Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Ancient Boundaries and Ancient Paths

It is the eternal nature of God to set boundaries and paths for His people. These boundaries and paths can be both physical and spiritual. If His people walk outside the physical boundaries they would be in danger of being attacked by their enemies. The walls of the walled cities in Old Testament time were meant to keep people saved from enemy attack.

This message concerns spiritual boundaries and spiritual paths. If God's people walk outside the boundaries and walk outside the paths set by God they will live a life of defeat. Furthermore, they will die spiritually which will also lead to early physical death.

God's boundary for Adam and Eve is a vivid example:

"And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die'" (Genesis 2:16, NIV).

Eve was deceived by the serpent and she removed God's boundary for herself and Adam. Not only had she eaten the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, she also gave some to Adam (Gen. 3:6). The result was what the Bible says "The Fall". The immediate consequence of the Fall was death, symbolized by their loss of fellowship with God. Adam and Eve did not sin simply as private persons, but as representatives of all members of the human race. Their sin is the sin of all (Romans 5:12).

Ancient Boundaries and Ancient Paths for Christians

Today we may not have physical boundaries to subject to, but we do have many other boundaries: moral boundaries and boundaries pertaining to our spiritual calling. These boundaries identify us as citizens of the Kingdom of God, even as the walls (physical boundaries) of Jerusalem identified the citizens of Jerusalem.

The New Testament Christians were clearly distinguished by (and sometimes scorned for) the boundaries they chose to maintain. But the contemporary Christians, by and large, have moved their boundaries in spite of clear Scriptural admonishment to the contrary:

"Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set" (Proverbs 22:28, NASB).

They have also refused to listen to the Lord:

Thus says the Lord, "Stand by the way and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it'. And I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen'" (Jeremiah 6:16, 17, NASB, emphasis added).

Moral Boundaries

1. Boundary between the sexuality of male and female

One of the ancient boundaries we have to take heed of is the boundary of sexuality - because homosexuality is forbidden by God. God created male and female for the purpose of sexual union between male and female and not between male and male or female and female.

The removal of this boundary caused the destruction Sodom (Genesis 19).

Lot invited the two angels (they were male) to spend the night in his home. This is what the Bible says:

"Now before they (the angels) lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally'" (Gen. 19:4, 5, NKJV, emphasis added).

Before they could do anything, those homosexual men were instantly struck with blindness (Verse 11) and the angels later destroyed Sodom together with Gomorrah (Verse 24).

The same moral boundary applies to Christians today also:

Paul said, "For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due" (Romans 1:26, 27, NKJV, emphasis added).

2. Boundary between male and female in look and dressing

Paul said, "Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering" (1 Cor. 11:14, 15, NIV, emphasis added).

The above needs no comment.

3. Boundary between Christians and non-Christians

Paul said, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever" (2 Cor. 6:14, 15).

A Christian should not have partnership with a non-Christian in business. Similarly a Christian should not marry a non-Christian. In other words, a Christian should not "cut" a convenant with a non-Christian.

Paul further said, "Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty" (2 Cor. 6:17, 18).

Very often Christians indulge in the same ungodly activites as non-Christians to the point that a believer cannot be distinguished from an unbeliever. If they keep on doing this the Lord will not receive them as sons and daughters!

Boundaries of God's Calling

When God calls you to fulfill the purpose of His will He also places a boundary to your calling.

Paul said, "and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

In order to receive the blessings of God - "All things work together for good", there are two conditions which must be fulfilled first. The believer must love God and he must faithfully works out God's calling for him according to God's purpose. In other words, he must stay with the boundary of his calling.

The following two examples will make this clear:

1. Paul - One who stayed within the boundary of his God-given ministry

Paul said, "We (together with Timothy), however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us - a sphere which especially includes you. For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ; ..." (2 Cor. 10:13, 14, NKJV).

2. Saul - One who failed to stayed within the boundary of his calling

A good example of a person who failed to stay in his calling was king Saul. Saul was God's choice (1 Samuel 9:16, 17). He started out fine, but later he disobeyed God and Samuel. He presumptuously offered burn offering and peace offering at Gilgal. It was Samuel's duty to offer burn offering and peace offering. He acted beyond the boundary of his calling (1 Samuel 13:5 - 14). Saul was eventually rejected by the Lord from being the king over Israel (1 Samuel 15:26).

