The Sunyani Area Head of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle James Gabriel Quardson, has assured believers that the prophecy about the second-coming of Jesus is reliable and should be earnestly desired and believed.
In a sermon titled “Jesus is Coming, So Wait for His Appearing” at the 2023 Heads’ Meeting of the Church at the Pentecost Convention Centre (PCC) near Gomoa Fetteh, Apostle Quardson stated that whenever a sinner encounters the gospel message, a profound understanding of Christ as a Saviour, Healer, Sanctifier, and Soon-coming King takes hold of the individual’s heart.
“This knowledge, when well understood and accepted, changes the behaviour of the receiver,” he expressed.
Describing the appearance of Jesus as an integral part of the gospel message, he indicated that the second coming of Jesus is of dual nature, further elaborating that Jesus shall either come to meet His people, or His people will join Him.
He reiterated that the prophetic message is reliable, and Jesus will definitely fulfill His part. Thus, he admonished, “It is not so much about His coming really but our readiness for Him.”
He stressed that the forebears of the Church understood this message and lived their lives accordingly. “They lived as if He was coming tomorrow and thus did not bother themselves much with the things of the world,” he said.
He mentioned that, though Jesus emphasised His ascension several times in His interactions with the disciples, when it happened, they were surprised by its sudden nature.
He disclosed that it took two angels to remind and encourage them that He would come back. “This motivated them, and they were always careful with their lives and tried to please their Lord.”
Apostle Quardson, referencing 1 John 3:2–3, advised that the message of the second coming of Jesus must be believed because that births purity in the believer.
He warned that “because we, of today, have not positioned our lives so well, we may be people who confess the belief that ‘once saved, forever saved’ and live our lives anyhow.”
Touching on 2 Timothy 4:8, he added that believers need to yearn and earnestly long for His coming. “We need to always desire it; it is linked to the crown of righteousness we are going to receive.”
Apostle Quardson pointed to 1 Corinthians 16:22 that the second coming must be the love of believers. “What you love makes you happy and drives you for action,” he said.
He reiterated that the church has to be intentional for action. “We should be positioned in the move of waiting for His coming because it will be spontaneous. Let us always be in readiness, always looking up to His coming,” he said.
The five-day Heads’ meeting will discuss the five-year vision of The Church of Pentecost on the theme: “Possessing the Nations (Phase II) – Unleashing the Whole Church to Transform their World with the Values and Principles of the Kingdom of God” and also unveil the annual theme of the church for the year 2024.
PENTECOST NEWS.