Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Deceptive Soulish New Age Teaching

Powerful deceptive New Age spirits are at work in the Church of Jesus Christ. As the present Church Age draws to a close, utterly vital is the need for discernment between God’s truth and Satan’s lies; between what is a genuine work of God and the counterfeit of the enemy. Invariably, the New Age teaching is always appealing to the soul. It ministers to the soulish part of man.

I suggest my readers refer to my earlier postings such as, “The three types of men” (posted on 28th. Feb. 2005) and “Soul and soulish activities” (posted on 7th. Nov. 2005). Briefly, the whole personality of a man consists of spirit, soul, and body. Before a man is born again, his spirit is in a state of death and it is impossible for him to relate to God. Instead he relates well to spirit beings that are also in a state of death – that is the evil spirits. When the man is born again, his spirit is quickened, or made alive by the Spirit of God. This enables him to relate to the true God.

Paul said, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely: and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice the following:

  1. God Himself sanctifies the believers completely. Sanctification is a continuous process in the Christian walk.

  2. It is hoped that our sanctification is complete and our spirit, soul, and body found blameless at the Lord’s second coming.

  3. Sanctification process is considered complete if our spirit, led by the Spirit of God takes total control of our soul and body.

  4. The spirit of a Christian consists of intuitive knowledge of God, and conscience.

  5. The soul of a Christian consists of renewed mind, will and emotion.

  6. A Christian is considered soulish if his mind is in various stages of renewal and his spirit man is not in total control of his soul and body.
Therefore, a soulish Christian will be easily deceived by soulish teaching of the New Age movement. In fact all New Age teaching and all religious teaching are in the soul realm. The Devil has no power to touch the spirit of the true Christian, but he has the power to touch and deceive the soul of the weak Christian which is not in full control by his spirit man. Matured spiritual Christians will not be deceived by the New Age Movement.

Psychology and the New Age Movement

It is beyond the scope of this message to study in details all the teaching of the New Age Movement. We shall only consider the gospel of “Self-esteem” and the gospel of “Inner Healing” which are commonly taught in the Local Church. Both of these teaching are based on human psychology which is the study of the human mind and human behavior – of the soulish realm. Therefore, psychologists can never understand things of the Spirit of God! But all true Christians understand things of the Spirit of God. Therefore, true Christian psychologist does not exist. It is a pity that most theological colleges and seminaries “Psychology” is a recognized subject. Most theologians fail to understand that psychology has given us a clearer understanding of the unredeemed human character, but it fails to give Biblical answers to the regenerated believers.

Concerning the Church of Jesus Christ, Paul said:

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:12 – 14, NKJV).

Note the following observation:

  1. The true Church understands things of the Spirit of God.

  2. To the natural man (like the psychologist) spiritual things are foolishness because spiritual things can only be discerned by the Spirit of God.
Paul said further that the true Church has the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). If we, as a true body of Christ with the mind of Christ, the Local Church will not be infiltrated by New Age teaching!

Self-Esteem

The BBC English Dictionary defines the word “Esteem” as “admiration and respect”. Therefore “Self-esteem” means “admiration and respect” of self. In Scripture the respect and admiration of self is motivated by pride:

“The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own esteem. Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility” (Proverbs 18:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

The Bible teaches us to esteem others and not self:

“Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man” (Proverbs 3:3, 4, emphasis added).

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3, emphasis added).

“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake” (1 Thess. 5:12, 13, emphasis added).

Denial of self

Jesus did not teach his disciples self-esteem. Instead He taught them self-denial:

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23, 24).

It is for the sake of self-denial that Paul said:

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9, 10).

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).

The Bible never urges self-acceptance, self-love, self-assertion, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-forgiveness, nor any of the other selfisms that are very popular today. We are not called to accept self, but to turn from self to Christ! We are called to put self to death!

Inner Healing

We cannot talk about inner healing alone without referring to “Visualization”. Visualization is a major technique of Inner Healing. The real danger is, visualization is a very basic tool of operation in the occult realm and it has its foot very well into the door of the Church!

