My last blog was unequivocal in stating the fact from John 1 that there are only TWO GOD BEINGS right from the beginning, chronologically, even before Genesis 1:1. They are God (now known as God the Father) and the Word (after His reincarnation as the Son of God became known as Jesus Christ). There is no other being. Colossians 2:2-3 confirms the Father and Son theme. John 17:5 & 21-23 states that they are one in unity, purpose and perfect love - two separate Supreme Beings but ONE GOD. John 15:26 further states that the Holy Spirit is the 'Spirit of truth that PROCEEDS from the Father' - the Almighty God is able to project His Spirit, probably that makes Him omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. Moreover, 1 John 3:9 tells us that the Spirit of God is His (God) Seed - the same root word in Greek that refers to the human sperm!
But some ask why then a true believer must be baptised in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit? This is simply because if the Holy Spirit does not dwell in the mind of Christ's true disciple to give him/her spiritual understanding and discernment, he/she is not a child of God (Romans 8:6-11) and will not be in the First Resurrection (the firstfruits) which is a requirement to enter and inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 15: 22-24, 50-54).
One major problem noted in all of mankind's history is government. This is more so in these last days as corruption, deception and abuse of power are prevalent at the governmental level. When man practise the 'get' philosophy of rulership, they are following Satan's system of governance. But only when our Lord Jesus Christ returns to restore all things (Acts 3:21) with the establishment of the 'give' way of government at the Kingdom of God, genuine peace and prosperity are only fallacies.
Luke 22:24-27 bears out this truth that God's government exist to serve others. But when leaders selfishly serve themselves first before all else, they are breaking God's law of love (Matt 22:37-40). The more they know and higher up in positions, the greater will be their judgements for breaking this commandment. God's leaders are like father and mother in a physical family who would watch over their children with love. Similarly, in a church setting, the pastors and leaders are held accountable for their charges in God's family. Since, one does not 'hire and fire' a family member, it is wrong to do so in a church context. However, that does not mean there is no discipline, but it has to be done in accordance with God's way (see 1 Timothy 5) and not according to man's whims and fancy.
Amos' warning to the children of Israel in Amos 3:1 can be applied to the spiritual family of God - the church. This warning of punishment (verse 2) is particularly relevant to our current Laodicean era church that has rebelled against God's government. This is prophesied in Revelation 3:14-20. Malachi 2:7-10 refers to the sin of God's leaders for causing disunity and His people to stumble. Clearly, the leaders of the Laodicean church have departed from the ways of God (verses 8-9) by having the truth watered down - mostly falling prey to the deceptions of Satan - fiddling with 'spiritual toys' and failure to observe the commandments of God. The result is disunity, confusion and deceptions that weaken the body of Christ and become easy prey for Satan to do his bidding through many splinters and slivers. The Lord Jesus Christ is standing at the doorway of individual Laodiceans ready to forgive if they repent (Rev 3:20) - while there is still time. The parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-12 shows some 50% of the Laodicean church could face a 'bleak' eternal destiny!
Those rebellious ministers (Malachi 3:3 -'sons of Levi') who refused to submit to God's government will have to undergo God's refinement process - probably to undergo the coming cataclysmic Great Tribulation, if they are still living then!
God's true church is the bride of Christ (Rev 19:7). The true church must learn to submit to Christ now before she can qualify to reign with Him in the coming Kingdom of God. That means the true church must learn to understand God's Family Government and submit to God's laws. That is why she must have the 'righteous acts of the saints' (Rev 19:8). Failing which, there is no reward and no inheritance in the Kingdom of God (Rev 3:21). As Christ submit to the Father's government, so we must also follow His example (1 Peter 2:21-23). I plead with you to heed the Apostle Peter's advice to 'be even more diligent to make your call and election sure' (2 Peter 1:10) so as to obtain a 'better resurrection' (Hebrews 11:35 - First Resurrection) in order to enter the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11).
