1. Take heart

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Jesus exhorted his disciples to be positive because just as he overcame the world, they too were destined to overcome the world, once they received the Holy Spirit. He wasn’t speaking of overcoming death, which he was yet to overcome, but he spoke of that which he had already overcome – the world, sin and Satan. So he said: “The prince of this world is coming but he has no hold on me.” (John 14:30) We often contemplate about a victory in our next life but God exhorts us to walk in victory now, in this life! Victory is not measured by the wealth we possess but in our ability to turn our backs on this world and sin. ‘Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.’ (1 John 5:4 ) Amen.

Preface

Teaching has to do with the ‘Principles of God’ while preaching has to do with the ‘Goodness of God’. The knowledge about the ‘Principles of God’ equips us for our life on earth while the knowledge of the ‘Goodness of God’, assures us of a life in heaven. Therefore, we need to listen to both teachings and exhortations to know the whole counsel of God. Even ‘Jesus went throughout Galilee, TEACHING in their synagogues, PREACHING the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness among the people.’ – (Matthew 4:23) Just as the Father gave Jesus the divine mandate to preach, teach and to heal (Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:17-19), even so Jesus gave his disciples the ‘Great commission’ to preach, teach and to heal. “As you go preach this message: The Kingdom of God is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead … drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” – (Matthew 10:7-8) “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” – (Matthew 28:19-20) “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” – (John 20:21) Welcome to this new category of exhortations that I have added, which is intended to supplement the teachings. The timeless words of Jesus have encouraged the hearts of many through the ages and it still does today! May His words encourage our hearts today! Amen.

Israel Will Be Saved. ( Part 7 of the Israel series)

(Disclaimer: This write up is not about politics of the State of Israel but about the prophetic destiny of the Nation of Israel.)

At a time when the legitimacy of the Nation of Israel to exist is being questioned even by Bible believing Christians, who question whether the Jews are still entitled to the land promised to Abraham as an everlasting possession, it begs the question whether these Christians truly acknowledge the Sovereignty of God! If they do, they ought to unquestioningly accept what the Word of God says about this land. (Read Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 15:18-20, 17:21, 22:17-18, 26:3, 28:13-14, 35:12, 48:3-4) There are more references throughout the Bible and this is just from the book of Genesis! From these Scriptures we understand that God did not promise the land to all the descendants of Abraham but to Issac and not to Ishmael; to Jacob and not to Esau; to the Israelites and not to the Ishmaelites and the Edomites ( the descendants of Esau) and definitely not to the Palestinians who claim to be the descendants of the Philistines. Have you ever wondered why the Philistines never figured in the list of peoples whose land God promised to Abraham? “To your descendants I give the land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates – the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites Amorites, Cannanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.” That’s because the Philistines were not the original inhabitants of the land but came from Caphtor or Crete (Deuteronomy 2:23, Amos 9:7), whereas the Palestinians are culturally and linguistically Arabs, who occupied the land much later, after the Jews were scattered in 70 AD and Rome lost control over Jerusalem to the Rashidun Caliphate in 638 AD. Therefore the Palestinians have no historic claim to that land! So says the Qur’an in Surah 5:20-26 that the Holy land belongs to Israel. The truth is that God made a Covenant with Abraham and gave him the land of Cannan and that land has since then belonged to his descendants for over 3000 years though they were exiled. Interestingly, the land fell fallow after they were exiled, as if the land refused to yield it’s produce until the Jew returned! This was observed by many travellers to the Holy land and notebly Mark Twain who visited Israel in 1867 and wrote in his travel book ‘The Innocents Abroad’, that Israel was “. . . a desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds – a silent mournful expanse … A desolation is here that not even imagination can grace with the pomp of life and action … We never saw a human being on the whole route … There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of the worthless soil, had almost deserted the country.” God used Israel to judge the original inhabitants of Canaan and disposed them and in turn used the neighbouring nations to judge Israel and dispose them from their land but promised to bring them back. Now their right to return to their homeland is being questioned by even conservative Christians! Those who think differently are trying to be kinder than God by giving away the promised land to the Arabs ( were called Arabs before they came to be known as Palestinians since 1967) on humanitarian grounds! God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob who promised the land as an everlasting inheritance to their descendants, will have the final say in this matter and not men! If we have a problem with that, it’s because we do not accept the Sovereignty of God.

It’s not about being pro-Israel or Anti-Palestine but being pro-truth and anti-lies, on whichever side the truth is! Remember, truth is always singular whereas falsehood is plural as it has many versions. There is no plurality in truth! The standard of truth is the Word of God and it is written that the land of Canaan has been promised to Abraham, Issac and Jacob and his descendants as an everlasting possession. As believers we need to agree with Scriptures, not selectively but in its entirety, lest we become conceited (being excessively proud of oneself that you exalt yourself over others) because of our ignorance of the truth. ‘I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited’ – (Romans 11:25) That’s what Paul warned the Church against – being arrogant towards Israel ! ‘If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though being a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others .. do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: .. they were broken off because of unbelief and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God … Otherwise, you also will be cut off.’ – (Romans 11:17-22) Inspite of Paul’s warning to the Church against ostracising (excluding from society) the Jew, many right wing Christians today are rabid Jew haters, even calling for their extermination! Hate has blinded them, even many well meaning Christians! They seem to be ignorant of the fact that ‘Israel has experienced a hardening in part ( not all because the early Church was predominantly jewish) until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved.’ – (Romans 11:25-26) That statement might come as a surprise to many Antisemitc Christians because they fail to realise that the Jew ‘will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree!’ – (Romans 11:23-24) Nor do they believe what Scripture says that the regathering of the Jews will be a blessing to the world. ‘If their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring … For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?’ – (Romans 11:12-15) But instead of believing the Word of God, these Christians have become conceited, thinking the Church has replaced Israel, not realising that the Gentiles only share in the inheritance of Israel. ‘This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus’ – (Ephesians 3:6), NOT REPLACING them! The Jews on their part have become conceited too because they think it is outrageous to say that the Gentiles are heirs together with them! For that matter, not all Jews are heirs but only those who are of the faith of Abraham , ‘for if those who live by the law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless ..’ (Romans 4:14) That’s why Isaiah cried out concerning Israel, saying, “Though the number of Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” – ( Romans 9:27/Isaiah 10:22)

Another contentious question that’s being raised by some conservative Christians today, probably because they cannot refute the right of the Jew to return to their homeland, is whether the Jews who have returned to Israel are the same as the Israelites in the Bible? To begin with, a brief history lesson would put things in perspective! It’s true that the ten northern tribes of Israel who went into exile after the Assyrian invasion were scattered around the world and were assimilated into the nations and many lost their jewish identity. However, some groups claim Jewish descent, like the Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews), Bene Israel (Indian Jews), Pashtuns of Afghanistan and Pakistan, Igbo Jews of Nigeria etc … Many of them have oral traditions and practices that resemble ancient Israelite customs, but Israel has officially recognized only some of them and they have immigrated to the modern state of Israel. But unlike the northern tribes, the two southern tribes consisting of Judah, Benjamin and those of Levi living among them, who were exiled to Babylon, maintained their jewish identify and culture as evident from the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel. It was in Babylon that the exiles came to be known as “Yehudi” (Hebrew term meaning “Jew” or “one who belongs to the Jewish people”, named after the predominant tribe of Judah) because historically it referred to the people from the ancient kingdom of Judah, distinguishing them from the Northern kingdom of Israel who were exiled by the Assyrians. Therefore the exiles who returned from Babylon under the leadership of Zerubbabel and later with Ezra were truly the descendants of the southern tribes. Then in 70 AD when the descendants of these tribes were exiled once again by the Romans and were scattered throughout the world, they still maintained their jewish identify and culture just as they did before! Infact that was the reason why they were hated in Europe because they refused to assimilate with other peoples and nations. Therefore they were ostracised from the society and expelled from many European countries on multiple occasions throughout history. Some of the major expulsions that occurred were from England in 1290, from France in 1306 and again in 1394, from Switzerland in 1348, from Germany in 1394, from Austria in 1421, from Spain in 1492, and the list continues … The persecution, confiscation of property and expulsions of Jews from medieval Europe seemed justified because the Roman Catholic Church advocated Antisemitism from its pulpits! And the Crusaders, motivated by religious fervor and greed, massacred thousands of Jews as they made their way to Holy land! And as persecution turned into pogroms (organized massacre of a particular ethnic group) in Russia and Eastern Europe, Jews began to flee to their homeland as early as 1882. And when they returned to Israel, nobody questioned the Jews who were returning to Israel whether they are the same as the Israelites in the Bible! What is that made them cease to be Israelites anymore? The critics say the Jews who returned to Israel are all Europeans who converted to Judaism and not true descendants of the Israelites. The Holocaust proves that the Jews were not of European descent as critics claim because Hitler considered them inferior as they were not of the same blood line.

Infact, Zionism ( the movement for the re-establishment of the Jewish nation) was born in 1897 because of this racial hatred towards Jews in Europe. However, it served the purpose of birthing in them the desire to return to their ancestral home land! Scripture says that the Jews (not necessarily the ten lost tribes) will be gathered to Israel. “When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself Holy through them in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations , I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind.” – (Ezekiel 39:23-28) This happens before before the second coming of Jesus. Thanks to the rising antisemitism and pro-palestinian movements around the world that’s causing many more Jews to make the Aliyah! Scripture itself acknowledges that those who have returned to Israel thus far ‘…were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations …’ – (Ezekiel 38:8) Then for some Bible believing Christians to say that the Jews who returned to their homeland are not really Jewish, is the heights of absurdity! If those who returned are not Jews, who then are the real Jews? Christians? That’s the fallacy of replacement theology, whose proponents teach that Israel as a nation need not exist anymore because the church has superseded Israel ! They say Paul taught supersessionism or replacement theology, by citing this verse out of context: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave or free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – (Galatians 3:28) What Paul meant by that statement was that all who are being added to the Church are equal in Christ but that doesn’t mean the eternal covenant with Abraham became obsolete! Infact the next verse proves the point! “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.” – (Vs 29) So Israel was not replaced by the Church but rather Gentiles were added to the Abrahamic Covenant to share in the blessings of Israel! Had Paul been anti-jewish, he wouldn’t have prayed this prayer: ‘Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.’ – (Romans 10:1) Infact, he wished he was cut off from Christ for their sake, for he wrote: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” -( Romans 9:1) According to Scriptures, Israel as a nation must exist in last days before the second coming of Christ, just as it was during his first coming, as his return will be to Israel and will be revealed to them, just as Joseph was revealed to his brothers once they were all gathered together – (Ref: Genesis 44:14, 45:1). Hence the regathering of the Jews began as prophesied in Scripture – (Ref: Jeremiah 3:12-14). Before long they began to produce fruit in keeping with Prophecy! ‘In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.’ – (Isaiah 27:6) How prophetic are the words of Jesus: “Now learn this from the fig tree: As soon as it’s twigs get tender and it’s leaves come out, you know summer is near. Even so when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” – (Mathew 24:32-33) Indeed, ‘Israel will be saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced to ages everlasting.’ – (Isaiah 45:17) Amen.

When was Jesus born?

Now that festivities are almost over, let’s consider what Scripture says about the time of Jesus’ birth! Obviously he was not born in December because if he was 33 and 1/2 years old when he was crucified during the Passover feast, which is celebrated on the 14th day of Nisan between March – April (Exodus 12:1-11), then he certainly turned 33 years old, six months prior to that, in the Hebrew month of Tishri between September – October, which is the actual month of his birth! Moreover, it is winter time in Israel during December and in the whole northern hemisphere and nobody spends the night out, let alone the shepherds, whom the Bible says were keeping watch over their flocks at night! They do so during the shearing season that never happens to be during winter because the sheep requires enough wool to keep them warm in winter, which further proves that the time when the angels announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds couldn’t be the month of December!

Is it possible to prove the above fact from Scriptures? Let’s consider the birth of John, which holds the key! The Bible says that ‘in the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah .. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Your wife will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John …” – (Luke 1:5-13) We also read in 1 Chronicles 24:3 that ‘David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering’ and the eight lot fell to Abijah (vs 10). Each of the 24 priestly divisions in the Temple of Jerusalem served for about two weeks per year. The priests also served during the three required feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. This meant that each division served twice in their appointed order and at the three festivals, which averaged to about five times a year. Since the month of Nisan (March-April) is the beginning of the Jewish new year ( Exodus 12:1-2), its from here they begin to count the weeks and the months for the priestly duties in the temple at Jerusalem and the appointed feasts.

Therefore, Zechariah was on duty on the eight week starting from the first month of Nisan after which he returned home and his wife Elizabeth became pregnant. ‘When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth become pregnant ..’ – (Luke 1:23-24) Elizabeth conceived John in the 3rd Hebrew month of Sivan (May-June) and in the 6 month of her pregnancy which is the 9th Hebrew month of Kislev (Nov- Dec), ‘God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary and said, “… You will be with a child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus.” – (Luke 1:26-31) Considering that the normal period of human gestation to be 40 weeks or 280 days, Jesus was born in the seventh Hebrew month of Tishri (Sept-Oct), probably on Yom Kippur, which is celebrated on the 10th of Tishri or during the Feast of Tabernacles which is celebrated for 7 days from 15 – 21 of Tishri. If all new testament events coincided with old testament events: old testament Passover with the death of the new testament Passover Lamb of God; old testament Pentecost with new testament Pentecost , then obviously Jesus cannot be born in December, which is irrelevant in the Jewish calendar, but was probably born on Yom Kippur, which is a solemn day for the Jews because they believe that is the day when Adam fell and they fast, mourn and pray on that day. It was on that solemn day of mourning, that the Angels announced the glad tidings of the birth of a Saviour; the second Adam to the shepherds! ‘The angel of the Lord said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” – (Luke 2:10) Amen!

Righteousness by faith. (Part 3 of the Faith series.)

‘By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became HEIR OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT COMES BY FAITH.’ – (Hebrews 11:7) An heir is a person who inherits and continues the work of a predecessor . When Scripture says that Noah became an “heir of the righteousness that comes by faith”, it means that there were predecessors before him who also inherited this righteousness by faith ! It began with Abel who ‘offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man when God spoke well of his offering. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.’ – (Hebrews 11: 4) But how does he still speak? Through others who are of the same spiritual lineage and speak the same language of faith? If this be true, then what is said about Abel can also be said about others after him who inherited the same righteousness by faith. – However, some interpret that Abel still speaks by faith though he is dead because his blood is still crying for vengeance! – (Genesis 4:10) However, we believe that ‘the sprinkled blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel‘ – (Hebrews 12:24), not for vengeance but for forgiveness! – The next person who descended from the spiritual lineage of Abel is Enoch, who pleased God with his faith. He walked with God for three hundred years and knew that the flood was coming because of which he named his son “Methuselah”, to warn the world of the coming judgement by waters for his name meant “his death shall bring forth” the judgement! – (Genesis 5:21-22)

There are two groups of people on earth – those who are righteous by faith and those who are wicked by their deeds! If you are not righteous, then you are wicked because there is nothing inbetween! Looks as if God requires atleast one righteous man on earth as a pre-requisite to preserve mankind on earth or else he will have to wipe them from the face of the earth! ‘The LORD was grieved that he had made man on earth and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth … But Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD.’– (Genesis 6:6-8) Why? Because ‘he was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God’– (vs 9) When warned of the deluge that was coming which would destroy the ungodly, he believed and in holy fear, commenced the work on the Ark to save his family. It took Noah one hundred years to construct the Ark! Meanwhile, Noah also warned others about the coming judgement by waters but none believed him, probably because they didn’t believe that there was ever going to be a judgement, much like those in this generation who don’t believe! ‘God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the Ark was being built … In it only a few people, eight in all , were saved through water and this water symbolises baptism that now saved you.’ – (1 Peter 3:20-21) Thus by his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. The Bible calls him a “preacher of righteousness” – (2 Peter 2:5-9) The Greek word for “preacher” is better translated as “herald” and refers to an official entrusted with making public proclamations. We too are called to be “preachers of righteousness”, telling others about this righteousness by faith through Christ, so that they might also be saved from the coming judgement by fire! – (2 Peter 3:7)

Righteousness by faith is not a new testament concept but has always been the principle even in the old testament, by which God declares those who believe in Him to be “righteous”. However, to be called “righteous”, is just a title but true “righteousness” is a state of being, when God credits righteousness to a person! Unless God credits righteousness to a person, he or she cannot be called “righteous” ! All through the Bible, it has always been faith which was credited as righteousness to those who believe, whether before the law was given or after the law was given and even after the law was abolished! ‘What does Scripture say? Abraham believed the LORD and he credited it to him as righteousness … Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised or before? It was not after, but before! And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.’ – (Romans 4:3-11) But after the law of righteousness came, Israel pursued it not by faith but as if by works and missed the whole purpose of the law. ‘Israel who pursued a law of righteousness has not attained it … because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.’ – (Romans 9: 31-32) And even after the law was abolished, its still “faith” that is being credited as righteousness! ‘But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known to which the Law and the prophets testify. This righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.‘ – (Romans 3:21-22) We who have believed have been credited with the righteousness of Jesus as promised in Scripture. ‘God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.’ – (Romans 4:24)

As stated earlier, “righteousness” is not a title but a state of being when the Spirit imputes the righteousness of Christ into our hearts. Our dead spirits came to life, once we received this righteousness. ‘If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.’ – (Romans 8:10) The Spirit doesn’t leave but takes permanent residence in our hearts, for if he left, we would lose our righteousness, just as Adam lost his righteousness when the Spirit of God left him. We too have received a sign of our righteousness by faith – the circumcision of the hearts by the Spirit and not in the flesh. The righteousness of Christ imparted to us by the Spirit is also a breastplate of righteousness for us by which we can stand boldly against the accusations of the enemy who condemns us for our sins. But God who justifies the wicked has declared us righteous by faith. Therefore we have confidence to come boldly before his throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace in the time of our need. This righteousness or right standing has made us sons and daughters and entitle us to the benefits of being the children of God. ‘Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ …’– (Romans 8:17) Moreover, we are assured that our prayers will be answered because ‘the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!’– (James 5:16) How many are the benefits of receiving this righteousness by faith! We stand to miss them if we pursue a righteousness by works, as many do. All our good works without faith are dead works and it will not benefit us in the light of eternity! They have already received their reward in full while on earth – the praise of men! If anyone is hopeful of going to heaven by their good deeds, they are living in a fool’s paradise! Attain this righteousness by faith today. Amen

30. Cup of wrath! (Part 6 of the Israel series – 76th Anniversary special.)

“In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.” – (Psalm 75:8) The cup of wrath has been mixed and kept ready for those on earth who have refused to drink from the cup of salvation that he gave to the church. ‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.’ – (Romans 1:18) This is what the LORD, the God of Israel said to Jeremiah: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the kingdoms on the face of the earth to drink it … When they drink it, they will stagger and go mad because of the sword I will send among them … And after all of them, the king of Sheshach (cryptogram for Babylon) will drink it too.” – (Jeremiah 25:15-27) ‘Babylon (the nation) was a gold Cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk . The nations drank her wine; therefore they have gone mad. Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.’ – (Jeremiah 51:7-8) Babylon also stands for an end time religious, political and economic system that opposes the truth and oppresses the saints! ‘With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ – (Revelation 17:2) ‘God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.’ – (Revelation 16:19) ‘Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup.’ – ( Revelation 18:6)

But before that happens, THE LORD declares, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding people’s reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On the day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” – (Zechariah 12:2-3) There was a time when the nation of Israel was the first to drink from the cup of God’s wrath in keeping with the principle: ‘first for the Jew, then for the Gentile’ – (Romans 2:9-10), because they rejected the cup of salvation extended to them. The vineyard was therefore handed over to the Gentiles to ‘produce its fruit’ (Matthew 21:41-43) until the time comes for the restoration of Israel. God began by first restoring them as a nation and on May 14th 1948 the modern state of Israel was formed. (This is what the disciples enquired when they asked Jesus: “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” He said, “It is not for you to know the times and dates the Father has set by his own authority.” – Acts 1:6-7) God will gather back every Jew from the nations to the nation of Israel before he restores their faith! “I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind … I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Sovereign Lord. – (Ezekiel 39:28-29) The time of their spiritual awakening is coming and has come! “Awake, awake! Rise up Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath you have drained it to the dregs the goblet that makes men stagger … See , I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger, from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. I will put it into the hands of your tormentors …” (Isaiah 51:17-23)

Israel celebrated 76 years of independence on the evening of 13th May, 2024 – 14th May, 2024; the 5th day of Iyar (ה’ באייר) in the Hebrew calendar or on May 14th in Gregorian calendar); the day on which David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence. Soon after the declaration of independence, the surrounding Arab nations declared war the very next day against the newly formed state of Israel. Since then Israel has fought many wars and skirmishes and have won. Once again as they are being surrounded by a ring of fire; by the nations that call for the total annihilation of the only Jewish state in the middle east, we are going to see the fulfillment of these prophecies in our lifetime! The Lord declares: “On that day I will strike every horse with madness. I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah … Then the leaders of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘The people of Jerusalem are strong, because the Lord Almighty is their God.’ On that day, I will make the leaders of Judah like a firepot in a woodpile, like a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place … On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem. And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him … The Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle … The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” – (Zechariah 12:4-13:9) Amen.

38. Path to revival.

‘RESTORE us again, O God our Saviour … Will you not REVIVE us again, that your people might rejoice in you?’ – (Psalm 85:4-6)
The greatest revival in Church history is undoubtedly the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out on 120 people gathered in the upper room at Jerusalem! The path to revival always seems to follow a strikingly similar pattern and it has been proven over and over again throughout Church history. The principles behind the sequence of events that led up to that revival in Jerusalem are still the same and are as follows:-

1. Repentance: The revival on the day of Pentecost began with the call to repentance by John the Baptist! “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” – (Matthew 3:2) and ‘people went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins , they were baptized by him in the Jordan river.’ – (Matthew 3:5-6) Interestingly, the Prophet Joel had made a similar call to national repentance following a natural calamity, saying: “Even NOW,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart … Rend your heart and not your garments.” – (Joel 2:12-13) But the call went unheeded and there is no recorded history of a revival. Then in the book of Acts, we read that on the day of Pentecost, while addressing the thousands gathered in front of the upper room at Jerusalem, Peter began by saying, “This is what was spoken by the Prophet Joel: In the last days I will pour out my Spirit on all people … Therefore… Repent .. everyone of you … And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children …” – ( Acts 2:17-39) Repentance prepares the ground for sowing the seeds of Revival.

2. Restoration: Following the wholehearted repentance came an unprecedented (unequalled) restoration, when the ministry of John the Baptist was followed by the ministry of Jesus, that saw the greatest outbreak of miracles since the days of Moses and Elijah! ‘The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel’ – (Matthew 15:31) ‘… who had given such authority to men.’ – (Matthew 9:8) ‘They were all filled with awe and … they said, “A great Prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his people.”‘ – (Luke 7:16) “We have never seen anything like this!” – (Mark 2:12) The miracles stirred the hearts of the people and they were filled with joy and praised God. This too was predicted by the Prophet Joel, when he said ,“THEN the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people … be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things … I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten … You will praise the name of the Lord your God who has worked wonders for you …” – (Joel 2:18-27) Restoration sows the seeds for Revival.

3. Revival: The Prophet Joel had predicted the sequence of events that would unfold before the return of the Lord! “And AFTER-WARD ( Just as in English, the Hebrew text uses two words: the word “Ahar” means afterwards, later, following and the word “Ken” is used as a marker to show sequence of logic or events and is translated as: so, thus, then, therefore ), I will pour out my Spirit on all people … BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” – (Joel 2:28-31) Though this prophesy was set to motion on the day of Pentecost, many details of the prophesy are yet to be fulfilled and we, in this generation, will witness it! Peter, while quoting this prophesy on the day of Pentecost, used the words “last days” (Acts 2:17) instead of “afterwards” because he understood the Church age to be the final days! What began two thousand years ago is nearing completion! Since prophesy is cyclic, it repeats itself and we will once again hear the call to repentance; see an outbreak of miracles and witness the outpouring of the Spirit upon the nations and finally again on nation of Israel as predicted by the Prophets – (Ezekiel 39:25-29).

PS: Note these words denoting time – NOW if we repent, THEN we will see restoration and AFTERWARD will receive the outpouring BEFORE the return of the Lord. Amen.

37. Three things believers must redo.

The things we did at first as new believers!

1. Renew our minds: Many Christians wonder why they are battling with their thought so much after they became a believer! That’s because their unrenewed minds are not in sync (working well together; in agreement) with their renewed spirits! The Holy Spirit bypassed our skeptical minds and came directly into our hearts by faith and from there he took control of our otherwise hostile minds and works to renew it! ‘The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.’ – (Romans 8:6) Now the mind has become the battlefield where the war for the soul is being waged ( 1 Peter 2:11) ! Therefore, ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ – (Romans 12:2)

2. Resist the devil: As believers we have been commanded not only to renew our minds but also to resist the devil. ‘Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.’ – (James 4:7) To resist the devil also means to resist sin! So its also written: ‘In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding blood.’ – (Hebrews 12:4) But to be able to resist sin, our mind needs to be controlled by the Spirit because ‘the mind set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so!’ – (Romans 8:7) We, ‘however, are controlled NOT by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in us.’ – (Romans 8:9) Therefore, we can resist the devil by the Spirit ‘for we are not unaware of his schemes.’ – (2 Corinthians 2:11)

3. Rebuild what was destroyed: And as believers, we are exhorted to rebuild everything the enemy has destroyed: our faith, devotion, fellowship, witness, broken relationships … ‘Then Zerubbabel … set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.’ – (Ezra 5:2) Even our spiritual defences! Later, Nehemiah realising the need for a wall, said “Come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will not longer be in disgrace.” – (Nehemiah 2:17) It’s the legacy of the people of God to rebuild! “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” – (Isaiah 48:12)

Pray that God will restore the Church as it was in the days of the Apostles ! But for that, God needs people who continually renew their minds and resist the devil! Amen.

36. Three things a backslider must do.

1. Remember: Unless we have something to remember, there will be nothing to repent about! For instance, when the prodigal son came to his senses, he remembered his father’s house and said, “How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare and here I am starving to death!” – (Luke 15:17). And remember how far you have fallen away from the Father. ‘You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen!’ – (Revelation 2:4-5)

2. Repent: Unless we repent, there will be no urge to act! The prodigal son said,“I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” – (Luke 15:18) Scripture doesn’t say that he wept but that he decided to act immediately! Repentance is not our emotions but our decisions. The word Repent in Greek is metanoia which means to change one’s mind. Decide to do what you did earlier as a new believer! “Repent and do the things you did at first.” – (Revelation 2:5)

3. Redo: Unless we do what we have decided to do, our repentance will not be complete! ‘So he got up and went to his father.’ – (Luke 16:20) We might be feeling sorry about many things but unless we decide to act, repentance is fruitless (Matthew 3:8). Decide to read the Word regularly as you did before! Decide to finish the task you began! “I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore what you have received and heard, obey it and repent.” – (Revelation 3:2-3)

35. Three things the righteous mustn’t do!

1. Do not live by sight: ‘Since we have been justified (declared or made righteous) through faith – (Romans 5:1), God expects that the ‘righteous will live by faith’ – (Habbakuk 2:3,4 / Hebrews 10:38 /) for ‘in the Gospel a righteouness from God is revealed, a righteouness that is by faith from first to the last’ -(Romans 1:17) or to the very end. Therefore, ‘we live by faith, not by sight – (2 Corinthians 5:7) because ‘if anyone shrinks back, God will not be pleased with him.’ – (Hebrews 10:38)

2. Do not condemn those whom God justified: Since ‘anyone in Christ, is a new creation’ – (2 Corinthians 5:17), we must not condemn other believers. ‘Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?’ – (Romans 8:33-34) David refused to lift his hand against Saul, saying, “He is the anointed of the Lord” – (1 Samuel 24:6) ‘Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.’ – (Romans 14:4)

3. Do not commit sin: Since God has declared us righteous to do what is right, we must not commit sin. ‘You know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him … No one who is born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him …’ – (1 John 2:29 -3:10) However, ‘if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin … then none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the sins he has committed, he will die.’ – (Ezekiel 18:24)

“Let him who does right continue to do right and let him who is holy continue to be holy” because the time is near – (Revelation 22:11) Amen.

29. O Jerusalem! (Part 5 of the Israel series.)

Jerusalem was first settled by the Canaanites (not Palestinians) in 4000 BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. David conquered it around 1000 BC but Jerusalem was then known as Jebus (1 Chronicles 11:4) and the inhabitants were called Jebusites. There has never been a city like Jerusalem that has been conquered the most. It has been attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice; first by the Babylonians and then by the Romans and will be captured again before the second coming of Jesus! Jerusalem is important because God chose Mount Moriah, now known as the temple Mount, for Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac (Genesis 22:2). Later David chose that place to build an altar unto God after the plague (2 Samuel 24:18) and Solomon chose that place to build the temple ( 2 Chronicles 3:1) and finally God chose that place for his Son Jesus to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Every place that God claims has been counter-claimed by the devil and that explains the present day crisis. The battle for Jerusalem has raged through the ages and it has been a saga of a constant struggle of good versus evil.

Jerusalem means the “City of Peace” but ironically, the city has witnessed so much of violence and shedding of innocent blood, ‘for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem’ – (Luke 13:33) “Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.” – (Matthew 23:35-36) Even now persecution against Christians by the ultra-orthodox Jews are on the rise in modern day Israel. Moreover, Jerusalem is supposed to be the ‘City of Righteousness’ but she “has become a harlot”. – (Isaiah 1:21) A ‘spirit of impurity’ seems to have taken over the nation as secular Jews are increasingly becoming gay! Tel Aviv is one of gayest city in the world where approximately 25% of population identifies as gay, which considering the city’s population of about 400,000 means that approximately 100,000 people in the city identify themselves as part of the LGBTQ community! They even held a pride march in Jerusalem for first time in 2023 despite opposition from the ultra-orthodox Jews and the far right wing government. Infact, the Israeli defence force is one of the world’s most LGBTQ friendly armies and their Knesset has the record number of openly Gay Lawmakers ! No wonder Jerusalem is ‘figuratively called Sodom … where also the Lord was crucified.’ – (Revelation 10:8). However, the day is coming when God will ‘pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on him, the one they have pierced and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.’ – (Zechariah 12:10-13:2) ‘Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.’ – (Isaiah 1:26)

‘The present city of Jerusalem is in slavery with her children but the Jerusalem that is above (ie., the New Jerusalem – Revelation 21:2) is free.’ – (Galatians 4:25-26) God would have given the Jerusalem below, freedom from her enemies, had she listened to his messengers but she wouldn’t ! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! Look you house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'” – (Luke 13:34-35) Jesus wept over the city because he knew that her struggles were far from over! ‘As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, only knew on this day what would bring you peace – but now it’s hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground and you and your children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognise the time of God’s coming to you.” – ( Luke 19:41-44) This was fulfilled in 70 CE when the Roman army led by future emperor Titus besieged Jerusalem, the center of Jewish rebel resistance in the Roman province of Judea. Following a five-month siege, the Romans destroyed the city and the Second Jewish Temple. But the Christians remembered the words of Jesus and fled for their lives! “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.” – (Luke 21:20-22)

After over 1800 years of exile, her children began to return and their dream of a Jewish homeland became a reality when David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, as soon as the British mandate ended on May 14th 1948 in keeping with UN Resolution 181 (also known as the Partition Resolution) that called for the division of the land into Jewish and Arab states but denied the Jews from having control over the old city of Jerusalem! However, they seized control of the old city of Jerusalem back from the Jordanians following the six day war in 1967. Ever since the formation of the modern state of Israel, their enemies have been trying to annihilate the Jewish state but have failed, not because the Jews were strong but because the person of the Holy Spirit who is now on earth, has stood in the way, so have the Church! But Jerusalem will be captured once the Holy Spirit is ‘taken out of the way’ – ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7) and the Church is ‘caught up in the clouds’ – (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Without the person of the Holy Spirit standing in the way, the power of the tribulation saints and that of Israel will be broken. ‘As I watched, this horn (Antichrist) was waging war against the saints and defeating them …’ – (Daniel 7:21) [ ‘He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.’ – Revelation 13:7] ‘… until the ancient of days came and pronounced judgement in favour of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.’ – (Daniel 7:22) Jerusalem will be surrounded by the armies of the nations, probably by an UN resolution to recapture the city. Their allies will betray them but God will make Jerusalem an immovable stone that will hurt those who try to wrest control of the city from Israel. “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem as immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” – (Zechariah 12:2-3) ‘The city will be captured, the houses ransacked and the women raped. Half the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem … This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are standing on their feet.’ – (Zechariah 14:3-12) “Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place … It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.” – (Vs10-11) Hallelujah! Amen.

34. Benefits of righteousness.

The righteousness credited to us not only gave us a right standing with God but he also ‘gave us the right to become children of God’ – (John 1:12), to ask and receive the following benefits of righteousness, since the ‘righteous requirements of the law have been fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.’ – (Romans 8:4)

1. Right to ask and receive grace – Righteousness gives us the right to ask and recieve grace in abundance which causes us to reign in life with Christ. ‘… how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.’ – (Romans 5:17) ‘Just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ – (vs 21) Grace reigns in our lives only when there is righteousness!

2. Right to ask and receive blessings – Righteouness gives us the right to ask and receive God’s blessing in its fullness which causes us to prosper. ‘Blessings crown the head of the righteous.’ – (Proverbs 10:6) ‘For surely O Lord you bless the righteous.’ – (Psalm 5:12) John testified to this blessing, saying: ‘From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.’ – (John 1:16) So did Paul who wrote: ‘He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.’ – (Ephesians 1:3) Blessings come upon our lives only when there is righteousness.

3. Right to ask and receive healing – Righteousness assures us of unconditional healing which causes us to be made whole (John 5:6,14 KJV) because ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ – (2 Corinthians 5:21) Not only did we become the righteousness of God but he has also healed us in the process of the divine exchange when he took up our infirmities ! ‘Surely he took up our infirmities … and by his wounds we have been healed.’ – (Isaiah 53:4-5) Healing seems to inevitable when there is righteousness.

If Christ healed the unrighteous even before the Spirit was given, how much more now when we have received the Spirit and have become the righteousness of God! Infact, the psalmist detailed the benefits the righteous have received from God: ‘Praise the Lord, O my soul and forget not his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ – (Psalm 103:1-5) Amen.

33. Effects of righteousness.

We have read in Scripture that ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’ – (Romans 4:3, Genesis 15:6) and that ‘he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith’ – (Romans 4:11) ‘The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.’ – (Romans 4:23) The Holy Spirit comes to impute this righteousness and its effects in us are as follows :

1. It gives life to our spirits: The righteousness of Christ revives our dead spirit. ‘If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.’ – (Romans 8:10) ‘God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.’ – (Ephesians 2:5) Therefore, ‘count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ – (Romans 6:11)

2. It gives us a right standing with God – Not only have our dead spirits been revived, but now ‘with the breastplate of righteousness in place’ – (Ephesians 6:14), we need not fear the ‘accuser of the brethren, who accuses us before God day and night.’ – (Revelation 12:10) Therefore, we can ‘approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ – (Hebrews 4:16)

3. It guarantees us answer to prayers: Not only does the righteous have the right to come before God, but ‘the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’ – (James 5:16) because ‘the righteous cry out and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.’ – (Psalm 34:17) ‘For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.’ – (Psalm 5:12) Amen.

