The Kingdom People

2012-02-13T16:30:00.003+08:00

Come out of Her, My People! (Pt. 1)

… “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! ³ For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” ⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. (Rev. 18:1-4)

At the end of the bible, God urgently commands His people to come out of “Babylon” in order to escape her sins and the resultant destructive judgments. Therefore it is important for us to understand the identity of “Babylon” in order to obey God and “flee” to safety. The end-time events involving God’s people and Babylon had already been fore-shadowed by Israel’s experience with the Babylon of old. Therefore, we have God’s Word to guide us in identifying this end-time Babylon.

Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. (Isa 21:9)…Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, That made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged. ⁸Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed… (Jer. 51:6-8)

A careful reading of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 will reveal remarkable characteristics of the end-time Babylon. Indeed, it is a politically powerful city in a supremely powerful nation that rules over the kings of the earth as much as the ancient Babylon was (Rev 17:18). It is called a “whore” or “Great Harlot”, most likely for her extreme immoralities and diverse idolatries, and its filthiness corrupts the whole world, as also did Babylon of old (Rev 17:1, 2, 5). Great martyrdoms of God’s people are found in both Babylons (Rev 17:6, 18:24). Just as ancient Babylon was made up of diverse people groups due to her many conquests, so end-time Babylon also is made up of many nations and tongues, probably more to her cultural and financial conquests (Rev 17:15). End-time Babylon is also a similarly hedonistic self-indulging major city port whose trading in luxuries enriches herself and her trading partners. Finally, as Babylon and her king was overthrown in one night (Dan 5:30-31) for her cruelties to Israel, so also end-time Babylon will be destroyed in “one hour” by God to avenge the blood of His martyrs (Rev 18:19-20).

I can probably now make an intelligent identification of this modern city in a modern nation as described with such superlative terms in Rev. 17 and 18. However, this is not the main point that God wants us to take heed. Flee we must if we are in that “Babylon” city and nation, but “Babylon” is more than just a geographical place. Beloved brethren, Babylon is a spirit! Thus, a part of the people of God needs to come out of physical Babylon, but all of God’s people need to come out of spiritual Babylon! It is useless to come out of physical Babylon without dealing with the spirit of Babylon that may be in us. Israel came out of Egypt but the spirit of Egypt in them hindered them from entering the Promised Land. Similarly, many Jews heeded God’s command to come out of Babylon at the end of the 70-year exile. However, Malachi recorded for us that the spirit of Babylon indeed was still in callous Israel even after the exile, and this caused Yahweh to abhor and reject their worship (Mal 1:10). This same antichrist spirit of Babylon caused many to reject Yeshua their Messiah and, finally, even to crucify Him! Similarly, many apostate Christians who are filled with the spirit of Babylon will betray and crucify the Body of Messiah, who are the true church in the end-time (Mt 24:10). They will also be deceived into accepting the anti-Christ as Christ, and rejects the true Christ when He comes (2Thess 2:1-4). Therefore, you must identify the spirit of Babylon!

So, what is the spirit of Babylon? The answer is found in the beginning of Babylon in the book of Genesis, the book of Beginnings. The Word of God tells us that Nimrod, the famed mighty hunter, founded the city of Babel (that is, Babylon) in the land of Shinar.

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar (Gen 10:8-10).

How did Babel beget its name? It was because God “destroyed” the building of the tower, and thus, the city, by confusing their common language.

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Gen. 11:4-9)

This was probably the beginning of religion, with man being deified as a god and worshipped, with Nimrod as the first human deity. Since then, history tells us that many mighty men and kings had been deified as gods and worshipped through the ages. Religion and idolatry always involve the frenzied acts of building: either a city or a tower (building), or both. The tower, or course, ostensibly serves as a temple that facilitates connection with heaven. Religion hates scattering and glories in gatherings, the bigger the better. Why? Because behind the gathering, behind the building of city and tower, behind every religion and religious spirit is the base carnal desire of man: that they may make a name for themselves. This is the spirit of Babylon: self-glorification, self-gratification or the worship of self! This is the spirit behind every religion and idolatry. This was why Nimrod and every other like him were deified.

Knowing this, it is not surprising that self-glorification was the reason for man’s first sin. What was the temptation given by the tempter that that befell our first parents? It was that they may be like God! To be like God is to receive praise, to receive worship!

…in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Gen 3:5-6).

Furthermore, what was the sin that befell the tempter, who was the anointed cherub of the Most High God, the son of the morning? It was self-glorification!

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa 14:12-15)

How beautifully consistent is God in His Word! The above passage is in fact speaking of the judgment of the King of Babylon, who was the personification of Lucifer, that is, satan himself! This means that satan is behind the spirit of Babylon and self-glorification!

Therefore, for God to save man, He must seek to destroy not just the worship of self, but the very channel of self-glorification in him, which is self! When the competing idol of self is taken out of the way, then and then only can man truly be set free to worship God in spirit and in truth. Therefore, this is the crux and essence of our Messiah Yeshua’s preaching: the gospel of the Cross!

And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life (Gk. Psuche, ie, soul or self) shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life (Gk. Psuche) for my sake, the same shall save it (Lk 9:23-24).

The beginning and also all of man’s sins have to do with self: man loves to worship, exalt or glorify himself. This also is the true meaning of pride. Israel’s problem was self. They love to worship idols because idolatry allowed them to indulge in self-gratification as well as self-glorification. Our problem is also self. Our love of the world is also self-glorification because it allows us to indulge in the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life. These were the very three things that Eve was tempted with and could not resist in the forbidden fruit.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise…(Gen 3:6)…Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1Jn 2:15-16)

God is consistent in presenting the gospel right to the end. The New Testament began with the Messiah calling man to die first before they can truly live. At the end of the bible, God’s command for His beloved people to come out of Babylon is in fact a call to come out of self-glorification by denying self. Once self is dealt with, physical Babylon, wherever or whatever it is, is not an issue anymore. Beloved brethren, have you understood and been convicted by what is discussed above? The spirit of Babylon is the spirit of self-glorification. It is the spirit that has permeated the world. It is the spirit of idolatry, a religious spirit. It is the spirit of antichrist. It is a satanic spirit.

Our eternal God is so good and wise, and beautiful beyond words to describe! When He says that he has declared the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10), it is more than God just prophesying or knowing about what will happen in the end. Beloved, the end has already been accomplished, that is, taken place in Christ in the eternal spirit realm (Eph 3:11)! God had finished all His works from the foundation of the world and has been resting since then (Heb 4:3-4). With this, we can now understand that Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (1Pet 1:20, Heb 13:8)! History is not unfolding towards the end. History is being worked out from the completed end. We are merely entering into the experience of what God had already accomplished. Because the divine wedding celebration of God and His Bride in Revelation 21 and 22 is already an eternal fact, the poignant and dramatic love story of God seeking and calling out His Bride is consistently and repetitively played out throughout the bible. Therefore, it is not surprising that God called our spiritual forefather Abraham out of Ur of the Chaldees, the very place where Babylon was birthed, and so soon after it was birthed!

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there (Gen 11:31)… Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee. (Gen 12:1)… And he said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it (Gen 15:7).

Today, most believers are not in physical Babylon, but they nevertheless are in spiritual Babylon, or rather the spirit of Babylon is in them. The way out of Babylon is through the Cross. Abraham took the Cross and entered into the experience of Christ’s death by believing and heeding Yahweh’s call to come out of Babylon. Similarly, you don’t have to crucify yourself anymore but merely to believe and accept as an accomplished fact that your old man (self) was crucified when Christ was crucified (Rom 6:6). More than that, you must also believe that you were resurrected when Christ rose from the dead and that now you are a new creation in Christ (2Cor 5:17). Daily, present your body as a living sacrifice to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2) and confess what Paul confessed until you know this has become a reality in you:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20).

When we go through sufferings because we choose the path of the Cross, remember that Christ had already been tempted in the same three areas by the tempter in the wilderness before He began His ministry (Mt 4:1-10). He overcame all the temptations because He steadfastly denied Himself and chose to believe and keep to the path of God’s Word. Finally at the end of His ministry He was again tempted to avoid the Cross by preserving His own life. Though the struggle was tremendous, yet He prevailed through to deny Himself and chose to do His Father’s will (Mt 26:36-42). Therefore, death was conquered and could not stop His resurrection. My friends, rest assured that through faith and perseverance we not only enter into Christ’s death and sufferings, but also His victorious resurrection as well!

Beloved, God will destroy Babylon soon. If you have heard and understood God’s command, I also plead with you, “COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE!”

The grace and shalom of our Lord Yeshua Messiah be with you.

If you have any comment or query, or if you want to know how you can be saved and have a personal relationship with your Creator God through Yeshua Christ, please write to thekingdompeople@yahoo.com. It will be my pleasure to help you to know God personally. All sincere inquiries will be responded to.

2011-09-14T19:55:00.014+08:00

“Another Jesus”

⁴For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (2Cor 11;4, KJV)

There is “another gospel” being preached today which is completely opposite that of the New Testament. This other “gospel” is presenting “another Jesus” from Him who died, and was buried and resurrected, Yeshua Messiah, Who is the only Son of God and the Lord from Heaven. And it is imparting “another spirit” that is not the Holy Spirit of God. As a result, there is another “church” that has emerged today, that is not the Church of Yeshua Messiah.

My beloved friend, do you know how you can differentiate the true from the false and counterfeit? It is in the gospel that is being preached: the true gospel of Yeshua Messiah which was given to Paul and the other apostles is the gospel of the Cross! The false and counterfeit gospels being peddled in majority of the “churches” today are devoid of the Cross. This cross-less gospel is the “another gospel”, which cannot save and cannot deliver. The “Jesus” of this cross-less gospel is no other than the antichrist. And the spirit imparted is the antichrist spirit that is even now in the world. What do you get when the adherents of this cross-less gospel gathered together? The “church” of the antichrist! This is why this cross-less counterfeit church will receive the antichrist as savior and God when he comes, which is very soon now in the midst of financial, political and environmental crises in US, the Middle-east, East Africa and the world over.

³ Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Thess 2:3-4)

Does this shock you? What about you? What is the true state of your “faith”? And what will be your fate if you do not make sure that you are in the true faith which was once for all delivered to the saints, which comes only by believing the true gospel of the Cross? Please honestly and carefully examine your gospel with the gospel of the Cross as given in the New Testament.

This is Yeshua Christ’s gospel:

²³ Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life (soul, Gk. Psuche) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (soul) for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? ²⁶ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in Hisown glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. (Lk. 9:23-26)

The gospel of the Cross emphatically tells us a few unalterable spiritual truths:

The true believers and Church are the crucified ones, who deny themselves and carry their cross daily and continually.
Only those who deny themselves now by hating their soulish life will be counted worthy to take part in the Kingdom of God when Christ comes in glory.
Those who do not deny themselves by indulging the unrighteous and self-centered soulish life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

In effect, the gospel of the Cross kills us! Though it is not physical death, nevertheless, the result is the same: we no more live according to our will and desires, but according to His. Death of self or of the soulish life is the only true, effective and permanent deliverance from sin and its power and condemnation, the world and devils. This releases the resurrection life of Christ in all its fullness in those who accept the Cross:

¹⁰ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (Jn. 10:10)

The gospel of the Cross kills your self-centered life now but gives you true life in the future Kingdom. The cross-less gospel lets you indulge in a soulish life now but robs you of your life in the future Kingdom.

