30 Pieces of Silver
Exo 30:
32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant ; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver , and the ox shall be stoned .
The price of a slave or servant gored by an ox in restitution is 30 shekels or silver pieces. Strangely this is the only case when monetary compensation suffices instead of capital punishment for causing death of a person. Could it be that the religious system that murdered the Son of God found a loop hole to clear their blood guilty conscience? Or did the Almighty God, full of Wisdom and knowledge purposely give us this as a revealing our true worth?
Matt 26:
15 And said [unto them], What will ye give me , and I will deliver him unto you ? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver .
The cost of the price for the life of the Son of God was also 30 pieces of silver, the price for restitution of a slave gored by an animal. That is how much the religious system during Jesus time valued His life. I wonder how much we value the life of the Son of God in us or we devalue Him in our own ‘religious’ standards to merely being provider, protector, healer, etc? Could it be that the life we now live, we live for ourselves and not for the Son of God Who gave His life for us?
Rom 1:
1 Paul, a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
The antithetical Christian life is lived out as a slave of Jesus Christ, separated, not conform to the pattern of this world. We are slaves that don't have rights but experience the full impact of the Gospel of being dead to the old life and a new creation. This means a surrendered life of saying with all transparency to ‘let Thy will be done’. Our true liberty lies in being saved from slavery of the world and of the devil into the Mastery of Christ.
Heb 11:
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy :) they wandered in deserts , and [in] mountains , and [in] dens and caves of the earth .
The antithetical life, we will find out the hard-cold truth that we are not valued by the world or its religious system. If we are counted as worthy by the world, then the danger of being stained and counted as unworthy (Rev 3:4) is before us.
If as Christians we dare say that ‘…..Christ liveth in me… (Gal 2:20), what is the value of the life that we live? True value of life is found on our pilgrimage in discovering more and more of the worldly standards of life as dung (Phil 3:8). Are we willing to be valued at the cost of 30 pieces of silver?
Monday, September 24, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Folks,
I am not sure how you read the news. Do we read it as though it'll not happen to me? Or do we read it and feel God's grief.
The recent wickedness of rapes, murders, arson, cheating, bribe, corruption, etc appearing more and more in the last few years. What! These things were unheard of. The wave of wickedness is increasing.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/19/nation/18927373&sec=nation&focus=1
May we learn to stand before God and cry out for mercy lest judgement fall upon Malaysia.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
(Rom 1:28-32)
The way this verse was written is as though God has given up that is why 'He gave them over.......'. Please fast and pray that God will not overlook this nation. That the effectual fervent prayer of righteous men and women in our land will avail much to fight and triumph over forces of darkness that is driving many to deprave acts.
I am not sure how you read the news. Do we read it as though it'll not happen to me? Or do we read it and feel God's grief.
What stirs within our minds and hearts when we read of a 9 to 13 year old (as of now the identify of the girl has not been clear) that was raped, murdered, enduring such agony and pain unto death?
Are we so busy with ourselves and concerns that we don't see life as God would see it? Or we continue to live as in the days of Noah as though God isn't watching?The recent wickedness of rapes, murders, arson, cheating, bribe, corruption, etc appearing more and more in the last few years. What! These things were unheard of. The wave of wickedness is increasing.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/9/19/nation/18927373&sec=nation&focus=1
May we learn to stand before God and cry out for mercy lest judgement fall upon Malaysia.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
(Rom 1:28-32)
The way this verse was written is as though God has given up that is why 'He gave them over.......'. Please fast and pray that God will not overlook this nation. That the effectual fervent prayer of righteous men and women in our land will avail much to fight and triumph over forces of darkness that is driving many to deprave acts.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The turning of God’s grace into lewdness
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Jud 1:4)
The Epistle of Jude is generally titled as ‘Contending for the Faith’ as Jude wrote in Jude 1:3. In fact, he uses the word ‘content earnestly’, which indicates effort on the believer’s behalf to stand for their moral convictions or truthfulness of their God. We are then never to let our guard down as though in a situation of war.
The contention for the faith requires watchfulness of ‘certain’ men who managed to maneuver their way into acceptability in the church. As wolf in sheep’s clothing seeking to corrupt the Grace of our God, turning the heavenly value of His Grace into a common thing. It is as though there have been a downgrading of the standards of God’s grace and dragging it down to the level of lasciviousness or lewdness. It causes the grace that brought us salvation, out of darkness into His marvelous light; the deliverance from God’s wrath to be devalued to a license to sin (licentiousness). This is the spirit of the end times that Jesus talks about as lawlessness (Matt 24:12) or Antinomianism. This certain men bring with them a destructive teaching upon themselves and on those who follow their folly (2 Pet 2:1). There is no such thing as exemption from the morals of God; even Jesus declared that He came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17).
The liberty that we obtained by God’s grace is the liberty NOT to sin. Once we were slaves to sin, but now am free! Once we were so wretched in sin that it cost God His only begotten Son and the Son of God His life to bring about propitiation for sin. Propitiation: meaning the placating of God’s wrath for sin by Jesus bearing the full brunt of it on the cross. Liberty in the eyes of the great apostles was to be free from the slavery of the devil into the mastery of Jesus Christ, thus calling themselves bond servants of Jesus Christ. It is in the Mastery of Christ upon our lives that we find true liberty.
Another point of liberty that we as believers have is the ability to forgive others as we have been forgiven. This is probably one of the biggest struggles that we will have in our pilgrimage. Jesus included forgiveness as one of the elements in the prayer He taught us in Matt 6, also because in forgiving others the Father will also forgive us. Being able to forgive removes the root of bitterness from our lives, which actually makes us more miserable than the person we can’t forgive.
Our liberty also gives us the possibility of being meek, pure in heart, as peacemakers, being poor in spirit, etc. These come with promises of being blessed of happiness. No longer will our pursuit of happiness be in vain, but our hope is sure.
When the grace of God is devalued to ‘common’ instead of heavenly there will be the denial of the Lordship of God upon our lives. Jude aptly puts it as ‘denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ’. The double mention of Lord is significance for us to consider seriously.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jud 1:19-21)
Jude gives us sound advice as to living in the last days in contending for our faith. We are encouraged to build ourselves us in the most holy faith. The prior verse tells us to separate ourselves from sensuality (gratification of the flesh) and live in the Spirit where there is no condemnation (Rom 8:1). Building a strong spirit requires feeding the spirit man by His Word. Feeding our flesh with things that gratify it will inevitably ‘grow’ the flesh which will eventually overcome the spirit life.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(Joh 6:63)
Secondly, praying in the spirit is a continuous action. This means that our prayers have to be Holy Spirit influenced and guided. How else will we learn to pray that way unless we first have an ongoing growing relationship with our Father (for God is Spirit, John 4:24)?
Thirdly, keep ourselves in the love of God is not by our own strength. We stay in the position to be loved of God as Jesus did for 30 years and finally Heaven’s open and declared the love of the Father over the Son. The only hint of Jesus life in the 30 hidden years was the temple incident at the age of 12. That short section of Scripture gives tell us that He was about Father’s business, concerns and priorities (Luke 2:49).
Lastly, in looking for the Lord’s mercy unto eternal life for mercy is of God (1 Pet 2:10). We can’t earn God’s mercy. But the proof of having God’s mercy is when we are merciful (Matt 5:7). God always command us to show mercy to the fatherless and widows. How else can there be purity of our belief in God?
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
(Jas 1:27)
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Jud 1:4)
The Epistle of Jude is generally titled as ‘Contending for the Faith’ as Jude wrote in Jude 1:3. In fact, he uses the word ‘content earnestly’, which indicates effort on the believer’s behalf to stand for their moral convictions or truthfulness of their God. We are then never to let our guard down as though in a situation of war.
The contention for the faith requires watchfulness of ‘certain’ men who managed to maneuver their way into acceptability in the church. As wolf in sheep’s clothing seeking to corrupt the Grace of our God, turning the heavenly value of His Grace into a common thing. It is as though there have been a downgrading of the standards of God’s grace and dragging it down to the level of lasciviousness or lewdness. It causes the grace that brought us salvation, out of darkness into His marvelous light; the deliverance from God’s wrath to be devalued to a license to sin (licentiousness). This is the spirit of the end times that Jesus talks about as lawlessness (Matt 24:12) or Antinomianism. This certain men bring with them a destructive teaching upon themselves and on those who follow their folly (2 Pet 2:1). There is no such thing as exemption from the morals of God; even Jesus declared that He came to fulfill the law and not to destroy it but to fulfill it (Matt 5:17).
The liberty that we obtained by God’s grace is the liberty NOT to sin. Once we were slaves to sin, but now am free! Once we were so wretched in sin that it cost God His only begotten Son and the Son of God His life to bring about propitiation for sin. Propitiation: meaning the placating of God’s wrath for sin by Jesus bearing the full brunt of it on the cross. Liberty in the eyes of the great apostles was to be free from the slavery of the devil into the mastery of Jesus Christ, thus calling themselves bond servants of Jesus Christ. It is in the Mastery of Christ upon our lives that we find true liberty.
Another point of liberty that we as believers have is the ability to forgive others as we have been forgiven. This is probably one of the biggest struggles that we will have in our pilgrimage. Jesus included forgiveness as one of the elements in the prayer He taught us in Matt 6, also because in forgiving others the Father will also forgive us. Being able to forgive removes the root of bitterness from our lives, which actually makes us more miserable than the person we can’t forgive.
Our liberty also gives us the possibility of being meek, pure in heart, as peacemakers, being poor in spirit, etc. These come with promises of being blessed of happiness. No longer will our pursuit of happiness be in vain, but our hope is sure.
When the grace of God is devalued to ‘common’ instead of heavenly there will be the denial of the Lordship of God upon our lives. Jude aptly puts it as ‘denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ’. The double mention of Lord is significance for us to consider seriously.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(Jud 1:19-21)
Jude gives us sound advice as to living in the last days in contending for our faith. We are encouraged to build ourselves us in the most holy faith. The prior verse tells us to separate ourselves from sensuality (gratification of the flesh) and live in the Spirit where there is no condemnation (Rom 8:1). Building a strong spirit requires feeding the spirit man by His Word. Feeding our flesh with things that gratify it will inevitably ‘grow’ the flesh which will eventually overcome the spirit life.
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(Joh 6:63)
Secondly, praying in the spirit is a continuous action. This means that our prayers have to be Holy Spirit influenced and guided. How else will we learn to pray that way unless we first have an ongoing growing relationship with our Father (for God is Spirit, John 4:24)?
Thirdly, keep ourselves in the love of God is not by our own strength. We stay in the position to be loved of God as Jesus did for 30 years and finally Heaven’s open and declared the love of the Father over the Son. The only hint of Jesus life in the 30 hidden years was the temple incident at the age of 12. That short section of Scripture gives tell us that He was about Father’s business, concerns and priorities (Luke 2:49).
Lastly, in looking for the Lord’s mercy unto eternal life for mercy is of God (1 Pet 2:10). We can’t earn God’s mercy. But the proof of having God’s mercy is when we are merciful (Matt 5:7). God always command us to show mercy to the fatherless and widows. How else can there be purity of our belief in God?
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
(Jas 1:27)
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Earthquakes in the last days
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Mat 24:7-8)
Have you ever wondered why of all the natural disasters Jesus said that earthquakes will happen in the last days? It was recorded faithfully for us in Matthew, Mark and Luke gospels. Bearing a warning to us who are now living in the last days. The signs are already written on the wall, do we heed or just brush aside as in the days of Noah when he preached righteousness and impending God's judgement but no one took note of. The nations of Israel and Judah shut the prophetic voice by asking them to say only things they wanted to hear, or messages that can be 'accepted' by the general public. Doesn't this ring in by a large majority of our churches. Of course the message of 'Peace, peace' and prosperity will bring in the numbers but how many will survive the end times without being deceived? Jesus Himself said that many are called, few are chosen.
Wed Sep 12, 11:48 AM ET (Reuters)
A powerful quake measuring 8.2 struck near Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday triggering tsunami warnings in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka, officials said.
Here is a chronology of some earthquakes in recent years:
Dec 12, 1992 - INDONESIA - A magnitude 6.8 quake killed at least 2,200 people on a string of islands in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.
Sept 30, 1993 - INDIA - A series of quakes killed almost 10,000 people in western and southern India. The first tremor was of magnitude 6.4.
June 6, 1994 - COLOMBIA - A quake brought down buildings and triggered mudslides, killing about 1,000 people in the Paez River valley in southwestern Colombia.
Jan 17, 1995 - JAPAN - A magnitude 7.2 quake, the country's worst in half a century, rocks Kobe, killing 6,430 people.
May 28, 1995 - RUSSIA - Russia's worst earthquake, magnitude 7.5, kills 1,989 people in the oil-producing Far East.
Feb 28, 1997 - IRAN - A magnitude 5.5 quake kills about 1,000 people in northwestern Iran.
May 10, 1997 - IRAN - A magnitude 7.1 quake kills 1,560 people in rural areas of eastern Iran near the Afghan border.
Feb 4, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 4,500 people are killed in Takhar province in a quake of magnitude 6.1.
May 30, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - A magnitude 6.9 quake kills up to 4,000 people in northern Takhar province.