32. Signs of the covenants.

Signs and symbols are important because they are used to convey messages quickly and concisely. God gave a sign for every covenant that he made with men, as if to assure them of the certainity of His promises! God gave Noah the sign of the Rainbow (Genesis 9:13); gave Abraham the sign of Circumcision (Genesis 17:11) ; gave the Israelites the sign of Sabbath ( Exodus 31:13-17); gave the Church the sign of Baptism. (Refer: The seven covenants.) Interestingly, all these covenants were made with the righteous because God doesn’t make a covenant with the wicked but with those who by faith had received a righteouness. ‘By his faith Noah condemned the world and became heir of the righteouness that comes by faith.’ – (Hebrews 11:7) So righteouness by faith is not a new testament theology but something we find throughout the Bible. ‘What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather discovered in this matter?’… What does Scripture day? “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteouness.“‘ – (Romans 4:1-3) And as a sign of the righteouness he had by faith, he was given a sign of circumcision. “You are to undergo circumcision and it will be the sign of the covenant between you and me … My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.” – (Genesis 17:11-13) Many think righteouness is credited to them when they take the water baptism. Infact they received the righteouness by faith even before they were baptized, as Abraham did! ‘And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.’ – (Romans 4:11) We have received this righteouness of Christ by faith even before we were baptized in water when we received the Spirit of God who imputes Christ’s righteousness to us. Signs of the covenant are therefore :-

1. A reminder of God’s covenant – God deliberately chooses to remember his covenant with us and so must we! “I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth … Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creature of every kind on earth.” – (Genesis 9:12-16)

2. An assurance of God’s promises – God first gave his promises to Abraham when he was 75 (Genesis 12:1-3), cut a covenant when he was 85 (15:18) and gave the sign of circumcision when he was 99. ‘When Abraham was ninety nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said,”… I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers … Every male among you shall be circumcised.” – (Genesis 17:2-10)

3. A declaration of our faith – The sign of baptism is a public declaration of faith; of our good conscience towards God. ‘…Water symbolises baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience towards God.’ – (1 Peter 3:21) We declare that ‘we are buried with him through baptism into his death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead … we too may live a new life.’ – (Romans 6:4)

There are two sacraments that Christ instituted. The sacrament of baptism is the sign of the covenant and the sacrament of Communion/ Eucharist is the celebration of the promise that was fulfilled, just as they observed under the old covenant, the Circumcision which was the sign of the Abrahamic covenant and the Passover which was the celebration of the promise made to Abraham to deliver his descendants from slavery. (Genesis 15:13-14) Amen.

https://teachingofchrist.blog/category/short-sermons/

31. God of covenants.

Why does God make covenants? Wasn’t God’s word to Abraham more than enough for him to believe that he would take possession of the land? Nevertheless, God made a blood covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:18) and confirmed it with an oath (Genesis 17:2,22:16), because Abraham had asked, “How can I know that I will gain possession of it ?” – (Genesis 15:8) In other words, Abraham had the ‘certainty of things not seen’ but he was asking for the ‘surety of things hoped for’; that God will not give up on his descendants but will discipline them and enable them to take possession of the land against all odds. Therefore ‘God did this ( ie made a covenant and swore an oath) so that by two unchangeable things ( ie the promise and the oath) in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.’ – (Hebrews 6:18) The reasons why God chooses to make a covenant with us are as follows:-

1. God desires an everlasting bond – God is not interested in a temporary relationship but in a permanent relationship that requires commitment from both parties. He therefore enters into a covenant with men (not a contract that can be breached) that will not be breached by him nor should be breached by us! ‘If we are faithless, he will remain faithful for he cannot disown himself.’ – (2 Timothy 2:13) So is marriage, and God hates divorce – (Malachi 2:16), the breaking of faith with the wife of your marriage covenant. – (vs 14)

2. God reveals his unchanging nature – He is not man that he should change his mind! ‘God is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?’ – (Numbers 23:19) Has the Lord spoken, so shall it be! ‘Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath’ for ‘the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.’ – (Hebrews 6:16-17)

3. God sets clear-cut expectations – God told Abraham what he will do for him and what he expected of Abraham. “AS FOR ME, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations .. the whole land of Canaan where you are now an alien, I will give you and your descendants as an everlasting possession and will be their God … AS FOR YOU, you must keep my covenant … , Every male among you shall be circumcised … My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.” – (Genesis 17:4-14)

We too have a new covenant in the blood of Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:25) which assures us of the promise of the Spirit (Acts 2:39), the blessing given to Abraham (Galatians 3:14) and healing in Christ (1 Peter 2:24). Amen.

30. Hold promises for the next!

The divine exchange has not only availed us promises for this life but also hold promises for the next life! He has given us his ‘great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption …’ – (2 Peter 1:4)

1. Resurrection of our bodies: The righteousness imparted to us not only has made alive our dead spirits but also will give life to mortal bodies . ‘If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.’ – (Romans 8:10-11) ‘We will not all sleep but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.’ – (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

2. Heavenly inheritance: Abraham was not only promised an earthly inheritance in the land of Canaan but also a heavenly inheritance as well – A celestial city! Therefore ‘he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.’ – (Hebrews 11:10) So did ‘Issac and Jacob who were heirs with him of the same promise’ – (Vs 9) ‘They were longing for a better country – a heavenly one! Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.’ – (Vs 16) John, in his vision, ‘saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God …’ – (Revelation 21:2)

3. Inner peace and healing : Not only will our outer man experience healing but also our inner man will experience an inner peace and healing that we haven’t fully experienced on earth! ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain for the old order of things has passed away.’ – (Revelation 21:3-4) ‘Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life … On each side of the river stood the tree of life … the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse.’ – (Revelation 22:1-3).

The divine exchange has taken away our sinful nature and has clothed us with the divine nature. Therefore, ‘put on the new self, created to be like God (or godliness) in true righteousness and holiness.’ – (Ephesians 4:24) ‘Train yourself to be godly … godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.’ – (1 Timothy 4:7-8) Amen.

https://teachingofchrist.blog/category/new-posts/

29. Divine exchange.

The Lord has not only been merciful to us by not treating us as our sins deserve but he has also been gracious to us, to give us gifts that we didn’t deserve! Not only has he taken away our sins, curses and sickness but has given us something very valuable instead! This divine exchange is what makes the gospel the ‘good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’ (Luke 2:10)

1. Righteousness instead of sin: Not only has He taken away our sin in his mercy but also has graciously given us his righteousness that we didn’t deserve! ‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we MIGHT BECOME the righteousness of God.’ – (2 Corinthians 5:21) Whoever believes the Lord, he credits the righteousness of Jesus to them, just as ‘Abraham believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness.’ – (Genesis 15:6) ‘The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead.’ – (Romans 4:23-24) The Holy Spirit comes to impart this righteousness to us.

2. Blessings instead of curses: Not only has he taken away our curses in his mercy but also has graciously given us his blessings that he gave to Abraham. ‘He redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us … in order that the blessing given to Abraham MIGHT COME to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ …’ – (Galatians 3:13-14) Because those who believe like Abraham are reckoned as the children of Abraham! ‘Understand , then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scriptures foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.’ – (Galatians 3:7-9)

3. Healing instead of sickness: Not only has he taken away our sicknesses in his mercy but also has graciously given us healing in Christ. ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows. He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds WE ARE (not might be) healed.’ – (Isaiah 53:54-5) To receive the righteousness and the blessings, its imperative (of vital importance; crucial) that we receive the Holy Spirit or be born again but to receive healing, we need not necessarily receive the Spirit or be born again! All who came to Christ received healing unconditionally without even having received the Spirit. Moreover, the Bible affirms that we are healed because God ‘calls things that are not as though they were.’ – (Romans 4:17)

Apostle Peter summed up the divine exchange in these words: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” – (1 Peter 3:24) Amen.

28. Christ: The Anointed.

The crux (decisive or most important point) of the gospel is the truth that Jesus, who is the Christ (Greek: Chrīstós means “anointed one”, Hebrew Mašíaḥ or Messiah means “one who is anointed” ), was Anointed to :

1. A-tone for our sins: The word “Atone” in English means to “make amends or reparation” but the Hebrew word kaphar actually means “to cover over” which implies that his blood has covered our sins! ‘He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.’ – (1 John 2:2) He has become the scapegoat ( a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it – Lev. 16; figuratively a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency ( being convenient and practical though improper). ‘We all like sheep have gone astray … and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all’ – (Isaiah 53:6) though being innocent. ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him …’ He atoned for our sins that we might become righteous.

2. B-ear our curse: Curse (a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something) was the catastrophic fallout of sin when God cursed Adam and Eve for violating his command and as a result all mankind reeled (lose one’s balance and stagger) from the effects of it! But ‘Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”‘ – (Galatians 3:13) He was thought of to be an accursed man because of the sufferings he endured but he really was not! ‘He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.’ – (Isaiah 53:3) He bore our curse so that we might be blessed!

3. C-arry our infirmities: Sickness and disease were as a result of the curse and men longed for a Saviour who could rescue them from this vicious cycle of sin – curse – infirmities – death! ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted … and by his wounds we are healed.’ – (Isaiah 53:4-6) Since forgiveness of sin could be achieved with just the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22), what was the need for the breaking of his body, if not for our healing! He was not only Anointed to bear the weight of the ‘sin of the world’ (John 1:29) but also to endure the ‘breaking of his body’ (1 Corinthians 11:24) ‘His apperance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness! – (Isaiah 52:14) He was severely flogged and the agony of that breaking was prophetically uttered by the psalmist in such unforgettable language! “Plowmen have plowed my back and made the furrows long.” – (Psalm 129:3)

This is the “ABC” of the gospel or the foundation on which the new testament doctrines are based. Jesus the “Anointed One” took away our sin that we might receive his righteousness, took away our curses that we might receive his blessings; took away our sickness and are declared healed. Amen.

22. Stop striving ! Start yielding !

The secret of dying to the world and to sin is dying to our “self”. Just as those who are dead in their flesh do not respond to anything, even so those who are dead to their “self”, do not respond to the world or to sin. ‘For we know that our old “self” was CRUCIFIED WITH HIM so that the “body of sin” might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin because ANYONE WHO HAS DIED HAS BEEN FREED FROM SIN.’ – (Romans 6:6-7) Dying to our “self” is the objective of our Christian life but its easier said than done because our “self” refuses to die! We will not yield our “self” to be crucified unless we experience the compulsion. ‘For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that ONE DIED FOR ALL AND THEREFORE ALL DIED. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.’ – (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Its the realisation of this truth that will cause us to say what Paul said: ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.’ – (Galatians 2:19-20) This then is the main tenet of our faith: ‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.’ – (Romans 6:10-11) Without adhering to this principle, all our self-effort to be very spiritual doesn’t help us die to our “self”. We will only end up striving in the flesh to attain the things of the Spirit instead of yielding to the Spirit!

Speaking to the Jewish believers in Galatia, Paul asked : ‘Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law (meaning by human effort) or by believing what you heard? … After beginning with the Spirit , are you now trying to attain your GOAL by human effort (meaning by observing the law) ?’- (Galatians 3:2-3) ‘But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law’.– (Galatians 5:18) The opposite of this statement should hold true as well ! If you are NOT led by the Spirit, you are STILL under the law (meaning by human effort , striving to attain the promise of the Spirit ). So what does it mean to be ‘led by the Spirit ‘ ? It does mean to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. The Israelites were led by the ‘pillar of cloud’ by day and the ‘pillar of fire’ by night, for forty years and yet they perished in the desert because of their rebellion, except for two! So it is not just a physical leading that is being implied but a spiritual consecration as well. ‘We have an obligation – but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die ; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live because those who are led by the Spirit are the sons and daughters of God .’ – (Romans 8:12-14)

‘So I say live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’ – (Galatians 5:16) ‘You are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ , he does not belong to Christ.‘ – (Romans 8:9) ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.’ – (Galatians 5:24- 25) All these Scriptures do imply that if the sinful nature is NOT crucified, we will be ‘out of step’ with the Holy Spirit and might find ourselves ‘left behind’ at Rapture! As said earlier , the promise of the Spirit is not attained by striving but by yielding to God, as Paul himself asked : ‘Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard ?’ – (Galatians 3:5) So let’s stop striving and start yielding to Holy Spirit. Amen.

21. Yielded vessels.

Kathryn Kuhlman used to say : “God is not asking for golden vessels or silver vessels but yielded vessels.”
Interestingly, he didn’t even require that the vessels be empty because once yielded, he will empty the vessels and fill them with the new wine . When Jesus turned water into wine at Cana in Galilee, he didn’t ask for golden or silver vessels that were inside the house but instead chose the six stone jars that stood outside the house, to hold the ‘new wine’. The stone jars weren’t meant for a noble purpose but that didn’t deter Jesus from using them to reveal his glory. (John 2:11)
‘In a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some for noble purposes and some for ignoble. *If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. ‘ – (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
The Lord is still seeking for vessels in these endtimes to pour out his Spirit upon all flesh.

Why should we yield to God?
He being our creator has a ‘legal’ right over our lives. But he didn’t ‘lord it over us’ as men would like to do because he gave us a free will ! Now that our creator has turned out to be our redeemer, he has a double right over our lives as Lord and Saviour ! When emotions wear out, what sustains our commitment is this deep conviction of God’s right over our lives. Therefore , we ought to surrender ourselves to God in our free will lest we put our salvation at stake !

What does God require from us?
He died our death that we might live his life, King size! But that is too big a life to live by our own human effort ! Therefore just as the Father lived the life of his Son by his Spirit and perfected him, so also must Christ live our lives by the Spirit and perfect us. The words of Jesus bears witness to this truth : “The words I say to you are not my own. Rather, it is the Father ,living in me , who is doing his work.” – (John 14:10)
And Paul in turn could say : ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me . The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God , who loved me and gave himself up for me.’– (Galatians 2:20)

How do we live by this faith?
‘The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body … but rather offer yourselves to God … as instruments of righteousness …’ (Romans 6:10-14)
Therefore, let us yield these ‘jars of clay’ to the Potter who made us and chose us to be the vessels that can hold the new wine. Amen.

28. Warnings from Israel’s history.(Part 4 of Israel series)

Israel has a sordid history of moral failures, like any other nation on earth, though being chosen by God! Israel was not chosen for their strength – ‘The Lord did not set his affection in you and choose you because you were more numerous than other people, for you were the fewest of all peoples.” – (Deuteronomy 7:7) Neither were they chosen because of their goodness – “It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going to take possession of the land” – ( 9:5) nor were they chosen because of their faithfulness, as Moses himself said of them: “You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you.” – (9:24) God choose Israel in His Sovereign will, despite knowing that they too were a faulty people! Nevertheless, God made a covenant with them, which promised them blessings if they obeyed and warned them of curses if they disobeyed! Before the covenant was made, God himself came down in their midst and gave the ten commandments, saying, “You shall have no other gods besides me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them … You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God …” – (Exodus 20:3-7) But no sooner had they heard the law, than they broke the first three commandments, forgetting what they had just heard! God had not even finished giving the law to Moses, before which they cast an idol in the shape of a calf and said, “These are your god’s, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt” – (Exodus 31:4). Its said, “Old habits die hard”, which means, what we did before, we are prone to do it again! Infact Moses had predicted Israel’s rebellion and he even made them recite a song that invoked curses upon themselves, if they worshipped what their hands have made. “For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the Lord while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die. .. In days to come , disaster will fall upon you because you will do evil in the sight of the Lord and provoke him to anger by what your hands have made.” – (Deuteronomy 31:27-29)

Its a known fact that Israel had a weakness for idols! Infact, they were exiled to Assyria and Babylon only because of idolatry (Jeremiah 1:14-16). If this has happened to Israel, though being chosen by God, the Church is not exempt either! ‘Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolators, as some of them were … We should not commit sexual immorality as some of them did – and in one day twenty three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did – and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom be fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!’ – (1Corinthians 10:6-12) Who among us have never tested the Lord or grumbled against him? But Israel’s sins are specifically mentioned in this passage: Mainly Idolatry and Adultery. (Both these sins can be grouped together because it always seems to exist together – where there is idolatry, invariably adultery too exists! It shouldn’t surprise us then if we hear that temple prostitution has always been part of pagan worship. That probably was the fatal attraction Israel had for pagan idols because these religions licensed a promiscuous living. Idolatry and adultery still can be found in Israel and even in the Church. In the letter to the Church in Pergamum, John wrote: “You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.”– (Revelation 2:14) And in the letter to the Church in Thyathira, John wrote: “You tolerate that women Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” – (Vs 20) Note the connection between Idolatry and adultery in these two passages! Moreover, the Church is fraught with materialism and many are addicted to social media, which too is a form of idolatry that corrupts our souls! (According to Barna Research – Barna group is an evangelical Christian polling firm based in Ventura, California – 68% of church-going men and more than 50% of pastors regularly view porn. And when it comes to Christians 18-24 years old, 76% actively search for porn. The statistics of porn addiction among the churched are staggering, but it’s even more remarkable considering these statistics only reflect those who admit to watching porn.) Anything other than the Word of God vying for our attention and anyone other than God yearning for our hearts, amounts to idolatry!! Those who give in to it, forfeit the grace of God that otherwise could be theirs! ‘Those who cling to worthless idols FORFEIT THE GRACE that could be theirs.’ – (Jonah 2:8)

What is interesting though, is the fact that idolatry flourished only as long as the temple stood but after it was demolished and they were scattered around the world, idolatry among Jewish communities died out too! Finding themselves among an alien culture, they maintained their identity and did not worship their gods! Having lost their temple, they became people of the book (Torah) but before long they became legalistic, following the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law! If not idolatry and adultery, then it was legalism and fanaticism! ‘For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.’ – (Romans 10:2-3) Whereas the Gentiles did! ‘The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not obtained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. ‘ – (Romans 9:30-32) Israel had a tendency for extremism. Either they were liberals or they were legalists! They always missed the purpose of God though they had received the Word from God. ‘Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ …’ – (Romans 9:4-5) If Israel missed it, so can the Church! Paul asked the Galatians, “I would like to learn one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? … Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard?” – (Galatians 3:2-5) Those who try to be justified by works, forfeit the grace of God. ‘You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have FALLEN AWAY FROM GRACE.’ – (Galatians 5:4) Israel missed the grace of God either because of idolatry or because of self-righteousness! Paul cautioned the Church as well, not to forfeit God’s grace! ‘As God’s fellow workers, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For God says, “In the time of my favour I heard you and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.’ – (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) ‘See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that nobody is sexually immoral or is godless like Esau …’ (Hebrews 12:15) Its important that we be warned ‘for if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare us either.’ (Romans 12:21) Amen.

27. Shared destiny! (Part 3 of Israel series)

Israel and the Church share a common destiny though some Christians believe that the Church has replaced Israel while most Jews cannot believe that the Church shares in their blessings! But, Paul, a Jew by birth and a Christian, wrote to the Ephesians: ‘Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me … that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation …This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.’ – (Ephesians 3:2-6) He never advocated ostracising (excluding from a society ) the Jews after he became a Christian, rather prayed for their inclusion ! He wrote: ‘My hearts desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.’ – (Romans 10:1) Infact, he exhorted the Church to help the Jews! ‘For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.’ – (Romans 15:27) There is onething common about those on either side who disagree with Scriptures – Unbelief! They are not willing to accept the truth as stated in Scriptures and therefore have missed out on the plan and purpose of God! For instance, many Christians who understood Scriptures, supported Zionism (the religious and political movement for the re-establishment of a Jewish nation) while many Ultra Orthodox Jews who didn’t understand the plan and purpose of God, opposed the movement, so did many unbelieving Christians! Many Jews are still reluctant to return to their homeland and only 46% of the total global Jewish population of 15.7 million have returned to Israel as of 2023.

There are many things in common between Israel and the Church, starting with their calling. Both were called to be set apart from the world and to be His people who will declare His praise. The Lord said to Israel through Moses: “Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – (Exodus 19:6) So did the Holy Spirit say to the Church through Peter: ‘You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’ ( 1 Peter 2:9) Both Israel and the Church have a common mission as well; to bring salvation to the ends of the earth! The book of Isaiah spells out Israel’s ultimate destiny: “I will also make you a light to the Gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” – (Isaiah 49:6) But along the way, Israel and Judah’s desire for political greatness had obscured their original calling. But the day is coming when the Jews will be send to the nations during the millennial rule of Christ. “I will send some of those who survive to the nations and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem …” – (Isaiah 66:19-20) So also the Church has been entrusted with the task of reaching the ends of the earth with the gospel! ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” – (Acts 1:8) However, the Church too seems to have lost its vision because of its passion for everything else other than the Great commission!

Its not just the calling and mission that are same, but also the enemies they face! Though Israel battles it out in the physical ‘against flesh and blood’, they are actually up ‘against rulers, against authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ – ( Ephesians 6:12-), who seek the destruction of Israel and of the Church! However, we do not wage war as they do! ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ – (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) Hence, we ought to pray for the preservation of Israel! Wars breaks out on earth when the war in the heavens spill onto the earth! ‘And there was war in heaven … The great dragon was hurled to the earth. … When the dragon saw that he was hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman ( Israel) who had given birth to the male child (Jesus) … Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring ( the Church) – those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus …’ (Revelation 12:7-17) The devil hates Israel and therefore the Church because it is the offspring of Israel. Then it shouldn’t surprise us if the world hates true Christians because of its hatred for the Jews, as they both are the handiworks of God ! “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world but have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you … If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also … Infact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you think he is offering a service to God “ – (John 15:18-20,16:2) When he said this to his disciples, he was infact speaking to those who were Jews! So it applies to both, but first to the Jews and then to Christians, in keeping with this principle: ‘There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.’ (Romans 2:9-10) History bears witness to this truth; the most hated and persecuted people on earth are the Jews and the true Christians!

God had set Israel as a standard for the world; so also the Church! Therefore judgement begins with them; those who are of the family of God ! ‘For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with the us, what will be the outcome of those who do not obey the gospel of God? If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? ‘ – (1 Peter 4:17-18) We need to understand that all Jews are not going to be saved but only a remnant because all those who descended from Jews are only “circumcised in the flesh” and not “circumcised in their heart”. Likewise, all Christians are not going to be saved but only a remnant because all “born” Christians are not “born-again” Christians! It takes faith to be saved (Ephesians 2:8) but all do not have faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2)! So even the standards and requirement set for both Israel and the Church are the same! Finally, the glory that the Church will share with Israel, once restored to their faith, will be the same! Speaking of the glory of the Church during the millennial rule of Christ, Scripture says: ‘In that day the Branch of the Lord (Christ and the Church, being an offshoot of Israel) will be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. Those who are left in Zion , who remain in Jerusalem will be called holy .. Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will shelter and shade from the heat of the day and a refuge and hiding place from the storms and the rain.’ – (Isaiah 4:2-6) And speaking of the glory of Israel during the millennial rule of Christ, Scripture says: ‘In that day the Root of Jesse (Christ and the nation of Israel) will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him and his place of rest will be glorious ..’ (Isaiah 11:10) The Church will not replace them but will dwell amidst the people of Israel (Ezekiel 47:22-23), and will reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4) from Jerusalem on Mount Zion. Amen.

27. Profile of the king.

History bears witness to many great kings and their powerful kingdoms but one King stands out from the rest because he was unlike any other king! Was not born in a palace, nor wore royal clothes! Had no crown on his head nor had a throne to sit! Had no sceptre in his hand nor a court to convene! Had no army to lead nor a horse to ride! Yet he is greater than all kings who had all these; even ‘greater than Solomon’ – (Matthew 12:42) who was the greatest among them! What makes the profile of this King different from the rest of the kings? His uniqueness comes from the truth that he is :

1. The Son of God: Though angels (Hebrew: bēn ha Elōhîm, literally “sons of the Elohim”) who were created by God are also called “sons of God” – (Genesis 6:1, Job 1:6), Jesus, the Son of God, is referred to as ‘”God the One and Only” or “the Only begotten” (Greek: monogenēs means one and only, unique ) who is at the Father’s side.’ – (John 1:18) So ‘when God brought his firstborn into the world, he said, “Let all God’s angels worship him” – (Hebrews 1:6, Deuteronomy 32:43) because he was before them! ‘For by him all things were created … He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.’ – (Colossians 1:16-17) To those who doubted whether God could have a begotten Son, Jesus asked, “If God called men ‘gods’, to whom the word of God came – what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’ ?” – (John 10:35-36)

2. The Christ: Only the Son of God could be the Christ (Greek: Christos meaning the Anointed One ) because ‘no man can redeem the life of another’ – (Psalm 49:7) but “the One and Only” or “Only begotten” who was Anointed to ‘take away the sin of the world.’ – (John 1:29). The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe …” (John 10: 24-26) The Jews had the right to ask because many before him had claimed that they were somebody! – (Acts 5:36-37). Therefore they had even asked John! ‘Now this was John’s testimony when Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him … he confessed freely, “I am not the Christ” – (John 1:19-20) “… but among you stands one you do not know (Vs 26) … he has surpassed me because he was before me.” – (Vs 30)

3. The Lord: Many addressed Jesus as Lord (Greek kyrios – a title to address a person of higher status; a master of property and slaves) and they were right in doing so! Since ‘all things were created by him and for him’ (Colossians 1:16), he was worthy of that title. He told his disciples, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.” – (John 13:13) But even onlookers addressed him as “Lord”, so did the Centurion because he perceived him to be a man of authority! – (Matthew 8:6-9) Christ alone is the Lord of all men because ‘with his blood he purchased men for God’. – (Revelation 5:9) Even those who do not obey him now must bow before him and confess that ‘Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.’ – (Philipians 2:10-11) And ‘on his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”.’ – (Revelation 19:16) Amen.

26. Replacement theology – Beware of this fallacy! (Part 2 of Israel series)

Have you ever heard these statements before?
1. Jews and Israel are not the same.
2. True Israelites have always been converts.
3. Followers of Jesus are the true children of Israel.
4. Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT.

I came across a video recently that had gone viral and thought should expose this fallacy (a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound arguments.) These statements sound more like “Replacement theology” or “Fulfillment theology”, also called “Supersessionism.” – The proponents of this doctrine believe that the Christian Church has superseded the nation of Israel, assuming their role as God’s covenanted people. They also teach that the universal Christian Church has replaced ancient Israel as God’s true Israel and that Christians (including gentiles) have replaced the biological bloodline of ancient Israelites as the people of God. Falsely claimed to have originated with Paul the Apostle, supersessionism has formed a core tenet of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches. The proponents of this theology have unwittingly sown the seeds of Anti-Semitism. In the book ‘The hidden root cause of Holocaust’ by Colonel John T Sommerville, he wrote: ‘Where did this ongoing hatred for the Jew come from and how did it start? The answer is short! It is because of a doctrine called “Replacement” theology.’ – (Page 12) This teaching was the primary reason for the persecution of Jews at the hands of Christians throughout Church history and specifically the “pogroms” (organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jewish people) that happened in eastern Europe and Russia. Infact the reason they were persecuted in the countries where they were in exile was because of their monotheistic belief and their unwillingness to mingle with others. Moreover, they were affluent and others were envious of their prosperity. Accusing them to be Christ killers was only an excuse to justify the atrocities committed against them when in reality both Jews and Gentiles were guilty in having killed him. Though the Jews were guilty of a greater sin because they knew God’s word, but still the Bible never states they have been replaced by the Church!

The subtlety with which this fallacy was presented in this video was so evident from the sequence in which the four statements were made as they tried to prove that the Jew and the nation of Israel were no longer relevant but the Church! They first stated that “Jews and Israel are not the same” because the ten lost tribes cannot trace their ancestry and the term “Jews” actually refer only to two tribes. But they’re no longer relevant because “true Israelites have always been converts” which means that the “followers of Jesus are the children of Israel” and the proof is that the “names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the New testament”. Some statements sound true in a spiritual sense while others sound true in a physical sense ! Only if they are true in both senses, can it be said to be absolutely true! Let’s consider the four statements-

1. Jews and Israel are not the same – Note that they didn’t say “Israelites” rather “Israel” because every Jew is an Israelite but every Israelite is not a Jew! Hence the mention of the nation of “Israel” which they allege is not purely Jewish because the ten lost tribes cannot trace their Jewish ancestry and moreover they say that the term “Jew” actually refers only to the two tribes, thus bringing to question the legitimacy of the current state of Israel. The term “Jew” first appears in the book of Esther (2:5) after two southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) were exiled to Babylon, where they were addressed together as “Jews” though it was derived from the name of the predominant tribe of Judah. However, the name stuck to mean all Israelites in the new testament. Even Jesus used the term “Jews” to collectively refer to all the descendants of Jacob and not just two tribes when he told the Samaritan woman: “Salvation is from the Jews.” – (John 4:22) The “Jews” are the people and “Israel” is their land but this false doctrine separates the two, denying the Jew their claim to the historical land which was promised to the physical descendants of Jacob. “Your name is Jacob but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel … The land I gave to Abraham and Issac, I also give to you and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” – (Genesis 35:10-12)

Undoubtedly, Israel is the homeland of all the 12 tribes, and they have the right to return whether a practising Jew or not! The Knesset passed the Law of Return in 1950 which states that every Jew is eligible to immigrate to Israel, and receive an Israeli citizenship. This law, however, proved to be controversial because of the question: “Who is a Jew?” According to the halakhic (the body of Jewish law supplementing the scriptural law) definition, a person is Jewish if their mother is Jewish, or if they are converts to Judaism. It’s interesting to note that even converts to Judaism are considered as Jews! So only those who can prove their Jewish descent or their conversion to Judaism can make the Aliyah (the immigration of Jews from the diaspora to the historical and geographical land of Israel ). All Jews who have returned to their homeland are called Israelis but not all Israelis are Jews because it includes Arabs, Bedouins and Druze who are citizens of Israel being a secular nation. However, “Israel” is not just the name of a nation but of its patriarch Jacob whose descendants were first called “Hebrews” and later “Israelites” before being called “Jews”. Therefore in a physical sense, the terms “Jews” and “Israel” can be used synonymously because it is the name of an ethnic group as well as of their nation. The name of the nation was derived from its people because they were a group of people at first in Egypt, before they became a nation in the promised land. Then to say that “Jews and Israel are not the same”, is being racist because they would not say that of any other nation! Even in a spiritual sense, there is no difference between a true Jew and a true Israelite because Jesus used the term synonymously when he called a Jew by the name Nathanael, a “true Israelite”!

2. True Israelites have always been converts – That would be like saying all true Christians have always been converts to Christianity but we know that’s not true since there are many true believers among Christians. As mentioned earlier, Nathanael, was a Jew and not a convert and looking at him, Jesus said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” – (John 1:47) True Israelites are not necessarily converts but everyone who embraces the truth, whether Jew or Gentile. So its really a matter of the heart ! Any Israelite circumcised in the heart could be reckoned as a Jew and vice-versa! ‘A man is not a Jew if he is one outwardly nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No , a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.’ – (Romans 2:28-29) Having said that, God is still dealing with the nation of Israel who are circumcised only in the flesh because of God’s eternal covenant in the flesh with Abraham despite the old Mosaic covenant being annulled! “My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.” – (Genesis 17:13) Those who have not understood this have become conceited! ‘I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be CONCEITED. Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved … as far as the election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs …’ – (Romans 11:25-28) Abraham has both physical descendants (circumcised only in the flesh) and spiritual descendants (circumcised in the heart) but the latter hasn’t replaced the former! Both Jews and Gentiles who are circumcised in the heart are spiritual Israel and reckoned as the spiritual children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7) However, a remnant from the rest of his natural children too will be saved! (Romans 9:27, 11:26)

3. Followers of Jesus are the true children of Israel – If followers of Jesus alone are the true children of Israel, then it implies that Jews are no longer the legitimate “children of Israel” and therefore have no claim to the promised land but the Church! Hence the next statement that the 12 tribes are Christians who will be allotted the land! Then why is God gathering the Jews back to Israel, if they have been replaced by the Church? Because Jesus cannot be revealed unless the Jews have been gathered back to Israel. All of Joseph’s brothers who sold him were with him when he made himself known to his brothers. (Genesis 45:1) Therefore, God is gathering the Jews from the nations since the start of the 20th century. But some say that God’s dealing in the NT is mainly with the Church. Yes! But to be precise, God’s dealing in the NT became mainly with the Church, only from the time of Christ’s death and resurrection. Until then, the OT law was in effect even during the ministry of Jesus until it was annulled by his death. We also see God dealing with the Jews first in the book of Acts. The 120 disciples in the upper room were all Jews. The 3000 who were added to the Church on the day of Pentecost were all Jews or converts to Judaism. The gospel had to be preached first in Jerusalem and Judea before being preached in Samaria and the ends of the earth. As the gospel spread, the Jews hardened their hearts because Gentiles were being included, and therefore Paul had to walk out of the synagogue in protest and preach to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46-51, 18:6) Then on the vineyard was handed over to the Gentiles to produce fruit in keeping with the prophecy of Jesus. (Luke 20:9-17) Paul’s arguments with the unbelieving Jews to convince them the true essence of Judaism has been taken out of context to mean what he didn’t intent – to replace them! Or else why did he ask: “Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! .. If their transgression means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!” – (Romans 11:11-12)

4. Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT – Let’s fact check this claim!! Before Jacob’s death, he said to Joseph, “Your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine …” (Genesis 48:5) So Joseph received a double portion of the inheritance because Ephraim and Manasseh were substituted in his place thus making in effect 13 tribes, which meant one had to be excluded while dividing the land! So when Joshua alloted the land, Levi was excluded for they were scattered in Israel as prophesied by Jacob (Genesis 49:7). But in the book of Revelation, the tribe that was excluded was Dan as they do not figure in the list of those who were sealed: “144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” – Revelation 7:4-8 (To say that the 144,000 are Christians and not Jews is ludicrous! The reason why the advocates of replacement theology teach that the 144,000 are Christians is because they reason that the ten lost tribes cannot trace their ancestry and therefore can’t accept the truth that 12,000 from each of the ten lost tribes can be traced by God. That’s the fallacy of replacement theology! What the Bible says has to be understood literally, unless it makes no sense and has to be understood figuratively ! When Scripture says “from all the tribes of Israel”, that’s what it means unless it makes no sense!) Dan was excluded probably because they have a history of idolatry! Moreover they didn’t take possession of the land alloted to them by Joshua, instead they went to the north and took possession of a land not alloted to Israel and killed a peaceful and unsuspecting people. (Joshua 20:47, Judges 18:29-31) However, in the vision Ezekiel saw of the new temple, the tribe of Dan also was given an allotment but not Levi ( Ezekiel 48:1). To say that the Names of the 12 tribes have been changed in the NT just because the name of one tribe doesn’t figure in the list is a lie! And to say that the 12 tribes are Christians who have been assigned to the different tribes is the heights of absurdity! If it is true, then only 144,000 Christians are going to be saved! When James addressed the 12 tribes scattered among the nations, he was literally addressing the jews and not the spiritual tribes of Christians.

