Every Christian is called to excel unto excellence in the things of God. God desires that every believer be fruitful in his Christian walk. The apostle Paul said every Christian needs to seek to excel for the edification of the Church:
“Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel” (1 Cor.13:12, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3 – 9)
The Parable of the Sower was the first of many parables of Jesus. It was one of the two parables that Jesus explained to His disciples. It is beyond the scope of this message to expound the parable of the sower. But, we can establish an important spiritual principle from it.
The Sower was God and the seed was the Word of God. All genuine Christians are good ground for the Sower to sow His seed.
Jesus said, “But others (seed) fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matt. 13:8, NKJV).
The seed was the same, the ground was the same and the Sower was the some. Why then some ground yielded a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty?
Jesus’ explanation is in Verse 23:
“But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Emphasis added).
Notice that fruitfulness or productiveness of a believer is directly proportional to his degree of hearing and understanding of the Word of God. Jesus also brought out two aspects of hearing the Word of God.
1. What you hear
“For assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matt. 13:17, emphasis added).
2. How you hear
“Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him” (Luke 8:18, emphasis added).
So we see it is entirely up to us, and not up to God, to determine whether we want to be 30, 60 or 100-fold Christians. The responsibility falls on our own shoulders. He who gives diligence 30% of what he hears will bring forth 30% fruit.
The spiritual principle is the percentage yield is directly proportional to what you take heed or to the degree of diligence that you give to the Word of God. Jesus had established this principle elsewhere:
“For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Church Leadership Management
Simply put it, management means getting things done. Expand this a little bit, management means getting things done through people. Leadership means the management of people. Church leadership means the management of Church members.
The Autonomy of the Local Church and believers
Both the Local Church and the individual believer are autonomous. This means the Local Church is self governed and self-led (hopefully by the Holy Spirit) and responsible for itself. It means a Local Church cannot tell another Local Church what to do! We can apply this principle on the same basis to the individual believer – the autonomy of the local believers. This means every individual Christian is responsible for his own life.
A day will come when all of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we will have to give an account of our lives before God (2 Cor. 5:10). It is no good to say before God on judgment day with excuses saying: “Well, I did this because my Pastor told me to”! A Pastor or leader should not make any decision for those he leads. If he makes decisions for them then he is responsible for them if things go wrong. A Shepherd will lead, will feed, will counsel, will guide, will direct, will encourage and will exhort. But he must not override the autonomy of the local men and women of God. They are responsible for their own lives and decisions.
Nehemiah as an example of excellent spiritual leader
Nehemiah was a cupbearer of the king during the Babylonian captivity. He was a Jew. He heard news regarding the state of the city of Jerusalem – the city of his forefathers. The city was broken down, the wall was crumpled down and the gates were burned and in desperate need of repair. Nehemiah had a God given burden and vision to go back to the city of Jerusalem to rebuild the wall and to repair the gates. He got permission from the king to be released for an appointed time.
The importance of time
We cannot talk about efficiency, leadership and management unless we address the subject of time. In the business world time is the money, a very expansive commodity. We cannot apply this principle to the Church, but nevertheless, time is valuable. Every one of us has an appointed time. Jesus made reference of time over and over again.
He said to his brothers, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready” (John 7:6).
He knew when it was time for Him to go to the cross. He knew that he had a specific period of time in which to accomplish a job – to train 12 men, to carry on from where He would leave off.
Paul said we need to walk in wisdom redeeming the time (Eph 5:16; Col. 4:5).
Facing opposition
Nehemiah had an adversary by the name of Sanballat. But, Nehemiah overcame his adversary and completed his job with determination (More on this later).
Paul said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12).
In other words, all true Christians will face opposition. There will be difficulty time, and problems. There will be many circumstances we will have to overcome.
Important Leadership Principles
Nehemiah had an adversary named Sanballat. He posted five mocking questions to Nehemiah and the Jews:
“But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish – stones that are burned?’” (Nehemiah 4:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added)
I attempt to build 5 leadership principles from these 5 mocking questions to enable us to be more efficient and effective in the economy of God.
1. What are these feeble Jews doing?
In other words, did Nehemiah and the Jews know what they were doing? Nehemiah had a job to do. He had an objective, a goal to accomplish – to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem and to complete it at an appointed period of time.
A leader must also ask himself, “What I am doing and why I am doing it; where am I going and why I am going there?” If a leader does not know how is he going to lead others?
In the business world there is an expression that is often used – plan your work and work your plan. In other words, set your goals and work your plan toward the goals.
A Biblical principle is that we need to be men and women of vision. Vision is revealed by God through the Holy Spirit. We must know what God has called us to do in a specific time and purpose. Then we set a goal toward reaching the vision.
Nehemiah was a man of vision and he set about a strategy in which to accomplish his objective and vision. Similarly, in leadership we need to understand that the Christian life is one of strategy. Unfortunately, many Christian leaders instead of seeking strategy they seek after “success” methods of others. Many methods fail because what are successful to some might not be successful to others. In other words you cannot copy someone else’s method. Method is not strategy. Our God is a God of strategy and He reveals His strategy to us by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, vision is simply God’s revealed strategy. It is unique for a particular purpose and time.
2. Will they fortify themselves?
We are talking about facing oppositions and obstacles here. We must anticipate obstacles and problems that we are going to face in achieving the goal of our vision. We do not wait for them to arrive and then look around for a solution. In fact we must welcome oppositions knowing that oppositions, difficulties and problems are our stepping stones for success!
Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 7:4).
He further said, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in need, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10).
He also said, “.... but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3, 4)
Paul knew that without all these problems he would not develop Godly character.
As I shared with my readers last week, it is God’s will that all believers be overcomers. You must overcome or you will be overcome! But, you cannot be an overcomer unless you have got obstacles to overcome.
