One of the characteristics of the last of the Last Days is confusion and division. People are standing and dividing on the wrong things. It is true in the Church as well as in the world.
Jesus said, the last sign of His coming again is, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come "(Matthew 24:14, NKJV).
What Jesus wanted the Church to do is to preach a united message concerning the gospel of the kingdom. This is the greatest need in the world. It is the only hope for mankind. It is the only hope for the world and, in general, it is the only hope for the Church. If Christians are divided in their stand on the message of the Gospel it will be difficult for the world to believe that God has sent Jesus to be the savior of the world (John 17:20, 21).
Lessons from the Corinthian Church
There are lessons which we urgently need to learn which are to be found in the first Epistle to the Corinthians. There is a close parallel the Corinthian Church presents, to the situation that confronts us in the present day Church.
Paul received letters and spoken messages, as he tells us himself in the first chapter, from the house of Chloe and other people in Corinth, telling him about the troubles and difficulties there. The Corinthians had a defective and faulty view of the nature of the Church. That was their basic trouble. They were converted. They were born again. They were true Christians, they were behind no other Church in their gifts, but they were confused. How did they ever get into this confused condition with regard to the nature of the Church?
I believe all divisions, schism and disunities were due to the fact that believers were standing and dividing on the wrong things. There is a question we can ask ourselves – What is the difference between schism and Biblical separation? In a more practical manner, the question is, “What are the things on which we should not take a stand? And what are the things on which we should take a stand?” In other words, what must we stand on and what must we not stand on; on what grounds we should separate and on what ground we should not separated. All the troubles and confusions in Corinthian Church were due to their failure to make that distinction.
Wrong Divisions in the Church
The first 14 Chapters of 1 Corinthians are devoted to an exposition by the apostle Paul of the way in which the members of the Church at Corinth were taking a stand on things which they should not have done. We can classify these wrong divisions under three headings:
1. They were standing and dividing on carnal matters
In their carnality they were quarrelling, forming factions and were rending the Body of Christ. They were guilty of schism.
They were dividing and taking a stand on their favorite preachers and leaders:
“Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ’” (1 Cor.1:12, NKJV).
Later on Paul said, “… for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3:3).
They were not only quarrelling among themselves but taking their quarrels, as Paul told us in Chapter 6, to the public law courts.
“Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge” (1 Cor. 6:3, 4)?
It is not right for Christians to quarrel before the world over matters that have nothing to do with the faith. This is sheer carnality.
They were also guilty of carnality at the communion table, and even at the love feasts and so on. Some people had too much food and some had too little. Some had been drinking too much, and some did not have enough to drink. And that was the cause of a division between the rich and the poor. All these troubles were due to carnality.
2. The problem of “intellectualism”
There is nothing wrong with intellect, but intellectualism is an abomination. People do not have an equal amount of brains and intellect. Some are more knowledgeable than others.
Paul took this up immediately in the First and Second Chapter. He was concerned that the philosophy which some were favoring would make the cross of Christ of none effect. Intellectualism can robe the gospel of its power.
“Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world” (1 Cor. 1:20)?
“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1, 2).
Another area we need to consider is Chapter 8 with regard to the different views taken concerning the matter of meat offered to idols. When the Corinthian Christians were pagans (before their convertion) they took their meat to the temples as offerings to their gods. Having done so, they regarded them as sacred and believed it was wrong to eat them. But, having become Christians, they did not all immediately see the truth in exactly the same way on this matter. The more intelligent people, the more enlightened people could see at a glance that there was nothing wrong in eating the food. They knew that idols do not actually exist and therefore nothing wrong with the food which had been offered to them. But there were other weaker brethren, who still felt it was wrong to eat these meats. Over intellectual understanding the Church was divided.
3. The problem of false spirituality
Chapters 12, 13 and 14 show how the Corinthian Christians were divided because of spiritual gifts. First of all they were ignorant:
“Now concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant” (1 Cor.12:1).
They failed to understand that the gifts were given according to the will of God (1 Cor. 12:11). Instead of rejoicing together in the gifts that God had given to them as a Church they had made the gifts themselves into a cause of division and schism. Some were standing on certain gifts, and other on some other gifts. Some believed some gifts are greater than others. Their whole attitude was carnal in nature. Some who believed they had “lesser gifts” were envious and jealous of those people who had the more spectacular gifts.
Things on which the Church must stand
From the very beginning of Chapter 15 Paul told the Corinthian Church what they should be taking their stand on. These are the things that they must regard as essential and over which they must be prepared to separate from the unbelieving world. He made this clear by saying:
“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1 to 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
The things which they must stand are:
1. The Gospel which Paul preached
Paul said, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11, 12, emphasis added).
Paul’s Gospel message was not his own nor from man’s teaching. It came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. God’s Mystery of the dispensation of grace for the Gentiles had been revealed to Paul through revelation:
“… if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” (Ephesians 3:2, 3, emphasis added).
In fact Paul did everything by revelation:
“And I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain” (Gal. 2:2, emphasis added).
Paul knew that without revelation his preaching would be in vain.
What happens to some of the Local Churches today? New Age teachings are coming to our mega-churches. Why? People “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. 4:3, 4). This prophecy of Paul is being fulfilled in our days! The messages of the New Age are the most compromising messages – they are itching ears messages! They "promise" love and unity and a good life among believers.
2. The Scripture
The most basic thing that all true Christians must stand on, Paul referred to, is the Scripture:
“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3, 4, emphasis added).
Paul mentioned the Scriptures twice so that we understand the importance of the Scriptures. Paul himself received the Scriptures first or he would not be qualified to preach to others. Paul did not become a Christian at the end of a process of reason and of logic. He received the Scriptures by revelation and revelation only for He said:
“All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16).
Because the Scriptures are “revelation” and “inspiration”, they are authoritative. They are ageless, changeless, because they are God’s revealed truth which He enabled men to record.
If we stand firm on the Scripture we will not be deceived by the coming New Age Movement.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
True Biblical Christian Unity
Unity among believers is in the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 17 we read about the prayer of Jesus for all believers:
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20, 21, NKJV, emphasis added).
The reason why God wants believers to be united as one Body is because the manifest unity of all believers is the only testimony to Jesus Christ which will reach the whole world. If we are truly concerned in reaching the world for Christ we must be equally concerned about coming into Christian unity. If we merely claim to be interested in the salvation of souls and reaching the lost with the Gospel but we are not concerned about Christian unity, there is something wrong with our motive. We can be active in Missions and Evangelism but many will not be touched by those activities. The visible demonstration of our unity in Christ will cause the world both to believe and to know that He is the One whom God sent to be the Messiah and the Savior of the world.