July 17, 1998 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - An undersea quake of magnitude 7.1 creates three tsunami waves, killing at least 2,100 people.
Aug 17, 1999 - TURKEY - More than 17,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.4 quake.
Sept 21, 1999 - TAIWAN - At least 2,000 people are killed and hundreds of thousands made homeless by a magnitude 7.6 quake in central Taiwan.
Jan 26, 2001 - INDIA - An earthquake of magnitude 7.7 strikes the western state of Gujarat killing at least 19,700 people and causing damage in neighbouring Pakistan. The quake affected 15.9 million people in 7,904 villages.
March 26, 2002 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 1,500 people are killed when a series of quakes of between magnitude five and six strike northern Afghanistan
May 21, 2003 - ALGERIA - A magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Algiers and nearby towns to the east, killing 2,251 and injuring 10,243.
Dec 26, 2003 - IRAN - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes the historic city of Bam, 1,000 km (600 miles) southeast of Tehran. 30,948 were killed in the quake.
Dec 26, 2004 - ASIA - The number of dead and missing in an Asian earthquake and tsunami is almost 230,000. The wave crashed into Sri Lanka and India, drowning thousands and swamping tourist isles in Thailand and the Maldives. The quake measured 9.15 in magnitude.
March 28, 2005 - INDONESIA - Nearly 1,000 people are killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 struck the coast of Sumatra.
Oct 8, 2005 - PAKISTAN - At least 73,000 people are killed by a 7.6 magnitude quake that struck about 95 km (60 miles) northeast of Islamabad. The quake also rocked Indian Kashmir, killing 1,244 there.
March 31, 2006 - IRAN - An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hits the area of Doroud and Boroujerd in the western Lorestan province, killing at least 70 people.
March 6, 2007 - INDONESIA - A 6.4 magnitude quake and another measuring 6.3 in Sumatra kill more than 70 people.
July 16, 2007 - JAPAN - A 6.8 magnitude quake killed 10 people in northwestern Japan and shut the world's largest nuclear power plant.
Aug 15, 2007 - PERU - An 8.0 magnitude quake killed more than 500 people and destroyed about 34,000 homes on central coast.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Mat 24:7-8)
Have you ever wondered why of all the natural disasters Jesus said that earthquakes will happen in the last days? It was recorded faithfully for us in Matthew, Mark and Luke gospels. Bearing a warning to us who are now living in the last days. The signs are already written on the wall, do we heed or just brush aside as in the days of Noah when he preached righteousness and impending God's judgement but no one took note of. The nations of Israel and Judah shut the prophetic voice by asking them to say only things they wanted to hear, or messages that can be 'accepted' by the general public. Doesn't this ring in by a large majority of our churches. Of course the message of 'Peace, peace' and prosperity will bring in the numbers but how many will survive the end times without being deceived? Jesus Himself said that many are called, few are chosen.
There were 25 major earthquakes including yesterday's Sumatra earthquake averaging above one and half quakes per year. Is there an increase of this 'natural' phenomena?
But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
(Num 16:30)
The first mention of an earthquake is the earth opening up and swallowing Korah, his fellow conspirators and their families. The rebellion seems to be against Moses and his leadership but it provoked the Lord to anger and judgement. Moses is identified in the Bible with the law and rebelling against the law is then considered lawlessness. Jesus warned us in Matt 24:12 that lawlessness will abound and love of many will grow cold. If we look at Korah's rebellion and what Jesus' warning in Matt 24, in the last days one of the disasters would be earthquakes in diverse places, meaning earthquakes are signs of God's judgement for lawlessness.
The Taiwan earthquake almost shutdown the fiber optic link between Asia and the Americas. Guess what level of lawlessness is in the internet these days. Is God sending a message through the earthquake, or is it His divine
judgement.The recent case of a so-called ordained pastor of the homosexual church in Malaysia is another sign of lawlessness. If pastors don't teach the law (some reject the 10 Commandments) how will the body know what is good and acceptable to God? We can't reject the moral laws of God lest judgement come upon our land.
May we rise up as watchmen to pray that righteousness will exalt our nation that lawlessness will not abound in our land.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHRONOLOGY - Earthquakes worldwide in recent yearsWed Sep 12, 11:48 AM ET (Reuters)
A powerful quake measuring 8.2 struck near Indonesia's Sumatra island on Wednesday triggering tsunami warnings in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka, officials said.
Here is a chronology of some earthquakes in recent years:
Dec 12, 1992 - INDONESIA - A magnitude 6.8 quake killed at least 2,200 people on a string of islands in the province of East Nusa Tenggara.
Sept 30, 1993 - INDIA - A series of quakes killed almost 10,000 people in western and southern India. The first tremor was of magnitude 6.4.
June 6, 1994 - COLOMBIA - A quake brought down buildings and triggered mudslides, killing about 1,000 people in the Paez River valley in southwestern Colombia.
Jan 17, 1995 - JAPAN - A magnitude 7.2 quake, the country's worst in half a century, rocks Kobe, killing 6,430 people.
May 28, 1995 - RUSSIA - Russia's worst earthquake, magnitude 7.5, kills 1,989 people in the oil-producing Far East.
Feb 28, 1997 - IRAN - A magnitude 5.5 quake kills about 1,000 people in northwestern Iran.
May 10, 1997 - IRAN - A magnitude 7.1 quake kills 1,560 people in rural areas of eastern Iran near the Afghan border.
Feb 4, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 4,500 people are killed in Takhar province in a quake of magnitude 6.1.
May 30, 1998 - AFGHANISTAN - A magnitude 6.9 quake kills up to 4,000 people in northern Takhar province.
July 17, 1998 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA - An undersea quake of magnitude 7.1 creates three tsunami waves, killing at least 2,100 people.
Aug 17, 1999 - TURKEY - More than 17,800 people are killed by a magnitude 7.4 quake.
Sept 21, 1999 - TAIWAN - At least 2,000 people are killed and hundreds of thousands made homeless by a magnitude 7.6 quake in central Taiwan.
Jan 26, 2001 - INDIA - An earthquake of magnitude 7.7 strikes the western state of Gujarat killing at least 19,700 people and causing damage in neighbouring Pakistan. The quake affected 15.9 million people in 7,904 villages.
March 26, 2002 - AFGHANISTAN - At least 1,500 people are killed when a series of quakes of between magnitude five and six strike northern Afghanistan
May 21, 2003 - ALGERIA - A magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes Algiers and nearby towns to the east, killing 2,251 and injuring 10,243.
Dec 26, 2003 - IRAN - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes the historic city of Bam, 1,000 km (600 miles) southeast of Tehran. 30,948 were killed in the quake.
Dec 26, 2004 - ASIA - The number of dead and missing in an Asian earthquake and tsunami is almost 230,000. The wave crashed into Sri Lanka and India, drowning thousands and swamping tourist isles in Thailand and the Maldives. The quake measured 9.15 in magnitude.
March 28, 2005 - INDONESIA - Nearly 1,000 people are killed after a quake of magnitude 8.7 struck the coast of Sumatra.
Oct 8, 2005 - PAKISTAN - At least 73,000 people are killed by a 7.6 magnitude quake that struck about 95 km (60 miles) northeast of Islamabad. The quake also rocked Indian Kashmir, killing 1,244 there.
March 31, 2006 - IRAN - An earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale hits the area of Doroud and Boroujerd in the western Lorestan province, killing at least 70 people.
March 6, 2007 - INDONESIA - A 6.4 magnitude quake and another measuring 6.3 in Sumatra kill more than 70 people.
July 16, 2007 - JAPAN - A 6.8 magnitude quake killed 10 people in northwestern Japan and shut the world's largest nuclear power plant.
Aug 15, 2007 - PERU - An 8.0 magnitude quake killed more than 500 people and destroyed about 34,000 homes on central coast.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Asia-Pacific mental disorders increasing fast, expert says (AFP 12 Sep 2007)
Some of you may have heard Ps. Susan preached about this some years ago..... may we, as the church of Jesus Christ prepare ourselves against the flood of evil which is driving many into mental problems. If the Kingdom of God is about Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit, then this is the solution to keep our minds sane. That is why we need the Apostolic to prepare the church for what is ahead. Sadly, the Apostolic ministry has been brushed aside by majority of the 'modern day' church who settle for intellect and reasoning.
As the true Church of Jesus Christ who entered the narrow gate and walk along the difficult path, we will be salt and light the world. If we keep preaching, sharing and emphasizing on the external blessings of God, this is not the solution to mental or deep set time bombs.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
(Isa 26:3)
Those who crave after the external, don't have the Spirit. Those who have the Spirit will produce Fruit thereof (Gal 5:22-25) which are the ones that live crucified to the flesh. Life in the Spirit is one that doesn't live under condemnation but one of life and peace (Rom 8)! Crucifying the flesh takes a life time pilgrimage, as long we endeavor to walk that straight and narrow we will reach our final destination of Heavenly Mansions which Jesus said that He has gone ahead to prepare. Not reduction of the external as some perceive it to be, but the increase of the Christ as our self-life decrease (John 3:30). 'I must...', it's a matter of our will in order for the increase of Christ to take place.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
(Jud 1:19)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Park Chan-Kyong Tue Sep 11, 1:50 AM ET
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea (AFP) - The incidence of mental health problems is rising rapidly in the Asia-Pacific, putting a major burden on individuals and societies, a World Health Organisation adviser said Tuesday.
"Mental and neurological disorders are a major issue in terms of the absolute number of patients and the diseases' burden," Wang Xiangdong, a mental health adviser, told AFP.
According to a WHO report, mental and neurological disorders in 2002 accounted for 17.6 percent of the total disease burden in the WHO's Western Pacific region, with depression alone responsible for more than six percent.
There were about 331,000 suicides in the region that year, the latest for which full data is available.
Worldwide, suicide accounts for 33 percent of all violent deaths among men and 57 percent among women, the WHO has said.
"They (mental and neurological disorders) create a major and unnecessary burden for individuals, communities and societies," the WHO's regional committee for the Western Pacific said in the report.
The committee is holding its annual meeting this week in South Korea's Jeju island.
Regional director Shigeru Omi, in a speech Monday, said the Western Pacific "continues to bear a disproportionate share of the world's suicide burden".
The report urges member states to note the "increasing trend of mental, behavioural, neurological and substance abuse".
It calls on member states to continue considering mental health as a priority "and to continue to increase political, financial, and technical commitment in order to address mental, behavioural and neurological diseases."
Wang said he believed the rise in the incidence of mental disease was faster than in other regions, but added it was not a priority for most member states.
The allocation for mental and neurological disorders is less than one percent of the total health budget in half of the countries and areas in the Western Pacific, according to the WHO.
A WHO survey conducted between 2001 and 2003 found that 76-85 percent of mental patients in less developed countries had received no treatment in the previous year, compared with 35-50 percent in developed countries.
"We cannot expect their health budgets to jump to match the disease's burden but clearly, one percent is not sufficient," Wang said.
He said many countries in the region lacked mental health policies or legislation. Many people believe mental disease is a remote risk until friends or family suddenly fall victim.
Social stigmas cause many people in the region not to seek help and make the problems worse, Wang said.
"Just like hypertension, you need full and continuous treatment for those diseases. Otherwise, you cannot prevent relapses. That's a very important point," he said.
Friday, September 07, 2007
False Teachers in the last days
The book of 2 Peter teaches us that in the last days we need good virtues to be an overcomer and secondly the warning with regard to false teachers
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(2Pe 1:20-21)
Interpretation of Scripture not exclusive to an individual, otherwise they become Gnostics claiming that they are the only ones receiving divine revelation. There isn’t any new revelation; even Solomon says that there is nothing new under the sun. God is not Schizophrenia with regard to His Word, Commandments and promises. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). If there are teachings that the preacher claim as new revelation contrary to classical theology or doctrine, it is best to stay away from such a person. Daniel say God as the Ancient of days (Dan 7), never expect God to change to accommodate and decide to become relevant in today’s society. God’s plumb line never changed and neither did His moral standards and requirements. Who are we to correct the Almighty and test His eternal Wisdom?
Marks of false teachers
1. Blinded by human reasoning and greed. Seeking unrighteous gain, not just being money by stealing glory and honor from God by heaping upon themselves recognition from man.
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
(2Pe 2:15-16)
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
(Jud 1:11)
Not just following the error of Balaam but having the same spirit of Cain who walked out of the Presence of God to dwell in Nod, meaning being a wanderer. A wanderer is never satisfied and cannot find a firm footing. The true footing of our faith is when God builds us upon the Rock when the storms hit and winds blow, we will prevail as overcomers. Cain was also pioneered cities where much evil and injustice lurks. False teachers not just heap upon themselves earthly gain and recognition but also build to show their strength and ability. We have to remember that to prevail against the gates of hell; it has to be Christ that does the building and not us. Let us not measure our ministry or faith but the bigness of the outward, but being a spiritual giant.