The truth of the matter is that Israel has not been replaced by the Church as replacement theology advocates, but rather we have been grafted in, despite being wild olives! ‘If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches … if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again … how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!’ – (Romans 11:17-24) Both natural and grafted branches will exist side by side and the Church shares a common destiny with the nation of Israel. Though many Christians believe this to be true, yet they believe that God’s dealing with the nation of Israel is in a pause till the second coming of Christ when the clock starts to tick once again and God will start dealing with the nation of Israel again. But the prophecies concerning the nation of Israel in the books of the prophets were far from complete at the time of Christ’s death and they are now being fulfilled before our very eyes even through the Church age. Moreover, their story of survival, the last 2000 years and the formation of the nation and return of the diaspora all bears witness to God’s dealing with the nation of Israel because of his eternal covenant with Abraham. Amen.

25. Interpreting the Israel-Hamas war. (Part 1 of Israel series)

The prelude (something serving as an introduction to something more important ) to the Ezekiel 38 war has baffled many Bible scholars because it speaks about a time when the nation of Israel has recovered from war. When has that ever happened in the modern day history of Israel ? The list of wars begin with the War of Independence in 1948 which broke out as soon as the nation of Israel was established, followed by the Sinai war in 1956, the Six day war in 1967, Wars of Attrition from 1967-70, Yom Kippur war in 1973, First Lebanon war from 1982-85, First Intifada from 1987-93, Second Intifada from 2000-05, Second Lebanon war in 2006 to name a few, not to mention the numerous escalations and operations. Nevertheless, the prophet Ezekiel had prophesied precisely the would-be circumstances in Israel before the Ezekiel 38 war. “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog … and say: ‘… In future years you will invade a land that has RECOVERED FROM WAR, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel … They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them LIVE IN SAFETY … You will say, “I will invade a land of UNWALLED VILLAGES; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people – all of them LIVING WITHOUT WALLS AND WITHOUT GATES AND BARS … rich in livestock and goods living at the centre of the land …” – (Ezekiel 38:8-12) This has never been true about the nation of Israel during its 75 years of existence as a modern state. And now with Hamas and Hezbollah at their borders threatening to annihilate the Jewish state, the prospect of safety seems so bleak and the prophecy too far-fetched (unlikely and unconvincing)! But like the missing piece of a puzzle, this war seems to be the precursor (thing that comes before another of the same kind) to the Ezekiel 38 war, because it would be nations then and not terrorist groups! This war might have come as a surprise to many but it was totally expected, because Hamas and Hezbollah have been preparing for a major confrontation with Israel for a long time, but for the timing !

There remains many prophecies that have been partially fulfilled and awaits their total fulfillment because prophecy tends to repeat itself several times over different times frames until it finds total fulfillment. One of the prophecies in the context of the Israel-Hamas war is found in the book of Zephaniah. Prophesying against Philistia, the prophet said: “Gaza will be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. At midday Ashdod will be emptied and Ekron uprooted.” – (2:4) Has Gaza ever been completely destroyed before in the past? The known history of Gaza spans 4,000 years. Gaza was ruled, destroyed and repopulated by various dynasties, empires, and peoples. Originally a Canaanite settlement, it had changed hands and have been ruled by Egyptians, Philistines, Assryians, Greeks, Seleucids, Ptolemies, Hasmoneans, Romans, Early Muslim invaders, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans, British, Egyptians until Israel occupied it during the six day war in 1967 but left in 2005 to Palestinian rule. That brings to question the veracity (conformity to facts; accuracy) of the claim that the Palestinians are the descendants of Philistines. Alexander the Great besieged and captured the city in 332 BCE. Most of the inhabitants were killed during the assault, and the city was resettled by nearby Bedouins. The name “Palestine” was first used by ancient Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th century BCE when he wrote of a district in the province of Syria, called Palaistinê meaning the “land of the Philistines” and later the Latin name Palaestina was used by Roman writers to refer to the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean sea. Following the Muslim conquest of land, place names that were in use by the Byzantine administration generally continued to be used in Arabic. (Since there is no hard P sound in Arabic or Hebrew, but the softer F sound, Palestine is therefore pronounced as Falastīn proving that the name “Palestine” is neither Arabic nor Hebrew in origin and is not found in the Quran or the Bible.) Though, the current inhabitants of Gaza are called “Palestinians”, they are not the descendants of Philistines but they are an ethnonational group descending from people who have inhabited the surrounding regions, and are culturally and linguistically Arab.

But the sins of the inhabitants seem to be the same through the centuries though occupied by different people groups. “For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom. I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortress.” – (Amos 1:6-7) That describes the current conflict and the savagery committed by Hamas which parallels with the sins committed by early inhabitants of Gaza. Will this war with Hamas and Islamic Jihad result in the destruction of Gaza? No prophecy can be said to be completely fulfilled as its commonly said: “History repeats itself.” So does prophecy! Are we about to see the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy once again because its an ancient war that’s being replayed? If the conditions in Ezekiel 38 have to be met before the event unfolds, then there has to be a tranquility on the northern border with Lebanon as well. But with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatening to join the war, the escalation of the war looks very likely! “Open your doors, O Lebanon, so that fire may devour your cedars!” – (Zechariah 11:1) Moreover, a third front to this war has opened up in Syria! Will we see the fulfillment of yet another prophecy in this context? “See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins …” – (Isaiah 17:1-3) Has the old city of Damascus ever been destroyed completely? Since Damascus is considered to be among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world, this prophecy has never been fulfilled completely. The fallout from the destruction of Damascus will affect Israel too! “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away … In that day men will look to their maker and turn their eyes to the Holy one of Israel … in the day of disease and incurable pain.” – (Vs 4-11) The reaction of the world to this catastrophe has also been prophesied! “Oh the raging of many nations – they rage like the raging sea! Oh, the uproar of the people’s they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the people roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them they flee far away driven before the wind like chaff on the hills …” (Vs 12-13)

In these last days Jews are being gathered from the nations of the world, never to be scattered again! “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.” – (Amos 9:15) Nor will their nation be destroyed ! ‘This is the Word of the Lord concerning Israel, “I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be beseiged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves … I will keep a watchful eye over the house of Judah … They will consume right and left all the surrounding peoples, but Jerusalem will remain intact in her place.” – (Zechariah 12:1-6) ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.’ – (Psalm 122:6-9) Amen

26. The gospel is about –

1. A King: The gospel is not about a philosophy (a belief that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour) or a myth (a widely held but false belief or idea) or a legend (traditional story regarded as historical but not authenticated) but about an authentic person in history called Jesus Christ. ‘The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ – (Mark 1:1) At his birth, the Magi from the east came in search of him, asking, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” – (Matthew 1:2) Years later, when the Jews arrested him and brought him before Pilate, he was asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” … Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a King …” – (John 18:33-37) ‘Pilate said to the Jews, “Here is your king.” But they shouted, “Crucify him! … We have no king but Caesar.” – (Vs 14-16) ‘Pilate had a notice fastened to the cross. It read: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews’ – (John 19:19-21), which was indeed his true identity!

2. His Kingdom: For many the gospel ends with Jesus and salvation from sin, not realising that he also came to establish his kingdom on earth, for if he is a King, he should be having a kingdom as well! Speaking of his kingdom, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world … But my kingdom is from another place.” – (John 18:36) The Prophet Daniel had predicted that in the last days, “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed … It will crush all other kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” – (Daniel 2:44) God has set on earth a kingdom that we can flee to and find refuge because ‘this world in its present form is passing away’. – (1 Corinthians 7:31) That’s why Jesus said that ‘this gospel of the kingdom be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.’ – (Matthew 24:14)

3. The Kingdom’s power: The goodnews is also that the Kingdom which God has set up is so powerful that the ‘gates of Hades will not overcome it’. – (Matthew 16:18) ‘From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.’ – (Matthew 11:12) That’s why he instructed his disciples to ‘stay in the city until they have been clothed with power from on high’ – (Luke 24:49) because it takes power to forcefully advance the kingdom! Talking alone doesn’t advance the kingdom because ‘the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power’ – (1 Corinthians 4:20), by which Paul meant the demonstration of the power of the Spirit. So he said : “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power.’ – (2:4) Having understood the power in the gospel, Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” – (Romans 1:16)

The Gospel is about a King called Jesus, and his Kingdom and the incomparable, all surpassing and eternal power of the Holy Spirit who is forcefully advancing the kingdom of heaven on earth. Amen.

25. Testimony of God.

Just as the Spirit testifies about Jesus, so also God the Father has testified about his Son. Thrice the voice of God was heard testifying about his Son. Recalling one of the incidents, Peter wrote, ‘For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory saying, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred moutain.’ – (2 Peter 1:17-18/Matthew 17:5) Referring to these three incidents, John wrote : ‘For there are three that testify: the SPIRIT, the WATER and the BLOOD; and the three are in agreement.’ – (1 John 5:7-8) The WATER refers to his baptism, BLOOD to his death on the cross and the SPIRIT to the Holy Spirit who descended on him. God has testified about his Son by the means of these three substances:

1. Spirit: John gave this testimony about Jesus: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him” because he was told, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ – (John 1:32-33) Therefore John declared, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, … He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” – (Matthew 3:11) The authority to receive and impart the substance of the Spirit, testifies to his Lordship. “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and poured out what you now see and hear.” – (Acts 2:33)

2. Water: God has testified to the Sonship of Jesus by the means of water. ‘As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went out of the water … And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – (Matthew 3:16-17) No one knew the identity of the Son of God, not even John the Baptist, until he was revealed to Israel on the day he was baptized in water. John gave this testimony: “I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he …’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” – (John 1:33-34)

3. Blood: God has testified to the Christship of Jesus by the means of blood which symbolises his death. Once while speaking to the crowds about his impending death, his heart was troubled and he said, “What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven saying, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.” – (John 12:27-30) Even the manner of his death bore testimony to his identity! ‘When the Centurion … heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” – (Mark 15:39)

‘We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.’ – (1 John 5:9-10) And it is the confession of this testimony that saves us! – (Romans 10:9-10, Revelation 12:11) Amen.

24. Testimony of the Spirit.

We no longer need the Urim and Thummim to know the truth because ‘it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.’ – (1 John 5:6) Truth is singular and never plural in its existence. There aren’t many versions of the truth but just one! In this world of plurality, finding this singular truth might prove to be difficult. Googling for the truth possibly won’t reveal the whole truth, ‘but when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into ALL TRUTH.” – (John 16:13) We as believers ought to speak the truth; the whole truth; nothing but the truth, as Jesus did, but sadly we speak the truth in shades of grey (meaning not really clear or very sketchy). The Spirit of truth begins by disclosing the identity of Jesus, even before convicting us of our sins. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me …” – (John 15:26) The Spirit testifies that:

1. Jesus is the Son of God – The Spirit testifies to the Sonship of Jesus; that he is the Only begotten of God, which sets him apart from the rest of creation! Only the Son of God could be the Christ (Hebrew: Mashiach, the Anointed One), to take the sin of the world – (John 1:29), since sinful man couldn’t redeem another. – (Psalm 49:7) Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said, “…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” – (Acts 4:8-12) To believe that Jesus is the Son of God implies that his testimony is true – (John 8:14) and all his words can be trusted.

2. Jesus is the Christ – The Spirit testifies to the workmanship of Jesus which resulted in the redemption of mankind. Only Christ can be the Lord of all men because with his blood he purchased men for God – (Revelation 5:9). Speaking by the Spirit, Peter said, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” – (Acts 2:36) To believe that Jesus is the Christ implies that ‘we cannot continue to live in sin’ – (Romans 6:2-14) because ‘one died for all and therefore all died’. – (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

3. Jesus is Lord – The Spirit testifies to the Lordship of Jesus; that he alone of all men, is worthy of worship. Only the Lord Jesus Christ has been given ‘all authority in heaven and on earth’ – (Matthew 28:18) to judge the fallen angels and men – (John 5:22,27). Speaking by the Spirit, Paul said to the men of Athens: “God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” – (Acts 17:22-31) To believe that Jesus is the Lord, implies that he lives our life – (Galatians 2:20) and we belong to him – (Romans 7:4).

Just as the Holy Spirit testified about Jesus through the Apostles, he seeks to testify about Jesus through us in this generation. “And you must also testify (Greek: martyreō, from which the English word martyr comes and it means to speak or stand for your faith, even to the point of death), for you have been with me from the beginning.” – (John 15:27) Amen.

23. The ways God speaks.

Though God had spoken directly to men in the past, to Adam, Noah, Abraham, to name a few, yet ‘no one has ever seen God, but the Only begotten, who is at the Father’s side …’ – (John 1:18) However, Moses did see God’s form but not his face! – (Exodus 33:20-23, Numbers 12:8) With the birth of the only begotten, God put a human face to the voice that had been speaking to men since creation. ‘In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son …’ – (Hebrews 1:2-3) ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the first born overall creation.’ – (Colossians 1:15) Therefore Jesus said, “I did not speak of my own accord … whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say”. – (John 12:49-50)

However, God speaks in various ways! We read in the old testament that whenever someone inquired of the Lord, He answered them through dreams, or Urim or prophets. – (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6) The reason why God speaks in various ways is because he wants us to be certain of his will, as ‘every matter must be established by two or three witnesses’ – (2 Corinthians 13:1, Deuteronomy 19:15) and that principle applies even to his word to us. For instance, the dream God gave Pharaoh was established when Joseph interpreted the dream for Pharaoh. – (Genesis 41:32). God still speaks to us through:

1. Dreams and visions: References to dreams and visions are throughout the Bible but seldom a prophet was called to interpret it because the message was unambiguous (not open to more than one interpretation). For instance, Abimelech, a Gentile, was warned in a dream against taking Sarah as his wife. – (Genesis 20:3-7) whereas Joseph in a dream was told by the angel of the Lord not to be afraid to take Mary home as his wife – (Matthew 1:20). However, some dreams are riddles and would require a prophet to interpret it. For instance, Daniel was called to interpret the dream and visions that king Nebuchadnezzar had and he said to the king, “The revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. As for me this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom but so that you may know the interpretation …” – (Daniel 2:27-29) God reveals himself to the prophets through dreams and visions. “When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams.” – (Numbers 12:6) It will abound in these last days because Scripture says: ‘In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.’ – (Acts 2:17)

2. Urim and Thumim: Very little is known about the Urim and Thummim but traditionally it has been translated as “lights and perfections”, or if taken allegorically, the phrase means “revelation and truth”. They were probably precious stones that were set on the breastpiece that Aaron, the highpriest, wore when he entered the presence of the Lord and were used for decision making. – (Exodus 28:30, Leviticus 8:8, Numbers 27:21) How exactly they worked, we are not sure! Probably they glowed in response to an inquiry. David frequently used it to find the will of the Lord – (1 Samuel 23:6,9, 30:7) but eventually he learnt to enquire of the Lord without it – (2 Samuel 2:1) The last time its service was sought was by Nehemiah the governor – (Ezra 2:63, Nehemiah 7:65) Interestingly, Moses never used it because he knew to enquire of the Lord directly. We no longer require the service of the Urim and Thumim under the new covenant, instead we have the revelation of the Word and the Spirit of truth to bear witness in our hearts. “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” – (John 16:13)

3. Prophets: Samuel was the last of the twelve judges and the first person to hold the office of the prophet and many since then ! Prophets have anointed kings – (1 Samuel 10:1, 16:13, 1 kings 19:15-16, 2 kings 9:1-2) but when kings corrupted themselves, the prophets served as God’s means of check and balance on the monarchy. Though subordinate to the king, they still confronted kings and rebuked them, as Samuel did Saul – (1 Samuel 13:13-14), Nathan did David – (2 Samuel 12:7-10) and the list goes on … The prophets in the new testament too serve as God’s spokesmen, as Agabus did when he predicted a severe famine over the entire Roman world – (Acts 11:27-28) and later predicted Paul’s impending arrest – (21:10-11). ‘Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.’ – (Amos 3:7) They also serves as a check and balance in the modern church, though they themselves are subordinate to the Apostles but together form the foundation of the Church. – (Ephesians 2:20)

God also speaks to us through our surroundings; the nature around us – (Romans 1:20) and that becomes the circumstantial evidence in addition to that which God has already spoken to us through dreams and visions, through angels, through his Word and Spirit; and through his prophets. May the Lord speak to us today, whichever way he chooses and establish his will in our lives. Amen.

22. Purpose of speech.

What is the primary purpose of human speech? We will instantly say its for communication. Rightly so! But then even animals communicate with each other. Human speech has a higher purpose unlike that of other creations. The purposes of human speech are:

1. To create: Since we were made in the image of God, we have been given the ability to influence our surroundings and create our own atmosphere with our words. No animal talks about creating a habitat for themselves, but man does! ‘Now the whole world had one language and a common speech … Men said to each other, “Come, let us build ourselves a city …” – (Genesis 11:1-4) We can create unity, prosperity and healing in our families by our choice of words because ‘the tongue has the power of life and death.’ – (Proverbs 18::21) “The word is very near you, it is in your mouth … I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life …” – (Deuteronomy 30:14-20) We choose with our choice of words as we speak!

2. To communicate: The secondary purpose of speech is to communicate with others our thoughts and visions, just as God first created everything by his Word and then he communicated to man, his vision for mankind. ‘God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”‘ – (Genesis 1:28) But Genesis portrays humans as so ambitious that they tried to compete with, rather than serve, God. Therefore God frustrated their plans by confusing their language at Babel. Being able to understand one another, fosters unity and advancement. God himself said of humans: “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.” – (Genesis 11:6) Nothing is impossible for those who speak the same language of faith.

3. To destroy: The world that God created with his Word will finally be judged and destroyed by his Word! ‘Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.’ – (Revelation 19:15) The sword from his mouth is the Word that will destroy the dominion of darkness. The only weapon we also have is the Word of God in our mouths. Our words too can destroy the dominion of darkness, if we proclaim the Word of God by the Spirit. ‘The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ – (2 Corinthians 10:4) But if we are not careful with our choice of words, our own words will destroy us! ‘The tongue also is a fire … it corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.’ – (James 3:6, Matthew 12:36-37)

The prophet Jeremiah had only his mouth to accomplish the task assigned to him. ‘Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now, I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot, and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” – (Jeremiah 1:9-10) Let’s know the power of the spoken word. Amen.

21. Prophesying change!

Can prophesying by the Spirit initiate a change in our circumstances and situation? Since God’s words carry the power to create, the words spoken by the Spirit too carry the power to effect change. The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy and as he did, death was reversed and life was restored! He was told to:-

1. Prophesy to the situation: The Spirit of the Lord set Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones and was asked, “Son of man, can these bones live?” – (Ezekiel 37:1-3) It looked impossible but still the Lord said to him, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them,’… I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and you will come to life…'” – (Vs 4-6) And as he prophesied there was a rattling sound and the bones came together, bone to bone. ‘I looked and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them but there was no breath in them.’ – (Vs 7-8) We might be setup in a situation that looks so ‘dry and dead’, but prophesying by the Spirit can begin the change in our circumstances and situation! Prophesying over those who are not saved can initiate repentance in them. – (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

2. Prophesy to the Spirit: The change thus begun in us and our situation has to be sustained by the Spirit for it to outlast. “Prophesy to the breath and say to it,’ … Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'” – (Ezekiel 37:9) And as he prophesied, ‘breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.’ – (Vs 10) This parallels an event in the new testament! Jesus had prophesied over the disciples that the Spirit would come upon them in whom the change had already begun. ‘Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven …’ – (Acts 2:2) and they became ‘alive’ in their spirits! ‘Then Peter stood up with the eleven … and addressed the crowd‘ – (Vs 14) and they in turn “were cut to heart’ – (Vs 37) but they too had to receive the Holy Spirit to be born again and for their repentance to last.

3. Prophesy over the nation: Just as prophesying over individuals can transform them, so does prophesying over a nation transform it. The Lord said to Ezekiel: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones have dried up and our hope is gone …’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people … I will bring you back to the land of Israel … I will put my Spirit in you and you will live and I will settle you in your own land …'” – (Ezekiel 37:11-14) Prophesying by the Spirit over a nation will set the course of history scripted by God for that nation to follow. It’s time that we rediscover these truths and prophesy change over our nation at a time when its going through a social, religious, economical and political upheaval! Amen.

20. All can prophesy!

In the old testament we read that whenever someone inquired of the Lord, He answered them through dreams, or Urim or prophets. – (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6) The Lord still speaks today through dreams and visions or by his Spirit or through his prophets. The Church still needs the service of the prophets and they cannot be disregarded! However, the office of the prophet is different from the gift of prophecy! Paul asked, “Are all prophets?” – (1 Corinthians 13:29) but then he wrote: ‘I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have ( every one of ) you prophesy.’ – ( 14:5) How can that be? “For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” – (Revelation 19:10) ‘Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart’ – (1 John 5:10), ‘which God has given about his Son’ – (Vs 9). Since every believer has within him or her the ‘Spirit of prophecy’ who testifies about Jesus, they have what it takes to prophesy! How do we prophesy?

1. Be filled with the word: Prophecy has the Word of God as its content. “Son of man, eat this scroll and fill your stomach with it .” So I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.” – (Ezekiel 2:1-4) “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. Then he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” – (Revelation 10:9-11) We must have a sound understanding of Scriptures because true prophecy never contradicts Scriptures!

2. Be filled with the Spirit: The word alone is not enough but it takes the infilling in the Spirit, to prophesy. “I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.” – (Acts 2:18) Believers prophesied as they were filled with the Spirit. ‘When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.’ – (Acts 19:6) ‘Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.’ – (Ephesians 5:18-20) That amounts to prophecy because it edifies! Moreover, prophesying can transforms us! ‘The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy … and you will be changed into a different person.” – (1 Samuel 10:6)

3. Speak the word by the Spirit: ‘Logos’ or the ‘written word’ becomes ‘Rhema’ or the ‘spoken word’, when uttered by the Spirit and it has the power to change our dead situation. For instance, Ezekiel was told, ‘”Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'” … So I prophesied as he commanded me and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.’ – (Ezekiel 37:4-10) In another instance, the Prophet Zechariah prophesied: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might not by power, but by my Spirit’ … O mighty mountain, before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.” – (Zechariah 4:6-7) Prophesying by the Spirit can change our situation, no matter how threatening and looming (seemingly about to happen) it may seem! Amen.

19. Prophecy edifies!

Prophecy edifies (Greek: oikodomeō means to build, to edify, strengthen, develop another’s personal life through acts or words of love and encouragement) the Church. How? We have heard it said: “Today’s prophecy is tomorrow’s history!” Prophecy declares God’s absolute control over the events of the future. “Declare what is to be, present it … Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the Lord?” – (Isaiah 45:21) “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” ( 46:10) Prophecy not only addresses the future for our ENCOURAGEMENT but also addresses the past for our COMFORT and the present for our STRENGTHENING. Therefore Paul wrote that ‘everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their STRENGTHENING, ENCOURAGEMENT and COMFORT.’ – (1 Corinthians 14:3)

1. Strengthening: Strength is for the present and prophecy can reinforce our will by reaffirming our present situation. For instance, John wrote what he heard the Spirit say to the Church in Philadelphia: “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know you have little strength yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” – (Revelation 3:8)

2. Encouragement: Encouragement is for the future and prophecy can inspire us by instilling confidence in us to face the future! For instance, John wrote what he heard the Spirit say to the Church in Philadelphia: “Since you have kept my word to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth … Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” – (Revelation 3:10)

3. Comfort: Comfort is for the events that happened in the past and prophecy can assure us by acknowledging our past. For instance, John wrote what he heard the Spirit say to the Church in Philadelphia : “I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars – I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.” – (Revelation 3:9)

‘The Church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria … was STRENGTHENED (Greek oikodomeō) and ENCOURAGED by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers , living in the fear of the Lord.’ – (Acts 9:31) Pray that true prophecy be restored back to the Church. Amen.

18. Purpose of prophecy.

‘In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways but in this last days he has spoken to us by his Son…’ – (Hebrews 1:1-2) Moreover, with ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ … to his servant John’ – (Revelation 1:1), all ‘prophecy of Scripture’ – (2 Peter 1:20) has been written down and there is nothing more that needs to be added to Scriptures. What then is the purpose of prophecy in the new testament Church? Yet Paul encouraged the Church to prophesy because:-

1. It edifies the Church: Paul encouraged the Church to prophesy. ‘He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the Church. I would like every one to speak in tongues but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the Church may be edified.’ – (1 Corinthians 14:4-5) For instance, ‘Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers’ – (Acts 15:32) when they were sent by the Apostles to Antioch.

2. It is a sign for believers: Prophecy is like a sign post that gives us the direction in which we must head and also warns us of the dangers ahead. For instance, the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets at the Church in Antioch, to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work ( Acts 13:1-3) and in another instance was warned by Agabus, the prophet about the danger in Jerusalem – (Acts 21:11). ‘Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; Prophesy, however, is (a sign) for believers, not for unbelievers.’– (1 Corinthians 14:22)

3. It exposes hearts: Prophecy can lay bare the heart of the wicked. For instance, when Simon the sorcerer saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the Apostles’ hands and probably heard them prophesying, he asked for this ability but Peter speaking by the Spirit said, “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” – (Acts 8:18-24) ‘If an unbeliever comes in while everyone is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner …. the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you “‘ – (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy … Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that builds up the Church.’ – (1 Corinthians 14: 1,12) Amen.

17. Characteristics of true prophecy.

True prophecies have some unique characteristics that helps us test and approve prophecies spoken by the Holy Spirit. ‘Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.’ – (2 Peter 1:20-21) The three characteristics are:

1. It is complementary: There are two aspects to a prophecy that makes it complementary. The first aspect is WHAT WILL NOT HAPPEN and the second aspect is WHAT WILL HAPPEN. For instance, God told Abram, “This man WILL NOT be your heir, BUT a son coming from your own body WILL BE your heir.” – (Genesis 15:4) In another instance, the prophet Isaiah said to Ahaz king of Judah concerning the king of Aram and the king of Israel, who came to invade Judah: “It WILL NOT happen, it will not take place … But the land of the two kings you dread WILL BE laid waste.” – (Isaiah 7:7-16) Both aspects of prophecy gives us a double stance or else it will be like standing on one foot and will soon lose balance.

2. It is specific: Secondly, every prophecy has specific details! For instance, God said to Abraham, “Your wife Sarah will bear you a SON and you will CALL HIM ISSAC.” – (Genesis 27:19) In the other instance, the prophet Isaiah said to Ahaz, king of Judah: “The VIRGIN WILL CONCEIVE and give birth to A SON and will CALL HIM IMMANUEL. He will be EATING CURDS AND HONEY when he knows enough to REJECT THE WRONG AND CHOOSE THE RIGHT.” – (Isaiah 7:14)

3. It is time-bound: Thirdly, every prophecy is time-bound and not timeless! For instance, the Lord said to Abraham, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated FOUR HUNDRED YEARS …” – (Genesis 15:13) Later God told Abraham, “About THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, Sarah your wife will have a son.” – (Genesis 18:10) And in the other instance, the prophet Isaiah had said to Ahaz, king of Judah: “BEFORE THE BOY KNOWS ENOUGH (meaning before reaching the age of 12) to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” – (Isaiah 7:16) And in another instance, the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah saying, “When SEVENTY YEARS are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.” – (Jeremiah 29:10/ Daniel 9:2)

If you have been told what WILL NOT HAPPEN but have not been told WHAT WILL HAPPEN, nor given any specifics or a time frame, then that’s an incomplete prophecy! Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the details. ‘Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good …’ – (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21) Amen.

16. Testing the will of God.

The Bible exhorts us to test everything before we approve it, whether be the word that we hear, or the prophecy that we are told or the things that we presume to be the will of God. ‘Test everything. Hold on to the good.’ – (1 Thessalonians 5:21) ‘Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ – (Deuteronomy 19:15/ 2Corinthians 13:1)

1. Test of the Word: Every word has to be subjected to the test against the standard of the Word of God, to see if it is in line with the plumbline of Scripture, irrespective of who said it! ‘The Bereans were of more noble character … for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’ – (Acts 17:11) When prophets speak, ‘others should weigh carefully what is said.’ – (1 Corinthians 14:29)

2. Test of the spirit: Not only what was said, matters but who said, also matters! What was said might be true but the spirit who said it could be false, just as the devil quoted Scriptures to Jesus. In another instance, a slave girl in Philippi, who had a spirit by which she predicted the future, followed Paul and his companions, saying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” Paul turned around and rebuked the spirit and it left her – (Acts 16:16-18) ‘Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.’ – (1 John 4: 1)

3. Test of time: Finally, what was said might be true and the spirit by which it was said might also seem right, but the ultimate test is the test of time! “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord, does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptously.” – (Deuteronomy 18:22) ‘A prophet … will be recognised as one truly sent by the Lord only if his predictions come true.’ – (Jeremiah 28:9)

‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to TEST AND APPROVE what God’s will is – his GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.’ – (Romans 12:2) Amen.

15. Mystery of his will.

The eternal purpose behind the will of God was a ‘mystery that was kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.’ – (Colossians 1:26) It ‘was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy Apostles and Prophets.’ – (Ephesians 3:5)
The mysteries of God are:

1. Christ : Jesus himself is a mystery! ‘Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness ( God likeness in Jesus) is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels … was taken up in glory.’ – (2 Timothy 3:16) God desires that we ‘may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that we may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.’ – (Colossians 2:2-3)

2. Christ in us: Christ living in us is yet another mystery! ‘God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’ – (Colossians 1:27) This union between Christ and his bride, the Church, in itself ‘is a profound mystery’ – (Ephesians 5:32). But ‘if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ’ – (Romans 8:9) and will not share in his glory.

3. Gentiles heirs together with Israel through Christ: And its also a mystery how the two have become one in Christ! ‘This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.’ – (Ephesians 3:6) ‘His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace.’ – (Ephesians 2:15) Amen.

14. Purpose of his will.

There are eternal purposes behind the mysterious will of God and he plans everything in conformity with these purposes. ‘In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.’ – (Ephesians 1:11) God’s purposes in Christ, as revealed in Scriptures, are as follows:-

1. To reconcile all things to himself: God desired to make peace with all creation. ‘For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Christ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.’ – (Colossians 1:19-20)

2. To bring everything under one head: God desired to restore order to creation. ‘And he has made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to put into effect when times would have reached their fulfillment – to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.’ – (Ephesians 1:9-10)

3. To dwell together with men: God desired not only to dwell with men in their hearts by his Spirit but also to physically dwell with his creation. ‘And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men and he will live with them. They will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God.”‘ – (Revelation 21:3) Amen.

13. God’s will for us.

God has an unique plan for each of us and getting to know that will, enable us to focus on our mission in life. ‘All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ – (Psalm 139:16) While we are eager to know his personalised will for us, the generalized will of God for all of us, as revealed in the Scriptures, are as follows:-

1. To be sanctified: We are reminded that ‘it is God’s will that we should be sanctified; that we should avoid sexual immorality … For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life’ – (1 Thessalonians 4:3) because ‘without holiness no one will see the Lord.’ – (Hebrews 12:14)

2. To be thankful: We are exhorted to ‘give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ – (1 Thessalonians 5:18) ‘for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.’ – (2 Corinthians 4:17)

3. To do good: We are encouraged ‘not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good’ – (Romans 12:21) ‘for it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.’ – (1 Peter 2:15)

‘Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the Lord’s will is.’ – (Ephesians 5:17) Amen.

12. Attributes of God’s will.

By God’s will, all things ‘were created and have their being’ – (Revelation 4:11) and he has given us a free-will, to choose what we want, just as he does! But, ‘each of us will give account of himself to God’ – (Romans 14:12) for ‘things done while in the body, whether good or bad.’ – (2 Corinthians 5:10) Rather choose God’s will because it is:-

1. Good: If in his will, God made what was good for man: ‘God saw all that he had made and it was very good’ – (Genesis 1:31), then his will for us is still good! “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” – (Jeremiah 29:11)

2. Pleasing: If that which is good, is pleasing to the eyes of God and man: ‘The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food’ – (Genesis 2:9), then his will for us is still pleasing and good.

3. Perfect: If ‘His works are perfect’ – (Deuteronomy 32:4) just as ‘His way is perfect’ – (Psalm 18:30), then his will for us is still perfect. There is nothing to add to it or delete from his perfect will.

‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ – (Romans 12:2) Amen

11. Press on for the promise.

The saints of old prayed specifically for the promise God gave them. For instance, Jacob, in his distress, prayed to God on that fateful night at Jabbok, specifically mentioning the promises made to his forefathers. “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Issac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives and I will make you prosper … Save me, I pray, from the hands of my brother Esau … You have said, ‘I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'” – (Genesis 32:9-12) How are we to pray?

1. Ask: We are encouraged to ask God for anything, which is in agreement with his Word. ‘This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.’ – (1 John 5:14) “Ask and it will be given to you … For everyone who asks receives.” – (Matthew 7:7)

2. Seek: We are instructed to seek the will of God, if our prayers remain unanswered for a long time. “Seek and you will find … For he who seeks finds.” – (Matthew 7:7-8) When we are not sure of the will of God, better to pray as Jesus did : “Not my will, but yours be done.” – (Luke 22:42)

3. Knock: Once made known, we are exhorted to persist in the revealed will of God. “Knock and the door will be opened … For to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” – (Matthew 7:7-8) It takes faith to persist and persistence pays off eventually! – (Luke 11:8) Amen.

10. Not slow in keeping the promise.

The reason why it seems to us that the Lord is slow in keeping his promise is because he is not bound by time. ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’ ( 2 Peter 3:9) Meanwhile, what must we do?

1. Write down the promise: God asked Habakkuk to write down the revelation about the destruction of Babylon. “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets … For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:2-3) because God’s words will not return empty. “My word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)

2. Do not stop praying: We stop praying for the promise because we are tired of praying the same thing. But ‘Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. “… And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice and quickly.”‘ ( Luke 18:1-8) ‘Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17)

3. Prepare your minds for action: God gives us plenty of time to prepare our minds for action while we anticipate a miracle that will fulfill God’s promise. “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master … so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him … “ ( Luke 12:35-40) ‘Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.’ (1 Peter1:13) Amen.

9. Wait for the promise.

The wait for the promise has not been easy for anyone! Almost all of us believe in a God of miracles and expect a miracle to change the course of our lives, because it would take a miracle to fulfill God’s promise to us but the wait has been very long! For God Almighty, making good on the promises to Abraham was an easy matter. Not until 25 years later, when he turned 100, did the promise of a son come true! Abraham waited because he considered God faithful who made the promise and trusted God. Waiting is then the proof of our trust and hope in God. How do we wait for the promise?

1. Hopefully- Abraham trusted God enough to hope against hope for without trust, there is no hope! ‘Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it was said to him.’ (Romans 4:18)

2. Patiently – Abraham was hopeful enough to wait patiently for without hope, there is no patience! ‘If we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.’ (Romans 8:25) ‘And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.’ (Hebrews 6:15)

3. Joyfully – Abraham was patient enough, not to lose his joy, for without patience, there is no joy! Speaking to Abraham’s descendants, Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56) Therefore, ‘be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.’ (Romans 12:12)

‘We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.’ ( Hebrews 6:11-12) Amen.