Unity of Relationship
The unity we are speaking about is not a unity that is brought about by organization; not a unity of denominational or ecclesiastical structure. The key word we use here is “relationship”. It is a unity brought out of relationship – a real relationship in the Holy Spirit among belivers.
The Godhead provides us with the perfect pattern of right relationship. In the Godhead we have three things which are essential – Fatherhood, Headship and fellowship. We cannot have true fellowship in the Biblical sense without the acknowledgement of Fatherhood and Headship.
True Biblical Fellowship
The important ingredient for Christian unity is fellowship. True Biblical Fellowship is not just a group of people getting together to have a good time – chatting, drinking and eating together in a cell-group meeting. It is much deeper than that. It is something which can endure the test of adversity, the pressures and problems that comes upon us. True fellowship enables believers to remain stable and remain unshakable in the face of all these. Fellowship in reality is a deep sharing in an intimate basis of all that we are and all that we have.
The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word “koinonia” which means having things in common, partnership and sharing things together. This is one of the important key concepts of the New Testament Christianity. The apostle Paul said Christians are called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ:
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor.1:9).
We can say the Gospel is an invitation to the human race to share the eternal fellowship of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. John invites believer to have fellowship with him and the Lord when he wrote:
“That you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
Christian Disunity
Consider what happens when Christians continue to live in disunity. Two things can happen:
1. A house divided cannot stand
Spiritually speaking all Christians are in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said to his disciples:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls” (Luke 11:17).
2. The Gospel message is discredited
Disunity and division amongst believers belie the message that we preached. We preached that the Gospel solves people’s problems by bringing them to the right relationship with God. But we demonstrate the very opposite. The pragmatically minded world is much more disposed to believe what it sees in our life than what it hears in our preaching! The life a believer is a mirror of God’s Word to the unbelieving world!
A Picture of Christian Unity
The Church is a type of Israel, and so when we want to look at ways to picture Christian unity and to apply practically, it always seems natural to go to those areas of human life of the Jewish people which are built on relationship.
Israel was an association of twelve tribes, designated by the names of the ancestors from whom they were descended (Deut. 27:12, 13; Ezek. 48:1). Each tribe has its unique characteristics and emphasis in customs and the way of life. Similarly, the Church consists of Christians of different races with different characteristics, customs and the way of life.
Psalm 122 gives a picture of unity of God’s people. Israel went up to worship God in Jerusalem three times a year for their annual feasts (Read my earlier postings). They went to a place to worship God where God had chosen to put His Name – at the temple of Solomon. Israel did not go up as isolated individuals – each one doing his own things. But they went up by tribes. Each Israelite had to find his place in a tribe.
“Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word “us” indicates a collective decision of the tribes of Israel.
“Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together” (Ps 122:3, emphasis added).
The word “compact” comes from the Hebrew word “chabar” means “joining together in fellowship”. In other words Jerusalem is a place of fellowship and worship for Israel.
Similarly, each believer does not go to the Local Church as isolated individuals – each doing his own things. Believers go to the Church as a family of God to worship God together in unity and harmony. Each believer has to find his place in the Local Church – the Local Body of Christ. The Local Church is a type of Jerusalem where God’s people have their fellowship and worship on a regular basis.
The apostle Paul said, we are a family of God:
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephe. 2:19, emphasis added).
When we are born again we are not outsiders or strangers. We belong to God’s family. Someone has said, you may choose your friends but you don’t choose your family members. Therefore, whether we like one another or not we have to get along.
A practical way to move toward Christian Unity
Psalm 133 shows believers how to cultivate Christian Unity:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garment. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore” (Psalm 133:1, 2, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some observations:
1. “Dwell together in unity” does not mean coming together in the Local Church for a couple of hours on Sunday morning. It means getting involved in one another’s life – with a sense of belonging in the same family.
2. The psalmist says it is good and pleasant to dwell together … But he does not say it is easy. In my opinion, the problem lies in receiving one another as we are.
Paul said, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
Christ received us as we were and so we must receive one another as we are. If God would require me to change before He would receive me I would never have made it! What changed me was His receiving me. Similarly we have to do the same toward our fellow believers knowing that it is receiving people that changes people.
I believe what people are longing for above all else in the world today is acceptance. They just want to know where they belong. Unfortunately we often base our fellowship with one another of being right. We have the notion that we are Christians because we are right. Consequently if we have to admit that we are wrong we are threatened.
We must understand that we are not Christians because we are right. We are Christians because God received us in Christ – right or wrong! If we are wrong we’ll not be afraid to admit it, because it is not going to change God’s acceptance of us.
3. Unity is like the anointing oil (a type of the Holy Spirit) running down and covered the whole body (of Aaron). It speaks of unity flowing down from the top (Pastors and leaders of the Local Church) to cover the whole body (members of congregation).
In other words, unity always flows downward and never upward. It always starts from the head. We know from experience in our biological family that children cannot unit a family. But if the father and mother are united, that unity will flow down to the children. Therefore the key to unity in the Local Church is leadership coming together and not people.
So, an important spiritual principle is clear – If the Body of Christ is to be united the leaders have to lead the way. The leaders are the shepherds of the sheep. That is the reason why Jesus said:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
A shepherd never drives his sheep, he goes ahead of them. They follow him because they hear his voice. We can never unit sheep unless we unit the shepherds first.
The other aspect of the truth is – only shepherds divide sheep. The disunity of God’s people is due to the disunity of Pastors and leaders.
In my opinion, believers have two options. Either be a shepherd or have one; if you aren’t one then you need one. If you are one, then you need other shepherds!
4. Another picture of the Holy Spirit is dew. But dew does not come down noticeably. He is gentle, imperceptible but continuing.
In Psalm 133, “the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion” speaks of the Holy Spirit coming down on the Church. All through Scripture “Zion” is the Church.
5. As a result of unity, the Lord commanded blessing. The blessing is “Life forevermore”.
It is one thing to seek the blessing of the Lord; it is another thing to have the Lord commands His blessing without even asking!
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20, 21, NKJV, emphasis added).
The reason why God wants believers to be united as one Body is because the manifest unity of all believers is the only testimony to Jesus Christ which will reach the whole world. If we are truly concerned in reaching the world for Christ we must be equally concerned about coming into Christian unity. If we merely claim to be interested in the salvation of souls and reaching the lost with the Gospel but we are not concerned about Christian unity, there is something wrong with our motive. We can be active in Missions and Evangelism but many will not be touched by those activities. The visible demonstration of our unity in Christ will cause the world both to believe and to know that He is the One whom God sent to be the Messiah and the Savior of the world.
Unity of Relationship
The unity we are speaking about is not a unity that is brought about by organization; not a unity of denominational or ecclesiastical structure. The key word we use here is “relationship”. It is a unity brought out of relationship – a real relationship in the Holy Spirit among belivers.