²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life (soul) will lose it, and he who hates his life (soul) in this world will keep it for eternal life. (Jn. 12:24-25)

Man consists of spirit, soul and body (1Thess. 5:23). What is the soul? It is our true fallen natural self. It is that part of man which consists of the mind (thoughts), will (desires) and emotion (feelings). A sincere believer may live an honest life where he no more indulges in the sensual cravings of the body (sight, sound, taste, smell and touch), he nevertheless can be wholly soulish in that he lives his religious life only according to his own self-centered thoughts, desires and feelings. Yeshua shows us the extent of death to self or soul that is required in order to follow Him:

²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (Lk. 14:26-27)

The soul together with the body is commonly called “flesh” when used in Scripture to denote the sinful works of a person, such as described by Paul below:

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

Please be careful to note that works of the flesh are not only the unrighteous acts that one may do, but also includes the good and well-intentioned efforts of a sincere believer which originate from the realm of his fallen soul, and not inspired and led by the Spirit of God, and thus are unprofitable and ultimately lead to death.

8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God…13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom 8:8, 13)

Yeshua Himself underscores the useless workings of a man’s efforts outside the works of the Spirit:

⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ⁶⁴ But there are some of you who do not believe.” (Jn. 6:63-64)

The gospel which Yeshua preached left no room for argument and mistake concerning who then are the true disciples and Church:

³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Lk. 14:33)

Is this the gospel that you believe? Is this the gospel your pastor and leaders preach? Is this the gospel that your church is built upon? Are you able to discern your true state, and that of your church?

The Apostle Paul received His gospel direct from Yeshua and that’s why it is the same gospel of the Cross:

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1Cor. 1:17-18)

Paul wasted no time to meddle with and peddle the useless and cross-less gospels, social-political gospels of all sorts and philosophies of men which are good only to populate not only the so called “mega-churches” now, but also to populate hell later. He steadfastly and faithfully preached the only Gospel of his Master which alone is capable to deliver men from sin, power and condemnation of sin, world, devils, self and ultimately hell and bring them safely to heaven.

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. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (1Cor. 2:1-5)

It was not a job and calling for Paul, but it was his very life and breath to preach this truly good-news gospel, failing which he had little reason to prolong his life here.

¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! (1Cor. 9:16)…¹⁴But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Gal. 6:14)

Paul understood that this gospel of the Cross bids man to die that they may truly live now and eternally. For it not only kills those who are willing to endure the pain of death to the soul and thus self, but it also imparts to them the indestructible resurrection life of Christ. This is his personal experience of the Cross:

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

Take time to meditate on this Magna Charta of the gospel of the Cross:

³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall bein the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (Rom 6:3-8)

The gospel of the Cross kills the soul and it is painful and men of the world and carnal and soulish (natural) Christians despise and hate it. This gospel either kills the hearers who submit to its demands, or kills the preacher by the hands of those refuse it. Thus, Christ died for it. As well as Stephen, Paul, and countless many others who unflinchingly preached it. The many riots that resulted from the apostles' preaching, and their ultimate deaths should not be surprising, but on the contrary expected. In fact, all the prophets before Christ also preached the same gospel which similarly was not received with faith by God’s people, and many died in the hands of the provoked apostates. Preachers, be warned about your fate! We either are true or false, and die by the hands of men of by the Hand of God for the brand of Gospel we preach! If we preach the Cross, we may suffer physically or even martyrdom by the hands of men, but if we preach a cross-less gospel, we will SURELY die accursed by the Hand of God!

Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets. (Lk. 6:26)

No one in pain and dying because of our speaking will praise us. If they do, either they have not understood our message of death to self and soul, or we are preaching another gospel! In John 6, the “church” of thousands of disciples and seekers that had wanted to follow Yeshua promptly disintegrated to just 12 after the Lord preached the gospel of the Cross to them. The Lord Yeshua ministered spectacularly for 3 ½ years among countless multitudes who witnessed the healings, miracles and raising of the dead that culminated in His own resurrection and appearance to over 500 disciples. Yet in spite of all these, only 120 disciples dared to lay down their lives and gather at the upper room to take part in the birth of the Church. Is it not telling that today pastors with far less miracles and who have scant interest in the gospel of the Cross, let alone preach it, can have such “powerful anointing” and “clever methodologies” that attract tens and even hundreds of thousands of members? Was there something wrong with our Lord’s gospel and ministry, or have we not truly and tragically departed from the truth and faith once for all delivered to the saints?

The cross-less gospel is the most terrible fraud in human history! It purports to save mankind from their most terrible fate of eternity in the the Lake of Fire, and yet ultimately delivers them back to it. It leaves men with a false sense of security that they are saved when in fact they are still in their un-crucified and unregenerate state. It blinds and hardens the masses of seekers in countless churches and tragically inoculates them against the true Gospel of the Cross. Preachers of cross-less gospel, no matter how sincere they are, are inspired by the flesh and "another spirit", not the Holy Spirit of God. Often, those who preach this false gospel promise the hearers liberty while they themselves are slaves of corruptions. And the world's mass media is only too happy to continually expose these money preachers and builders of religious empires who have turned the grace of God into lewdness and licentiousness. Cross-less churches, no matter how abundance are their good works, are mere religious institutions capable only of meeting the fleshly needs but ultimately powerless in helping men to be delivered from sin, self (soul), satan, the world and eternal damnation. For only the Cross of Yeshua Messiah and the preaching of this Cross for the crucifixion of the fallen flesh is able to deliver humanity from the power of darkness and conveyed them into the Kingdom of God!

Do not be mistaken. We are not selfishly closing the gate of heaven to only the elite few. But those who have preached the gospel of the Cross will quickly find out just how violent and quick the reactions of even so called “Christians” in either retaliating against or leaving them to find “greener pastures” in nearby mega-churches who preached “more love and grace”. The fact is, it is not more of "love and grace" we need in our preaching, but more of the Cross! Those who understand the Cross will understand the true love and grace of God. The few who usually are willing to respond to the gospel of the Cross bear testimony to the Lord’s Words:

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mt 7:13-14)…²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. (Lk. 13:24)

But you may say, “What’s wrong about our gospel, our church or our preachers? We are teaching people about God’s love and grace and getting people saved and changed. People are doing good works to help the poor and downtrodden. We have respectable works and lifestyles. We just do not emphasize the Cross so passionately as is being put forth above”.

Let the Scripture tells you what is wrong.

²² Who is a liar but he who denies that Yeshua is the Messiah? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1Jn. 2:22-23)… Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1Jn. 5:1)

² By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. (1Jn.4:2-3)

Do you know what the meaning of Christ or Messiah is? It means Savior or Deliverer. And do you know what is the extent of salvation or deliverance that Yeshua accomplished and desires for us? It is complete deliverance from sin, devils, self (soul), the kingdom of this world which is earthly, material, visible and temporal and ruled by satan, and ultimately hell. Any deliverance short of this will imperil your entry into the Kingdom of God which is heavenly, invisible, spiritual and eternal. Therefore, the true gospel of the Cross preaches Yeshua as the Messiah. The cross-less gospel has another “Jesus” who is not the Messiah. It is a counterfeit gospel perpetuated by the spirit of antichrist. The Word of God says that all these good and sincere pastors and preachers with their multitudes of good works who preach a cross-less gospel which cannot save are liars and antichrists!

It is not more love and grace that are needed to be preached. On the contrary, it is more Cross preaching that is needed. Our greatest enemy is not sin, satan, devils or the world but is the soul or self. The natural fallen soul can only but indulges in unrighteousness at its worst, and takes pride in self-righteousness at its best. And both are abominations to God. Those who preach a cross-less gospel will ultimately succeed only building religious empires and monuments of flesh which profit nothing. Your pastor or leader may be the most humble, gentle and passionate leader you know, but Paul identifies clearly for you what God says of them:

¹⁷ Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,thatthey are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose godis their belly, and whose glory is in their shame— who set their mind on earthly things. ²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Phil 3:17-21)

God says that, regardless of their outward appearance, they are enemies of the Cross because they are either ignorant of or unwilling to preach the gospel of dying to self because their focus is only on earthly things! Multitudes there are of good Christians who have been preached this cross-less gospel who excel in the world and gain the world in order to finance the Kingdom of God. The Word of God commands us not to love the world but to forsake the world with all its wisdom and knowledge, which will be judged soon.

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1Jn 2:15-17)…⁴ Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Js 4:4-4)…¹⁵ This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. (Js. 3:15)

Let me conclude with Yeshua’s own Words about the gospel of the Cross:

³³ So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Lk. 14:33)

And Paul says,

⁸ But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. (Gal. 1:8)

My friend, the time is so short. If you have really understood the truth about the gospel of the Cross, save yourself and flee from the wrath to come by responding to God’s urgent call in this endtime:

“Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4)

Note:

I strongly recommend you to google for and hear the sermon entitled "Anguish" by David Wilkerson. I am deeply indebted to God's servant, the late Watchman Nee in my understanding of the Cross through the following books:

1. The Salvation of the Soul

2. The Normal Christian Life

3. The Spiritual Man

2011-07-23T20:16:00.003+08:00

My Kingdom is Not of This World

Yeshua answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” (Jn 18:36)

When our Lord Yeshua was questioned by Pilate during His trial, He asserted two things:

His Kingdom IS NOT of and from THIS world.
His servants WOULD NOT fight to preserve an earthly kingdom under Him.

The Two Swords: Church and State

Just as Pilate did not understand this truth (Jn 18:38), so many since then also do not understand that God’s Kingdom has nothing to do nor can it be merged with earthly political kingdoms. However, since the days of the demise of the Kingdom of Israel and her exile, God’s people had always sought to bring together the two swords, Church and State, which He had since separated:

The Jews in Yeshua’s days wanted to make Him a king that would deliver them from the Roman colonizers and restore a political Davidic kingdom again in Israel (Jn 6:15).
The early church went into apostasy precisely because they married the church and the state, which corrupted them with unbridled power, riches, status and lust.
The early Reformers came out of the apostate church when they divorced salvation by grace through faith from the bondage of works, but then remarry themselves to the state, and paved the way for many so-called “Christian” nations to be even more corrupted than their apostate parents.

In the last three decades, many proponents of prayer movements, who hold the Preterist and Partial Preterist view of eschatology, have been preaching a reworked doctrine of this age old error, now variously called “Kingdom Now” or “Dominionism”. Basically, they teach that most end time prophecies, like those in Matthew 24, were already fulfilled in AD 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army. They believe that since that time, we have been living in the “millennial” age that finally will see the church transforming and ruling the nations of the earth BEFORE the return of Yeshua. Almost two thousand years of history of increasing corruptions and perversions in the world, in “Christian” nations and in the “church” had already proven this doctrine false. However, the earthly church, like ancient Israel, is always repeating her sad history.

All of the above mentioned are but examples of the ancient misconception and mis-expectation of merging or confusing the Kingdom of God with the kingdom of this world. When believers take the truths of the Kingdom of God and apply them in and to the flesh, they are on a dead-end journey at best, but at worst, traveling down a slippery road to deception and apostasy.

What is the Kingdom of God?