Read Nehemiah 5:1 – 13 you will notice that Nehemiah overcame all obstacles and oppositions.
3. Will they offer sacrifices?
Nothing is achieved without cost. Excellent personal leadership, excellent personal achievement and excellent personal management are accomplished at cost.
We are called to deny self in order to follow Jesus:
Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24).
John said, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for our brethren” (1 John 3:16).
This does not mean we ought to die for our brothers, but we at least make ourselves available for our brothers.
Nehemiah laid down his life for God and his fellow Jews when he rebuilt the broken down walls and gates of Jerusalem.
4. Will they complete it in a day?
In other words, will they finish what they had begun? We are talking total commitment here. Our commitment to the Lord’s work must not be motivated by fear, or reward, but by love alone.
Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
The right attitude is – We do the Lord’s work because we want to and not because we have to.
Nehemiah rebuilt the broken down walls and gates of Jerusalem because he wanted to and not because he had to!
5. Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish – stones that are burned?
Our work is going to the fire of testing! We have to let every area of our personal lives be tested to see whether or not we have the overcoming quality.
The areas that people will want in us as spiritual leaders are dependability, commitment, faithfulness, loyalty, reliability and trustworthiness. These qualities are developed in us through the trials and testings that God will lead us through. Like gold tried in the fire we will come out as lively stones, resurrected from the broken down rubbles that God can use – excelling unto excellence that we might be excellent in the Kingdom of God. God wants us to be fruitful – not 30% or 60% but 100%!
“And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this was done by our God” (Nehemiah 6:16, NKJV, emphasis added).
God gets the Glory in every excellent thing that we do!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
To Overcome Or Be Overcome!
All believers have two choices, and only two – to overcome or be overcome. In other words, we are either overcomers or undergoers. If we are overcomers we will stand victorious in Christ, and if not we will be deceived by the New Age movement with even knowing it! Seeing that we are living in the last of the last days we must make this decision now!
A Call to be like Jesus
All believers are expected by God the Father to be more and more like His Son Jesus Christ as they journey through their Christian walk. Jesus was and is the ultimate overcomer. He has overcome the world!
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
If we want to be like Him we must learn to be overcomers.
Paul said, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
Paul was writing to the Roman Christians. It is obvious that if Christians do not overcome evil, evil will overcome them!
The Christian life is never easy. Why? There are many reasons, but the primary reason is that many Christians are confused believers. We often fail to understand the purpose of our salvation and the purpose of our destination after we are saved. It is not easy to answer questions like – Why am I here? What I am doing? Why I am doing it? Where I am going and why I am going there and so on?
Beware of confusing "Biblical" Teaching
In order to be overcomers we must know the Scripture and seek to understand what God is teaching us through His Word. Do not accept every teaching from the pulpit without confirmation from His Word. Beware of preachers who preach from books or other people’s material without the revelation from the Holy Spirit. Even if their teachings sound logical and Biblical you are likely to be confused by wrong emphasis on spiritual things derived from questionable theological doctrines! Nowadays believers are looking for credentials. Highly qualified theologians are more welcome than Spirit filled and Spirit led preachers without credentials. Many believers are under a curse because they trust in man’s teaching rather than trusting the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5 – 8).
The following are some common areas of confusion:
1. Holiness and Righteousness
Holiness is not the same as righteousness. The clearest answer is simply this – Holiness is what God is, righteousness is what God does. Therefore, Holiness is what we become, righteousness is what we do.
Peter said, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15, 16, NKJV).
Christians are to be holy because God is holy. But, many do not know the principles of holiness and righteousness.
What causes a lot of pain, a lot of suffering, a lot of discouragement and a lot of frustration in the lives of God’s people is that they try to be righteousness without first being holy. Therefore an important spiritual principle is, “We must be, before we do”!
That is why when Jesus began to train His disciples He started in the areas of Beatitudes (Matthew 5). He taught His disciples on the quality of being. And then out of the quality of being he instructed them in the area of doing.
Concerning the coming of the day of the Lord Peter said, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added)?
In other words, first of all God wants you to be someone who has holy conduct and godliness. Then God wants you to do – looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Basically what God wants believers to do is to do the work of an overcomer to preach and share the Gospel – to fulfill the Great Commission. This is the only way to hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Matt. 24:14).
2. Salvation and Destination
Do not try to understand the teaching of men – even renowned men. If you do, you will be confused! Try to understand fully the teachings of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, “Reformed view” and the Arminian view you will know what I mean. Theologians, Bible Scholars are still very much divided over the doctrine of predestination and the doctrine of freewill! They are divided because they are confused. The truth is both the Calvinist and the Arminian views are correct. God uses both predestination and freewill!
The right thing to do is to be simple – go back to the Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to understand the Bible View!
One of the most important spiritual principles is:
God has not called us to be saved. He has saved us that He might call us.
In other words, salvation is not our calling but our beginning (2 Tim. 1:8, 9). Our calling is our destination – to where we are going. Where are we going? We are going to the conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. We are called to His kingdom and glory, we are called to virtue and maturity, we are called to inherit son-ship (to be the true sons of God), we are called to perfection – that is the destination of individual believers and the destination of the Church of Jesus Christ!
Concerning Christian perfection Paul said, “…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ….” (Eph. 4:13, emphasis added).
3. “Many are called, but few chosen”
Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16).
Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
But we know that not all will come to repentance and be saved. Why? Not because God does not want them to. But because some choose to reject, choose to tread underfoot what is offered to them! So then we see that predestination has a lot to do with our destination and not with our salvation. After we have exercised our freewill and chosen (made the right choice) to be saved we are called to maturity and perfection. But not all will arrive! Few will have the determination and the commitment. Therefore Jesus said, “Many are called, but few, chosen”. Notice that the word “chosen” refers to our freewill to choose!