The book of Colossians is addressed to the Colossians and the Laodiceans. While the Colossians took to the advice of Paul to submit to God's government, the Laodiceans failed to heed and became lukewarm. Christ is the Head of the Church (Col 1:18). Out the seven church eras, five lost their Head. Sadly, the last Laodicean era is one of them. Losing one's head is a sure recipe for death. Hence, spiritually, the Laodicean (the word means 'the people rule') church is cut off from the source - the Lord Jesus Christ! The Laodicean church will do their own thing, each independent church with their own agenda - whatever that means- except the Work of God! They are kept busy going round in circles, always learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth. Unless they repent - while there is still time to respond to the Lord's knocking on the door of their hearts - they have no hope of getting out of the trap of deception. Time is ticking by quickly as the 'Day of Reckoning draws near'.
Tragically, many will not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thess 2:10). They are following a man without the Head, which is Christ. Let us be mindful what the Lord tells us that there are those who only have the Spirit of truth dwelling WITH them, though not necessarily IN them (John 14:17). For without the Spirit of truth residing in them, there is no full understanding of the whole truth and no hope of being a son of God to qualify in the First Resurrection (Romans 8:9 & 11). Depending solely on one's own strength and wisdom is sure recipe for unfruitfulness (John 15:5) and will soon fall prey to deception (Rev 12:9).
The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:8 warns the Laodiceans not 'to follow the vain philosophy and tradition of men which are not in accordance with the truth that Christ taught the church'. Unfortunately, the rebellious leaders and parishioners of this Laodiceans era are just too proud to learn and abide to the truth. Instead, they follow their own agenda to do their own thing in their own way without regard to the laws and commandments God laid down for His family government. Little wonder that Paul had to warn the elders in Ephesus 'for three years, every night and day with tears', for he knew that after his departure 'savage wolves will come to ravage the flock' for which the elders were overseers (Acts 20:27-31). Paul knew that if the Head is not held up - the government of God is demolished - the people of God will be disunited and confused and become fair game for Satan's deception. He warned the Laodiceans in the first century, and he is also warning the Laodiceans in this last era before the Lord returns!
The book of Ezekiel is also sounding out warnings for our time - for the House of Israel, the House of Judah and also the end-time Laodicean church.
In Ezekiel 7:22, God states that 'My secret place' has been defiled. This is in reference to the Holy of Holies - equivalent to the pulpit in the church where God's ministers preach the Word. They have replaced God's laws and work with the teachings, traditions and agenda of men.
Lucifer, before he became Satan, wanted to rule earth his way instead of submitting to God's family government and laws. The first human family failed and looks like the last era Laodicean church will follow in the same footstep. But for the first 50% of the Laodicean church who will repent, my advice is to do so while there is still time. Hebrews 6:4-6 clearly warns, 'For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame'. What this means is that for those who knows or ought to know -leaders of the Laodicean church - there is no second chance if they choose to fall away from the truth as revealed in God's holy scriptures. They have become 'rich, wealthy and have need of nothing'. But they do not know that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked (Rev 3:17). These will be their own undoing - for not only will they lose their rewards and inheritances, even their spiritual salvation is hanging by the skin of their teeth!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
THE GOD FAMILY VISION (1)
I have heard many preachers preached about the subject of 'The Word' in John 1:1-5. Frankly, I never get to fully understand what they were talking about then, but now I do. Before Jesus Christ became the only Begotten Son of God in the flesh, He was the Word. Which means to say, God the Father and the Word (Jesus Christ) were the two God Beings (Elohim) ruling the vast universe. The Word was the Spokesman (Messenger who brought the Gospel from the Father to mankind) for God the Father, and all things in heavens and earth were created by God the Father through the Word (John 1:3).
