BANNED FROM HEAVEN
Dr. D. K. Olukoya

Our message for this week entitled "Banned from Heaven" is a message for those who do not want to miss heaven. So, I implore you to open your heart and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you.

Beloved, it is one thing to come to this world and it is another thing not to waste the opportunity. Jesus gathered His disciples and told them that one of them was to betray Him. He even tried to assist Judas by answering him, "You said it," when that question "Is it I?" was posed to Jesus. But as the saying goes, "To a dog that is destined to get lost, the hunter’s whistle becomes useless," Judas still went ahead and missed heaven. There is only one class of people who come to the world in vain: those who are banned from heaven. The Lord made it clear that it would have been better if such people were not born.

At this point, I would like you to close your eyes and pray like this: "O Lord, search my heart, and chase out anything You do not like inside, in the name of Jesus."

In 1 Corinthians 2: 9, we read one of the most glorious verses in the Bible. It says, "But as it is written, eyes hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, the things (many) which God has prepared for them that love him." This verse is telling us about the beauty of heaven. It would be a tragedy for anyone to miss it. The only prerequisite to make this beautiful place is holiness. A man may get to heaven without good health, wealth, fame, big name, certificates, beauty or handsomeness. He may get to heaven without earning big salary, but he can never get to heaven without holiness. You may enter a church without holiness. You may fill the register without holiness, you may be in the choir without holiness, you may be a pastor without holiness, but you cannot get to heaven without holiness, for the Bible says, "Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." That "no man" includes everybody; your earthly title being totally irrelevant. Unfortunately, this very important word ‘holiness’ has been relegated to the background in many churches these days. Nobody talks about hell fire anymore. But the truth is that the fear of hell has sent many people to heaven. I recall what happened to one old Christian who was sick. One day, some young Christians came to pray with him and they said, "Daddy, are you going to heaven?" The old man replied to their amazement that he was not just going to heaven, rather he was already living there. That is the way a Christian who is sure of his salvation should end his life. For you not to be banned from heaven, you must start from here. Jesus says, "The kingdom of God is within you." It is already inside. Jesus came to this earth from heaven that we might go to heaven from the earth. He came down that we might go up. So, we cannot enter heaven unless the heaven first of all enters us. Therein lies our problem.



WHERE DO YOU

SET YOUR AFFECTION?

The Bible says, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Col. 3:2. The reason for the ineffectiveness of so many Christians now is that they have ceased to think about heaven. Nowadays, there is no day without news about wars, earthquakes and many other terrible things foretold by the Bible. The Bible says that on the last days, there shall be wars and rumours of war. But those that are truly born again have nothing to fear. For them such calamity will be like an express ticket to see Jesus. But those who do not know God will go from their beds to hell fire. Many Christians are so ineffective because the thought of going to heaven has departed from them. If you study your Bible well, you will find that the most effective Christians in the history of the church were those who set their affections on things above. There was a brother, by name Henry Ben, who was dying and was therefore rushed to the hospital. After examination, the doctor told him that his case was hopeless. To the amazement of all present, Brother Ben started jubilating. He was able to do this because he was sure of meeting Jesus. If you are a member of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries and you miss heaven, your coming to the place would have been a bloody waste of time. You would not say that you were not told to set your affections on things above. Ignorance is no excuse; and the Bible talks about it extensively. In the New Testament, you find in several places where it is written, "I will not have you ignorant."