The Godhead provides us with the perfect pattern of right relationship. In the Godhead we have three things which are essential – Fatherhood, Headship and fellowship. We cannot have true fellowship in the Biblical sense without the acknowledgement of Fatherhood and Headship.
True Biblical Fellowship
The important ingredient for Christian unity is fellowship. True Biblical Fellowship is not just a group of people getting together to have a good time – chatting, drinking and eating together in a cell-group meeting. It is much deeper than that. It is something which can endure the test of adversity, the pressures and problems that comes upon us. True fellowship enables believers to remain stable and remain unshakable in the face of all these. Fellowship in reality is a deep sharing in an intimate basis of all that we are and all that we have.
The word “fellowship” comes from the Greek word “koinonia” which means having things in common, partnership and sharing things together. This is one of the important key concepts of the New Testament Christianity. The apostle Paul said Christians are called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ:
“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor.1:9).
We can say the Gospel is an invitation to the human race to share the eternal fellowship of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. John invites believer to have fellowship with him and the Lord when he wrote:
“That you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
Christian Disunity
Consider what happens when Christians continue to live in disunity. Two things can happen:
1. A house divided cannot stand
Spiritually speaking all Christians are in the Kingdom of God. Jesus said to his disciples:
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls” (Luke 11:17).
2. The Gospel message is discredited
Disunity and division amongst believers belie the message that we preached. We preached that the Gospel solves people’s problems by bringing them to the right relationship with God. But we demonstrate the very opposite. The pragmatically minded world is much more disposed to believe what it sees in our life than what it hears in our preaching! The life a believer is a mirror of God’s Word to the unbelieving world!
A Picture of Christian Unity
The Church is a type of Israel, and so when we want to look at ways to picture Christian unity and to apply practically, it always seems natural to go to those areas of human life of the Jewish people which are built on relationship.
Israel was an association of twelve tribes, designated by the names of the ancestors from whom they were descended (Deut. 27:12, 13; Ezek. 48:1). Each tribe has its unique characteristics and emphasis in customs and the way of life. Similarly, the Church consists of Christians of different races with different characteristics, customs and the way of life.
Psalm 122 gives a picture of unity of God’s people. Israel went up to worship God in Jerusalem three times a year for their annual feasts (Read my earlier postings). They went to a place to worship God where God had chosen to put His Name – at the temple of Solomon. Israel did not go up as isolated individuals – each one doing his own things. But they went up by tribes. Each Israelite had to find his place in a tribe.
“Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Ps. 122:1, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word “us” indicates a collective decision of the tribes of Israel.
“Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together” (Ps 122:3, emphasis added).
The word “compact” comes from the Hebrew word “chabar” means “joining together in fellowship”. In other words Jerusalem is a place of fellowship and worship for Israel.
Similarly, each believer does not go to the Local Church as isolated individuals – each doing his own things. Believers go to the Church as a family of God to worship God together in unity and harmony. Each believer has to find his place in the Local Church – the Local Body of Christ. The Local Church is a type of Jerusalem where God’s people have their fellowship and worship on a regular basis.
The apostle Paul said, we are a family of God:
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephe. 2:19, emphasis added).
When we are born again we are not outsiders or strangers. We belong to God’s family. Someone has said, you may choose your friends but you don’t choose your family members. Therefore, whether we like one another or not we have to get along.
A practical way to move toward Christian Unity
Psalm 133 shows believers how to cultivate Christian Unity:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garment. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing – life forevermore” (Psalm 133:1, 2, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some observations:
1. “Dwell together in unity” does not mean coming together in the Local Church for a couple of hours on Sunday morning. It means getting involved in one another’s life – with a sense of belonging in the same family.
2. The psalmist says it is good and pleasant to dwell together … But he does not say it is easy. In my opinion, the problem lies in receiving one another as we are.
Paul said, “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
Christ received us as we were and so we must receive one another as we are. If God would require me to change before He would receive me I would never have made it! What changed me was His receiving me. Similarly we have to do the same toward our fellow believers knowing that it is receiving people that changes people.
I believe what people are longing for above all else in the world today is acceptance. They just want to know where they belong. Unfortunately we often base our fellowship with one another of being right. We have the notion that we are Christians because we are right. Consequently if we have to admit that we are wrong we are threatened.
We must understand that we are not Christians because we are right. We are Christians because God received us in Christ – right or wrong! If we are wrong we’ll not be afraid to admit it, because it is not going to change God’s acceptance of us.
3. Unity is like the anointing oil (a type of the Holy Spirit) running down and covered the whole body (of Aaron). It speaks of unity flowing down from the top (Pastors and leaders of the Local Church) to cover the whole body (members of congregation).
In other words, unity always flows downward and never upward. It always starts from the head. We know from experience in our biological family that children cannot unit a family. But if the father and mother are united, that unity will flow down to the children. Therefore the key to unity in the Local Church is leadership coming together and not people.
So, an important spiritual principle is clear – If the Body of Christ is to be united the leaders have to lead the way. The leaders are the shepherds of the sheep. That is the reason why Jesus said:
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
A shepherd never drives his sheep, he goes ahead of them. They follow him because they hear his voice. We can never unit sheep unless we unit the shepherds first.
The other aspect of the truth is – only shepherds divide sheep. The disunity of God’s people is due to the disunity of Pastors and leaders.
In my opinion, believers have two options. Either be a shepherd or have one; if you aren’t one then you need one. If you are one, then you need other shepherds!
4. Another picture of the Holy Spirit is dew. But dew does not come down noticeably. He is gentle, imperceptible but continuing.
In Psalm 133, “the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion” speaks of the Holy Spirit coming down on the Church. All through Scripture “Zion” is the Church.
5. As a result of unity, the Lord commanded blessing. The blessing is “Life forevermore”.
It is one thing to seek the blessing of the Lord; it is another thing to have the Lord commands His blessing without even asking!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Repentance and Restoration
My readers should read my previous two postings before they read this. This is an end-time message revealed by careful study of the Tabernacle of Mosses and the Jewish Feasts.
As we have seen earlier, the Church is now at the Golden Altar of Incense, the last article of furniture in the Holy Place, just before Second Veil separating the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. At the same time God’s peoples (Israel and the Church) are entering the last three observations of the Jewish Feasts – The Feast of Trumpets, Feast of Atonement and the Feast of the Tabernacles.