8. Tenets of Abraham’s faith.

1. God is powerful: Abraham was persuaded about God’s infinite power while acknowledging the facts of life.
‘Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he promised.’ (Romans 4:19-21)

2. God is faithful: Abraham considered God to be faithful to his promises. ‘By faith Abraham, even though he was past age was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.’ (Hebrews 11:11) What gave Abraham the certainty of God’s promise is the oath God swore. ‘When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself … and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.,’ ( Hebrews 6:13-16)

3. God calls things done: Even while Abram was childless, God called him “Abraham”, meaning ‘father of many’. – (Genesis 17:5) ‘He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed – the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.’ – (Romans 4:17) When God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, he reasoned that God could raise him the dead because he was also told: “It is through Issac that your offspring will be reckoned.” So ‘Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Issac back from the dead.’ – (Hebrews 11:19)

‘Understand, then, that those who believe (like Abraham) are children of Abraham … So those who have faith (like Abraham) are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.’ (Galatians 3: 7,9) Amen

7. New testament promises.

1. Freedom from slavery to sin: Not only were we forgiven for our sins by the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) but we have been freed from our slavery to sin as well. ‘To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power forever and ever.’ (Revelation 1:5-6). God’s promise to Abraham to make him too numerous to count is being fulfilled in these last days when the ‘Spirit is poured out on all people’ (Acts 2:17/ Joel 2:28) so that all men may experience freedom from slavery to sin.

2. Heavenly inheritance: Not only do we have an earthly inheritance but also a heavenly inheritance, just as Abraham did. ‘For he was looking forward to the City with foundations, whose architect and builder is God … If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God … has prepared a city for them.’ (Hebrews 11:10-16) God’s promise to Abraham to bless the world through him is being fulfilled when we Gentiles look forward to receive ‘an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for us’. (1 Peter 1:4)

3. Unconditional healing: Not only have our sins be forgiven, but also the effects of sin and curse have been reversed. As Jesus went about healing every diseases and sickness, the Apostles were reminded of the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’ (Matthew 8:17/ Isaiah 53:4) The fullness of God’s covenant blessing of healing given to Abraham was fully revealed in Christ, the Seed of Abraham, as ‘he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil’ ( Acts 10:38) He had the right to heal everyone being ‘the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world’ ( John 1:29)

The new covenant is the fulfillment of God’s eternal covenant with Abraham and ‘it is founded on better promises’ (Hebrews 8:6) than the old covenant and the promises are for all who believe. Amen.

6. Old testament promises.

The promises were meant exclusively for the Israelites and the covenant itself was temporary ‘until the Seed (Christ) to whom the promise (made to Abraham) referred had come’. (Galatians 3:9) With the death of Christ, the covenant has been cancelled and nailed to the cross.(Colossians 2:14) and therefore now obsolete ( Hebrews 8:13).

God had promised the Israelites:

1. Freedom from slavery: The Israelites were promised freedom from slavery in Egypt but not freedom from the slavery to sin. ‘The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out and their cry for help because of their slavery, went up to God. God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Issac and with Jacob.’ ( Exodus 2:23-24) Therefore, the Lord said to Moses, “I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians …” (Exodus 3:8) The Israelites observed the Passover ‘and on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt’ ( 12:51). They were free from slavery but they perished in the desert because of their sinful cravings and rebellion against God. ( Numbers 14:26-35)

2. A land flowing with milk and honey: The Israelites were promised an earthly inheritance in Cannan and not a heavenly inheritance. “I have come down to … bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:8) They took possession of the land but only to be exiled to Assyria and Babylon because their descendants defiled the land with their vile sins.

3. Conditional healing: The Israelites were promised conditional healing. ‘If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26) They had a covenant of healing but Israel was full of sickness and disease when Jesus the Messiah came because they couldn’t meet the requirements of the law.

‘For if there has been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said, “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant … it will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers … I will put my laws in their minds and write then on their hearts … I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” ( Hebrews 8:7-12/ Jeremiah 31:31-34) Amen

5. God’s promises to Abraham.

1. Too numerous to count: God promised Abraham that his children would fill the earth! “I swear by myself, declares the Lord … I will surely bless you and make your descendents as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” ( Genesis 22:16-17) ‘Those who believe are children of Abraham’ (Galatians 3:7) and ‘he is the father of us all.’ ( Romans 4:16-17) John, in his vision saw the fulfillment of the promise for he ‘looked and saw a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.’ ( Revelation 7:9)

2. Too powerful to be conquered: God promised Abraham that his offspring would be the ‘heir of the world’ ( Romans 4:13) and his descendants would possess the earth. “Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies…” (Genesis 22:17) Those who believe are indestructible and undefeatable because “the gates of Hades will not prove stronger than the Church.” (Matthew 16:18) John, in his vision saw the fulfillment of the promise for he heard a loud voice in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Revelation 11:15)

3. Too big a blessing to contain: God promised Abraham that the blessing would overflow into the nations! “I will bless you … and you will be a blessing …” ( Genesis 12:2-3) “… and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed …” (Genesis 22:18) Those who believe are ‘blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith’ ( Galatians 3:9) to be a blessing to the nations. Amen.

4. Key to miracles.

1. Believe God’s promises: Believing is the proof of faith. ‘Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard?’ ( Galatians 3:5) Faith is God’s gift to us (Ephesians 2:8) but trust is our response to faith! Abraham believed what he heard (Genesis 15:4-6) and therefore saw the miraculous!

2. Ask for God’s promises: Asking is the proof of trust. “Ask and it will be given you; … For everyone who asks receives; …” (Matthew 7:7-8) “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you.” (John 15:7) ‘You do not have, because you do not ask God.’ ( James 4:2) “Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24)

3. Wait for God’s promises: Waiting is the proof of hope. ‘And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.’ (Hebrews 5:15) ‘Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.’ ( Psalm 27:14) Amen.

3. The Gospel promises.

1. Promise of the Spirit: God promised the Holy Spirit to Abraham and to his seed. ‘The promises were spoken to Abraham and his seed … who is Christ’ ( Galatians 3:16) ‘Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear… The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call. ‘ ( Acts 2:32-39)

2. Promise of blessing: God promised Abraham to bless him. “I will bless you… and you will be a blessing … and all people on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3) ‘Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham … So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith … He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.’ ( Galatians 3:14)

3. Promise of healing: God gave Abraham the covenant blessing of healing. (Genesis 20:17) And in Christ, God’s eternal covenant with Abraham was fulfilled. ‘He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”‘ ( Matthew 8:16-17) Amen

2. God of miracles.

Why does God do miracles?

1. Miracles fulfill God’s promises : God’s promises to Abraham were naturally impossible and it took a miracle for Sarah to give birth to Issac, the promised child! Then ‘as the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham and the number of people in Egypt greatly increased … Moses was born … He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.’ ( Acts 7:17-36) Therefore, miracles are needed to fulfill God’s impossible promises to us.

2. Miracles declare God’s goodness: Miracles are a ‘sign of his goodness’– (Psalm 86:17) Every miracle, big or small, is worth celebrating because they are a declaration of God’s goodness: His mercy, grace, justice, faithfulness, forgiveness, forbearance and love. So David said, “I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” ( Psalm 27:13) Expect to see miracles!

3. Miracles fills us with hope: The Psalmist recounted the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, to stir the conscience of the nation of Israel whenever they lost hope. ‘The Lord made his people very fruitful … too numerous for their foes … He sent Moses his servant and Aaron … They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham … For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy …’ (Psalm 105:23-45)

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, ‘the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen.’ (Luke 19:37)
He still does miracles today because ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’. (Hebrews 13:8) Amen.

1. God of promises.

Why does God make promises?

1. God’s promises gets our attention : When God Almighty wanted to get Abram’s attention, he promised this childless nomad more land and children. Unlike politicians who make promises to get our attention, which they can’t or won’t fulfill, God is able and faithful to fulfill them.

2. God’s promises reveals his plans and purposes : More than getting our attention, God’s promises are a revelation of his plans and purposes concerning us, as it was revealed to Abram when the Lord said, “… all the people on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen 12 : 3)

3. God’s promises sustains us :
And finally God’s promises sustains us, when we are down and under, as it did Abraham when he wandered as a nomad in Cannan, as it did Joseph when he was put in the dungeon, as it did David when he fled to the wilderness and as it did many more.

Just as God made a covenant with Abram based on those promises, so also he has made a covenant with us in the blood of Jesus, based upon better promises. Hold on to your promises today and it will go well with you ‘for no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.’ ( 2 Co 1 : 20 )

20. Faith pleases God. (Part 2 of the Faith series)

Abraham, the man of faith (Galatians 3:9) is said to be the father of all those who believe (Romans 4:11-12) because he was the one who discovered justification by faith (Romans 4:1-2) when ‘Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness’. – (Genesis 15:6) But faith existed on earth even before Abraham discovered it because he only found that which already existed, just as the word ‘discover’ means – to be the first to find or observe something. However, the time is coming when faith will not be found on earth any longer because the falling away (Greek: Apostasia) from the faith is happening and will continue to happen in the last days, as predicted by Jesus. “At that time many will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other.” – (Mathew 24:10) That is why Jesus said, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) Faith, which is ‘of greater worth than gold’ – (1 Peter 1:7), should be guarded at any cost, lest it be lost! There is nothing that pleases God more than faith; even more than moral perfection, because that is something God can easily get someone to achieve ‘through the sanctifying work of the Spirit’ – (1 Peter 1:2), but to get someone to believe in him, is even more difficult! There are many who seem to be good human beings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they believe in the existence of God. That is why God requires that ‘anyone who come to him must believe he exists’. – (Hebrews 11:6) The goodness of a man, without God, is not good enough a reason for God to save him from hell, for it is the wickedness of that man which caused him to reject God in the first place! God would rather chose a deceiver like Jacob than a man like Esau who seems to be kind hearted but godless! – (Hebrews 12:16) God always chooses those whom the world wouldn’t choose because faith doesn’t count in the eyes of the world but God sees it as precious! The joy of being trusted, warms his heart more than anything else.

The first person who pleased God, as listed in Hebrews 11, is Abel ‘who by faith offered God a better sacrifice than Cain’ (Hebrews 11;4), not because he ‘brought fat portions from some of the first born of his flock’ (Genesis 4:4) but because he did so in faith, knowing that God ‘rewards those who earnestly seek him’ (Hebrews 11 :6). But Cain ‘brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord’ (Genesis 4:3) without faith. ‘Now Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil’ (vs 2) but what has their occupation got to do with finding favour with God? Some believe the reason why ‘the Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering’ (vs 4) is because God was pleased with a blood sacrifice ‘but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favour’ (vs 5) because it was a grain or fruit offering. If we are to believe this argument, then it means that the Lord is prejudiced against certain occupations, favouring animal husbandry over agriculture! But if Abel pleased God by faith alone and not by the substance of his sacrifice, then any offering is acceptable to God. Therefore the Lord said to Cain, “If you do what is right, will you not (or will not your offering) be accepted?” (vs 7) However, the fact that Abel offered fat portions from some of the ‘first born of his flock’ proves that he took God seriously, whereas Cain didn’t care to honour God with his first fruits, just as Scripture says: ‘Honour the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.’ – (Proverbs 3:9) His action was dead because his faith was dead! If ‘faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead’, (James 2:17) then logically ‘action by itself, if it is not accompanied by faith, is dead’ as well! The Lord abhors (detests) both a ‘dead faith’ and ‘dead works’! We are commanded to ‘repent of dead works’ (Hebrews 6:1) that we have done because it didn’t make us any better!

Enoch too is said to have pleased the LORD with his faith. He began to walk with God, after the birth of his first son, because something probably might have happened that changed him forever. He named him Methuselah, to warn the world of the coming judgement by the waters for his name meant “his death shall bring forth” the judgement. ‘After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years … then he was no more, because God took him away.’ (Genesis 5:22-24) How could he walk with God unless he was in agreement with God? ‘Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?’ (Amos 3:3) By faith he walked with the One who is unseen and came to know the plan and purposes of God that he even prophesied about the second coming of Christ – (Jude vs 14-15) Then, ‘Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found because God had taken him away’ (vs 5) to be with him forever. ‘For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.’ (We too ought to be in agreement with the plans and purposes of God and please him with our faith because the day is coming when those who have ‘walked in step with his Spirit’ will not be found, because God will take them away to be with him forever – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) The list in Hebrews goes on to mention many others who pleased God with their faith and we too have nothing else to please God with, but our faith! While we are still here, we make it out desire to ‘obey his commands and do what pleases him’. – (1 John 3:22) There are many virtues that please God and we are exhorted to ‘find out what pleases the Lord’. (Ephesians 5) Our sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3), our sacrifice of praise ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Hebrews 13:15) and our sharing with others (Hebrews 13:15), all please him, ‘for with such sacrifices God is pleased’. But without faith, none of these virtues can please him! No wonder Scripture says ‘without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God’. – (Hebrews 11:6) That seems to be the bedrock (foundation) of all that God intends to do in us and through us. And without faith, he cannot do anything! Jesus could not do any miracles in his hometown because of their lack of faith! – (Mark 6:5) For that matter, Jesus never returned to Nazareth again! Imagine what we stand to lose, if the Lord finds no faith in our hearts! Where the Jews failed to give him the pleasure of being trusted, the Gentiles gave! Jesus was so pleased with the faith of the Centurion and the Cannanite woman that he had to commend them in front of others so that their faith might become an object lesson for us to learn what faith means. This generation is yet to see what could be done by faith; what God can do through him who pleases God with faith! Give God the pleasure of being trusted. Amen.

19. Understanding faith. (Part 1 of the Faith series.)

Some Christians think of faith as an almost magical force: If you muster enough of it, then you’ll stay healthy and become wealthy. Though it sounds true, that is not necessarily the big picture we see when we study Scriptures. The author of Hebrews delved deep into the subject of faith, and came up with an amazing revelation! In Chapter 11, which is dubbed as the ‘Faith Hall of Fame’ there are not only those who got what they hoped for, but also those who didn’t get what they hoped for. Some ‘through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice and gained what was promised; who shut the mouth of lions, quenched the fury of flames and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned into strength and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies … Others were tortured and refused to the released, so that they may gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed into two; they were put to death by the sword … They went about destitute, persecuted and mistreated – the world was not worthy of them … These were all commended for their faith.’ – (Hebrews 11:33-39) The Bible doesn’t say that those who didn’t get what they hoped for were lacking in faith but says that there is something better in store for them; that they might gain a ‘better resurrection’! All their believing was never in vain though they never got what they asked for. The Bible portrays faith as something that needs to be guarded, at all cost! The faith described in Hebrews is not sugarcoated: God does not guarantee a life of luxury and ease. It is tough faith: a constant commitment to hang on and believe God against all odds, no matter what! So Paul wrote to Timothy in his farewell letter : ‘I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.’ – ( 2 Timothy 4:7)

What then is faith? The opening statement by the author of Hebrews has become the classical definition of faith. ‘Faith is the substance or surety of things hoped for, the evidence or certainty of things not seen.’ – (Hebrews 11:1 KJV/ NIV) From this definition of faith, we get two aspects (a particular part or feature of something) that constitute faith. The first aspect being the ‘certainty’ and the second aspect being the ‘surety’. (Different translations uses different words but throughout this article, will stick to these two words. ) Almost all of us have faith, meaning, we are ‘certain of things not seen’, but often we are not ‘sure of what we hope for’. – (Hebrews 11:1) We ‘believe that God exists’ but we are not sure whether ‘he rewards those who earnestly seek him’. – ( Vs 6) We probably might have the certainty about God’s ability but have no surety of his willingness! But it takes both these aspects to make our faith complete and workable. If either one of them is missing, then our faith is crippled. If we have the certainty that God exists and that he is able, it is not to our credit because ‘this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God’ – (Ephesians 2:8) whereas if we have the surety that God is willing and rewards those who earnestly seek him, then it pleases God and he credits it to us. ‘This is what the ancients were commended for’ – (Hebrews 11:2), because they were not only certain of things not seen but also were sure of things hoped for. Simply put, they trusted God against all odds!

How do we get this surety? It does not necessarily come from previous experiences because inspite of all the miracles the Israelites saw in Egypt and in the desert, they always failed to trust God whenever they faced the next crisis because only knew his deeds but not his ways. – ( Psalm 103:7) But Gentiles like the Centurion and the Canaanite woman, who had no previous experience of God’s deliverance, showed great faith that even amazed Jesus and he promptly commended them for their faith! – (Matthew 8:10, 15:28) The surety they had came from the understanding of who Jesus is. The Centurion recognised him to be a man of spiritual authority and the Canaanite woman realised that the Gentiles too needed a Saviour and recognised him to be the One. Though we read that Abraham, ‘believed the Lord and he credited it to him as righteousness’ – (Genesis 15:6), he still didn’t have the surety he needed and therefore said, “O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” ( vs 8) So ‘on that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram’ ( vs 18) to give him the surety of the promise. The covenant gave him the surety and made his faith whole. (We too have a covenant in the blood of Jesus to give us this surety of his will.) Abraham’s faith was unlike those of his contemporaries who also probably believed in the existence of God but he believed in a ‘God who gives life to the dead and call things that are not as though they were.’ – (Romans 4;7) And unlike us, he didn’t get this understanding about the nature of God from Scriptures for they were not written yet! He understood that God call things that are not as though they were, when God changed his name to Abraham – (Genesis 17:5), which means ‘father of many’, even when he didn’t have any! (But still there was a truth in that phrase because Issac was after all in the loins of Abraham, just as Scripture says Levi was in the loins of Abraham, when he gave a tenth to Melchizedek. – Hebrews 7:9-10) God taught him to speak the language of faith by calling things done in the spiritual realm when it still had not manifested in the physical realm. (We too are being taught to speak the language of faith when we call things that are not as though they were! For instance, we confess we are healed by the stripes of Jesus, when in reality the healing is yet to be manifested in the physical.) Moreover, Abraham believed that God had the power to raise the dead and therefore was unhesitant to sacrifice his only son. He probably was the first person to believe in the power of the resurrection because ‘He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Issac that your offspring will be reckoned. Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Issac back from death.’ – (Hebrews 11:19) Abraham’s faith was well founded in his knowledge of God that he was not only certain of God’s existence but also was sure of God’s goodness. All his previous experiences further backed up his faith. We too can get this surety of God’s goodness today through our knowledge of him who has made a covenant with us in the blood of Christ. When our faith becomes complete and workable, locked doors begin to open because faith is the key to miracles! Amen.

20. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 7)

‘Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

As Jesus was about to descend into the realm of the dead, he committed his spirit to the Father. As for his body, it was kept under maximum security! The Jews requested Pilate that Romans soldiers be assigned to guard the tomb against his disciples from stealing his body. God had also assigned angels to guard the tomb against the devil from stealing his body. Remember, after Moses’ death, there was a dispute between the Archangel Michael and the devil about the body of Moses and the Lord rebuked the devil. ( Jude 1:9) So both men and angels were guarding the body of Jesus. Meanwhile, his spirit ‘descended to the lower earthly regions ( Greek meros means portion or part) or the depths of the earth’ – (Ephesians 4:9) to Paradise which was the resting place for the righteous dead; where the thief on the cross was to join him. But Jesus went beyond Paradise, into Sheol ( Greek Hades), which is the abode of the wicked dead. Jesus himself had said that “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” – ( Matthew 12:40) Jesus was willing to go any depth to save man and he trusted the Father to raise him up on the third day. No one has been resurrected from Sheol or Hades. All those who have been resurrected before were raised from Paradise. Psalm 18 has a strange description about a man who escaped from Sheol : ‘The cords of death entangled me. The torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave ( Sheol ) coiled around me, the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called out to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, my cry came before him, into his ears … He reached down from on high and took hold of me … He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes who are too strong for me ...’ This Psalm seems to be far- fetched (unlikely and unconvincing) because it cannot be true about the sufferings of David. Could it then be a Messianic Psalm, speaking about the aftermath of Christ’s death? Since Jesus holds the ‘keys of death and Hades’ (Revelation 1:18), it therefore means that he indeed descended beyond paradise into Hades where he even preached to ‘spirits in prison’ who disobeyed during the time of the flood. – ( 1 Peter 3:19-20) There will come a day when ‘death and Hades will give up the dead that are in them‘ – (Revelation 20:13) because Jesus has conquered ‘death and Hades’ and he holds the keys ( meaning authority over that place).

Death was the last enemy ( 1 Corinthians 15:26) Jesus overcame. ‘During his days on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.’ – (Hebrews 5:7) He had authority to lay down his life and to take it up ( John 10:17) but he had to be delivered from the clutches of death. God’s Spirit can reach out for those in Hades, as the Psalmist says: ‘Where can I go from your Spirit … If I make my bed in the depths (Hebrew: Sheol) you are there.’ – (139: 8) God’s power was exerted in Christ when he was raised from the dead. ‘That power was like the working of his mighty strength which was exerted in Christ when God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above call rule and authority, power and dominion.’ – (Ephesians 1:19-21) Death could not contain him! The grave could not hold him! ‘And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.’ – (Colossians 2:15) Not only did Jesus overcome death, but all the saints in Paradise, who we captives of death, were resurrected together with him, ‘when he ascended on high.’ – (Ephesians 4:8) The thief probably had the shortest stay in Paradise! Hallelujah! And then in judgement he will open Hades and lead all men out to be judged. ‘Then death and Hades will be thrown into the Lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, they will be thrown into the lake of fire.’ – (Revelation 20:14-15)

Just as Jesus committed his spirit to the Father, we too have committed our spirits to God, when we accepted Jesus as our Saviour. Therefore Paul wrote: ‘I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.’ – (2 Timothy 1:12) ‘He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies.’ – (Romans 8:11) Sleep is a simulation of death. That is why death is also called sleep. What guarantee is there that we will wake up in the morning, unless God wakes us up each day? So will it be at the first trumpet, when the ‘dead in Christ shall rise’. – (1 Thessalonians 4:14-16) We must be certain about the power of the resurrection, just as Jesus was certain that the power of God will raise him up from Sheol. Jesus assured his disciples that they will be raised up on the last day. “And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” – (John 6:39-40) What a blessed assurance! Amen.

19. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 6)

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

What was it that was finished? Jesus himself had said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). He was often accused of not following the law but infact it were teachings of the elders that he didn’t follow because they were the ‘teachings of men’. ( Matthew 15:2-9) The essence of the law is to love God and man which Jesus obeyed but to men it seemed that he didn’t obey the letter of the law.

1. The law was fulfilled.

What is the law ( Torah)? What does it do? The law differentiates between good and evil, right and wrong. Man received this discernment at the garden of Eden when he ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But he could not live by this knowledge because the Spirit of God had left him and was spiritually dead even before the law was given in writing. The law only reiterated what they already knew. For instance, there was nothing new about the ten commandments because what was stated was already known to man. Of the ten commandments, the fifth commandment stated what is to be done and the rest stated what should not be done. Now that it was given in written form, the Israelites no longer had any excuse. For that matter all ‘men are without excuse’. ( Romans 1:20) because the requirements of the law was written in their hearts . ‘Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness …‘ ( Romans 2:12-16)

What was the purpose of adding the law ( Torah)? ‘Sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses.’ (Romans 5:14) But as transgressions increased, it had to be checked untill the Seed to whom the promise referred to had come. Therefore, the law ‘was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.’ (Galatians 3:19) The law was also added so that ‘sin might be recognised as sin’ (Romans 7: 7-13) and as a result sin increased. ‘The law was added so that trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more.’ (Romans 5:20) Only by grace could a man abide by the law but ‘grace and truth came through Christ’. ( John 1:17) That is why it is said that only Jesus had succeeded to live by the Torah (law) because he alone had the Spirit of grace in him to abide by the Torah (law).

What was the effect of adding the law (Torah)? ‘But sin seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment produced in me every kind of sinful desire.’ (Romans 7:8-13) As with the knowledge of good and evil, the knowledge of the law did not decrease the desire to sin but rather increased it! In short the sinful nature failed the law! ‘For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.‘ (Romans 8:3-4) When they crucified Jesus to the cross: one in whom the Torah ( law) was fulfilled, they figuratively nailed the Torah ( law) to the cross. ‘He forgave us all our sins having cancelled the written code, with its rules and regulations that was against us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.’ (Colossians 2:14) In accepting Jesus as our Saviour; the one in whom the Torah ( law ) was fulfilled, the righteous requirements of the Torah (law ) are fully met in us, thus qualifying us to receive the ‘promise of the Spirit’. (Acts 1:4, Galatians 3:14)

2. Prophecies were fulfilled.

As was his name, so was his mission! He fulfilled the mission assigned to him. It was at the end of his mission that he said, “It is finished”. He wouldn’t give up until everything was accomplished. There were hundreds of prophecies concerning every aspect of his life and the probability of all these prophecies being fulfilled in one man is astounding! The fact that he knew all was complete, so that Scriptures would be fulfilled, proves that he was full of the word. Ofcourse, he is the ‘Word that out on flesh and dwelt among us’. Therefore he is called the ‘Living Word’. The prophets themselves were eager to see the fulfillment of the prophecies! ‘Concerning this salvation the prophets who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.’ (1 Peter 1:10-11) The Apostles too knew the prophecies in Scripture. (Acts 2:16, 15:15) Just as every word of prophecy concerning Christ was fulfilled, so will every word of prophecy spoken over us be fulfilled. Do we know or even remember what was said about us? Jesus knew, so did the Apostles! Paul knew he would not die in Jerusalem but will go to Rome. Paul reminded Timothy of the prophecies concerning him ( 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6) and asked him to ‘fan into flame the gift of God’. Jesus was passionate about finishing the task assigned to him – the task of taking the sin of the world – which he did completely! Therefore, he uttered, “It is finished.” Believe in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Amen.

18. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 5)

‘Later knowing that all was now completed and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” (John 19:28)

Just as people long to quench their thirst after a physically exhausting activity, Jesus too asked for a drink and he was offered wine vinegar. He permitted his physical thirst to be quenched before his death because he was being human. To interpret that it was a spiritual thirst for souls, is to ignore his human dimension and portray him as super human. The gospel writers took note of his hunger, thirst and tiredness. Had it been a spiritual thirst, he should have declined to drink but Scripture says he received the drink. ( Vs 30) He would not have asked for a drink, if he intended to purposely decline to create an aura of his super human strength for everyone to see. But he showed himself to be human by just asking for a drink and it reminds us not to be super spiritual. Yet when he was offered wine to drink the first time, as he was about to be crucified, he refused to drink because after tasting it, he knew it was mixed with gall, a pain reliever of sorts. ( Matthew 27:34) It was the usual practice to give stupefying potions to those who were being crucified, to numb their senses so that they will not be able to sense the excruciating pain. Offering him gall and vinegar was in fulfillment of prophecy. ‘They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.’ (Psalm 69:21) He refused to drink because he was willing to face the full extent of the pain. He wanted to be alert and not sedated. He stayed sober and in his right mind throughout his ordeal. There are those who drink to alleviate their sufferings or indulge in food and entertainment or social media to forget their woes. But the Spirit gives a believer soundness of mind, just as he gave Jesus, so that we will have the presence of mind to endure our cross.

Before he let his physical thirst be quenched, he satisfied his spiritual thirst and hunger, of which he spoke many times. Once when his disciples had gone to buy food because Jesus was tired ( John 4:6), a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well and Jesus asked her for a drink. In the midst of the talk, Jesus forgot all about his thirst and she forgot to offer him a drink! Instead, he offers her ‘living waters’. Later on, when his disciples arrived with food, they urged him to eat (vs 31) but Jesus seemed to have had his fill! He said, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about … “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (Vs 32-34) So now having finished his work, he permitted his physical thirst, that he felt before his death, to be quenched. He was not overcome by the physical but was overcome by his zeal for God. He exhibited an order of priority – spiritual over the physical. He didn’t deny the physical but placed the spiritual over and above the physical. Jesus has given us a model to live by. How many times we have been overcome by the flesh! Our hunger doesn’t permit us to fast. Our sleepiness or tiredness wouldn’t permit us to pray at night. Those who cannot control their appetites are termed as ‘carnal’ or ‘worldly’ ( 1 Corinthians 3:1). Paul did not call them ‘unbelievers’ but ‘mere infants in Christ’, because though they believe, yet they are controlled by their appetites, just as infants are! Those overcome by their physical appetites are still controlled by the sinful nature and not by the Spirit. Esau, who could not control his hunger, was later called ‘godless’, though being a good man. ‘See to it that no one is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterwards, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind though he sought the blessings with tears’ (Hebrews 12:16-17) because ‘the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction. The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.’ (Galatians 6:8) Do not indulge in the physical at the cost of the spiritual! Amen.

17. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 4)

At the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani” – which means, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me.” – (Matthew 27:46)

His first utterance was a prayer to God for the forgiveness of his persecutors. His second utterance was a promise to the one who appealed to him for kindness. His third utterance was a sober charge to take care of his mother. These three utterances were made soon after he was crucified at the third hour (9 am). Then at the sixth hour (12 pm), darkness covered the land until the ninth hour (3 pm). It is interesting to note that he said nothing during these three hours. There was a prolonged silence as everyone awaited his death. His long hours of silence is a sign of his submission to God. He patiently bore the pain of his suffering and spoke nothing. In six hours he uttered just seven phrases and that reveals his fortitude (courage in pain or adversity). Our hours of agony would have been characterized by many words which would expose our character. He spoke, only if it was warranted or else he kept his mouth shut. That is a remarkable feat few of his followers have mastered ! Then at the ninth hour, after being on the cross for six hours; when it was time to give up his Spirit, he cries out something that those around him obviously didn’t understand. ‘When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.” – ( Vs 47) He was probably speaking in an unknown tongue but the Gospel writer Matthew interprets it for us by the Spirit as, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” It was more a statement of submission than of unbelief! Those words were the fulfilment of the prophecy made by David in Psalm 22, where a righteous man cries out to God in distress but God seems to be distant and silent. Time seems to pass by slowly! He could have given up his spirit anytime because he had ‘authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.’ – (John 10:18). So what was he waiting for? The wrath of God to pass? He was accursed (to be under a curse) ‘because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse‘. – (Deuteronomy 21:23) ‘It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer’ – (Isaiah 53:10) for ‘God made him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us …’ – ( 2 Corinthians 5:21 ) The darkness was therefore not an indication of God’s sorrow at his Son’s death but rather the wrath of God against sin. Could it be that as he cried out at the ninth hour, darkness left immediately? Thereafter knowing that the God’s wrath has passed by, says: “I am thirsty”, in preparation for his death, because everything was fulfilled. This utterance on the cross gives insight into Christ’s absolute dependence and submission to God. Later on the Apostle Peter wrote: ‘Those who suffer according to God’s will should submit themselves to their faithful creator and continue to do good.’ – (1 Peter 4:19) How our Lord has demonstrated it on the cross! His life simply agrees with his words, as if they are one and the same! Or in other words, his life and his words are in sync, unlike anyone we have known before! He is indeed a leader worth following. His life was a fulfilment of the prophecy made by David in Psalm 22 which is called the ‘Song of the cross’ because it describes the sufferings of a righteous man with no relief from God. It sounds like a mob scene, a lynching. The righteous man’s enemies have him. They surround him, jeering like a pack of dogs! He is helpless and exhausted! All he can do is to cry out to God. He wavers back and forth, first crying out in his misery, then taking stock of God’s goodness. Although, his cry has gone up day and night, God remains silent! A person might read Psalm 22 as an extravagant poetic description of David’s troubles because it doesn’t seem to fit David’s life but it does fit the life of Jesus. Infact Jesus and his disciples saw something more! When Jesus was dying, he had this Psalm on his lips. Afterwards, when his disciples wanted to explain Jesus’ life and sufferings, they turned to it. In it, the disciples saw a pattern and foreshadowing. The pattern is called ‘Redemptive suffering’, where a righteous man goes through tremendous suffering. But that suffering has a purpose. After it and because of it comes victory and power and salvation of the world. Hallelujah! If good men may suffer while God remains silent – if Christ himself knew these pains, though being the Son of God – then no one may be exempt! Scripture says that ‘during the days of Christ’s life on earth, he made petitions with loud cries to the one who could save him from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learnt obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.’ – (Hebrews 5:7–9) This pattern helped Jesus’ followers to appreciate why Jesus, along with his followers had to suffer. Does this encourage us to submit to God today, no matter what? In the end, it will turn out for our good! Amen.

16. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 3)

“Dear woman, here is your son” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” (John 19:26)

The passage names all who were present at the foot of the cross, which included his mother Mary, his mother’s sister Mary, wife of Cleopas, Mary Magdalene and John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. But many others were missing, notably his own brothers because they didn’t believe in him ( John 7:5) and his disciples who said they would never leave ( Matthew 14:19) but had deserted him, including Peter! – ( John 18:15) Those present were those who believed in him and loved him. At the foot of the cross, a new family is formed called the ‘family of believers’. Also new responsibilities and bonds are formed at the foot of the cross. Once when his family came to meet him, he asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers and sisters?” Pointing to his disciples, he said,”Here are my mother, my brothers and my sisters. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, sister and mother.” – (Matthew 12:48-50) Elsewhere it says, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” – (Luke 8:21) Why were they there to meet Jesus? ‘They went to take charge of him for they said, “He is out of his mind.” – ( Mark 3:21) Jesus was very blunt with those who did not believe in him, be it his mother or brothers. At one point she seemed to be persuaded by his brothers but it is also said of Mary that she ‘treasured all these things in her heart’. – (Luke 2:51)

Jesus looked around and saw his mother standing there together with a hand few of people who cared . All the rest had left the scene. His brothers were not to be seen for he was an embarrassment to them. Had not Mary been there, he would not have said what he said for there were his unbelieving brothers to take care of his unbelieving mother. Since she was there, he would not entrust his believing mother into the hands of his unbelieving brothers. Even in his agony, he was mindful of his mother’s state and made sure that she will be taken care of. He would rather entrust his mother to the only disciple present there, instead of letting Mary go back home to his brothers to face ridicule. ‘From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.’ Not that Mary didn’t have another home to go nor any relatives to look after her. But Jesus was sensitive about the situation. Until his resurrection, she had to be shielded from accusing voices. He wouldn’t let anyone abuse her; the very tenderness he showed to the Holy Spirit and would not let anyone rail against him. We see the heart of Jesus to care for those who are his family. His family, as he himself had pointed out, consists of those who believe. Just as Jesus is mindful of the ‘family of believers’, so should his disciples be mindful ! Jesus gave John a new responsibility and without being told what to do, John took her home because he understood what Jesus meant. We know what we are supposed to do for the ‘family of believers’, without even being told what to do, but we refuse to go out of the way to help fellow believers because they are not afterall our family. But the Church too is a family and its members, though strangers, are related to one another by the blood of Jesus. Just as Joseph took care for his 72 blood relatives during the famine ( Genesis 45:11), even so Jesus will take care of those who are his blood relatives. We cannot walk away from the need of a fellow believer as if we didn’t see it. Jesus might ask us to accommodate in our homes those who are being persecuted for their faith, though they are not related to us by our blood but are related to us by the blood of Jesus, until everything is peaceful for them to return to their homes. Just as Jesus was mindful of his mother even in his agony, we should be mindful of others and forget not to show kindness. Often in our pain or lack, we do not have the presence of mind to hear or take note of someone else’s pain or lack but Jesus exhibited tremendous presence of mind, which is a fruit of the Spirit. – ( 2 Timothy 1:7) We are told to ‘share with God’s people who are in need and to practice hospitality.’ – (Romans 12:13) ‘Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’ – (Galatians 6:10) Amen

15. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 2)

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

The thief on the cross had a revelation about the identity of Jesus for he heard him pray: “Father forgive them …” Never in his life had he heard anyone pray that their killers be forgiven. The man had to be the Son of God to pray thus and he even heard him address God as his Father! What he heard was so profound that it moved his heart. He saw that the man did not exhibit resentment nor rant while on the cross but he silently bore the agony of injustice. He didn’t see the man trying to get down from the cross or trying to save himself. There was a peace about this man! He heard the rulers sneer at the man, saying, “He saved others . Let him save himself, if he is Christ of God, the chosen one.” ( vs 35) He also heard the soldiers mock him, saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” ( Vs 37) He saw the inscription above his cross, which read: ‘Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews’ ( Vs 38). All that he heard and saw overwhelmed him but he still maintained his silence! There were others who had heard and read the same but they had no revelation about the identity of Jesus but the thief on the cross perceived that this man who was being crucified with him was not of this world. He reasoned that if Jesus is a King, then he would have a kingdom which might not be of this world! Then when the other thief hurled insults at Jesus, he broke his silence to rebuke him, saying, “We are punished justly for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” It was after this that he turned to Jesus to make his appeal in response to the revelation he had. He probably had seen Jesus for the first time or might have heard of him before but got to see him now in a seemingly helpless state to appeal to him. Nevertheless, he did and he had to be quick, lest it be too late because Jesus was bleeding to death, so was he! He didn’t lose any time in responding to the revelation and spontaneously made his appeal to Jesus: “Remember me when you come in your kingly power.“ Those who heard him say this might have jeered at him but he unashamedly made his good confession of his faith in the person of Jesus. He was resigned to his fate and did not request like the other thief to save him from the cross but instead requested that he be remembered in the next life. What he said was so profound that Jesus could not be silent though he himself was in agony. Jesus had always acknowledged faith and he had to respond to this confession immediately before he himself would transcend death into eternal life. So his response was immediate and precise, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus entered paradise before the thief did as he died first, followed by the thief, making him the first to enter after Jesus. He who was the last became the first just as Jesus had predicted. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Matthew 20:16) Jesus reached out to save a petty criminal whom the world had despised. True to his name he was a Saviour till the end. He died saving till the end. Jesus will reach out to anyone who calls on his name, for Scripture says: ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ( Joel 2:32) While alive, he offered life to the dying. But now as he was dying, he offered eternal life to the dying. ‘In him was life and it was the light of men.‘ (John 1:4) How true to his statements were his last moments! He did not offer life the way the other criminal wanted but offered eternal life to the one who appealed to him. For he had said while he was alive: “I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.“ ( John 11:25-26) The criminal was least likely to be accepted by the righteous Pharisees but he was heartily welcomed to the kingdom by Jesus. No wonder the tax collectors and prostitutes were making their way into the kingdom when Jesus was the usherer. But his so called ‘disciples’ have been ‘exclusive’ throughout history, excluding many because they have been judgemental and narrow minded! Of them, it can be said: “You shut the kingdom of heaven at men’s faces. You yourself do not enter nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (Matthew 28:13-24) The system judged him to be a misfit to live in this world but his faith in Jesus made him fit for the kingdom! Hallelujah! What a glorious salvation! It was Jesus’ forbearance of his persecutors that opened the doors of heaven for this criminal. Jesus did not consider him insignificant and beyond salvation. How long does it take to be saved? In an instant the thief received by faith what others have been striving for a lifetime! What does it take to be saved? Many like to believe that salvation is the reward for good works but it is not. The thief didn’t have any good works to boast about but he was saved by his timely confession, for Scripture says: ‘That if you confess with your mouth,” Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Romans 10:9) The thief did believe that Jesus will be raised from the dead and that he will come back to his kingdom. Respond to the truth today, if it has been revealed to you as it was revealed to the thief. Not tomorrow ‘for today is the day of salvation.’ (2 Corinthians 6:2) The thief knew he too will be forgiven because Jesus had forgiven his killers. Ask boldly like the the thief. Jesus liked his boldness! It’s the proof of your faith! Amen.

14. Seven utterances on the cross. (Part 1)

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

What is it that they did not know? They thought they were executing a criminal because Jesus was crucified with criminals. What was his crime? Blasphemy, because he claimed to be the Son of God, the Christ and equal with God. The Jews once gathered around him and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you but you do not believe … I and the Father are one …” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him but Jesus said to them, ” … For which of these miracles do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy because you a mere man claim to be God.” ( John 10:24-39) Did Jesus ever claim to be God ? “Who are you?”, they asked. ” Just what I have been claiming all along,” Jesus replied … “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be …” (John 8:25-28) The Jews knew him as Joseph’s son. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary and aren’t his brothers … all his sisters with us? …” And they took offense at him.’ (Matthew 13:54-57) What they knew about him was so little compared to what they didn’t know about him! They didn’t know that he is the ‘Christ, our Passover Lamb‘ (1 Corinthians 5:7) and that ‘He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.’ (1 John 2:2) It is outrageous that inspite of all that Jesus said and did to prove his claim, they didn’t believe him. ‘He came to that which was his very own but his own did not receive him.’ ( John 1:11) The Jews who had the law and prophets should have known but the ‘god of this age had blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God ‘ (2 Corinthians 4:4) However, the Gentiles were not expected to know. Jesus failed in his attempts to convince them his true identity. What seems to be a tragedy was in the perfect plan of God to get them to crucify him, for in doing so, they would unwittingly sacrifice the Passover Lamb of God. By all means the devil knew but ‘none of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.’ (1 Corinthians 2:6-8) So what was Satan’s gamble? Probably, he didn’t expect Jesus to be resurrected from Hades, because no man had been raised from Hades before. Lazarus was raised from Paradise, so were the rest who were raised from the dead. Jesus was the first person to be raised from Hades. (Jesus did not go to Hell, as some presume because he went where men had gone. No man has gone to hell yet because the dead in Hades are waiting for judgement! The false prophet and the Antichrist will be the first to be thrown into hell. ) Guess the devil underestimated the power of the resurrection!

Who are ‘they’ that did not know? Both the Jews and the Gentiles came together to conspire against Jesus. ‘Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed.’ (Acts 4:27) The Jews with the help of Gentiles had crucified him. ‘This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge and you with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.’ (Acts 2:23) The very fact that Jesus was crucified and not stoned to death, proves that the Gentiles too were guilty because it was their form of execution. Not realising that the Gentiles too are guilty has resulted in the Church persecuting the Jews and calling them “Christ killers”. The atrocities committed by the crusaders and the Nazis were as a result of this misunderstanding. Both are guilty but the Jews are guilty of a greater sin because they knew from the law and the prophets that the Messiah was coming whereas the Gentiles were ignorant about these prophecies. Jews are therefore guilty of premeditated murder while the Gentiles are guilty of manslaughter because it was unintentional ! That is why Jesus told Pilate, “The one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin” ( John 19:11) and they are the ones who have suffered the most ( Luke 19:43-44) for they owned up the crime by saying, “Let his blood be upon us and our children.” ( Matthew 27:25) The bloody and gruesome murder turned out to be the ultimate sacrifice! But just because God allowed it to happen, doesn’t mean the perpetrators of the crime are absolved from all guilt ! Therefore Peter said: “You handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate though he had decided to let him go … You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.’( Acts 3:13-15)

Who are ‘them’ that he forgave? If ‘they’ meant both the Jews and the Gentiles, then ‘them’ would mean the same. Both Jews and Gentiles have been equally forgiven, whether their part in the crime was big or small. Both have been unconditionally forgiven since he forgave them even before they acknowledged or confessed their guilt. It was heartfelt forgiveness because Jesus knew that men were just pawns in Satan’s hand and that they were being used by him to vent his fury because he knows that his days are numbered! What else can explain the brutality that was displayed against Jesus? The rage of hell was being revealed through men. Yet he would not hold it against men though he suffered at their hands but forgave them from his heart. Jesus exemplified through his life that ‘our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ ( Ephesians 6:12) Since he has forgiven all men, we ought to forgive as well, from our hearts or else it will be held against us. ( Matthew 18:35) But the Jews did not accept this forgiveness. As for those who accepted his forgiveness, they were spared from the consequences of their crime. When Jerusalem was surrounded by the Romans in 70 AD, the believers remembered the words of Jesus (Luke 21:20) and fled but those who didn’t heed to his words, died fighting the Romans and the rest were exiled. The Jews have suffered through the centuries because they didn’t believe and receive his forgiveness. Unless we believe and confess our sins, we will not experience the release. Believe and receive God’s heartfelt forgiveness today. Amen.

24. Interpreting the Russia-Ukraine war.

The three prophetic wars in the Bible, namely the Ezekiel 38-39 war, the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-14,16) and the Final battle with Gog-Magog (20:8-9) are either against the nation of Israel or against the saints of God. These three wars will help totally annihilate the forces of evil and firmly establish the kingdom of God. On the contrary, World War 1 and World War 2 were not prophetic wars but were the two major wars out of the many wars that have been fought since Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars.” (Matthew 24:6) The two World Wars wars were fomented (instigated, stirred up) by those who were plotting to establish the ‘New World Order’ and therefore we should not be alarmed if World War 3 breaks out even before the first prophetic war! “See to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom … All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:5-8) Some assume that WW3 will be the Ezekiel 38-39 war or even the ‘Battle of Armageddon’ but they are not because the prophetic wars are geographically specific. Both WW1 and WW2 were not fought in the land of Israel because they were not fought against the Jews, whereas the prophetic wars will be fought in the land of Israel because it will be against the Jews and the saints of God. However, the world wars did affect the Jews more than any other ethnic group and their persecution in Europe birthed the desire to return to their homeland after WW1 and the strengthened their resolve to establish the nation of Israel after WW2. Amazingly, the land of Israel was relatively calm during the world wars whilst it was raging elsewhere, much like the eye of a storm which is relatively calm whilst the storm rages on the outside. Looks as if God had shielded the land of Israel as the apple of his eye ! If at all there is a WW3, it will once again be fought away from the land of Israel because it will have nothing to do with the Jew.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has the potential to trigger WW3, just as the assassination of Archduke of Austria Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire by a Serbian nationalist on June 28, 1914 precipitated WW1. On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and within a week, Russia, Belgium, France, Great Britain and Serbia had lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, marking the beginning of WW1. Likewise, the invasion of Poland by Germany on the 1st of September 1939 caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany within two days, marking the beginning of WW2. But it will surprise us when we realise that both these World Wars were probably pre-planned. If indeed Albert Pike, the head of Freemasonry in America sent a letter dated August 15th 1871 to Mazzini, the head of Illuminati in Italy, laying out the plot for the three World Wars which would result in establishment of the One World Government and the kingdom of Lucifer, then it is scary to know that both the World Wars played out exactly the way he described it in his letter. Then it should not surprise us, if the current standoff between NATO and Russia is yet another deliberate attempt by the global elite ( a small group of powerful people who hold a disproportionate amount of wealth, privilege and political power) to engage Russia in a war because they think Russia is too big, powerful and independent, to fit into the New World Order or in Latin “Novus ordo seclorum”, which means “A new order of the ages”, that will emerge out of the chaos they orchestrate! Many world leaders have been heard advocating the ‘New World Order’ which is in agreement with the stated objectives of Freemasonry, as is evident from their latin phrase “Ordo Ab Chao”, which means “Order out of Chaos”, that they cause upon the earth to create the “new order of the ages”. But first they have to create a problem before suggesting the solution. They have successfully baited (deliberately annoy) Russia by lobbying for Ukraine’s membership in NATO and have provoked (incite someone to do something) Russia to attack Ukraine, because that has given them the legitimacy to form an international coalition of nations and even an ‘international legion’ of mercenaries against Russia, to cut them to size, if not ( perhaps even) overthrow them ! The conflict has all the signs of their making! They could have easily averted this war at the start, if they wanted to, by assuring Russia that Ukraine will not join NATO, but these warmongers in the west wanted this war with Russia anyway and don’t seem to have the slightest qualm ( uneasy feeling about one’s own conduct ) in having pushed Ukraine into this war. They still can stop this war, if they want to but they don’t want to, because their goals matter more than the sufferings of innocent Ukrainians who had to flee from the conflict or have been caught in the crossfire. Instead, they are supplying them with weapons ( not to mention the profit the military-industrial complex stands to make from it sales) and are cheering the Ukrainians to fight till the last man standing, without even committing their own troops. The Ukrainians have become pawns ( a person used by others for their own purposes) in the hands of the west to achieve their goals but sadly the Ukrainians don’t seem to realise this truth. Yet the west is angry about the Russian invasion but they seem to be self-righteous in their indignation because their double standards are too apparent to overlook! Can’t help but call out the hypocrisy of the west but that doesn’t mean the Russian invasion is justified. However, the Russians might succeed in defending their national interests but at a great cost, as the war drags on. It will cost them many lives and their economy because of the mounting sanctions. However, God’s hot anger is not aroused when Russia attacks Ukraine but will be aroused if Russia turns aside to invade Israel, if they be the nation that starts the Ezekiel 38 war! “When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (vs18)

Meanwhile, Russia stands in the way of the globalists, hindering their efforts to establish the New World Order because the are not party to it. Therefore, the ‘kings of the west’ will be challenged by the ‘kings of the east’, if they try to expand towards the east, just as Russia and China have already challenged NATO’s expansion towards the east. Even the European union has expanded towards the east, adding member states that are ‘in the least bit’ (in the slightest degree or in any respect) European! The ‘kings of the east’ will maintain their order in the east, resulting in the east-west divide. Choosing between the two will be like choosing between brutes and liars! The ‘kings of the east’ are brutes while those of the west are liars! The west has consistently lied to the world about every war they have started, be it the Afghan war, Iraq war, Libyan war, Syrian war … and now the Ukraine war! Their unholy alliances are intended to overthrow the nations of the world and establish the New World Order. Thank God there is a third side to this conflict! Not the side of the non-aligned nations for they too will be forced to choose sides! The third side is that of Christ and the armies of heaven. The kings and their armies from the east and the west will gather together at Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16) to fight the rider on the white horse but they will be totally annihilated by Him. (Revelation 19:11-21) Therefore, let’s not align ourselves with the ‘kings of the east’ or with the ‘kings of the west’ but with the one from above who is the ‘King of kings’ ! Amen.

18. Baptism in Spirit and Power – The promise to the reborn. (Part 7 of the born again series.)

‘On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4-5) It was just a few days before this that Jesus breathed on them and said, “Re (once again) –ceive (get) the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22) Having said that, men can ‘once again get’ the Holy Spirit to dwell in them, just as it had dwelt in Adam, prior to his fall. This is the whole essence of rebirth and evidently, the disciples were born again the very moment they received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The disciples might have thought that’s all there was to it, but to their pleasant surprise, Jesus instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem for yet another supernatural experience! Obviously it was not to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which they had already received but to receive something which they hadn’t received; which is the infilling in the Holy Spirit. Speaking of the infilling, Jesus said: “For John baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” The reason Jesus drew this parallel between the two was to show that they will be baptized into another substance, just as John baptized his disciples into water. Here the reference was not about the person of Holy Spirit who was to come on the day of Pentecost or about the presence of the Holy Spirit, which they had already received, but it was about the substance into which they were to be baptized; the Spirit that flows from within God. It is also referred to as the ‘living waters’, which can quench our spiritual thirst. “Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14) “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.’ (John 7:37-39) ‘For we were all given one Spirit to drink.’ (1 Corinthians 12:13)

What is interesting is the fact that Jesus gave this instruction to tarry in Jerusalem, to those who were already born again, because the promise of the Spirit was originally meant for them. However, it was first made to Abraham, when he became the heir of the world by faith. ‘It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be the heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.’ (Romans 4:13) But how were the descendants of Abraham supposed to take possession of the whole earth, when they were limited by their geographical boundaries? The answer was in imparting the Holy Spirit even to the Gentiles who would believe in God. ‘The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith … He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. The promise were spoken to Abraham and to his seed, … meaning one person, who is Christ.’ (Galatians 3:8-16) Then when the seed to whom the promise referred had come, he said, “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.”

When did the disciples hear him speak about the Promise? Jesus first mentioned about the Holy Spirit while introducing another Counselor. “And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him for he lives WITH YOU and will be IN YOU.“ (John 14:16-17) Here he mentions the two dimensions in which the Holy Spirit operates but later on, before his ascension, he spoke about the third dimensions in which the Holy Spirit would operate. “But you will receive Power when the Holy Spirit comes ON YOU and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The Holy Spirit was ‘WITH US’ to SAVE US, is now ‘IN US’ to CHANGE US and will be ‘UPON US’ to USE US. There is no power without the Holy Spirit but when he comes upon us, we will receive Power. Power for what? To be witnesses! Witnesses of what? The resurrection of Jesus! Not only were they supposed to be witnesses of Christ with their words and with their lives but they were also supposed to be witnesses of Christ with the power of resurrection, demonstrated through signs, wonders and miracles. “You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:48-49)

How could they wait in prayer and worship continually for ten days, without having the presence of the Holy Spirit within them? Infact receiving the baptism in the Spirit is the tangible proof of our rebirth, because no one can receive it without being born again. Therefore Peter said of those gathered at Cornelius’ house: “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” (Acts 10:47) Here are a group of people who were not baptized in water, yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Undoubtedly, they were born again! ‘So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.’ (Vs 48) How did they receive the baptism in the Spirit without being baptized in water? The only prerequisite before receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit and Power, is the rebirth experience. Hence, the only question that we need to ask ourselves is: “Am I born again?” If you answer is “yes”, then tarry for the promise, but if you are not sure of this spiritual experience, then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into it. Amen. (I suppose it would be helpful for you, if you would go back and read from Part 1 of this series, to know more about this spiritual experience. God bless you.)

17. One baptism: The washing of rebirth.(Part 6 of the born again series.)

‘There is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to one hope when you were called – one Lord, one faith, ONE BAPTISM; one God and Father of all …’ (Ephesians 4:4) Yet the author of Hebrews, refers to ‘BAPTISMS’ in plural, while listing the ‘elementary teachings about Christ.’ For he wrote: ‘Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of :-
1. Repentance
2. Faith in God
3. Instructions about BAPTISMS
4. Laying on of hands
5. Resurrection of the dead
6. Eternal judgement …
And God permitting, we will do so.’ (Hebrews 6:1–3) What is seemingly a contradiction, is in fact not, because though there are many baptisms, there is only ONE BAPTISM that can save and it is the ‘washing of rebirth’. ‘He has saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit …’ (Titus 3:5) It is easy to understand baptisms, if we consider ‘who’ baptizes ‘whom’ in ‘what’. The one who baptizes is being called the ‘Agent’ and the person who is baptized is being called the ‘Recipient’ and what they are baptized into is being called the ‘Element’ in the chart below:-

Agent > Recipient > Element

Holy Spirit > Believer > in Blood

Disciple > Believer > in Water

Jesus > Believer > in Spirit

Jesus > Believer > in Fire

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful … He will baptise you in HOLY SPIRIT and with FIRE.” (Matthew 3:11) Jesus himself was baptized in water and thereafter in the Holy Spirit and Power. ‘When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too!’ (Luke 3:21) ‘Jesus full of the HOLY SPIRIT returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert … Jesus returned to Galilee in the POWER of the Spirit.’ (Luke 4:1,14) ‘God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the HOLY SPIRIT and POWER and he went about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.’ (Acts 10:38) Hence the author of Hebrews (presumably Paul) was right in addressing baptisms in plural because there are in fact three baptisms ie., in WATER, HOLY SPIRIT and POWER / FIRE (They are essentially the same because on the day of Pentecost, the disciples received power after ‘tongues of fire’ came upon them.) But which of the three was Paul referring to as the ‘One baptism‘ in Ephesians or was he referring to the most important and essential for salvation, the ‘washing of rebirth’ in the blood of the lamb? It’s relevance can be understood if we realise that Christ wouldn’t baptise a person in the Holy Spirit and Power unless the person first experience the ‘washing of rebirth’, though men might not hesitate to baptise them in water! That is the reason why many who have been baptized only in water, haven’t received the baptism in the Spirit because they haven’t been sprinkled by the blood of the lamb. ‘We have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.’ (1 Peter 1:2)

Can we then call the ‘washing of rebirth’ as the ‘baptism in the blood of the lamb’? Jesus, who was baptized in Water, Holy Spirit and Power said: “But I have another baptism to undergo and how distressed I am until it is completed!” (Luke 12:50) He was obviously referring to his death as a baptism that he had to undergo. As a matter of fact, those who stood at the foot of the cross were sprinkled with the blood and water from Jesus’ side as he was pierced. ‘One of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.’ (John 19:34) It was following this sprinkling by the blood at the cross that they received the Holy Spirit, post resurrection. ‘And with that he breathed on them and said,” Receive the Holy Spirit.”‘ (John 20:22) The water is symbolic of the Spirit since Jesus himself said : “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him”. By this he meant the Spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive.’ (John 7:38-39) Wherever the blood of Christ is sprinkled, only there the Holy Spirit is poured out!

Why is the ‘washing of rebirth’ being referred to as the ‘one baptism’? Because, none of the other baptisms are essential for salvation! If it were, the thief on the cross wouldn’t be in Paradise! I suppose he could have said this better than Paul : ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.’ (Galatians 2:20) Here is a man who physically experienced the symbolism of baptism, which is the death, burial and resurrection in Christ. ‘We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may life a new life.’ (Romans 6:4) Therefore, baptism in water cannot be more relevant than the washing of rebirth. Moreover, those who have experienced the ‘washing of rebirth’ and received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit might not experience the baptism in Holy Spirit and Power because that is meant for service and not an essential for salvation. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the world.” (Acts 1:8) Amen.

16. Relevance of rebirth.(Part 5 of the born again series.)

‘Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ ( 2 Corinthians 5:17) The relevance of rebirth cannot be understated because it ushers in the most profound change within a person, to the extent that the Bible calls them a ‘new creation’. So what is new in us who are born again? Definitely our bodies are still the same even after the rebirth experience. However, the Bible assures us that a day is coming, when these bodies of ours will be transformed – ‘in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye …’ because ‘flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God …’ ( 1 Corinthians 15:50-52) ‘Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.’ (Philippians 3:20-21) The deposit of the Holy Spirit in those who are born again is the guarantee that this would happen to them. ‘Having believed you have been marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.’ (Ephesians 1:13-14)

If not our bodies, then what is new in us who are born again? Definitely, our spirits are still the same but the Holy Spirit has begun within us a process of renewal which has eternal significance, because it not only transforms our minds now and will transform our bodies later, at his coming. ‘He has saved us through the washing of rebirth ( by the blood) and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he has poured on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour…’ ( Titus 3:5-6) Since the process of renewal is ongoing, the Bible exhorts us to continually ‘put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.’ (Colossians 3:10) Paul testified to this daily process of renewal in his life when he wrote :‘Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.’ ( 2 Corinthians 4:16)

So, to the question, what is new in us who are born again, the relevant answer would be that we received the ‘mind of Christ’. Definitely, our souls (the seat of our mind, will and emotions) are the same but it has experienced a dramatic change (Greek: metanoia means ‘change of mind’, repentance, the state of changing any or all the elements composing one’s life: attitudes, thoughts and behaviour concerning the demands of God for right living.) ‘Man without the Spirit cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned … But we have the mind of Christ.’ ( 1 Corinthians 2:14,16) The reason for this assertion is the fact that our minds are now controlled by the Holy Spirit and therefore we have an attitude of mind that was also found in Christ. ‘The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so … you however are not controlled by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.’ (Romans 8:6-9 The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to ‘be transformed by the renewing of our minds’ (Romans 12:2) Therefore we are admonished ‘to be made new in the attitude of our minds and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ ( Ephesians 4:23) Another reason for the assertion that those who are born again have received the ‘mind of Christ’ is because they are able to discern everything and make right judgements. ‘We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us … The spiritual man makes judgement about all things but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgement.’ ( 1 Corinthians 2:12,15)

As a disciple of Christ, Paul had this attitude towards his fellow men : ‘For Christ’s love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died. And he died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a wordly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’. ( 2 Corinthians 5:14-17) Do we lack the mind to forgive others inspite of us believing in Christ or do we rake up other’s past, inspite of them believing in Christ? If so, we haven’t received the ‘mind of Christ’ and our ‘Rebirth’ is questionable! The evidence of rebirth is in our reconciliation with God and men. Many would reconcile with God but will not reconcile with men, though it is expected of them. ‘Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.’ ( Colossians 3:13) This has become the ‘gold standard’ by which a believer will be measured and if found lacking, this would be what God has to say, on that day : “You wicked servant … Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured … ) “This is how the heavenly Father will treat each one of you unless you forgive from your heart!” (Matthew 18:33-35) We risk being left behind at Rapture, if we are alive at his return or risk being left behind in Hades at the first resurrection, if we die before his return. So it is not optional to forgive but mandatory that we forgive others just as he has forgiven us.

Not only were we renewed in attitude towards others but also in our attitude towards God and even concerning our bodies. It is impossible to have an ‘attitude of gratitude’ towards God if we persist in unbelief. So the Bible requires that ‘we live by faith and not by sight.’ ( 2 Corinthians 5:7) ‘But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ (Hebrews 10:38 / Habakkuk 2:4) Moreover, our attitude towards our bodies is revealed in our refusal to defile ourselves. ‘Daniel resolved not to defile himself with royal food and wine’ ( Daniel 1:8) because it was offered to the Babylonian gods as sacrifices. Our rights over our bodies should not end up denying God’s rights over our bodies. The slogan : ‘My body, my choice’ goes against the tenets of Christianity because the word of God says: ‘The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body … Therefore honor God with your body.’ ( 1 Corinthians 6:13-20)

Attitudes of our renewed minds match up quite well with what was said early in the article titled ‘Three evidences of rebirth’ – (Part 2 of this series). A ‘fervent heart’ is matched by an ‘attitude of gratitude’, an ‘opened mind’ is matched by an ‘attitude of forgiveness’ and a ‘sanctified body’ is matched by an ‘attitude of consecration’. We live in an age when spiritual words and concepts have come to mean different things, a far cry from what it was meant to be! A ‘watered down’ version of rebirth, which unduly emphasizes water baptism over the inner experience, has shifted the focus away from the true meaning of rebirth. All who are born again have essentially had a Pentecostal experience but not all Pentecostals are born again. As for those who are born again, let ‘your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus …‘ (Philippians 2:5) for you have the ‘mind of Christ’. Amen.

15. The travail of Rebirth.(Part 4 of the born again series.)

The word ‘travail’ means painful or laborious effort and that is why the term is also used to describe the labor pain that a woman experiences while giving birth. Understanding this parallel between newbirth and rebirth, Paul wrote: ‘My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth ( KJV travail ) until Christ is formed in you … I am perplexed about you.’ ( Galatians 4:19-20) Just as human gestation (the process or period of growth of the fetus inside the womb from the time of conception till birth) takes nine months, so also the process or period of Rebirth takes time, until Christ is formed in us. The period of travail starts from the moment we hear the gospel and ends with our rebirth.

Nature itself gives us insights into the process of rebirth. Just as a single cell zygote (means ‘yoked’) is formed as a result of the union of the male and female gametes, so also the ‘seed of the Word of God’ sown into the ‘womb of our spirit’, be yoked with ‘faith’ to become one entity. ‘The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.’ (Hebrews 4:2) Just as the embryo implants itself firmly on the uterine wall with the help of the placenta, so also the embryonic ‘word and faith’ in us be implanted firmly in the ‘womb of our spirit’. ‘He chose to give us birth through the word of truth … humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.’ (James 1:18-21) Just as the embryo (It is called a fetus, only from the end of the second month of pregnancy) is nourished through the umbilical cord, so also the embryonic faith formed in us be nourished through the lifeline of word and prayer. (For this reason Parents need to share the word with their children and pray for their salvation.) ‘I have been reminded of your sincere faith which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also … continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.’ ( 2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-15) Just as a prominent blood vessel in the embryo begins to take form of a rudimentary heart, so also a ‘heart for God’, begins to take form within us. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32) And just as the rudimentary heart within the embryo begins to pulsate miraculously by the third week, so also the impartation of the ‘Spirit of Christ’ causes our hearts to come alive. ‘If Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

Have you ever wondered what causes the rudimentary heart within the embryo to pulsate all of a sudden? Modern Science has not been able to explain how the rudimentary heart begins to pulsate by the third week. It will remain a mystery for the world but the Bible gives us some insight into the mystery. Since the heart stops when the spirit leaves the body, the opposite holds true as well i.e, it begins to beat when a spirit (in the context of humans) and a soul (the seat of mind, will and emotions) is given to the embryo – (That is why abortion even at an earlier stage of pregnancy is foeticide and they will be held accountable to God.)

Being born again is a profound mystery and the greatest miracle. Don’t assume it happened because you were born a Christian. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You have to be born again!'” ( John 3:6-7) The travail of rebirth that I experienced, started in 1986 and lasted seven years until I was born again in 1993. ( To access my testimony, please visit my website http://teachingofchrist.in and read the article titled: ‘My testimony: A case study’, under the main Menu.) It might not be the same timeframe for everyone but invariably there is a process of rebirth that everyone will go through and a period of time associated with it, from their first encounter with God till the time they are born again. Though the disciples had met Jesus, three and a half years back, it was only after his resurrection, that their lives were transformed, when they received the Holy Spirit. ‘And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”‘ (John 20:22) The parable of the sower doesn’t say that irrespective of where the seed fell, it was fruitful. “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word, understands it and produce a crop …” ( Matthew 13 : 23 ) Since the Holy Spirit comes to take permanent residence in us, he cannot come into hearts where the Gospel has fallen by the wayside or on rocky ground or among thorns. He waits for the heart to be ready to receive him once for all.

This message might not seem relevant to you now but in the light of what is to come, it is imperative because your Rebirth will decide whether you will be Raptured or left behind! “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3) Over the years I have often asked people, “Did you accept Jesus as your personal Savior, having heard the gospel?” Almost all hands go up! I should have rather asked, “How many times have you accepted Jesus as your personal Savior?” But my next question makes them uneasy! “Did you experience rebirth, having accepted Christ?” Many hands that were lifted up, go down because they are not sure of their Rebirth. And if I asked those who claim to be born again : “Did you receive the baptism of the Spirit, having been born again?” Even the rest of the hands that were lifted up, go down. It is a fallacy to think that everyone invariably receives the Holy Spirit by default, immediately after they are baptized in water. There are many in the Church, like Simon the Sorcerer, who believed and was baptized. But when he came before the Apostle Peter, to receive the gift of the Spirit, he was told : “You have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God. Repent … for I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (Acts 8:21- 23)
So here is a believer who did everything but repent ! And there are plenty of them like him in the Church, who have been baptized in water, without having gone through the process of rebirth, because they were hurried through the process by those who were eager baptize them in water so that they could boast of the numbers. They were told that water baptism would solve all their problems and therefore they were glad to receive it, as if it were their ticket to heaven! If you have read my write ups in the born again series, you might have noted that I have put water baptism in its right context, stating that salvation is only by faith and not by works. Works include even water baptism, taken either as a child or as an adult because without having believed, it is a meaningless ritual that cannot save. It is essentially an outward expression of an inward experience and therefore should be rightly called Believer’s baptism! No matter whatever it is called or however it is done, the bottom line will remain the same: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved – you and your household.” ( Acts 16:31) Amen.

14. Three agents of rebirth. (Part 3 of the born again series.)

Why is rebirth a miracle? Firstly, because the miracle of rebirth is beyond our human will! ‘Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.’ (John 1:12-13) We might have been born in a christian household but that doesn’t make us a Christian. “Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying,’You must be born again.’ (John 3:6-7) Yet it is not in our efforts but in His Sovereign choice! ‘I will have mercy on whom I want to have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It therefore does not depend on man’s desire or effort but on God’s mercy.’ ( Romans 9:15-16) Secondly, rebirth is a miracle because it is a mystery! “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Though it seems to be mysterious, yet the Bible sheds light on the three agents of rebirth and it is the coming together of these three that results in the greatest miracle! ‘ ‘For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.’ (1 John 5:7-8) What is said of Christ, the first born of God, is true of us who have been born of God as well.

The three agents of rebirth are as follows:-

1. The Spirit – The Holy Spirit is the central agent of transformation responsible for the rebirth because it is he who reveals the Saviour to us and convicts us of the need for salvation. “When the counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15:26) “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgement.” (John 16:8) The Holy Spirit ministers the word of God and the blood of Christ, which are the other two agents of rebirth he works with. Though it is men who minister the word of God, it is the Holy Spirit who opens the heart of the listeners to believe in the person of Christ. ‘One of those listening was a woman named Lydia … The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.’ ( Acts 16:14) Therefore, Paul said: ‘ Our Gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 1:5) On the day of Pentecost, the three thousand who heard Peter speak were cut to heart because the Holy Spirit convicted them. ‘Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation …’ ( 2 Corinthians 7:10)

2. The water – “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” ( John 3:5) Many assume that the water means baptism but it doesn’t cleanse a man inwardly! Instead, Paul called it the ‘washing of rebirth through the word’. ‘ … Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the WASHING WITH WATER THROUGH THE WORD and to present her to himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish but holy and blameless’. ( Ephesians 5:25-27) ‘He saved us through the WASHING OF REBIRTH and RENEWAL BY THE HOLY SPIRIT whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour…’ ( Titus 3:5) The Word of God is rightly called the ‘sword of the Spirit’ because it is the word of God which the Holy Spirit uses to cut our hearts. ‘For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ (Hebrews 4:12) Hence, Peter affirmatively wrote: ‘ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.’ (1 Peter 1:23) ‘He chose to give us birth through the word of truth …’ (James 1:18) Without experiencing this ‘washing of rebirth by the word of God’ and ‘renewal by the Holy Spirit’, baptism in water is meaningless because ‘it is not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience towards God.’ ( 1Peter 3:21) It is the outward expression of an inward experience without which it becomes a ritual that will never save you, whether you were baptized as a child or as an adult, because salvation is by faith and not by works.

3. The Blood – Following the washing with water through the word of God, the Holy Spirit washes us in the blood of Christ, all who have believed in Him and have confessed their sins. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ (1 John 1:9) Once the foundation of sin is done away with, then curses begin to break and bodies begin to heal in the name of Jesus because that is the order in which it happened during the fall of man and therefore, it will be the order in which it is undone by the Holy Spirit. ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.’ ( Romans 8:1-2) The Holy Spirit then takes permanent residence within our hearts, at which point we are most assuredly born again and are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. When the Spirit left Adam, he felt naked but now when the Spirit returns, we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, just as the prodigal son was clothed with the best robe. ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet … Let’s have a feast and celebrate for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.‘ ( Luke 15:22-24) “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner who repents .” (Luke 15:10) We too are given a ring for our finger, meaning the authority ( Matthew 28:18) and sandals for our feet meaning our assignment on earth.