2. Fleshly and destitute of the Spirit
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
(2Pe 2:17)
There will be deep spiritual dryness that God and people cannot draw from. There is no life in the spirit. As the fig tree that was cursed by Jesus due to lack of fruits, the fruits we are to bear are of the Spirit for God to harvest (Gal 5 and Eph 5). Any intimacy bear fruit as with a marriage, thus our intimacy with the Holy Spirit produces fruits of the Spirit. There is also a tempest that the Prince of Peace cannot calm because He does not dwell there in the first place. Such is reserved the horror darkness, need I elaborate further.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
(Rom 8:1-2)
False teacher preach against commendation and rightly so because in Christ there is not condemnation. But the condition of not living in condemnation is when we don’t walk after the gratification of the flesh but after the Spirit. Basically there is an over emphasis on the side of grace which is the receiving benefits we don’t deserve. There is another side of grace not much talked about is the ability to overcome.
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
(Psa 105:10)
Preachers of grace hit out against the moral law of God or the 10 commandments because they see the condemnation aspect. However to the transformed (Jacob and Israel are the same person, but the latter being the one transformed) the law becomes a covenant of life. As with a marriage, to the unmarried it appears to be a condemnation or restriction in relationship to the married it becomes of covenant with blessings and intimacy.
3. 'Logical' and superficial
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
(2Pe 2:18)
False teaches emphasize ‘what can you and I get out of this’ teaching, may it be blessing, healing, prosperity, blessing, etc. It serves to gratify the flesh for the Kingdom of God is not about that but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Again this emphasis is on the inward not the outward.
4. Perversion of true liberty
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
(2Pe 2:19-22)
The cross brought us freedom from sin but into the mastery of our Lord Jesus Christ. Either we have the devil as the father (together with his lusts) or we have the Heavenly Father (John 8:44).
‘In the midst of their talk of liberty, these men are the vilest slaves; their own lusts gain a complete victory over them, and they are actually in bondage. When men are entangled, they are easily overcome; therefore Christians should keep close to the word of God, and watch against all who seek to bewilder them. A state of apostacy is worse than a state of ignorance.’
Matthew Henry
The correct preaching
True teachers and preachers of the Word of God focus on righteousness because as Jesus says in Matt 24, in the end days there will be lawlessness and love of many will grow cold. Rejection of the moral law of God will definitely lead to lawlessness, people choosing to live according to what they perceive is right. Love growing cold because instead of loving God and others, there is the love for self and gratifying of it. That is why we need God’s righteousness and teaching of it, for the gratification of self is insatiable. Jesus promised that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness WILL be satisfied (Matt 5:6). How else can we live a fulfilled life unless we seek first righteousness of God? Why settle for anything else that is secondary? Right teaching preserves us from doom when the door of the 'Ark' is closed by the sovereign hand of God in the coming of great flood of evil. There have been preaching that is said to touch felt needs, the true work that God wants to do in us is beyond that. It is the touching the core of our lives and touch the roots and if necessary to uproot the unrighteousness so that righteousness can be planted instead. The former 'touching' can address human felt needs but also addresses issues of life superficially.
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
(2Pe 2:5)
The book of 2 Peter teaches us that in the last days we need good virtues to be an overcomer and secondly the warning with regard to false teachers
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(2Pe 1:20-21)
Interpretation of Scripture not exclusive to an individual, otherwise they become Gnostics claiming that they are the only ones receiving divine revelation. There isn’t any new revelation; even Solomon says that there is nothing new under the sun. God is not Schizophrenia with regard to His Word, Commandments and promises. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb 13:8). If there are teachings that the preacher claim as new revelation contrary to classical theology or doctrine, it is best to stay away from such a person. Daniel say God as the Ancient of days (Dan 7), never expect God to change to accommodate and decide to become relevant in today’s society. God’s plumb line never changed and neither did His moral standards and requirements. Who are we to correct the Almighty and test His eternal Wisdom?
Marks of false teachers
1. Blinded by human reasoning and greed. Seeking unrighteous gain, not just being money by stealing glory and honor from God by heaping upon themselves recognition from man.
Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
(2Pe 2:15-16)
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
(Jud 1:11)
Not just following the error of Balaam but having the same spirit of Cain who walked out of the Presence of God to dwell in Nod, meaning being a wanderer. A wanderer is never satisfied and cannot find a firm footing. The true footing of our faith is when God builds us upon the Rock when the storms hit and winds blow, we will prevail as overcomers. Cain was also pioneered cities where much evil and injustice lurks. False teachers not just heap upon themselves earthly gain and recognition but also build to show their strength and ability. We have to remember that to prevail against the gates of hell; it has to be Christ that does the building and not us. Let us not measure our ministry or faith but the bigness of the outward, but being a spiritual giant.
2. Fleshly and destitute of the Spirit
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
(2Pe 2:17)
There will be deep spiritual dryness that God and people cannot draw from. There is no life in the spirit. As the fig tree that was cursed by Jesus due to lack of fruits, the fruits we are to bear are of the Spirit for God to harvest (Gal 5 and Eph 5). Any intimacy bear fruit as with a marriage, thus our intimacy with the Holy Spirit produces fruits of the Spirit. There is also a tempest that the Prince of Peace cannot calm because He does not dwell there in the first place. Such is reserved the horror darkness, need I elaborate further.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
(Rom 8:1-2)
False teacher preach against commendation and rightly so because in Christ there is not condemnation. But the condition of not living in condemnation is when we don’t walk after the gratification of the flesh but after the Spirit. Basically there is an over emphasis on the side of grace which is the receiving benefits we don’t deserve. There is another side of grace not much talked about is the ability to overcome.
And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant:
(Psa 105:10)
Preachers of grace hit out against the moral law of God or the 10 commandments because they see the condemnation aspect. However to the transformed (Jacob and Israel are the same person, but the latter being the one transformed) the law becomes a covenant of life. As with a marriage, to the unmarried it appears to be a condemnation or restriction in relationship to the married it becomes of covenant with blessings and intimacy.
3. 'Logical' and superficial
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
(2Pe 2:18)
False teaches emphasize ‘what can you and I get out of this’ teaching, may it be blessing, healing, prosperity, blessing, etc. It serves to gratify the flesh for the Kingdom of God is not about that but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Again this emphasis is on the inward not the outward.
4. Perversion of true liberty
While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
(2Pe 2:19-22)
The cross brought us freedom from sin but into the mastery of our Lord Jesus Christ. Either we have the devil as the father (together with his lusts) or we have the Heavenly Father (John 8:44).
‘In the midst of their talk of liberty, these men are the vilest slaves; their own lusts gain a complete victory over them, and they are actually in bondage. When men are entangled, they are easily overcome; therefore Christians should keep close to the word of God, and watch against all who seek to bewilder them. A state of apostacy is worse than a state of ignorance.’
Matthew Henry
The correct preaching
True teachers and preachers of the Word of God focus on righteousness because as Jesus says in Matt 24, in the end days there will be lawlessness and love of many will grow cold. Rejection of the moral law of God will definitely lead to lawlessness, people choosing to live according to what they perceive is right. Love growing cold because instead of loving God and others, there is the love for self and gratifying of it. That is why we need God’s righteousness and teaching of it, for the gratification of self is insatiable. Jesus promised that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness WILL be satisfied (Matt 5:6). How else can we live a fulfilled life unless we seek first righteousness of God? Why settle for anything else that is secondary? Right teaching preserves us from doom when the door of the 'Ark' is closed by the sovereign hand of God in the coming of great flood of evil. There have been preaching that is said to touch felt needs, the true work that God wants to do in us is beyond that. It is the touching the core of our lives and touch the roots and if necessary to uproot the unrighteousness so that righteousness can be planted instead. The former 'touching' can address human felt needs but also addresses issues of life superficially.
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
(2Pe 2:5)
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
The Overcomer that know their God - Ps. Susan Tang
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overcomer that knows God
Hos 6:
3 Then shall we know , [if] we follow (pursue) on to know the LORD
Micah 5:
5 And this [man] shall be the peace , when the Assyrian shall come into our land : and when he shall tread in our palaces , then shall we raise against him seven shepherds (clergy) , and eight principal (laity) men . 6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword , and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver [us] from the Assyrian , when he cometh into our land , and when he treadeth within our borders .
Principal - life poured out as a libation before God. Willingness to be entire His, not given to any thing or to others. Willingness to even die for the God whom he or she loves.
David was one recorded in Scripture that poured out the Lord. He saw the preciousness of the water which were gotten at the hazard of men's blood, much more we value the shed blood of our Saviour, not neglecting so great a salvation. So David poured out a precious water and not indulging it. Self has been removed.
And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
(2Sa 23:16)
Similarly Samuel (1Sam5), Jesus (Isa 53:12), Mary (Matt 26) and Paul (2 Tim 4:6) who were willingly poured their lives out unto God. Not unto a ministry (as powerful as they had) nor unto people nor unto things, but unto the Lord. What are we pouring our live unto these days? Our church? Our families? Our children (He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Mat 10:37)). Our careers? Our selves? Martin Luther identified that the greater enemy is not the devil but self. Can we say of our lives that the life we now live we life by faith in the Son of God?
2 Tim 4:6
6 For I am now ready to be offered (poured out) , and the time of my departure is at hand .
Greatest strategy against the enemy in the end times are life poured out to God. God requires a faithfulness until death. Lives lived before God, not men nor ministry.
Building of a life poured unto the Lord
The bride revealed in Revelation; John beheld a city built by God (Babylon was built by man). Let God build into me. Men build things of gold & precious items, wood, hay, stubble (1 Cor 3:12) which men see value in. Cain was the first city builder. When Christ builds, the gates of hell cannot prevail. When men builds floods can come and destroy.
Rev 21:
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues , and talked with me , saying , Come hither , I will shew thee the bride , the Lamb's wife . 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain , and shewed me that great city , the holy Jerusalem , descending out of heaven from God ,
Jesus said that the floods have to come to test the 2 houses. On sand is fast, on rock takes a long time. Before the flood both houses are the same, different foundation. Praise God that Jesus builds His church that the gates of hell can't prevail. Who builds into our lives? Will our lives stand the floods? What is our foundation? Is it upon the Rock?
Jesus building us mostly will be in the mundane things of life. Slow but builds goodly character.
Building an overcomer is the same. It is the building in Christ and Him crucified. Those who will drink the same cup that Jesus drank. However the disciples were not the 'right' stock, but as we yield to Christ daily in due time we will rise to the occasion to drink the cup all the way to Calvary. The infused life of Christ begin with daily yielding. Then the resurrection power will take full force.
The poured out life beating back the flood of evil
Normally a father wouldn't curse a son. Ham's character aligned to his destiny as Noah knew. Cursed to be servant of servants.
Ham was cursed because of delight in nakedness, for God hates nakedness. Ham and Canaan did something to Noah, because he realized it. One of Ham's descendants was Nimrod known for sensuality and incest.
Culture of nakedness crept into the church. This is because of deficit in the knowledge of God.
In fact God warns that He will allow the disobedience to be stripped naked.
Even God don't want altars on high ground to not reveal nakedness.
Exo 20:
25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone , thou shalt not build it of hewn stone : for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar , that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Nakedness is form of God's judgment, make shameful.
Hosea 2:
3 Lest I strip her naked , and set her as in the day that she was born , and make her as a wilderness , and set her like a dry land , and slay her with thirst .
A demon possessed were naked in the Bible.
Demonic culture (another gospel) has 4 features: materialism, sensuality, infidelity and atheism.
Sensuality creeping into the church in various forms arousing the flesh in the form of worship and 'what-can-I-get-out-of-God' attitude. Every blessing is to fed the insatiable flesh life.
Homosexuality, semi-nakedness are marks of beast. How has the church stood against this flood of evil in Malaysia lately? What stand have we taken to fight back this demonic culture.
Divorce is begining to be rampant in churches today.
It takes the 7 shepherds and 8 principle men to beat back the Assyrians (descendants of Ham).
Poured out lives are hidden from men's eyes
Elijah made the mistake of looking for God in the external, dramatic, atmosphere (earthquake, wind, fire). God rebuked him in a still small voice. We have quiet down to hear, inward disposition to hear. We need to develop a spiritual ear to hear.
Our values and priorities bespeak our vision and mission. Jesus says His meat to do the will of God, where is our nourishment. If we are at the place of God's will we will feel inner satisfaction. Same with Cain leaving the presence of God and became an insatiable wanderer.
1 Kings 19.
The still small voice shook Elijah up!
Elijah and Elisha was said stood before God. Samuel ministered before God. Therefore we can live without secret sin and don't impress anyone!
Hosea speaks of the spirit of harlotry, infidelity in the church
The whore is contaminated Christianity deceiving great peoples, theologians, etc. Sin of Jeroboam. Counterfeit worship. Religion of convenience and compromise.
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials , and talked with me , saying unto me , Come hither ; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters : 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication , and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication . 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness : and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast , full of names of blasphemy , having seven heads and ten horns . 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour , and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls , having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication : 5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written , MYSTERY , BABYLON THE GREAT , THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH . 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints , and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus : and when I saw her , I wondered with great admiration . 7 And the angel said unto me , Wherefore didst thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman , and of the beast that carrieth her , which hath the seven heads and ten horns .
Don't be mezmerized by excellent external! False church make martyrs.
God favor Simeon and Anna's who hid themselves from public eyes and ministered before God as watchman.