The Benefits of the Overcomers
John heard a loud voice from heaven during his exile on the island of Patmos:
“(V. 7) He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (V. 8) But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7, 8, NKJV, emphasis added).
The following conclusions can be drawn from the above two verses of Scripture:
1. The description of verse 7 is in direct contract with the description of verse 8.
2. The overcomer belongs to God – he a true son of God! He shall not face the second death. Being a son he shall inherit all things. Whatever belongs to God belongs to him! This is a wonderful promise of God!
3. A person who fits one or more descriptions listed in verse 8 does not qualify to be an overcomer. He does not belong to God and so he is not a son of God. He inherits nothing except the Second death. His destiny is “in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone”!
4. The phrase “All liars” in verse 8 means all categories of liars; there is no exception. God intentionally includes liars of every conceivable description. A person who willfully rejects the Truth of God’s Word is a liar. A person who claims to be an imitator of Christ but fails to be a doer of the Word is a liar. A self-proclaimed prophet whose prophecies are found to be false is a liar. A preacher or Pastor who compromises God Word is both a liar and a deceiver. A good example is the preacher of the New Age doctrines. Any true Christian who constantly upholds the truth of God’s Word will not be deceived by the New Age doctrine. Therefore everyone, either he is a preacher, Pastor, or a member of the New Age church, is not qualified to be an overcomer! Anyone who is involved in the New Age movement cannot be an overcomer! Anyone who is deceived by false doctrines cannot be an overcomer!
The Overcomers in the Seven Churches
The first thing we notice about the Seven Churches described in Chapters 2 and 3 in the Book of Revelation is that there are overcomers in all these Churches, including the two Churches (Church in Smyrna and Church in Philadelphia) which receive no rebuke from the Lord. This means that all Churches need overcomers.
We are overcomers because there are things for us to overcome – there are obstacles or oppositions for us to overcome. We need to overcome the devil, our adversary:
Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8, 9).
We also need to overcome persecution:
Paul said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12)
The following are some observations concerning the overcomers:
1. The overcomer is someone who “has the ear to hear what the spirit says to the Churches”. This phrase appears in the description of all the Seven Churches. In other words, all overcomers are sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and consequently receive the counsel and revelation of the Lord even in the Local Churches.
2. The overcomer will “eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7).
3. The overcomer will be given “some of the hidden manna to eat. The Lord will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receivers it” (Rev. 2:17).
4. The overcomer “shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11).
Notice that this is consistent with Revelation 21:8.
5. The overcomer who keeps the Lord’s works until the end will be given “power over the nations” (Rev. 2:26) and the Lord will give him “the morning star” (Rev. 2:28).
6. The overcomer “shall be clothed in white garments, and the Lord will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but the Lord will confess his name before God the Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:5).
7. The overcomer will be made “a pillar in the temple of God and he shall go out no more. The Lord will write on him the name of God and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God. The Lord will write on him His new name” (Rev. 3:12).
8. The overcomer will be granted “to sit with the Lord on His throne, as He also overcame and sat down with God the Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21),
Notice that the reason why Jesus sat down with God the Father on His throne is because Jesus overcame everything while doing the Father’s Work when He was with His disciples. This means the only qualification for a believer to sit with the Lord on His throne is to be an overcomer!
Conclusion
John said, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4, 5, NKJV)?
Only born again believers are able to be overcomers. He who fails to become an overcomer lacks the faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God! Therefore, his born again experience is questionable!
A Call to be like Jesus
All believers are expected by God the Father to be more and more like His Son Jesus Christ as they journey through their Christian walk. Jesus was and is the ultimate overcomer. He has overcome the world!
Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
If we want to be like Him we must learn to be overcomers.
Paul said, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
Paul was writing to the Roman Christians. It is obvious that if Christians do not overcome evil, evil will overcome them!
The Christian life is never easy. Why? There are many reasons, but the primary reason is that many Christians are confused believers. We often fail to understand the purpose of our salvation and the purpose of our destination after we are saved. It is not easy to answer questions like – Why am I here? What I am doing? Why I am doing it? Where I am going and why I am going there and so on?
Beware of confusing "Biblical" Teaching
In order to be overcomers we must know the Scripture and seek to understand what God is teaching us through His Word. Do not accept every teaching from the pulpit without confirmation from His Word. Beware of preachers who preach from books or other people’s material without the revelation from the Holy Spirit. Even if their teachings sound logical and Biblical you are likely to be confused by wrong emphasis on spiritual things derived from questionable theological doctrines! Nowadays believers are looking for credentials. Highly qualified theologians are more welcome than Spirit filled and Spirit led preachers without credentials. Many believers are under a curse because they trust in man’s teaching rather than trusting the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5 – 8).
The following are some common areas of confusion:
1. Holiness and Righteousness
Holiness is not the same as righteousness. The clearest answer is simply this – Holiness is what God is, righteousness is what God does. Therefore, Holiness is what we become, righteousness is what we do.
Peter said, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15, 16, NKJV).
Christians are to be holy because God is holy. But, many do not know the principles of holiness and righteousness.
What causes a lot of pain, a lot of suffering, a lot of discouragement and a lot of frustration in the lives of God’s people is that they try to be righteousness without first being holy. Therefore an important spiritual principle is, “We must be, before we do”!
That is why when Jesus began to train His disciples He started in the areas of Beatitudes (Matthew 5). He taught His disciples on the quality of being. And then out of the quality of being he instructed them in the area of doing.
Concerning the coming of the day of the Lord Peter said, “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added)?