Inner Healing or “healing of the memories” can be a form of hypnosis. Psychologists use hypnosis to “regress” their clients back into their childhood or even into the womb (with the visualization of Jesus in their midst) in order to deal with early traumas. There is no Biblical basis at all in hypnosis and visualization. Visualization has its place, but if it is man’s method of influencing reality, it is unbiblical. It is one thing to visualize the sort of house we ask an architect to design or the garden we are planning. It is quite another to visualize all the seats in a Church to be full when they are empty, or little men with hammers within the body attacking cancer cells. The ends may be in God’s will, but the means to achieve the ends have to be His also. If it suits his purpose Satan can bring a counterfeit healing but in any event our departure into fantasy gives demons both the invitation and the opportunity.

Paul warned the Christians in Colosse: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col. 2:8, 23).

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

Imagination and fantasy may well seem harmless enough, yet the Bible describes them as evil. The practice of visualization in inner healing is seen as rebellion in the sight of God:

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Samuel 15:23).

The Bible clearly declares that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3) and that those who receive Him as Savior and Lord are new creations, for whom old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Cor. 5:17). The past is taken care of on the basis of faith in God and the finished work of Christ on the cross – not on the basis of some psychotherapeutic process (inner healing and visualization) that must be engaged in to make God’s promises effective. In contrast, inner healing is based upon the premise that the past is still attached to us, buried deep within the unconscious, from where it determines our attitudes and actions.

The person who claims to be a Christian psychologist with an inner healing minister is not a Christian. The Christ that he imagines is a counterfeit Christ!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

The Spiritual Babylon

Babylon, according to what John described in the Book of Revelation Chapters 17, 18 and 19 is not a physical city. Just as Zion was not just a city in Israel but in the New Testament it is a representation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Spiritual Zion is the true Church but Spiritual Babylon is the harlot Church. In the New Testament Babylon is a Church within the Church. It is an invisible body coexisting with the invisible Body of Christ. Babylon consists of believers in a fallen spiritual condition. But Babylon will be judged during the Great Tribulation.

Babylon according to John

John in the Book of Revelation named Babylon as the mother of harlots:

“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication’. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Rev. 17:1, 2, 5, NKJV, emphasis added).

Take note the following:

  1. The seven angels are sent by God to judge the world with seven bowls judgment(Rev. 16). One of these angels will judge the great harlot.

  2. The great harlot is Babylon, the mother of harlots. Spiritually speaking, the mother of harlots is the harlot Church; harlots are members of the congregation who worship in the harlot Church.

  3. Many waters” or “sea of glass” (Rev. 4:6) symbolizes the crowd in every nation, tongue and people. Spiritually speaking, the great harlot is in control of the harlot Church throughout the whole world!
The Spiritual Bride and the Spiritual Harlot

An angel said to John concerning the Church of Jesus Christ towards the end of this age:

“Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev.22:10, 11).

Notice that the Book of Revelation is written for God’s people, the Church. John was commanded not to seal his prophecies because it will soon be fulfilled. The angel told John, a time will come when there will be a line of separation and departure of ways and characters among God’s people. Those who are wicked will become more wicked; those who are righteous will become more righteous. The difference between those who are in darkness and those who are in the light will become more distinct as a testimony for all to see before the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is never the intention of God to confuse His people. He wants to make it very clear to us that the righteous will receive His reward but the wicked will miss it all!

The Old Testament Spiritual Harlot

The Old Testament prophets identified the harlot as backslidden people of God:

“Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also. So it came to pass, through her casual harlotry, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees” (Jer. 3:8, 9, emphasis added).

Both Israel and Judah had committed spiritual adultery or spiritual harlotry and defiled the land by worshipping idols.

God said, “They have had a harlot’s forehead” (Jer. 3:3)

Notice that this can be identified with the forehead of the scarlet woman what John saw
(Rev.17:5).

Ezekiel said the same thing regarding Jerusalem’s harlotry:

“But you trusted in your own beauty, played the harlot because of your fame, and poured out your harlotry on everyone passing by who would have it” (Ezekiel 16:15).