Hos 6:
5 Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets ; I have slain them by the words of my mouth : and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth . 6 For I desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings . 7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant : there have they dealt treacherously against me.
We should learn that God's heart can be broken, desiring mercy over judgment.
Hos 4:
1 Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel : for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land , because [there is] no truth , nor mercy , nor knowledge of God in the land . 2 By swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood .
People who break out having no restrain, only the cross can restrain us. Annoiting alone can't restrain us which accounts for many 'annoited' individuals falling into the flesh of adultery and excesses.
The value of the land devalue because of the peoples sins. We have to add value to our land by fighting off the flood of evil.
Hos 4:
3 Therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish , with the beasts of the field , and with the fowls of heaven ; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away .
Minds of children taken up by others and not God. News can say that 1 in 5 children have mental problems.
Hos 4:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge : because thou hast rejected knowledge , I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God , I will also forget thy children .
45% of men in UK hooked on pornography, even honorable men. In order to curb teenage pregnancy, oral sex taught in schools.
It's God's people, not the pagans. Sadly God have allowed to even extend hell.
Isa 5:
13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity , because [they have] no knowledge : and their honourable men [are] famished , and their multitude dried up with thirst . 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself , and opened her mouth without measure : and their glory , and their multitude , and their pomp , and he that rejoiceth , shall descend into it.
Why is cross life important
The cross life causes us lose appetite for sin.
The cross life is a crucified life. Devils know if we the cross life. The incident with the 7 sons of Sceva showed it. Of course they knew Jesus who was crucified, Paul was identified with Christ as being crucified with Him.
Gal 2:
20 I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me , and gave himself for me . 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God : for if righteousness [come] by the law , then Christ is dead in vain .
False teaching on grace leads to a self conscious life. It wrongly describes the law.
The law is to us is a covenant. Same as marriage covenant, it's no longer a law if the man die to other women.
Psa 105:
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob (unchanged) for a law , [and] to Israel (transformed) [for] an everlasting covenant :
The day the that the Jacob life is in us it becomes law that condemns, to a Israel it's a covenant. Same person! But God forms a Isreal to realize the covenant. The covenant brings life!
Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob , and he that formed thee, O Israel ,
The cross is how we deal with problems. The problem in the last days is lovers of self (improvement, image, love self) which Jesus ask us to die to. Self needs the restraining power of the cross. Let God form us through the cross to become His price.
The people who think of the cross as stupidity, they belong to the perishing order. We find power when we die to ourselves.
1 Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness ; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God .
The Son of God received riches, honor and glory by being slain on the cross. The Jacob man even cheated his father and brother as short cut. Breakthrough only comes as transaction at the cross. No other short cut.
Slain to receive! The cross slays the self. God don't trust Jacobs only Isreals.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice , Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power , and riches , and wisdom , and strength , and honour , and glory , and blessing .
The cross helps us to jam the brakes on sin, which empowers us to behave even privately. The cross is power against demons! Devils know our lives.
True knowledge of God comes through the cross
Having a relationship with self produces selfishness, self pity, self righteousness, etc. Don't have relationship with self. Adam and Eve after the fall began to look at self instead of looking upward.
Even marriages need the cross to prevent divorce. How to prevail life, ministry etc is only the cross? How to handle life without facing death?
If we are rejected, lonely, spat at, etc learn to identify with Jesus who lived through it. Only the cross can put distinction from the world and nobleness in the church. Today's Israel is apostate because of lacking the cross and God's dealing isn't complete. When Israel is driven out, will we house the Jews in those days? God will judge us for that.
The Apostlic pattern is the cross. What made Paul cry? Many are not enemies of Jesus, but of the cross. The church that want a cross-less Jesus. Paul's example is being crucified with Christ.
Phil 3:17 Brethren , be followers together of me , and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample . 18 (For many walk , of whom I have told you often , and now tell you even weeping , [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ :
There will be a resurgence of the days of Noah. Be prepared through the cross that when the doors close by the Hands of God, we will be in the protected side of the door.
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overcomer that knows God
Hos 6:
3 Then shall we know , [if] we follow (pursue) on to know the LORD
Micah 5:
5 And this [man] shall be the peace , when the Assyrian shall come into our land : and when he shall tread in our palaces , then shall we raise against him seven shepherds (clergy) , and eight principal (laity) men . 6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword , and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver [us] from the Assyrian , when he cometh into our land , and when he treadeth within our borders .
Principal - life poured out as a libation before God. Willingness to be entire His, not given to any thing or to others. Willingness to even die for the God whom he or she loves.
God is raising up overcomers among the clergy as well as the laity and the gap is closing between the two. These are the ones that will stand against the onslaught of evil in the last days.
People who poured out their lives unto the GodDavid was one recorded in Scripture that poured out the Lord. He saw the preciousness of the water which were gotten at the hazard of men's blood, much more we value the shed blood of our Saviour, not neglecting so great a salvation. So David poured out a precious water and not indulging it. Self has been removed.
And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.
(2Sa 23:16)
Similarly Samuel (1Sam5), Jesus (Isa 53:12), Mary (Matt 26) and Paul (2 Tim 4:6) who were willingly poured their lives out unto God. Not unto a ministry (as powerful as they had) nor unto people nor unto things, but unto the Lord. What are we pouring our live unto these days? Our church? Our families? Our children (He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Mat 10:37)). Our careers? Our selves? Martin Luther identified that the greater enemy is not the devil but self. Can we say of our lives that the life we now live we life by faith in the Son of God?
2 Tim 4:6
6 For I am now ready to be offered (poured out) , and the time of my departure is at hand .
Greatest strategy against the enemy in the end times are life poured out to God. God requires a faithfulness until death. Lives lived before God, not men nor ministry.
Building of a life poured unto the Lord
The bride revealed in Revelation; John beheld a city built by God (Babylon was built by man). Let God build into me. Men build things of gold & precious items, wood, hay, stubble (1 Cor 3:12) which men see value in. Cain was the first city builder. When Christ builds, the gates of hell cannot prevail. When men builds floods can come and destroy.
Rev 21:
9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues , and talked with me , saying , Come hither , I will shew thee the bride , the Lamb's wife . 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain , and shewed me that great city , the holy Jerusalem , descending out of heaven from God ,
Jesus said that the floods have to come to test the 2 houses. On sand is fast, on rock takes a long time. Before the flood both houses are the same, different foundation. Praise God that Jesus builds His church that the gates of hell can't prevail. Who builds into our lives? Will our lives stand the floods? What is our foundation? Is it upon the Rock?
Jesus building us mostly will be in the mundane things of life. Slow but builds goodly character.
Building an overcomer is the same. It is the building in Christ and Him crucified. Those who will drink the same cup that Jesus drank. However the disciples were not the 'right' stock, but as we yield to Christ daily in due time we will rise to the occasion to drink the cup all the way to Calvary. The infused life of Christ begin with daily yielding. Then the resurrection power will take full force.
The poured out life beating back the flood of evil
Normally a father wouldn't curse a son. Ham's character aligned to his destiny as Noah knew. Cursed to be servant of servants.
Ham was cursed because of delight in nakedness, for God hates nakedness. Ham and Canaan did something to Noah, because he realized it. One of Ham's descendants was Nimrod known for sensuality and incest.
Culture of nakedness crept into the church. This is because of deficit in the knowledge of God.
In fact God warns that He will allow the disobedience to be stripped naked.
Even God don't want altars on high ground to not reveal nakedness.
Exo 20:
25 And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone , thou shalt not build it of hewn stone : for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar , that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
Nakedness is form of God's judgment, make shameful.
Hosea 2:
3 Lest I strip her naked , and set her as in the day that she was born , and make her as a wilderness , and set her like a dry land , and slay her with thirst .
A demon possessed were naked in the Bible.
Demonic culture (another gospel) has 4 features: materialism, sensuality, infidelity and atheism.
Sensuality creeping into the church in various forms arousing the flesh in the form of worship and 'what-can-I-get-out-of-God' attitude. Every blessing is to fed the insatiable flesh life.
Homosexuality, semi-nakedness are marks of beast. How has the church stood against this flood of evil in Malaysia lately? What stand have we taken to fight back this demonic culture.
Divorce is begining to be rampant in churches today.
It takes the 7 shepherds and 8 principle men to beat back the Assyrians (descendants of Ham).
Poured out lives are hidden from men's eyes
Elijah made the mistake of looking for God in the external, dramatic, atmosphere (earthquake, wind, fire). God rebuked him in a still small voice. We have quiet down to hear, inward disposition to hear. We need to develop a spiritual ear to hear.
Our values and priorities bespeak our vision and mission. Jesus says His meat to do the will of God, where is our nourishment. If we are at the place of God's will we will feel inner satisfaction. Same with Cain leaving the presence of God and became an insatiable wanderer.
1 Kings 19.
The still small voice shook Elijah up!
Elijah and Elisha was said stood before God. Samuel ministered before God. Therefore we can live without secret sin and don't impress anyone!
Hosea speaks of the spirit of harlotry, infidelity in the church
The whore is contaminated Christianity deceiving great peoples, theologians, etc. Sin of Jeroboam. Counterfeit worship. Religion of convenience and compromise.
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials , and talked with me , saying unto me , Come hither ; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters : 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication , and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication . 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness : and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast , full of names of blasphemy , having seven heads and ten horns . 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour , and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls , having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication : 5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written , MYSTERY , BABYLON THE GREAT , THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH . 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints , and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus : and when I saw her , I wondered with great admiration . 7 And the angel said unto me , Wherefore didst thou marvel ? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman , and of the beast that carrieth her , which hath the seven heads and ten horns .
Don't be mezmerized by excellent external! False church make martyrs.
God favor Simeon and Anna's who hid themselves from public eyes and ministered before God as watchman.
Hos 6:
5 Therefore have I hewed [them] by the prophets ; I have slain them by the words of my mouth : and thy judgments [are as] the light [that] goeth forth . 6 For I desired mercy , and not sacrifice ; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings . 7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant : there have they dealt treacherously against me.
We should learn that God's heart can be broken, desiring mercy over judgment.
Hos 4:
1 Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel : for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land , because [there is] no truth , nor mercy , nor knowledge of God in the land . 2 By swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood .
People who break out having no restrain, only the cross can restrain us. Annoiting alone can't restrain us which accounts for many 'annoited' individuals falling into the flesh of adultery and excesses.
The value of the land devalue because of the peoples sins. We have to add value to our land by fighting off the flood of evil.
Hos 4:
3 Therefore shall the land mourn , and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish , with the beasts of the field , and with the fowls of heaven ; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away .
Minds of children taken up by others and not God. News can say that 1 in 5 children have mental problems.
Hos 4:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge : because thou hast rejected knowledge , I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God , I will also forget thy children .
45% of men in UK hooked on pornography, even honorable men. In order to curb teenage pregnancy, oral sex taught in schools.
It's God's people, not the pagans. Sadly God have allowed to even extend hell.
Isa 5:
13 Therefore my people are gone into captivity , because [they have] no knowledge : and their honourable men [are] famished , and their multitude dried up with thirst . 14 Therefore hell hath enlarged herself , and opened her mouth without measure : and their glory , and their multitude , and their pomp , and he that rejoiceth , shall descend into it.
Why is cross life important
The cross life causes us lose appetite for sin.
The cross life is a crucified life. Devils know if we the cross life. The incident with the 7 sons of Sceva showed it. Of course they knew Jesus who was crucified, Paul was identified with Christ as being crucified with Him.
Gal 2:
20 I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God , who loved me , and gave himself for me . 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God : for if righteousness [come] by the law , then Christ is dead in vain .
False teaching on grace leads to a self conscious life. It wrongly describes the law.
The law is to us is a covenant. Same as marriage covenant, it's no longer a law if the man die to other women.
Psa 105:
10 And confirmed the same unto Jacob (unchanged) for a law , [and] to Israel (transformed) [for] an everlasting covenant :
The day the that the Jacob life is in us it becomes law that condemns, to a Israel it's a covenant. Same person! But God forms a Isreal to realize the covenant. The covenant brings life!
Isa 43:1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob , and he that formed thee, O Israel ,
The cross is how we deal with problems. The problem in the last days is lovers of self (improvement, image, love self) which Jesus ask us to die to. Self needs the restraining power of the cross. Let God form us through the cross to become His price.
The people who think of the cross as stupidity, they belong to the perishing order. We find power when we die to ourselves.
1 Cor 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness ; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God .
The Son of God received riches, honor and glory by being slain on the cross. The Jacob man even cheated his father and brother as short cut. Breakthrough only comes as transaction at the cross. No other short cut.
Slain to receive! The cross slays the self. God don't trust Jacobs only Isreals.
Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice , Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power , and riches , and wisdom , and strength , and honour , and glory , and blessing .
The cross helps us to jam the brakes on sin, which empowers us to behave even privately. The cross is power against demons! Devils know our lives.
True knowledge of God comes through the cross
Having a relationship with self produces selfishness, self pity, self righteousness, etc. Don't have relationship with self. Adam and Eve after the fall began to look at self instead of looking upward.
Even marriages need the cross to prevent divorce. How to prevail life, ministry etc is only the cross? How to handle life without facing death?