What IS the Kingdom of God? Simply put, as the word “king-dom” indicates, it is the domain where God is King. It is the realm where God rules continually and supremely and His Word or Law is in perfect operation. This Kingdom is above all kingdoms and has been in existent from eternity and will forever exist. This Kingdom and its King have NEVER been overthrown or can ever be. It is a heavenly kingdom, not earthly or of this world, as God’s Word testified.

The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven (Ps 11:4)…Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me nd where is the place of My rest? (Ps 66:1)…The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all (Ps 103:19).

Our Lord Yeshua Himself also declared emphatically from the beginning the heavenliness of His Kingdom:

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17)

Furthermore, the Kingdom of God is not only eternal and heavenly, but it is also spiritual, that is, in and of the Spirit and therefore, invisible. Thus, Yeshua said:

“The kingdom of God does not come with observation; ²¹ nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Lk 17:21)

Friends, think about it! The Kingdom of God is already in us! We are already citizens of Heaven (Phil. 3:20), the invisible, spiritual, heavenly and eternal Kingdom where our God reigns supremely! And if this does not awe us, the Word of God crowns those of faith in Christ with this: we have been adopted and made sons of God and coheirs with Christ, the Son of God!

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (Jn 1:14)…⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons…⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (Gal 4:5-7)

While we know that there are more to understand, yet God has promised that He will reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom to those who have the heart and ear to hear. Are you hearing?...

Yeshua preached only the Kingdom of God, from the beginning and throughout His ministry, and even after His resurrection!

²³ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people (Mt 4:23)…³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3).

Knowing what the reality of His Kingdom can do in people, Yeshua commanded us not to worry about the earthly things, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Mt 6:33). The Apostle Paul also preached the Kingdom of God right to the end of his life and ministry. He counseled and warned us against covetousness and those who preached the love of this world, and that having food and clothing, with these we shall be content (1Tim 6:8). Why? Because the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, butrighteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).

³⁰ Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, ³¹ preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him (Acts 28:30-31)

Friends, what you, your countrymen and the world need is not more freedom, justice, equality and material comforts, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, which can only be experienced in the Kingdom of God. Those who have these already are contented, and they no more complain, whine, desire or fight for more of the worldly and material rights, things and comforts that they do not have, but instead are always thankful and grateful to God for whatever they have, including free air and sunshine and freedom to worship God!

Do not be deceived. Man without God is fleshly and flesh can never be satisfied but will always remain the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (Eph 4:22). The more you feed the cravings of the flesh, the more it will demand to be satisfied.

¹⁹As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. ²⁰Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied (Prov 27:19-20).

Adam in the Garden of Eden was the perfect manifestation of the Kingdom of God. Man and creation under the absolute rule of God and His Word had righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. But when Adam rebelled against God’s rule, man and the entire creation fell out of the Kingdom of God into the kingdom of satan to be ruled by the god of this world. Though hard to believe, the entire world (with all its beauty, allure, wealth, men and nice sounding philosophies of men) lies under the sway of the wicked one (1Jn 5:19) and walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2). This visible, temporal and earthly world (Gen 3:17) and in fact the whole created material universe had already been cursed, judged and condemned since the fall. They are destined for ultimate annihilation by fire (2Pet 3:10-12), which will pave the way for a new, redeemed, glorified heaven and earth (Rom 8:20-22, Rev 21:1).

Therefore, we can confidently say without any doubt that there is nothing that God desires anymore in this fallen and increasingly corrupt earth and universe except for one thing: the souls of men! This ought to give us the right perspective in how to rightly live our lives for the remaining of our time on earth. We must know and accept that the most precious, valuable, beautiful and powerful things of the kingdoms of this world- wealth, power and fame included-had absolutely no value in the sight of God because they are either founded in or defiled by the earthly, sensual and demonic wisdom of the world. For anything that is fallen is temporal and rejected by God and cannot survive the redemptive fire of God. This is the world we see with our eyes and experience with our senses today which God commanded us not to love (1Jn2:15-16).

However, those who walk by faith see and experience the Kingdom of God in the spiritual realm. Salvation is to be delivered from the power (and kingdom) of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Col 1:13). It is to be born again of incorruptible seed and clothed with immortality and eternality. Our physical body then is just a temporal, inconvenient but necessary housing waiting for the day of our final redemption and glorification (Rom 8:30). Therefore, as the world, humanity and the demonic kingdom hurl towards their ultimate judgment and destruction, God is urgently saving the souls of men because He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2Pet 3:9). Now, do you know what the priority of your life is? Yes, the salvation of the heathens!

The New Testament Church

The church in the New Testament was NEVER involved in the politics of the Roman Empire that ruled over them. Why? Because they had such a revelation and reality of their heavenly citizenship (Phil 3:20) and life in the Kingdom of God so that even the best that the earthly kingdoms could offer them were but as dung to them (Phil 3:8)! Church history will tell you that no modern despotic ruler or government has ever reached the level of corruption, immorality, wickedness and depravity of some of the rulers of the ancient empires that reigned over God’s people, from the Babylonians to the Romans. And no other church in history had ever surpassed the spiritual power and influence of the early apostolic church. Yet, that New Testament church never engaged in political or social activism with the hope of transforming their society and nation into the Kingdom of God itself, or even into the likeness of it. They only had one single focus and agenda in life and ministry: to bring the nations (races) into the Kingdom of God!

Yes, undoubtedly there was much corruption, abuse of power, injustice, social and racial prejudice, and neglect and exploitation of the poor and powerless in the Roman Empire. However, the church never did remonstrate, demonstrate, criticize, politicize or complain against the perpetrators or powers that be. Instead the church became salt and light, and met the needs and made up for the lack in their societies. They seized the opportunities given by an increasingly decadent world and busied themselves in demonstrating the righteousness of the Kingdom of God by preaching and sharing the gospel of the Kingdom, healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those who are in prison, housing the homeless and discipling the believers in house churches. These loving and generous deeds from a supposedly poor and despised class of people, as the Christians were considered to be, not only earned admiring acknowledgement from the establishment and historians alike, but resulted in multitudes being brought into the Kingdom of God (Acts 4:32, 5:14, 8:6, 14:1, 17:4)! Within a short time, Jerusalem was filled with their teaching (Acts 5:26). Even Paul could boast that he (and his network of house church planters) had fully preached the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum (Rom 15:19), which was a stretch of about 1200 miles! And all these were done in a despotic empire that had outlawed Christianity and that constantly persecuted the followers of Yeshua even to the point of martyrdom!

Israel

Israel under King David was a type of the heavenly Kingdom of God, of which she was to manifest to the world around her. The fortune of Israel and her people rose and fell according to the degree of their obedience to the Law of God. To the degree that Israel obeys the Law, to that degree they could demonstrate the power and authority of the Kingdom of God. The end of Israel as a kingdom and nation is a sobering reminder that no man, church or nation can disregard the Law of God and still find themselves in the Kingdom of God! In the Kingdom of God, the Law of God is absolute because the Kingdom is the manifestation of Law of the King!

Again, the Jews under the rule of Babylon were also a type of the citizens of the Kingdom of God living under earthly governmental authority. Those in Jerusalem were told: “Do not be afraid of the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you” (2Ki 25:24). Similarly, those exiled in Babylon were also exhorted to,

5Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. ⁶ Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. ⁷ And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. ⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. ⁹ For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. (Jer 29:5-9)

In effect, they were told to submit to their heathen authority for their own good as they wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises to restore them back to their own land again after seventy years of exile.

¹⁰For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive. (Jer 29:10-14)

The Daniel Company

Daniel and his friends lived and served literally as slaves from a conquered nation under a number of despotic “trigger-happy” kings who ruled over the largest empires of their times. Although surrounded by extreme and vile idolatries, they never were idolatrous nor compromised their faith and loyalty to Yahweh. They submitted completely to the laws of God and man, which quite often were contradictory. How did they do that? Whenever they were commanded by the law and decree of man to disobey the Law of God, they reverently disobeyed but willingly submitted themselves to be punished for their disobedience. This they did WITHOUT rebelling against the rulers whom they understood to be vested with divine authority by God (Rom 13:1-2). Why they were able to disobey and yet submit without rebelling? Hebrews 11 tells us that these men of faith already knew they belong to another kingdom, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven, and they could serenely submit without striving for the things and kingdoms of this world. Their faith and submission to God and earthly authorities earned them continual favor with God and man, and even brought the kings and their subjects to their knees to worship the God of Israel on numerous occasions (Dan2:46-49, 3:28-30, 4:34-36, 6:25-27)!

We today, who live in spiritual Babylons, how we need to be like Daniel and his friends! So many Christians today have unwisely received another gospel similar to the “Kingdom Now” error, that is, the deceptive social gospel, by which we think we are called of God to engage in social and political activism. Many take part in resistance and rebellion, fighting for so called “equal rights, freedom, justice, transformation and nation-building”. Scriptures tell us that it is only in Christ we have equality (“ONE”), true freedom and justice and transformation. Outside of Christ, the Word of God had already declared 2000 years ago that evil men in the world and impostors in the church will grow worse and worse (2Tim 3:13), the unregenerate flesh will grow more and more corrupt (Eph 4:22), lawlessness will abound, false prophets will multiply, the love of many believers will grow cold (Mt 24:11-12) and more and more “Christians” will apostatize (1Tim 4:1, 2Tim 3:1-5, 2Thess 2:1-4) in the midst of an increasingly crooked and perverse world. Only the deceived who feed on ashes think they can transform our society and world through social and political efforts. Like the Daniel company, we are to be in the world and not of the world through unwavering faith in God and reverent submission to His appointed authorities. The adherents of the “Kingdom Now” and social gospels are seeking to make Babylon the Kingdom of God but will only succeed in bringing Babylon into their daily existence, as is so evidenced today. Many have already sidetracked unknowingly but naturally into the gospels of prosperity and cheap grace. No wonder God has to issue a command to His people in the end time to come out of Babylon lest they be judged with her (Rev 18:4)!

Paul

Paul was probably the most persecuted believer in the New Testament, by Romans, Jews and Christians alike (2Cor 11:22-28). In his day, Christianity was an outlawed religion and the church was continually persecuted, locally and (or) empire-wide. You would think that under such unjust circumstances, Paul would be the first to propagate political or social activism. However, what he advised was truly shocking and contrary to what many worldly-wise Christians would do today, who have little revelation of the Kingdom of God!

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (Rom 13:1-2)

Like Jeremiah, Paul also similarly exhorts those of us who are spiritual Jews in exile:

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Tim 2:1-4)

Paul was just imitating Yeshua in living the Kingdom lifestyle because he also knew that the Kingdom of God is not of this world!

Thy Kingdom Come

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mt 4:17)

At the start of His ministry, Yeshua announced the coming of the heavenly Kingdom of God (Mt 4:17). After His resurrection at Pentecost, He opened the door of His Kingdom for those of faith to enter in (Acts 2:1-4). For in receiving the Holy Spirit, they were in fact baptized and taken into the heavenly, spirit realm of the Kingdom of God (1Cor 12:13). Ever since then, men and women of faith saw the kingdom of this world for what it really is: crucified, dead, useless and destined for eternal destruction. Similarly the world saw the true disciples of Yeshua Christ for what they really are: crucified, dead and useless to them, but unbeknownst to them, destined for glory!