The three agents of rebirth ie the Spirit of God, the word of God (water) and the blood of Christ, have to come together for the miracle of rebirth to happen and it is not in our own making. However, it is God’s will for everyone of us but the Holy Spirit waits for the perfect time to indwell within our hearts because once he resides, he is never supposed to leave. The day this happens will be the greatest day of your life because that is the best thing that could ever happen to you. What prepares you for that day is the Word of God and prayer. ‘As for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of … how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.’ ( 2Timothy 3:14-15) We see the three agents come together even in the life of Jesus, to testify to his Sonship, Christship and Lordship. ‘He did not come by WATER only, but by WATER and BLOOD. And it is the SPIRIT who testifies because the SPIRIT is the truth.’ ( 1 John 5:6) Amen. (To know more about this topic, read the article titled: ‘The gospel about Jesus and the three fold testimony of God’, under the header ‘Bible study’. Thank you.)

13. Three evidences of rebirth.(Part 2 of the born again series.)

After Jesus rose from dead, on the morning of the first day of the week, he appeared to the women and to Peter. Then towards evening, he appeared to the two on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:1,13,29) They returned at once to Jerusalem to report it to the Apostles. ‘While they were taking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you” … ‘Then he opened their minds’ so they could understand the Scriptures.‘ (Luke 24:36-45) Speaking of the same incident, John wrote, ‘On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together … Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you” … And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. (John 20:19-22) How did Jesus open their minds to understand Scriptures? We can infer from the above Scriptures that their minds were opened when they received the Holy Spirit.

The three evidences of rebirth are as follows:–

1. Opened mind – The first evidence of rebirth is therefore an ‘opened mind’. But why should our minds be opened? ‘The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.’ ( 1 Corinthians 2:14) Therefore the Holy Spirit will have to bypass our minds and come into our hearts to take control of our minds. ‘The mind of the sinful man is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so … You, however are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.’ (Romans 8:6-9) All the doubts that cloud our minds suddenly disappears and a new understanding dawns. It is said that we don’t surprise God with our questions but He surprises us with his answers and it is true! ‘As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him.’ ( 1 John 2:27)

2. Prayerful heart – The second evidence of rebirth is a fervent heart. Soon after the Apostles experienced an opened mind, ‘they all joined together constantly in prayer …’ (Acts 1:14) ‘And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’ ( Luke 24:53) Although the Apostles had been with Jesus for three and a half years, they were never seen praying but were found sleeping, when he instructed them to pray. “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” … When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them.”Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” The reason they couldn’t pray as Jesus did was because they had not received the Holy Spirit yet. But the moment they received the Holy Spirit, they began to pray earnestly as Jesus did. Suffice to say that anyone who doesn’t have a secret prayer life is not born again. Jesus was often found praying in a solitary place and this was his instruction to his disciples as well: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then you Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” ( Matthew 6:6) ‘And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.’ ( Ephesians 6:18)

3. Sanctified Body – The third evidence of rebirth is Holiness. ‘No one who is born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God ‘ ( 1 John 3:9) This might seem unrealistic and unattainable to us in this generation but the Apostle Paul taught otherwise and exhorted Titus to teach the same. ‘For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and wordly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ … These, then are the things you should teach.’ (Titus 2:11-13) The apostle John taught that those who love God will inevitably overcome the world. ‘This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. ( 1 John 5:3-4) The reason why his commands are not burdensome is because we have the means to overcome, which is the Holy Spirit. ‘And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.’ (Romans 8:9) but ‘those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.’ (Galatians 5:24) ‘Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your reasonable act of worship’ (Romans 12:1) and ‘without holiness no one will see the Lord.’ (Hebrews 12:14)

These three evidences are for us to know whether we are born again but others around us might never get to see these evidences. Instead, they get to see the fruit of the Spirit in us as a result of our rebirth. “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and it’s fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33) “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) If you haven’t experienced an ‘opened mind’, a fervent heart and a sanctified body, then you are probably not born again because immediately after our justification by faith, the process of sanctification begins, when our hearts are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb of God, our minds were cleansed by the word of God and our bodies were cleansed by the Spirit of God. This is an ongoing process until glorification happens at the coming of the Lord. ‘May God himself, the God of peace, sanctity you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) If you are not sure of your rebirth, then “Repent and believe the good news” today! ( Mark 1:15) The primary requirement is to believe or else, how can you repent? Ofcourse, there might be those who need not repent but they still have to believe. Nathanael probably had nothing to repent about but he had to believe. ( John 1:47,50) That is why the sacrament is rightly called ‘Believer’s Baptism’ and it doesn’t matter whether a person is an adult or a child, as long as they personally believe for themselves. Therefore, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.’ (Acts 2:38-39) Amen.

12. Am I ‘born again’? (Part 1 of the born again series.)

Wait! Don’t shy away from asking yourself this important question in this last hour, to know whether you will be Raptured to heaven, before the Tribulation. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” ( John 3:3) It is a term that has often been misunderstood and misinterpreted by many. The Episcopals have misunderstood it to be doctrine of the Pentecostals, not realising that these are the words of Jesus himself, while the Pentecostals have misinterpreted it as baptism in water. Not even Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council and Israel’s teacher, understood what Jesus meant. Hence Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ (John 3: 5-7) The most common reply to the above question is that they were baptized in water as a child or as an adult but that is not the response that was asked for, rather their experience before taking the water baptism! The question, in Paul’s own words would be : “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ( Acts 19:2) Receiving once again the presence of the Holy Spirit which left Adam and Eve, when they sinned and spiritually died, is the sum and substance of being born again. ‘And with that he breathed on them and said, “Re (means once again) -ceive ( means get) the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:22) That became the standard by which the Apostles assessed a believer and not by the claims of healing and prosperity one might have received after turning to Christ.

The three moments in time when the disciples of Jesus were baptized, as documented in Scriptures are:-

1. Some, after they literally met with the Messiah. ‘The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” And he brought him to Jesus. ( John 1:41-42) ‘Jesus and his disciples went into the countryside where he spent some time with them and baptized ( John 3:22) ‘Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, although infact it was not Jesus who baptized but his disciples.’ (John 4:1-2)

2. Some, after they heard the gospel on the day of Pentecost and were cut to heart by the Holy Spirit and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Those that accepted the message was baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day.( Acts 2:37-41)

3. Some, after they heard the gospel and received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. ‘While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message … Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized in the water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 10:44-48)

Which of these three was the premise for your baptism? A physical encounter with Christ ? Or were cut to heart by the Holy Spirit after hearing the gospel? Or received the baptism in the Holy Spirit after hearing the gospel? Of course, no one has had a physical encounter with Christ, since his days on earth but there might be those who have had a vision of Christ, like Paul on the road to Damascus, but even then, he was baptized only after having received the Holy Spirit, when Ananias placed his hands on him. ‘Placing his hands on Saul, he said,” Brother Saul, the Lord … has sent me so that you may … be filled with the Holy Spirit … He got up and was baptized..’ (Acts 9:17-18) If you haven’t experienced any of these, then you probably are not born again and had no premise for taking the water baptism, as a child or as an adult and it won’t save you because we are saved by faith alone and not by works.

What must I do to be born again? First of all we need to realise that rebirth is a mystery and nothing short of a miracle, which happens in His time. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ( John 3:8) On the day of Pentecost, the wind blew and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and the wind has been blowing ever since throughout the Church age. ‘Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting ... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit …’ ( Acts 2:2-4) ‘Then Peter stood up with the eleven and raised his voice and addressed the crowd … “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, “Brothers what shall we do?” Peter replied, “REPENT and be BAPTIZED …” (Acts 2:14-38) There is yet another term that comes before these two which Peter didn’t say because it was understood without being said. “Repent and BELIEVE the good news.” (Mark 1:15) Therefore the three key words, in their right order should be :-

1. Believe

2. Repent

3. Be Baptized.

How can you repent unless you believe and why should you be baptized unless you repent? Nevertheless, it happens all the time when people miss out on the first two and hurry up to get baptized because they were told that it would solve all their problems. Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized (Acts 8:12) but did not repent. Therefore Peter had to tell him, “Repent … For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” ( Acts 8:22-23) Baptism alone will not save anyone whereas those who believe and repent will be saved, though not baptized! The salvation of the thief on the cross, is an eloquent testimony of this timeless truth that salvation is by faith alone and not by works. ( He would have received the baptism, had he been alive. However, his death on the cross with Christ was more meaningful than the ritual that baptism symbolises.) Moreover, it is in agreement with what Paul and Silas told the jailer in Philippi, in reply to his question: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved – you and your household.” … then immediately he and all his family were baptized.’ (Acts 16:31-33)

What hinders us from being born again? The Holy Spirit comes to impart the righteousness of Jesus but our self- righteousness is what hinders him. Speaking of the Israelites, Paul said: ‘Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.’ ( Romans 10:3) But speaking of himself, Paul said : “Whatever was to my profit, I count it a loss for the sake of Christ … I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.’ ( Philippians 3:7-9) Speaking of this righteousness, Jesus said: ‘For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matthew 5:20) Just as the filthy rags of prodigal son was stripped and he was clothed with the best robe ( Luke 15:22), so let’s be stripped of our self-righteousness and be clothed with the robe of Jesus ‘for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.’ ( Galatians 3:27) Amen.

23. Hades vs Hell.

Many think that ‘Hell’ is the English translation of the Greek word ‘Hades’ or of the Hebrew word ‘Sheol’ but they are not aware of the fact that English translations of the Bible like the NIV and the KJV had used the word ‘Hell’ to mean both ‘Hades’ and ‘Gehanna’ (which infact is the actual Greek word adapted from the Hebrew word ‘geenna’ and is translated as ‘Hell’) whereas the NASB and the Amplified Bible left the word ‘Hades’ untranslated but instead translated the word ‘Gehanna’ as ‘Hell’. For instance, Luke 16:23 in the NIV reads: ‘And in *hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.’ *The foot note says the actual Greek word in the passage is ‘Hades’ and not ‘Gehanna’. When the NIV and KJV translated the word as ‘hell’, NASB and the Amplified Bible left it untranslated. (In fact the Malayalam Bible translators got it right because they made a distinction between the two and used two different words in the translation : ‘Paa-dha-lam’ for ‘Hades’ and ‘Na-ra-gam’ for ‘Gehanna’.) However, the translators of NIV did some justice by leaving the word ‘Hades’ untranslated throughout the book of Revelation whereas KJV translators did injustice to the truth with their choice of word. The Bible teaches that no one has gone bodily to Hades as it is the abode for unsaved departed souls, until the final judgement but thereafter, they will be cast bodily to the eternal fire, if they are eternally condemned. How then can they justify the use of the word ‘hell’ to mean both ‘Hades’ as well as the ‘lake of fire’, if these are two distinct places?

How are these two places distinct? John in his vision saw Jesus place his right hand on him and say: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and HADES.” ( Revelation 1:17-18) The Bible further reveals that HADES is not just the name of a place but also the name of the being who once exercised authority over Hades. ‘When the Lamb opened the fourth seal … I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death and HADES was following close behind him.’ (Revelation 6:7-8) The reason why death and Hades will have to give up their dead is because Jesus has wrested (forcibly pull something from a person’s grasp) control of the keys, meaning he has got the authority to bring up the captives of death, from Hades and judge them by their deeds. ‘Do not be amazed at this for a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise up to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.’ (John 5:28-29) ‘The sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and HADES gave up the dead that were in them and each person was judged according to what they had done … Then death and HADES were thrown into the lake of fire.’ (Revelation 21:13-14) Since death and HADES were thrown into the lake of fire, they together with the rest of the horsemen who came when the seals were broken, are therefore evil entities destined for hell. And since HADES cease to exist thereafter, it is therefore a temporary place whereas the ‘lake of fire’ or ‘hell’ is eternal. The phrase ‘lake of fire’ is a metaphor that describes hell better than the word itself ! The Greek word Gehenna or Gehinnom translated as ‘Hell’ is the name of a valley in Jerusalem called the valley of Hinnom, outside the city wall of Jerusalem, where the garbage from the city was burnt; where the fire never died and worms thrived. It was this picture that Jesus alluded to when he described hell: “their worm do not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48/ Isaiah 66:24) Jesus further remarked that this ‘eternal fire was prepared for the devil and his angels.‘ (Matthew 25:41) Therefore, the first to go there will not be men, contrary to popular belief and claims by those who have supposedly seen visions of men already burning in hell. Nobody has been to hell yet and the first to go there will be the beast and the false prophet and those who have taken the mark of the beast. ‘The beast was captured and with him the false prophet who performed the miraculous signs on his behalf … The two were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur.’ (Revelation 19:20). “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he too … will be tormented with burning sulphur … And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever.’ (Revelation 14:9-11, Matthew 13:40-42). Then after the thousand year rule of Christ, when Satan is released from his prison, he together with those who joined with him in the final rebellion will be thrown into hell. ‘And the devil … was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever.’ (Revelation 20:10) Thereafter at the judgement of the dead, those from Hades whose names were not found in the book of life were thrown into hell. ‘If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.’ (Revelation 20:15) ‘Paradise’ was prepared for departed souls who were saved while ‘Hades’ was prepared for departed souls who were not saved. ‘Hell‘, on the other hand, was prepared for the the devil and his angels but those who reject Christ will find themselves in hell, together with them. It would therefore be naive ( lacking wisdom and judgement) on our part to think that Hades and Hell are the same.

Did we get the whole thing wrong in English? Why else do we say in the Apostle’s creed: ‘He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead..’ ? Jesus never went to Hell but to Hades, to the depths of the earth, where men were in bondage. ‘Seeing what was ahead, David spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave ( again the actual Greek word is Hades ), nor did his body see decay.’ ( Acts 2:31) ‘What does he descended mean except that he also descended to the lower earthly regions?’ (Ephesians 4:9) That is where the rich man went when he died and was in torment but Lazarus the beggar went to paradise. The thief on the cross also went to paradise but Jesus descended to Hades, where he preached to the spirits in prison. ‘He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built …’ ( 1Peter 3:18-20) ‘For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body but live according to God in regard to the spirit.’ (1Peter 4:6) Peter uses the obscure reference to make a point about the ultimate good that came from the suffering Jesus endured. When he rose from the dead, he ascended, taking along with him the captives in paradise. Infact the thief had the shortest stay in Paradise! ‘When he ascended on high, he led the captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ ( Ephesians 4:7) ‘ … so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For surely it is not the angels he helps but Abraham’s descendants.’ (Hebrews 2:14-16)

There is an underworld beyond that of Hades where neither man nor Christ has been because it is the place where fallen angels who had done the forbidden, are languishing in prisons, awaiting Judgement : ‘And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home – these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for Judgement of the great Day.’ ( Jude v 6) ‘ … God did not spare angels when they sinned but “sent them to hell” ( again the actual Greek word is the verb ‘Tartaroō’ ταρταρόω, meaning “throw to Tartarus”), putting them into ‘gloomy dungeons’ ( some manuscripts say ‘chains of darkness’) to be held for Judgement …’ ( 2 Peter 2:4) Both Hades and Tartarus are therefore temporary places of imprisonment, until the final judgement when it will be emptied and thereafter will cease to exist, giving way to the new heaven and new earth. ‘Earth and sky fled from his presence and there was no place for them … Then I saw a new heaven and new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…’ (Revelation 20:11- 21:1)

So then the saying ‘hell on earth’ was never theological correct because hell is not here. Hell is eternal whereas this earth is temporary. Hell will exist even after this old earth passes away but will have existed even before the new earth was created. So where is it? We know not, but hell is for real! Once cast to Hell, there is no way out! But there is a way out of Hades, because Jesus holds the keys to death and HADES! Why should it surprise us if God ‘gleans’ ( to gather leftovers after the first fruits and main harvest) for souls among those who came from Hades, to save them from eternal damnation because he alone can fathom the horror of being condemned to hell for eternity. Many Christians might think that this teaching is heretical because God can’t be so merciful to those who heard the gospel and called on his name but were never born again or be so just to those who never heard the gospel but lived by their conscience. Yet these Christians wouldn’t mind sloganeering : “Plunder Hell; Populate Heaven!” ‘Judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement!’ (James 2:13) ‘Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy mixed with fear …’ (Jude vs 22-23) The bottom line is : ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Joel 2:32) Saved from what? Ultimately from eternal damnation in hell BUT that is not their ticket to heaven. “I tell you the truth, no one can see / enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 2:3,5) Amen

22. Seven harvests of souls. (Part 7 of the Rapture series.)

1. THE ‘DEAD IN CHRIST’ RESURRECTED BEFORE TRIBULATION : “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.” (John 5:25) ‘Since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man … But each in his own turn : Christ, the firstfruits; then when he comes, those who belong to him.’ (1 Corinthians 15:21,23) ‘For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the ( first ) trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

* The ‘dead in Christ’ also include old testament saints who were resurrected in their spirits as they ascended with Christ. ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (Ephesians 4:7) But they await bodily resurrection, together with the new testament saints. ‘These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what was promised … only together with us (New testament saints) would they (Old testament saints) be made perfect.’ (Hebrews 11:39-40) However, the Bible does say that some saints were bodily resurrected at the time of Jesus’ death.‘The tombs broke open and bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life … and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the Holy city and appeared to many people.’ ( Matthew 27:52-53) They entered heaven led by Christ. ‘And he is the head of the body, the Church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.’ ( Colossians 1:18) Could they be the 24 elders found seated in the presence of God?(Revelation 4: 4)

2. THE ‘ALIVE IN CHRIST’ RAPTURED BEFORE TRIBULATION : “I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.” (Luke 17:34-36) According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep … After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15,17)

* The ‘dead in Christ’ and the ‘alive in Christ’ together constitute the ‘Raptured saints’. The ‘Tribulation saints’ comprises of multitudes of nominal Christians and Gentiles who will believe in Christ, on account of ‘Rapture’ but many among them will be martyred for their faith. The ‘Raptured saints’ and the ‘Tribulation saints’ together constitute the ‘Church’, which is the ‘body of Christ’. Just as crops are not harvested just once but several times, during a season, as and when it ripens, souls too are not harvested together but several times, as and when they mature. All the Raptured saints in heaven will constitute the ‘firstfruits’; all the tribulation saints on earth can be reckoned as the ‘main harvest’ and the survivors from tribulation who will be found worthy to enter the millennial kingdom and the dead in Hades, who will escape from being condemned to hell at the last judgement, will make up the ‘gleanings’.

3. THE MARTYRED TRIBULATION SAINTS ( MOSTLY GENTILES ) RESURRECTED BEFORE THE MILLENIUM : ‘When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained … they were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.’ (Revelation 6:9-11) ‘After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb … These are they who have come out of the great tribulation.’ ( Revelation 7:9-14) ‘At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels with a loud ( last ) trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.’ ( Mark 13: 26-27/Matthew 24:30-31) ‘For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.’ ( 1Corintians 15:51-52) ‘I saw thrones on which were seated those who have been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God … They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years … This is the ‘first resurrection’. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first Resurrection … they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.’ (Revelation 20:4-6)

* Since the Gentiles and Jews are martyred at two different stages during the tribulation, it makes sense to differentiate between the two harvests. Many nominal Christians and Gentiles will believe in Christ and be martyred during the first half of the tribulation while Jews will turn to Christ only during the second half of the tribulation, after the ministry of the two witnesses; the desecration of the temple and the events that follow. However, both Gentile and Jewish saints who are martyred during Tribulation will be resurrected together before the millennium. Those who escape martyrdom and survive the Tribulation, will also enter the millenium, provided they haven’t taken the mark of the beast. ‘There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image or for anyone who receives the mark of his name. This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandment and remain faithful to Jesus.’ (Revelation 14:11-12)

4. THE 144,000 FROM ALL THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL RAPTURED DURING TRIBULATION : ‘Then I heard the number of those who were sealed : 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.’ ( Revelation 7:4) “When you see standing in the holy place the abomination that causes desolation … let those in Judea flee to the mountains … For then there will be great distress unequaled from the beginning of the world …” (Matthew 24:15-21) ‘A woman (which is Israel) clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head ... She was pregnant … gave birth … her child (her firstfruit) was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman (the Jewish church) fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.’ (Revelation 12:1-6) ‘Then I looked and there before me was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion and with him the 144,000 … They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.’ (Revelation 14:1-4).

* The two witnesses (Enoch and Elijah), who will be killed during the tribulation, by the beast from the Abyss (the false prophet) but will be resurrected, three and a half days later, are not in a category by themselves because they should have been counted with the ‘dead in Christ’, had they been dead in the past but since they are still alive, they will be the last of the two pre-testament and old testament saints respectively, who are yet to die and be bodily resurrected. ( Revelation 11:3-12) ‘These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth’ (Zechariah 4:14)

5. THE MARTYRED TRIBULATION SAINTS ( MOSTLY JEWS ) RESURRECTED BEFORE THE MILLENIUM : ‘Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” … “Take your sickle and reap because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth and the earth was harvested.’ (Revelation 14:13-16) ‘And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb.’ (Revelation 15:2-3) ‘And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded … They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.’ (Revelation 20:4-5)

* The reason they are mostly Jews is because almost all Gentile believers will be killed before the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is set up ‘in the middle of the seven.’ (Daniel 9:27) ‘Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth … He ordered them to set up an image in honour of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived … and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.’ ( Revelation 13:11-15)

6. THE SURVIVORS FROM TRIBULATION WHO ENTER THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM : “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from goats. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father … I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine (the believers), you did for me.’ Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels …’ Then they will go away to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46)

* However, many of the descendants of the survivors who entered the millenium, will be wicked and will join Satan for the final rebellion against God but the righteous will inhabit the new earth and populate it. ‘When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.’ (Revelation 20:7-10)

7. THE DEAD FROM HADES WHOSE NAMES ARE FOUND IN THE BOOK OF LIFE AT THE FINAL JUDGEMENT AFTER MILLENNIUM : “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29) ‘Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it … And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them … If anyone’s name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.’ ( Revelation 20:11-15)

* At the final judgement of the dead, it was not the names of the living, who reigned with him for a thousand years, that were looked for in the book of life but of the dead who came up from Hades. Why look for their names in the book of life if that was not probable ? ‘All who sin apart from the law will perish apart from the law and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law … For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law … they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness …) This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.’ (Romans 2:12-16) It would be the justice of God to those who never heard the gospel but lived by their conscience. They will be judged by their deeds and if they have done good, will rise to live. As for those who believed the gospel and confessed his name but were not born again, they didn’t go to heaven but to Hades when they died, contrary to popular belief. “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again … no one will enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” (John 3:3,5). Nevertheless, the Bible say ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’ (Joel 2:32) ‘If you confess with your mouth,”Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Romans 10:9-10) ‘lf any man builds on this foundation … his work will be shown for what it is … fire will test the quality of each man’s work … If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.‘ ( 1 Corinthians 3:12-15) It just takes believing and confessing the name of Lord to escape the raging fire of hell but it takes more than just calling on the name of the Lord to enter heaven. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7: 21) Amen.

13. Exponential power in agreement.

“Five of you will chase a hundred and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand … ” (Leviticus 26:8) If one would be able to chase a twenty, then a hundred would be able to chase two thousand, but the Bible declares that ‘a hundred will chase ten thousand’; five times more because there is exponential power in agreement! (Even in the wild we see this phenomenon at work when animals herd together to chase off a predator and predators hunt together to scatter the herds.) There were times when the nation of lsrael chased their enemies and there were also times when they were scattered by their enemies, in keeping with God’s word. ‘If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands … All these blessings will come upon you … The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven … However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands … The lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but will flee from them in seven and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth.” (Deuteronomy 28 :1-25) Joshua, in his farewell address to the Israelites, testified: “One of you routs a thousand because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.” ( Joshua 23:10-11) However, Moses in his farewell address to the Israelites, predicted their rebellion and warned them of the opposite: ‘How could one man chase a thousand or two put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?’ ( Deuteronomy 32:30) Moses was right in predicting that the promise will work against them in favour of their enemies. What else would explain why the Jews were scattered around the world and were executed in the millions? ‘These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.’ (1 Corinthians 10:11) It is time for body of Christ to put aside their differences and stand together against the divisive forces and appropriate the promise of exponential power in agreement.

There are two aspects to this agreement. The agreement with the word of God is the divine or vertical aspect and the agreement between believers on earth is the human or horizontal aspect. Jesus spoke of these two aspects when he said : “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth have been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth have been loosed in heaven.” – this is the divine or vertical aspect. “Again I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” – this is the human or horizontal aspect. ( Matthew 18:18-20) Everything that happens on earth is the shadow of that which happens in the heavens. Therefore it has to be first bound in heaven before it can be bound on earth, because the spiritual realm rules over the physical realm. There are many believers who know about their authority in Christ but simply can’t agree with one another ! ‘I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.’ (1 Corintians 1:10) Infact we agree on more things than we disagree, irrespective of our denominations. Belief in salvation through Christ should be the common ground for all believers to stand together in unity. The modern church is yet to discover this truth about the power in agreement and when it does, history will be made, just as the early Church did! Amen.

12. Moving from reality to revelation.

As a believer, I tend to be an ‘idealist’ ( a person who is guided more by ideals than by practical considerations) because I believe in the ideals ( the standards or principles) revealed in the word of God and I boldly profess it, expecting to see it being fulfilled in the Church. But as a ‘realist’ (a person who takes note of a situation and deals with it accordingly ), I tend to question the ground realities, so that it can be addressed, in an effort to narrow the gap between ‘Reality and Revelation’; between what is and what is supposed to be, until the revealed will of God becomes the reality within the body of Christ.

The early Church lived up to the revelation they received for we read that ‘they were all filled with the Holy Spirit’ ( Acts 2:4, 4:31), ‘all the believers were one in heart and mind’ ( Acts 4:32), ‘all the believers were together and had everything in common’ ( Acts 2:44), ‘there were no needy persons among them’ (Acts 4:34) and ‘all of them were healed’ (Acts 5:16). We see the three gospel promises of infilling, blessing and healing being manifested in the early Church. But after the death of the Apostles and of those who had personally known some of them or have been significantly influenced by them ( referred to as the apostolic fathers), the Church was on the decline. Everytime the Church drifted away from its ideals and the gap between what was supposed to be and what is, widened, God raised men and women who would restore the Church to its position. – This downward spiral was not new to God’s people because it had beset them even in old testament times. ‘Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who has experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.’ ( Joshua 24:31) Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise us to read this chilling statement, often repeated in the book of Judges, about Israel : ‘In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.’ (Judges 21:25) This closing statement by the author of Judges, attributes the reason for their backsliding, to the lack of leadership.

Restoration of Israel happened when God raised Samuel, who was attested as a prophet (1Samuel 4:1) but he also judged Israel ( 1Samuel 7:15 ) as its last judge, since Israel asked for a king. But none of their kings were beyond reproach and as kings and priests became increasingly corrupt, God trained the spotlight on the prophets, who emerge as Israel’s real heroes. Overtime, the significance of Prophets, overtook and even surpassed that of kings. Nevertheless, neither the kings nor the people heeded to the words of the Prophets and therefore God used the Assyrians to exile the ten northern tribes and the Babylonians to exile the two southern tribes, even letting them to set fire to his temple, so that Israel might have a change of heart for a new beginning. Seventy years later, the restoration happened under the leadership of Zerubabel, grandson of king Jehoiachin who was taken captive to Babylon. It looked like a promising start to some but ‘many of the older priests and levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of the new temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.’ ( Ezra 3:12) Before long, they faced opposition from other settlers and ‘thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.’ (Ezra 4:24). ‘Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet … prophesied to the Jews … in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. ‘Then Zerubbabel … set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.’ ( Ezra 5:1-2) ‘Then Zerubbabel … and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of God and the message of the prophet Haggai because the Lord their God had sent him.( Haggai 1:12) ‘So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the Prophet and Zechariah … The temple was completed in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius’ ( Ezra 6:14 -15), primarily due to the exhortation of the Prophets.

Likewise, the Church struggles to live upto the revelation it has received through its Apostles and teachers and needs exhortation by its prophets, to close the gap between reality and revelation; between what is and what it is supposed to be! That is why Paul wrote: ‘ Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy … everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself but he who prophesies edifies the Church. I would like everyone of you to speak in tongues but I rather have you prophesy.’ ( 1 Corinthians 14:1-5) I suppose Ezekiel the prophet would totally agree with Paul because the Spirit of the Lord took him and set him in a valley full of dry bones and asked him, “Son of Man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign Lord, you alone know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones … Prophesy to the breath … that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me … and they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel” ( Ezekiel 37:1-14) What relates to Israel relates to the Church as well. It is time that the Church rises up as a vast army against this ‘plandemic’ ( not a spelling error but was misspelt intentionally because it is after all a planned pandemic) and break into the realm of the Spirit where Revelation dictates reality, as experienced by the early Church. Amen.

21. The last trumpet. (Part 6 of the Rapture series.)

‘Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, the dead will be raised imperishable and we will be changed.’ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) What is the last trumpet? Some assume it to be the seventh trumpet mentioned in the book of revelation, but was Paul actually referring to it? The book of revelation was written in 96 AD, over 40 years after Paul had written his first letter to the Corinthians in 54 AD and therefore he obviously couldn’t be referring to the seven trumpets because prior to the revelation John received at Patmos, there weren’t any reference in Scriptures about the seven trumpets of judgement. Further adding to the doubt is the fact that John didn’t write about the resurrection of the dead in the context of trumpets just as Paul wrote in his epistle to the Corinthians, further proving that they both were referring to different events! ‘The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign for ever and ever.” ( This is the mystery of God that was accomplished when the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, as sworn before God by an angel in Revelation 10:7) … Then God’s temple in heaven was opened and within the temple was seen the ark of the covenant.’ (Revelation 11:15-19) Further down we read: ‘Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues.’ ( Revelation 15:6) Since the judgements of God weren’t over with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the dead in Christ were not resurrected yet but instead God’s judgement continued, culminating with the seven bowls of God’s wrath.

So if the last trumpet is not the same as the seventh trumpet, what then was Paul referring to? He was probably referring to the two trumpets in the book of Numbers. The Lord said to Moses: ‘Make two trumpets of hammered silver and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. When both are sounded, the community is to assemble before you … If only one is sounded, the leaders – the heads of the clans of Israel are to assemble before you … At the sounding of the second blast, the camps … are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out’ ( Numbers 10:1-6) Referring to these two trumpets, Paul wrote : ‘The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the TRUMPET CALL OF GOD and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) This is the first trumpet, signalling the setting out ( Rapture ? ) of the saints to heaven; those who were dead in Christ as well as those who are still alive. Then at his second coming, the second trumpet or the last trumpet, will sound and the tribulation saints will be gathered together with the Raptured saints. “They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud TRUMPET CALL and they will gather his elect from the four winds, [ from one end of the heavens to the other / from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.]” (Matthew 24:30-31/ Mark 13:27) ‘And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.( The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. Second death has no power over them but they will be priests of God and of his Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.’ (Revelation 20: 4-6) Amen.

11. The influence of the Church.

‘The Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in everyway’ (Ephesians 1:23), is the prized possession that Jesus is looking forward to welcome in the air. Infact, the Church is the only body of value on the face of the earth that Jesus would redeem before setting the earth on fire.
“I have come to bring fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49)
‘The present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.’ (2 Peter 3:7)
As long as the Church remains on earth, it is spared for her sake and he would do anything she asks for. (Jh 16:23-27)
‘His intent is that now through the Church the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms …‘ ( Ephesians 3:10) The magnitude of this truth is going to be revealed when the saints are Raptured and the devil loses his place in heaven. ‘And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – the ancient serpent called the devil … He was hurled to the earth and his angels with him.’ ( Revelation 12:7-9) Why didn’t this happen before? What is it that changed the balance of power? The Raptured Church? It is also interesting to note that Satan’s battle is not directly against God, whom he hasn’t been able to vanquish, but against his Church! No wonder the Bible says :‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under YOUR feet.’ (Romans 16:20) Why not literally under Christ’s feet? That is because we are the body of Christ, and it is under our feets that he must be crushed. Could that be the reason why just one angel was able to seize him? ‘And I saw an angel come down out of heaven … He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil or Satan and bound him for a thousand years.’ ( Revelation 20:1-2) How did he become so weak? Looks as if Satan was trampled down by the victorious Church that rode with Christ at his second coming. ‘The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.’ ( Revelation 19:14) Wherever the Church goes, Satan seems to be losing his place. He first lost his place in heaven and now he has lost his place on earth and finds himself in the Abyss! That is the clout ( influence or power) of the true Church. Hallelujah!

This is the hour of the Church as the world faces this pandemic but for the sake of the elect, it will be shortened.
“If those days had not be shortened, no one would survive but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:22) This holds true now in the Church age and thereafter during the tribulation. Let the influence of the Church be manifest at such a time as this. Come let us pray. 🙏🏻

10. Salt of the earth.

The true Church is the ‘salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13) and as long as it remains on earth, the world will be preserved, no matter what the enemy is upto!
‘For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work ; but the one (Holy Spirit) who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.’ ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7)
The ‘secret power of lawlessness’ has been trying to establish the ‘new world order’, out of the chaos it orchestrates. Its agents were suspected to be behind the World wars and Revolutions that have been fought and are even thought to be behind some of the recent disasters and pandemics. If these happenings were the judgements of God, no righteous man would have perished and no wicked man would have escaped for ‘the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment until the day of judgement.’ ( 2Peter 2:9) Since we see no distinction being made between the two, these happenings are therefore not the judgements of God but rather natural calamities or manmade disasters which can affect both the righteous and the wicked alike. That was what Jesus had to say about the events that happened around him during his days on earth: “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” ( Luke 13:2-5) So whether the happenings around us are natural or induced, they constitute the ‘birth pains’ Jesus spoke about : “There will be earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places …” (Luke 21:11) “All these are the beginning of birth pains.” ( Matthew 24:8) These birth pains will increase in frequency and strength as the time approaches. But until the Church is raptured, it stands in the way of total destruction of the world. Once the Church is raptured, the world will be vulnerable to the onslaught of Satan and the judgements of God will be unleashed against him and on those who worshipped the one God had condemned. “When he ( the Holy Spirit) comes he will convict the world of … judgement … because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” ( John 16:11) and “whoever does not believe stands condemned already.” ( John 3:18) But those who believe are the ‘salt of the earth’. Bible says that the LORD had made a ‘covenant of salt’ with the Levites. ‘It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.’ (Numbers 18:19) Therefore they were reminded to add salt to all their offerings. ‘Do not leave the Salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.’ ( Leviticus 2:13) We who are ‘a royal priesthood’ (1 Peter 2 : 9) have been reminded to have salt in ourselves : ‘Salt is good but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have Salt in yourselves and be at peace with each other.’ ( Mark 9:50) It is time that the Church realises this truth about its ability to preserve the earth and stand its ground in the midst of this plague to bring about a great deliverance for which the Gentiles would thank the LORD, the God of heaven. Amen.

9. The stand of the Church.

As I was pondering about the stand, the Church must take at such a time as this, I remembered this testimony about Dr.John G Lake. He ministered in South Africa between 1908-1913, when there was an outbreak of Bubonic plague. When the team of Doctors who arrived from Europe, questioned him as to how he could work without any protective gear, he testified to them that the ‘law of the Spirit of life’ was at work in him and he demonstrated under the microscope how the germs died when it came into contact with him. https://everestalexander.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/john-g-lake-bubonic-plague-testimony/

‘So we have this treasure (the Holy Spirit) in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ ( 2 Corinthians 4:7) There is an inner security cordon that cannot be breached even while other outside layers of security may be compromised. This inner spiritual defence together with the outer physical protection should be our two pronged strategy against this pandemic. Therefore let no believer be found wearing just a mask and a glove without having worn the armour of God because when masks and gloves fail to stop the contagion, the armor of God will!

Let the Church take its stand, right in the midst of this pandemic, as Aaron did : ‘Aaron did as Moses said and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead and the plague stopped.’ ( Numbers 16:47-48) It is interesting to note that Aaron wore the ‘Ephod’ and the ‘Breastpiece’, as he ran into the midst of the assembly when the plague started among the people and offered incense and made atonement for them. Let’s not forget to put on the ‘Belt of Truth’ and the ‘Breastplate of Righteousness’, as we take our stand against this pandemic. Without the ‘Ephod’, the ‘Breastpiece’ could not be held in place. So also without the ‘Belt of Truth’, the ‘Breastplate of Righteousness’ would not be held in place.
‘Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit ...’ (Ephesians 6:13-18)
‘Let us then approach the Throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ (Hebrews 4:16)
At a time when the nation is struggling to contain the pandemic, let the believer be reminded of this promise : “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ( 2 Chronicles 7:14) Just as God halted the plague abruptly, when Aaron interceded, so will God contain this contagion, if the Church would stand its ground, in truth and righteousness. Amen.

20. Firstfruits from among men. (Part 5 of the Rapture series.)

‘Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep … but EACH IN HIS OWN TURN : CHRIST, THE FIRST FRUITS; THEN, WHEN HE COMES, THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIM. ( 1 Corinthians 15:20-24) We therefore understand from this passage that all the saints are not resurrected together but the ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ will be resurected before those who will be resurected only at the second coming of Jesus. Paul differentiated between the two groups of saints by putting one before the other, when sequencing the order of their resurrection.

The passage prompts me to ask two key questions – Qn 1: Who are the ‘Firstfruits’ and when will they be resurrected ? (Those who are quick to debunk pre-tribulation Rapture, should honestly try to answer this question.) To start with we need to ask the question : What does the term ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ mean? As the term itself suggests, it is any fruit or grain that was harvested first because it ripened first. The term also implies that there could be more than one harvest during a season because the fruits don’t ripen together. Sometimes trees bloom twice within a year, if conditions are conducive and the fruits are harvested several times, as and when it ripens. Scripturally, the term ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ mean those souls who are ‘harvested’ first and it also implies that there will be souls who will be ‘harvested’ later on. Paul was possibly referring to the ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ when he wrote: ‘the dead in Christ shall rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) It is interesting to note that even in this passage, we find an order of resurrection which places the ‘dead in Christ’ before the ‘alive in Christ’. Does the Bible actually refer to believers as FIRSTFRUITS? ‘Creation waits with eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed … we ourselves who have the FIRSTFRUITS of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons , the redemption of our bodies.’ (Romans 8:19-23) ‘He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of all he created.’ (James 1:18) From these passages we understand that the term ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ include all the saints throughout the entire Church age and not just those who were resurrected with Christ and ascended with him.( Ephesians 4:8) John even called the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel who were to be sealed, as ‘FIRSTFRUITS’ ! ‘Then I looked and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion and with him the 144,000 … They were purchased from among men and offered as FIRSTFRUITS to God and the Lamb.‘ ( Revelation 14:1-4)

Qn 2: Who are ‘those who belong to him’, who will be resurrected when he comes ? ‘And I saw souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection.’ (Revelation 20:4-6)

In conclusion, the ‘Firstfruits‘ are the Raptured saints and they include the ‘dead in Christ’ who will rise first, the ‘alive in Christ’, who will be ‘caught up’ together with them ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) and also the 144,000 who will be sealed from the twelve tribes of Israel and will be ‘snatched up’ to God during the tribulation. ( Revelation 7:4, 12:5, 14:1-3) The Tribulation saints who will be martyred and are next in turn to be resurrected at the second coming of Jesus can be called the ‘Secondfruits’. However, both are considered blessed to take part in the ‘first resurrection’. ‘The second death has no power over them but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.’ (Revelation 20:6) The rest of the dead will be resurrected only after a thousand years at the ‘second resurrection’. ‘And I saw the dead, great and small standing before the throne and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books … If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.’ (Revelation 20:12-15) When God has chosen us from among men to be to firstfruits unto him, why settle for the second? Amen.

19. The open door.(Part 4 of the Rapture series.)

“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut … (Why?) … I know you have little strength yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name … Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on earth.” (Revelation 3:8-10) John entered through this door and was shown what must take place after the Church age. ‘After this I looked and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. At once I was in the Spirit and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it … Surrounding the throne there were twenty four other thrones and seated on them were twenty four elders’ (Revelation 4: 1-4) (The Greek word Presbyteros translated as ‘elders’ has always been used to address the elders or official leaders of the Jewish community.) Old testament Prophets like Isaiah and Ezekial had seen visions of God seated on his throne (Isaiah 6:1-2, Ezekiel 1:25-28) but they never saw men seated in the presence of God. Who then are these men seated on twenty four thrones and whence did they come from? Are they the saints who were bodily resurrected after the death of Christ and ascended together with him to heaven? ‘The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the Holy city and appeared to many people.’ (Matthew 27:52-53) ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (Psalm 68:18/Ephesians 4:8) Or are they the ‘dead in Christ’ who were the first to rise at Rapture? ‘For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Why twenty four elders? The priesthood was divided into 24 division ( 1Chronicles 24:1-9) and therefore the 24 elders may represent the entire priesthood of believers.(Exodus 19:6, 1Peter 2:9) Whoever they might be, the truth of the matter is that since these redeemed men are seen in heaven all throughout the time of the fulfillment of the book of Revelation, beginning with Chapter 4, they must have been Raptured prior to it. And they get to witness the glorious event mentioned in Chapter 5, when the Lamb of God is glorified: ‘Then I saw the Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders … Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels … they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” ( Revelation 5:6-12) This would be in fulfillment of Jesus’ prayer : “Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began … Father, I want those you have given me to be with me and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you have loved me before creation of the world.” (John 17:5,24) The Church, the Lamb’s bride will be ‘caught up’ to witness him take the scroll from the right hand of Him who is seated on the throne and open its seals.

In the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus said that the door would be closed soon after the wise virgins have entered. ‘At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom … The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came ‘Sir!Sir!’, they said. ‘Open the door for us! But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ (Matthew 25:1-10) Those who debunk pre-tribulation Rapture should answer this question: When do they presume the door to be shut? If it is before tribulation, who then are these virgins who entered before tribulation? If it is after the tribulation, at the second coming of Jesus, what sense does it make to shut the door when infact John wrote: ‘I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True … The armies of heaven were following him riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.’( Revelation 19:11-14) Why go up to heaven in a post-tribulation Rapture when they all are coming down? As mentioned earlier, the purpose of the open door is ‘that you may escape all that is about to happen and that you may stand before the Son of Man’ ( Luke 21:36) Metaphorically, the door stands for Jesus because elsewhere he said : “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture.” ( John 10:9) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Amen.

8. The power of the resurrection.

The greatest display of God’s power, since the creation of the world, was at work on the day of the resurrection, not because the situation required the display of such immense power but that the Church might know the infinite power that was being bestowed on them. (Though the ten plagues and the parting of the Red sea were phenomenal, yet they happened on earth! But the resurrection happened in the underworld; in the dominion of darkness which was undoubtedly more powerful than all the nations on the face of the earth. Only the Church is more powerful than the Kingdom of darkness! )
Paul uses the following superlatives to describe that power, but I wonder whether words can fully describe this infinite power!
‘I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know … his INCOMPARABLY great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion …’ (Ephesians 1:18-21)
‘We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this ALL-SURPASSING power is from God and not from us.’ (2 Corinthians 4:7)
Paul didn’t claim that he knew this power, but said, ‘I want to know Christ and the power of the resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow , to attain to the resurrection from the dead.’ (Philippians 3:10-11)
Qn : Why did this man who encountered Jesus, on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-5), still say, ‘I want to know Christ’?
Qn : Why did this man who was stoned at Lystra and dragged outside the city, thinking he was dead (Acts 14:19-20), but got up and went back to the city, after he came back to life (2 Corinthians 12:2), still say, ‘I want to know the power of the resurrection’?
Qn : Why did this man who describes in detail his sufferings for the gospel in his epistles (2 Corinthians 11:23-29), still say, ‘I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings’?
Ans : In Paul’s own words : ‘I am becoming like him (Christ) in his death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead’ ! (Vs 11)

Is it so difficult to be part of the first resurrection ?
‘If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.’ ( Romans 6:5)
As we celebrate the Resurrection of Christ (erroneously called Easter), let us like Paul say, ‘Not that I have obtained all this or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me … Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 3:12- 14)
Amen.

11. The sevenfold purpose of the shed blood of Christ. – Summary

It was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
It was paid as a ransom for our redemption from death and hades.
It was sprinkled in the Highest heavens (Most Holy Place) for our entry.
It is for the cleansing of our hearts from sins .
It is for the peace of our minds.
It is for the protection of our bodies.
It will be by the blood that we escape the coming wrath of God .
Amen.

10. The sevenfold purpose of the shed blood of Jesus.

‘The wages of sin is death …’ (Romans 6:23) and death by the shedding of life blood. And when ‘the Lord laid on him the iniquity of of us all’ ( Isaiah 53:6), his blood was shed instead of ours.
‘God presented him as a sacrifice of Atonement, through faith in his blood.’ (Romans 3: 25). Therefore, let us consider the sevenfold purpose of the shed blood of Jesus :-

1. It was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28)
‘In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins …’ (Ephesians 1:7/Colossians 1:14)
‘ … and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.’ (Hebrews 9:22)

2. It was paid as a ransom for our redemption from hell.
‘No man can redeem the life of another or give God a ransom for him ( not to Satan as many suppose) – the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough – that he should live on forever and not see decay. (Psalm 49:7-9)
‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all men. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
‘For you know that it is not with … silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.’ (1Peter 1:18-19)

3. It was sprinkled in the Highest Heavens for our entry.
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me for I have not yet returned to the Father.” ( John 20:17)
‘He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.’ (Hebrews 9:12)
‘The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as High Priest is to make Atonement … for the Most Holy Place …’ (Leviticus 16:32-33)
‘Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near to God … , having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience …’ (Hebrews 10:19-22)

4. It is for the cleansing of our hearts from sins.
‘If the blood of goats and bulls … sprinkled on those who are unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean, how much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.’ ( Hebrews 9:13-14)
‘But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins because it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.’ (Hebrews 10:3-4)
‘But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light … the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.’ ( 1 John 1:7)
“These are they who have … washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” ( Revelation 7:14)
‘To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory for ever and ever!’ (Revelation 1:5-6)

5. It is for the peace of our minds.
‘Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body …’
‘God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things whether things on earth or things in heaven , by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.’ (Colossians 1:19-21)
‘He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him …’ (Isaiah 53:5)
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

6. It is for the protection of our bodies.
“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you …’ (Exodus 12:13)
‘By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.’ (Hebrews 11:28)
‘This was Job’s regular custom : Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering … “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (Job 1: 5, 10)
‘ .. through faith we are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.’ ( 1Peter 1:5)

7. It will be by the blood that we escape the coming wrath of God.
‘Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him ! For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life !’ (Romans 5:9-10)
‘For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:9)
‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.’ (Revelation 12:11)
Amen.

7. The greatest escape.

Exodus is a thrilling story of the great escape, when a band of slaves escaped from the most powerful nation on earth. God remembered his covenant with Abraham and promised the Israelites to ‘rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey’. (Exodus 3:8)
The great escape happened because the Israelites obeyed a simple instruction given by the Lord.
“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month Abib (also called Nisan) each man is to take a lamb … take care of it until the fourteenth day … slaughter them at twilight. Then take some of the blood and put it on the sides and doorframes of their houses, where they eat the lambs … Eat it in haste, it is the Lord’s passover.” (Exodus 12:3-11)
“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
‘All the Israelites did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.’ ( Exodus 12 :50-51)
‘By faith Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel‘ (Hebrews 11:28)

However the greatest escape that ever happened in the history of mankind, was when a band of captives escaped the grip of death and Hades, ‘for Christ, the Passover Lamb was sacrificed’ (1 Corinthians 5:7) and ‘he rescued them from the dominion of darkness and brought them into the Kingdom of the Son he loves.’ (Colossians 1:13)
‘The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of their tombs and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:52-53)
‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (Ephesians 4:8)
The greatest escape happened when the Jews, together with the help of the Gentiles, unwittingly fulfilled ‘God’s set purpose and foreknowledge’, when they ‘put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.’ (Acts 2:23-24)

But the story doesn’t end there. We too ‘have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.’ (1Peter 1:2)
All we have to do is obey a simple instruction, to escape the grip of sin, Satan, death, Hades and Hell.
‘That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.’ (Romans 10:9-10)
Amen.

18. Why a pre-tribulation Rapture ? (Part 3 of the Rapture series.)

We found from Scriptures that Rapture is not a myth but the truth because the concept of the righteous escaping the judgement of God has a strong Scriptural precedent. Infact Paul instructed the Church to encourage one another with these words: ‘According to the Lord’s own word … we who are still alive and are left will be caught up … in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Encourage each other with these words.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18) We also found from Scriptures that this promise is for those who have entered into a blood covenant with God through the sacrifice of Jesus and have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now to conclude this exegesis, it would be encouraging to consider the three scriptural reasons for a pre-tribulation Rapture :-

1. Rapture will take place because the person of the Holy Spirit will not leave behind the Church, the bride of Christ in whom he took residence on the day of Pentecost, when he is taken out of the way for the man of lawlessness to be revealed. The only reason why the Antichrist is being held back from coming on to the world stage before the appointed time is because the person of the Holy Spirit is present on earth: ‘ … the day of the Lord … will not come until the rebellion (Greek: apostasia means turning away, rebellion) occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction … you know what is holding him back so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.’ ( 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7) The mission of the Holy Spirit can be better understood from other parallels in Scripture. For instance, the Bible says that the physical presence of God prevented the Egyptian army from vanquishing the army of Israel on the banks of the Red sea, prior to the crossing over. ‘By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud … and by night in a pillar of fire … Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left it’s place in front of the people … The pillar of cloud moved from the front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.’ ( Exodus 14:19-20). Likewise, the Holy Spirit stands in between the forces of darkness and of light and he has prevented the kingdom of darkness from vanquishing the Church. But the moment the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, together with the Church, this world will be subjected to Satan and he will set up his end time kingdom but it will last only for 7 years because God will judge his kingdom and will destroy it during the tribulation. Another parallel in Scriptures that reveals the mission of the Holy Spirit is the story of Eliezar who was sent under oath by Abraham to find a bride for his son Issac and upon finding Rebecca, she was entrusted to his care and he brought her safely to Isssac. ‘So the servant took Rebecca and left. Now Issac had come from Beer Lahai Roi … And as he looked up , he saw camels approaching. Rebecca also looked up and saw Issac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered … Issac brought her into the tent … and he married her.’ (Genesis 24:61-67) The reason why the Holy Spirit wouldn’t leave behind the Church, the bride of Christ, when he is taken out of the way, is because he was entrusted with the bride of Christ and he has to take her to Christ who will come in the air to receive her, just as Issac came out to the fields to receive Rebecca. That is why the Scripture says that both the Spirit and the bride eagerly await the coming of the groom. ‘The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” (Revelation 22:17)

2. Rapture will take place because it would be the justice of God to the righteous: ‘Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? … Be it far from you to do such a thing – to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike … Will not the judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:23-25) In all acts of judgement described in the Bible, we have never seen the righteous becoming victims of his wrath, ‘for God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

3.Rapture will take place because it would be the greatest witness to the world: What would the day be like when countless believers are found missing? The realisation of the truth will sink into the hearts of those who never believed and countless will believe and will turn to the Lord. Infact more Gentiles will be saved during the tribulation than now. ‘After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language … These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ( Revelation 7:9-15) There is a interesting parallel in the book of Revelation about the response of the unsaved to the rapture of the two witnesses who can be said to be ‘dead in Christ’. ‘Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them,”Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. At that hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed … the survivors were terrified and gave Glory to the God of heaven.’( Revelation 11:12-13) yet there will be many who will refuse to repent of what they had done and glorify God but will curse him. (Revelation 16:9,11,21) The purpose of Pre-tribulation Rapture is not only to keep the righteous out of judgement but also to get the wicked to believe and repent. Amen.

17. Who will be Raptured ? (Part 2 of the Rapture series.)

There are some paradoxes ( a seemingly contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true) in the Bible, which might seem contradictory but upon reasoning, both the statements are found to be true. For example, we read in Joel 2:32 that : ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved‘ yet Jesus contradicted that statement when he said: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven.” ( Mathew 7:21 ) However, both these statements are found to be true in their respective contexts ! In other words, all it takes to be saved from hell is to call on the name of the Lord BUT it takes more than just calling on the name of the Lord, to enter heaven! Jesus said,“I tell you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again … no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and Spirit” ( John 3:3,5) but on the contrary, there are Scriptures which implies that some who were not born again will still escape from being thrown into the lake of fire because their names were found written in the book of life. ‘Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it … And I saw the dead, great and small standing before the throne and books were opened … The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books … death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them … The lake of fire is the second death … If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.’ – Therefore it also implies that if anyone’s name was found written in the book of life, he was not thrown into the lake of fire – (Revelation 20:11-15) This raises some controversial and uncomfortable questions! 1). Why were the names of those who were given up by death and Hades looked for in the book of life, after the thousand years was over ? 2). If their names were already in the book of life, why were they not resurrected at the start of the thousand years ? Who then are these people? Could they be the Gentiles who who never heard the gospel but lived according to their conscience (Romans 2:12-16) or nominal Christians who confessed the name of the Lord but were never born again? Yet because they called on the name of the Lord, they will be saved from hell but will not be considered ‘blessed and holy’ to part take in the first resurrection. For we read: ‘And I saw the the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the word of God … They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years’. ( Revelation 20:4-6) The following words of Jesus further validates this truth: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and THOSE WHO HEAR will live … Do not be amazed at this for a time is coming when ALL who are in their graves WILL HEAR his voice and come out- those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”( John 5: 25- 29) In saying so, Jesus clearly differentiated between the first and the second resurrection.

Thus far we considered the resurrection of the ‘dead in Christ’ and now considering the Rapture of the ‘living in Christ’, Paul wrote : ‘According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the arch angel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ ( 1Thessalonians 4:15-17) The ‘dead in Christ’ and the ‘living in Christ’ are those who have been ‘marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing their inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession.’ (Ephesians 1:13-14) How else can a person ‘be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet’ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52), if it not be for the deposit of the Holy Spirit in them? How can a person receive the Holy Spirit unless he or she has been washed in the blood of the new covenant in Christ? So it is imperative that a person be born again and have a covenant relationship with God if he or she has to escape the coming wrath of God. It is to the faithful believer that Christ promised : “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” ( Revelation 3:10) The day is coming when God will summon his people saying: “Gather to me my consecrated ones who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psalm 50:5) Amen.

16. Rapture : Myth or truth ? (Part 1 of the Rapture series.)

The exegesis ( critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of Scripture ) about Rapture are all contradictory because those who regard it as a myth ( a widely held but false belief or idea), claim that the idea of a Rapture has no historical precedent (an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances) while others who believe it to be the truth, seem to differ in their understanding about the timing of the Rapture; whether Christ’s return will occur as one or as two events. Those who assert a pre-tribulation Rapture see them as two events, holding the view that the rapture will precede the second coming of Christ whereas those who assert a post-tribulation rapture see it as one event, at the second coming of Christ. Those who are critics of the pre-tribulation Rapture claim that this doctrine was not around for 1800 years but it is a relatively new doctrine among the American Evangelical Protestants since the nineteenth century. (They assert that this teaching was popularized extensively in the 1830s by John Nelson Darby, who had been influenced by Margaret McDonald, a teenage girl who had a vision of a pre-tribulation Rapture during the revival in Glasgow, Scotland. Darby who was one of the founders of the Plymouth Brethren, went to investigate this revival and was convinced about this teaching about Rapture though not about the manifestations of the Spirit that took place there. He eventually brought this teaching to the United States where he met the great Evangelist DL Moody, who then became the world wide disseminator of this theology of dispensationalism and pre tribulation Rapture. It was further popularized in the United States in the early 20th century by the wide circulation of the Scofield study Bible and later on the novels and films based on these novels captured the Christian imagination.) The critics of this theology also assert that it is a layman’s interpretation of Scriptures, without proper understanding of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. But that is not a prerequisite to understand the truth because Jesus himself said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” ( Luke 10:21) Amen.

What we have to find out is whether this teaching has a Scriptural precedent and not just a historical precedent, because many a fact overlooked by the previous generations have been rediscovered by the next. If it does have a Scriptural precedent, then the origins of this teaching can be traced back to the early church; to the Apostles and even to Christ himself ! However, our search for the truth immediately uncovers the fact that the word ‘Rapture’ doesn’t exist in any of the English translations of the Bible. Instead we find the Greek word harpazō (Ancient Greek: ἁρπάζω, meaning ‘to snatch away’ or ‘to seize’) as used in Paul’s first Epistle to the Thessalonians to describe the event in which believers in Christ will be snatched away from earth into the air. ‘According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that … we who are still alive and are left will be [caught up] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.’ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) The Greek word ‘harpazō’ has also been used several times in the new testament to describe other similar situations. For instance, the book of Acts says, ‘the Spirit of the Lord suddenly [harpazō – took away] Philip and the eunuch did not see him again …’ ( Acts 8:39) In another instance, Paul says : ‘I know a man in Christ who was [harpazō – caught up] to the third heaven. Whether in the body or apart from the body, I do not know … was [harpazō – caught up] to paradise.’ ( 2 Corinthians 12:2-4) And yet in another instance John wrote: ‘A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with a sun … she was pregnant and … was about to give birth … the dragon stood in front of the woman … so that he might devour her child the moment it was born … she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule the world with an iron sceptre. And her child was [harpazō – snatched up] to God and to his throne.’ ( Revelation 12:1-6) In this context, it could mean the ascension of Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Acts 1:9 and/or could mean the first fruits of the Church being snatched up to heaven to keep them from the reach of the enemy. In addition to all these verbal reference are the graphic details of the escape some had from God’s judgement, which further strengthens our belief in Rapture. The waters of judgement prophesied by Noah came upon the world and all mankind perished but Noah and those with him in the Ark were kept from the rising waters. (Genesis 7:23) The judgement foretold to Abraham came upon Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing these cities to ashes but Lot and his family fled to the mountains and were kept from the rain of sulphur.( Gen 19:17-25) The judgement prophesied by Moses came upon Egypt and devastated the land but the Israelites in Goshen were kept from the plagues. (Exodus 8:22,9:7,10:23,11:7) The judgement feared by the people of Jericho came upon them and leveled the wall and their city but Rahab and those with her inside the house were kept because she tied the scarlet cord to the window in keeping with the oath made by the two spies sent by Joshua. ( Joshua 2:8-21, 6:22-25)
The four instances mentioned above about those who escaped God’s judgement have one thing in common: they were all taken out from the theatre of action. But then in most cases the theatre of action was limited to a region as in the case of Sodom, Egypt and Jericho and those who were objects of his mercy ( Ro 9 :22-23) were either shifted to another location, as in case of Lot and Rahab or were already in another location, as in case of the Israelites in Goshen, whereas during the floods, the theatre of action was worldwide and Noah and those with him in the Ark were lifted up above the waters of judgement. ‘… by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.’ ( 2 Pt 3:6-7) In that case, the objects of his mercy will have to be removed from the theatre of action, which is the entire world, to keep them from the flames of judgement. Would you like to be trapped in it or escape from it ? All these incidents are in agreement with what is said in Scripture: ‘For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ ( 1 Thessalonians 5:10) Jesus himself prophesied about the impending judgement when he said: “For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to ESCAPE ( Greek: ekpheugō means to escape or slip through ) all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” ( Luke 21:35-36) So how are you supposed to escape? By Rapture?

15. The three prophetic wars.

Numerous wars have been fought since Jesus spoke these words about the end of the age : “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen but the end (meaning the end of this earth and final judgement following the Millennial rule of Christ ) is still to come. Nations will rise against nations and kingdoms against kingdoms … All these are the beginning of the birth pains.” ( Mathew 24:6-8 ) However, the Prophets did specifically predict certain wars that will take place which will eventually usher in the Kingdom of God. These wars are collectively called the ‘prophetic wars’. ( Isn’t it strange that the Bible didn’t specifically predict the first and the second world wars nor does it predict the third world war but categorised them under ‘wars and rumours of wars’ and not under the ‘prophetic wars’ !)

The first impending prophetic war is the one which has come to be known as the ‘Ezekiel 38 war’. ‘The word of the Lord came to me, saying: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog ( the Islamic nations of southern Russia that were once part of the Soviet Union? ), the prince of Rosh (‘Rosh’ in Hebrew means ‘head’ or ‘leader’ and therefore it has been translated as ‘chief prince’ in some translations but it could also be the proper name of a predominant ethnic group called ‘Rus’or ‘Rhos’ from which the name ‘Russia’ was derived), Meshech or Mosoch ( Legend has it that King Mosokh or Meshech, the son of Japheth founded the city of Moskva or Moscow. Josephus, the Jewish historian said that the people of his day known as the Moschevi and Thobelites were founded by Meshech and Tubal respectively [Antiquities I.6] Wilhelm Gesenius, the world class Hebrew scholar and lexicologist also identified Meshech as Moscow, the capital of modern Russia) and Tubal or ‘Tobal’ (William also identified Tobolsk, the second oldest settlement in Asiatic Russia and the historic capital of the Siberian region as the city founded by Tubal, the son of Japheth. The name of this patriarch is still preserved in the river Tobol and the City of Tobolsk in Russia is still a monument to him. His conclusion was that these people make up the modern Russian people) and prophecy against him and say: … I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army … Persia ( Iran), Cush ( upper Nile region south of Egypt which would include Sudan and Ethiopia?) and Put ( the region to the west of Egypt which would include Libya, Tunisia, Algeria ?) will be with them … also Gomer ( Turkey?) with all its troops and Beth Togarmah ( the region of Anatolia which is now part of modern day Turkey?) from the far north with all its troops – the many nations with you … you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from the nations to the mountain of Israel, which has long been desolate and now all of them live in safety … ‘ (Ezekial 38:1-8) It is interesting to note that the names of many prominent Arab and Islamic nations were not mentioned, probably because they would be the ones who would sign a peace treaty with Israel ie Egypt in 1979, Jordan in 1994 and recently UAE , Bahrain, North Sudan and Morocco signed the Abraham Accords in 2020. We can expect many more nations to follow suit in the coming years. However, some are suspicious of the Abraham Accords assuming that it could be the covenant the Antichrist will make with the nation of Israel but this fear has no rationale because that treaty wouldn’t happen until the Church is raptured and the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way for the Antichrist to be revealed. Furthermore, some assume that the war mentioned in Ezekial 38-39 is the ‘battle of Armageddon’ mentioned in Revelation 16: 14,16 but they are two different battles altogether because Ezekiel spoke about a coalition of nations from the north and south coming against Israel, who ‘will go up, advancing like a storm … will invade a land of unwalled villages … a peaceful and unsuspecting people … to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder’ ( Ezekiel 38: 9-13) whereas John wrote about the nations of the world being gathered from the east and the west against Israel for the second prophetic war : ‘The sixth Angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and it’s waters was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East … Then I saw … the spirits of demons who go out to kings of the whole world to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty … to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon … to make war against the rider on the horse and his army’. (Revelation 16:14,16, 19:19) Armageddon is located 60 miles north of Jerusalem on Mount Megiddo, facing the valley of Jezereel to its east and it has been the site of many military struggles in Israel’s history because of its strategic location. The plain of Megiddo ( 2 Chronicles 35:22) is about 200 square miles in area and some historians estimate that more wars have been fought here than any other locations in the world. It seems to be an appropriate setting for the final struggle between good and evil.

The context of the prophecy in Chapters 38,39 is the return of the people of God to the mountains of Israel as prophesied in Chapter 36 and that they shall be one nation in the land and no longer be divided into two kingdoms as prophesied in Chapter 37 and the measuring of the rebuilt temple as prophesied in Chapter 40. In between these two events is the war that would result in the total regathering of Israel and the construction of the temple.(Though the nation of Israel was established on the 14th of May 1948, only a fraction of the Jewish diaspora have been gathered from the nations and the temple is yet to be rebuilt. ) It is in this context, we need to read this prophecy : ‘When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord … I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains … so I will show my greatness and my holiness and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations … I will now bring Jacob back from captivity … I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind … I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ( Ezekiel 38:18- 39:29) There is however an ambiguity concerning the timing of the ‘Ezekiel 38 war’ because some believe it will happen before Rapture while many others believe it will happen after Rapture, at the start of the tribulation. There are also those who believe it will happen halfway into the tribulation and still others who believe it will happen towards the end of the tribulation, assuming it to be the ‘battle of Armageddon’ and ‘Gog’ to be the Antichrist. Apparently ‘Gog’ is the leader of the invasion and the Bible says he will be killed and will be buried in the valley of Hamon Gog towards the east of the Dead Sea whereas the Bible says that the Antichrist and the false prophet who will lead the ‘battle of Armageddon’ will be captured and will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. ( Rev 19:20-22). There is still a mention of ‘Gog’ again at the end of the thousand year rule of Christ, when Satan will be released from his prison and he will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – to gather them for battle. Here Gog is not referred to as a person but as a place and Satan who is leader of the hordes, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. (Rev 20:7-10) Some call it the ‘war of Gog and Magog’ and it is the last of the three prophetic wars.What is common to these three prophetic wars is that they all are against Israel and the camp of God and He fights to deliver His people.

The world is increasingly getting polarized and the stage is being set for these prophetic battles and the nations of the world are aligning themselves in keeping with these prophecies. The only thing that needs to happen before these events is the Rapture and it will come unexpectedly upon us. “Be careful or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life and the day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap … Be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may stand before the Son of Man’ ( Luke 21: 34-36) Amen.

14. In those days, at that time.

Anyone who has read through the prophets would have come across this phrase and might have wondered where it fits in the time-line of endtime events. But the context of those passages seem to suggest that it refers to the time of Christ’s second coming and the beginning of his millennial rule. So the phrase ‘In those days ( or the last days), at that time ( or in the fullness of time) ‘, probably means ‘The day of the Lord’.

Let us consider some of those passages to substantiate the above interpretation:- ‘IN THOSE DAYS, AT THAT TIME, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.’ ( Joel 3:1-2) “IN THOSE DAYS when your numbers have increased greatly in the land … AT THAT TIME they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord’ and all the nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord …” (Jeremiah 3:16-17) “The days are coming”, declares the Lord, “when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. IN THOSE DAYS, AT THAT TIME, I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line and he will do what is just and right in the land. IN THOSE DAYS Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called. ‘The Lord Our Righteousness.” (Jeremiah 33:14-16) “IN THOSE DAYS, AT THAT TIME,” declares the Lord, “the people of Israel and the people of Judah together will go in tears to seek the Lord their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and bind themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.” (Jeremiah 50:4-5) “IN THOSE DAYS, AT THAT TIME”, declares the Lord, “search will be made for Israel’s guilt but there will be none, and for the sins of Judah but none will be found, for I will forgive the remnant I spare.” (Jeremiah 50:20)

All the above references speak about the restoration that would happen to the nation of Israel and the Apostles who knew these prophecies, asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” But he replied, “It is not for you to know the time or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” ( Acts 1: 6-7) In saying so, Jesus emphasized the urgency in establishing the Kingdom of God prior to the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, which he said would happen at the appointed time. ‘Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children…’ (Isaiah 66:8 ) That moment came about once again since the Exodus, when on the 14th of May 1948, the nation of Israel was reborn. However, this seems like a partial restoration because a full restoration would happen only after their spiritual restoration ‘IN THOSE DAYS, AT THAT TIME’. ‘Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel would be saved.’ (Romans 11:25-26)

‘Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know summer is near. Even so when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door … no one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven but only the Father … Therefore keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.’ ( Matthew 24:36-42) Amen.

13. The day of the Lord.

The Bible refers to the ‘day of the Lord’ as the ‘day of his coming’, when he will visibly establish his Kingdom on earth. But there seems to be some ambiguity about which day the Bible refers to as the ‘day of the Lord’. Could it be the 1) day of Christ’s secret coming in the air to receive his Bride at Rapture (1 Thesslonians 4:15-17) or the 2) day of his second coming in the clouds when all men will see him (Matthew 24:30) or the 3) day when God creates a new earth and new heaven and the Holy City, the new Jerusalem comes out of heaven and God makes his dwelling with men? ( Revelation 21:1-3 ) Most passages seem to allude to the second coming of Christ while others seem to allude to the period of the tribulation as a whole. However, there are certain events that must precede the day of the Lord and that would help us to ‘find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of God was pointing’ ( 1 Peter 1 :11), ‘as men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’. ( 2 Peter 1:20)

The prophecy by Joel is an ideal text to start with, because he clearly predicted the events that would precede the day of the Lord, most notably the predictions about the sun, moon and stars, which we can consider as the most prominent harbinger that would herald his coming : ‘I will show wonders in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.’ ( Joel 2:31) ‘For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened and the stars no longer shine. The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem and the earth and sky will tremble.’ ( Joel 3:14-16) This was prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah too, when he said : ‘See, the day of the Lord is coming – a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger … The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.’ (Isaiah 13:9-10) ‘The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed for the Lord Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem …’ (Isaiah 24:23) All this is in agreement with what Jesus taught would precede that day: ‘There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.’ ( Luke 21:25-27) And John, while writing down the Revelation of Jesus, wrote: ‘I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black … the whole moon turned blood red … the stars in the sky fell to earth … the sky receded like a scroll … every mountain and island was removed from its place … for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand?’ ( Revelation 6:12-17) All the above references allude to the second coming of Christ and not to his secret coming in the air to receive his bride because that is likened to the ‘thief in the night’ ( 1 Thesslonians 5:2, Revelation 3:3) and that day obviously wouldn’t be preceded by anything significant that would herald his coming.