If we are rejected, lonely, spat at, etc learn to identify with Jesus who lived through it. Only the cross can put distinction from the world and nobleness in the church. Today's Israel is apostate because of lacking the cross and God's dealing isn't complete. When Israel is driven out, will we house the Jews in those days? God will judge us for that.
The Apostlic pattern is the cross. What made Paul cry? Many are not enemies of Jesus, but of the cross. The church that want a cross-less Jesus. Paul's example is being crucified with Christ.
Phil 3:17 Brethren , be followers together of me , and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample . 18 (For many walk , of whom I have told you often , and now tell you even weeping , [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ :
There will be a resurgence of the days of Noah. Be prepared through the cross that when the doors close by the Hands of God, we will be in the protected side of the door.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Being a Watchman to add value to our nation II - Ps. Susan Tang
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watchman to rise up
The function of the watchman is as follows from Eze 3,8
1. Hear
2. Sees
3. Speak up
Eze 3:
17 Son of man , I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore hear the word at my mouth , and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked , Thou shalt surely die ; and thou givest him not warning , nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way , to save his life ; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand .
Eze 8:
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Eze 2:
7-8 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
God is calling Faithful Watchmen
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
(Isa 5:1-4)
Isa 5:1-4 Vineyard
God put a tower (for the watchman) and a winepress (dealings of God). The watchman is one that continuously allows the dealings of God in his or her life.Without which we cannot say that we are on the pilgrimage of sanctification for God wants to build watchmen who are strong in spirit. God requires fruitfulness, good fruits. Wild grapes are produced because there are no boundaries or restraint of God upon our lives, therefore we need the dealings of God that brings us to the place of producing the right fruits for God's harvest.
Abraham was faithful to God, willing to faithful unto death.
What is God requiring fm Malaysian Church? Faithfulness.
Psa 105:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron :
Oh that we pray that we need iron in our soul to be faithful unto death. When we aren't afraid to die, the devil don't have any strategy against us. Iron in our soul build a strong spirit within us.
God chose a man because of faithfulness.
When reality of God sets in, we can live with little. Solomon lost the reality when he looked for excesses. The little that we have in the physical actually is offset in the greater spiritual abundance we have that last for eternity.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Mat 6:19-21)
God's eyes that roam to and fro the earth to find a faithful man and He found Abram.
2Ch 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Neh 9:
7 Thou [art] the LORD the God , who didst choose Abram , and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees , and gavest him the name of Abraham ; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and
Isa 51:
2 Look unto Abraham your father , and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone , and blessed him, and increased him.
Today the Lord is still looking for those who are faithful to Him and willing to forsake even their own lives.
Rev 2:
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold , the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison , that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : be thou faithful unto death , and I will give thee a crown of life .
The overcomer is one that is faithful and their lives bear that testimony.
Rev 12:
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb , and by the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives unto the death .
Let not our faithfulness be like the morning cloud. (Hosea 6:4). The faithful are not dependent on circumstances. How many of us in the church today claim to be faithful.... even if we think that we are not 'blessed'.
Opposite of faithfulness is harlotry
Spirit of faithfulness vs. Spirit of harlotry (Hosea)
The many churches today have fallen into spiritual harlotry. Lost in activities as Israel did. Activities are not wrong in themselves but when we are caught up with them, then our focus on God will dim. Could it be why worship is so mood dependent? God called out to Israel to remember Him with a broken heart.
The Lord can be wearied with our sins. Forgiven, yet continue to wallow in sin. The process of God's sanctification and His dealing have we rejected. We can weary God with our iniquity or lawlessness, could it be that we disregard His laws and decide to live according to our standards and not His Moral standards?
Isa 43:
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob ; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel . 23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings ; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices . I have not caused thee to serve with an offering , nor wearied thee with incense . 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money , neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices : but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins , thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities . 25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins .
Are our doings and deeds turning to God
Hos 5:
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God : for the spirit of whoredoms [is] in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD .
If our church has the spirit of harlotry, then come out of her for many works have nothing to do with turning to God. Works that don't turn us to God are considered dead works. And the foundation or root of dead works are meant to be pulled out that they don't give continuity to such works. The only pathway to perfection is when the foundation and roots are removed from our lives.
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
In faithfulness, we can pray commanding prayers
The watchman is one that can pray commanding prayers. Iniquity and dead works can disqualify us from the praying commanding prayers where principalities and powers of darkness can laugh at our faces. Watchmen need to stand in the place of authority.
Isa 45:
11 Thus saith the LORD , the Holy One of Israel , and his Maker , Ask me of things to come concerning my sons , and concerning the work of my hands command ye me .
Samuel wasn't a warrior and yet the life his commanding prayers guarded Israel.
1 Sam 7
13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Life of Samuel has great worth, as long as he was alive kept the enemies away. May we live such lives. Power and life that we live that can take authority over the enemy.
Anti-thesis life: live against the existing order. Even to present church order.
Many have become church manship instead of God's workmanship. Where the gates of hell can't prevail. Are we, as a church, built by Christ or of man? The results are telling when there is the confrontation with the gates of hell.
Where the general church failed God will raise up a remnant to live the Samuel life. The general church is overfed with conferances, teachings, books, etc. Unfortunately the overfeeding didn't give birth to the Samuels who can make the difference to our nation and nations.
Rev 12. The true Church travail and pray for overcamers to come forth.
God is looking for the remnant church that will travail and birth the man-child company of overcomers that threatens the very powers of darkness in the end times.
God uses a few to cover the whole.
The cross life
Samuel have no greed, never lusted. Pure heart to see God. Keep demons at bay. Living within the confines of the cross. The cross is the greatest event in God's history. We have to restrain ourselves by the cross. Without the cross, there's lack of power, no restraint.
When the cross is not preached, the church can be among the perishing.
1 Cor 1:
18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
If we think the message of the cross is foolish then we join the perishing order.
Outside the cross, there's no true knowledge of God. Vs. 2 tells of no restrain, the result thereof.
Hos 4:
1 Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel : for the LORD hath a controversy (charge) with the inhabitants of the land , because [there is] no truth , nor mercy , nor knowledge of God in the land . 2 By swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood .
Imperitive Chritianity is living by the demands of God! Can God demand of me? Can I live to yield to God's demand. Choice is not ours, it's entirely God's. Living in the place or readiness to yield to God's demand is one that takes up his or her personal cross and following Jesus daily. Because it's a daily yielding.
If we yield to God's demand like Paul even spirits recognize us. Don't be like the 7 sons of Sceva. Our life yielded identity to Christ. Don't be fooled the spirits know how we life. Don't live for the consciousness of man.
Live in continum with the experiences of our spiritual forefathers who lived the cross life and are amongst the crowd of witnesses (Heb 12:1)
We need the cross life to have power over sin, pornography (demoniac holds), coverteousness, etc that challenge the moral standards of God.
Be the antithesis to bring anticlimax to demonic work.
The apostolic word is a requiring word. 'Bring forth, bear fruit' God's requirement. Be an overcomer, for our names to be in the book of life.
What is God requiring from us? To be a watchman and live an antithesis life!
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Watchman to rise up
The function of the watchman is as follows from Eze 3,8
1. Hear
2. Sees
3. Speak up
Eze 3:
17 Son of man , I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel : therefore hear the word at my mouth , and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked , Thou shalt surely die ; and thou givest him not warning , nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way , to save his life ; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand .
Eze 8:
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Eze 2:
7-8 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
God is calling Faithful Watchmen
Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
(Isa 5:1-4)
Isa 5:1-4 Vineyard
God put a tower (for the watchman) and a winepress (dealings of God). The watchman is one that continuously allows the dealings of God in his or her life.Without which we cannot say that we are on the pilgrimage of sanctification for God wants to build watchmen who are strong in spirit. God requires fruitfulness, good fruits. Wild grapes are produced because there are no boundaries or restraint of God upon our lives, therefore we need the dealings of God that brings us to the place of producing the right fruits for God's harvest.
Abraham was faithful to God, willing to faithful unto death.
What is God requiring fm Malaysian Church? Faithfulness.
Psa 105:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron :
Oh that we pray that we need iron in our soul to be faithful unto death. When we aren't afraid to die, the devil don't have any strategy against us. Iron in our soul build a strong spirit within us.
God chose a man because of faithfulness.
When reality of God sets in, we can live with little. Solomon lost the reality when he looked for excesses. The little that we have in the physical actually is offset in the greater spiritual abundance we have that last for eternity.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(Mat 6:19-21)
God's eyes that roam to and fro the earth to find a faithful man and He found Abram.
2Ch 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Neh 9:
7 Thou [art] the LORD the God , who didst choose Abram , and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees , and gavest him the name of Abraham ; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and
Isa 51:
2 Look unto Abraham your father , and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone , and blessed him, and increased him.
Today the Lord is still looking for those who are faithful to Him and willing to forsake even their own lives.
Rev 2:
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer : behold , the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison , that ye may be tried ; and ye shall have tribulation ten days : be thou faithful unto death , and I will give thee a crown of life .
The overcomer is one that is faithful and their lives bear that testimony.
Rev 12:
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb , and by the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives unto the death .
Let not our faithfulness be like the morning cloud. (Hosea 6:4). The faithful are not dependent on circumstances. How many of us in the church today claim to be faithful.... even if we think that we are not 'blessed'.
Opposite of faithfulness is harlotry
Spirit of faithfulness vs. Spirit of harlotry (Hosea)
The many churches today have fallen into spiritual harlotry. Lost in activities as Israel did. Activities are not wrong in themselves but when we are caught up with them, then our focus on God will dim. Could it be why worship is so mood dependent? God called out to Israel to remember Him with a broken heart.
The Lord can be wearied with our sins. Forgiven, yet continue to wallow in sin. The process of God's sanctification and His dealing have we rejected. We can weary God with our iniquity or lawlessness, could it be that we disregard His laws and decide to live according to our standards and not His Moral standards?
Isa 43:
22 But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob ; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel . 23 Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings ; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices . I have not caused thee to serve with an offering , nor wearied thee with incense . 24 Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money , neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices : but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins , thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities . 25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins .
Are our doings and deeds turning to God
Hos 5:
4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God : for the spirit of whoredoms [is] in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD .
If our church has the spirit of harlotry, then come out of her for many works have nothing to do with turning to God. Works that don't turn us to God are considered dead works. And the foundation or root of dead works are meant to be pulled out that they don't give continuity to such works. The only pathway to perfection is when the foundation and roots are removed from our lives.
Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
In faithfulness, we can pray commanding prayers
The watchman is one that can pray commanding prayers. Iniquity and dead works can disqualify us from the praying commanding prayers where principalities and powers of darkness can laugh at our faces. Watchmen need to stand in the place of authority.
Isa 45:
11 Thus saith the LORD , the Holy One of Israel , and his Maker , Ask me of things to come concerning my sons , and concerning the work of my hands command ye me .
Samuel wasn't a warrior and yet the life his commanding prayers guarded Israel.
1 Sam 7
13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
Life of Samuel has great worth, as long as he was alive kept the enemies away. May we live such lives. Power and life that we live that can take authority over the enemy.
Anti-thesis life: live against the existing order. Even to present church order.
Many have become church manship instead of God's workmanship. Where the gates of hell can't prevail. Are we, as a church, built by Christ or of man? The results are telling when there is the confrontation with the gates of hell.
Where the general church failed God will raise up a remnant to live the Samuel life. The general church is overfed with conferances, teachings, books, etc. Unfortunately the overfeeding didn't give birth to the Samuels who can make the difference to our nation and nations.
Rev 12. The true Church travail and pray for overcamers to come forth.
God is looking for the remnant church that will travail and birth the man-child company of overcomers that threatens the very powers of darkness in the end times.
God uses a few to cover the whole.
The cross life
Samuel have no greed, never lusted. Pure heart to see God. Keep demons at bay. Living within the confines of the cross. The cross is the greatest event in God's history. We have to restrain ourselves by the cross. Without the cross, there's lack of power, no restraint.
When the cross is not preached, the church can be among the perishing.
1 Cor 1:
18. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
If we think the message of the cross is foolish then we join the perishing order.
Outside the cross, there's no true knowledge of God. Vs. 2 tells of no restrain, the result thereof.
Hos 4:
1 Hear the word of the LORD , ye children of Israel : for the LORD hath a controversy (charge) with the inhabitants of the land , because [there is] no truth , nor mercy , nor knowledge of God in the land . 2 By swearing , and lying , and killing , and stealing , and committing adultery , they break out , and blood toucheth blood .
Imperitive Chritianity is living by the demands of God! Can God demand of me? Can I live to yield to God's demand. Choice is not ours, it's entirely God's. Living in the place or readiness to yield to God's demand is one that takes up his or her personal cross and following Jesus daily. Because it's a daily yielding.
If we yield to God's demand like Paul even spirits recognize us. Don't be like the 7 sons of Sceva. Our life yielded identity to Christ. Don't be fooled the spirits know how we life. Don't live for the consciousness of man.
Live in continum with the experiences of our spiritual forefathers who lived the cross life and are amongst the crowd of witnesses (Heb 12:1)
We need the cross life to have power over sin, pornography (demoniac holds), coverteousness, etc that challenge the moral standards of God.
Be the antithesis to bring anticlimax to demonic work.
The apostolic word is a requiring word. 'Bring forth, bear fruit' God's requirement. Be an overcomer, for our names to be in the book of life.
What is God requiring from us? To be a watchman and live an antithesis life!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Being a Watchman to add value to our nation I - Ps. Susan Tang
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.
Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balaam was a true prophet, but his heart was not dealt with. He knew the revealed will of God but still prayed about it, when not supposed to. Negotiating with God is already out of the question. This calls for quick obedience lest we fall into the same trap as Balaam did. Lest we begin to doubt God's good and perfect will. Abraham never questioned God about the many things he was asked to do from leaving his homeland without any clear directions to sacrificing his only son (which God provided a ram in the son's stead and knew the Providence of God). In order to be a watchman we must learn to obey expeditiously once the will of God is revealed to us.
The strange thing is that Balaam was used to the miraculous therefore not surprise when the donkey spoke to him. While the donkey saw, he couldn't. Balaam wasn't pure in heart, thus lack seeing God (Matt 5:8). How can we see God's will if we can't behold Him?
Samuel's life long ministry of being a watchman for his nation began with a praying mother crying out of a need that became her greatest sacrifice. We have to read the Bible with a heart to see a great sacrifice of both mother and child. Samuel was left at the temple of the Lord to serve under a back slidden priest and only saw his mother once a year. This pain or 'cross' that Hannah and Samuel had to bear brought about the the greatest praying prophet in Israel.
Hannah's cry in God's presence to ask for a son. Eli rebuked her because he don't know struggling, lamenting, prayers. Don't know about being drunk in prayer. The groanings in deep prayer brings many words to the Father in Heaven. These groaning may have few words but carry great depth to the very courts of Heaven.
This about this, if Hannah didn't give her son back to God, then there couldn't be one of the greatest praying prophet. In these days of many prayers have bred many covetous hearts. The 'give me, give me' generation of Christians have the same insatiable desire as the pits of hell itself. Learn to give back to the Giver, that is why tithing is an important spiritual principle.
The series was taught at the 21st National Prayer Advance organized by Ps. Jean Lim and the Glory Place Prayer House.
The notes were compile by me some additional comments. Ps. Susan allows circulation of the audio CD. If you chose to receive a copy of the messages kindly send me an email.
Timely messages for the End Times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balaam was a true prophet, but his heart was not dealt with. He knew the revealed will of God but still prayed about it, when not supposed to. Negotiating with God is already out of the question. This calls for quick obedience lest we fall into the same trap as Balaam did. Lest we begin to doubt God's good and perfect will. Abraham never questioned God about the many things he was asked to do from leaving his homeland without any clear directions to sacrificing his only son (which God provided a ram in the son's stead and knew the Providence of God). In order to be a watchman we must learn to obey expeditiously once the will of God is revealed to us.
The strange thing is that Balaam was used to the miraculous therefore not surprise when the donkey spoke to him. While the donkey saw, he couldn't. Balaam wasn't pure in heart, thus lack seeing God (Matt 5:8). How can we see God's will if we can't behold Him?
Samuel's life long ministry of being a watchman for his nation began with a praying mother crying out of a need that became her greatest sacrifice. We have to read the Bible with a heart to see a great sacrifice of both mother and child. Samuel was left at the temple of the Lord to serve under a back slidden priest and only saw his mother once a year. This pain or 'cross' that Hannah and Samuel had to bear brought about the the greatest praying prophet in Israel.
Hannah's cry in God's presence to ask for a son. Eli rebuked her because he don't know struggling, lamenting, prayers. Don't know about being drunk in prayer. The groanings in deep prayer brings many words to the Father in Heaven. These groaning may have few words but carry great depth to the very courts of Heaven.
This about this, if Hannah didn't give her son back to God, then there couldn't be one of the greatest praying prophet. In these days of many prayers have bred many covetous hearts. The 'give me, give me' generation of Christians have the same insatiable desire as the pits of hell itself. Learn to give back to the Giver, that is why tithing is an important spiritual principle.
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
(Pro 30:15)
God loves to share His heart, but even the high priest couldn't hear. So God shared His heart with a child. God knew the capacity of a child. He knew how he would take the hard message of Eli and his sons who sinned grossly before the Lord. Do we have the capacity to take God's messages and do we know how to handle them in prayer? How do we know Samuel handled the messages well, it showed it his latter life how God continue to trust him with more.
1 Sam 7:4-10 : Samuel taught the people to pour out before God. Samuel, David, Jesus, and Mary knew how to pour out before God. While the majority of us could only trickle before God. When will we learn not to withhold from God?
The pouring life keeps devils away. Not difficult but God will give His grace.
All the miracles that the disciples did, Jesus didn't say that their work was to be remembered. Only Mary's pouring of the oil from the broken alabaster flask did Jesus said that it was a monumental work. Broke and pour as Jesus did on the cross.
Poured out lives are powerful which is in the manifested in the living. This frightened the enemies and caused them to attack. Devils see a threat in a poured out life. In the mounting attack Samuel asked for a suckling lamb, meaning sacrifice, dying to self, laying down our lives, the greatest power against demons. Samuel brought heaven to earth and it was God who fought the Philistines!
Paul was such, not afraid of death. Faithful to the end. He handed death in the spirit, ready to die. Bound in the spirit to Jerusalem despite Agabus prophecy. A poured out life before the Lord is to say that we have died to our rights and we are ready to die for God's cause. (Gal 2:20). There isn't any room for retrieval, it's burning all our bridges. It's about taking up the cross and following Jesus daily.
As Joseph prepared for the bad years ahead, so must the church. God have to put iron in our soul to be overcomers in the end times.
Psa 105:
18 Whose feet they hurt with fetters : he was laid in iron :
That's how Paul was ready to face death. Preparation is in the spirit. Our prayer should be asking God to build into us, not for us to build ministries. As Jesus did (Rev 13:8), determined from the foundation of the world. He was as though slain from the begining of creation but physically fulfilled on the cruel cross at Calvary.
At the end of Samuel's ministry, to be released from his ministry as the people wanted a king. He asked the people to bear witness to his purity. The content of his life shows great conduct. Call forth the overcomer on the inside!
Rev 12:1-5
The woman, the church give birth to overcomer life (man child).
The watchman is one that pours out and ready to sacrifice even our own life, loving not life unto death is one of the key weapons to dovercome the enemy (Rev 12:11).
It is the Christ life within us that will rise up to overcome the enemy. But it requires the cross that Christ might live in us (Gal 2:20).
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Compassion
1. Definition
a. Compassion is responding to a deep need with a longing to do whatever is necessary to meet it
b. Different levels of responding to peoples deep need
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John3:17)
If we truly have the love of God, it is a natural thing to show compassion.
- Sympathy: feeling sorry for people who are hurting
- Empathy: feeling the pain with hurting people
- Compassion: doing something about the pain
2. Doing something and faith go hand in hand
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (Jas 2:15-18)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jas 2:26)
- How can we say we have faith in Jesus if we shut our bowels of compassion (ignore the cry of the needy) to do something to help hurting people?
- Faith being along is dead. Our faith can’t grow without the ‘doing something’ for the needy. This means that we can’t grow spiritually and can’t be strong in spirit.
3. Who are the needy?
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (Exo 22:22-24)
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
The needy are people who need our help to provide and protection them. James teaches us to provide for the poor, but we cannot neglect defending the needy from exploitation and danger (to their bodies and souls)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psa 82:3-4)
4. How do we develop a compassionate heart?
- Remember our great debt to God. Matt 18:23-34 is the parable of the wicket servant who was forgiven of a great debt. However he didn’t show likewise to one who owed him a small debt even though the latter cried out for mercy. If we don’t show compassion, our lives will be tormented.
- Enlarge our hearts
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa 119:32)
To run the way of thy commandments is be quick to obey. God will enlarge our hearts by His love, our hearts become small with selfishness.
- Turn personal suffering into compassion for others, for by this we will experience God’s comfort
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2Co 1:4)
- Constantly look for ways to do good to others
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10)
5. The sheep and the goats, the last judgement
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46)
Final judgment is when Jesus Christ returns as judge. This is something we have to grasp; because God’s throne of grace is also the throne of judgment. He will separate sheep from goats as a shepherd separates his flock. Note that it is a flock that have been with the fold, thus the separation is within the church. Similar to separation of tares and the wheat which grew in the same field which were fed from the same soil, water and fertilizer. Jesus is coming back to judge because God is Just.
God has prepared His Kingdom from the foundation of the world! Can you see God’s plan and purposes for His children? Jesus calls out to the sheep first to inherit. The mark of the sheep is one that feeds, shelters, protects and visits strangers. Strangers are those who can’t pay us back as with the case of the Good Samaritan. Strangers are people we take risk in helping not considering our loss but considering as doing the right thing proceeding from a life of faith. The sheep is not aware of the good deeds because it is a natural out flow of faith. Self denial and taking up the cross and following Jesus is a clear mark of the sheep.
6. Mercy for the poor
Nebuchadnezzar was counseled against pride and one of the key action of repentance is showing mercy to the poor as shown in Daniel’s advise.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
(Dan 4:27)
Even in the teaching of wisdom in Proverbs teaches us mercy on the poor. Please don’t end up reproaching or defaming our Maker.
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
(Pro 14:31)
God’s heart is toward the poor, shouldn’t ours be also? When Jesus returns will we be called His sheep or worst called goats unto eternal damnation?
7. The testimony of George Mueller
"The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in."
Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.
George Mueller 1805 – 1898 (http://www.georgemuller.blogspot.com/)
"At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since."Born in Prussia in 1805, George Mueller began running from God early in life. By age ten he had devised a scheme to embezzle government money entrusted to his father. He spent his schooldays in drunken immorality. He even served time in jail at age sixteen for failing to pay his bills.
The university he attended had some 900 divinity students, but Mueller said there were not nine of them who truly feared God. He continued his sinful habits during his college days until finally at age 20 the burden of his sins overcame him and he trusted Christ as Saviour.
Soon he committed himself to a full-time gospel ministry. When Mueller was twenty-five, he went to Teignmouth, England, with his new wife, Mary, to pastor a small church. He gave up the small salary offered when he discovered it was paid through the rental of church pews. From that time on he resolved to live by faith.
Mueller moved in 1832 to Bristol, England, to be the pastor of another church. There his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. Many times prayers were said over empty plates only to have food arrive at the last moment.
Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.
During his life, Mueller started 117 schools which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death.
Spurgeon said, "Of flowers of speech he has none, and we hardly think he cares for them; but of the bread of Heaven he has abundance."
1. Definition
a. Compassion is responding to a deep need with a longing to do whatever is necessary to meet it
b. Different levels of responding to peoples deep need
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (1 John3:17)
If we truly have the love of God, it is a natural thing to show compassion.
- Sympathy: feeling sorry for people who are hurting
- Empathy: feeling the pain with hurting people
- Compassion: doing something about the pain
2. Doing something and faith go hand in hand
If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (Jas 2:15-18)
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (Jas 2:26)
- How can we say we have faith in Jesus if we shut our bowels of compassion (ignore the cry of the needy) to do something to help hurting people?
- Faith being along is dead. Our faith can’t grow without the ‘doing something’ for the needy. This means that we can’t grow spiritually and can’t be strong in spirit.
3. Who are the needy?
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (Exo 22:22-24)
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (Jas 1:27)
The needy are people who need our help to provide and protection them. James teaches us to provide for the poor, but we cannot neglect defending the needy from exploitation and danger (to their bodies and souls)
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (Psa 82:3-4)
4. How do we develop a compassionate heart?
- Remember our great debt to God. Matt 18:23-34 is the parable of the wicket servant who was forgiven of a great debt. However he didn’t show likewise to one who owed him a small debt even though the latter cried out for mercy. If we don’t show compassion, our lives will be tormented.
- Enlarge our hearts
I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psa 119:32)
To run the way of thy commandments is be quick to obey. God will enlarge our hearts by His love, our hearts become small with selfishness.
- Turn personal suffering into compassion for others, for by this we will experience God’s comfort
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2Co 1:4)
- Constantly look for ways to do good to others
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:10)
5. The sheep and the goats, the last judgement
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
(Mat 25:31-46)
Final judgment is when Jesus Christ returns as judge. This is something we have to grasp; because God’s throne of grace is also the throne of judgment. He will separate sheep from goats as a shepherd separates his flock. Note that it is a flock that have been with the fold, thus the separation is within the church. Similar to separation of tares and the wheat which grew in the same field which were fed from the same soil, water and fertilizer. Jesus is coming back to judge because God is Just.
God has prepared His Kingdom from the foundation of the world! Can you see God’s plan and purposes for His children? Jesus calls out to the sheep first to inherit. The mark of the sheep is one that feeds, shelters, protects and visits strangers. Strangers are those who can’t pay us back as with the case of the Good Samaritan. Strangers are people we take risk in helping not considering our loss but considering as doing the right thing proceeding from a life of faith. The sheep is not aware of the good deeds because it is a natural out flow of faith. Self denial and taking up the cross and following Jesus is a clear mark of the sheep.