When our Lord taught us to pray that the Kingdom of God come and His will be done on the earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10), it is firstly for the evangelizing of the lost people from the world into the Kingdom of God. Secondly, it is for the future restoration of the Davidic Kingdom in Jerusalem. Yeshua Himself, the Greater David, will reign over this restored Kingdom with the resurrected and raptured saints over all the nations of the world for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-6). Furthermore, it is the Lord Himself, not the church, Who will bring the still-unsaved nations under His rule when He returns. During this time, the Law of Yahweh will be the absolute Law of the world and will go forth from Jerusalem to the nations of the earth (Isa 2:3). It is sobering to note the fact that the nations will be deceived again by satan after the millennium (Rev 20:7-10). This means that ALL the political nations of the world will be heathen and unsaved until the Day of Judgment (Rev 20:11-15)! So much for “Kingdom Now”, “advancing the kingdom” and the vain vision of transforming the society and nations that are being propagated in the churches today.

When will our King Yeshua return in power and glory, gather up His faithful saints and materialize His Kingdom in Jerusalem? The Lord Himself tells us that it will be “immediately after the tribulation”!

²⁹ “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Mt 24:29-31)

This means that everything that the Lord prophesied before verse 29 in Matthew 24 has yet to take place and must still take place before He returns. These include wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, the rise of false teachers, the great apostasy of the church, the coming of the anti-Christ and the great tribulation upon the true Church and Israel. These have yet to be fulfilled, contrary to what is falsely claimed by so many today. What happened in AD 70 was yet another type of what will ultimately happen in the end time.

Does it really matter if you believe wrongly about the Kingdom of God? Isn’t the Lord greater than our innocent errors, and gracious? Yes, He is indeed greater than and gracious about our errors, but only to those who are still “innocent” when He comes. And many will not be. Let me tell you that the “Kingdom Now” doctrine is not just an error or minor aberration from the Word of God; it is in fact a destructive heresy!

⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Rev 13:7-8)

The Book of Revelation tells us that the anti-Christ will rule over the true saints and the nations of the world before Christ return to rule. Do you see that those who mistakenly think that the church will rule the nations before Christ’s return will in fact be deceived into siding and ruling with the anti-Christ? That’s why Paul tells us that the church (temple of God) will be deceived into welcoming the anti-Christ as Christ and God!

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Yeshua Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, ² not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.³Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2Thess 2:1-4)

Sadly, those who are deceived into receiving and worshipping the anti-Christ will be tormented with him in the lake of fire. Beware beloved, you have been forewarned, lest you like so many today ALSO fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the errors of the wicked (2Pet 3:17)!

⁹ Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. (Rev 13:9-10)

In the world and not of the world

God gives us only one way of living triumphantly as citizens of the Kingdom of God in the world, and yet not belong to or be of the world. When our Lord Yeshua was unjustly accused and condemned by the Jews and Pilate, He submitted without defending, resisting or rebelling, even to the point of death, and death by the most horrible instrument- the Cross! This was His victory. The Cross. Not political power, wealth or status. Not social or political activism or transformation. And this is our victory too. The Cross!

The Cross speaks of daily dying to self and self life. The Cross speaks of faith in God, the only Just One and Justifier of our faith. The Cross is suffering, even unjustly and wrongly. The Cross means washing the feet of others, serving God and man as a bond slave without any right in the world. The Cross exhorts us to recognize ALL authority as divine and submit to them without rebelling. The Cross beckons us to die daily, and moment by moment. The Cross means going the extra mile, turning the other cheek. There Cross is the only way to resurrection. The Cross is the only hope for glory. This was Christ’s victory and is also our victory- eternally. The Cross!

Let us close with the exhortation of another apostle who also went to the Cross:

¹⁸ Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹ For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness— by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1Pet 3:18-25)

My friend, may the Lord grant you mercy on that Day, and may He preserve you blameless in holiness until the coming of our Lord Yeshua Christ with all His saints. Shalom of Elohim be unto you!

2011-06-25T18:38:00.024+08:00

Sons of God

⁴ 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, ⁵ having predestined us to adoption as sons by Yeshua Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will…⁹ having made known to us the mystery of His will… (Eph 1:4-5, 9)

The greatest revelation in the Bible is found in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians. Though different aspects of this revelation, or mystery, are mentioned in various epistles, it is in this epistle, particularly in the first three and half chapters, that Paul most clearly unveiled the greatest mystery which God kept hidden from the foundation of the world:

In Christ, we are the sons of God, and with Christ, we are the corporate Son of God!

For many, the above statement may seem to be blasphemous if we do not allow the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s truths. Please allow Paul’s prayer to open your eyes as we go along:

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Yeshua Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…(Eph 1:17-19)

Friends, our adoption as sons of God is not just a mere change of status, but also a change of state in that there is a regeneration or born again of our spirit by the Spirit of God, and we are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and Satan, into the Kingdom of Light and God. We now partake or share in God’s divine nature. Let me say reverently that though we are human, nevertheless, we who are in Christ are divine because we have the divine nature of God!

⁴ by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2Pet 1:3-4)

For as a father and his son have the same nature of flesh and blood, so God, Christ and the sons of God all have the same divine nature. In a mysterious way that is yet to be understood, even the rest of the creation that will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (Rom 8:19-22) will be renewed in such a divine way so as to join the sons of God to be made ONE with and in Christ in eternity.

¹⁰ 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. (Eph 1:10)

This is the state of eternity: CHRIST! Just as creation came through Christ the Word, so everything will be summed up and reconciled in Christ! We will all be in Christ. Heaven is in Christ, and in fact, Heaven is Christ Himself. The glorious revelation that Paul had was not so much that he saw Christ in heaven, but that he saw heaven in Christ!

He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things (Eph 4:10).

This is how Paul spoke about Christ in another place:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. ¹⁸ And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. (Col 1:15-20)

Finally, even God is in Christ!

⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Col 2:9-10)

There is a greater implication of us being the sons of God. Friends, do you know that Yeshua Christ before and after the incarnation and resurrection is not the same? Think about this: in Christ’s incarnation as a man, He took humanity into Him, and therefore, into the Godhead! Furthermore, in His resurrection, He took us into Him and also into the Godhead! Thus, from our time-space perspective, the Godhead had been forever changed because we who are in Christ have been brought into the Godhead! (Though from the eternal perspective, God never changes...this is still a mystery to us!) God is in Christ. We are in Christ. Christ is in us. We are all ONE in Christ. Thus, Paul reverently wrote:

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Col 1:27)

Christ and the Godhead are forever changed after the incarnation and resurrection, and so are we. Christ the Divine took humanity into Himself while we humans partake of His divinity! Forever we have become His Body, and He our Head. Christ now does not exist without or apart from us, His Body, and neither can we exist without Him as our Head. This is the New Race. This is the New Man. This is the New Humanity: Man and God in One Body.

¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity (Eph 2:14-16)

I can confidently tell you that the passage above is not talking about reconciliation of Jews and Gentiles because the eternal purpose of God is exceedingly much more glorious than just trying to unite two warring human races. No! Rather, it is the merging of two orders of existence and lives- God and Man, Divine and Human- into one new Entity! Once Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law for us, the enmity between God and Man was removed and thus God and Man was made One in Christ, resulting in a new Body, Man and Race. Therefore, we can say reverently that Christ and the Church have now become the corporate Son of God!

This was the revelation of the mystery that had been kept hidden from ages and generations, but now revealed to His saints! I believe this was what Paul saw and heard in Paradise about the New Man that he knew was too glorious and beyond human descriptions, lest he says too little and devalue the glory of God, or if he say too much and stand accused of blasphemy. To him, it was just "inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2Cor 11:1-4). This revelation released the fullness of the mighty resurrection power in him to work and preached unceasingly and tirelessly the unsearchable riches of Christ for the perfection of the sons of God on the earth. To this end, God and creation are waiting for the fullness of the number of the sons of God to be revealed, both of the Gentiles and the Jews, leading to the consummation of all things.

Therefore, as the corporate Son of God, as He is, so we are in this world (1Jn 4:17). We have been raised and now sit in the heavenly realm with Christ (Eph 2:4-6), above Satan and his kingdom (Eph 1:21-23), who are underneath our feet (Rom 16:20). Truly, even now we reign with Christ in His Kingdom in the eternal spirit realm (Rom 5:17, 2Tim 2:12, Rev 5:10; 22:5). We are as Christ to the dying world. We have all the authority to bring forth the purposes of God on the earth (Mt 28:18-20). Whatever that God had said and promised to His Son, it is for us, His sons, to claim, share and receive as co-heirs. “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us” (1Cor 1:20). That’s why Yeshua said that we have the authority to pray down God’s Kingdom and purposes on the earth (Mt 6:10). We who are on earth can bind and loose to effect changes in the heavenly realm because where the sons of God are, the Son of God is (Mt 18:18-20). As sons of God, we cannot live or act independently, but always according to the will and purpose of the Son of God, because He is the Head and we are His Body.

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph 1:22-23).

This is the main difference between the sons of God and the sons of the devil who are in the churches today, who are deceived into thinking that they now have the freedom in Christ, under grace, to indulge in all sorts of devilish passions of the flesh, eyes and pride. For Christ is our Inheritance, our Riches, Reward and Treasure, our Kingdom, our Source and Life, our All, our God. To be in Christ is to have our flesh or old man crucified and resurrected as a new creation in and with Him (Rom 6:5-6), now dead to self, sin, satan and the world, and to rejoice in our partaking of the heavenly calling.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col 3:1-4)

Joint together in the Spirit, we have now become the eternal dwelling place of the Godhead. Thus, there is no other temple, here or in heaven, except us with Christ and God (Rev 21:22-24).

Yeshua Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:20-22)

Those who understand and live in the revelation of their sonship in God are the true Church on earth, whose very existence is itself a demonstration to the demonic realm of the wisdom of God in bringing forth His eternal purpose to fulfillment. This is the Church against which the gates of hell cannot prevail, which Christ, not man, is continuously building.

⁸ To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Yeshua Christ; ¹⁰ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹ according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Yeshua our Lord (Eph 3:8-11)

In the spirit realm even the demonic kingdom tremble in awe and fear at the glorious edifice of the ever growing Church and Family of Christ that stretches from the heavenly to the earthly realms.

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:14-19)

Those who have gone ahead into heaven and those who remain on earth are linked and united in the same Body in the Spirit. Denominationalism that divides the Body of Christ is really "demonizationalism", of the devil. Christ died to give birth to ONE Body and Church, not many. And in this Body, the Godhead is pleased to dwell and rest because the glorious eternal purpose of God is already accomplished in Christ Yeshua.

¹³For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ¹⁴“This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it (Ps 132:13-14).

And as the sons of God dwell and rest in the revelation of Christ’s love that has brought us into the Son of God, we shall be filled with the fullness of God.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” ³⁵“Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” ³⁶ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:33-36)

Friends, the day is far spent and the night is at hand. With all the signs of wars, rumor of wars, pestilences, earthquakes and famines fulfilling what the Lord prophesied in Mt. 24, we are surely living in the end of the end times. It is only those who are spiritually blind and deceived that will not agree with this conclusion, and continue to love to live in darkness. However, the sons of God shall live differently in the light, according to the Life of the Son of God.

