Apostolic Faith Overseer calls for steadfastness, assures Christians: ‘Heaven is real‘
By Julius Alabi, Akure
Christians have been urged to remain steadfast in their faith and endure the challenges of life with the assurance of eternal rest in heaven, as the Ondo State Overseer of The Apostolic Faith Church, Rev. Joseph Adeboye Aro, declared that the struggles of believers would end when they made heaven.
Aro gave the assurance while delivering a sermon on the “Coming of the Lord” at the headquarters of The Apostolic Faith Church in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Preaching from Isaiah 40:2, with additional readings from 2 Peter 3:8–12, the cleric reminded the congregation that earthly challenges were temporary and that Christians must not allow the difficulties of life to weaken their faith in God.
He said believers were engaged in a spiritual battle that would continue until they reached their heavenly home, urging them to remain committed to Christ despite the trials and uncertainties confronting them.
According to him, the hope of heaven should strengthen Christians to persevere, knowing that their struggles would eventually give way to eternal peace and rest in the presence of God.
Aro likened human existence to a marketplace, where people conduct their activities for a limited period before returning home, saying that Christians must similarly recognise that their earthly journey is temporary.
“We are in a marketplace, and we will surely return home. There is hope for us, the hope of heaven,” he said.
Drawing inspiration from the life and death of Brother Fatai Johnson Olowosile, a respected cleric of the church and its Zonal Pastor in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State, the overseer expressed confidence that the departed Christian had completed his earthly journey successfully.
He encouraged the congregation to draw strength from the example of the deceased and remain faithful to their Christian calling, expressing the hope that they, too, would finish their race and make heaven.
“We know that Brother Fatai Johnson Olowosile has made it. We are going to make it too,” Aro said.
The cleric, who also read from 1 Thessalonians 4:15, Psalm 50:1–5 and Psalm 19:1–2, emphasised the need for Christians to live in constant readiness for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
He said Christ was expecting believers to be with Him, adding that they must prepare themselves spiritually to meet their Lord whenever He returned.
Aro noted that the passing of Christians, one after another, was a reminder of the brevity of human life and the need to remain prepared for eternity.
He, however, cautioned believers against becoming weary in the face of adversity, stressing that the Christian journey would continue to involve spiritual battles until the final homecoming.
The overseer also expressed confidence in God’s unfailing support for those who put their trust in Him, urging Christians to depend on divine strength rather than surrender to discouragement.
He explained that the promise of Christ’s return should inspire believers to live holy lives, remain faithful to the teachings of the Bible and sustain their hope of eternal life.
According to him, the triumph of the faithful would ultimately be revealed at the coming of the Lord, when those who belong to Christ would share in the fulfilment of His promise.
He therefore urged the congregation to remain watchful, steadfast and spiritually prepared, assuring them that the trials of the present world would not last forever.
Aro said the certainty of heaven should serve as a source of encouragement to Christians as they navigate the challenges of life, reminding them that those who trust in God would receive His support until they finally reach their eternal home.