Boundary for the Pastoral Ministry

Paul said, "And He (God) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, ..." (Ephesians 4:11, 12, emphasis added).

When God calls someone to be a Pastor He also places a boundary for his ministry. Out of the five ministries stated, the ministry of a Pastor is the only "residential" (not mobile) ministry. The Greek word for "Pastor" is "poimen" which also means a "shepherd" - a feeder of sheep. Being a shepherd he looks after the Local sheep fold on behalf of the Good Shepherd - Jesus Christ (John 10).

If the Pastor of a Local Congregation travels too much and minister to other Local Churches he removes the Boundary set by God. The result can be "Burnout" - a disease of the over-committed. The sheep in his own sheep fold will suffer.

Someone said, "The will of God will stretch us, but will never lead us to burnout. The will of God will never lead us where the grace of God cannot sustain us". Therefore a Paster or any other minister of God who is experiencing burnout is not walking in the will of God.


But this does not mean a Pastor cannot leave his Local ministry at all. This problem can be resolved if there are more than one Pastor in the Local Church. I have mentioned before, God's will for the Church in every city city or locality is - One Church with plurality of shepherds. But men have turned it around - Many Churches with a single shepherd.

Boundary for Male-Female role relationships in the Church

Please read my earlier message "Male-Female Role Relationships in the Church" (Posted on 19th. April 2006) where you'll find Biblical answers to many questions the contrmporary Church finds too sensitive to ask. One of which is - "Should a woman take the role of man in the Church"?

All I need to comment is, in line with the Scripture and the New Testament teaching, every female Pastor has, knowingly or unknowingly, removed the Divine Boundary set up by God. Consequently every female Pastor is not walking in the will of God.

Rebuilding the Ancient Boundaries

Boundaries can only be rebuilt by only one way - by convictions. The root of the problem is that the contemporary Church has little or no convictions. It is because of this that the Church has no boundaries which, in turn, lead every person to do whatever he feels like. The Church is supposed to impact the world for Christ, but Christians have turned it around - allowed the world to get into the Church!

Jesus said, "But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; ..." (John 16:7 - 10, NIV).

Clearly, convictions are established by the Holy Spirit (the Counselor). The Holy Spirit convicts in three areas: in sin, in righteousness, and in judgment. We need to give good thought to the area of righteousness. Today there is very little righteous living.

The key to our conviction is to have a consistent prayer life. Where there is no prayer, there is no Holy Spirit to convict. You can base your convictions on the Bible, but only if you are a person of prayer. If you aren't a person of prayer, you'll not have the guidance and instruction from the Holy Spirit that you need.

The Scriptures have never been a source of conviction apart from the Holy Spirit. The New Testament Pharisees are ample proof of this. They knew and could quote all the Old Testament Scriptures, but that knowledge was useless to them because they had the wrong spirit. With their knowledge of the Old Testament, they were able to crucify the Son of God. That is why Jesus said it was to our advantage that He leaves to send the Counselor. Without the Helper, we could have ended up no better than the Pharisees!

The Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness by reminding us of what Jesus was like. He is our righteousness. When we have no prayer life, we lose sense of the righteousness of Christ.

The Church must get back to prayer, allowing the Holy Spirit to instill immovable conviction and rebuild the ancient boundaries.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Holy Spirit and the Church

Every believer knows that the Church is brought forth by the Holy Spirit. This is revealed in the first few chapters of the Book of Acts. But the majority of Christians do not understand the utmost importance and significance of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers collectively. The Church is the Body of Christ and ultimately all true believers collectively will become the Bride of Christ.

An interesting Parable

By way of introduction let us take a close look at Genesis 24 where we read about Abraham looking for a bride for his only son Isaac. It is a picture of God the Father looking for a Bride for His only son Jesus Christ. This is a true story and also scripturally a parable - an unnamed parable.

In this parable Abraham represents God, Isaac represents God's Son and Rebekah, the chosen bride represents the Church. Th servant or steward, who is unnamed, is the Holy Spirit. This is so typical of the Holy Spirit - He never attracts attention and does not even name Himself.