It is interesting to note that all these signs speak of restoration, repentance, intercession, prayer, praise of God’s people. Restoration means putting things back in the right place and in the right condition. Restoration which has been initiated by God from the 20th Century is not completed yet. It is God’s will to put Israel back to their God-given political and geographical inheritance. And at the same time God is putting the Church back to its spiritual inheritance. From my point of view the Church has been far away from its spiritual inheritance, in Christ, as Israel has from its geographical inheritance in the Land. In many ways the process of restoration is parallel. It has its fulfillment at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We need understand that there is no restoration without repentance. And without repentance our prayers will be hindered even we are calling out to God from the Altar of Incense!
The Psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18).
Isaiah said sins and iniquities have separated God’s people from God:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you” (Isaiah 59:1, 2, NKJV).
The need of Repentance
This message concerns the need of repentance of the Church at the close of this Age – the Church Age of Grace. The Feast of Atonement speaks of reconciliation and restoration and repentance. It speaks of the dealings of the Church with the Lord. It speaks of the removal of hindrances caused by sin.
John the Baptist prepared the way for the First coming of Jesus Christ. Similarly, God Himself prepares the way for the Second coming of His Son. John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance and the confession sins. Similarly, God Himself “baptizes” His Church with the “baptism” of repentance prior to the Second coming of His Son. He cleanses the Church with the Word of His Power – with the deep desire given to each member of His Body for the confession of sin. There will be tremendous cries for God’s mercy in the days to coming.
God is cleansing and sanctifying His Church so “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5;27, NKJV).
God desires His Church to be holy because without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
It is a time of consecration and repentance. God said, “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 12:44).
Levels of Repentance
We are the Body of Christ and God calls every member of His Body to repent before He receives us to Himself. Therefore, it is not only important that every one of us must repent but also repent with the right level of repentance consistent to the level of sin committed. There are several levels of repentance according to the degree or level that we sin against God.
1. To bring sin into the light
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NKJV).
This is the most elementary level of repentance. Sometimes a Christian could be in the state guilt, fear and confusion because he has sinned against God by failing to walk in the light of God’s Word. He is being accused by the devil (who is called the accuser of the brethren – Rev. 12:10) for something he has done. By faith he should bring his sin to the light knowing that the shield of faith will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one (Eph. 6:16).
One of the characteristics of sin is that it loves the dark places or dark chambers of our mind. Sin gets power from darkness. Sin hates light because it simply has no power in the light. Therefore a good way to deal with this type of sin is to bring it into the light.
2. General confession of sin
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, NKJV).
The Bible says “all unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17). Sin of this category includes all unrighteous acts – unclean thoughts and action; unkind to others; hash words exchanged between love ones and other similar acts of unrighteousness. When we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us with the Blood of Jesus.
3. Problems of inter-personal relationship
There are two types of problems we need to face up with:
1. You fail to forgive someone
A situation could arise that I cannot forgive someone (another Christian or an unbeliever) for what he has done to me.
Jesus said I must forgive him or otherwise He would not forgive me:
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25, 26).
Notice that the only condition in the Lord’s Prayer is:
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
We need to understand that Jesus considered this command so important that He repeated it immediately after He had finished teaching His disciples how to pray (Matt. 6:14, 15)!
2. Your brother cannot forgive you
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24, emphasis added).
Notice that the person who has something against you is another Christian. The word “therefore” indicates the reason why your brother cannot forgive you is given in some verses earlier.
The reason is given in verse 22:
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be danger of the judgment….” (Emphasis added).
Your brother could not forgive you because you were angry with your brother without a cause!
In other words, Jesus was saying if our brother in Christ could not forgive us because we have sinned against him we must reconciled with him. Otherwise our gift would not be accepted and our prayer would not be heard!
4. Sicknesses due to sin
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:13 – 16, emphasis added).
Not all sicknesses are due to sin, but some are.
An example of sickness due to sin is found in John 5:2 – 15.
A man had an infirmity for 38 years. After he had received healing Jesus said to him, “See, you have been made well, Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (Verse 14).
James gives the following instructions for a sick Christian:
1. Call for the Elders of the Local Church to pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
2. If his sickness is due to sin he would be restored and his sin forgiven by the prayer of faith.
3. Christians should confess one another their offenses, faults and sins, so that those who are sick might be healed and restored.
5. Prayer and fasting
We come now to the highest level of repentance for the most severe sins. If you have sinned deeply for a long period of time, the spirits associated with the sin that you have involved with can come to live within you.
A man came to Jesus and begged Him to heal his son who was suffering severely because of epilepsy. Jesus rebuked the spirit of epilepsy and the child was healed instantly. His disciples tried to cast out the demon earlier, but not successful.
Jesus then said to them, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21).
A good example of this type of evil spirits possession can be found in the life of king Saul (1 Samuel 19:4 – 9).
Saul was very jealous of David’s achievements – killing Goliath and killing thousands of Philistines. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing sprit from the Lord troubled him (1 Samuel 16:14).
Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you” (1 Samuel 19:4).
Saul sinned against David because of jealousy and envy. As a result the Spirit of God left him and the spirit of jealousy took over.
I believe at this level of repentance not only you need prayer and fasting for yourself, but also the ministry of the Elders and Pastors. The spirit of jealousy, anger and bitterness could often cause sicknesses.
As we have seen earlier, the Church is now at the Golden Altar of Incense, the last article of furniture in the Holy Place, just before Second Veil separating the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. At the same time God’s peoples (Israel and the Church) are entering the last three observations of the Jewish Feasts – The Feast of Trumpets, Feast of Atonement and the Feast of the Tabernacles.
It is interesting to note that all these signs speak of restoration, repentance, intercession, prayer, praise of God’s people. Restoration means putting things back in the right place and in the right condition. Restoration which has been initiated by God from the 20th Century is not completed yet. It is God’s will to put Israel back to their God-given political and geographical inheritance. And at the same time God is putting the Church back to its spiritual inheritance. From my point of view the Church has been far away from its spiritual inheritance, in Christ, as Israel has from its geographical inheritance in the Land. In many ways the process of restoration is parallel. It has its fulfillment at the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We need understand that there is no restoration without repentance. And without repentance our prayers will be hindered even we are calling out to God from the Altar of Incense!
The Psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18).
Isaiah said sins and iniquities have separated God’s people from God:
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you” (Isaiah 59:1, 2, NKJV).
The need of Repentance
This message concerns the need of repentance of the Church at the close of this Age – the Church Age of Grace. The Feast of Atonement speaks of reconciliation and restoration and repentance. It speaks of the dealings of the Church with the Lord. It speaks of the removal of hindrances caused by sin.
John the Baptist prepared the way for the First coming of Jesus Christ. Similarly, God Himself prepares the way for the Second coming of His Son. John the Baptist preached the baptism of repentance and the confession sins. Similarly, God Himself “baptizes” His Church with the “baptism” of repentance prior to the Second coming of His Son. He cleanses the Church with the Word of His Power – with the deep desire given to each member of His Body for the confession of sin. There will be tremendous cries for God’s mercy in the days to coming.
God is cleansing and sanctifying His Church so “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5;27, NKJV).
God desires His Church to be holy because without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
It is a time of consecration and repentance. God said, “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 12:44).
Levels of Repentance
We are the Body of Christ and God calls every member of His Body to repent before He receives us to Himself. Therefore, it is not only important that every one of us must repent but also repent with the right level of repentance consistent to the level of sin committed. There are several levels of repentance according to the degree or level that we sin against God.
1. To bring sin into the light
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NKJV).
This is the most elementary level of repentance. Sometimes a Christian could be in the state guilt, fear and confusion because he has sinned against God by failing to walk in the light of God’s Word. He is being accused by the devil (who is called the accuser of the brethren – Rev. 12:10) for something he has done. By faith he should bring his sin to the light knowing that the shield of faith will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one (Eph. 6:16).
One of the characteristics of sin is that it loves the dark places or dark chambers of our mind. Sin gets power from darkness. Sin hates light because it simply has no power in the light. Therefore a good way to deal with this type of sin is to bring it into the light.
2. General confession of sin
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, NKJV).
The Bible says “all unrighteousness is sin” (1 John 5:17). Sin of this category includes all unrighteous acts – unclean thoughts and action; unkind to others; hash words exchanged between love ones and other similar acts of unrighteousness. When we confess our sins, He will forgive us and cleanse us with the Blood of Jesus.
3. Problems of inter-personal relationship
There are two types of problems we need to face up with:
1. You fail to forgive someone
A situation could arise that I cannot forgive someone (another Christian or an unbeliever) for what he has done to me.
Jesus said I must forgive him or otherwise He would not forgive me:
“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25, 26).
Notice that the only condition in the Lord’s Prayer is:
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
We need to understand that Jesus considered this command so important that He repeated it immediately after He had finished teaching His disciples how to pray (Matt. 6:14, 15)!
2. Your brother cannot forgive you
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24, emphasis added).
Notice that the person who has something against you is another Christian. The word “therefore” indicates the reason why your brother cannot forgive you is given in some verses earlier.
The reason is given in verse 22:
“But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be danger of the judgment….” (Emphasis added).
Your brother could not forgive you because you were angry with your brother without a cause!
In other words, Jesus was saying if our brother in Christ could not forgive us because we have sinned against him we must reconciled with him. Otherwise our gift would not be accepted and our prayer would not be heard!
4. Sicknesses due to sin
“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:13 – 16, emphasis added).
Not all sicknesses are due to sin, but some are.
An example of sickness due to sin is found in John 5:2 – 15.
A man had an infirmity for 38 years. After he had received healing Jesus said to him, “See, you have been made well, Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (Verse 14).
James gives the following instructions for a sick Christian:
1. Call for the Elders of the Local Church to pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
2. If his sickness is due to sin he would be restored and his sin forgiven by the prayer of faith.
3. Christians should confess one another their offenses, faults and sins, so that those who are sick might be healed and restored.
5. Prayer and fasting
We come now to the highest level of repentance for the most severe sins. If you have sinned deeply for a long period of time, the spirits associated with the sin that you have involved with can come to live within you.
A man came to Jesus and begged Him to heal his son who was suffering severely because of epilepsy. Jesus rebuked the spirit of epilepsy and the child was healed instantly. His disciples tried to cast out the demon earlier, but not successful.
Jesus then said to them, “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21).
A good example of this type of evil spirits possession can be found in the life of king Saul (1 Samuel 19:4 – 9).
Saul was very jealous of David’s achievements – killing Goliath and killing thousands of Philistines. The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing sprit from the Lord troubled him (1 Samuel 16:14).
Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you” (1 Samuel 19:4).
Saul sinned against David because of jealousy and envy. As a result the Spirit of God left him and the spirit of jealousy took over.
I believe at this level of repentance not only you need prayer and fasting for yourself, but also the ministry of the Elders and Pastors. The spirit of jealousy, anger and bitterness could often cause sicknesses.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Strange Incense
This message is related to my message last week – The Last Move of God.
There were three feast periods mentioned in Leviticus 23. These Feasts were Feast of the Passover, Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of the Tabernacles. These feast periods are still being observed by many Orthodox Jews today. Within these feast periods of one week each there were seven observations. There were three observations in the first feast period – feast of the Passover, the Unleavened Bread and the Firstfruits. There was only one observation in the Feast of Pentecost – new grain offering. The three observations in Feast of the Tabernacles were the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of booths.
Our discussion this week concerns the Feast of the Tabernacles. Since the Church is a type of Israel there are parallel truths concerning the Church and Israel. In other words, the Jewish Feasts give us a picture of the Church in different periods of time. We are looking at the move of God concerning His Church in seasonal aspect. Each feast has its fulfillment in the life of each individual believer and the Church. The First Feast Period speaks of the Martin Luther’s ministry and John Wesley’s ministry of “Justification by faith”. Unleavened bread speaks of holiness – walking in the newness of life. The Second Feast Period speaks of the Pentecostal renewal. The Third Feast Period is the Church today – the “end-time” Church, the Church that will usher in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are now moving into the time of trumpets, atonement and the Altar of Incense.
The Altar of Incense
This Golden Altar was for the burning of Incense unto the Lord (Exodus 30:1 – 10). As mentioned last week incense always speaks to us of the prayers and intercession of the saints which ascend unto God (Psalms 141:1, 2; Rev. 8:2 – 6). Incense begins on the altar with man, and as it burns, it ascends upward to God. Likewise, our prayers begin in the heart of man and ascend heavenward unto God.
The Altar of Incense was at the very heart of the Tabernacle. It speaks to us that the ministry of intercession, prayer and praise are at the very heart of God. These are the nearest things to the Glory of God. It was positioned at the end of the Holy Place and just next to the Holy of Holies. This is symbolic of the fact that the Church at the end of this age is experiencing the Altar of Incense. The spirit of prayer, supplications, intercession and praise will and must deepen in all believers (Rev. 8:2 – 4).
Strange Fire or Strange Incense
There was to be no strange fire or strange incense on the Altar Incense. The first fire was divinely lit. On the day of the dedication of the Tabernacle divine fire was brought from the Brazen Altar to light the Candlestick and the Altar of Incense. Hence, the fire was a divine fire. Any other fire was “strange fire”. Any incense other than the prescribed incense (Exodus 30:34 – 38) was “strange incense”. Anyone who attempted to offer such an offering on the Altar would be punished by being cut off from the Presence of God.
Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, offered fire and incense and were smitten by the Lord (Lev. 10:1 – 3). Korah and his company offered strange incense and were plagued (Num. 16).
The strange fire and incense is typical of all false worship. God is not interested in worship that is excited by mere religious ritual. God only accepts that Fire which originates with Himself on the basis of Blood Atonement (Lev. 16:12). God lit the fire in the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). It is the fire of the Holy Spirit which causes the fragrance to arise and ascend within the veil (Hebrews 12:29).
The Strange Incense of Uzziah
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king of Judah (2 Chronicles 26:3).
“He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chron. 26:5, NKJV).
But later on, because of His pride, he acted corruptly, and became unfaithful to the Lord:
“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (Verse 16, emphasis added).
I believe strange incense speaks to us of ministries in the Church and in the life of individual believers not appointed by God.
The job to burn incense on the altar was the priests (Verses 17, 18) and not the job of the king.
Because of envy or jealousy many men or women in the Church covet ministry gifts which have not been raised up by God.
Azariah and other priests withstood Uzziah and said,
“It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priest, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God” (Verse 18, emphasis added).
Pastors of the Local Church should speak out against any Church member who trespasses another person’s ministry!
“Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priest, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar” (Verse 19, emphasis added).
Leprosy was a judgment of God. Leprosy broke out on Uzziah’s forehead because in those days the priest wore a gold plate engraved with the words “Holiness to the Lord” on his turban (Exodus 28:36, 37). Uzziah was coveting another’s ministry and had no respect to the ministry of the priests. He moved into false incense.
Similarly, when a Church member moves into “false incense” and the Pastor speaks to him, “No, this is not your ministry and I have appointed someone else”. This person is likely to react by saying, “If you don’t want me I’ll go somewhere else!”
Rebellion and all Church politics arise because of “false incense”. Many full-time workers left the ministry because of Church politics – Criticism, backbiting and not being able to cope with the rejection they get.
Church politics will bring judgment not only to the person who moves into false incense but to the Local Church as well.
I believe the move of holiness is coming back into the Church. It points us to the Feast of Atonement, few days before the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of Atonement speaks of repentance and holiness of the Church. The Church is going into a time of tremendous cleansing and tremendous holiness. God would not allow “leprosy” in the Church. He is going to put His fingers to the Church to take out all Church politics and “false incense”!
What happened when king Uzziah died?
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:1 – 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Isaiah, the prophet ministered in the days of Uzziah. The Lord spoke to him and he heard the voice of the Lord. But, he saw the Lord only after king Uzziah died! Strange or false incense and leprosy died with Uzziah.
The Church will not see the Lord unless the sin of false incense is exposed and taken out of the way. God will visit the Church and there will be angelic visitations when the Church is healed of leprosy. Then we will see the Lord, lifted up high – Holy, holy; the whole earth is full of His Glory!
There were three feast periods mentioned in Leviticus 23. These Feasts were Feast of the Passover, Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of the Tabernacles. These feast periods are still being observed by many Orthodox Jews today. Within these feast periods of one week each there were seven observations. There were three observations in the first feast period – feast of the Passover, the Unleavened Bread and the Firstfruits. There was only one observation in the Feast of Pentecost – new grain offering. The three observations in Feast of the Tabernacles were the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of booths.
Our discussion this week concerns the Feast of the Tabernacles. Since the Church is a type of Israel there are parallel truths concerning the Church and Israel. In other words, the Jewish Feasts give us a picture of the Church in different periods of time. We are looking at the move of God concerning His Church in seasonal aspect. Each feast has its fulfillment in the life of each individual believer and the Church. The First Feast Period speaks of the Martin Luther’s ministry and John Wesley’s ministry of “Justification by faith”. Unleavened bread speaks of holiness – walking in the newness of life. The Second Feast Period speaks of the Pentecostal renewal. The Third Feast Period is the Church today – the “end-time” Church, the Church that will usher in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are now moving into the time of trumpets, atonement and the Altar of Incense.
The Altar of Incense
This Golden Altar was for the burning of Incense unto the Lord (Exodus 30:1 – 10). As mentioned last week incense always speaks to us of the prayers and intercession of the saints which ascend unto God (Psalms 141:1, 2; Rev. 8:2 – 6). Incense begins on the altar with man, and as it burns, it ascends upward to God. Likewise, our prayers begin in the heart of man and ascend heavenward unto God.
The Altar of Incense was at the very heart of the Tabernacle. It speaks to us that the ministry of intercession, prayer and praise are at the very heart of God. These are the nearest things to the Glory of God. It was positioned at the end of the Holy Place and just next to the Holy of Holies. This is symbolic of the fact that the Church at the end of this age is experiencing the Altar of Incense. The spirit of prayer, supplications, intercession and praise will and must deepen in all believers (Rev. 8:2 – 4).
Strange Fire or Strange Incense
There was to be no strange fire or strange incense on the Altar Incense. The first fire was divinely lit. On the day of the dedication of the Tabernacle divine fire was brought from the Brazen Altar to light the Candlestick and the Altar of Incense. Hence, the fire was a divine fire. Any other fire was “strange fire”. Any incense other than the prescribed incense (Exodus 30:34 – 38) was “strange incense”. Anyone who attempted to offer such an offering on the Altar would be punished by being cut off from the Presence of God.
Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, offered fire and incense and were smitten by the Lord (Lev. 10:1 – 3). Korah and his company offered strange incense and were plagued (Num. 16).
The strange fire and incense is typical of all false worship. God is not interested in worship that is excited by mere religious ritual. God only accepts that Fire which originates with Himself on the basis of Blood Atonement (Lev. 16:12). God lit the fire in the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). It is the fire of the Holy Spirit which causes the fragrance to arise and ascend within the veil (Hebrews 12:29).
The Strange Incense of Uzziah
Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king of Judah (2 Chronicles 26:3).
“He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chron. 26:5, NKJV).
But later on, because of His pride, he acted corruptly, and became unfaithful to the Lord:
“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense” (Verse 16, emphasis added).
I believe strange incense speaks to us of ministries in the Church and in the life of individual believers not appointed by God.
The job to burn incense on the altar was the priests (Verses 17, 18) and not the job of the king.
Because of envy or jealousy many men or women in the Church covet ministry gifts which have not been raised up by God.
Azariah and other priests withstood Uzziah and said,
“It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priest, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God” (Verse 18, emphasis added).
Pastors of the Local Church should speak out against any Church member who trespasses another person’s ministry!
“Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priest, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar” (Verse 19, emphasis added).
Leprosy was a judgment of God. Leprosy broke out on Uzziah’s forehead because in those days the priest wore a gold plate engraved with the words “Holiness to the Lord” on his turban (Exodus 28:36, 37). Uzziah was coveting another’s ministry and had no respect to the ministry of the priests. He moved into false incense.
Similarly, when a Church member moves into “false incense” and the Pastor speaks to him, “No, this is not your ministry and I have appointed someone else”. This person is likely to react by saying, “If you don’t want me I’ll go somewhere else!”
Rebellion and all Church politics arise because of “false incense”. Many full-time workers left the ministry because of Church politics – Criticism, backbiting and not being able to cope with the rejection they get.
Church politics will bring judgment not only to the person who moves into false incense but to the Local Church as well.
I believe the move of holiness is coming back into the Church. It points us to the Feast of Atonement, few days before the Feast of the Tabernacles. The Feast of Atonement speaks of repentance and holiness of the Church. The Church is going into a time of tremendous cleansing and tremendous holiness. God would not allow “leprosy” in the Church. He is going to put His fingers to the Church to take out all Church politics and “false incense”!
What happened when king Uzziah died?
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:1 – 3, NKJV, emphasis added).
Isaiah, the prophet ministered in the days of Uzziah. The Lord spoke to him and he heard the voice of the Lord. But, he saw the Lord only after king Uzziah died! Strange or false incense and leprosy died with Uzziah.
The Church will not see the Lord unless the sin of false incense is exposed and taken out of the way. God will visit the Church and there will be angelic visitations when the Church is healed of leprosy. Then we will see the Lord, lifted up high – Holy, holy; the whole earth is full of His Glory!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
The Last Move of God
The Tabernacle of Moses contains many facets of truth. It can be seen as a picture of the redemption of man; as a picture of Christ and the Church or a picture of the Ages of time relative to the Plan of Redemption.
This message concerns the Ages of time determined by God. From the study of the measurements of the three sections of the Tabernacle we have a picture of the Law Age, the Church Age and the Kingdom (Millennial) Age. The Outer Court speaks of the Law Age; the Holy Place speaks of the Church Age and the Holy of Holies speaks of Kingdom Age. It is beyond the scope of this message to study the entire Tabernacle in any details. We confine our discussion on the Church Age only.
The Church Age
The Holy Place gives a prophetic picture of the Church Age. The Holy Place measured 20 cubits in length, 10 cubits in width, and 10 cubits in height. Thus the cubical volume is 2000. This corresponds to the Church Age of 2000 years. The two entrances of the Tabernacle correspond to the First and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The door was the First entrance and let one into the Holy Place. This corresponds to the First Coming of Christ who opened the Door to the 2000 years of the Church Age. The Second Veil corresponds to the Second Coming of Christ. This Veil opens at the close of the Church Age and lets the true believer into the Holy of Holies.
The Holy Place has three articles of furniture which have significance related to the Church Age:
1. The Golden Candlestick points to the Light of the Church, the only light in the Holy Place. The Light speaks of the anointing, illumination, fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
2. The Golden Table of Shewbread typifies the Lord’s Table, the very communion of Christ and the Church which is to be experienced in the 2000 years by the believer-priests (1 Cor. 11:23, 24).
3. The Golden Altar of Incense emphasizes the ministry of prayer, praise and intercession that is to be the characteristic of the Church as they move in Priestly function and administration before the Lord.
It is interesting to note that these three pieces of furniture typify the practices of the early Church.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, NKJV).
The order – Apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer has great significance. Without having the same doctrine there is no possibility of fellowship; without fellowship we cannot break bread together; and without having all the first three, there is no harmony in our praying together!
Prophetic Insights of the Golden Altar of Incense
As the Church journeys through time in the Holy Place the last piece of furniture before the second veil is the Altar of Incense. It also corresponds to the last of the three main Jewish feasts – the Feast of the Tabernacle (the In-gathering). The other two main Jewish feasts are the Feast of the Passover and Feast of Pentecost.
The Last Move of God
The last move of God is to prepare the Church for heaven – The Bride “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). At the Second Coming of Jesus the true Church shall go through the second veil (the “veil” of our flesh) and put on the “clothe” of immortality into the Holy of holies, into the presence of God (Revelation 21). We are moving from the dispensation of Grace into the throne of God.
Exodus 30:1 – 10 describes the Altar of Incense.
“And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations” (Verses 6 – 8, NKJV, emphasis added).
The lamps were to be lighted during the evening sacrifice (6 pm) with incense (perpetual) before the ark of Covenant on the other side of the veil.
The End-time Church is a praying Church
Incense is a picture of prayer in both Old and New Testament Scripture:
“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8, emphasis added).
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:3, 4, emphasis added).
Therefore, God’s will for the the last move of God is that the Church should emphasize on prayer. In other words, prayer is the number one ministry in the Local Church in the last move of God.
Let us look at what Zacharias, a priest, did when he burnt incense in the temple:
“…. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:9 – 13, emphasis added).
Here are some observations:
1. Zacharias was a priest. All believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6; Rev. 1:6; 5:10). God will raise up many “Zacharias” in the end-time Church who will burn incense (pray) to the Lord.
2. As the Church prays there will be angelic visitations. Just as there were angelic visitations before the first coming of Jesus we will see angelic visitations and interventions in the lives of believers and the Church just before the second coming of Jesus.
3. There will be tremendous spiritual births of sons and daughters in the last move of God. People, young and old, who we thought would never be saved would come quickly into the Kingdom of God; quickly matured and transformed by the power of God. In other words, there will be a great harvest of souls!
4. There will be tremendous Church growth:
“Before she travailed, she brought for the; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:7, 8, KJV, emphasis added).
The above prophecy will be fulfilled. The word “Zion” speaks of the Church all through Scripture. The word “travail” or “labor” speaks of fervent prayer. As the Church prays many spiritual children (new souls) will be brought forth!
Importance of petition, intercession, prayer, praise and thanksgiving
A Church that embraces the last move of God is a praying Church.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6, 7, emphasis added).
Notice that the above speaks of all kinds of prayers.
Filled with the Holy Spirit
In order to pray effectively you must be led by the Spirit. You cannot be led by the Spirit unless you are filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit unless you are baptized in the Holy Spirit first. Believers who embrace the last move of God will be filled with the Holy Spirit:
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18, 19, emphasis added).
The spiritual principle is, when you minister to the Lord, the Lord touches you. When God touches you, you are filled with the Spirit. Then you can touch others. Receptivity comes be activity. No input, no output; more input, more output!
It is not true that a Spirit filled believer leaks as claimed by many Bible teachers. A Spirit filled Christian does not leak! The truth is power goes out of him when he ministers to others with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Look at the healing of the woman “having a flow of blood for twelve years” (Luke 8:43). When she touched the border of the garment of Jesus, He said:
“Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me” (Luke 8:46).
The Power of Intercession
A plague broke out when the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron:
“So Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun’. Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plaque was stopped” (Numbers 16:46 – 48, emphasis added).
Aaron was a perfect example of an intercessor – he stood between God's people and God’s wrath and judgment.
The way to stop any “plague” or wrath of God against our nation or our Church is to go into intercession. Intercession breaks the principality and powers over our country and Church.
The Power of the Evening Sacrifice
At Mount Carmel Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). The prophets of Baal would call upon their gods to send fire to consume the prepared sacrifice. Elijah would do the same by calling the name of the Lord. Baal failed in their effort. Elijah then took his turn:
“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘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. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:36, 38, NKJV, emphasis added).
The reason why Elijah waited until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice to call upon the Lord because he knew God promised to meet with his people at the evening offering!
Beloved, this is now the evening time for the Church! God is waiting for our evening sacrifice!
This message concerns the Ages of time determined by God. From the study of the measurements of the three sections of the Tabernacle we have a picture of the Law Age, the Church Age and the Kingdom (Millennial) Age. The Outer Court speaks of the Law Age; the Holy Place speaks of the Church Age and the Holy of Holies speaks of Kingdom Age. It is beyond the scope of this message to study the entire Tabernacle in any details. We confine our discussion on the Church Age only.
The Church Age
The Holy Place gives a prophetic picture of the Church Age. The Holy Place measured 20 cubits in length, 10 cubits in width, and 10 cubits in height. Thus the cubical volume is 2000. This corresponds to the Church Age of 2000 years. The two entrances of the Tabernacle correspond to the First and Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The door was the First entrance and let one into the Holy Place. This corresponds to the First Coming of Christ who opened the Door to the 2000 years of the Church Age. The Second Veil corresponds to the Second Coming of Christ. This Veil opens at the close of the Church Age and lets the true believer into the Holy of Holies.
The Holy Place has three articles of furniture which have significance related to the Church Age:
1. The Golden Candlestick points to the Light of the Church, the only light in the Holy Place. The Light speaks of the anointing, illumination, fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
2. The Golden Table of Shewbread typifies the Lord’s Table, the very communion of Christ and the Church which is to be experienced in the 2000 years by the believer-priests (1 Cor. 11:23, 24).
3. The Golden Altar of Incense emphasizes the ministry of prayer, praise and intercession that is to be the characteristic of the Church as they move in Priestly function and administration before the Lord.
It is interesting to note that these three pieces of furniture typify the practices of the early Church.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42, NKJV).
The order – Apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer has great significance. Without having the same doctrine there is no possibility of fellowship; without fellowship we cannot break bread together; and without having all the first three, there is no harmony in our praying together!
Prophetic Insights of the Golden Altar of Incense
As the Church journeys through time in the Holy Place the last piece of furniture before the second veil is the Altar of Incense. It also corresponds to the last of the three main Jewish feasts – the Feast of the Tabernacle (the In-gathering). The other two main Jewish feasts are the Feast of the Passover and Feast of Pentecost.
The Last Move of God
The last move of God is to prepare the Church for heaven – The Bride “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). At the Second Coming of Jesus the true Church shall go through the second veil (the “veil” of our flesh) and put on the “clothe” of immortality into the Holy of holies, into the presence of God (Revelation 21). We are moving from the dispensation of Grace into the throne of God.
Exodus 30:1 – 10 describes the Altar of Incense.
“And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations” (Verses 6 – 8, NKJV, emphasis added).
The lamps were to be lighted during the evening sacrifice (6 pm) with incense (perpetual) before the ark of Covenant on the other side of the veil.
The End-time Church is a praying Church
Incense is a picture of prayer in both Old and New Testament Scripture:
“Let my prayer be set before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2).
“Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev. 5:8, emphasis added).
“Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:3, 4, emphasis added).
Therefore, God’s will for the the last move of God is that the Church should emphasize on prayer. In other words, prayer is the number one ministry in the Local Church in the last move of God.
Let us look at what Zacharias, a priest, did when he burnt incense in the temple:
“…. According to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (Luke 1:9 – 13, emphasis added).
Here are some observations:
1. Zacharias was a priest. All believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6; Rev. 1:6; 5:10). God will raise up many “Zacharias” in the end-time Church who will burn incense (pray) to the Lord.
2. As the Church prays there will be angelic visitations. Just as there were angelic visitations before the first coming of Jesus we will see angelic visitations and interventions in the lives of believers and the Church just before the second coming of Jesus.
3. There will be tremendous spiritual births of sons and daughters in the last move of God. People, young and old, who we thought would never be saved would come quickly into the Kingdom of God; quickly matured and transformed by the power of God. In other words, there will be a great harvest of souls!
4. There will be tremendous Church growth:
“Before she travailed, she brought for the; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:7, 8, KJV, emphasis added).
The above prophecy will be fulfilled. The word “Zion” speaks of the Church all through Scripture. The word “travail” or “labor” speaks of fervent prayer. As the Church prays many spiritual children (new souls) will be brought forth!
Importance of petition, intercession, prayer, praise and thanksgiving
A Church that embraces the last move of God is a praying Church.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6, 7, emphasis added).
Notice that the above speaks of all kinds of prayers.
Filled with the Holy Spirit
In order to pray effectively you must be led by the Spirit. You cannot be led by the Spirit unless you are filled with the Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit unless you are baptized in the Holy Spirit first. Believers who embrace the last move of God will be filled with the Holy Spirit:
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18, 19, emphasis added).
The spiritual principle is, when you minister to the Lord, the Lord touches you. When God touches you, you are filled with the Spirit. Then you can touch others. Receptivity comes be activity. No input, no output; more input, more output!
It is not true that a Spirit filled believer leaks as claimed by many Bible teachers. A Spirit filled Christian does not leak! The truth is power goes out of him when he ministers to others with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Look at the healing of the woman “having a flow of blood for twelve years” (Luke 8:43). When she touched the border of the garment of Jesus, He said:
“Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me” (Luke 8:46).
The Power of Intercession
A plague broke out when the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron:
“So Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the Lord. The plague has begun’. Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plaque was stopped” (Numbers 16:46 – 48, emphasis added).
Aaron was a perfect example of an intercessor – he stood between God's people and God’s wrath and judgment.
The way to stop any “plague” or wrath of God against our nation or our Church is to go into intercession. Intercession breaks the principality and powers over our country and Church.
The Power of the Evening Sacrifice
At Mount Carmel Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:20 – 40). The prophets of Baal would call upon their gods to send fire to consume the prepared sacrifice. Elijah would do the same by calling the name of the Lord. Baal failed in their effort. Elijah then took his turn:
“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘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. Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench” (1 Kings 18:36, 38, NKJV, emphasis added).
The reason why Elijah waited until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice to call upon the Lord because he knew God promised to meet with his people at the evening offering!
Beloved, this is now the evening time for the Church! God is waiting for our evening sacrifice!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)