In other words, first of all God wants you to be someone who has holy conduct and godliness. Then God wants you to do – looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. Basically what God wants believers to do is to do the work of an overcomer to preach and share the Gospel – to fulfill the Great Commission. This is the only way to hasten the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Matt. 24:14).
2. Salvation and Destination
Do not try to understand the teaching of men – even renowned men. If you do, you will be confused! Try to understand fully the teachings of John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, “Reformed view” and the Arminian view you will know what I mean. Theologians, Bible Scholars are still very much divided over the doctrine of predestination and the doctrine of freewill! They are divided because they are confused. The truth is both the Calvinist and the Arminian views are correct. God uses both predestination and freewill!
The right thing to do is to be simple – go back to the Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to understand the Bible View!
One of the most important spiritual principles is:
God has not called us to be saved. He has saved us that He might call us.
In other words, salvation is not our calling but our beginning (2 Tim. 1:8, 9). Our calling is our destination – to where we are going. Where are we going? We are going to the conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. We are called to His kingdom and glory, we are called to virtue and maturity, we are called to inherit son-ship (to be the true sons of God), we are called to perfection – that is the destination of individual believers and the destination of the Church of Jesus Christ!
Concerning Christian perfection Paul said, “…till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ….” (Eph. 4:13, emphasis added).
3. “Many are called, but few chosen”
Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16).
Peter said, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
But we know that not all will come to repentance and be saved. Why? Not because God does not want them to. But because some choose to reject, choose to tread underfoot what is offered to them! So then we see that predestination has a lot to do with our destination and not with our salvation. After we have exercised our freewill and chosen (made the right choice) to be saved we are called to maturity and perfection. But not all will arrive! Few will have the determination and the commitment. Therefore Jesus said, “Many are called, but few, chosen”. Notice that the word “chosen” refers to our freewill to choose!
The Benefits of the Overcomers
John heard a loud voice from heaven during his exile on the island of Patmos:
“(V. 7) He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. (V. 8) But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:7, 8, NKJV, emphasis added).
The following conclusions can be drawn from the above two verses of Scripture:
1. The description of verse 7 is in direct contract with the description of verse 8.
2. The overcomer belongs to God – he a true son of God! He shall not face the second death. Being a son he shall inherit all things. Whatever belongs to God belongs to him! This is a wonderful promise of God!
3. A person who fits one or more descriptions listed in verse 8 does not qualify to be an overcomer. He does not belong to God and so he is not a son of God. He inherits nothing except the Second death. His destiny is “in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone”!
4. The phrase “All liars” in verse 8 means all categories of liars; there is no exception. God intentionally includes liars of every conceivable description. A person who willfully rejects the Truth of God’s Word is a liar. A person who claims to be an imitator of Christ but fails to be a doer of the Word is a liar. A self-proclaimed prophet whose prophecies are found to be false is a liar. A preacher or Pastor who compromises God Word is both a liar and a deceiver. A good example is the preacher of the New Age doctrines. Any true Christian who constantly upholds the truth of God’s Word will not be deceived by the New Age doctrine. Therefore everyone, either he is a preacher, Pastor, or a member of the New Age church, is not qualified to be an overcomer! Anyone who is involved in the New Age movement cannot be an overcomer! Anyone who is deceived by false doctrines cannot be an overcomer!
The Overcomers in the Seven Churches
The first thing we notice about the Seven Churches described in Chapters 2 and 3 in the Book of Revelation is that there are overcomers in all these Churches, including the two Churches (Church in Smyrna and Church in Philadelphia) which receive no rebuke from the Lord. This means that all Churches need overcomers.
We are overcomers because there are things for us to overcome – there are obstacles or oppositions for us to overcome. We need to overcome the devil, our adversary:
Peter said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:8, 9).
We also need to overcome persecution:
Paul said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12)
The following are some observations concerning the overcomers:
1. The overcomer is someone who “has the ear to hear what the spirit says to the Churches”. This phrase appears in the description of all the Seven Churches. In other words, all overcomers are sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and consequently receive the counsel and revelation of the Lord even in the Local Churches.
2. The overcomer will “eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7).
3. The overcomer will be given “some of the hidden manna to eat. The Lord will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receivers it” (Rev. 2:17).
4. The overcomer “shall not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11).
Notice that this is consistent with Revelation 21:8.
5. The overcomer who keeps the Lord’s works until the end will be given “power over the nations” (Rev. 2:26) and the Lord will give him “the morning star” (Rev. 2:28).
6. The overcomer “shall be clothed in white garments, and the Lord will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but the Lord will confess his name before God the Father and before His angels” (Rev. 3:5).
7. The overcomer will be made “a pillar in the temple of God and he shall go out no more. The Lord will write on him the name of God and the name of the city of God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from God. The Lord will write on him His new name” (Rev. 3:12).
8. The overcomer will be granted “to sit with the Lord on His throne, as He also overcame and sat down with God the Father on His throne” (Rev. 3:21),
Notice that the reason why Jesus sat down with God the Father on His throne is because Jesus overcame everything while doing the Father’s Work when He was with His disciples. This means the only qualification for a believer to sit with the Lord on His throne is to be an overcomer!
Conclusion
John said, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4, 5, NKJV)?
Only born again believers are able to be overcomers. He who fails to become an overcomer lacks the faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God! Therefore, his born again experience is questionable!
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
A Call for the Ministry of Elijah
The last two verses of the Old Testament say:
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5, 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
In other words, the reason God sent Elijah in the last days (before the day of the Lord) is to minister to the fathers and cause them to repent and to reconcile with their children.
Notice that “turn the hearts” suggests the ministry of Elijah is a ministry of repentance, reconciliation and restoration. It is not a coincidence that the ministry of John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament was also the ministry of repentance. The angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias and spoke to him that John the Baptist should do the work of Elijah:
“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16, 17, emphasis added).