If you consider all that is involved in the story it will give you a vivid picture of how the Church is totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. The agent that selected the bride was not the son but the steward. The moment Rebekah made the right response and indicated that she was the chosen bride the steward opened up his treasure and began to bestow gifts. He had ten camel loads of gifts which were quite a lot. The fact that Rebekah visibly adorned herself with the gifts was the evidence that she was the chosen bride.

This picture clearly shows that it is totally contrary to all logic that any Church that rejects the gifts of the Holy Spirit could claim to be the Bride of Christ.

Rebekah made her decision in total reliance on the steward. She had never seen Abraham, never seen Isaac and she had never been where they lived. The only source of information she had about every thing was imparted by the steward and the only way to get there was to follow the steward.

This is a reminder and a picture of how totally the Church depends on the Holy Spirit. There is no other way we can know about God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son unless the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal them to us. There is no other way we can receive our inheritance and there is no other way we can be marked out as the true Church! He is the exclusive administrator of the entire inheritance from God! The Church cannot bypass or snub the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven" (Luke 12:10, NKJV).

Revelation of the Council of the Godhead

God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit take council together. Out of this council proceeds the counsel that determines the course of history. Everything the Godhead does is out of collective decision.

Here are some examples:

1. Creation of man - God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; ...." (Gen. 1:26).

2. The Fall - The Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil" (Gen 3:22).

3. Commission of Isaiah - The Lord said, "Whom shall I send and who will go for Us" (Isaiah 6:8)?

Notice that the counsel of the Godhead always proceeds out of plurality.

In order for us to get revelation on how God is saying or doing we need to gain access to hear the council of the Godhead. The key is the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, at the close of His ministry on earth, said to His disciples:

"When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13 - 15, NKJV, emphasis added).

The Holy Spirit hears the council of the godhead and therefore He can tell us what is coming. The Holy Spirit is the only channel of access to the council of the Godhead. We, the Church, are interested to know because it is the council of the Godhead that decides the course of history.

Paul said, "But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him'. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. 2:9, 10).

The Church has the Mind of Christ

Paul said further on in the same Chapter (1 Cor. 2).

"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. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For 'who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?' But we have the mind of Christ" (Verses 14 to 16).

It is very important to note that Paul did not say, "I have the mind of Christ". His emphasis was on the plural. It is impossible for any on of us to completely appropriate the mind of Christ on our own. The mind of Christ is imparted by the Holy Spirit just as the ministry gifts for the Church are imparted by the Holy Spirit. Some one said - "God has hidden His wisdom in the other members of the Body so no one can say he has it all!"

The spiritual principle we need to grasp at is: The counsil of the Body of Christ is a projection of the council of the Godhead. In other words, the council of God's people proceeds out of the council of the Godhead in heaven.

I believe the way God took Israel out of the bondage of Egypt gives us a pattern of how the Church should do things collectively as a Body of believers. Israel moved together and stayed together under the direction of God. When they entered into the Promised Land under Joshua, God absolutely insistent of one thing - every Israelite had to be there, not one was to be left behind. God is also saying the same thing to the Church - either we all do it or no body does! Individualism has no place in the Church. The Corinthian Church was in a mess because of individualism. They had the doctrine, they had the gifts, but they lack one important thing - right relationship!

The Essence of the Gospel

I believe the gospel is essentially an invitation from the Godhead to join them. It is an invitation to join the fellowship of the Godhead. The is made clear by John:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. This life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1 - 3, NIV, emphasis added).

Your salvation and my salvation have been collectively decided by the council of the Godhead before we were born!

Human authority in the Church

The ultimate human authority in the Church, in line with the Godhead, is plural. However within that plurality there are God ordained principles to follow. The primary principle is - Unity but not equality. Please read my "Father's Day" message - "God's Mandate for fathers".

Jesus said, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). He also said, "My Father is greater than I" (John 14:28).