Isaiah said Zion, the city of David, had degenerated:

“How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers” (Isaiah 1:21).

The word “Zion” speaks of the Church in the New Testament. Therefore, in a way, Isaiah prophesied that a section of the Church will become a spiritual harlot!

The New Testament Spiritual Harlot

The harlot Church is a Church defiled by allowing the infiltration of the world into the sanctuary. This defilement of the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house was described by Jeremiah:

“We are ashamed because we have heard reproach. Shame has covered our faces, for strangers have come into the sanctuaries of the Lord’s house” (Jer. 51:51, NKJV, emphasis added).

“Strangers” speaks of “sinners” or “unsaved people of the world”.

In the Tabernacle of Moses or the Temple of Solomon strangers or sinners were allowed in the Outer Court. Only those who were set apart, received the blood sacrifice at the Brazen Altar and cleansed at the Brazen Laver, were allowed to come into the Holy Place.

In the New Testament Church as described in the Book of Acts, only born again, water-baptized believers were allowed into the sanctuary to worship the Lord. But in all of today’s Churches unbelievers are welcomed into God’s Holy sanctuary. Man’s rationalization says that, “by letting unbelievers into the Church and by letting them listen to the preaching of God’s Word they might believe and repent of their sins”. But, the truth is that the Word of God is Spirit and the spirit of the unbeliever needs to be regenerated and quickened by the Spirit of God before he can understand things of the Spirit. In other words, the person needs to be born again by the Spirit of God. In many cases unbelievers come to the Local Church to seek blessings instead of the Savior and Lord!

Babylon, the Harlot Church

Babylon is the Harlot Church whose members are all professing Christians who love the world. It consists of those who love the world’s favor than its reproach. It consists of those who have seen the honor of the world rather than its shame; self indulgence rather than self denied.

Babylon is all who professed to be Christ’s little frock but they denied Christ as the Chief Shepherd. They denied Him by the way they live and by their action and deeds. Babylon is any Church, any ministry, minister and any Churchgoer who love the world system. It is made up of certain pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers and multitude of Christians who have been seduced by the spirit of the world. It is a religion that has been polluted by worldly methods. The world is trying to turn God’s people into spiritual harlotry. The world is trying to make the Church to do God’s work with world methods. Ministers begin to copy the ways and methods of the world – in the area of music and choreography. People come to Church to be entertained instead of ministering to the Lord in praise and worship.

The Lord said through Jeremiah, “And my people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end” (Jer. 5:31)?

John heard the cry of an angel, “And he (an angel) cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury’” (Rev. 18:2, 3).

John heard another voice from heaven, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities” (Rev. 18:4, 5).

God is warning his people to come out of Babylon because God will judge Babylon!

Babylon, the harlot is falling

Babylon is falling and John’s prophecy in Revelation is going to be fulfilled before our very eyes. God is going to bring down every unspiritual lukewarm Local Church, every unspiritual ministry, every backslidden preacher and every lukewarm Churchgoer.

“I know your works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth! For you say, I am rich, I have prospered and grown wealthy, and I am in need of nothing; and do not realize and understand that your are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked” (Rev. 3:15 – 17).

We are going to witness the fall of some of the harlot ministers who were polluted by the world. Mega-Churches with their multimillion projects to compete with the world are going to come crashing down. Some Churches and Church projects built by those who have no clear mandate from God are going bankrupt. Only the genuine spiritual ministry is going to pick up the pieces.

God is about to do a new thing in the backslidden Church (Isaiah 43:19). He is going to bring down the proud, the famous and the self-centered ambitious “men of God”. God is about to raise up humble and God-fearing ministers who seek the Lord to bring the Church back to repentance and holiness.

God said, “My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray; they have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place” (Jer. 50:6).

A Call to Repentance

When God’s people were captives in Babylon they quit singing, they quit rejoicing and hung their harps upon the willows (Psalm 137:1 – 3) because they thought God had forgotten them. Babylon had taken away their harps and their songs. His people could not sing the Lord’s song in a strange land (Psalm 137:4). Babylon is a strange land for the true Church.