The other events that would happen on this day, at the second coming of Christ, further distinguishes this day from any other : ‘On that day , when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her ( The battle of Armageddon – Revelation 16:12-16), I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations … On that day I will strike every horse with panic and every rider with madness … On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem … On that day I will set out to destroy the nations that attack Jerusalem … I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on the one they pierced … On that day the weeping will be great … On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity … On that day, I will banish the names of all idols from the land and they will be remembered no more …’ (Zechariah 12:3 – 13:2) ‘A day of the Lord is coming when … I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it … Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives will be split into two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south … Then the Lord your God will come and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be an unique day without daytime or nighttime – a day known to the Lord. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea (Dead sea) and half to the western sea (Mediterranean sea) … The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord and his name the only name.’ (Zechariah 14:1-9) ‘In that day the mountains will drip new wine and the hills will flow with milk and all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acasias’ ( Joel 3: 18) ‘In that day the Lord will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon and they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days ( at the end of the 1000 years)’. ( Isaiah 24:21-22, Revelation 20:7-15) All the above references further alludes to the second coming of Christ and not to the end of the ages when the first heaven and first earth will pass away giving way to the new heaven and new earth.

However, certain passages makes no distinction between these three days because the focus was on holy living and not eschatology. For instance, Peter wrote: ‘But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people we ought to be ? We ought to live godly lives as we wait eagerly for the day of God to come. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.’ ( 2Peter 3:11-13) Amen.

Other references you can read: Isaiah 2:11-21, Zephaniah 1:14 -18, Malachi 4:1-3

12. The last days.

There is a popular misconception that the last days are the closing moments of this age, whereas the Bible calls the entire Church age – the last days! When Peter stood up to address the bewildered crowd that had gathered on the day of Pentecost, this is how he rephrased (shown within brackets) the prophecy by Joel : ‘And afterward ( In the last days – Greek : eschatos means last or final ), I will pour out my Spirit on all people ( meaning even Gentiles ). Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants ( meaning even Jews), both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful (glorious) day of the Lord.’ (Joel 2 :28-31/ Acts 2:17-20)

The words ‘afterwards’ and ‘before’ signify a time frame within which these events would take place and Peter declared that it had begun on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured upon the 120 in the upper room. The Apostles seem to have understood that the last days began with the dawn of the Church age and now we have reached the last hours of the last day. Interestingly, Peter wrote: ‘With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.’ ( 2 Peter 3:8-9) Joel was right in calling this period of time, the last ‘days’ because two ‘days’ or two thousands years have gone by since the outpouring in the Jerusalem and the Prophet Haggai was right too in prophesying : After two ‘days’ ( two thousand years) he will revive us, on the third ‘day’ ( third millennium ), he will restore us that we may live in His presence.’ ( Haggai 6:2)

Now that we have entered the third millennium, what are we to expect? Firstly, the outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh as prophesied by Joel and secondly, the ‘wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire, billows of smoke. The sun turning to darkness and the moon to blood’, before the second coming of Jesus. Obviously, we have no role to play in the manifestation of the signs and wonders but the outpouring of the Spirit requires our role in gathering and preparing the vessels, just as the 120 gathered in the Upper room and were constantly in prayer. ‘Therefore, prepare your minds for action, be self controlled …’ ( 1 Peter 1:13) ‘The end of all things is near. Therfore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray.’ ( 1 Peter 4:7)

The outpouring that began in Jerusalem has since been poured out upon many nations throughout the Church age and we will further witness the same before it finally culminates in Israel, as prophesied by Ezekiel : ‘When Gog attacks Israel, my hot anger will be aroused … I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains … I will make myself known in the sight of many nations … I will bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel … I will gather them to their own land, not leaving anyone behind …. I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ( Ezekiel 38-39)

The ‘day of the Lord’ is a dreadful day for the world but it is a great and glorious day for the Church; for those who longed for his return. ‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.’ (Revelation 22:20)

11. The last lap.

Faith, resembles a marathon. But why do people punish their bodies to run a gruelling marathon race? The sense of personal reward they get and the physical benefits of the exercise are often the reasons given. The same two rewards apply in the spiritual realm : great prizes await those who keep the faith and the very process of living by faith builds strong character.

There are three stages to a long distance race: The intial laps tend to be faster but before long, their pace slackens and the runners are faced with the nagging temptation to drop off. However, some refuse to give up and they press on to reach the finish line. On entering the final lap, the cheer of the onlookers spur them up and they seem to draw on an energy sourced from within the soul and pick up their pace as they come closer to the finish line.

So also the Church has entered the last lap of this gruelling race. After the Acts of the Apostles and the Apostolic fathers, the early Church gradually started losing momentum and then as it made through the medieval ages, it barely managed to trudge along until the call to revival started reverberating through the last few centuries. Since then the Church has picked up pace and now but it has reached the final moments of this race. ‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, let us throw of everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ ( Hebrews 12:1-3) The prize is not just for those who come first but for everyone who finishes the race. Therefore Paul said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me a crown of righteousness …” ( 2 Timothy 4:7)

Even the greatest of saints have fallen prey to this nagging temptation to drop off. While fleeing from Jezebel, Elijah lay down under a broom tree and prayed, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” (1 Kings 19:4) Exhausted from the ordeal, he fell asleep but was woken up twice by an angel, only to find a cake of bread baked over hot coals and a jar of water, by his head. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty nights to reach Horeb, the mountain of God and there he was told what to do next, and thereafter he was caught up in a whirlwind to heaven. Similarly, when John languished in prison, because of Herodias, he send his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back to John and report what you see and hear … Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Matthew 11:2-4,6 ) Assured that his labour was not in vain, John went on to lay down his life and was undeterred even in the face of death. If these giants of faith fumbled on their tracks and needed some prodding to gather pace, we too definitely need some prodding to spur us up, as the ‘fulfillment of the ages have come upon us’. ( 1 Corinthians 10:12)

The Church started out loud in the Upper room on the day of Pentecost and it is not going to end in a whimper! ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all the nations and the desired of the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory … The glory of the present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:6-9) Amen.

10. War in the heavens.

‘And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought back.’ (Revelation 12:7) There is a battle being waged above our heads that we aren’t aware of but we experience the everday effects of this struggle as we live our lives on earth. ‘For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.’ ( Ephesians 6:12)

Two parallel histories seem to occur simultaneously: one on earth and the other in heaven. However the Bible views them together. The ‘Revelation’ (Greek : Apokalypsis meaning ‘uncovering’ ) or parting of the curtain, allowed John to have a quick look behind the scenes and to witness for himself, the war in the heavens and its impact on earth. Little did Daniel know what was involved, when he started to pray until the Angel told him: ‘Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding … your words were heard and I came in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty one days. Then Michael, one of the princes came to help me because I was detained there with the king of Persia … soon I will return to fight the prince of Persia and when I go, the prince of Greece will come … I took my stand to support and protect Michael. ” ( Daniel 10:12- 11:1) These comments by the angelic messenger hint of heavenly warfare, human beings know little about. As we fight the good fight of faith against evil on earth, the supernatural universe seems to be simultaneously at war and sometimes it can break out into actual violence on earth. Isn’t it unusual for a war to end in six days and for a nation to capture enemy territory thrice its own size? But it did happen in June 1967 when Egypt, Jordan and Syria declared war against the nation of Israel. (Iraq later joined the Arab coalition). But the war was over in a matter of days after Israel seized control of Gaza, West Bank (including east Jerusalem), Sinai peninsula and Golan heights. Strangely, it was reported that people saw visions of angels descending on earth and undoubtedly, it affected the outcome of the war. (Promised Land, 2005, by Derek prince)

A war is being waged on this planet between good and evil, a war that reflects a larger struggle in the whole universe. But no matter where it is fought, God is in control. Events are marching onward to a definite climax as each player unwittingly ends up fulfilling God’s plan and purpose. But what is the mission of the Church, in this battle? The mission of the Church is to establish God’s Kingdom on earth. So we were taught to pray : ‘Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth (by men) as it is done in heaven (by angels)’. We are not called to a physical combat with the forces of darkness but to fight the good fight of faith. Hence,‘the weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, we have divine power to demolish strongholds.’ ( 2 Corinthians 10:4) Therefore ‘put on the full armour of God … the belt of truth buckled around your waist … the breastplate of righteousness in place … feet fitted with the boots of peace … take up the shield of faith… helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit… and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and request. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13-18) May God open our eyes to see that ‘those who are with us is more than those who are with them’, just as he opened Elisha’s servant’s eyes : ‘… he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.’ (2Kings 6:16-17) Amen.

9. We the Church; We the people !

We have often heard it being said: ‘Be in the world but be not of the world.’ That is being in two different realms at the same time – the spiritual and the physical ! The Apostle Paul wrote : ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’ (Philippians 3:20) yet he could unashamedly say, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city ( Acts 21:39) … the commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. Then the commander said, “I had to pay a big price for my citizenship.” “But I am a born citizen,” Paul replied. ( Acts 22:27- 28) Paul was being pragmatic about his dual citizenship and was not hypocritical as some believers are, who think being spiritual means to be unpatriotic. That is fanaticism!

We have learnt about sets and subsets in Mathematics and to say the Church is a subset within the world means one is within the other and therefore cannot be disenfranchised ( denied citizenship rights ) but still the other has no rights within the subset. The Church was meant to influence the world and not the world influencing the Church. Therefore Jesus said,“You are the SALT OF THE EARTH … the LIGHT OF THE WORLD… let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13,14,16) Paul further adds to these virtues by calling us, ‘the AROMA OF CHRIST among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.’ ( 2 Corinthians 2:15)

The Church will not be overpowered as long as the Holy Spirit stands in the way but once He leaves with the raptured saints, the ‘man of Lawlessness’ will be revealed who will overpower the tribulation saints (those who refuse to worship the beast or his image and would not receive his mark on their foreheads or their hands). ‘The beast was given power to make war against the saints and conquer them … All the inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb … this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.’ (Revelation 13:7-10) ‘He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.’ ( Daniel 7:25) ‘When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’ ( Daniel 12:7)

But now that the Church is still here on the earth, with the Holy Spirit standing in between the Church and the World, just as the pillar of cloud stood between the armies of Israel and Egypt (Exodus 14:19-20), the Church will not be overcome. “I will build my Church and the gates of Hades will not overcome (or prove to be stronger than) it.” (Matthew 16:18) History bears testimony to this fact that every effort to destroy the church has only caused it to grow in number as someone rightly said,“The blood of the saint is the seed of the Church.”

However ‘the secret power of lawlessness is already at work ( scheming to set up the kingdom of the beast ) but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way.’ ( 2 Thessalonians 2:7 ) A ‘battle for the soul of the nation’ is being fought in the heavenlies and it has broken out into the earthly realm and if ‘WE THE CHURCH; WE THE PEOPLE’, as patriotic citizens, do not rise to defend our God given freedoms and liberties, as upheld by the Constitution, then our children will have to contend for their freedoms in a tyrannical State. The founding fathers defended it with their lives but a new generation ( whether be Millennials or post Millennials) has grown up, many who have being indoctrinated by the academia and the media, to hate nationalism, patriotism and religion. They wouldn’t mind trampling on the sacred values that their forefathers upheld and wouldn’t hesitate to commit acts of violence and arson, even to burn down the nation, all in the name Socialism. In my previous articles titled ‘Endtime lawlessness’ and ‘From Theocracy to tyranny’, I had mentioned that this slide to tyranny seems unstoppable but at least we can slow down its pace and keep Democracy alive until Christ returns or else we will find ourselves in a tyranny because we took our freedoms and liberties foregranted. The least we can do is to pray and educate ourselves and others and stand for the truth and ‘be the resistance’. Amen.

8. Prophets and politics.

The jurisprudential ( theory or philosophy of law ) concept of separating Church ( or religion ) and State, was meant to safeguard these two establishments from mutual interference, because the founding fathers believed that there could be no religious freedom or true secularism without this ‘wall of separation’ between the two. The law prohibited the government from favouring one religion over another or even favouring religion over non-religion but it was never meant to keep ones personal beliefs and convictions out of politics or public life because the constitution entitled every citizen the right to practice their faith.

The Law of God given through Moses also ensured a kind of separation between the Kingship and Priesthood in Israel by entitling two different tribes to administer this office, to prohibit any individual or community from usurping all authority and power in the nation. But the law was never meant to prohibit Kings from expressing their religious convictions in the public arena. King David was thought to be ‘notorious’ for his public display of faith and was unapologetic when confronted by his own wife. (2 Samuel 6:20-22) However he never violated the sanctity of the Priesthood by taking it upon himself unlike King Uzziah who usurped the authority of the Priests and was judged by God for doing so. (2 Chronicles 26:16-20)

On the contrary, Christ is both King and Priest like Melchizedek, who was King of Salem and the Priest of the Most High God at the same time, long before the Mosaic law was put into effect. (Hebrews 7:1,14-17) During the Millenial rule of Christ, we will witness this law separating Church and State being repealed because the Church is destined to rule with Christ. ‘You have made them to be a Kingdom and Priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.’ ( Revelation 5:10 ) There will be no more secularism because ,‘The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord and his name the only name.’ (Zechariah 14:9)

However this separation of Church ( or religion) and State did not hinder the ministry of the Prophets because they were the messengers of God, who were directly accountable to God. They were sent by God to Anoint kings or to depose them, when they corrupted themselves and led the nation astray and no one dared to question the Sovereignty of God and the authority of his Prophets to intervene in politics. Prophet Samuel was sent by God to anoint Saul as the first King of Israel but when God rejected Saul, Prophet Samuel was sent on a secret mission to anoint David as the next king and the elders of the town trembled with fear at the very sight of him because they knew his coming meant something was up. (1 Samuel 16:4) If it not be for the Prophets, who else would dare to go up to the King and confront him for having another man’s wife? (2 Samuel 12: 1-14) Prophet Nathan was a familiar face in David’s court as he was his personal seer but Prophet Elijah came out of nowhere to stalk the streets of Samaria with the message of God for King Ahab and then disappeared for three years, becoming the most wanted ‘fugitive’ because he alone had the power to bring rain. (1 Kings 17:1-3, 18: 1,10) Prophet Isaiah was a giant in Jewish history because he spent his days in the corridors of power as an adviser to four Kings of Judah and helped set the course of his nation. He even prophesied about other nations in relation with Israel and predicted nearly 200 years earlier, the ascension of Cyrus to the throne of Persia and that he would be the one to issue the decree to rebuild the temple. (Isaiah 44:28) The ministry of the Prophets of God extended beyond the borders of Israel because God was concerned about the Gentiles too. Prophet Jonah was commanded to go to Nineveh to warn them of judgment but instead he fled to Tarshish because he couldn’t acknowledge God’s concern for a pagan nation! (Jonah 4: 2,11)

The Prophets not only revealed the will of God but also acted swiftly when they saw an attempt to overturn the will of God. When Adonijah proclaimed himself as the next King after David, Prophet Nathan was alarmed and he went to meet the aged King along with Bathsheba and confirmed God’s choice of Solomon as the next King of Israel. (1 Kings 1:5-35) Likewise when Queen Athaliah proceeded to destroy the whole royal family and proclaimed herself to be the next regent of Judah, Jehoiada the Priest hid young Joash, the son of Ahaziah and his nurse for six years in the temple and restored him to the throne after overthrowing the queen in a coup with the help of the commanders of the army. ( 2 Kings 11:1-21) They didn’t contend that, ‘whatever happens, God is still on the throne’ but we have Prophets and Pastors today who make that assertion. Rightly so! But isn’t that statement an unsolicited answer to an unwarranted question ? We should rather be asking these questions : What is the will of God and is it being done? Why else were we taught to pray: ‘Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth ( by men ) as it is done in heaven ( by angels )’. At a time when the authority of Prophets to intervene in politics is being seen by many as an infringement of the law separating State and Church and many doubt the credibility of prophecies, it is imperative that we stand firm on the word of God concerning this matter. The word of God says that the Church is ‘built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone’. (Ephesians 2:20)

‘Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the Prophets.’ (Amos 3:7)

‘Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his Prophets and you will be successful.’ (2 Chronicles 20:20)

‘God is not man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?’ (Numbers 23:19) Amen.

7. The day Truth triumphs.

‘Truth’, the word that seems to have lost its sanctity over time and has come to mean whatever one believes, has always been and will always be singularlistic in its eternal existence whereas ‘falsehood’ has been and will be pluralistic with all its blatant lies. ‘Truth’ has existed from time immemorial and will outlast this universe, into eternity but ‘falsehood’ has been around only since the fall of Lucifer and it will meet its end in the lake of fire.

“He was a murderer from the beginning not holding on to the truth for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then, if his servants masquerades as servants of righteousness.’ ( 2 Corinthians 11:14-15)

The Prophet Isaiah lamented : ‘Truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased … appalled that there was no one to intervene; his own arm worked salvation for him… He put on righteousness as his breastplate and … he put on the garments of vengeance … so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes.’ ( Isaiah 59:14-18)

Truth is destined to triumph, on ‘The Day of the Lord’! ‘The Lord Almighty has a day in store … when he rises to shake the earth. In that day … men will flee to caverns in the rock … from the dread of the lord and the splendor of his majesty …’ ( Isaiah 2: 12-21)

‘I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war … the armies of heaven were following him … He treads the winepress of the fury of God Almighty … the beast was captured and with him the false prophet … the two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.’ ( Rev 19:11- 20).

Truth cannot be destroyed or covered up forever for ‘there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.” (Mathew 10 : 26 )

‘This will take place on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Jesus Christ.’ ( Romans 2:16)

As believers, let us always seek the truth, speak the truth and stand with the truth ‘for we cannot do anything against the truth but only for the truth.’ ( 2 Corinthians 13:8 ) Amen.

Qn 13. Is Hell for real ?

After my previous post titled ‘Theocracy to tyranny’, I happened to engage in a friendly conversation with the moderators of the group called ‘Theology for today’ on LinkedIn, where I had posted the article but we unexpectedly ended up debating the existence of hell. These liberal Christians were stubbornly unconvinced that there was a hell, inspite of me quoting Scripture after Scripture but they became increasingly abusive and expelled me from their theological group because they could neither win their argument with rhetoric nor could they find a Scripture to support their false notions.

Their argument was that if God is merciful, would he let men suffer for eternity, for a finite life of sin, much beyond the ‘cost of their sin’ ? Would he send men to hell even for the slightest of infractions? Their idea of paying for the ‘cost of sin’ was like serving a term in a state penitentiary and once the term was over, the state of the soul would be reversed. When I quoted to them that ‘the wages of sin is death …’ ( Romans 6 : 23 ), they immediately caught me on this verse to substantiate their belief that there is no hell because the verse in context did not refer to ‘hell’, while being oblivious of the fact that there were numerous other Scriptures that poignantly referred to hell. That showed how ignorant they were of Scriptures and the best they could do was to quote back the verse I had quoted to them, when asked to quote alteast one Scripture in support of their argument. Had they quoted the verse completely, it would have proved just the opposite of what they believe because the verse goes on to say, ‘… but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus’, which means everyone who is not willing to believe and receive this free gift of eternal life, will invariably remain in the state of death. However ‘death’ means just simple physical death to them but the Bible differentiates between ‘Spiritual death’ (the state every soul is born into since the fall of Adam until it is reversed at rebirth – Romans 5 : 12 – 16 ), ‘Physical death’ ( the state everybody is destined to experience irrespective of their faith – Hebrews 9 : 27 ) and ‘Eternal death’ ( the state of eternal separation from God for those who have rejected this salvation – Revelation 20 : 14 -15 ). The Bible calls ‘eternal death’ as the ‘second death’ which is also an euphemism for the ‘lake of fire’. The Greek word ‘Gehenna’ which was translated as ‘hell’, borrows the imagery from the place outside the walls of Jerusalem, where the garbage from the city was burnt ; where the fire was never put out. Therefore Jesus said, ” It is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where their worms does not die and the fire is not quenched.” ( Mark 9 : 48, Isaiah 66 : 24 ) These liberals think it is absurd for the Bible to say that men will be cast bodily into hell because after all mortal flesh wouldn’t last in that ‘eternal fire’. But Jesus spoke about the bodily resurrection of all men when he said, ” Do not be amazed at this for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” ( John 5: 28-39 ) ‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead … If there is a natural body there is also a spiritual body.’ ( 1 Corinthians 15 : 42 – 44 ) If their worms do not die in that eternal fire, then probably their bodies won’t either !

Why would Jesus often refer to hell, if it were not a real place ? ( These liberals claim to believe in Jesus but make him out to be the biggest liar by saying there is no hell.) Jesus said that the ‘eternal fire was prepared for the devil and his angels’ ( Mt 25 : 41 ) and therefore God is not willing that any man should go to hell. Every sin has been atoned for in Christ Jesus but if men reject this sacrifice, there is no sacrifice left to atone for the sin of having rejected Christ. ‘Whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in God’s only begotten Son.’ ( John 3 : 18 )

If ‘atoning for the sins of the whole world’ ( 1 John 2 : 2 ) and ‘appealing to men to be reconciled with God’ (2 Corinthians 5: 20 ) weren’t acts of God’s mercy, then what do these liberals consider as mercy ? Filling up heaven with rebels who have rejected God’s salvation, because they think he is too loving to cast men to hell ? “Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mathew 10 : 28 ) ‘Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God.’ ( Romans 11 : 22 ) If men end up spending eternity in hell, they will only have the devil to blame for deceiving them, if not themselves for believing him! Suffice to say that God doesn’t send anyone to hell for the slightest infractions but they will send themselves to hell for rejecting God’s offer of eternal life ! If Scripture doesn’t convince them that Hell is for real, I earnestly hope that at least rationalism will awaken them from their stupor, before it’s too late ! Does not the attributes of the physical world around us teach us that they exist in opposites, with one having dominance over the other ? There is light over darkness, height over depth, big over small, strong over weak, and so on. Then why not apply the same logic and reason to the spiritual realm? Why is it preposterous to believe that hell really exists ? If there is no hell, then logically there can’t be a heaven, which means there are no judgments or rewards because there aren’t any laws since there is nothing good or evil, right or wrong, for there is no God or Satan. Therefore to deny part of the truth means to deny all of it but to believe the whole truth means to believe all of it. Amen.

6. From Theocracy to tyranny ?

Where is humanity heading to ? If we follow the course of human history, can we see where we stand now and where we are going ? Are we going from Theocracy to tyranny ? Did I mention God? Why is it politically incorrect in a democratic society with freedom of speech, to say, “God exists”, when those who believe in the existence of a God, far outnumber the atheists ? Shouldn’t that be proof of the existence of a God, because an overwhelming majority have their consciences bear witness to this truth ? Why is it that those who pretend to be atheists, rail at God when they go through hell on earth? Isn’t it right to conclude that there are no true atheists but only rebels, because the consciousness of a God seems undeniable ?
Wasn’t it a nation of rebels who had seen the unquestionable acts of God, that rejected Theocracy and asked for a king ? ( 1 Samuel 8 : 7 – 22 ) If Monarchy was instituted by God as the next best form of governance, why has it become a thing of the past ? Was it not expected to fail because absolute power was being endued upon a mortal, who was prone to corruption ? If nobles were empowered and made the custodians of the state, when Kings became increasingly corrupt, shouldn’t Aristocracy been the next best form of governance ? Didn’t they fail as well to safeguard the interests of the common man over the ruling class ? If empowering the common man was the greatest social experiment in the history of humanity and Democracy was the next best form of governance, then why is it being undermined by those with vested interests? Did our innate human nature for corruption, guarantee the failure of all these successive forms of government ? What kind of shadow government do we have now ? Is it an Oligarchy, with Multi National Corporations and the Military-Industrial complex throwing their weight behind the candidates of their choice and the Media giants using their platforms to socially engineer the outcome of the polls, to install their puppets in office? Doesn’t history remind us that it was the failure of Democracy that opened the way for autocrats, dictators, tyrants and despots to rise to power, who herded the sheeple to Tyranny ? Do those who call for the abolition of the constitution and judiciary and those who demand the defunding of all law enforcement agencies, realize that they are unwittingly being used by antidemocratic forces to overthrow the very foundation on which this democracy was built ? Will this rebellion against all forms of human government, fomented by satanic forces, eventually make way for the rule of Satan ? This downward slide to tyranny seems unstoppable but shouldn’t we do something in our power to slow this down? Will exercising our democratic right to vote be enough, if we fail to exercise our conscience in choosing the right candidates; choosing the ones who stand for democracy and rejecting the ones that have a nexus with the global elite who seek to set up the New World Order ? Shouldn’t we keep Democracy alive, as long as it can last, by not carelessly casting our vote for those who want to pull it down ? But what is the blessed hope for humanity? Back to Theocracy, once the full cycle of other forms of governance have ended ? Doesn’t it make sense then to pray, “Thy Kingdom come” ? Amen.

( This is the unabridged version of the article originally posted in a secular group on LinkedIn. Since members are required to open up the platform for discussion, instead of being affirmative about their faith, every sentence was phrased as a question to get the message across. )

6. The Goodness of God.

We seldom doubt the existence of God and his ability but we often question the willingness of God, because we haven’t understood the goodness of God yet !
A man with leprosy came and knelt before Jesus and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. ( Mt 8 : 3 ) Jesus touched him instantly, as if to assure him of God’s willingness, inspite of his faith being far from perfect. The goodness of God was being revealed to the world in Christ, just as it was revealed to Moses, in the cleft of the rock – In Exodus 33 : 17 – 18, we read : And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do everything you have asked because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory” ( Hebrew : kābôd means splendor or glory )
It was through Moses that God had displayed his awesome power, as he led a band of slaves to freedom from the most powerful civilization on earth and it was through him that God had dramatically parted the waters of the Red Sea for the Israelites to miraculously escape from the Egyptian army who pursued them. And on the other side, he had also seen God’s mercy and forbearance in dealing with the Israelites, when they rebelled against him in the desert. Overwhelmed by the goodness of God, he was eager to see the face of the person behind these spectacular deeds. ( During his first encounter with God at Horeb, when God appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush, he was afraid to look at God when he heard God say : “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, and the God of Jacob.” At this Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God. (Exodus 3 : 6 ) But since then he had come a long way and experienced the goodness of the God, along the way. )
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence … There is a place near me where you may stand on the rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen … And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished …” (Ex 33 : 18 – 34 :7 ) –
When asked to reveal his face, God revealed his character instead and this self description of God became for the Jews a profound summary of God’s nature. The Old Testament quotes or alludes to this passage more than any other. God doesn’t seem to glory in his splendor and power but he seems to glory in his good nature. We glory in our looks and introduce ourselves to others by our names and by our achievements but God introduced himself to Moses by his character ! Put in the cleft of a rock, Moses heard the description of the goodness of God, as he passed by. That is why Scripture says : ‘He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel : The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love …’ (Psalm 103 : 7 )
‘And that Rock was Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 10 : 4 ) It is in ‘Christ the Rock’ that we receive this revelation about the goodness of God.
‘In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form …’ ( Colossians 2 : 9 ) So Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” ( John 14 : 9 )
The word ‘euangelion’ which in Greek means ‘good news’, was translated as ‘Gospel’ (Old English : ‘gõd spell’ means ‘good message’ ) It is the goodness of God that makes the message of the Gospel so good to those who hear it. The saints of old had themselves appealed to the goodness of God, in the face of adversity.
‘I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’ ( Psalm 27 : 13 ) NASB
‘Give me a sign of your goodness that my enemies may see it and be put to shame.’ ( Psalm 86 : 17 )
And we ourselves have chanted the popular refrain : ‘God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good !’
The sacrifice on the cross is the ultimate expression of the goodness of God, where his heart was revealed to mankind when ‘he was pierced for their transgressions and crushed for their iniquities’. ( Isaiah 53 : 5 )
‘God demonstrated his love for us in this : While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ ( Romans 5 : 8 ) If we ever tend to doubt the goodness of God, the sacrifice on the cross should assure us of his infinite goodness. Amen !

9. The Gospel about Jesus and the three fold testimony of God.

We had earlier considered the three fold ‘Gospel’ (Greek : euangelion which means ‘good news’ ) about a King called Jesus, his glorious Kingdom and his Kingdom’s all surpassing power. But to further understand the meaning of the ‘Gospel’, we need a revelation of the true identity of Jesus because the ‘Gospel’ is primarily about ‘Christ’ (Hebrew : Māšîah which means ‘Anointed’)
Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am ?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.” ( Mt 16 : 15 – 16 )

What then is the revelation that God gave about Jesus ?
‘This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ … And it is the Spirit who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify : the SPIRIT, the WATER and the BLOOD ; and the three are in agreement.’ (1 Jh 5 : 6 – 8 )

Thrice, a voice from heaven thundered, testifying about Jesus. It happened the first time, at his baptism. ‘As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” ( Mt 3: 16 – 17 ) And later while speaking about this incident, John said: ‘I myself did not know him but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel … I would not have know him except the one who sent me to baptize said: “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God.’ ( Jn 1 : 31 – 34 ) The ‘WATER’ testifies to his ‘SONSHIP’.

It happened the second time when he spoke of his imminent death to those around him.‘Then a voice came from heaven … The crowd that was there and heard it, said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit and not mine.” ( Jh 12 : 27 – 30 ) And later while recalling the moment of his death, Matthew wrote: When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed ” Surely he was the Son of God.” ( Matthew 27 : 54 ) The ‘BLOOD’ which symbolizes his death, testifies to his ‘CHRISTSHIP’.

And it happened a third time when he transfigured before them and a cloud enveloped them. ‘While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.” … Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the son of Man has been raised from the dead. ( Mt 17 : 1 – 5 , 2 Pt 1 : 16 – 18 ) And later while addressing the three thousand on the day of Pentecost, Peter proclaimed: ‘God has raised Jesus to life … Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear … God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ ( Acts 2: 32- 36 ) The ‘SPIRIT’ testifies to his ‘LORDSHIP’.

‘We accept man’s testimony but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God which he has given about his Son. Anybody who believes has this testimony in his heart.‘ (1 Jh 5 : 6, 9, 10 )

The three fold testimony of God in our hearts about Jesus is that he is Son of God, the Christ and Lord. It is the spoken word of this testimony in our hearts causes us to overcome the devil. ‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY.’ (Revelation 12:11) Man’s testimony won’t revolutionize you but God’s testimony will ! Amen.

5. Return to Bethel.

Jacob’s encounter with God at Peniel should have marked the end of his wanderings and the beginning of his spiritual journey into God, but it was not ! He had come a long way since he first met God at Bethel, when he fled from home, twenty years ago. But after his transformation into ‘Israel’ ( which was an Old testament shadow of the born again experience ), a new spiritual standard was set by God, that he had to live upto, for the rest of his life ! He reconciled with his estranged brother Esau, ( that story should remind us what is expected from us who have been born again ) and with that his past was effectively put behind him ; so he thought ! He settled in Succoth and there he made a place for himself and shelters for his livestock ( Genesis 33 : 17 ). But Jacob seemed to be oblivious of the vow he made to God at Bethel, twenty years back, when he fled from his brother.
“If God will be with me and will watch over me … so that I return safely to my father’s house, … this stone that I set up as a pillar will be God’s house …” ( Genesis 28 : 20 – 22 )
Then trouble began to brew around him ! His daughter Dinah was violated by Shechem the Hivite. In fury, her two brothers, Simeon and Levi, put all the males in the city of Shechem to the sword. Jacob feared an attack by the Canaanites and Perizzites and realized he would be vulnerable, if they join forces against him and attack him (Genesis 34 : 25 – 30). So he decided to leave Succoth immediately.
‘Then God said to Jacob,“Go up to Bethel and settle there and build an altar there to God who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.” ( Genesis 35 : 1 )
So Jacob said to his household, “Get rid of your foreign gods … and purify yourselves … then come, let us go up to Bethel …” (Genesis 35 : 2 – 3 )
Then they set out and the terror of God fell upon the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.’ ( Genesis 35 : 5 )
‘Then they moved on from Bethel.’ ( Gen 35 : 16 )
But before long, he suffered a heartbreak ! Rachel, the love of his life, died while giving birth to Benjamin and was buried on the way to Ephrath. ( Genesis 35 : 17 – 20 )
‘Israel moved on again …’ (Genesis 35 : 21 )
Then the unthinkable happened ! ‘While Israel was living in that region he heard of the incest Reuben had committed. ( Genesis 35 : 22 )
Tragedies struck him one after another ! But why were these incidents happening to ‘Israel’, the man transformed by God ?
The answer seems to be obvious ! He left Bethel, in violation of God’s command and became vulnerable outside the will of God.
Have we wandered from ‘Bethel’, the place of our first consecration ? Have we fallen below the spiritual standard set by the Holy Spirit, that day at ‘Peniel’, when our lives were transformed ? Are we now struggling to make the promise work ?
‘After beginning with the Spirit, are we now trying to attain our GOAL by human effort?’ ( Galatians 3 : 3 )
Let’s return to Bethel and spare ourselves needless heartbreaks ! The promise is not attained by striving but by yielding to the Holy Spirit, just as we first did, the day we were born again. Amen.

4. From Jacob to Israel.

Twenty years had passed by since Jacob had his first encounter with God at Bethel in a dream, as he was fleeing from his brother (Genesis 28 : 12 – 17 ) and then he had this strange night time encounter with God at Jabbok, on his way back home. He wrestled with God till daybreak and was told, “Your name will no longer be Jacob ( his name in Hebrew meant ‘he grasps the heel’ or figuratively, ‘he deceives’ ) but Israel, because you have struggled with God and men and have overcome.” ( Genesis 32 : 24 – 28 )
Jacob had been scheming all his life to appropriate the blessings of God. He had cheated his brother and deceived his father to inherit the blessing. And in doing so, he had incurred the wrath of his brother and had to flee for his life. But after his first encounter with God, he strived to be an honest person, while working for his Uncle Laban, who cheated him ten times by playing on his love for Rachel. ( Genesis 31 : 38 – 42 ) He ran off with his family and possessions, only to be caught up by Laban with whom he made a treaty at Mizpah. But soon after Jacob made peace with Laban, the news came that his brother Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred men. In great fear and distress, Jacob prayed to God, but found no comfort. (Genesis 32 : 6 – 12 )
He had once played on the love his brother had for food and cheated him of his birth right. Then when he realized that his father still wanted to bless the elder, he deceived his father and swindled the blessing from his brother. But now his past was soon catching up with him ! He thought of pacifying his brother with gifts and making restitution for his sin. But not assured of forgiveness, he sent his family across the ford of Jabbok and spent the night alone, wrestling with God and emerged as a ‘new man’ at daybreak! Herein you see the travail of a man to become a ‘new creation’.
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ; the old is gone, the new has come! ( 2 Corinthians 5 : 17 )
( Just as it takes nine months for a woman to conceive and deliver a new born, so also the process of rebirth takes time. )
Speaking of his travails, Paul said, “My dear children, I am again in the pains of Childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” ( Galatians 4 : 19 )
God had planted the incorruptible seed of his word in Jacob’s heart when he was told at Bethel, “I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” ( Genesis 28 : 15 )
Even so, ‘he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.’ (Philippians 1 : 6 )
‘For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. (1Peter 1 : 23 )
Just as it took twenty years for Jacob to become Israel; to go from ‘Bethel’ ( which means ‘the house of God’ ) to seeing ‘Peniel’ ( which means ‘the face of God’ ), so also every man will go through the process of rebirth, before Christ is formed in them. Amen.

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