Notice the two-fold ministry of John the Baptist. He was sent primarily to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God”. Secondly, with the spirit and power of Elijah, he would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. The purpose of the ministry of John the Baptist was to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”.
The Old Testament Prophet Elijah
Elijah was sent by God to confront Ahab who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). Ahab, together with his evil wife, Jezebel committed spiritual adultery. Not only they themselves worshiped Baal and Asherah, but they also led all Israel to commit spiritual adultery with them.
Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). Only the true God would answer by fire and consume the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal and Asherah failed in their attempt. Then Elijah called upon his God by saying:
“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Lord answered Elijah and the people saw the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice. They fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God” (Verses 38 and 39).
As a result of the Mount Carmel encounter Elijah did turned the people’s hearts back to God.
Some Mega-Churches are committing Spiritual Adultery
There is an urgent need for the ministry of Elijah in the last days. Many Churchgoers have been deceived by “big” ministries in mega-churches all over the world. Christians are now committing spiritual adultery with New Age pastors. These pastors are promoting the New Age movement. They are telling gullible and naïve so-called Christians that they must preserve love and unity at all costs, even at the cost of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Anyone who does not unite on a global scale for the common good of the world is considered having the anti-Christ spirit. The New Age Movement will usher in the one-world government and one-world money system.
Many New Age ministers and New Age Local Churches are experiencing Satanic “blessings”. They are seeing prosperity; they are seeing growth; they are seeing excitement and happiness. That must be from God – there is so much love and unity and things are going on well.
We are living in the days when the out pouring of Satan’s spirit of deception is much greater than the out pouring of God’s grace, His anointing and His Spirit. Why? Well, the New Age Church is devoid of the truth of God’s Word. They are lukewarm. Jesus is saying to them:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:15 – 17).
We are living in the days when Amos’ prophecy is being fulfilled:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
It is true that Amos’ prophecy was meant for complacent but rebellious Israel during the reign of Jeroboam, the king of Israel. Nevertheless, the Lord is also speaking the some thing to the Church today because many Local Churches are equally complacent and rebellious. God will cease from speaking to the Local Churches because of their involvement with the New Age movement. He will allow them to do their own things!
Christians should heed Paul’s warning about committing spiritual adultery:
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2 Cor. 11:2 – 4)!
A Call for Modern Day Elijahs
God is looking for modern day Elijahs; He is looking for people who will have the courage to rise up to oppose spiritual adultery; He is looking overcomers who are willing to go in the spirit of Elijah to oppose false teachings, false doctrine and doctrines of demons.
Look at the courage of Elijah when he confronted Ahab before the Mount Carmel encounter. Elijah was obedient to the Lord when the Lord commanded him:
“Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:1).
This was what happened when Ahab met Elijah:
“Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:17, 18).
Any true Christian goes in the spirit of Elijah to confront the New Age Church is likely to be named, “The troubler of the Church”! Then he should say to the New Age pastor, “I have not troubled the Church, but you have, in that you have forsaken the truth of God’s Word and have followed the New Age teachings”!
God’s Blessings for those who go in the spirit of Elijah
A careful study on the life and ministry of Elijah will convince us that God blessed Elijah in at least five different ways:
1. His Provision
The Lord provided food and water for Elijah through ravens he proclaimed a drought:
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:4).
After the brook had dried up, the Lord provided food and water through a widow at Zarephath by miraculous means (1 Kings 17:9 – 16)!
2. His Protection
After Elijah had executed the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, the Lord protected him from the murderous Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1 – 10).
3. His Peace
In the midst of a severe famine in Samaria and when the Lord commanded Elijah to present himself to Ahab he just obeyed with the peace of the Lord with him (1 Kings 18:1 – 18). Even Obadiah, a servant of Ahab was afraid to inform his master that Elijah wanted to meet him (1 Kings 18:14).
4. His Presence
When Jezebel was running after Elijah with the intention of killing him, the Lord revealed Himself to him in many forms – in strong wind, in earthquake and fire. But the Lord was not in the strong wind, in earthquake and fire (1 Kings 19:11, 12). He was the still small voice that Elijah heard!
5. His Power
The power of God was with Elijah when he proclaimed a drought for three years and six months. The power of God was with him in the Mount Carmel encounter.
The same God who blessed Elijah will also bless the modern days Elijah!
Paul was sent forth in the spirit of Elijah
The apostle Paul was sent in his missionary journeys in the spirit of Elijah. Read Acts 14 about the persecution that Paul endured. For example:
“The Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (Acts 14:19).
This was what Paul said about his ministry:
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulation, in need, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumult, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:3 – 10).
Clearly, all the five blessings (mentioned above) were with Paul throughout his ministry.
Jesus said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mark 13:13).
Believe me beloved, he who goes in the spirit of Elijah will be hated by the New Age Pastors and the New Age Church!
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:5, 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
In other words, the reason God sent Elijah in the last days (before the day of the Lord) is to minister to the fathers and cause them to repent and to reconcile with their children.
Notice that “turn the hearts” suggests the ministry of Elijah is a ministry of repentance, reconciliation and restoration. It is not a coincidence that the ministry of John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament was also the ministry of repentance. The angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias and spoke to him that John the Baptist should do the work of Elijah:
“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:16, 17, emphasis added).
Notice the two-fold ministry of John the Baptist. He was sent primarily to “turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God”. Secondly, with the spirit and power of Elijah, he would “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. The purpose of the ministry of John the Baptist was to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord”.