But God is calling the harlot Church to repent and to return to the Lord:

“Turn to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with morning” (Joel 2:12).

Joel, the prophet continued to comfort His people, “So rend your heart, and not your garments; return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm. Who knows if he will turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him – a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord your God” (Joel 2:13, 14, NKJV, emphasis added)?

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Spiritual Growth

The Bible has a great deal to say about spiritual growth, about Christians developing spiritually, about taking on stature and growing on to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). But we cannot talk about growing spiritually unless we also acknowledge that there is also some kind of spiritual retardation and stunted growth for some Christians.

Paul’s concern about the Corinthians was that they never seem to grow up:

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1, NKJV).

Spiritual babes are carnal and not spiritual.

The writer of Hebrews said the same thing, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe” (Hebrews 5:12, 13).

Spiritual babies are milk Christians and are unable to take solid food.

Spiritual Growth is a Command

Spiritual Growth is a divine command. It is not optional whether you and I grow or not.

“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17, 17, emphasis added).

Notice the contrast that Peter brought out, separated by the word “but”. Christians have to make their own choice. They must choose for themselves, either be deceived by wicked influence of the flesh and the devil or grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The food for growth

What is the thing that makes people grow? You are what you eat. In other words, what you put in your body is what you are. If you eat a whole lot of wrong things, your stomach will rebel against it. If you continue to do it your body will miraculously try to accommodate it and stores it up in folds of fat. This is potential heart attacks.

Similarly, the thing that makes Christians grow spiritually is the type of spiritual food they eat. What spiritual food you partake is what you are as a spiritual person. We cannot build our Christianity out of Christian view points from other people, view points of Christian book writers and view points of “Christian” film producers.

A preacher must first be partaker of what he feeds the sheep. He must check out to see if the food is good for spiritual children. He must feed them with the pure Word of God:

“…. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).

Only the pure milk of the Word would ensure healthy spiritual growth.

You cannot grow by eating junk food of religious spectacular teachings, soulish entertainment, unsound doctrines or “itching ears” sermons.

Those who do not grow are caught in the peripheral Christian world. They delight in talking about semi-soulish secular things. There is no flow of deep devotion that comes from their type of Christianity. If you talk about Jesus and the Bible you do not see any sparkle in their eyes. Talk about the business world, new management methods, politics and promotional schemes you will have great response from them. When you talk about spiritual things you will receive very little response. They will have just enough spiritual knowledge to satisfy their conscience as professing Christians!

If they want to grow they must eat the right food. That means they have to feed upon the Word of God on a regular basis.

Nothing can take the place of the Bible

Nothing can take the place of the Bible which is the Word of God. If you do not read your Bible you can be religious without being spiritual. If you delight in the Word of God you will find delight in reading Psalm 119 in which the psalmist wrote about the excellencies of the Word of God.

There is nothing in the Bible to say that by the laying on of hands you will blossom into maturity. God has not provided this short-cut. By the laying on of hands you may get healed; you may receive spiritual gifts; you may be ordained. But the laying on of hands has nothing to do with the development of your stature or character.

The only thing that is going to make you grow and develop spiritually is to feed on the Word of God which is your healthy spiritual food. The Bible contains all the right ingredients for growth. If you are a born again, Spirit filled, child of God; if you are constantly feeding on the Word of God and maintaining your prayer communion with the Lord; if you are walking and fellowshipping with the Lord, you will be growing automatically.

But most likely you are not going to see your growth yourself. But someone else will see it.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Tim. 4:15, NKJV, emphasis added).

“These things” are the things mentioned in the previous verses (12 – 14). These are doctrine, Word of God, godly conduct and spiritual gifts.

Christians must continue to grow, for otherwise they are likely to backslide. It is a tragedy for men and women who come to the door of the Kingdom of God and stay at the entrance. They have not tasted the benefits that are offered inside the Kingdom of God. They live forever at the door of the Kingdom. They have not gone inside to the place of God’s appointment and to take the mountain of treasures that God has offered them!