In the Godhead there is perfect unity and yet there is no equality. So, within the unity (in the Church) there is also a distinction that does not put every body on the same level. Unfortunately in the contemporary culture, influenced by the New Age philosophy, unity means egalitarianism - the belief that all people are equal and should have the same rights. Egalitarianism says, "I am as good as my father, I'm as good as the president, I'm as good as the Pastor; don't say any body is better than any body else, we are all alike. Egalitarianism is taking democracy to the extreme. The spirit behind it is not the Spirit of God. Actually it is contrary to the deepest principles of God. God does not run the universe as a democracy - no such thing as casting of vote! Similarly there is no such thing as casting of votes in Church administration! There are denominational Churches doing just that - casting of votes to elect a Church president and a Bishop. This is totally out of line with, and totally against any New Testament Church principle.

Principles pertaining to the Godhead and the Church

In the Godhead there are three eternal principles that must be taken in the right order - Fatherhood, Headship and Fellowship. The same principles apply also to the Church.

I have dealt with the principles of Fatherhood (Eph. 3:14, 15) and Headship (1 Cor. 11:3) in my message - "God's Mandate for fathers". Out of Fatherhood proceeds Headship and where both are functioning in harmony then you can have fellowship (1 John 1:1 - 3).

Practical application for the Church

It is useless to have a lot of theory if you cannot apply it to the Local Church. So, in my opinion, if we want to reproduce the council of the Godhead to the council on earth (the Church) we have to receive the counsel of the Holy Spirit. The Church is totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. In order to receive the Holy Spirit we have to behave in a way which attracts the Holy Spirit - not offend Him but to please Him. To do that we have to be rightly related to one another in the Local Church - He comes only where we are rightly related and stays away when we are not.

So, the key to effective collective leadership is right relationship within the leadership. Right relationship will reproduce what is in the Godhead - Fatherhood, Headship and fellowship. The essence of what we are looking for is discerning Fatherhood, recognizing that Fatherhood gives Heaship and when they are both properly functioning we will have fellowship; our relationship will be such that the Holy Spirit will be with us and in us, and He will open to us the counsel of God.

In my opinion, in order to succeed as a leader, you have to find out (to discern) your appointed function and you have to function in right relationship to the other leaders who are in the council in which you are a part.

The key is the fear of the Lord.

Paul said, "... submitting to one another in the fear of God" (Eph. 5:21, NKJV).

The psalmist (David) said, "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make them know His covenant" (Ps. 25:14, NASB, emphasis added).

The word "secret" in other passages of Scripture is translated as "counsel" which comes from the council of the Godhead. In other words, the secret council (the counsel of the council) of God is for those who fear Him and His covenant becomes a reality to them. Until we enter into the secret council of the Lord we simply cannot understand His covenant.

Covenant is one of the hardest things for the natural mind to understand but only comes by way of revelation. God gives His revelation not on the basis of Seminary or Bible School training or intellectual ability but on the basis of Christian character. The basic character requirement is the fear of the Lord. Therefore the secret council of the Lord is only available to those who fear Him; following that comes the the revelation of His covenant. What a fantastic wealth of promises of God attached to the fear of the Lord!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Motivation for Living

What makes life worth living? What gives meaning and purpose to life? I hope to answer these searching questions Biblically in this message.

Many churchgoers have never been challenged by the leadership of todays's Local Churches. Pastors and leaders are so worry about losing members that they never call members to any real commitment, sacrifice or effort. Many seek to please men by compromising the truth of God's Word in their preaching or teaching. They failed to understand true Christians don't want leaders to please them. They never understand inwardly members are longing for chanllenges; longing for something they can give their life for and something worth living and dying for. In general, if a thing isn't worth committing yourself to, isn't worth much. Today's Christianity has little to offer because they demand so little. On the other hand, Jesus, the Head of the Church, demands everything from His people. The Bible says unless you forsake all and follow Jesus you cannot be His disciple! Jesus offered a great deal, but His demands were on the same level as what He offered - which I think is reasonable.

It is hoped that this message will motivate you, as a believer, by giving meaning and purpose to your life whether your Local Church fails to motivate you or not. We'll take our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul as examples.

The Earthly Life of Jesus

What is the real motivation in the life of Jesus? What was it that caused Him to go through with the tasks that were committed to Him? I believe the one great overruling motive for everything He did was to do the will of God - that was how He started, that was why He came and that was how He ended. If we desire to be like Jesus, if we desire to have any strength and stability in our Christian walk, our desire must arise from the same motivation. It should be our sincere desire to do God's will.