The Old Testament Prophet Elijah
Elijah was sent by God to confront Ahab who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). Ahab, together with his evil wife, Jezebel committed spiritual adultery. Not only they themselves worshiped Baal and Asherah, but they also led all Israel to commit spiritual adultery with them.
Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). Only the true God would answer by fire and consume the sacrifice. The prophets of Baal and Asherah failed in their attempt. Then Elijah called upon his God by saying:
“Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again” (1 Kings 18:36, 37, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Lord answered Elijah and the people saw the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice. They fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God” (Verses 38 and 39).
As a result of the Mount Carmel encounter Elijah did turned the people’s hearts back to God.
Some Mega-Churches are committing Spiritual Adultery
There is an urgent need for the ministry of Elijah in the last days. Many Churchgoers have been deceived by “big” ministries in mega-churches all over the world. Christians are now committing spiritual adultery with New Age pastors. These pastors are promoting the New Age movement. They are telling gullible and naïve so-called Christians that they must preserve love and unity at all costs, even at the cost of being unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Anyone who does not unite on a global scale for the common good of the world is considered having the anti-Christ spirit. The New Age Movement will usher in the one-world government and one-world money system.
Many New Age ministers and New Age Local Churches are experiencing Satanic “blessings”. They are seeing prosperity; they are seeing growth; they are seeing excitement and happiness. That must be from God – there is so much love and unity and things are going on well.
We are living in the days when the out pouring of Satan’s spirit of deception is much greater than the out pouring of God’s grace, His anointing and His Spirit. Why? Well, the New Age Church is devoid of the truth of God’s Word. They are lukewarm. Jesus is saying to them:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot, I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:15 – 17).
We are living in the days when Amos’ prophecy is being fulfilled:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it” (Amos 8:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
It is true that Amos’ prophecy was meant for complacent but rebellious Israel during the reign of Jeroboam, the king of Israel. Nevertheless, the Lord is also speaking the some thing to the Church today because many Local Churches are equally complacent and rebellious. God will cease from speaking to the Local Churches because of their involvement with the New Age movement. He will allow them to do their own things!
Christians should heed Paul’s warning about committing spiritual adultery:
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2 Cor. 11:2 – 4)!
A Call for Modern Day Elijahs
God is looking for modern day Elijahs; He is looking for people who will have the courage to rise up to oppose spiritual adultery; He is looking overcomers who are willing to go in the spirit of Elijah to oppose false teachings, false doctrine and doctrines of demons.
Look at the courage of Elijah when he confronted Ahab before the Mount Carmel encounter. Elijah was obedient to the Lord when the Lord commanded him:
“Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth” (1 Kings 18:1).
This was what happened when Ahab met Elijah:
“Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:17, 18).
Any true Christian goes in the spirit of Elijah to confront the New Age Church is likely to be named, “The troubler of the Church”! Then he should say to the New Age pastor, “I have not troubled the Church, but you have, in that you have forsaken the truth of God’s Word and have followed the New Age teachings”!
God’s Blessings for those who go in the spirit of Elijah
A careful study on the life and ministry of Elijah will convince us that God blessed Elijah in at least five different ways:
1. His Provision
The Lord provided food and water for Elijah through ravens he proclaimed a drought:
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there” (1 Kings 17:4).
After the brook had dried up, the Lord provided food and water through a widow at Zarephath by miraculous means (1 Kings 17:9 – 16)!
2. His Protection
After Elijah had executed the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah, the Lord protected him from the murderous Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1 – 10).
3. His Peace
In the midst of a severe famine in Samaria and when the Lord commanded Elijah to present himself to Ahab he just obeyed with the peace of the Lord with him (1 Kings 18:1 – 18). Even Obadiah, a servant of Ahab was afraid to inform his master that Elijah wanted to meet him (1 Kings 18:14).
4. His Presence
When Jezebel was running after Elijah with the intention of killing him, the Lord revealed Himself to him in many forms – in strong wind, in earthquake and fire. But the Lord was not in the strong wind, in earthquake and fire (1 Kings 19:11, 12). He was the still small voice that Elijah heard!
5. His Power
The power of God was with Elijah when he proclaimed a drought for three years and six months. The power of God was with him in the Mount Carmel encounter.
The same God who blessed Elijah will also bless the modern days Elijah!
Paul was sent forth in the spirit of Elijah
The apostle Paul was sent in his missionary journeys in the spirit of Elijah. Read Acts 14 about the persecution that Paul endured. For example:
“The Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (Acts 14:19).
This was what Paul said about his ministry:
“We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulation, in need, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumult, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (2 Cor. 6:3 – 10).
Clearly, all the five blessings (mentioned above) were with Paul throughout his ministry.
Jesus said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Mark 13:13).
Believe me beloved, he who goes in the spirit of Elijah will be hated by the New Age Pastors and the New Age Church!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Unbiblical Christianity
This is the time that the true Church of Jesus Christ need to heed what Jesus said about deception in the last days:
Jesus said, “For false chirst and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24, NKJV).
Paul warned us about the coming great apostasy before the Second Coming of Jesus:
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, …” (2 Thess. 2:3).
Paul wrote to Timothy and instructed him to preach the Word. This is the only way to overcome the deception of the last day:
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:2 – 4, emphasis added).
Paul prophesied that a time will come when Christians will not endure sound doctrine and turn away from hearing the truth. They desire to listen to “itching-ear” messages from teachers whose motive is to deceive them. Paul also knows that Christians will well put up preachers with different spirit who preach a different gospel to them:
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2 Cor. 11:3, 4, emphasis added)!
The only True Foundation
Christians are living in the days when Jesus’ Words and Paul’s prophecies are being fulfilled. The Church needs discernment to understand the signs of time. Christians need to starts to move with the Holy Spirit in order to build a firm foundation on the Word of God. Anyone who lays a foundation other than that of Jesus Christ is not a true foundation.