Like the Son of God, we ever live to intercede for the Church and the lost world (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25). The Lord and His apostles continually urged us to always watch and pray in the end times (Lk. 21:36, Mt 24:42, 50; 25:13, 1Thess 5:17, Eph 6:18, 1Pet 4:7) that we may not be deceived but be triumphant and overcomers until the end. For by our intercession with the Son of God we bring the Kingdom of Heaven down on earth and possess the nations as Yahweh had promised (Ps 2:8). Just as we have divine authority to pray into reality the purpose of God, we also have been commissioned and authorized to urgently go into the world and make disciple of all races to obey all of the Lord’s commandments (Mt 28:18-20). Until the fullness of the gentiles have come in, Israel cannot be saved, and God’s eternal purpose waits to be consummated on the earth (Mt 24:14, Rom 11:25-26). Unbelief, prayerlessness and lack of love for lost souls are the greatest sins of the self-serving “believers” today. But if we would believe God’s Word, and give ourselves to prayer and making disciples, we will very soon discover that our manifestation as sons of God is to destroy the works of the devil and plunder his kingdom for the Kingdom of God (1Jn 3:8)!

Friends, the nations are even now uniting and gathering against Israel and the Church. Soon the anti-Christ, the man of sin, the son of perdition, the son of the devil will be revealed to deceive many in the church (2Thess 2:1-4). Israel will be invaded and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the gentile armies (Lk 21:20-24). Then will begin the greatest persecution against Israel and the Church of Yeshua Christ (Mt 24:20). Satan will use this tribulation as a final attempt to thwart the eternal purpose of God but he will not succeed simply because God’s purpose is already irrevocably accomplished in Yeshua Christ (Eph 3:11)!

God will use this dark tribulation period to separate the wheat from the chaff and His sheep from the devil’s goats in the earthly church. He will gloriously bring about the full manifestation of the sons of God which God, Christ and creation have been eagerly anticipating from the foundation of the world (Rom 8:10). And then the end will come and eternity takes over.

What is it like in eternity?

²Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is, ³ And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1Jn 3:2).

With the Apostle John, we need to confess that we do not fully understand yet this mystery of our sonship in Christ. But one thing is sure- we the sons of God will be like Christ, the Son of God. We shall be glorified with Him (Rom 8:17, 18, 30, Jn 17:22). Even now, as we continually behold Christ, our Beloved, we are being transformed by the Spirit in increasing glory into His image (2Cor 3:18). We, the Bride and the Church of Christ, are the glory of Christ (2Cor 8:23). Beloved, in any wedding, the eyes of all are on the bride, the glory of the groom. It is not too much for me to believe that, on that Day, it will be Christ’s joy and delight to hold up His Bride as His Glory! This was what the Father sent His Beloved Son to shed His precious blood for. All glory and worship to Yahweh Elohim our Father and His Only Begotten Son Yeshua!

2010-12-18T11:11:00.005+08:00

The New Covenant

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Mt 26:27-28)

Friend, Christians live under the New Covenant which was effected by Yeshua’s once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. However, most are ignorant of or have inaccurate understanding of what the New Covenant really is, and therefore do not experience the sanctifying power and liberty of this glorious Covenant. Worse of all, an increasing number of pastors and believers are promoting a perverted form of “new covenant” doctrine that basically is a repackaging of the ancient heresy of antinomianism (anti-Law). This heresy, condemned in 1 John, erroneously presumed that the Old Testament Law has been abolished under the New Covenant, and thus, encourages lawlessness. Truly, God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge!

The Old Covenant

To understand the New Covenant, we first need to know what the Old Covenant was, which again, many are confused about. A covenant is essentially an agreement, pledge or treaty between two parties. The Old Covenant as we know it was a covenant between Yahweh and Israel. Moses clearly identified this covenant:

So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. (Deut. 4:13)

Therefore, the Old Covenant is really the Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:1-17)! Now, the thing to note regarding this covenant is that Yahweh promised to bless Israel with the condition that Israel obey His Law.

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exo. 19:5-6)

For even within the content of the Ten Commandments, Israel was warned that just as obedience begets blessings, disobedience will likewise reap judgments.

…For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exo. 20:5-6)

Sadly, we know that Israel broke the Old Covenant by their persistent disobedience to the Words of the Covenant and thus reaped the full judgment as warned by Yahweh (cf. Deut. 28). This ultimately resulted in their dispersal outside the Promised Land. However, please understand that the Old Covenant failed not because there was anything wrong in the Covenant itself, but rather because of Israel’s disobedience. Out of this failure, Yahweh promised the New Covenant for the New Israel as prophesied by the prophets.

The New Covenant Promises

³¹ “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— ³² not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. ³⁴ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jer.31:31-34)

Plainly stated through the prophet Jeremiah, the New Covenant promises New Israel that:

1. God Himself will initiate this covenant with them (which include the Gentiles).

2. God will forgive and not remember their sins anymore.

3. God will put His Law (The Ten Commandments) in their minds and hearts.

4. God will be their God they shall be His people.

5. God will cause them to know Him without the need to be taught by anyone.

From Ezekiel 36 below, the New Covenant further promises that:

6. God will separate them from among the nations.

7. God will cleanse them and make them clean.

8. God will give them a new heart of flesh and remove the old stony heart.

9. God will give them a new spirit.

10. God will put His Spirit in them.

11. God will cause them to obey- walk, keep and do- His Law!

12. God will restore them back to the land of Israel.

²⁴ For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. ²⁵ Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. ²⁸ Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. (Eze. 36:24-28)

Friend, I want to tell you that we need a continual, greater revelation by the Spirit to see that the New Covenant is so infinitely glorious, gracious, complete, infallible, and undefeatable! I can only humbly conclude, inadequately, that through Yeshua Christ, God and God alone has initiated and executed, and given the New Covenant to the New Israel as a gift, to the praise of the glory of His grace (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14)!

Thus, Paul rightly affirms that grace, salvation and faith are altogether given to God’s people as a gift!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph. 2:8-9)… So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

Therefore, grace is the source and faith is the channel for salvation to flow. Understood rightly, the New Covenant leaves no room for any to boast of his own work or effort in his salvation. Likewise, it also gives no excuse to anyone to justify sin or disobedience. The Old Covenant demanded obedience-to-the-Law from Israel as a condition; but the New Covenant bestows obedience-to-the-Law to New Israel as a promise! So, at every moment, if we are IN the New Covenant, God has already given us the faith, power and will to obey! Paul affirms that, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).

Law and Obedience

What about the Law? Tragically, many who boast of living in the “new covenant” erroneously claim that the Law has been abolished because they know not Scriptures. As mentioned above, contrary to their claim, the very same Law of the Old Covenant is the Law of the New Covenant. Yeshua Himself affirmed clearly that He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it in its entirety:

¹⁷ “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Mt. 5:17-18)

In fact, Yeshua’s fulfillment of the Law includes unveiling the Ten Commandments to their full glory and intent. Thus, under the New Covenant, to be angry is to commit murder and to lust is to commit adultery (Mt. 5:21-30). The Ten Commandments are the very manifestation of Christ Himself, Who is the Word of God! To abolish the Law is to abolish Christ, which is impossible! Furthermore, the Law is perfect (Ps 19:7), so why would God need to abolish what is perfect? It is eternally established in heaven (Ps. 119:89)! If any man changes or takes away God’s Law or Word, he is eternally accursed (Gal. 1:8-9, Rev. 20:18-19)! Therefore, understanding this then, we also realize that under the New Covenant, the “Law” of God now rightly describes both the Old and the New Testaments, and not just certain portions of the Old Testament.

What about obedience to the Law? Firstly, Yeshua had already fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Law on our behalf and imputed or accounted that to us through faith. Paul clearly said this: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Cor 1:30). Thus, those who are in Christ are reckoned by God as having perfectly fulfilled all the righteous requirement of the Law! Secondly, as said above, the ability or power to obey the Law is then given to us as a promise of the New Covenant, not as a demand or condition. Simply put, we accept and believe that the New Covenant not only saves us, but also imparts the power to obey the Law. And therefore, thirdly, obedience to the Law is not a condition for salvation, but rather the fruit of salvation. Thus, as Paul says, the eternal Law of God is established or upheld through faith: “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Rom 3:31).

Friend, all the laws and commandments of God are the Word of God. There is no knowledge of God outside of His Word; neither is there salvation, deliverance, healing, health, wisdom, hope, peace…in summary, ETERNAL LIFE, apart from His Word! God’s Law “is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her” (Prov. 3:18). “For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.” (Prov. 4:20-22)

Christ and the Word

Christ and His Word are one and the same. Yeshua says that His Words are Spirit and Life (Jn 6:63). The eternal life of God in us is lived out in accordance with His Word. Living apart or contrary to the Word of God is but death. Thus, we understand now what Moses said of the Law, “…The man who does them shall live by them” (Deut. 18:5). Consistently, we are exhorted to keep God’s commands and live (Prov 4:4; 7:2; Deut. 4-11)! Outside of Christ, we were sin-bound and diseased in body, soul and spirit. In Christ, God gives us His Word to save, heal and deliver us: He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions (Ps. 107:20).

The Law or Word of God is not given for us to earn eternal Life, which is a gift received by faith. Rather it is given to us to live out that Life. The New Covenant seeks to rectify the problem in the Old Covenant: the transgressions of the Law of God. Thus, those who claim that the Law is abolished under the New Covenant are doing the exact opposite of what the New Covenant seeks to do, which is to uphold the Law! What a terrible deception!

Love and Obedience

Furthermore, it is falsely claimed that since the entire Law is summed up in love, therefore “love” supersedes even obedience. Yeshua Himself explains the relationship between love and obedience:

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments… And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him…24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. (Jn 14:15-24)

Friend, be mature in understanding. Many who strive to abolish the Law are warped and sinning, being self condemned (Tit. 3:9-11). Yeshua says that those who practice Law-lessness will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 7:23). John says that Law-lessness is sin and those who are Law-less are of the devil!

⁴ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness…⁶ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. .. ⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁸ He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning…(1 Jn. 4:4-8)

The anti-christ, the man of sin, the son of the devil is called the Law-less one (2Thess. 2:8-9). Those who claim the abolishment of the Law will eventually claim the abolishment of any judgment or conviction of sin for believers. For where there is no law, there is no transgression, thus there is no judgment or wrath (Rom. 4:13). But Paul says that those who practice unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3-5; Gal. 5:19-21).

The New Covenant and Israel

While we have been warning about the perversion of the New Covenant that results in lawlessness or unrighteousness, we equally need to guard against the opposite sin of pride or self-righteousness in insisting that we still have some goodness or ability to add to the New Covenant. We need to see how God had completely condemned the unregenerate man as utterly devoid of any righteousness or good:

¹⁰As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. ¹²They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:10-12)

The infinite glory of God’s grace in the New Covenant can best be seen in none other than the salvation of the house Israel at the return of Yeshua at the end of the age.

¹⁰ “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. ¹¹ In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem…(Zech. 12:10-11)

According to the prophecy above, the remnant of the Jews that survive the end time tribulation will only repent and bought into the New Covenant, AFTER Yeshua had poured on them the Spirit of grace and supplication to see Him as the One Whom they have pierced 2000 years ago! This is in exact fulfillment to the prophecies of the New Covenant in Jer. 31 and Ezek. 36! This is grace in its truest meaning, where salvation is really all of God’s and none of man’s! Even the Apostle Paul was “undone” when spoke about the glory of God’s grace in saving helpless and undeserving Israel and let out such a glorious praise:

Truthfully, this should also be our experience of salvation where, through the gospel, Yeshua comes to us in our wretchedness and is revealed to us as the One Whom we had pierced with our sins. For unless this is our experience, we will not fully appreciate or experience the blessings of the New Covenant.