Psalm 40 paints a prophetic picture of Jesus of His eternal nature before He became a carpenter's son of Nazareth. It is a prophetic picture of the motivation that made him willing to give up His place in the Glory of Heaven, to be born of a human child and to live a life of humility, struggle and suffering.

"Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not required. Then I said, 'Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me, I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart'" (Ps. 40:6 - 8, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The above is a picture of what was spoken by Jesus to God the Father. This is confirmed by the writer of Hebrews - Heb. 10:5 - 7.

2. Hebrews further indicates that Jesus set aside the first sacrifice according to the Mosaic Law to establish the second - His own personal sacrifice (Heb. 10:8, 9).

3. The will of God for Jesus let up to the sacrifice of Jesus Himself on the cross was the ultimate destination of God's will culminated according to what was written in the scroll for Jesus!

"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Heb. 10:10, emphasis added).

Our scroll and our suffering

I believe, just like our Lord Jesus Christ, God has a scroll for every person's life so that we may do everything that is written - this is His will for every one of us.

Paul said, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).

Written in our scroll there are times of joy and suffering. I don't think any of us can avoid suffering. The question is, are we going to grow by suffering or are we going to be defeated by it. There is an appointed share of suffering for every one of us.

Paul said, "I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church" (Col. 1:24).

The Motivational Strength of Jesus

We now turn to some words of Jesus (all in John's gospel) during His earthly Ministry to bring out the continuing unchanging motivation that guided and impelled Him all through His earthly life.

1. Jesus at Jacob's well

Jesus' disciples went out to buy food, and on returning they found Jesus at Jacob's well talking to a Samaritan woman. They offered Him some food, but Jesus said to them:

"I have food to eat of which you do not know. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:32, 34, NKJV, emphasis added).

Then He talked about the harvest which according to Jesus the time was ripe (white) for harvest. But His disciples failed to see the urgency of the harvest.


Here are some statements of truth:

I. According to the context, without partaking of natural food Jesus actually had been physically strengthened. There is a source of supernatural vitality which comes from doing the will of God.


Paul said, "Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day" (2 Cor. 4:16).

The lesson learnt is, as Christians we have to learn to live on an inner source of strength and vitality. Always go for the spiritual and God will make up what is needed in the natural.

II. Being sent to do the will of God, Jesus had a different perspective from that of His disciples concerning the urgency of the harvest. Jesus saw what the disciples could not see because He was united with the will of God.

It could be true in your life and my life. We fail to see the urgency of the world situation we are facing today. There is so much unrest politically and socially. I believe the changes are tremendous; and the opportunities are also tremendous. It is a real tragedy, as children of God, if we could not see what evil forces we are confronting now. If you are not really committed to do the will of God you'll remain spiritually blind. Many Local Churches are in spiritual slumber!

2. Jesus' righteous judgment

Jesus said, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:30).

The only judgment that is righteous and acceptable in the sight of God is judgment according to the will of God and never according to our own will. But there is a lack of realism in the Church today. Instead of judging people with righteous judgment we relate to people on the basis of what we hope they would be. We project ourselves with our emotion hoping people would be changed by our kindness shown to them. But it just won't work out this way. The truth is if a person is unreliable three times, he won't be reliable at all.

Jesus said, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10).

3. Jesus' finished work

Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38).

At the end of His earthly ministry Jesus prayed to the Father:

"I have glorified You on earth, I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" (John 17:4).

At the last moment on the cross the Scripture says:

"After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst!' So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished'" (John 19:28, 30, NKJV, emphasis added).

That was His food - did God's will and completed it. There was nothing more for Jesus to do - He had seen it to the end!

Notice that in Greek, the powerful phrase "It is finished" is one single word "teleo" which means, "perfectly completed", perfectly accomplished" or "perfectly executed".

The Motivational Strength of Paul

The same motivational strength that directed Jesus also directed the life of Paul.

1. Back to Jerusalem

Paul was speaking to the elders of the Church in Ephesus:

"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, ..." (Acts 20:22 - 24, emphasis added).

It was the will of God for Paul to finish the ministry which he received from Jesus (V. 24) in all circumstances.

2. Sharing the suffering of Christ

"... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10, 11).