I am sure when Noah began to build his oversize boat, many people would have mocked him. He was not deterred and for 120 years he was busy on the God-assigned project. People saw him as an eccentric old man, a foolish prophet. Eventually Noah was right and his contemporaries were wrong. They might have been very intelligent people, yet ignorant of God’s programme. Another way the Bible expresses ignorance is by, "they knew not." It says, "As in the days of Noah, when they were marrying and getting married, and they knew not when the flood came." Some academicians may not agree with the fact that one of the major characteristics of this generation is ignorance. There has never been a generation like ours where people are so clever, very smart, highly sophisticated, and well read, but at the same time, very ignorant. We have so much smartness and cleverness mixed up with stupidity, knowledge about so many things but not about God. Whatever else a man may know, if he does not know what God wants him to know, he is ignorant. You can call yourself a professor or a philosopher, but if you do not know what God wants you to do, you are highly ignorant. In our days now, everything is fast. Men travel faster than ever, live fast life, and enjoy fast food, etc. But what is the use of your speed, when you are going in the wrong direction. You are travelling fast to the wrong place. Many modern men may dress in the latest attire, have university degrees, drive a Rolls Royce or a Limousine but they are as foolish as a sheep for they do not know what God wants them to do. At the end of the day, they would end up in eternal hell. Adolf Hitler had great knowledge and was an eloquent speaker, but he had no knowledge of God. So, as far as heavens were concerned, he was an ignoramus. He left God out of his programme. He built one of the most powerful war machines human beings have ever seen. He overran many countries and bombed many at night. He wanted to become a world ruler. But his ignorance made him to attack one race about which the Bible says, "Whosoever blesses you is blessed, whosoever curses you is cursed." The moment he decided to land on the Jews, he incurred the trouble of the God of Abraham who disgraced him thoroughly. So with all his knowledge, he was ignorant of that sacred truth. If he had not touched the Jews, he would have ruled the world. The book of Ecclesiastes summarizes the world thus: "Vanity upon vanity, all is vanity." It is therefore spiritual madness to glue yourself to this present world, because it is going away. Running after the world is like a dog chasing its own tail. It would never catch it. People that had engaged themselves in such a folly had passed on into hell fire.

Musicians who flatter people with stupid songs telling them they would never die should have paused to ask where their own grandfathers are.

In some parts of this nation, women are fatted before marriage. This world is a fattening room as far as the devil is concerned. He is fattening people in order to eat them up as big meat later. That is why the Bible says, "We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we shall take nothing out of it." Is it this kind of world you want to glue yourself to? All entreaties by men of God to people not to commit fornication fall on deaf ears because many have never seen the picture of hell. When you see men and women in hell fire burning, you will not need to be told not to commit fornication. No present worldly pleasure can compare to what God has for us in heaven. No party can compare to the party of the marriage supper of the Lamb. If you say you are born again and you still go to worldly parties, you are lost completely because you do not have your right focus. You do not know what you are doing. I can never cease to recount my own experience of the first time I saw heaven. It is an unforgettable experience. It was in 1975. Do you think you have seen nice gardens here? You need to see the ones over there. You think you have seen nice houses here? You need to see those ones up there. You think you have seen good cities here? You need to see the heavenly cities. You think you have heard music here? Beloved, there is no good music in this place. I saw the saints rejoicing and singing joyfully. The joy on their faces could not be described. I wanted to rush inside and join them; but I was stopped at the gate. "You have work to do," I heard a voice say to me. Even as a small boy, I woke up crying for having been prevented from joining those saints.

It is very strange to see old men and women who are Christians but who still glue themselves to this present world. People of 50/60 dressing as people going to disco parties makes me wonder what they are aiming at. Some young people talk about enjoying themselves, and the enjoyment they are talking about is immorality, drunkenness, hard drugs, smoking and reckless living. They call these enjoyment. Some of them are so happy when they get admission to the university because they believe that they have escaped from the harassment of daddy and mummy. They think they are free to do whatever they like, not knowing that they are entering into another danger and only God can call them out of it. They allow the devil to trap them, and then they start running back to God. They forget that God is not a fool. Many years ago, I spoke to a sister who was a nurse. Her specialty was to carry out abortions for schoolgirls. I told her to stop it and she told me that that was the only way money could come into her clinic. When it boomeranged, I felt sorry for her. I was almost crying when I saw her. I got to her bedside and as I closed my eyes to call the name of the Lord, I felt my prayers bouncing back on my head. I could not continue, so, I opened my eyes. Then she said, "I call upon God in the day of trouble, and He does not answer me." I said, "Well, I told you." She said that I should call upon God for her. I said that I had called upon Him, and He asked me to shut up. So God is not a fool.