The New Covenant and You

My dear friend, the New Covenant is indeed glorious! God had indeed done everything for us. The Old Covenant with its demand for obedience as a condition has been made obsolete by Christ (Heb. 8:13). Through the New Covenant, God has given us both righteousness and obedience as a promise. If you are struggling in sin, defeat, depression, oppression, hopelessness and sicknesses, it may be because you have not fully understood the New Covenant with its promises. Please read, memorize and meditate on Jer. 31:31-34 and Ezek. 36:24-28 again and again. Ask God for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand! Then make sure that you have entered or are entering into the New Covenant with God with ALL YOUR HEART, else you may fall short of it!

Finally, some will ask: Are they not laws that have been fulfilled by Christ and superseded in the New Covenant so that they need not to be kept or practiced anymore? To be sure, there are. However, I suggest that you search through the Scriptures yourself to ascertain that and ask yourself this question: If Christ is living in me, what are the laws of God that He would not be practicing anymore? But leaving the question of ethics and morality aside, I want to say this: from practising circumcision to abstaining from swine meat, shell fish and physical intimacy during the wife’s menstrual cycle as prescribed by the Law, research have found out that these contribute to a healthier life free of certain diseases that may afflict those who practise contrary to the Law. This confirms what God says about His Law, that “…they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh” and that we are to keep His commands and live.

Friend, let me pray for you: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (Eph. 1:17-19)

Shalom to you in Yeshua’s precious Name!

Note:

I have been much blessed and advanced in my understanding through the following writings of godly men of the past which I wish to highly recommend to your own reading:

Andrew Murray in “Covenants and Blessings”.
Watchmen Nee in “The Normal Christian Life” and “The Spiritual Man”.
Abraham Booth, “By God’s Grace Alone”, which is the abridged version of “The Reign of Grace”.

2010-12-17T10:08:00.013+08:00

Could You Not Watch With Me One Hour?

That’s the question that Yeshua (Jesus) urgently asked His disciples as He sensed, not only the advancing and increasing of satanic onslaught, but more so about the end of all things and the consummation of God’s eternal purposes. That’s the question that He is asking all of us today.

⁴⁰ Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26: 40-41)

Friends, I don’t intend to broach with you about your prayerlessness. If you are sincere, you are already convicted when prayer is lacking. Nor do I intend to argue for you about the urgent call to watch and pray unceasingly, for you can read the Scriptures for yourself. Suffice to say that if you are not praying at least an hour a day, you have already entered into temptations! However, I want to encourage you to pray as from one who is joyfully learning and discovering the grace and truth of God about prayer, and in prayer!

God Trusts Our Prayers!

God asks us to pray simply because He has committed to work only through the prayers of His people. Do you realize that He trusts our prayers to change what is humanly impossible?

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, ² for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. ³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Tim 2:1-4)

God exhorts us to pray for all men because our prayers can save men and change men! God asks us to pray for kings and authorities simply because our prayers can save them and thus save and transform whole NATIONS! Think about that! Today we see false religions violently advancing in traditionally Christian nations, and sin, evil and perversions increasing with such amazing speed. But we do not need to be demoralized or hang our heads in despair because God has given us the all powerful and conquering weapon and antidote of prayer that not only neutralizes satanic schemes, but advances the purposes and Kingdom of God! That’s why Yeshua simply asked you, His disciples, to pray personally to the Father in heaven that “…Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”! Yeshua trusts in your prayers to bring down the Kingdom of God on earth! Won’t you rise up from your despair and pray!

Prayer Releases the Spirit of God

There are only two kingdoms, two rulers and two armies in existence. Those who are of God, and those who belong to satan. And both sides are mainly activated by prayers. In many nations today, from before dawn to late at night, heathens are praying faithfully, regularly and loudly, saturating their nations with prayers and releasing hordes of satanic forces and witchcraft powers to work, while Christians are blissfully enjoying their life of “saved by grace and not works” that has no commitment or discipline to the work of prayer and praying. How many of us who say we are born again deny the flesh to wake up before dawn to pray, and pray at least five times a day, if not continually, as some of their non-Christian friends do? Yes, we should be ashamed, but more than that, let’s rise early and pray persistently, unceasingly, beseeching Yahweh our God in the Name of His Son, Yeshua, not only to nullify the prayers of the heathens, but to release the Spirit of God to work powerfully in our lives, families, churches, communities and nations! Our prayers will release the Spirit of God and the heavenly army of angels to joyfully work to bring the Kingdom of God on earth and stop the kingdom of satan from advancing beyond what is permitted by our God.

The Right View of God

Many believers do not pray due to lack of faith that comes from not knowing how great our God is. Thus, we are simply overwhelmed by the “mountains” of evil, sin and human impossibilities that we see around us. Friends, do you have any idea how great our God is?

¹²Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span, And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales, And the hills in a balance?...¹⁵Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing…¹⁷All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless. ¹⁸To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? (Isa 40:12-18)

⁵Who is like the Lord our God, Who dwells on high, ⁶Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in the heavens and in the earth? (Ps 113:5-6)

Collectively, all the 6.9 billion humans combined with the whole earth, the billions of stars, the billions of galaxies, yes, the entire visible and invisible creation of God Almighty, including satan and all his demonic hordes, are but less than a speck of dust in the sight of God! So much so that God has to stoop to behold His creation! HalleluYAH! Friends, let us rise up and pray to this Almighty God to destroy satan, his hordes and his works and advance His Kingdom on earth! No demon, evil, sin, sickness, plague or calamity is too great or impossible for our God to overcome with His infinitely great power!

¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (Eph 1:19-21)

Ask, Seek and Knock

Are you not convinced by now that you should pray, and pray persistently and unceasingly? One reason we do not see God working powerfully in and around us is simply because we have failed to ask, and to ask rightly according to God’s will.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Mt 5:7-8)… “Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures”. (Js 4:2-3)

God promises us that if we pray according to His will, ALL our prayers will be answered!

¹⁴ Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1Jn 5:14-15)

Knowing the greatness of God and His injunction for us to ask according to His will, what should we ask God for? What is His desire? From 1 Tim. 2 above, we know that His greatest desire is for all men to be saved. And God tells us how big our asking should be:

Ask of Me, and I will give You, The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. (Ps 2:8)

God asks us to ask for NATIONS to be saved! It does not matter if we see the nations overrun with false religions, ungodliness, sins or perversions. Remember the greatness of our God and that all these are as nothing before Him! Friends, let us rise up and boldly ask God for our nation and the nations to be saved! For they are our inheritance, joy and glory! Do not settle for less or for what is not eternal. Only souls are eternal!

¹⁹ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy. (1Thess 2:19-20)

Power in Unity

It is rare for any sizeable church to have more than 10% of its church membership attending prayer meetings regularly. Nevertheless, where corporate prayer is concerned, the effectiveness of the prayer is not determined by the numbers, but by the unity among those who are praying. Why? Because all that is needed to bring heaven down on earth in all its glory is just two believers joined in united prayers with the Lord! For Yeshua says,

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Mt 18:8-20)

So, friends, do not be discouraged that not many are praying. It is better for just two, three, four or five believers praying with one accord and love, with clean hands and pure hearts, without wrath and doubting, then a whole group of intercessors who are torn with strife, envy, evil suspicions, selfish ambitions and unresolved conflicts. Two believers praying with one accord and one mind are more powerful than 2000 praying without love and unity!

Watchmen on the Walls

Here is one of the main reasons why we need to pray unceasingly:

¹For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns…⁶I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, ⁷And give Him no rest till He establishes And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isa 62:1, 6-7)

Strong ancient cities were usually ringed with walls thick enough for people to live in or live by (eg. Rahab in Josh 2:15), and definitely wide enough for watchmen to walk and watch on it. The ancient watchmen played a very crucial role of watching, guarding and rousing the city inhabitants up to repel any approaching enemy. The very presence of the watchmen on the high city walls will normally deter any enemy from getting too close to the walls to avoid being attacked from above. However, should the watchmen be sleeping or missing, the enemies will quickly approach with ramparts to ramp and bring down the walls of the city and invade it. Therefore, the ancient watchmen are types of the intercessors whose job is to pray continually for the protection and perfection of God’s people and the fulfillment of God’s covenantal purposes for Jerusalem and Israel.

Today, the Church has built “thick walls” of preaching, bible study, worship, evangelism, mission and many other programs but is sorely lacking watchmen intercessors to watch over its walls continually. We have weekly prayer meetings, yes, but few pastors or believers really understand sufficiently the dynamics of prayer and warfare in the spiritual realm to see the need for continuous or unceasing prayer and watching. For without a continuous watching, the enemies would have started coming against the church “walls” with ramparts. Many churches are cracking spiritually and will soon collapse and be overrun by such enemies as sins, deceptions, heresies and covetousness. Remember, we are contending with powerful, wicked spiritual enemies that work continually and do not sleep. That’s why Paul exhorted us to pray unceasingly for all:

¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God…¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints (Eph 6:12-18)

My friend, instead of lamenting about prayerlessness in the Church, you can make a difference by committing to the Lord to be a spiritual watchman for the people of God. If God has opened your eyes today about the truth of watching and praying, it is because He wants you to be the one to pray first!

The LORD Rebuke You Satan!

God has permitted satan and his demons to still operate within allowable authorities and boundaries over rebellious men and nations who refuse to submit to God’s rule and authority. Thus, believers are warned not to illegally usurp the legal positions or presumptuously revile the “dignity” of those in the satanic kingdom.

¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. (2Pet 2:10-11)

Yet, do we not see the ferocity of satan’s attack and invasion of heathens and believers alike, and the demonized hordes of his loyal worshippers marching through the streets even so called “Christian” nations to claim those nations for their gods? Can we then, who are in the Kingdom of God, just confined ourselves to just praying for those on the earth only and not be moved to contend with the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realm?

I believe we can conscientiously and authoritatively “wrestle” or contend with the principalities and powers without illegally overstepping our and their limit of authorities by following Scriptures. Firstly, we have the example of Michael the Archangel:

⁸ Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 8-9)

Then, we have the example of Yahweh Himself dealing with satan directly:

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD (Yahweh), and satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. ² And the LORD (Yahweh) said to satan, “The LORD (Yahweh) rebuke you, satan! The Lord (Yahweh) who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!...” (Zech 3:1-2)

These then are some of the ways we can confront the advancing satanic enemy:

· “The LORD rebuke you satan!” or, “Yahweh rebuke you satan!”

· “Yahweh rebuke you principality of (nation)!”

· “Yahweh rebuke you powers of witchcraft!”, etc…

By praying in this way, we are humbly, rightly but authoritatively acknowledging that, ultimately, it is God who has the authority, power and right to limit or destroy satan and his works! We are but channels for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done!

Let Others Pray?

Perhaps, for different reasons, you may still say you would prefer to let others pray, but not yourself. After all, the Church and the world have continued on even without your prayers thus far. Yes, the purposes and Kingdom of God have continued to be established even without your prayers simply because God continually calls others who were willing while you were not. My friend, do you know that God’s promises and purposes are only fulfilled in those who pray (Jer. 29:11-14; 33:3)? Furthermore, God only protects those who pray from the coming judgment (Eze. 9:4-7; Rev 7:2-3, 9:4).