Secret of growth

Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin” (Matthew 6:26, 28, emphasis added).

Jesus Himself revealed the secret of growth, both physical and spiritual:

1. The Father gives food for growth, both physical and spiritual. He feeds us.

2. The lilies of the field provide an example how growth comes naturally and automatically. The lilies just drink up the rain and the sunshine provided by God – that is all. Lilies can do nothing by themselves.

Similarly in the spiritual sense, means you must expose yourself to the Word of God, drink in the Spirit that comes by the Word which contains all the healthy ingredients for healthy growth. No one can try to growth.

Many of us run from one “Deeper Life Conference” to another (even Advance Deeper Life Conference”; run to camp meetings and run from one Christian seminar to another. Nowadays there is no shortage of conferences, seminars and meetings to keep Christians so busy that they have no time to read the Bible. We try to get a fresh shot in the arms in all these conferences in order to grow. But, all we get is men derived knowledge.

Paul said, “We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him” (1 Cor. 8:1 – 3).

The Source and process of spiritual growth

He who loves the Word of God loves God and God knows anyone who loves His Word. But if you look toward men’s teachings for growth this is what Paul had to say:

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:6 – 8, NKJV, emphasis added).

When Paul said “… so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him” he meant growth is a process in our Christian walk. This process is Biblically referred to as “sanctification” and takes time. In fact it takes us a life in the sanctification process. We must always remember that growth is not a “crisis” but a process; but birth is a “crisis” which is instant. After we have experienced the “crisis” of our spiritual birth we go on with the growth process.

Sanctification through the Word of God was referred to by Christ Himself when He prayed to the Father for His disciples:

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

God as the only source of spiritual growth is made clear by Paul:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Cor. 3:6).

Danger of failing to grow

If you starve yourself physically you are going to become weak, emaciated and eventually die. If you withhold from your spiritual life the things that made for growth and development, you are going to become spiritually weak.

When your physical body is run down because of the lack of nutritious food it exposes itself, in a way, to the attack of virus and germs. Similarly, if we do not maintain our spiritual relationship with God, immerse ourselves in the Word and the Spirit, we expose ourselves to some kind of spiritual infection.

That is why Paul said, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow in all things into Him who is the head – Christ” (Eph. 4:14, 15).

Notice that we cannot speak "the truth in love" to one another unless we know the truth of God’s Word and have some truth to tell others!

The need to grow individually and corporately

We can never make the Word of God exhausted. In other words, we always have something to learn from the Bible no matter how spiritually grownup and matured we become. A preacher’s problem is not having something to say to the hearers, but it is to what God wants to say at an appointed time and season! A preacher must have the enough of the Word in him that he is ready to preach the Word “in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Paul said, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and …” (Col. 3:16).

We need the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God does not let the Word of God yields its secret to lazy people. To have the Word of Christ dwell in us richly means hard work. Salvation comes by grace through faith and not by works (Titus 3:5), but knowing the Bible does come by hard work!

Paul said the Local Church as a Local Body of Christ needs to grow up together:

“… in whom (Christ) the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:21, 22, emphasis added).

Here the Lord reveals a very important spiritual truth that many Bible teachers and Pastors of mega-churches failed to understand.

The Local Church will never rise higher than the conditions of our homes. In other words, the Local Church will become an expression of the home life of its people! That is why, in the New Testament, the Bible tells us that sanctification starts in the Christian home situation (1 Cor. 7:14). Godly fathers and mothers sanctified the children.

This is in total contrary to what Rick Warren wrote in his book “The Purpose Driven Life”

“Your spiritual family is even more important than your physical family because it will last forever. Our families on earth are wonderful gifts from God, but they are temporary and fragile, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably, death. On the other hand, our spiritual family – our relationship to other believers – will continue throughout eternity. It is a much stronger union, a more permanent bond, than blood relationships” (Page 118).

The writer sounds convincing and logical. But, if you do not know your Bible well enough but blindly feed on man’s words and theory like the above you will be deceived. The truth is wholesome families form a wholesome Local Church; God fearing families form a God fearing Local Church. God delights to see His people reflect the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor. 3:18).