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
The Word was God (John 1:1) and Jesus is God. Therefore the only true foundation is the Word of God. The only true foundation is the foundation of Biblical Christianity which is totally Bible based and Christ centred.
New Age Philosophy in the Church
We are living in the days when two theologies are rising up simultaneously. One is the Biblical interpretation of theology according the Word of God. The other is the New Age mentality and technique dressed up as Biblical Christianity.
The fact is the New Age philosophy is far more appealing to Churchgoers. Most of the mega-churches are under the influence of the New Age philosophy. True Christians must learn to discern the differences between biblical Christianity and the deceptive teachings of the New Age and its new spirituality. True Christians must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11, NKJV). We must realize that the philosophy of the New Age movement will become the religious system ushering in the Antichrist in the very near future.
The following are some characteristics of the New Age Church:
Jesus, through the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans said, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked – I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev. 3:17, 18, emphasis added).
The above is a warning from Jesus to the New Age Church. Material riches, status and fame from the human view point are not regarded as spiritual virtues by God
The wealth of most of the New Age Local Churches comes from the tithing collected from the members of their congregation who are instructed to tithe accurately and faithfully. They are instructed to tithe according to their gross (pretax) income. Some Pastors of these tithing Churches urge their members to submit copies of their Income Tax Assessment document so to ensure accurate tithing. The New Age Pastors are likely to preach to you that it is a sin for not tithing. They will tell you that the law of tithing is not part of Moses Law but started from Abraham (Gen. 14:20), passed on Jacob (Gen. 28:22) and then included in Moses Law. Yes, what they are saying is 100% correct – but, they are either ignorant or are hiding from you that tithing is only for God’s people in the Old Testament.
If my readers are urged to tithe in the Local Churches I strongly suggest that they ask their Pastors to show them a single verse of Scripture concerning tithing in the New Testament Church from the Book of Acts to Revelation. If they cannot answer you then you should not tithe! Don’t listen to man but search out the truth from your Bible.
I am not in any way implying that all Local Churches are New Age Churches. But I am trying to explain to my readers Biblically that any Local Church which practises tithing is not practising Biblical Christianity.
Biblical truth about tithing
At the time of the Old Testament, before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was not freely given yet. He only came upon God’s chosen saints to fulfill the office of their callings. In general the Holy Spirit came upon the persons who held the offices of prophet, priest and king. Moses, Samuel, Elijah and king David are some examples. Abraham gave tithe because God spoke to him. Jacob gave tithe because he followed his grandfather. In the days of Moses God’s people (Israel) had no reason to give tithe until Moses put it in the Law.
At the Church Age the scenario is entirely different. The New Testament Church is the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and the temple of the Holy Spirit:
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Cor. 3:16, NKJV, emphasis added)?
Therefore, if the Spirit of God indeed dwells in the Church why must individual Christian needs to follow the Law of tithing instead of seeking the counsel of the Holy Spirit on how to give to the Lord's work in the Local Church?
A serious implication arises. If the Pastor of the Local Church teaches the members to give tithe, he denies the counsel of the Holy Spirit at the same time. When the Holy Spirit is denied (rejected) He would no longer dwell in the Local Church. This is same as the removal of the golden lampstand (or candlestick) (Rev. 1:20 and Rev. 2:5).
Scriptural way of giving to the Local Church
Christians give to the Local Church out of love for the Lord as moved by the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 9:7).
Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the Macedonian Churches, and he told them how the Holy Spirit moved on the Macedonians to be generous in their giving. Then he drew a lesson from that.
“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Cor. 8:2 – 5, NIV, emphasis added).
Paul said that it is God’s will that Church members must give themselves first to the Lord. Therefore, all Local Churches must ensure all their members give themselves to the Lord first. In other words, the first thing Christians have to give to the Lord is not their money, but themselves. That is how it must begin with each of us if we want to please God and to do His will.
The scriptural way of giving oneself to God and to find God's will is explained in Romans 12:1, 2.
1. Present one’s body on the altar of God as a living sacrifice.
2. Be transformed by the renewing of his mind – conform to the mind of Christ.
3. God’s Will then becomes his will.
Also, he needs to fear God and have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Only then he knows how to give to the Lord.
Jesus said, “For false chirst and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24, NKJV).
Paul warned us about the coming great apostasy before the Second Coming of Jesus:
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, …” (2 Thess. 2:3).
Paul wrote to Timothy and instructed him to preach the Word. This is the only way to overcome the deception of the last day:
“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:2 – 4, emphasis added).
Paul prophesied that a time will come when Christians will not endure sound doctrine and turn away from hearing the truth. They desire to listen to “itching-ear” messages from teachers whose motive is to deceive them. Paul also knows that Christians will well put up preachers with different spirit who preach a different gospel to them:
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it” (2 Cor. 11:3, 4, emphasis added)!
The only True Foundation
Christians are living in the days when Jesus’ Words and Paul’s prophecies are being fulfilled. The Church needs discernment to understand the signs of time. Christians need to starts to move with the Holy Spirit in order to build a firm foundation on the Word of God. Anyone who lays a foundation other than that of Jesus Christ is not a true foundation.
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11).
The Word was God (John 1:1) and Jesus is God. Therefore the only true foundation is the Word of God. The only true foundation is the foundation of Biblical Christianity which is totally Bible based and Christ centred.
New Age Philosophy in the Church
We are living in the days when two theologies are rising up simultaneously. One is the Biblical interpretation of theology according the Word of God. The other is the New Age mentality and technique dressed up as Biblical Christianity.