6. Mercy for the poor
Nebuchadnezzar was counseled against pride and one of the key action of repentance is showing mercy to the poor as shown in Daniel’s advise.
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
(Dan 4:27)
Even in the teaching of wisdom in Proverbs teaches us mercy on the poor. Please don’t end up reproaching or defaming our Maker.
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
(Pro 14:31)
God’s heart is toward the poor, shouldn’t ours be also? When Jesus returns will we be called His sheep or worst called goats unto eternal damnation?
7. The testimony of George Mueller
"The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat," the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. "Mr. Mueller," he said, "last night I could not sleep. Somehow I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in."
Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children.
George Mueller 1805 – 1898 (http://www.georgemuller.blogspot.com/)
"At last I saw Christ as my Saviour. I believed in Him and gave myself to Him. The burden rolled from off me, and a great love for Christ filled my soul. That was more than fifty years ago. I loved Jesus Christ then, but I loved Him more the year after, and more the year after that, and more every year since."Born in Prussia in 1805, George Mueller began running from God early in life. By age ten he had devised a scheme to embezzle government money entrusted to his father. He spent his schooldays in drunken immorality. He even served time in jail at age sixteen for failing to pay his bills.
The university he attended had some 900 divinity students, but Mueller said there were not nine of them who truly feared God. He continued his sinful habits during his college days until finally at age 20 the burden of his sins overcame him and he trusted Christ as Saviour.
Soon he committed himself to a full-time gospel ministry. When Mueller was twenty-five, he went to Teignmouth, England, with his new wife, Mary, to pastor a small church. He gave up the small salary offered when he discovered it was paid through the rental of church pews. From that time on he resolved to live by faith.
Mueller moved in 1832 to Bristol, England, to be the pastor of another church. There his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller had only two shillings to his name when he began the orphanage work, but over the next sixty years God sent more than $7,500,000 to supply their needs. New buildings were built or purchased, staff was hired, and the hundreds of children never missed a meal. Many times prayers were said over empty plates only to have food arrive at the last moment.
Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met.
During his life, Mueller started 117 schools which educated over 120,000 young people and orphans. He became pastor of Bethesda Chapel in Bristol. The church had some 2,000 members at his death.
Spurgeon said, "Of flowers of speech he has none, and we hardly think he cares for them; but of the bread of Heaven he has abundance."
Friday, July 27, 2007
Worship in Spirit and Truth
But the hour cometh , and now is , when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth : for the Father seeketh such to worship him . (John 4:23)
1. Temple worship
Worship is conducted in a temple, but it shifted from buildings to redeemed people of God.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them , Destroy this temple , and in three days I will raise it up . 20 Then said the Jews , Forty and six years was this temple in building , and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body .
Jesus Himself is the temple. There are a continual worship to the Father and offering the greatest sacrifice of all for our redemption from sin.
1 Cor 6:18 Flee fornication . Every sin that a man doeth is without the body ; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body . 19 What ? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you , which ye have of God , and ye are not your own ? 20 For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body , and in your spirit , which are God's .
The temple that glorifies God in worship must be a cleansed temple. Realize that our cleansing came with the price to God; the Father in giving His only begotten Son and Jesus, His life on the cross. Out of this we remember our great debt to God (Matt 18:23-34). Of course we have not reached our destination in holiness, but as long as we are in the mode of fleeing fornication we are on the right path. Interestingly Paul warns about sexual immorality and our bodies being the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Is it because worship can become so fleshly that can defile the temple?Today there seems to be a fine line of worshipping the Father in Spirit and in Truth and being so caught up with the sensual as the pagans practiced with temple prostitudes and sexual immorality in their worship.
1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God , and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? 17 If any man defile the temple of God , him shall God destroy ; for the temple of God is holy , which [ temple ] ye are .
We should always keep in mind that our bodies are holy or separated or exclusive as God’s temple. The indwelling of the Presence of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit is essential; otherwise our worship is not God-ward. Always keep in mind that God is serious about keeping the body holy unto God.
2. Worship the Father
The Samaritan woman had talked simply of "worship"; our Lord brings up before her the objective of all acceptable worship--"THE FATHER." That could be the reason why we can get caught up with 'moods' and place. The relationship with the Father is critical in worship, as we don’t worship a foreign God, but “THE FATHER”. If it’s not the Father than other things can creep in out of our human perspective of worship, it can become commercialize as in Matt 21 when Jesus drove the traders away. Selling of ‘sacrifices for worship’ is sacrilege as far as Jesus is concern.
3. Going ‘yonder’ in worship
God is seeking out worshipers, one that is willing to go yonder. In solitude we finally reach out to God as OUR GOD personally. No one else can understand the intimacy with the Father except the worshiper is willing to go yonder, even leaving our ‘young men’ behind. The ‘young men’ could be our aids in worship, because at Abraham’s age, he would have required help to carry the things required for worship or additional hands to build the altar. It was just Abraham bringing the sacrifice (Isaac) to present to God. Abraham also went yonder in worship as he bore the burden and perhaps even the grief of potentially losing his only begotten son. But nevertheless still went yonder, not allowing the burden to weigh him in the obedient act of worship.
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men , Abide ye here with the ass ; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship , and come again to you.
4. Worship is offering a sacrifice
Psa 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD ; for [it is] good .
Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Worship has to cost us something as David understood it in 2Sa 24:22. In fact worship is the cost of giving of our total selves not just giving of our hearts. Sacrifice is about giving of ourselves, not given to the world but to God in holiness and acceptable! And that David knew no restrictions in a costly sacrifice for His Lord when he was willing to pay the cost.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore , brethren , by the mercies of God , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , acceptable unto God , [which is] your reasonable service . 2 And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind , that ye may prove what [is] that good , and acceptable , and perfect , will of God .
'Hour cometh' - no longer bound by season or laws, now is the time… and able to freely offer the sacrifice. Jesus' presence is with us even as she was in His Presence. Previous worship is about sacrifice of physical offerings of bulls and animals, now it is giving of us. Jesus gave His all and we are to do likewise and take up our crosses daily.
5. How is a sacrifice acceptable?
To have a sacrifice acceptable to God is when He acknowledges His pleasing over us. That means that we have to nail human acknowledgements to our cross. Forsaking how people interpret how good a worship we give or lead, but doing what pleases the Father. We don’t have any records about Jesus life except for the incident in Luke 2:49 at the age of 12 years to give us a hint of what He was like. Jesus concern as a boy was for Father’s business or affairs. He seems to be at ‘home’ in the Father’s courts. It was as though His entire preoccupation was with the Father. As the Father seeks… Jesus was found in Father’s Presence, not surprising that He live a life that was pleasing to the Father. Worship is about a life that we live, is it pleasing to the Father?
Matt 3:
17 And lo a voice from heaven , saying , This is my beloved Son , in whom I am well pleased .
6. What kind of offering we are to give?
Psa 51:15 O Lord , open thou my lips ; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise . 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering . 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart , O God , thou wilt not despise .
There is a deeper worship than with our mouths singing praise and offering the sacrifice.
God is graciously pleased to accept this; it is instead of all burnt-offering and sacrifice. The broken heart is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ; there is no true repentance without faith in him. Men despise that which is broken, but God will not. He will not overlook it, he will not refuse or reject it.
A repentant life is dead to past a new life in Christ (Gal 2:20). "In faith," answers by contrast to "in the flesh." Faith, not the flesh, is the real element in which I live. The phrase, "the Son of God," in Gal 2:20 reminds us that His Divine Sonship is the source of His life-giving power. When our heart becomes broken and contrite than we can say as Jesus did in Gethsamane that 'Your will be done'.
7. Final worship in heaven
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within : and they rest not day and night , saying , Holy , holy , holy , Lord God Almighty , which was , and is , and is to come . 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne , who liveth for ever and ever , 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne , and worship him that liveth for ever and ever , and cast their crowns before the throne , saying , 11 Thou art worthy , O Lord , to receive glory and honour and power : for thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure they are and were created .
Holy is God, in Whom we wholly ascribe our redemption and conversion. Our lives and hope lies in the mighty hands of our eternal and most holy (as the angelic beings declare 3 times holy) God. As we worship the One Who reigns from the throne, consider His most Holy character less we dishonor Him. Realization of His most holiness, responding in humility that even our very best we can offer in worship requires a determination to cast our crowns before His throne.
All true believers wholly ascribe their redemption and conversion, their present privileges and future hopes, to the eternal and most holy God. Thus rise the forever harmonious, thankful songs of the redeemed in heaven. Would we on earth do like them, let our praises be constant, not interrupted; united, not divided; thankful, not cold and formal; humble, not self-confident. Life transforming worship can take place when we catch a glimpse of God's most holiness. That righteousness of God will be given to us in that state of beholding.
But the hour cometh , and now is , when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth : for the Father seeketh such to worship him . (John 4:23)
1. Temple worship
Worship is conducted in a temple, but it shifted from buildings to redeemed people of God.
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them , Destroy this temple , and in three days I will raise it up . 20 Then said the Jews , Forty and six years was this temple in building , and wilt thou rear it up in three days ? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body .
Jesus Himself is the temple. There are a continual worship to the Father and offering the greatest sacrifice of all for our redemption from sin.
1 Cor 6:18 Flee fornication . Every sin that a man doeth is without the body ; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body . 19 What ? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you , which ye have of God , and ye are not your own ? 20 For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body , and in your spirit , which are God's .
The temple that glorifies God in worship must be a cleansed temple. Realize that our cleansing came with the price to God; the Father in giving His only begotten Son and Jesus, His life on the cross. Out of this we remember our great debt to God (Matt 18:23-34). Of course we have not reached our destination in holiness, but as long as we are in the mode of fleeing fornication we are on the right path. Interestingly Paul warns about sexual immorality and our bodies being the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Is it because worship can become so fleshly that can defile the temple?Today there seems to be a fine line of worshipping the Father in Spirit and in Truth and being so caught up with the sensual as the pagans practiced with temple prostitudes and sexual immorality in their worship.
1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God , and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you ? 17 If any man defile the temple of God , him shall God destroy ; for the temple of God is holy , which [ temple ] ye are .
We should always keep in mind that our bodies are holy or separated or exclusive as God’s temple. The indwelling of the Presence of God in the Person of the Holy Spirit is essential; otherwise our worship is not God-ward. Always keep in mind that God is serious about keeping the body holy unto God.
2. Worship the Father
The Samaritan woman had talked simply of "worship"; our Lord brings up before her the objective of all acceptable worship--"THE FATHER." That could be the reason why we can get caught up with 'moods' and place. The relationship with the Father is critical in worship, as we don’t worship a foreign God, but “THE FATHER”. If it’s not the Father than other things can creep in out of our human perspective of worship, it can become commercialize as in Matt 21 when Jesus drove the traders away. Selling of ‘sacrifices for worship’ is sacrilege as far as Jesus is concern.
3. Going ‘yonder’ in worship
God is seeking out worshipers, one that is willing to go yonder. In solitude we finally reach out to God as OUR GOD personally. No one else can understand the intimacy with the Father except the worshiper is willing to go yonder, even leaving our ‘young men’ behind. The ‘young men’ could be our aids in worship, because at Abraham’s age, he would have required help to carry the things required for worship or additional hands to build the altar. It was just Abraham bringing the sacrifice (Isaac) to present to God. Abraham also went yonder in worship as he bore the burden and perhaps even the grief of potentially losing his only begotten son. But nevertheless still went yonder, not allowing the burden to weigh him in the obedient act of worship.
Gen 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men , Abide ye here with the ass ; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship , and come again to you.
4. Worship is offering a sacrifice
Psa 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD ; for [it is] good .
Heb 13:15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of [our] lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Worship has to cost us something as David understood it in 2Sa 24:22. In fact worship is the cost of giving of our total selves not just giving of our hearts. Sacrifice is about giving of ourselves, not given to the world but to God in holiness and acceptable! And that David knew no restrictions in a costly sacrifice for His Lord when he was willing to pay the cost.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore , brethren , by the mercies of God , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice , holy , acceptable unto God , [which is] your reasonable service . 2 And be not conformed to this world : but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind , that ye may prove what [is] that good , and acceptable , and perfect , will of God .
'Hour cometh' - no longer bound by season or laws, now is the time… and able to freely offer the sacrifice. Jesus' presence is with us even as she was in His Presence. Previous worship is about sacrifice of physical offerings of bulls and animals, now it is giving of us. Jesus gave His all and we are to do likewise and take up our crosses daily.
5. How is a sacrifice acceptable?
To have a sacrifice acceptable to God is when He acknowledges His pleasing over us. That means that we have to nail human acknowledgements to our cross. Forsaking how people interpret how good a worship we give or lead, but doing what pleases the Father. We don’t have any records about Jesus life except for the incident in Luke 2:49 at the age of 12 years to give us a hint of what He was like. Jesus concern as a boy was for Father’s business or affairs. He seems to be at ‘home’ in the Father’s courts. It was as though His entire preoccupation was with the Father. As the Father seeks… Jesus was found in Father’s Presence, not surprising that He live a life that was pleasing to the Father. Worship is about a life that we live, is it pleasing to the Father?