When we continuously feed on the pure Word of God; when we commune with the Lord through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will take the Word of God to change us to the same image that we see – the reflection of Christ, from glory to glory!

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

The Right Attitude And Motivation

This message is closely related to my message last week: “A Call to Excel unto Excellence”. If you have not already done so, please read last week's message before you continue.

In order to be fruitful it is essential that the believer serves God with the right attitude. One of the attributes of man given by God is the freewill to choose. For example we can choose to fear God:

“Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 1:28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).

We have the power and ability to choose. We can choose to fear God. We can choose to praise God and to worship Him. On the same basis we can choose to serve God with the right attitude.

The Right Attitude

Our attitude when we face a task or an event will say one of two things: “I want to do this” or “I have to do this”.

But the majority of our attitude in life is on the “I have to” basis. It is quite a natural thing to do. We are in the habit of saying, “I have to go to bed, I have to go out, I have to go to Church” and so on. But if we choose to approach everything from “I want to” attitude it will be far more advantageous to us. When we say "I want to" we are not under compulsion to do anything. Instead we are set free to make our own choices.

“I want to” attitude generates opportunities

When we say “I want to do it” in any situation we will have the opportunities to do things otherwise seem impossible. This was the attitude of the apostle Paul:

Paul said, “… we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3, 4, emphasis added).

Paul wanted to “glory in tribulations” because by doing this he had the opportunity to cultivate godly character.

Paul also said, “There I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10, emphasis added).

In other words, when Paul was weak he had the opportunity to experience God’s power.

An opportunity to demonstrate the grace of God

Jesus said, “But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39).

Certainly it is not an easy thing to do. No one likes to be slapped by anybody! But, the situation gives an opportunity for the person who is slapped to offer the other cheek. The fact is that you cannot turn the second cheek until someone hits the first one. Whether to turn the second cheek or not is your choice. By offering the second cheek you demonstrate the grace of God!

Opportunity generates enthusiasm

True enthusiasm is not jumping up and down with excitement. It is not just doing something eagerly and with great zeal. Enthusiasm is measured by two major factorsconviction and belief.

As an example, a salesman is enthusiastic if he has a deep conviction and a belief in the product that he is selling. In other words, he is totally persuaded and totally convinced that you need what he has to offer.

You will never “sell” Jesus Christ to any unbeliever unless you are enthusiastic for Christ. By enthusiastic for Christ means you are totally persuaded and convinced and believed that unless that person receives Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior he is going to end up in eternity of hell and damnation! The major reason why many Christians are reluctant to get involved in personal evangelism is because they lack true enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm develops creativity

Creativity means the discovery of new ideas and visions. A creative person has the courage to walk into undiscovered territories. A creative Christian is seeking after new visions while everyone else is hunting for "success" methods and formulae. The Christian who desires creativity would wrestle with God until there is a breakthrough in the realm of strategy in new concepts, new ways and new ideas – until the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit brings forth new visions. In other words, he must be a prayerful person. His desire is to bring forth "Isaac" and not "Ishmael". Notice that "Isaac" is the product of God, but "Ishmael" comes from the "flesh" or if you like, the product of man's carnal nature.

Methods and formulae will not work because this is not how the Holy Spirit would work in the life of a local congregation of believers. In a large degree a lot of believers dropped out of Church life because to them it is boring and dull. Mostly, the false lies on their sides. They did not pray; they did not keep their own vision sharpened; they did not keep their spiritual sensitivity alive. The humdrum of routine and traditionalism in worship services affects their enthusiasm. What we need is the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit to lead us in the realm of creativity out of true enthusiasm. The key to have the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit comes from prayers and waiting upon the Lord. We may have to spend long hours on our knees to seek the Lord. We need to go through many "Gethsemane" experiences! There is no short-cut.

As mentioned earlier, it calls for a change to the right attitude in serving God. It goes from the “I have to” attitude to “I want to” attitude. Everything becomes an opportunity which will develop enthusiasm which will bring forth further creativity and good results which are pleasing to the Lord.

