does not take salt. She does not take sugar. She does not eat white rice. She does not eat cooking oil. She's like a cow. Yeah, you just eat raw things. And in fact, she eats most of the things she eats are raw. She's weak. I asked her, "Why?" She said she's preparing for the time of trouble. I'll tell you how to prepare for the time of trouble. I'm dealing with judgment. You can never acquire heaven even by refusing to eat flesh, chicken, fish. I love university students. So, one student asked me, "Do I follow Ellen White who did not take fish or I follow Jesus who took fish?" So, Jesus took fish after resurrection, not just when he was University students are wonderful. They can ask any question. So, you cannot acquire the kingdom of God with the very best of your good works. It is too expensive. Either we are given it for free or no one will ever get it. Somewhere as we continue I'll mention to you it again. So now the question should be, why do good works then? So you'll answer that, but all these things shall deal with it. So we are my presentation I just on Revelation 7 14 verse 7. Saying with a loud voice. So today's presentation is curious curious God on trial. God God on trial. And Revelation 14 verse 7 saying with a loud voice, fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come. And worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water. Remember it is for the hour of the judgment of him. Judgment as a judicial process >> [clears throat] >> in the book of Revelation is used in reference to the wicked during the millennium. But it is presented in Revelation chapter 14 verse 7 as a judicial process. That's why they use the word crisis. Yet in the context of a crisis creamer of the end. I want to be slow here. Fear God and give glory to him because judgment as a judicial process has come. When you study the context of Revelation 14, the context of Revelation 14 begins from Revelation chapter 12. That's That's the context. Revelation chapter 12. And it ends in Revelation chapter 18. When you study clearly that context, you will notice that it is talking about judgement as a crisis of the end. So, how do we have a judicial process within a crisis of the end? So, this makes scholars to see two functions of judgement in this text. That is both as a judicial process and as a crisis of the end. But the hour use the word hour dismisses the notion of millennial to the immediate judicial or juridical judgement. I'll move slowly. The only explanation which was offered by the 1888 study committee is that it is God on trial judicially. It's God on trial. In fact, Paul presents this view in Romans chapter 3 verse 4. Look at Romans chapter 3 verse 4. "Certainly not. Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar as it is written that you may be justified in your words and may overcome when you are judged." You is referring to God. Yes, it is God on trial. The judgement of God, that's God being judged, goes through two phases. Revelation 14:7 is the second phase. The first phase was at the cross. At the cross, the glory of God was manifested in his humiliation, or humility if you like. And at this eschatological hour of judgment, which is Revelation 14:7, the glory of God is manifested in the humiliation of his saints. Now, let's look at the components of a trial. I'm not I am not a lawyer. But, it does not cost anything to ask a lawyer to tell you about these things. Components of a trial, there is an the accused, all right? There's the accuser. So, this is a trial in a criminal case, isn't it? The accused, the accuser, the accusation, the witnesses, and the jury or the judge, right? Yes. So, who is the accused? God. Carefully read those statements. The coming into existence of sin was associated with the sovereignty of God and the law of God being put to question by Satan. In fact, the responses of Adam and Eve after the fall indicated that God was to blame. The accusation against God by Satan before this world was created. That is why the Bible says those people whose names have been written in the book of the Lamb before the foundation of the world. Listen. Uh those people whose names have been written in the book of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Why would Jesus die before this earth had been created? Because sin had already come. You got to remember sin had already come into the universe before this earth was created. And therefore the plan to deal with the sin problem had already been initiated by Jesus before. So, the coming into existence of sin is associated with the sovereignty of God and the law of God being put to question by Lucifer. Now, you know the response is when God moved around and Adam and Eve had committed sin and said, "Where are you?" And they said, "We have We heard your voice and because we are naked, we ran away." And they said, "Who told you that you are naked?" Then Adam said, "The woman you gave me gave me the fruit to eat." In other words, you are to blame. And the woman said, "The snake you created is the one you are to blame." Now, listen. It is about God. The whole story of creation, the fall, redemption, and judgment is more about God than man. You know, what we have done is we have changed everything until it is man the center. We even seeing the judgment has started with the living with the dead righteous. Anytime the judgment for the living will begin. What will happen when it begins? In other word, man is the center now. Man is the No, it's God the center of the whole story. I was listening to one student presenting at most a prophecy lesson in the afternoon. That was 2023 November. And he said that he came up with a mysterious way of putting biblical facts like this and twisting them and coming up with another mysterious conclusion. He said judgment for the living begins on January 1st, 2024. And you know, we are in 20 We are in November 2023. The students were worried. They are not ready. Judgment is beginning in 2 months. Who will stand? We have made man to be the center. It is God the center of the story. Now, we shall go to the accusations. We are moving. You remember the the court that was there. The accuser is Satan. Revelation 12:9 to 10. Verse 9 says, "So, the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren who accused them before our God day and night has been cast down. The accuser is Satan. In fact, the word Satan means accuser. That's the meaning of the word Satan, accuser. There are two accusations against God from Satan. The first accusation is that the sovereignty of God is unjustified. The sovereignty of God is unjustified. Look at the following quotations. How you are fallen from heaven, oh Lucifer, son of the morning. How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations. For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. It is God only whose throne is above the stars. Stars mean the angels. He wants to be like God, meaning that he does not see God being God as justified. It is him to be God. Continue. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the [snorts] farthest sides of the north. I will [clears throat] ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high God. I'll be the most high. We Kenya is famous of politics. Politics in Kenya can be interesting. So, when somebody says, I am going to be a member of parliament, it simply means the incumbent is not justified to hold that office. I who owns it, I'm the one who should hold it. You are challenging his position. And you prove it. You come with list he has not build bridges, has not done what, he has not spoken anything in Parliament, he has not this. It's me who has to be a member of Parliament. Now, look at Jesus. Uh again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and he said to him, "All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me." The devil, Lucifer, the creature telling the creator. Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve." The accusation of Satan is that the sovereignty of God is unjustified. It is him who should be God. We continue with that. Look at uh So, they worship the dragon who gave authority to the beast. Satan is the dragon. He wants worship. He does not want God to be worshipped. And they worship the beast saying, "Who's like the beast who's able to make war with him?" Other scriptures he like 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 to 1 to 4, verse 2 to to to 3 to verse 3 to 4. God is not fit to be God, says Lucifer. I am the one who should be God. Number two, the law of God is arbitrary. In other words, we do not need the law. It's wrong. It's bad. People don't like obeying the law, by the way. People don't like obeying the law. The reason comes from what the devil has said. The law of God, we don't need it. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made, and he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?'" Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you'll be like God, knowing good and evil." Other scriptures like 1 John chapter 3 verse 1, "Sin is the transgression of the law." You transgress the thing that you feel must not be there. Disobey that law because you don't want that law. What the devil implied is that the law of God is arbitrary when he talked to Eve. According to him, God did not disclose material fact regarding his prohibition. He had hidden important information from the holy couple. And that Lucifer had come to put facts straight so that they may make informed choices towards freedom. As a result, sin entered the world. The fact that the holy pair had fallen in sin implied that the devil may not have been wrong after all. So, God, you see, man has not been able to obey your law. Your law is arbitrary. Man cannot obey it. The character of God was therefore misrepresented, and God had to deal with that problem, the sin problem. Now, let's look carefully on the main issue in dealing with the sin problem. The main issue in dealing with the sin problem is the character and therefore the sovereignty of God which the devil had misrepresented. So, we who are here, the reason why we obey the law of God, we try to be holy is because we want to go to heaven. That is wrong. And it will never take you to heaven. The main issue in dealing with the sin problem is not me. It is God. The sovereignty of God and his name are at stake. So, God has to reveal his true character so that his rational creatures may freely and with conviction worship him. The means of dealing with the sin problem involves two great works, namely creation and history. Creation. I love our professor here mentioned something. I thought he had read this thing. The doctrine of providence helps us to see God's involvement in the things he has created for his glory which is the revelation of himself. Do you know why God created? God created the things that he created to reveal himself. Why was it necessary for him to reveal himself? Because the devil had spoiled his name. He has to do a true revelation so that people may understand who truly God is and worship him with conviction. God is love and his sovereignty and love are exercised to promote love. Therefore, the two cannot change. As Isaiah says, "I'm the Lord and that's my name and my glory I'll not give to another and not my praise to carved images." Let me say something about glory. The glory of God is the evidence of the presence of God. So, when Paul says, "Whether you eat or drink or anything else that you do, do it to the glory of God." It means that when you eat or drink or walk or talk or dress or do anything else in this world, people looking at you, will they see God in it? If they will not see God, then the glory of God is not there. So, God creates so that his glory may be manifested. People may understand his true nature and worship him with conviction. Uh I must mention something on creation again. It is very interesting. I love Genesis chapter 1 verse 26. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image and likeness." Why was it necessary for God to make man in his image? His image and likeness had been misrepresented by the devil. And God is relying on man in putting facts about who God truly is straight. And you know what? God is love, right? Yeah, God is love. That's why he creates man and woman. Genesis chapter 1 verse 26 is not referring to male because the Bible says and God verse 27 and God created them. Male and female he created. Meaning that man alone without a woman reflects the image of God but incomplete. The image of God is love. If you are alone, you cannot say I love my wife when your wife is not there. Love requires the existence of the recipient of love. So, God has to create another person so that the love between husband and and wife reflects the love of God. So, that people looking at the way husband and wife live, they will see the glory of God. They will see God. That's the reason why the devil has attacked family. It is supposed to reflect the glory of God. He does not want that. And we allow him to do that. So, I was solving a small problem in one of the schools I taught. Um the lady, madam, told me that pastor, we quarreled with um I quarreled my husband yesterday. We almost fought. >> [laughter] >> I said, "What is the reason?" The reason was that uh he claimed that I didn't warm the water to be used to wash his hands before we eat ugali. When I we poured the water, it was very cold. That alone, pastor, can you imagine that alone made us not to eat. We were too busy quarreling, we could not eat. But if you focus on God, the main reason why your wife is in your life is to help you manifest the glory of God. And I was just imagining about my wife. Uh it's like God brought her in my life to test my faith. Wife, they are there to test not just faith. They test your intelligence. They test your faith. They test your patience. They test your love. They test your everything. We are not free. We are in prison. So, I always believed that when I go to preach, there's a place near home, a road junction. If you arrive there at night, thugs will kill you. Vehicles are not there after 8:00. But something interesting that for all the days I've always used that road to go and preach and I come after 8:00, God always brought a vehicle. And I knew God will always bring a vehicle. I'd be late, but I'd go. A vehicle comes. I'd be late, but I But one day I arrived there with my wife. And she told me, "You are aware this place is dangerous?" I said, "Yes. Let us start to walking home." 20 km. I told her, "Every time I come here after a preaching assignment, God brings a vehicle. Let's wait, he'll bring." said, "Now, do this. Let him bring, but let the vehicle find us on the way walking." So, we started arguing. I told her, "Now, what do you do? Let's give God 10 minutes." And you know what she said? She said, "I'm giving you 10 minutes. As if it's me going to bring the vehicle. Even 10 minutes you've not have come, we start walking." So, I went somewhere to pray. So, I told God, "This woman you brought >> [laughter] >> is killing me. Kindly, in 10 minutes bring a vehicle or I'm dead." >> [laughter] >> And as I continued praying, you know that prayer has not ended today because she interrupted by saying, I didn't even hear when the vehicle arrived there. I saw her already seated inside the vehicle. And that vehicle was a miracle because there was only the driver, the whole matter to nobody else. It's just a driver. It came for us because I jumped in and we went. When it reached where we alighted from, do you know what? After alighting, the vehicle turned and went back to where it came from. I thought that I would reach home and the woman would say, "Your faith is great." Up to today, she has never given that comment. >> [laughter] >> If she's not in my life to test my faith, tell me for what reason she's there. And she's doing those things. Actually, the glory of God, the name of God, the character of God is at stake and God is depending on me and my wife to reflect it. So, now please let me move quickly to history and then we pray. God creates man in his image and likeness. That is for the purpose of the revelation of himself and enters into history to reveal himself objectively through the cross and subjectively through the witness of his people. Since this revelation is for purposes of dealing with the sin problem, God has to be judged through the cross and the witness of his people. Is God just in justifying or condemning a sinner? Can a justified sinner overcome sin? Can you obey the law? Look at the judgment of God through the cross. Three parties were affected by the cross. One is [clears throat] God. Two is man. Three is Satan. How? At the cross, God was vindicated. In other [clears throat] words, all who watched Jesus die eternal death concluded that surely God is love. Man was justified and Satan was condemned at the cross. Now God having created himself in man's image and likeness, that's incarnation, he took upon himself man's sin and destroyed that through death on the cross so that he may recreate his image in man. When you believe, recreation begins. The vindication of God, the sovereignty of God is made manifest through the incarnation and the resurrection. That's humility and exaltation of God that manifest his sovereignty. What I'm saying is this, God proved that only he is worthy of worship because he did what Satan cannot do. He took away his life, ceased to exist, and came back from eternal death. He is only Only him is sovereign. Satan can die, but cannot come back from death. God has proved through death that he is sovereign. He resurrected because it was not possible for death to chain him in eternal extinction. And now the revelation of the character of God has to be made manifest through his saints and swell progressively to a point in time described by Jude 24. Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. Our time is gone. The point is this. We are witnesses. We we we we we shall look at the other aspect of the court, the jury. So, we are the witnesses. God is depending on us to vindicate him. We do good works for those who ask the question, not so that we may go to heaven. As we have seen, good works can never acquire heaven. Heaven has been given to us freely. But we do good works to vindicate the name of God. When Satan looks at you beating your wife, he sends those photographs in heaven and says, "Look, that elder is the one you are depending on. He's a Christian. He blasphemes the name of God. It is the name of God that is at stake. It's not your life. You have been given heaven for free. Just take it and you take it by faith. But, the role we have is to defend the name of God. Do you know this God? You cannot defend a person that you don't know. We shall start from there. Keep your questions coming. That one on judgment, elder, it is part of some of the things that I'm going to present. Let us pray. >> [clears throat] >> Father in heaven, I believe strongly that you like your people to know these things. May your Holy Spirit impress the truth of this matter upon their hearts that it may transform them and me so that we may focus on the name of God and not on heaven because your name is at stake and you are depending on us to vindicate it. Oh God, hear our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen.