God's Total Plan for Us

The Scripture reveals that God has a total plan for every one of us. We are created not without purpose. This message concerns the many stages in the conceiving and outworking of His plan for us from eternity to eternity.

Paul said, "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified" (Romans 8:28, 29, NKJV, emphasis added).

The five stages of His total plan are: He foreknew us, He predestined us, He called us, He justified us and He glorified us.

However, in order to get a more complete picture of these stages in God's plan and how they relate to one another we need to look at two other passages, both from Paul's epistles, in the New Testament which add to our understanding of this plan.

1. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will" (Eph. 1:3 - 5, emphasis added).

The additional information is "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world".

2. ".... who (God) has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" (2 Tim. 1:9, emphasis added).

The additional information is "God has saved us and called us with a holy calling".

The Eight Stages of God's Total Plan

If we sum it all up from the above passages of Scripture we'll notice that God's total plan for us works out in eight distinct stages from eternity to time and then from time to eternity again. In other words, He began His plan before time began and right through beyond time into eternity!

Here are the eight stages:

1. God foreknew us

Peter greeted the Jewish believers (the elect) in the midst of their persecution:

".... to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: ..." (1 Peter 1:1, 2, NKJV, emphasis added).

There is no attribute of God that is more awesome than God's knowledge and foreknowledge.

John said, "For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things" (1 John 3:20, NKJV, emphasis added).

When the Scripture says "God knows all things" it means there is nothing that God doesn't know.

David said, "O Lord, You have searched me and known me. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence" (Psalm 139:1, 4, 6, 7, emphasis added)?

Here are some statements of truth:

A. God foreknows our thoughts. He knows what we are going to say before we say it!

B. The key to how God knows everything - is through His Spirit. The Spirit of God permeates everywhere and anytime. The past, present and future and even before time began. Through His Spirit God knows everything about us, even before we were born (Ps. 139:13 - 16).

2. God chose us

On the basis of God's foreknowledge, He chose us. God took the initiative to choose us. It is important to note that in all God's dealing with man, and in fact the whole universe, God always retain the initiative which never passes out of God's hand. This is true in various God's dealing as recorded in the New Testament:

A. The New Birth - Salvation

In contemporary Christianity, many people think that they gotten born again because they'd decided to be a Christian. But the Scripture says we are born again because God decided in the first place. The fact is, our job is to respond to God's decision to choose us, and without His decision it wouldn't have happened by our decision alone:

Paul said, "But we are bound to give thaks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, ..." (1 Thess. 2:13, emphasis added).

B. Apostleship

Jesus said to His disciples, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, ..." (John 15:16).

Peter applied this to his own experience as he said to the Jerusalem Council:

"Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe" (Acts 15:7).

In relation to this, Peter didn't go to the household of Cornelius because he chose - he went because God chose (Acts 10).

This is also true for the apostle Paul's conversion at Damascus Road (Acts 22:14, 15). Paul didn't become an apostle because he chose, but because God chose. It fact if left to himself, this would be the furthest thing from his thinking. Furthermore, no one in the early Church would have chosen Paul to be an apostle. He would have been at the very bottom of the list!

I think there is a certain confidence when it is God's choice. Instead of figuring out ourselves what we should be we can find out what God has chosen us to be. Never get the attitude that God has chosen you to do something but you are not capable of doing it. God knows you can do it, otherwise He wouldn't have chosen you. God's foreknowledge leads to his choice.

We need to apply this spiritual truth to our own life. Don't try to be something that God hasn't chosen you to be. Don't make your own plan; don't work out the best you can do - that is not sufficient. Wait upon the Lord and find out what He has chosen you to do.

Let me make a rather controversial statement, which to me is also a spiritual truth. God makes His own selection; He does not call for volunteers. The only thing He wants us to do is to respond to His choice.

3. God predestined us

On the basis of God's choice for us, He predestined us. People in general, don't like the word "predestination" - it frightens them. In simple language "predestination" means "God worked out, in advance, the course that our life is to take so that His purposes would be fulfilled". To me this is very logical.

4. God called us

At this stage we moved out of eternity into time - life's clock started to tick. God's call comes in real time - during our life's journey on earth. His call impacts us individually. At this stage it is left to us to respond to His call. God's call means two things:

A. He invites us to join His Family through faith in Jesus Christ.

B. He summons us with the Authority of the King.

5. God saved us

When we respond to the call of God positively then God saves us - we enter into salvation as we are regenerated instantly. We are quickened and made alive in the Spirit. We are saved from sin, from its guilt, from its power, from its defilement. God has provided total salvation through Jesus Christ.

6. God justified us

When we are saved God also justified us. The word "justify" means "to acquit" or "to reckon righteous".

Paul said, ".... being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24, NKJV).

The basis of our justification is the death of Christ:

"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9).

Justification was brought to us through Christ's resurrection:

"It (righteousness) shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification" (Romans 4:24, 25, emphasis added).

7. God called us with a Holy Calling

God saved and justified us so that we are qualified to be called by Him to do His work and to fulfill His purpose for us (2 Tim. 1:9). This is also our sactification and salvation process. This is on-going until we step out of time into eternity. Every believer in Christ has a unique calling according to 2 Tim. 1:9.

Here are some important statements of truth from 2 Tim. 1:9:

A. Your calling is holy. This means you are set apart to do God's will. God also sets limits and boundaries around your life - your calling is not unlimited.

B. Your calling does not depend on your works. It has nothing to do with your talent, your effort or your ability. When He calls you He will enable you to do His work. All you need to do is submit yourself to Him.

C. Your calling is God's choice and not your choice. He worked out His calling for you before time began.

8. We shall be glorified together with Christ

At this stage (at the fullness of the times) we are going to pass out of time into eternity again. We shall be glorified together with Christ.

Paul said, "... that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph. 1:10, 11).

Paul also said, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Romans 8:16, 17, emphasis added).

Notice there is a condition attached - we must suffer with Christ first! The spirtual principle is - The road to glory is suffering!

Take comfort in what Paul said in the next verse:

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

From Eternity to Eternity

According to the Bible, every one of us, whether we are aware of it or not, is on a wonderful journey from eternity to eternity. God leads us through from eternity, before time began, through many phases of time and on again into eternity. Our destination is a place of total rest and total security in God if we respond to His sovereign calling and choice throughout this journey.

Our journey began at the first verse of the Bible:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, NKJV).

For all of recorded history man has speculated what is behind the universe and what keeps it in being. Countless different answers have been offered. Was it started with a big bang, or just by chance or by some other mindless physical process which just continuing on and on? Nobody knows how it started and how it will end. Unfortunately no answer was ever found to be correct.
The Bible's Answer

The Bible's answer is very clear and precise. It give three important concepts. Behind the universe there is:

1. A Person.

2. He is a Creator.

3. He is also a Father.

Your view of the origin of the universe will determine your whole perspective on it and on your life and on yourself. Are your existence just a chance happening with no real purpose? Are you just a victim of physical forces which you can't control? What is your reason of being here?

If you believe the Bible record then you have a reason and a purpose. That will change your whole outlook on life. If you believe the Biblical truth that behind everything, including you, there is Creator, a Person and a Father whom you can relate to, you will be truly secured in Him and in life.

The Eternal Presence of God

The psalmist said, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God: (Psalm 90:2, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that the psalmist did not say "You were God" or "You will be God". but he said, "You are God". God lives in eternal presence. He has no beginning or ending. He exists forever.

At the beginning of the Book of Revelation John recorded what He said:

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8, NKJV).

At the end of the Book of Revelation Jesus says again, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last" (Rev. 22:13).

Because of the fact that God lives in eternal presence you can never get outside of God. He was before you, He is with you for the rest of time and on into eternity.

The Faithfulness of God

The writer of Hebrews said, ".... looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, ..." (Heb. 12:2).

Our faith begins with Him, and culminates in Him.

Paul said, ".... Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

God accepts responsibility for everything He has begun. He never begins something that He is not going to see through to the end. He never leaves any of His purposes and works half finished. If we are in the centre of His will and faithfully doing what He tells us to do, we have the confidence that He will see it through to the finish.

God is our Salvation

It is important to understand God the Father is our salvation.

Isaiah said, "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For Yah, the Lord, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation'" (Isaiah 12:6).

Moses and the psalmist said the same thing - "The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation" (Ex. 15:3, Psalm 115:14).

I feel sorry for people who try to find salvation in a Church, in a dorctrine or in a denomination or in a person. How unstable and incapable they are to provide the salvation that we can trust.

Peter said, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Our problem today in the Church is that we are prone to be self centered and earth centered. The truth is that Jesus Chirst and Him alone, is the centre and we revolve around Him. As long as we simply rely on our own ability and effort and the best that we can do, we'll never be secured in our salvation.

God is in Total Control

Paul said, "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen" (Romans 11:36, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that not a single word in the whole verse is more than one syllable. You can't say any thing more important or more profound than these words tell us!. Everything comes from God, through God and comes to its fulfillment in God. In other words, God has total supreme control over the entire universe! From the greatest to the smallest, from living things to non-living things - everything that exists is under God's total control.

Here are some statements in the Scripture that point this out:

1. God controls the stars:

The psalmist said, "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them by name" (Ps. 147:4).

"Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26).

There are millions of stars in the universe and yet He names them one by one!

2. God controls the lives of the sparrows:

Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will" (Matt. 10:29).

He also said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God" (Luke 12:6).

The sparrow is so common in almost every country that nobody thinks much about them. Yet the Father keeps track of their existence. From the two statements made by Jesus we can see clearly the mathematics involed in the pricing of the sparrows. If two sparrows cost one copper coin, logically, two copper coins would buy you four sparrows. Yet one more sparrow was thrown in for free!

God controls the course of human history

Human history is not a series of unplanned events outside the sovereign control and plan of the almighty God.

The psalmist said, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations" (Ps. 33:10, 11).

God's plan for Nebuchadnezzar

God raised up a Gentile king, Nebuchadnezzar to fulfill His plan. Nebuchadnezzar was called to be His servant to judge His people because of their disobedience.

"Because you have not heard, behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land, against its inhabitants, ...." (Jeremiah 25:9, NKJV).

Nebuchadnezzar had a head-on encounter with the power and wisdom of God. Because of Nebuchadnezzar's pride God humbled him so that for seven years he was forced to act like a beast, going naked in the field and eating grass:

"That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws" (Daniel 4:33).

The next two verses said Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and summed up the lesson he learned about God:

"I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain his hand or say to Him, 'What have You don?'" (Daniel 4:34, 35).

God's plan for Job

God's plan also applies to individual lives as seen in the case of Job. He was permitted to go through tremendous trials and sufferings. But in the end he received from God which worthed more than those things he lost (Job 42:12 - 17).

Furthermore, he received a personal revelation of the living God:

Job said, "I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You" (Job 42:2).

Believers are part of His Plan

Those who believed in Christ are part part of His plan:

Paul said, "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, ..." (Eph. 1:11).

God works out everything in conformity to His will for us:

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, NKJV).

For it to be true we have to meet three conditions:

1. We have to love God.

2. We have to be called by God - We must know our calling.

3. We have to walk in the purpose of God in our calling.

All true Christians fulfilled the above conditions. It follows that if you are not a genuine believer in Christ - "Not all things work together for your good"! In that case you should re-examine yourself and subsequently restore your personal relationship with the Lord, your God!

The Single Most Important Event

I believe the single most important event ever recorded in human history is the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only hope in this despairing world. It also looks forward to the next major climax due to take place in human history - when He comes again to establish His Kingdom on earth!

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is so seriously disturbing and unbelievable that it gives rise to what is commonly known as the Gnostic Gospels. The word "Gnostic" comes from the Greek word for knowledge (gnosis). The Gnostics believe that knowledge is the way of salvation. Examples of Gnostic Gospel are the "DaVinci Code", gospel of Judas, gospel of Philip, gospel of Mary and gospel of Thomas, just to mention a few. In all there are about four dozen others. The most recent one is "The Lost Tomb of Jesus". It is a made-for-TV documentary of Discovery Channel. They claim that the tomb contained the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, as will as his mother Mary, his father Joseph, and other family members. According to the filmmakers, their "discovery" supports claims that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and may have had children. Without going into details, we can say that the Gnostic Gosepel is one of the greatest deceptions in recent time. Notice that Christianity stand or falls depends on the resurrection of Christ. Therefore if it can be proven that Jesus' remains can be found in His tomb, then He is not resurrected and all Christians believed in vain.

Paul said, "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished" (1 Cor. 15:17, 18, NKJV).

Paul also warned Timothy against false knowledge and teaching:

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in doing have wandered from the faith" (1 Timothy 6:20, NIV).

According to the Scriptures

Paul said, "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 -4, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The gospel that Paul preached is centered in the Person of Jesus Christ. You can't take away Jesus Christ and still have the gospel.

2. The gospel centers in three great, but simple, historical facts that relate to Jesus Christ - He died, He was buried and He rose again the third day. Christianity is rooted in human history. If history is true then Christianity is true.

3. The gospel therefore, is not a set of human opinion; it is not a system of theology or philosophy. It is a set of historicl facts based on the infallible Scriptures. Paul mentioned "According to the Scriptures" twice.

4. The Scriptures that Paul referred to are Old Testament Scriptures because the New Testament Scriptures have not been completely written yet in Paul's time. Therefore, the Gospel of Jesus Christ must have been foretold or predicted by the Old Testament prophets.

Principle that brings forth the truth

The principle that brings forth the truth in Old Testament prophecy is explained by Peter:

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven - things which angels desire to look into" (1 Peter 1:10 -12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The Spirit of Christ the Messiah, in the first person, spoke through the Old Testament prophets.

2. The Spirit of Christ in them predicted two main phases in the experience of Christ - One, His suffering and two, His glory.

3. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached to us.

According to the prophetic utterance of David

Although David did not hold the office of a prophet, the Scripture reveals at least two examples of prophetic utterance when he spoke of Christ in the first perosn - he spoke as if Christ Himself was speaking:

1. Prophecy concerning Christ's suffering and crucifixion

"For dogs have surrounded me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots" (Psalm 22:16 - 18, NKJV).

"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:20, 21, NKJV).

In the New Testament the above Scripture passages were fulfilled (Matthew 27:34, 35).

2. Prophecy concerning Christ's resurrection and ascension

"I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:8 - 11, NKJV).

The above prophecy became a historical fact as confirmed by Luke (the writer of Acts) as a witness to Peter's sermon (Acts 2:30 -32).

Another passage of Scripture concerning Christ's comfort received from the Father, as spoken through David (in the first person) can be found in Psalm 71:20, 21.

According to the prophecy of Isaiah

Again Christ (by the Spirit of Christ) spoke through Isaiah in the first person concerning His suffering:

"The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard: I did not hid My face from shame and spitting" (Isaiah 50:5, 6).

Matthew testified that the above prophecy was fulfilled (Matthew 26:67).

According to the prophecy of Hosea

Hosea spoke of the experiences of Jesus Christ and our identification with Him:

"Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:1 - 3, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The phrase "He is torn, but He will heal us" speaks of "by whose stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24).

2. Believers are identified with Jesus in resurrection. Hosea was the only Old Testament prophet predicted Christ would be resurrected on the third day. Because of Christ's resurrection we would be resurrected - "He will raise us up".

3. The revelation knowledge after Christ's resurrection is only for those (believers) who follow on to "pursue the knowledge of the Lord". Prior to that time, the earthly life of Jesus were witnessed by all alike - believers and unbelievers, friends and enemies. But from the moment of His resurrection onward revelation knowledge is only granted to true believers.

4. Christ's going forth from the tomb compared the morning sunrise with the resurrection.

5. After resurrection and glorification, Jesus would "come to us like the rain, ....". This speaks of the coming of the Holy Spirit prophesied by Joel (Joel 2:23). This was culminated on the day of Pentecost.

6. Hosea's prophecy concerning believers' sharing with Christ in His resurrection was fulfilled in the New Testament.

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ..." (Eph. 2:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).

The word "together" is mentioned three times indicating the three experiences!

Notice that the outward act of the believers' identification with Christ is Water Baptism:

".... buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col. 2:12).

The witnesses who saw Him alive after His resurrection

By Jewish law which was enforced in the time of Jesus and the apostles required that in order to establish the truth of a statement in a court of law, it was necessary to produce 2, or preferably 3 male witnesses.

Paul said, "... And that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, after that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out ot due time" (1 Cor. 15:5 - 8).

Obviously, the number of witnesses exceeded by many folds the minimun number required.

Common features of all withnesses

1. They were men who had never failed to record their own weaknesses and failings. They were humble and not boastful.

2. They were all changed from unbelief to belief. In Paul's case, not only he was changed from unbelief but from active opposition.

3. Their change was permanent, total and complete. Their life was never the same again after they had received the revelation knowledge of the resurrection of Christ.

4. No amount of persecution or threat of death could ever cause them to go back on their testimonies. They had to speak what they saw and what they knew.

Security in Time

Last week I shared with you a message on Eternal Security - True and permanent security through this age and into the next. This message concerns true and permanent security in time, which means security in this life on earth. There are two important areas that come to mind - Security in times of trouble and emotional security.

Security in times of trouble

The world over is going through times of trouble. Every one of us, a Christian or an unbeliever is experiencing various forms and degree of distress and trouble. We are going through a time of wars, disasters (natural or manmade), earthquakes, floods, extreme weather conditions, terrors, famine, diseases and pestilence and so on. Bible prophecy says things will get worse. But those of us who trust the Word of God will be comforted by what the psalmist said:

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.' Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; ....." (Psalm 91:1 - 10, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. There are conditions attached for coming into that total security psalmist spoke about. The first condition is, you must be "dwelling in the secret place". The word "dwell" speaks of continuously living in the secret place provided by God. It is not a place just for someone who runs into in time of a crisis. It is a place for someone who are dwelling in and abiding in it. The word "abiding" means "resting". This speaks of complete protection - dwelling and resting!

2. The second condition is a bold personal confession of faith in God and our relationship to Him - Say boldly, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust".

The psalmist said, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, ..." (Psalm 107:2).

Redemption is not effective till we say it. We make it effective by our own personal confession.

3. What is a "secret place"? Well, first of all a secret place is hidden behind something; it has to be searched for; it is not advertised and there is no sign hanging out there telling you that this is the secret place. We have no choice but to find it - or we have someone leads us to it.

In the Book of Job there are passages which relate to the search of the secret place:

"The path no bird knows, nor has the falcon's eyes seen it. The proud lions have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it. The deep says, 'It is not with me.' It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a report about it with our ears.' God understand its way, and He knows its place" (Job 28:7, 8, 14, 21, 22, 23, NKJV, emphasis added).

I believe, in the context of Psalm 91, the door to the secret place is the cross of Jesus Christ. That is why no animal can find it, no bird can see it. In fact the whole natural creation does no know it - Only God understand its way and knows its place! The secret place is in the spiritual realm and not in the natural realm. When God leads us to the Cross of Jesus Christ and we are born again by the Spirit of God the secret place will be revealed to us!

Concerning this "secret place" Paul said:

"For you died, and your life IS hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3, emphasis added).

I have to emphasis this - The phrase "your life is hidden" means "you are in the secret place now". The secret place is not in the next world but already true now! The truth is, when Jesus died, he did not die for Himself; He died for us. When Jesus died we died. That is why Paul said:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; ..." (Gal. 2:20).

As a believer you died, you passed through the death of Jesus, through the cross into a new realm, a realm that is not in the natural world, a realm the senses can't discern, a realm in Christ and hidden with Christ in God. This represents total and permanent security! You have double protection, first you are in Christ and then you are in God. Nothing in the whole universe can reach you except it comes through God and through Christ. As true Christians we are so totally identified with Jesus Christ that nothing can ever happens to us unless it is in the will of God and of Christ - that is total and perfect security! It is the security in this life in the midst of war, famine, earthquake, pestilence, diseases and all kinds of trouble and disaster. In Christ we are in that secret place of the most High protected from all harm and all danger. The door to this secret place is the Cross!

Emotional Security

Mental and emotional pressures are increasing in our contemporary life style. Extreme stressful life style can cause heart disease, hypertension and ultimately sudden death.

God's remedy against mental and emotional pressure is summed up in one word - peace. Peace not in the sense of not having any war but in the sense of fulfillment, completeness and rest. The common enemies of peace are fear and worry. They can come in many disguises - we can be afraid of sicknesses and diseases including cancer, afraid of accidents, afraid of people's opinion, fear of financial crash, fear of stocks and shares sell-out and we can worry about all kinds of things. Someone has said worry is like a nagging worm that eats away; fear is more like a dagger that thrusts into us. But each of them in the end is destruction.

Fear and Worry

God's main protection against fear and worry is trust.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, ...." (Isaiah 26:3, 4).

A person who trusts in the Lord will focus his mind on the Lord. In return, the Lord will keep him in perfect peace.

There are two steps in achieving trust:

1. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Eph. 4:23). Let the Holy Spirit takes control of your mind. If you allow Him to reprogram your thinking and to redirect your thoughts, He will give you a new thought pattern.

Paul said, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7, NIV).

Paul brought out the contrast between the kind of spirit that operates in the people of the world and the kind of Spirit that should be operating in a child of God. We should always invite the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline to control our mind. When the Holy Spirit comes in it excludes the spirit of timidity and fear.

2. Focus our mind on the positive

Paul said, "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 mind through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6, 7, NKJV, emphasis added).

We must trust the above above promise of God without reasoning and questioning. We simply receive the peace of God by faith.

Further on in verse 8 Paul gave instruction on how to retain the peace of God:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things" (Phil. 4:8).

We must at all times, never to let our mind be preoccupied with the negative. Don't think about the problems that may arise. Instead focus on that which is good; focus on God, His love, His promises and His faithfulness and thank Him.

Tension between Fear and Trust

David the psalmist said, "Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in Cod I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Ps. 56:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).

Notice that David didn't say that he would never be afraid. He said that whenever he was afraid he wouldn't yield to fear, he wouldn't focus on fear, he wouldn't let fear dominates his thinking. But he would turn away from the spirit of fear to the Lord. He would put his trust in the Lord.

As we turn to the Lord and put our trust in Him we have to honor His Word. The expression of God's will, God's counsel and God's attitude toward us is found in His Word. Circumstances might seem to suggest that God doesn't care, that God is far away and things are not under God's control. But when we put our trust in God and in His Word we can't believe the lies of Satan. This is the remedy against all kinds of fear.

Discouragement and Depression

Two of the most common enemies in the life of God's people are discouragement and depression. The work of the wrong spirit in our mind causes us to feel depress and discourage.

Discouragement

Jesus said, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, ...." (John 14:16, 17, NKJV, emphasis added).

The word "Helper" also menas "Comforter" or "Encourger" in other versions of the Bible. The Holy Spirit never discourages the people of God. He may convicts and rebukes us but He will never discourage us. The Holy Spirit encourages us by bringing to us the truth. On the other hand, Satan is a liar and he discourages us by bringing us his lies. The ultimate input of the Holy Spirit is always positive and never negative.

Jeus prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17).

Put the Helper (Holy Spirit) and His Word (His Truth) together, you'll notice that the Holy Spirit encourages us by bringing to our mind the truth of God's Word.

Depression

The Lord spoke through Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; .... To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1, 3, NKJV, emphasis added).

"The spirit of heaviness" is "the spirit of depression". Depression is a spirit. The phrase, "those who morn in Zion" means "those who are depressed in the Church - believers". The "Oil of joy" is the Holy Spirit.

When we put on the garment of praise and begin to praise God and worship Him the sprit of heaviness and depression will not be able to get at us - he is defeated. Notice that praise is a garment for us to put on all the time. We must live with the garment of praise on just as we live in other items of clothing. The garment of praise continuously protects our whole being and personality against the spirit of heaviness which is the source of depression.

Eternal Security

Everyone, irrespective of race and culture, is looking for security. In fact a major part of human activity is directed toward finding security.

In the contemporary culture there are various agencies, or industries or organizations, in some way or other, devoted to provide security. One example is the Insurance Agencies. They do a tremendous job in providing security but their scope is limited. You can insure yourself against an accident but there is no way to be sure that accident won't happen. You can insure against fire or theft but there is absolutely no way to be completely sure that no fire will break out or no theft will take place. Then there is some form of social security in most countries. People may have their financial and medical needs cared for but there is no evidence of complete and total security. My conclusion is that in spite of all man's efforts, wisdom, know-how or wealth they are ultimatley powerless in achieving real security.

Security through the Word of God

There is another source of security which can provide real security and it is only found through the Wisdom of God.

Read Proverbs 1:20 - 33. It is the Wisdom of God speaking through the Scripture.

In Proverbs 1 the key verse says, "But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, and will be secure, without fear of evil" (Verse 33, NKJV).

Notice that the key to achieving the kind of security offered in the Bible is by listening to the right voice - The Voice of Wisdom. Those who listen to God's Voice of Wisdom will "dwell safely". He will be protected by God; he will live outside the scope of harm and evil!

God's Wisdom offers both advice and rebuke. God's rebuke is found in:

"Because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes" (Prov. 1:25, 26).

If you reject the counsel of the Wisdom of God, you will be visited by ultimate calamity and disaster! Instead of helping and delivering you from your suffering, the Lord will laugh at you!

God's Wisdom shows us what is right and warns us against what is wrong. But apart from God's revelation we really can't fully understand what Wisdom is all about.

The Temporal and the Eternal

There are two parallel categories of things in the universe - things that are seen and things that are not seen; things that are temporal and things that are eternal.

Paul said, "While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:18).

The unseen world includes the Word of God, His being and His truth - they are all Spirit. By faith we apprehend what we can't see with our eyes or what we can't perceive with any of our senses. But through the perception of this eternal invisible realm we begin to find true security.

"All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:6 - 8).

Human life is temporal and subject to corruption and death. We are like grass; we grow up, we die and we pass away. On the other hand, the eternal realm does not subject to corruption, or change or instability.

In order to understand and to achieve true security you have to see the limit of any other kind of security. Man, by his own effort or wisdom, can never achieve true and permanent security. Any achievement by man is like man's own nature - like grass! God has permitted that and He uses man's weaknesses to turn man's heart away from the impermanent to the permanent. Every one of us has to make a choice about how to live our lives. We have to decide whether are we going to build on the temporal or going to build on the permanent.

Nature of the Rock

The choice of building on the temporal or on the permanent is vividly described in the proverbial parable of Jesus (Matthew 7:24 - 27). Two men each built a house - one built on sand (speaks of the temporal) and the other buit on the rock (speaks of the permanent). The same choice faces every one of us.

Paul said, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11).

The only foundation that will stand for eternity is the foundation of Jesus Christ. He is the foundation which God has already laid - we can't change it, we can't find another. We can only accept that which God has already provided in Jesus Christ.

The psalmist said the Lord is the Rock of our refuge (Ps. 94:22) and the Rock of our salvation (Ps. 95:1).

Peter said, "Coming to Him (Jesus) as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house ......" (1 Peter 2:4 - 5).

God spoke through Isaiah, "Behold, I lay Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, as sure foundation ....." (Isaiah 28:16).

Zion speaks of the Church all through Scripture. Jesus Christ has been chosen by God to build His Church. He is the "sure" and eternal foundation for the Church and individual Christians!

Jesus Himself said, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18, NKJV).

To me that is total and permanent security.

Personal relationship with the Rock

In order to have true security in this life or the next we must come to the Rock, the Lord Jesus, and have a personal relationship with Him. If you come to Him He will receive you.

Jesus said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out" (John 6:37).

Commitment to Jesus Christ produces a direct and personal relationship with Him for which there is no substitute. This relationship is described in many passages of Scripture. Here are just two examples:

1. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk throught the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1 - 4).

Once you have made a commitment to Him as your Lord and Shepherd He accepts total responsibility to provide eternal security in every situation, every circumstance. And He does it for His Name's sake. There is no power of evil in the entire universe can disrupt the relationship between the Lord and the one committed to Him.

2. Paul said, "For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created things, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39, emphasis added).

When we are committed to Him, nothing (nine nor's) can separate us from the love of Christ. That is total and permanent security.

Eternal Hope and Hopelessness

Eternal Hope is the product of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Hope in the heart gives patience and strength to endure hardship and calamities and all the other pressures that come against us in life.

"The wicked is banished in his wickedness, but the righteous has a refuge in his death" (Proverbs 14:32, NKJV, emphasis added).

In the King James Version the word "refuge" is replaced by the word "hope". Therefore "refuge" also speaks of "hope". For every soul committed to the Lord even in the valley of the shadow of death there is a refuge and there is hope.

On the other hand, hopelessness takes away initiative, strength and the very will to live. To be without hope in this life is tragic. But to be without hope in death is the ultimate tragedy!

Paul said, "Therefore remember that you, once Gentile in the flesh .... that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:11, 12, NKJV, emphasis added).

Three things described those who are separated from Christ - without Christ, without hope and without God. To me this is a terribe picture!

Paul said, "But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus" (1 Thess. 4:13, 14, emphasis added).

Notice the contrast at death between the two kinds of people - those who are united to Christ by faith and those who don't have that union with Christ in the spiritual realm. For the former, they don't have to experience death but they only being described as "fallen asleep". When they "wake up" they will see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12)! But for the later there is no hope!

Ripening of The Good and The Evil

At the close of this present evil age the war between the good and the evil will gather momentum and will come to a simultaneous climax. This is illustrated and stated in many places in the Scripture. Here are some examples:

1. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew 13:24 - 30).

Notice that all parables were given by Jesus to illustrate the mysteries concerning the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 13:11).

This parable illustrates the good seed and the bad seed in the Kingdom of Heaven (among the believers). The "good seed" speaks of the apostles' doctrine (or true Bible doctrine) which produces "wheat". At the time when the good seed is sown (by Jesus), bad seed which produces tares is also sown by the enemy (the Devil). Bad seed speaks of false doctrine.

God wants the wheat and the tares to grow together until the harvest. He is not going to uproot the tares until the harvest comes. The climatic condition ripens the wheat ripens the tares also. That is precisely what is happening all over the world and also happening in the Church now. The wickedness of the human race is ripening with amazing rapidity. It seems the tares are ripening faster than the wheat.

Some Christians seem to be talking or thinking that the Church is gradually taking over the world. But, there is not a single line of Scripture that gives any support to that theory. The Church is going to impact the whole earth but not going to take over it. There is only one person who will do this - the Lord Jesus Himself!

2. Arise and Shine

The Lord was speaking to Zion (the Church):

"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:1, 2, 3, NKJV).

Dark is getting darker; light is getting brighter. In the midst of this darkness, God's people will shine forth with His light and His glory and will attract many Gentiles (unbelievers).

3. Stressfull time

Paul wrote to Timothy, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away" (2 Tim. 3:1 - 5, NKJV)!

There are 18 moral and ethical blemishes listed in the above passage of Scripture. These are the character traces that we see in the contrmporary culture. It is interesting to note how they begin and end. They begin with the love of self and love of money and they end with the love of pleasure. This shows that corruption of human character will take its course. Both in the natural and in the spiritual corruptions are irreversible. Once corruption sets in, like in a fruit, you can arrest it, you can delay it, you can preserve it, but you can't reverse it. Ultimately it will take its course. It is true in the spiritual and in the moral - corruption is irreversible. It is equally true in the Church as in the world. There is no difference, unless you are a true and committed child of God.

God never tries to reverse corruption. His solution is a new creation.

Paul said, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17, emphasis added).

When man rejects the new creation then corruption must continues and comes to a climax - until the tares ripening to the full!

Religion without power

Some of you might think that Paul was only warning Timothy about the people of the world and not about believers. But verse 5 says, ".... Having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away"!

These people are in fact churchgoers, so-called Christians, who have religion but not power. They develop techniques in doing new things in the Church - modern forms of worships with high-tech instruments and gadgets. They have the language and words but they don't have the power. But only supernatural power can do it - to please the Object of our worship - the Almighty God.

Paul said, "For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power" (1 Cor. 4:20).

Destiny of evil men

Paul said, "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13).

I believe the most deceptive people are those who have deceived themselves. These people really believe their own deception. Sometimes a confirmed liar can past any lie detection test even when he is lying because he does not know he is lying - he really believes his own lies!

The original Greek word for "an impostor" or "a seducer" is "goes", which means "an enchanter" or "a wizard". Therefore an impostor is a practitioner of the occult.

Wicked or evil men will get worse and worse. Those who reject the grace of God of the new birth are inevitably doomed to get worse. An evil man is like an apple (or any other fruit) which has corruption in it. All kinds of fruit on earth are corrupt since man's fall (Genesis 3:17).

One way you can delay corruption is to put it in the refrigerator or a freezer. Religion is a refregerator. In fact many Local Churches, especially the mega-Churches are spiritual refrigerators. You can delay the manifestation of corruption but you can't reverse the process. Only the new birth can bring an end to corruption and start a new kind of life.

4. The time (of fulfillment) is at hand

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

The time of fulfillment is the time of fulfillment of all Bible Prophecies. It is the time immediately prior to the return of the Lord. We are living in this time period. The present condition of the world (and of the Church as well) is - some are righteous, some are holy; some are unrighteous, some are filthy. The angel didn't say everybody is going to be righteous. He said remain where you are! To me this is an amazing statement. The Lord seems to say, "It is too late to change anything now - live it up, one way (righteous) or another (unrighteous) because there is only little time left for the people on earth! Don't be a hypocrite! If you are enjoying being unjust, go on, and be more unjust still!"

It seems to me the Lord is less opposed to the wicked than He is to the hypocrites!

The time prior to the establishment of the Lord's Kingdom

The following is a vivid picture painted by Isaiah:

"See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants - it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left" (Isaiah 24:1 - 6, NIV).

The earth comes under a curse and will receive the above severe judgment of God for four reasons:

1. The earth is defiled - both physical and spiritual, by its people.

2. The people have disobeyed the laws - physical, moral and spiritual.

3. The people have violated the statutes of God.

4. The people have broken God's everlasting covenant.

I think it is merely wishful thinking that we are going to enjoy increasing peace or greater order in the world today. Read today's newspapers you'll understand what I mean. You'll reader about turmoil, unrest, violence, murders, disasters (natural and man-made), wars and rumors of war - about every dreadful thing but peace and order. True Christians should remind themselves of the coming impending judgmental visitation of Jesus on the earth.

Jesus Himself warned, "For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day" (Luke 17:24).

The climax is clearly very sudden. There is no warning when lightning flashes. The "warning" comes in the form of thunders after the lightning!

Paul said, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" (1 Thess. 5:2, 3, emphasis added).

The two things the world most concerned with today are peace and safety - which lead to wealth. Just at the time they think they've got it made destruction comes. This is like labor pains which are part of the birth process - a birth that brings forth the Lord's Kingdom on earth.
God's Judgment on the Nations

"For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land" (Joel 3:1, 2, emphasis added).

The basis of God's Judgment on the nations who hate Israel is two fold:

1. The way they have treated God's people, Israel.

2. The way they have divided the land of Israel.

Jesus' final discourse:

"When the Son of Man comes to His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left" (Matt. 25:31, 32).

Read further and you'll realize that once again the basis on which the nations will be judged is how they have treated the brothers of Jesus Christ! To resist Israel is to resist the Almighty God.

Conclusion

Terrors and destructions will come, but for those who truly know Christ and those who are in the Kingdom of God there is no terror - because only the Kingdom of God is unshakable.

"See to it that you do not refuse him (God) who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:25, 28, NIV).

Preparation for Christ's Return

I believe this message is timely seeing that we are living in the Last Days - in fact in the last of the Last Days! Unfortunately this type of message has somewhat been ignored by the contemporary Local Church.

Concerning the destructions on the Day of the Lord Peter said:

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming" (2 Peter 3:11, 12, NIV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. God's emphasis (His primary concern) is on the kind of people we ought to be - not so much on what we do or ought to do. In other words, God is looking into the character, personality and attitude of His people rather than into the amount of Church work they can do, while looking forward to Christ's Return.

Unfortunately, most Local Churches want Churchgoers to be active "doers" - get busy in "serving" Church. They equate leadership with Church activities. To them, any Churchgoer who is always busy with Church work has the mark of leadership. Churchgoers are to attend every Sunday Service, attend cell group meetings, Christian Seminars, Church Conferences, Christmas functions, end of year watch-night service and to be active in social works. Some of these activities are good provided we have already cultivated holy and godly living.

2. God expects us to live holy and godly lives while looking forward to Christ's Return.

Practical ways for cultivating Holy and Godly living

In my opinion there are at least four practical ways to express our obedience to God and to be the kind of people that He wants:

1. Align ourselves with God's purpose

The primary objective of God is that His Kingdom may come. We must therefore align ourselves with the coming of His Kingdom. Whether we are aware of it or not, we proclaim this whenever we say the Lord's Prayer:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:9, 10, NKJV, emphasis added).

Anytime a believer prays the above prayer and does not believe Christ's Kingdom will be established on earth, it makes him a hypocrite!

Later on in the same Chapter, Jesus said to His disciples, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, ...." (Verse 33).

Therefore everything that we do is ultimately directed toward the coming of the Kingdom of God. Our primary concern in life should be the coming of the Kingdom of God.

We are confronted everyday, through the media, of the ills of humanity, all the agony and turmoil of humanity. Man can't solve these problems by himself. The only ultimate solution for the human race is the establishment of God's Kingdom on earth with His appointed Ruler, the Lord Jesus Christ!

First of all we must get our priorities right. It's not seeking the Kingdom of God when it suits us. We need to seek first the Kingdom of God whether it is convenient for us to do so or not.

Why did Jonah disobeyed God?

A prophet of God who failed to align himself with God's purpose was the prophet Jonah.

God called Jonah to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Nineveh was the captital of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrians were staunch political enemies of the Israelites and they were worshippers of false gods. Nineveh was east and Jonah went to the opposite direction.

I think the main reason why Jonah did not want to go to preach repentence to the people of Nineveh was that he was afraid the enemies of Israel would repent. The remarkable thing is that when God finally got His way with Jonah, the greatest expression of conversion reported in history happened through him. The entire city of about 600,000 people was converted!

Before that happened Jonah had to learn a lesson. He lived in the mountain of Galilee. When he turned his back on God every step he took was a step downward. He went from the mountain to the plain; from the plain to the harbor; from the harbor to the ship; from the ship to the sea and finally into the stomach of a big fish!

Let it be a warning to every Christian. When a Christian turns his back on God every step he takes will be a step downward. There are a lot of Jonahs in the world today. They had a call from God; they knew full well what God wanted them to do, but it didn't suit them. They deliberately turned their backs on God and failed to align themselves with God's purpose!

2. Cultivate endurance

As a born again Christian, you are saved now. But Jesus said, to stay saved you have to endure:

"But he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13).

Endures what? In the context of the above verse, Jesus was talking about all the problems, troubles, the agonies that coming on the nations. The original Greek is more specific. It says, "The one who had endured to the end ....". The conclusion is, even if you are saved now, but to stay saved you have to endure all those things that are coming to all people in the world!

There is a parallel passage on Jesus' discourse in Luke 21:

"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls" (Verses 17 - 19, NKJV).

Jesus was saying, in the midst severe persecution, if you endure you will purchase your soul. In other words, the price you paid for the the salvation of your soul is endurance. Jesus further guaranteed that in the resurrection you'll come out, with a glorified body, with a full head of hair - not one hair missing!

Things brought without money

Next time you hear a Pastor or any preacher says, "Salvation is free but not cheap" agree with him! But, his reason for saying that might not be complete. The cost of salvation is the Blood of Jesus, yes. But, on our part, the final cost of salvation is endurance!

Besides "salvation" there are many other things we have to buy, but not with money:

Here is the Lord's invitation to us, "Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price" (Isaiah 55:1).

In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1 - 13), the foolish ones didn't bring enough oil. The wise virgins said to them, "Go and buy your own oil". While they were buying oil the Bridegroom came and they missed His coming!

The oil is a type of the Holy Spirit. You can't buy the Holy Spirit with money; you buy it with prayer, with seeking the Lord and with time spent with the Word. Otherwise, when your lamp runs out you've got nothing to refill it with.

Jesus said to the Laodiceans Church, "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see" (Rev. 3:18).

The testing of our faith

Every test that Christians goes through ultimately is a test of faith. It may take many forms but what has been tested is our faith.

James said, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into varous trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure" (James 1:2 - 4; 5:10, 11, emphasis added).

Read James 5:7 - 11 you'll find three related English words:

1. Patience - means essentially doing nothing. It derived from the same Latin root "passive".

2. Endurance - means "remaining under" trials and pressures of life, and staying there. The only way to learn endurance is to keep on enduring.

3. Perseverance - means doing something and persistently doing it, on and on doing it, without stopping until achieving results.

3. Waiting

I believe the importance of waiting is largely overlooked in the contemporary Church.

The writer of Hebrews said, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Heb. 9:28).

Paul wrote to the Church of the Thessalonians:

"For they themselves declared concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His son from heaven, who He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess. 1:9, 10).

These people (from Macedonia and Achaia and other places) turned to God as a result of the ministry of Paul. They did two things:

1. They served the living God.

2. They waited for His Son from heaven.

As Christians we are called to serve God and also called to wait. In my opinion it takes more faith to wait that to work - the real test of faith is waiting!

The benefit of waiting is made clear by Isaiah:

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him" (Isaiah 64:4, emphasis added).

Waiting is one of the tests that God invariably subjects the servants He intends to use.

Some of His servants who went through this test are:

1. Abraham waited 25 years for God's promised son.

2. Joseph waited in an Egyptian jail (Psalm 105:17 - 19).

3. Moses learned meekness by waiting for 40 years.

I don't think it is possible to bypass endurance and waiting in entering the promises of God. One of the benefits of waiting is, it teaches us to be dependent on God.

4. Cultivate a positive attitude

By cultivating a positive attitude with expectation of good, will set many Christians free from depression. Negative thoughts must be met with a positive confession.

God anointed Jesus to "comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ...." (Isaiah 61:3).

Paul said, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).

Finally take hold of the promise of Jesus:

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Rev. 21:7, NKJV).

Pleasing Men

Any Christian, whether he is an Evangelist, a Missionary, a Church Elder, a Pastor, a Church leader or a Churchgoer who preaches the Gospel, should not please men but God. It is extremely dangerous to please men. Only carnal Christians please men. Christians who preach to please men are looking for praise from men! This fact is made clear by the apostle Paul:

"For the appeal (in preaching or in exhortation) we made does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed - God is our witness. We are not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else" (1 Thess. 2:3 - 6, NIV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. A preacher must not cultivate a carnal or fleshly lifestyle. Words or phrases like "error", "impure motives", "trick", "flattery" and "to cover up greed" describe a Christian with a carnal lifestyle.

2. God does not entrust the Gospel to every preacher. Only preachers who do not please men but God are approved by God to preach the Gospel.

In fact Paul mentioned himself being "entrusted with the Gospel" in many of his epistles - Gal. 2:7; 1 Tim. 1:11; Titus 1:3.

3. God tests the hearts of preachers (and all his people) - whether they have carnal or impure motives or not.

The psalmist acknowledged that God does tests the hearts of men:

"The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates" (Psalm 11:4, 5, NKJV).

David said to his son Solomon:

"As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever" (1 Chron. 28:9, NKJV).

True Christians must not please men

Paul said, "For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are some statements of truth:

1. The word "now" is used here, evidently, to express a contrast between Paul's present and former purpose and way of life. Before Jesus met him (before conversion) Paul derived his authority from men (Acts 9:1, 2), and he endeavored to act so as to please men and gain their good esteem. But "now" (after his conversion) it was not his object. His highter aim was to please God.

The implication is that pleasing men is a natural thing to do before a person is converted. But after convertion he should let his spirit, quickened by the Holy Spirit, to "crucify his flesh" (see my message last week) and to please men no longer but to please God in all circumstances. All true Christians should emulate Paul.

2. A "bondservant of Christ" actually means simply a true Christian. Every true Christian is a servant or a slave of Christ - whether he is an ordained Minister or an ordinary Churchgoer. What Paul implied here is that everyone who pleases men cannot even be called a Christian! Paul was honest enough to consider himself, remained unconverted and remained as an unbelieving Jew, if his motive was to please men. Obviously, a carnal Christian, who is no difference from an unbeliever, cannot be entrusted by God to preach the Gospel! Would God call you if He could not trust you?

I suggest my readers refer to my posting in September, 2006 entitled "Churches that are mere Storehouses" where I shared about the Mega-Church ministries. It is clear that you just can't build a Mega-Church without without pleasing men. The whole philosophy of building a successful Mega Local Church is - The Church must become like the world to win the world. The first thing the Church does in order to become like the world is to please men. Therefore on the basis of the above Scripture passage, all the elders, senior Pastors, Pastors, associate Pastors and all full time workers in most Mega-Churches are not servants of God; they are non Christians - the same status as unbelievers. They store up Churchgoes for hell!

Paul warned Timothy concerning the corruption of Local Churches and Churchgoers in the Last Days - now is the last of the Last days!

"For the time will come when they (so-called Christians) will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shell turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into fables" (2 Tim. 4:3, 4, KJV, emphasis added).

Notice that you need endurance to listen to correct Biblical doctrine. Because of their carnal desires and their itching ears the majority of Churchgoers prefer to listen to something pleasing or gratifying.

Isaiah prophesied concerning rebellious and carnal people:

"They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and to the prophets, 'Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions'" (Isaiah 30:10, NIV).

Visions of what is right are sound Biblical doctrines whereas illusions are "itching ears" doctrines.

By the way, it is very unlikely that you find a single "itching ears" message in my postings and I believe many Christians need "endurance" to read them!

"All things to all men"

Paul was misunderstood when he said he became "all things to all men" in the following passage of Scripture:

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it all with you" (1 Cor. 9:19 - 23, NKJV, emphasis added).

First of all, Paul's purpose in life was for the sake of the Gospel. His desire of being "all things to all men" was to make his ministry as effective as possible - to get people save. But many Bible readers, including Bible teachers, believed he pleased men and compromised the truth of the Gospel. Many believers say Paul advocated adapting the Gospel to the tastes of unbelievers to win them to Christ.

I believe otherwise - Paul was adapting himself to the Gospel message!

The question we need to ask ourselves is that - How could a servant of God like Paul who would not please men and yet compromised the truth of the Gospel at the same time? It's simply not consistent!

Here is a brief summary of Paul's Ministry:

1. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16).

2. Paul suffered for Christ for the Gospel's sake (2 Cor. 11:23 - 28).

3. Paul's Gospel messages were non-negotiable (1 Cor. 9:16) and he charged Timothy to emulate him (2 Tim. 4:2, 5).

I suggest my readers refer to my earlier posting entitled "All things to all men" where I attempted to expound what Paul meant when he said he became "All things to all men". The fact is: Paul did exactly what God called him to do, and finished it - without the need to please men and without the need to compromise the truth of God's Word!

Paul finally said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7).

Just think about it - Is it really necessary to keep the faith and to "fight the good fight" if Paul's motive was to please men?

Our hope is the Lord

If you believe your hope is the Lord you will not please men and make flesh (your carnal desire) your strength. Otherwise you'll be under a curse:

"Cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. .....Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and chose hope is the Lord. ...." (Jeremiah 17:5 - 8).

The Scripture is very clear - Any Christian leader who trusts the Lord will not make flesh his strength. If he pleases man by compromising the truth of God's Word, then he neither trusts the Lord nor has any hope in Him!

Understanding Carnality

It is so easy to blame the Devil for carnality. Many things that Christians attribute to the Devil are really nothing more than the works of the flesh. We must realize that not everything that is wrong in life is directly the work of an evil spirit.

As mentioned in my previous message, the word "carnal", in a Biblical sense, signifies the flesh that is sensual, controlled by animal appetites, and governed by human nature instead of by the Spirit of God. So, the only way to overcome the flesh or carnal desires is to keep the flesh under the dominion of the spirit. When a person is born again, his spirit is instantly regenerated by the Spirit of God. In other words, his spirit is instantly quickened and made alive by the Spirit of God. Then he has the power in him to put his body under the control and subjection of his spirit.

True Children of God

The Bible says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14, NKJV).

It does not say, "For as many as are led by the body or the five physical senses, they are the sons of God." Or, "As many as are led by the soul (mind, emotion and will), are the sons of God." Spirit-ruled (led) and Word-based believers have a strong defense against Satan. But body-ruled and sense-ruled believers are an opened target for Satan and his wiles, because Satan cannot touch the spirit of a truly born again believer.

A believer must always keep his body subject to his spirit - more so for a Church leader or a preacher.

Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, less, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Cor. 9:27, emphasis added).

If the apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, had to keep his body under the dominion of his spirit, evidently his body must have wanted to do things (carnal in nature) that were not approved by God. He realized that otherwise he would not be qualified to preach to others. Therefore, in the eyes of God, a carnal preacher is disqualified to preach! As I have shared in my previous message, carnality is a Biblical type of spiritual leprosy. If you have a carnal Pastor-preacher or a carnal shepherd his "leprosy" will inevitably spread to members of the congregation! It makes me wonder, if this Biblical truth is strictly adhered to, how many Church elders or leaders are truly qualified to preach or to teach? But then again, not many God-fearing preaches or Pastors understood this important Biblical law!

Read the following Biblical qualifications of a Bishop (Overseer or a Church elder):

"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; ..." (1 Tim. 3:2, 3).

Obviously, a carnal Chirstian is not qualified to hold leadership position in the Local Church! Because of these careless carnal preachers many Church-goers are having spiritual leprosy!

The Christian's body

When you are born again by the Spirit of God, your body is not born again. Unless you allow your body to come under the subjection (dominion) of your spirit you are no better (in conduct and character) than an average unbeliever as far as the body and soul are concerned.

It is important to realize that since your body is not born again, and it is with your body (with your five physical senses) that you contact this world where Satan is god (2 Cor. 4:4) you are in constant danger of satanic attack. That is why your inner-man (the spirit-man) must do something to control your body. If you let your body do whatever it wants to do and let you mind think anything it wants to think, the Devil can get into your mind and body and dominates you.

Paul said, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30, emphasis added).

The word "redemption" means the redemption of the Christians' bodies. This is a future event. This will happen when Christ comes again when "corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor. 15:53).

In the meantime the Scripture instructs a Christian what to do with his body:

1. He must present his body a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1).

2. He must put to death (crucify) or mortify the deeds (fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness) of his body (Col. 3:5).

3. He must keep his body under subjection to his spirit-man (the inward man), the real man on the inside (1 Cor. 9:27).

The Christian's mind

The Bible has much to say about the human mind - the gateway into the human soul.

Peter wrote to believers "of the dispersion" (1 Peter 1:1):

"Therefore gird up the loins of you mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ...." (1 Peter 1:13, 14, NKJV, emphasis added).

To "gird up the loins of your mind" means "not to let loose the thoughts of your mind". If you fail to gird up the loins of your mind you would allow your thinking to conform to the "former lusts" of an unsaved person.

God has given us specific instructions about the mind and what we are supposed to do to keep our minds strong so that we can stand against Satan, the enemy of our soul:

"You (God ) will keep him (God's people) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You" (Isaiah 26:3, NKJV).

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5).

"The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:7).

We are to keep our minds and our thoughts focused on God. And if we start to think like Jesus the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.

To do that we have to put the Word of God (Jesus is the Word) into our minds by meditating on it. Then our thinking will be in line with the Word of God, and Satan would not be able to get a foothold in our thinking.

The Bible tells us what kind of thoughts we should be thinking:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things" (Phil. 4:8, NIV, emphasis added).

We should think thoughts in line with the Word, not the enemy's thoughts of doubt, worry, and discouragement.

God knows that man's mind is the first place where Satan tries to gain access - even the minds of Christians if they let him. That is the reason He wants the Christian to have a renewed mind - a renewed mind will transform you and your thinking.

Paul said, " I urge you, brother, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:1, 2, NIV, emphasis added).

The above passage of Scripture clearly shows that God wants submitted bodies, and transformed minds. That is His strategy for our defense against Satan.

When your mind is renewed with the Word, your thinking is transformed. When your thinking is transformed, your acting is transformed. You no longer think and act like you used to when you were under Satan's dominion. When your thinking and acting are transformed - you are transformed!

As Paul said, with the renewed mind you are tranformed or changed from the "old man" to the "new man":

".... that you put off, concerning your former conduct (lifestyle), the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph. 4:22 - 24, NKJV, emphasis added).

The "old man" with its carnal desires

The above passage of Scripture tells us how to deal with the body and soul after we are born again by the Spirit of God. It is important to understand that it is God's job to deal with our spirit - He quickens it; but it is Christian's job to deal with with his own body and soul - he takes dominion over the works of the flesh which comes from the old man. In other words, it is the Christian's job to put off the old man and put on the new man. God is not going to "put off the old man" for him.

You are not dealing with evil spirits when you put off those evil tendencies of the "old man"; you are just dealing with your flesh with its carnal desires. You are not to take the easy way out and blame it on the Devil. You've got to keep those evil tendencies and attitudes under the dominion of your spirit - the man on the inside - and let the new creature in Christ dominates. As you "put on" Christ you'll be able to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh where you are an easy prey for Satan:

"Walk in the Spirit, and you shll not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16).

Crucifixion of the flesh

The only way to "put off the old man" is to crucify the flesh.

Paul said, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:24, 25).

The evil spirit will always try to work through your flesh, but you have the authority in Christ to overcome it. The Devil and his evil spirits have no dominion over you, as long as you are walking in line with the Word and submit yourself to God.

James said, "Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7, NKJV).

You can't resis the Devil unless you submit to God or submit to the Lordship of Christ. When the Devil tries to use your flesh to gain access to you, it does not mean you are demon possessed. The Devil will always work through the flesh because your body is not redeemed yet. But if you don't furnish the Devil anything to work with, by submitting to God at all times, he would not have any access to you.

Therefore our carnal nature has nothing to do with the evil spirits. Therefore you just can't simply cast the flesh out like casting out demons. Instead, you have to crucify or mortify the deeds of the flesh. However, if you continue to give place to the lusts of your flesh, you will eventually open the door to evil spirits.

Conculsion

Thanik God, as genuine believers we know what to do about Satan, and we know our authority in Christ. We know how to put off the old man (carnal) nature with its "uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, wrath, malice ...." (Col. 3:5 - 8) and we know how to put on Christ. We can possess our vessels in sanctification and honor and learn how to stand strong against all the wiles of the Devil.