Not many of us can say what Paul said. Paul didn't want to see Jesus suffer alone. When you are really committed to a person you are not only just interested to share his joy but equally interested in sharing his suffering.

Paul was essentially saying, "If Jesus is going to bear the cross I want to be there". Paul was a man with a simple motive - to attain to the resurrection of the dead; not just to go to heaven. I believe God unerringly discern our motives. He deals with us much more according to our motives than the things we actually do.

3. Time of Paul's departure

Paul said to Timothy, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:6, 7, emphasis added).

I believe the above was the most victorious statement made by Paul in his entire ministry.

In the Livitical Priesthood according to the Mosaic Law every offering of animal sacrifice had to have a drink offering of wine pour out on it (or with it). What Paul said was essentially, "My contribution to the Church of Jesus Christ is like the offering, but with it I have to pour out my life as a drink offering". That was Paul's way of doing God's will.

I really believe the only offerings that God will ultimately accept are those accompanied by the drink offering that our own lives pour out on it! God does not want us to be martyrs - He desires that we offer ourselves entirely to Him, to do His will and to finish it.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Warning Against Presumption

Jesus uses three parables in the Bible to warn His people against presumption. It is a warning against presuming on a relationship with God that they don't actually have. His warning raises two questions - one, what kind of people receives God's provision, and two, what kind of people misses God's provision? You may find the answers in these parables.

1. The Parable of the Vineyard (Matthew 21:33 - 46)

A landowner (God) rented out a vineyard to his workers (vinedressers - Jewish workers). He expected them to bring some fruit as payment of the vineyard. They refused to do that and even killed the landowner's servants who came to collect the fruit. Eventually they killed his son (Jesus) as well.

The following verses describe how the landowner dealt with the vinedressers:

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder" (Matt. 21:42 - 44, NKJV, emphasis added).

The vinedressers made a mistake, they assumed that they could take over the ownership of the vineyard for themselves. They didn't realize that they were only stewards appointed by the owner and they had an obligation to the owner. In New Testament Scripture, the word "vineyard" speaks of the "Kingdom of God".

The Jews' presumption

The real issue which was raised in this parable was the issue of fruit. God wanted His people (the Jews) to bring forth fruit. Jesus Himself was telling His own Jewish people that if they fail to bring forth fruit He would take the vineyard from them and give it to another nation. To the Jews another nation means a Gentile nation. These were terrible words to the Jewish ears. Because of their special background (being God's chosen poeple) and all the privileges that God had bestowed upon them they couldn't conceive the idea that they would lose their privilege positon and these privileges would be given to another nation.

A new holy nation

The other nation in Jesus' mind was not a specific nation such as the UK, the USA, Australia or Germany. I believe it is a "nation with a new nature" that God has brought forth through Jesus Christ.

Peter wrote to the Jewish believers who were pilgrims under persecution:

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).

That is the nation that Jesus had in mind - it is made up of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles. The problem with these unbelieving and presumptuous Jews was that they presumed they had a relationship with God, which actually by their misconduct, they had forfeited. They presumed because of their background. God did exactly what Jesus had warned them He would do. He took the privilege position away from them and gave the Kingdom of God (His vineyard) through the Message of the Kingdom, the Gospel, to what we called today - the Church.

The Church (the new holy nation) is formed out of many different nations (Jews and Gentiles) and Jesus reminded them this had been predicted by the psalmist:

"The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" (Ps. 118:22).

There are only two ways (Matt. 21:44) by which a person may respond to the Stone:

1. You may fall on the stone in repentance, "broken" and be saved.

2. But if you refuse to bow before the Stone and humble yourself and acknowledge your need of God's mercy, the Stone will fall on you and destroy you - grind you to powder!

2. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1 - 14)

The gospel writers mentioned two banquets; one at the beginning of the day (morning) which is called the Wedding Banquet (NIV) or the Wedding Feast (NKJV) an the other at the end of the which is called the Great Banquet (NIV) or the Great Supper (NKJV).

A certain king (God) invited His people, the Jews, to attend His Son's wedding but they refused to come. They even killed some of His servants who were sent to invite them.

"But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city" (Matt. 22:7).