Matt 3:
17 And lo a voice from heaven , saying , This is my beloved Son , in whom I am well pleased .
6. What kind of offering we are to give?
Psa 51:15 O Lord , open thou my lips ; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise . 16 For thou desirest not sacrifice ; else would I give [it]: thou delightest not in burnt offering . 17 The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit : a broken and a contrite heart , O God , thou wilt not despise .
There is a deeper worship than with our mouths singing praise and offering the sacrifice.
God is graciously pleased to accept this; it is instead of all burnt-offering and sacrifice. The broken heart is acceptable to God only through Jesus Christ; there is no true repentance without faith in him. Men despise that which is broken, but God will not. He will not overlook it, he will not refuse or reject it.
A repentant life is dead to past a new life in Christ (Gal 2:20). "In faith," answers by contrast to "in the flesh." Faith, not the flesh, is the real element in which I live. The phrase, "the Son of God," in Gal 2:20 reminds us that His Divine Sonship is the source of His life-giving power. When our heart becomes broken and contrite than we can say as Jesus did in Gethsamane that 'Your will be done'.
7. Final worship in heaven
Rev 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within : and they rest not day and night , saying , Holy , holy , holy , Lord God Almighty , which was , and is , and is to come . 9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne , who liveth for ever and ever , 10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne , and worship him that liveth for ever and ever , and cast their crowns before the throne , saying , 11 Thou art worthy , O Lord , to receive glory and honour and power : for thou hast created all things , and for thy pleasure they are and were created .
Holy is God, in Whom we wholly ascribe our redemption and conversion. Our lives and hope lies in the mighty hands of our eternal and most holy (as the angelic beings declare 3 times holy) God. As we worship the One Who reigns from the throne, consider His most Holy character less we dishonor Him. Realization of His most holiness, responding in humility that even our very best we can offer in worship requires a determination to cast our crowns before His throne.
All true believers wholly ascribe their redemption and conversion, their present privileges and future hopes, to the eternal and most holy God. Thus rise the forever harmonious, thankful songs of the redeemed in heaven. Would we on earth do like them, let our praises be constant, not interrupted; united, not divided; thankful, not cold and formal; humble, not self-confident. Life transforming worship can take place when we catch a glimpse of God's most holiness. That righteousness of God will be given to us in that state of beholding.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Carrying our cross and follow Jesus
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Mat 16:15-28)
0. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (Mat 16:15)
This is a personal question we have to answer. The other question posed is ‘whom do men say I the Son of Man am?’ The correct understanding of whom Jesus is to us will determine our faith and eventually our salvation.
- Jesus came out of a situation where the people were fed
- The Pharisees and Sadducees came to ask Jesus for a sign
How do we perceive Jesus be? Is He one that we look forward to be our blessing and provider thereof.... only?
- Is Jesus one that needs to ‘proof’ His deity to us? We are not to test God (Matt 4:7) or to put proof of God’s character and power lest we fall into the same questioning as Satan himself.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (Mat 16:13)
- When we start questioning God, we are in the same standing of ‘men’
- Being in the state of being ‘men’, we can only view God from the humanistic view. That is to have our believe based on sight and not faith. Didn’t Scripture teach us to that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6)
- As long as we live in the condition of being ‘men’ we will never live in the place of God’s favor and pleasing. Heavens will not open and Father will not declare that we are sons in whom He is well pleased with.
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. (Mat 16:14)
- ‘Some say…’ there will be many opinions that both the world and church at large will give. But there is only one truth that He is the Son of God. If He truly is the Son of God to us what is our response? How should we live our lives? What kind of aspiration do we have? How eternal is our view of life?
- Sadly people and even the church will give honorable opinions of Jesus, but mostly on of how the human minds conceive Him to be. Either He is the LORD of all, or not at all. The human mind will compartmentalize God, accepting the characters of God that we can accept as blessor, protector, provider, healer, etc but can we accept the total nature of God even as He is our Judge, the Holy and Righteous One that no sin can stand in His sight? We only view God from what we like, what about the judgments to the 7 churches as Jesus Christ appeared as the Holy One that even the one that put his head upon the Savior’s breast has to fall down in His Holy Presence?
- If Jesus is the Son of God, doesn’t He have the full view of the plans of the Kingdom of God rather than our small empires that we are involved in building and protecting jealously? Jealousy becomes sin when it becomes self-ward that God-ward. Are we jealous for His Glory and Holy Name? Or are we moral cowards?
1. Peter’s sudden change in response
- In one moment Peter who had the revelation of the Son of God and the next rebuked by the Lord
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Mat 16:23)
- When we savor things that are not of God, we savor the things of men
- Our thinking becomes temporal and earthly as the people of Jerusalem cried ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’
- The people who threw palm branches and gave the glorious praise to Jesus were also in the crowd that yelled ‘crucify Him’
- Why? The people wanted an earthly savior that has come to meet their ‘felt needs’. They wanted to Jesus to drive the Romans out of Israel to establish an earthly kingdom. But Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world but an eternal one. Didn’t the people learn from the failures of Israel’s monarchy?
- Men’s view of Christ is shallow and will disappoint us when we seek neither His Kingdom nor His righteousness
- Jesus rightly rebuked Peter for earthly ways are Satanic in nature
2. Taking our cross
- Jesus emptied Himself to from Son of God to Son of Man, a truth for us to grasp for ourselves
- To understand this truth, we have to learn Christ by taking His yoke and discover for ourselves His meekness and humility (Matt 11:29)
- We struggle through our Christian pilgrimage and finding no rest or peace is because we fight being yoked. But Christ yoke is easy and burden is light! We fight because by being yoked to Christ our rights have to be relinquished and our lives conquered by the living God. We fight because we lose control of our lives.
- We want to find ‘life’ as it were (Matt 10:37, 38), but the life we desire is not heavenly neither carrying the intrinsic value of the heavenly life. We are often satisfied with the mortal life rather than choosing life eternal which begins at the point of our surrender. When we surrender to Christ and yoke ourselves to Him there is the abundance of life we can experience (John 10:10b)
- The truth is we will have to take the spiritual action of taking the yoke for ourselves. No one can do nor force it upon us, even God Himself don’t have the privilege.
3. The cross that bring death
Death is a taboo for we always want life. However God’s plan of life is through resurrection and resurrection comes only if there is death. So death has to take place, for it precedes life. Not just life but resurrection life. Resurrection life is one of victory, unbounded by human frailty and limitations. We can love our enemies, bless those who curse us, being meek to inherit the earth, to be salt and light to the dying world, etc. All these are elements of the Kingdom life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (Joh 12:24-25)
We lack carrying our cross in following Jesus mainly because we love ourselves more. We love the life of sin and frailty we live in. We sin and give excuses for our human weakness. Where is the pursuit of holiness or the crying out unto God when our lives are soiled with sin? We cry out to God as Esau did and loudly at that for lost blessings, but we seldom cry out to God for salvation from our sin. If Jesus can to save us, He didn’t save us that we might have a ‘better’ human life. He first saved us from sin that we may have the resurrection life.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2Ti 3:1-5)
Jesus went head on with the legalistic structure of the Jewish culture, but we are warned that iniquity or lawlessness is the problem of the last days. The warning from Paul is with regard to lovers of self being found in the church. Who has the form of godliness but the church? Pagans and atheist are considered ungodly. Lovers of self only have the form but lack the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is why we can remain where in are, lost in the sea of humanism, never having the victorious power of sin. How can we heed Jesus words to be ‘Holy for our Father in Heaven is Holy’ (Matt 5:48), unless of course we don’t have a Heavenly Father.
What message are we, the church sending to the dying world if we continue to live in this hypocrisy. If our message is of repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:47) and we don’t live this truth in living toward holiness, then the message is nullified. May God help us, the church out of this hypocrisy and start living the truth.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom. (Mat 16:15-28)
0. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (Mat 16:15)
This is a personal question we have to answer. The other question posed is ‘whom do men say I the Son of Man am?’ The correct understanding of whom Jesus is to us will determine our faith and eventually our salvation.
- Jesus came out of a situation where the people were fed
- The Pharisees and Sadducees came to ask Jesus for a sign
How do we perceive Jesus be? Is He one that we look forward to be our blessing and provider thereof.... only?
- Is Jesus one that needs to ‘proof’ His deity to us? We are not to test God (Matt 4:7) or to put proof of God’s character and power lest we fall into the same questioning as Satan himself.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (Mat 16:13)
- When we start questioning God, we are in the same standing of ‘men’
- Being in the state of being ‘men’, we can only view God from the humanistic view. That is to have our believe based on sight and not faith. Didn’t Scripture teach us to that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6)
- As long as we live in the condition of being ‘men’ we will never live in the place of God’s favor and pleasing. Heavens will not open and Father will not declare that we are sons in whom He is well pleased with.
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. (Mat 16:14)
- ‘Some say…’ there will be many opinions that both the world and church at large will give. But there is only one truth that He is the Son of God. If He truly is the Son of God to us what is our response? How should we live our lives? What kind of aspiration do we have? How eternal is our view of life?
- Sadly people and even the church will give honorable opinions of Jesus, but mostly on of how the human minds conceive Him to be. Either He is the LORD of all, or not at all. The human mind will compartmentalize God, accepting the characters of God that we can accept as blessor, protector, provider, healer, etc but can we accept the total nature of God even as He is our Judge, the Holy and Righteous One that no sin can stand in His sight? We only view God from what we like, what about the judgments to the 7 churches as Jesus Christ appeared as the Holy One that even the one that put his head upon the Savior’s breast has to fall down in His Holy Presence?
- If Jesus is the Son of God, doesn’t He have the full view of the plans of the Kingdom of God rather than our small empires that we are involved in building and protecting jealously? Jealousy becomes sin when it becomes self-ward that God-ward. Are we jealous for His Glory and Holy Name? Or are we moral cowards?
1. Peter’s sudden change in response
- In one moment Peter who had the revelation of the Son of God and the next rebuked by the Lord
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Mat 16:23)
- When we savor things that are not of God, we savor the things of men
- Our thinking becomes temporal and earthly as the people of Jerusalem cried ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’
- The people who threw palm branches and gave the glorious praise to Jesus were also in the crowd that yelled ‘crucify Him’
- Why? The people wanted an earthly savior that has come to meet their ‘felt needs’. They wanted to Jesus to drive the Romans out of Israel to establish an earthly kingdom. But Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world but an eternal one. Didn’t the people learn from the failures of Israel’s monarchy?
- Men’s view of Christ is shallow and will disappoint us when we seek neither His Kingdom nor His righteousness
- Jesus rightly rebuked Peter for earthly ways are Satanic in nature
2. Taking our cross
- Jesus emptied Himself to from Son of God to Son of Man, a truth for us to grasp for ourselves
- To understand this truth, we have to learn Christ by taking His yoke and discover for ourselves His meekness and humility (Matt 11:29)
- We struggle through our Christian pilgrimage and finding no rest or peace is because we fight being yoked. But Christ yoke is easy and burden is light! We fight because by being yoked to Christ our rights have to be relinquished and our lives conquered by the living God. We fight because we lose control of our lives.
- We want to find ‘life’ as it were (Matt 10:37, 38), but the life we desire is not heavenly neither carrying the intrinsic value of the heavenly life. We are often satisfied with the mortal life rather than choosing life eternal which begins at the point of our surrender. When we surrender to Christ and yoke ourselves to Him there is the abundance of life we can experience (John 10:10b)
- The truth is we will have to take the spiritual action of taking the yoke for ourselves. No one can do nor force it upon us, even God Himself don’t have the privilege.
3. The cross that bring death
Death is a taboo for we always want life. However God’s plan of life is through resurrection and resurrection comes only if there is death. So death has to take place, for it precedes life. Not just life but resurrection life. Resurrection life is one of victory, unbounded by human frailty and limitations. We can love our enemies, bless those who curse us, being meek to inherit the earth, to be salt and light to the dying world, etc. All these are elements of the Kingdom life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (Joh 12:24-25)
We lack carrying our cross in following Jesus mainly because we love ourselves more. We love the life of sin and frailty we live in. We sin and give excuses for our human weakness. Where is the pursuit of holiness or the crying out unto God when our lives are soiled with sin? We cry out to God as Esau did and loudly at that for lost blessings, but we seldom cry out to God for salvation from our sin. If Jesus can to save us, He didn’t save us that we might have a ‘better’ human life. He first saved us from sin that we may have the resurrection life.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2Ti 3:1-5)
Jesus went head on with the legalistic structure of the Jewish culture, but we are warned that iniquity or lawlessness is the problem of the last days. The warning from Paul is with regard to lovers of self being found in the church. Who has the form of godliness but the church? Pagans and atheist are considered ungodly. Lovers of self only have the form but lack the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That is why we can remain where in are, lost in the sea of humanism, never having the victorious power of sin. How can we heed Jesus words to be ‘Holy for our Father in Heaven is Holy’ (Matt 5:48), unless of course we don’t have a Heavenly Father.
What message are we, the church sending to the dying world if we continue to live in this hypocrisy. If our message is of repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:47) and we don’t live this truth in living toward holiness, then the message is nullified. May God help us, the church out of this hypocrisy and start living the truth.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)