There are many people that are strong and healthy now but will not do any work for God. When they are getting old and moving close to the grave then they start engaging themselves in spiritual affairs. What the Lord wants us to do is to remember Him in the days of our youth. A time will come when you will say, "Now, I am ready to serve you Lord," and He will say, "But when I was calling you where were you?" Many old people are yet to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit because they believe that it is just for the young ones. Such people need a lot of prayers for in the eyes of the Lord, age is no excuse. There was a sick Christian who refused to see anybody on his sickbed because of the fellowship he was already enjoying with the angels of the living God. He was turning everybody away but received an atheist. He told the atheist that he turned away the other people because he knew that he would still meet them in heaven but for the non-believer, that was the last opportunity of their meeting unless he gave his life to Jesus there and then. There is no other way of enjoying heaven than making preparation for it right from here. A pastor feels sad when conducting the burial service of a non-believer for he knows that his destination is hell fire. But if a person has gone to be with the Lord, it becomes a celebration of life.

In heaven, which is a country better than all countries, there is no sickness, no pain, no death. It is free from war, bloodshed and poverty. There is no old age, no tiredness, no separation, no disappointment, no sin, no accident, no funeral, no cemetery, no death, no prison, no jail, no cripple, no blind, no deaf, no dumb, no asylum, no beggar, no hospitals, etc. What a glorious place. I am determined to get there. What about you?





Matthew 18: 3 says, "Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mark 9: 36 also says, "And he took a child and set him in the midst of them and when he had taken him in his thigh, he said unto them, whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth not me but He that sent me." Mark 10: 13 –14 says, "And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." So, if you do not want to be like little children, you will be banned from heaven.

Heaven-bound citizens always consider ten vital questions before they participate in, say or do anything.

1. Is it a sin? If it is a sin, do not do it.

2. Does it glorify God? If it does not glorify God, take your hands off it.Gossiping and backbiting must be avoided. One of my lecturers used to say that it is better to say what you want to say in the minimum amount of words because the more words you write, the more words are available to be questioned. So use few words in what you want to say and get out of the place. Check whatever you do. Does your giving your wife a dirty slap glorify God? Does your coming home late glorify God? Does your drinking alcohol secretly glorify God? Does your spreading rumours glorify God?

3. Does it edify God or is it profitable? If it does not edify and is not profitable, drop it. When somebody speaks to you, allow the Holy Spirit inside you to get into action before you start talking. If not, you will fall into grievous mistakes.

4. Will it make others to stumble? Does your lifestyle discourage others from accepting the Lord? Do unbelievers look at you and shy away from the gospel? If your answers are yes, you must make amends.

5. Is it really necessary? If it is not necessary, drop it fast. Punching extra holes in your ear, is it necessary?

6. Does it help my testimony? For example, can you publicly grab the microphone and testify that you just had an abortion yesterday?

7. Would I be able to thank God for it? For instance, can you say, "Lord I thank you, I give glory to your holy name because today, when I was coming to church, somebody drove his vehicle in a rough way in front of me and I looked at him and said, "Your father is a mad man."

8. Can it bring me into bondage? Can it enslave me? Or does it have the slightest possibility of enslaving me? If your answer is in the affirmative, then drop it. This is why you should not drink, smoke or use sniff tobacco for they all have the power of enslavement.

9. Will Jesus do this thing or will Jesus say it? What comes out of our mouths must be watched.

10. Can I do this thing in the name of the Lord? There are a lot useless prayers people offer. For example, it is a useless exercise to put alcohol before you, close your eyes and say, "I bless this alcohol, in the name of Jesus." This you cannot do in the name of the Lord. Somebody says, you are a fool and one spirit says, "Why don’t you give it back to him?" You will say, "Can I really call this person a bastard, in the name of the Lord?" If you cannot do it. Then do not say it.



WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHILDREN TO MAKE HEAVEN? ̈ Children have very simple faults. They believe you without argument or debate. I remember the story of John and his father. Their building caught fire and the fire brigade came to rescue the occupants. John was the only person left in the house. He was at the top of the building. Officials of the fire brigade said, "John, jump down." He said no and the fire was almost getting to him. Fortunately his father came and just looked up and said, "John, it is me, daddy, jump down." The boy did not even look at where he was jumping, he jumped immediately since it was at the command of his daddy. This is the type of childlike faith we need to make heaven.

̈ Children are full of trust. They do not live a life of suspicion. A child would continue to trust you until you prove that you are not trustworthy.

̈ Children have a freshness that cannot be debated. They have a new way of looking at life.

̈ Children forgive very quickly. It is not easy for them to hold grudge against anyone.

̈ Children are not afraid to ask questions. They are perpetually curious. They are learners.

̈ Children are hero worshippers. The easiest thing is for a child to look up to someone or the world and try to be like them. We too should make Jesus our hero in order to make heaven.

̈ Children have natural humility. They realize that they are little and they have much to learn from someone bigger and wiser, somebody stronger than they are.

̈ Children are unsophisticated and do not discriminate against others no mater how poor.

̈ They are innocent. They are not alive to the ugly things of the adult world.

̈ Healthy children are joyful. They enjoy little things tremendously.

̈ Children love. They find it natural to hug and cuddle people, and to throw their arms into their parents’ hands.

̈ Children are playful. They spend a huge amount of time playing and that is the primary way they develop and learn.

̈ Children enjoy unique simplicity. They are not as complicated as adults.

̈ Children are zealous. Whatever they do, even if it is not the right thing, they want to do it well with their strength.

̈ Children live in a world of absolute; to them it is either wrong or right, good or bad. They have not learned the meaning of the word compromise; that is why they copy people. They are God’s little spies. I remember the story of a man who went to steal yam in another man’s farm. He positioned his four children in four different corners to help watch out for anybody coming. But as he was about to steal the yam, the smallest child whistled and the daddy said, "What is it?" The boy pointed upwards and said, "Daddy, who is going to watch the man up there?" And the man could not steal the yam again.

Beloved, today, decide that you are not going to compromise with sin anymore. Decide that you are going to seek for spiritual growth. Obey the marching order of Christ to preach the gospel everywhere. Be sure that your life does not contradict what you say. Be sure you are filled with the Holy Spirit and if sin comes between you and the Lord, have it removed at once by telling Him about it. Do not miss this beautiful place. The Bible says, "In my father’s house, there are many mansions." If people could fight tooth and nail to protect their parents’ properties which they have inherited, Christians should do all they can to make heaven and possess the beautiful mansions there.

PRAYER POINTS

1. O Lord, open my understanding, in the name of Jesus.

2. O Lord, I want your presence to overshadow me this day, in the name of Jesus.

3. You demon of ‘almost there,’ I command the ground to swallow you up, in the name of Jesus.

4. You spirit of slow progress, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

5. I refuse to fail at the edge of my miracle. Failure shall not be my lot, in the name of Jesus.

6. Any attempt by any herbalist to dispatch demons to me backfire, in Jesus’ name.

Fire for Fire. You should have broken this down. You could pose it as a question and send in chunks as the discussion proceed or,

E too long even MFM member go tire to read it am.

You could begin a thread on sermons, others may be motivated to read or copy, paste and print. Whoever is visiting will be prepared for a long text.

May I not be banned in Jesus name Amen.

Not innarestid.
May I be banned for ever and ever.
I sure don wanno go there considering the boring, wicked, hypocritical creatures who are dying to go there.
Tufiakwa!!!

Lord pls help I have a problem with always staring sexualy at women and I go on worldly Internet discussion sites. Help pls

Please bobby1, you might be a little more clear, and explain in detail point by point?

Thank you ,