This was historically fulfilled when God released the Roman's army against Jerusalem and against the Jewish people. Jerusalem was burnt and the temple destroyed - all because they refused God's invitation. The wedding which was scheduled had to be postponed because the guests didn't come. It is a terrible thing to refuse God's invitation; it is the greatest insult.

Salvation comes to the Gentiles

God then commanded His servant to invite othe guests - "So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests" (Matt. 22:10, NKJV, emphasis added).

When the Jewish people refused, Jesus commanded His disciples to go to all the world and make disciples (both bad and good) of the Gentile world. Notice Jesus put the "bad" before the "good". Generally speaking, it is the bad people that respond to the gospel first.

Jesus said to the religious people, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you" (Matt. 21:31).

Religious people think they are good enough already and so they do not need God.

The wedding garment

In those days wedding garments were provided by the generous host of the wedding. Some of the guests that came to the wedding banquet presumed that they could get in without the appropriate garment. It is dangerous to presume that you have a close relationship with God that you actually don't have.

Many are invited but few are chosen - few met the condition of wearing the wedding garment. The wedding garment represents salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and being clothed with His righteousness and not your own (2 Cor. 5:21).

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the rob of righteousness, ..." (Isaiah 61:10).

3. The Parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14:15 - 24)

This is not just a great banquet as the NIV says; it is a supper, a meal at the end of the day. It speaks of the end of the Age. Jesus was not referring to the Jewish people - they were not in focus. The privilege of invitation was given to believers in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. This privilege has been offered to the professing Christians for more than 20 centuries.

The Christians' presumption

We are Christians, followers of Christ; we have the Church and the gospel has been proclaimed. None of us deserves any thing, but by grace we received all the privileges from God for being children of God. But we are in danger of making the same kind of mistakes that the Jews made - presuming that we have a relationship with God because of the privilege we enjoyed. It looks like the roles have been reversed. Now we are the people who think "we have got it all"! We are born again, baptized in the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues. Everything we say is true, but the fact is that none of us has more than we had received from God. We are at the beginning of our pilgrimage journey with the Lord. We need to keep on receiving God's invitations - whatever He has for us.


These are the excuses believers made to the host of the Great Supper:

"But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'" (Luke 14:18, 19, 20, NKJV).

These are mere excuses because: Who would ever buy a piece of land without seeing it first? Who would buy five yoke of oxen without testing them first? Why a newly married man would refuse an invitation?

Obviously some Christians are too busy to respond to the call of God. They were busy with other things: Real estates, business venture and social relationship.

Jesus said Christians are just like those in the days of Noah and the days of Lot (Luke 17:26, 27, 28). What they did was all legitimate (eating, drinking, buying and selling, planting and building) but they were so engrossed and preoccupied in their materialistic pursuits that they had no time to respond to God's invitations.

True guests for the Great Supper

A lot of professing Christians today are not prepared to come to the Great Supper. They were so busy making money that when they do come and sit and listen to 45 minutes of sermon they assumed they have done God a favor!

"Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the mained and the lame and the blind.'" (Luke 14:21).

Then the second invitation went out, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (V. 23).

The lesson learnt? Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:3, 5, 6).

The Kingdom of Heaven is meant for many of those who are not invited the first time. The later invitations include those who are not so sophisticated and materialistic that they don't need any more. They are poor, humble and meek people who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Paul said, "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

This parable of Jesus is not like any of His other parables; it is also prophetic. It speaks of the future event when the Bride of Christ (the true Church) is taken to heaven (the rapture) to attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Please refer to my earlier postings - "The Bride of Christ" and "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb".

"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Rev. 19:7, 8, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. This Marriage Banquet is a supper, unlike the Wedding Banquet which was a breakfast referred to by the parable of the wedding banquet (Matt. 22:1 - 14). This happens in heaven, a future event; whereas the parable of the wedding banquet refers to the calling of the Jewish people befor Jesus built His Church.

2. Jesus Himself clothes His Bride with fine linen which is the righteous acts of the saints. Fine linen has great significance all through Scriptures.

Jesus was wrapped in fine linen before Joseph laid Him in the tomb (Mark 15:46).

The priestly garment was made with fine linen (Ex. 28:39).

The Lord Himself clothed His people with fine linen (Ezek. 16:10 - 13).