Queen Esther was severely warned that if she kept silent and refused to intercede to her king and husband for the deliverance of God’s people, the Jews, God would yet raise up help from another source but Esther and her family would perish as a result of her refusal (Esth. 4:13-14). As a result of Esther’s intercession, the Jew not only were saved, but many Gentiles became Jews as well (Esth. 8:17)!. What a beautiful and prophetic picture of the Church who intercedes to her King and Bridegroom, Yeshua, for the deliverance of believers, Jews and Gentiles alike! My friend, believe me, the reason why you are reading this article is because God is showing that you have come into His Kingdom for such a time as this- to pray!

Watch and Pray Always

The spiritual health of a believer is the “size” of his prayer life. The real health and size of the church is the size of her prayer meetings! If we really know the greatness of God and how He has ordained prayer as the divine way of bringing His kingdom and purposes to pass, how can we not pray, and pray more and longer! We will want to pray more and work less in the flesh and still be confident that the fruit and effectiveness will increase, not decrease. We will want to reduce our talking, eating, sleeping and all indulgences of self and flesh in order that we can pray more so that we do not fall into temptations and miss the return of Yeshua for His Bride.

³⁴“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. ³⁵ For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:34-36)

How much should we pray? Firstly, we are exhorted to attain an inward unceasing prayer and communion with God. Secondly, I believe the Lord also exhort us to actively pray at least an hour daily to maintain a walk that overcomes temptations and the flesh. As an example, praying through the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9-13) is a good way of starting to pray at least an hour a day. But regardless of how you want to pray, the important thing is to begin praying! The sooner you begin to pray, the faster you will learn how to. Do not be critical or be discouraged at the prayerlessness in and around you. You can be a catalyst and encourager to others:

· Establish first a consistent personal prayer life.

· Pray for a prayer partner or even partners to pray together in agreement.

· Join a strong prayer group both to learn and contribute in prayer.

· Attend your church prayer meetings regularly as an example to others and be an encourager to your pastor.

Friend, the Church is waiting for your prayers; Israel is waiting for your prayers; the world is waiting for your prayers; and even God is waiting for your prayers! Let’s fall on our knees but rise up in our spirit to pray! The Lord blesses you and strengthens you with His grace to watch and pray always!

2010-12-17T10:07:00.018+08:00

The Name of God

Names are a unique thing. The name of a person represents everything about the person. It is his authority. It is his reputation. It is his personality. It is him. To know a person’s name is the key to having any personal relationship with him. It is intimacy. To call a person by his name is to invite a personal response from him. To forget a person’s name is to lose intimacy with him, to depart from him. So it is with our Creator Elohim (“Elohim” in Hebrew means “God”). Our Creator has a specific Name. His Name is above everything and every other name in existence. Everything of Elohim is bound up in His Name. To know His Name is to know Him. To know His Name is to have intimacy with Him. To know His Name is to know His power, authority and purpose. To call upon His Name is to invite a personal response from Him. Read the Psalms and you will know that this is true. But, sadly, most Christians, past and present, DO NOT KNOW the Name of our Elohim. What is His Name? His Name is hwhy in Hebrew consonants but commonly pronounced as Yahweh (hwhy is transliterated as YHWH, called the Tetragrammaton).

How is it that most Christians do not know the Name of our Elohim? This Name, Yahweh, appears more than 6800 times in the original Elohim-inspired Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and probably many times in the New Testament when it was first written. Inconceivably, and tragically, this most important Name of all names that alone gives salvation has been translated away by bible translators of most English translations and replaced with the common name of “LORD” (as distinguished from “Lord”, meaning “master”).

Please understand that while bible translations into many languages have helped to spread the knowledge of Elohim, nevertheless the translators and translations themselves are NOT divinely inspired as the original biblical writers and writings of the Scriptures). Linguistic rule calls for names to be transliterated (preserving the pronunciation) rather than translated (preserving the meaning). So, “Abu Bakar” in Malaysia is still transliterated as “Abu Bakar” in America, and not translated away as “Ash Burn” though that’s what it actually means. Or, “Wong Ah Ngau” in Hong Kong is still transliterated as “Wong Ah Ngau” in England, and not translated away as “Yellow Cow”! Therefore, “Yahweh” as revealed in the bible to the people of God, is still “Yahweh” everywhere, every time and for all eternity, because Elohim says of His Name, “Your name, O Yahweh, endures forever, Your fame, O Yahweh, throughout all generations” (Ps 135:13)!

Most of the names of the heathen deities have been preserved in the bible through transliteration, such as Baal, Molech, Dagon, Gad, Meni and Diana. However, with the Name of Yahweh, the translators inconsistently broke their own rule by translating away this most precious and important Name! They have followed the same error and unbiblical practice of the post-exilic Judasim in not pronouncing the Name of Elohim to avoid breaking the 3^rd Commandment. In doing this, they have done the very thing they seek to avoid- they have taken the name of Elohim in vain! Oh, what incalculable damage this has done to the true faith and worship!

The Name of Yahweh appears in Scripture right from the beginning of creation history. “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh Elohim made the earth and the heavens” (Gen 2:4). Adam and Eve would have known this Name for intimate fellowship. Even after the fall, faithful men called specifically upon this Name. “And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of Yahweh” (Gen 4:26). Abraham made altars to and called upon the Name of Yahweh (Gen 12:8; 26:23-25). How can men “called” upon the “name” if they actually did not know it? Thus, the argument that we are not to use the Name of Yahweh specifically does not make sense.

Just read the bible to verify that the Name of Yahweh (in the substitute form of “ the LORD”) appears repetitively in almost every page of the Old Testament, especially in the intimate prayers of the psalmists. Yahweh challenges us to know His Name and the Name of His Son. “Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know it?” (Prov 30:4). Why? Because His Name is eternal: “Your name, O Yahweh, endures forever, Your fame, O Yahweh, throughout all generations” (Ps 135:13). This is the Name that will endure for eternity, which we are to worship and remember forever! “But You, O Yahweh, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your Name to all generations” (Ps 102:12); “Oh, sing to the Yahweh a new song! Sing to the Yahweh, all the earth. Sing to the Yahweh, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day” (Ps 96:1-2). Only in this Name salvation is given and found: “And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the Name of Yahweh shall be saved”. (Joel 2:32). Elohim warns that He will NOT share the honor and glory of His Name with others! “I am Yahweh that is My name: and My honor will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images” (Isa 42:8). My dear brethren, have you given your worship to this Name?

By hiding the Name of Yahweh, we have lost one of the main keys to properly understand Elohim’s Word. Thousands of verses make little sense if the actual Name of Yahweh is not used or revealed. In biblical history, every time the people of Elohim forgot His Name, they departed from Him and went into apostasy. Though it is hard to believe, yet it is a fact that an entire nation can forget the name of her Creator, as Israel did in their time in Egypt, so that even Moses had to ask Elohim for His Name!

Then Moses said to Elohim, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The Elohim of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And Elohim said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ (Exo. 3:13-15)

It is not surprising that the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt since they had forgotten Elohim and His Name! Repetitively, Israel forgot the Name of Yahweh in their unfaithfulness and idolatry. Forgetting the Name of Elohim is synonymous with apostasy. Apostasy either results in or from forgetting that Name. One of the greatest condemnations that Elohim leveled on the prophets and leaders of Israel was that they made His people forgot His Name. “…who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams…, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal” (Jer 23:27). Isaiah confirms that Israel forgot the Name of Yahweh right to the end of their OT history, “And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You….” (Isa 64:7) Thus, Israel reaped the judgment of forgetting and departing from the Name of their Elohim. And so, one of the great end time promises of Elohim is to restore His Name among His people as a sign of the restoration of His people to Him. "Therefore, behold, I will cause them to know, this once will I cause them to know my hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is Yahweh” (Jer 16:21).

Israel’s tendency of forgetting the Name of Yahweh was continued by post-exilic Judaism who replaced Elohim’s Name with terms like “Adonai” (“master”) and “HaShem” (“the Name”) in the mistaken belief that the best way to show and maintain reverence is to avoid usage of the Name completely! Thus, by and by, few, if any, really know the Name of Yahweh, let alone pronounce it! This continued to be the established practice of the Pharisees and ordinary Jews in the days of “Jesus”. I say “Jesus”, because even the Messiah’s Name originally given to Him through His very Jewish parents was “Yeshua” ([vwhy in Hebrew). Regardless of the argument that the original New Testament was most likely written in Greek, the only way Angel Gabriel could have conveyed the message of the birth of the Son of the Elohim of Israel to the young Jewish couple would have to be this: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Yeshua, for He will save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). For the Name of Yeshua simply means “Yahweh is Salvation”, since even the first three consonants of Yeshua’s Name are the same with the first three consonants of the Name of Yahweh (hwhy). “Jesus” or “Iesous” do not convey that at all! Thus, Yeshua could confidently claim His ONENESS with Yahweh:

10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?...11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me…20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. (Jn 14:10, 11, 20)

Man may not be consistent, but Elohim is! For even years later, the Messiah appeared to a zealous but misguided young man and spoke to him in Hebrew: “And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Shaul, Shaul, why are you persecuting Me?...‘I am Yeshua, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 26:24-26). Strange isn’t it? That the only consistent characteristic in the very fluid science of bible translation in the last 2000 years has been that the Names of the Elohim and the Messiah of Israel, Yahweh and Yeshua, are consistently and sinisterly translated away!

Thus, one can expect that one main characteristic of Messiah Yeshua’s ministry was to restore the Name of Yahweh, His Father, to His beloved people. For even the psalmist prophesied this in the OT, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You” (Ps 22:22). Yeshua taught His disciples to pray in His Father’s Name, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your Name “(Mt 6:9). At the end of His ministry, He reported to His Father that He had and will continue to reveal the Name of Yahweh to His disciples:

“I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world….26 And I have declared to them Your Name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (Jn 17:6, 26)

Not only has Elohim revealed His Name to us, but He has also put His Name on us! “Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the Name of Yahweh, and they shall be afraid of you” (Deut 28:10). All who truly belong to Elohim, Jews and Gentiles, through faith in Yeshua, are circumcised in heart (Rom 2:29), and are the true Jews in Elohim’s sight. For even the name Yehudah (hdwhy, meaning “Judah” or “Jew” in Hebrew) carries the first three consonants of Yahweh’s Name! Ultimately, for those who patiently and faithfully endure the end time tribulations without compromising, Yeshua will usher them into eternity by writing both His Father’s and His Names on them:

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the Name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim. And I will write on him My new Name (Rev 3:12).

Let’s draw some practical conclusions from the above discussion:

Firstly, to have true intimacy with our Elohim, let us learn to call upon His Name, Yahweh, specifically, so that we will be assured of a personal response from Him. For even Yahweh knows and calls us by our names! “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Isa 43:1). Many have testified how a “veil” was lifted and they experienced a greater depth of intimacy after they received the revelation of the Name of Yahweh and began to use this Name in their communion with Elohim. It is very important that you pray for the Spirit of truth to reveal this Name to you as you read the Scriptures, especially the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Only Elohim Himself can reveal and confirm this to you. Once you have this revelation and experience of the Name of Yahweh, the Elohim of Israel, you will naturally begin to understand the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel…

Secondly, by using the specific Name of Yahweh our Elohim, we can safeguard ourselves from unintentionally falling into idolatry from unknowingly calling on generic or “contextualized” names of “God” which may be the names of local or cultural deities. In many cultures and languages, the name of a popular local deity is often used by bible translators to refer to the Creator Elohim in general. (Just do a simple research of this and you will know that this is true.) The bible tells us that there are many gods and many lords, whether in heaven or on earth (1 Cor 8:5). Which one are you calling out to? And “who” will respond to you if you do not direct your prayers and communion specifically to Elohim, Who is revealed by His specific Name?

Thirdly, having a revelation of the Name of Yahweh will help us to have a greater revelation of God’s covenants with Israel, and His ultimate purposes for Israel. For apart from Israel, the Church has no basis for existence, ministry or destiny. This revelation will save the Church from becoming “a thing by itself”, so that we will not be separated from the Israel of God and, ultimately, the God of Israel!

My prayer and hope for all who read the above is that they will have their eyes opened by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation!

Shalom Jerusalem! Shalom to the Israel of God! Even so, come Messiah Yeshua!

Personal Notes:

1. I am aware of the debates and controversies surrounding the pronunciation of the Names of Elohim and Messiah. Messiah Yeshua says that truths (and any true personal revelation) set us free (Jn 8:32), not increase our bondage. To insist on any particular adherence of anything, including THE right pronunciation of a name, beyond what Scripture can clearly verify and confirm is to bring people back to under “the works of the Law” and, thus, bondage. We are saved in order to obey, and not to obey in order to be saved. Thus, let’s practice Apostle Paul’s very wise and scriptural advice: Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, Elohim will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind. (Phil 3:15-16)

2. I have been blessed reading the Word of Elohim through using “The Scriptures” published by ISR. The “Preface” and “Explanatory Notes” were also very enlightening. Nevertheless, one thing I caution, that any “fact” gleaned from extra-biblical research should only be used as a matter of personal conviction and practice, and not to be insisted upon as general doctrine applied to all, for the same reason above of not putting sincere believers under “the works of the Law”.

2010-12-17T10:07:00.016+08:00

End Time and Apostasy

Dear friends, I feel the extreme urgency to share with you on end time and apostasy. It is crucial that you try to understand what unfolds below, and, please take the trouble to read the scriptures. If you have a heart that loves the truth, you will indeed know the truth because God desires to share the mysteries of His Kingdom with you. Many, many people who attend church do not have the love of the truth, and thus, are destitute of the truth, becoming prime candidates for the ultimate end time deception: the worship of the antichrist! If you think this is such a far-fetched scenario, let us be reminded that Adam and Eve were created perfect and yet were deceived by Satan while in intimate fellowship with God! Moreover, Jesus and His apostles consistently warned of the end time massive falling away, or apostasy, of God’s people just before His return. The warnings are to help us stay alert, faithful and undeceived. It is s my humble observation and conviction that we have entered into that period of deception in this end time. However, we also watch with great anticipation for the glorious return of our beloved Savior and Bridegroom- Jesus Christ!

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many (Mt 24:4-5)... 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. (Mt 24:4-5, 24-25)... Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron (1Tim 4:1-2)

The Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus’ time sincerely thought that they were worshipping the Elohim ("God" in Hebrew) that Moses worshiped and introduced to Israel. All their sacrifices, devotions, teaching and practicing of the Law were done, outwardly at least, in and for the name of Elohim. They were the physical descendents of Abraham and thus confidently assumed themselves to be the people of Elohim. However, the obvious sign of their self-deception was seen in the fact that while they claimed to worship Elohim, they could not recognized Elohim when He came in the flesh, in the person of Jesus! Instead, they accused the One they claimed to worship of being empowered by Beelzebub, the devil himself!

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” 23 So He...said to them...: “How can Satan cast out Satan?...26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand... 28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— 30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” (Mk 3:22-30)

Friends, please think about this! How could a people who were so confident of their theology, practice and spiritual stature, ended up not recognizing the person and presence of God-incarnate, but thinking and calling Him as satanic!!!? This can only come about by a massive deception, leading to apostasy. Unfortunately, this is inexcusable because Jesus judged it as the unforgivable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This sin is the exact opposite of idolatry: an idolater calls Satan, God, while the blasphemer calls God, Satan.

Therefore, we can only imagine how shocked and furious the religious leaders were (and the rest of the Jews too!) when Jesus denounced them as children and worshippers of the devil! That is, the “God” they worshiped was a “God” of their own vain, evil imagination- a satanically inspired “God”!

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me...44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do...47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (Jn 8:42-47)

Jesus further exposed that the reason the Pharisees could have been so self-deceived was because they continued to nurture and enjoy inward sins, lusts and covetousness beneath the surface show of religiosity. Therefore, they have imagined, invited and worshiped a “God” that was very accommodating to their hypocrisy, covetousness and sins.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (Mt 23:27)

Not too long later, God used the apostle Paul to prophetically warn of the end time Pharisaical leaders and teachers who will lead ignorant believers into the same deception of the Pharisees of old. They will be preaching another “gospel”, presenting another “Jesus” and imparting another “spirit”!

4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! (2Cor 11:4)

Yes! Friends, it is possible and it is happening already! Almost all of Jesus’ parables of theKingdom of God tell us that the good and bad, righteous and unrighteous, and, enlightened and deceived, grow up in the same environment! It was the same in the OT, where the real issue was NEVER about Israel’s war with the pagan nations, but rather, the struggle for a holy remnant within a perpetually backsliding people of God. What Paul was saying is that believers can worship a “Jesus” of the vain imagination of their evil heart that is NOT the Jesus Christ of God and of the New Testament! This “Jesus” that is spelt and pronounced as such is actually inspired by the spirit of antichrist that is very accommodating to the flesh, like the “Yahweh” of the Pharisees. This horrible deception will eventually lead deceived believers into believing, accepting and worshiping the person of the antichrist when he is revealed very soon in this end time!

Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him... 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God... 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2Thess 2:1-12)

Paul, an OT Law expert who had gloriously encountered the risen Christ, would have known that the Jewish temple and worship were now superseded, and therefore, he consistently used the term “temple” as referring to the church! (cf. 1Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2Cor 6:16 and Eph 2:21). In the above passage, the antichrist will manage to gain entrance and acceptance into the church ofGodbecause the deceived leaders and members will believe him to be the Christ in His 2nd Coming! That’s why Paul gave the important end time sequent: first, the apostasy; second, the coming of the antichrist, and third, the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ! It is only AFTER Christ’s 2nd Coming that the antichrist will be destroyed and thereafter only the Millennial Kingdomreign of Christ will commence, where faithful, resurrected saints will rule the earth with Christ.

19 And I saw the beast (antichrist), the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him...20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet...These two were cast alive into the lake of fire .(Rev 19:19-20)...Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years...This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. (Rev 20:4-6)

Friends, please remember this sequent so that you will not mistake the antichrist for Christ and vice versa! Now, have you ever wondered why the antichrist is missing in most teachings in the church today, when he is such a crucial sign to avoid deception? The absence of teaching on the 2nd Coming of Christ is equally obvious. Tragically, most believers are not prepared or taught to discern and reject the antichrist, who must come first before the real Christ! On the contrary, the popular but heretical axis gospels of “Cheap Grace”, “Prosperity” and “Kingdom Now” are spreading the fallacy that Christians need not pursue holiness, will prosper materially and politically in every nation before and up to the 2nd Coming of Christ. Let me give you a summary of what each heresy basically teaches or implies, and its error:

Cheap Grace: That, since Christ has died for all our sins, believers can continue to sin without fear of judgment, not realizing that Christ’s death has delivered us from the power of sin and that God still judges un-repented sins.

Prosperity: That we can continue to prosper materially like the OT saints, not realizing that Christ has introduced the Kingdom of God which is not of this world but of spiritual riches.

Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology: That Christians will rule the earth politically and materially before Christ’s 2nd Coming, not realizing that this is only true after His return to set up the Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20).

Those who accept these heresies will unknowingly fall away within the church, worshiping the spirit of the antichrist which is very accommodating to fleshly appetites. Moreover, Satan has one ultimate deception to convince the deluded believers into accepting and worshiping the person of the antichrist: the antichrist will come as one risen from the dead!

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast...(Rev 13:2-4)

This antichrist will come in fulfillment to all the heresies mentioned above, where believers are deceived into thinking that the church can continue to accommodate sin, must prosper materially (covetously!) and rule politically before, instead of after, Christ’s 2nd Coming. How can believers be deceived when God’s Word is so clear about the end time sequent? It is because they did not love the truth and continue to have pleasures in unrighteousness (refer 2Thess2:12above)!

In the sovereign purposes of God, the antichrist will be allowed to rule every nation and physically overcome true Christians for a short period in the end time. He will demand and receive worship. He will grant rights of trading (and prosperity!) to all who will take his mark (666). Now, can you see how deceived believers and churches will end up worshiping the antichrist because they think he is the Christ! Consequently, they will join the antichrist in blaspheming God and actually war against Christ when He comes, thinking that He is the antichrist (refer Rev 19:19 above).

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months... 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him... 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev 13:7-8)

We are warned of the eternal judgment on those who join the antichrist or receive his mark in order to trade.

9 ... “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God...He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone...forever and ever....” (Rev 14:9-11)

Jesus had already warned about brethren betraying brethren in the end time and now you know it is because those who betray are deceived into thinking that they are sincerely right when in actual fact they are horribly wrong!

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many...will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (Mt 24:9-10)

Friends, listen! The deceived believers will NOT go through tribulations, which is the wrath of the antichrist, because they will side with the antichrist, but they will face the wrath of God in the end. However, the true believers WILL go through tribulations for standing faithful with Christ (refer Rev 13:15 above), but they will not face the wrath of God! Even as we go through the tribulations, we will nevertheless have God’s abiding presence and protection with us if we take care to walk right with God now, in watchfulness and prayerfulness. In so doing, we shall not be swept away by the flood of deception and the wrath of God that follows!

37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Mt 24:37-39)... 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Lk 21:34-36)...11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Rev 12:11)

Many will realize only too late that they have been deceived by the antichrist when they are rejected by the true Christ.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mt 7:21-23)

God has promised us grace to overcome every temptation, and even over satan himself, if we will just obey His Word. Therefore, it is so important that we walk in the fear of God and even now deal with sins that cause deception:

The lust of the flesh causes people to be deceived by the Cheap Grace heresy.

The lust of the eyes causes people to be deceived by the Prosperity heresy.

The pride of life causes people to be deceived by the Kingdom Now heresy.

Jesus told us to recognize false teachers their by the fruit of character, and not by the gifts they exercise. False teachers have personal characters and lifestyles that are contrary to that of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves... Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit...Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Mt 7:15-18)

The end time apostasy will be so deep and wide that God has to issue a call of separation to true believers in order for them to escape defilement and judgment:

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

Those who hear have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to His true Church will even now wisely take steps to separate from all uncleanness, walk in the fear of God and pursue holiness, be filled with the oil of the Spirit, warn and encourage each other about the end time, serve God faithfully with His talents and minister to the poor and needy, even as they wait with anticipation and longing for our beloved Savior and Bridegroom.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely... 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. (Rev 22:17-20)

May the good Lord have mercy on you and keep you until the end as you watch and pray always. God bless you!

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2005-11-01T16:01:00.007+08:00

Lee Shaw Ming

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thekingdompeople@yahoo.com