The fact is the New Age philosophy is far more appealing to Churchgoers. Most of the mega-churches are under the influence of the New Age philosophy. True Christians must learn to discern the differences between biblical Christianity and the deceptive teachings of the New Age and its new spirituality. True Christians must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Eph. 5:11, NKJV). We must realize that the philosophy of the New Age movement will become the religious system ushering in the Antichrist in the very near future.
The following are some characteristics of the New Age Church:
- They believe in salvation through faith. They are teaching true salvation but they are adding on to the foundation with unscriptural materials. We have to take those materials and replace it with genuine materials in the Word of God.
- They throw out all the messages of the Second Coming of Christ; messages on hell; messages of the cross; messages on repentance; messages on Bible Prophecies which they considered as a distraction against their sugarcoated positive “Christian” messages. Anyone who asks the Pastor about the left-out messages is considered a divisive person. They quote Romans 16:17 out of context by saying “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses”. They purposely and willfully minus the continuing phrase “contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them”!
- They are teaching love and unity for God’s family at all costs – even at the cost of your own physical family. A renowned senior Pastor of a New Age mega-church wrote in his book (with over 25 million copies sold), “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 much stronger union, a more permanent bond, than blood relationships”. By saying this, this Pastor was showing genuine Christians that he is utterly ignorant of the concept, nature and functions of the Body of Christ! But, his book is so popular that Local Churches, the world over, are using the contents for their Bible Study material. Some are using it for their 40 days “spiritual journey” promoted by the book.
- They will tell you, “My people, your are wonderful; you are great; you are people of virtue and you are wining the world for Christ”. But those who think they are going to Christianize the world, to infiltrate politics and religions and to make the world better place for Jesus Christ to come back should read what the Scripture says!
- The main objective of the New Age Church is not doctrinal purity but the outward growth of the Church. The Pastor claims that doctrinal view is so unimportant that God will not ask about your religious background or how you stand on biblical truth. However the Scripture says, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).
- The New Age Church is leading the congregation on the broad way of destruction. Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13, 14, emphasis added).
- The New Age movement, influenced by the spirit of humanism, is promoting humanly-determined doctrines which do not reflect the true meaning of the Scripture. This is not acceptable to the Lord but an abomination to Him. Jesus said, “In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). We are deeply dependent on the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth (John 16:13) as only the truth of God’s Word can set us free from sin and deception (John 8:32).
Jesus, through the angel of the Church of the Laodiceans said, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked – I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev. 3:17, 18, emphasis added).
The above is a warning from Jesus to the New Age Church. Material riches, status and fame from the human view point are not regarded as spiritual virtues by God
The wealth of most of the New Age Local Churches comes from the tithing collected from the members of their congregation who are instructed to tithe accurately and faithfully. They are instructed to tithe according to their gross (pretax) income. Some Pastors of these tithing Churches urge their members to submit copies of their Income Tax Assessment document so to ensure accurate tithing. The New Age Pastors are likely to preach to you that it is a sin for not tithing. They will tell you that the law of tithing is not part of Moses Law but started from Abraham (Gen. 14:20), passed on Jacob (Gen. 28:22) and then included in Moses Law. Yes, what they are saying is 100% correct – but, they are either ignorant or are hiding from you that tithing is only for God’s people in the Old Testament.
If my readers are urged to tithe in the Local Churches I strongly suggest that they ask their Pastors to show them a single verse of Scripture concerning tithing in the New Testament Church from the Book of Acts to Revelation. If they cannot answer you then you should not tithe! Don’t listen to man but search out the truth from your Bible.
I am not in any way implying that all Local Churches are New Age Churches. But I am trying to explain to my readers Biblically that any Local Church which practises tithing is not practising Biblical Christianity.
Biblical truth about tithing
At the time of the Old Testament, before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was not freely given yet. He only came upon God’s chosen saints to fulfill the office of their callings. In general the Holy Spirit came upon the persons who held the offices of prophet, priest and king. Moses, Samuel, Elijah and king David are some examples. Abraham gave tithe because God spoke to him. Jacob gave tithe because he followed his grandfather. In the days of Moses God’s people (Israel) had no reason to give tithe until Moses put it in the Law.
At the Church Age the scenario is entirely different. The New Testament Church is the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27) and the temple of the Holy Spirit:
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Cor. 3:16, NKJV, emphasis added)?
Therefore, if the Spirit of God indeed dwells in the Church why must individual Christian needs to follow the Law of tithing instead of seeking the counsel of the Holy Spirit on how to give to the Lord's work in the Local Church?
A serious implication arises. If the Pastor of the Local Church teaches the members to give tithe, he denies the counsel of the Holy Spirit at the same time. When the Holy Spirit is denied (rejected) He would no longer dwell in the Local Church. This is same as the removal of the golden lampstand (or candlestick) (Rev. 1:20 and Rev. 2:5).
Scriptural way of giving to the Local Church
Christians give to the Local Church out of love for the Lord as moved by the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 9:7).
Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the Macedonian Churches, and he told them how the Holy Spirit moved on the Macedonians to be generous in their giving. Then he drew a lesson from that.
“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Cor. 8:2 – 5, NIV, emphasis added).
Paul said that it is God’s will that Church members must give themselves first to the Lord. Therefore, all Local Churches must ensure all their members give themselves to the Lord first. In other words, the first thing Christians have to give to the Lord is not their money, but themselves. That is how it must begin with each of us if we want to please God and to do His will.
The scriptural way of giving oneself to God and to find God's will is explained in Romans 12:1, 2.
1. Present one’s body on the altar of God as a living sacrifice.
2. Be transformed by the renewing of his mind – conform to the mind of Christ.
3. God’s Will then becomes his will.
Also, he needs to fear God and have an intimate relationship with the Lord. Only then he knows how to give to the Lord.
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