Vision and not ambition

Vision is God centered but ambition is self centered. An ambitious person will walk over people to get what he wants. It does not matter who he hurts and who he wounds as long as he gets what he wants.

A Biblical example is Absalom, David’s third son. In fact he was David’s favorite son. His ambition was to overthrow his father’s kingdom. He was admirable, able to win people’s hearts. He had “personality plus” but he was proud. He had great skill in looking for short cuts to get what he wanted. He was a man of reputation.

Jesus Christ, in contrast, “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7, NKJV).

God will not use a self centered ambitions man!

Disappointment develops discouragement

Let us look at the negative side. If we lack enthusiasm and continue on with the “I have to” attitude, then, everything becomes a threat – a threat to our time, a threat to our money, our family, our business and our leisure. Then we become disappointed with our Church life.

What is disappointment? It is something we often experience in our family, business and Church life. Disappointment happens when people or circumstances fail to meet the appointment of our expectation – dis-appointment.

If we do not deal with disappointment it will lead to discouragement. If we do not deal with discouragement it will lead to resentment. Resentment will lead to bitterness. Finally, it leads to poor results in our walk with God. Poor results are the results of poor attitude and good results are the results of the right attitude. Your attitude will determine the results that you bring forth in doing God’s work!

God knows our ability

Some Christians may feel that they lack the ability, gift or talent to serve God. The qualities that God looks for are commitment, faithfulness, diligence, resourcefulness and obedience and not ability.

In the parable of the Talents Jesus said:

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his good to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediate he went on a journey” (Matthew 25:14, 15, NKJV, emphasis added).

Jesus gave one person five talents because He knew this person could handle five talents. He gave one talent to another person because He knew he could only handle one talent. But the person who he gave one talent could not even handle the one talent properly!

You may say God is not a respecter of anyone or “regard the person of men” (Matt. 22:16). It is true in the area of judgment and acceptance. But when it comes to the delegation of responsibility God is a respecter of the person of men.

One of the reasons why we get discouraged is because sometimes we become competitive. We try to compete with the person next to us. The right thing to do is to do our best with our God given ability. Not many of us are called to be “mighty” man of God. Not many of us are great preachers. There is actually no competition in the Kingdom of God.

The Right Motivation

The thing that keeps us going in serving God effectively is having the right motivation. Motivation to a large degree controlled by attitude.

There are three forms of motivation:

1. Motivated by fear

Many Christians feel threatened and challenged when they are motivated by fear – fear of being punished if they fail to do something to “please” God.

They go to Church because they fear death, they fear hell, and fear punishment from God. There is nothing wrong with reverent fear of God because the Bible teaches us to fear God. But, some Christians have an unhealthy fear of God. They think that if they come to Church regularly, pay their tithes and serve God He will have mercy on them. They have the “give out of fear of poverty” attitude. Some of them are self centered givers – they give to get.

For example, many believers are motivated by this:

“There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24).

2. Motivated by incentive (reward) system

This form of motivation is common in the business world. If you reach certain target in your sales and achievement you will get a reward in the form of a bonus or in the form of a free, all expenses paid, holiday. This is actually a form of professional bribery.

Motivation by fear and reward are often used by parents toward their children. It is common for a mother to say to her son, “If you are a good boy and eat up your vegetables you can have some ice cream”. Or the mother could say in a threatening way, “If you do not eat up your vegetables you will get no ice cream. The boy is being brought up and motivated to practice professional bribery!

Many Christians have a heaven-or-hell Christianity – heaven for reward and hell for punishment. If we are serving God just for a place in heaven the motive is wrong. If we are serving God to avoid hell the motive is also wrong.

3. Motivation based on love

Jesus had never used any of the above two forms of motivation. Instead He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

Once again we come back to the “I want to” and not “I have to” attitude. We want to serve God because we love Him and we have a heart for Him!

The only right motivation in the Kingdom of God is the motivation that is based entirely on Love - Love for God, love for our own families, love for our fellow believers and love for our neighbors!