The Gospel Jesus proclaimed (The Kingdom of God) revolves around The God Family Vision as God's supreme plan is to expand His ruling Family with man as His sons. Satan is not happy with this plan as he and his angels were never offered this privilege and thus inspire the trinity doctrine which is not in the bible. In fact, the idea came from the worship of Nimrod and his family ( Nimrod, his wife and son). The Holy Spirit is God's power and agent to get the Work of God accomplished on earth, and not a separate God Being like Jesus Christ. That is why in the prayer of Jesus Christ to God the Father in John 17, there is no mention of the Holy Spirit. In the opening epistles of the Apostle Paul, he greets both God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ but not the Holy Spirit. In our prayers, we pray to God the Father through Jesus Christ, and no mention of the Holy Spirit. In Psalm 51:11 David asked the Lord not to take away His Holy Spirit away from him instead of pleading with the Spirit of God directly as he would if the Holy Spirit is a separate God Being. At this juncture, I would like to clarify that the Holy Spirit is from God (Spirit of God) but that the Spirit is NOT A SEPARATE GOD BEING. Just like the spirit of Adrian is one and the same person being with me. When Simon the sorcerer tried to use money to buy the power of God's Spirit, Peter rejected it (Acts 8:18-20). The Holy Spirit is always represented as water, oil, wind and dove - a kind of power and agent of the Living God. That is why man is created in the image of God - male and female - two separate beings representing two separate God Beings. If the Holy Spirit is a a member of the God Head and lives in us, all Christians would die physically the moment they sin, period. The Trinitarians failed to understand the person of God and destroyed God's Vision of an open and expanding Family!
When Adam and Eve fell, God activated plan B to beget the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus Christ divested Himself of His glory He shared with God to be begotten as a Man. After Jesus Christ's begettal, God became His Father. The God Family Vision was born! All true disciples can become members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). Marriage becomes the channel through which God can accomplish His Vision. If we can fully grasp this Vision, all marriage problems can be easily resolved. Chapter 5 of Ephesians makes this relationships clear.
The Hebrew word for 'God' is Elohim - a plural word which can mean 'Family, Church'. The word 'son' is used over 420 times and the word 'Father' over 350 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected from the dead to become the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and indeed,' the firstborn (Son) among many brethren' (Rom 8:29; Colossians 1:15). Christ was first and many brethren will follow after Him. All true disciples of Jesus Christ who are overcomers like the Philadelphians (Rev 3:7-12) will be resurrected as spirit beings to become sons in the Family of God to rule in the Kingdom of God, beginning with the earth in the Millennial Age and then the universe into eternity!
Genesis 1:25 tells us that God made animals after their kind, then He made man in His image - basically the God-kind. We are like 'God', for 1 John 3:2 says when Christ is revealed (Second Coming), 'we shall be like Him'. Since the Lord Jesus told Philip that 'He who has seen Me has seen the Father' (John 14:9), we look like God, waiting to be born into His Family (overcomers who passed the tests of trials and tribulations) at the time of resurrection. In this life, the Holy Spirit is God's Seed in us as a deposit for our inheritance until redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Paul in Ephesians 2:19-22 writes about the God Family (household of God) which is built on the 'foundation of the apostles and the prophets'. He went on to write about ' Jesus as the chief cornerstone and the whole building grows into a holy temple in the Lord' (verse 20-21). This is consistent with Ezekiel's temple vision in chapter 40-48 (more about that in later blogs) and John's vision in Rev 11:1-2. Going on in Ephesians chapter 3, Paul reveals this mystery which was hidden from the beginning of the ages before it was made known to him (obviously by the Lord Jesus Christ) of 'whom the WHOLE FAMILY in heaven and earth is named ' (3:15). As Paul had to undergo great trials to preach this message, all the true disciples of Jesus Christ who obey His commission to do likewise can expect the same.
The question is, 'Are you willing to pay the price to complete the Work of God in these last days?' Do not let Satan deceive you of the truth and keep you in limbo. I can say with confidence from the bottom of my heart, 'I am willing'. For when you truly grasp God's Family Vision for mankind in general and for you in particular, nothing else matters. Amen.
The Gospel Jesus proclaimed (The Kingdom of God) revolves around The God Family Vision as God's supreme plan is to expand His ruling Family with man as His sons. Satan is not happy with this plan as he and his angels were never offered this privilege and thus inspire the trinity doctrine which is not in the bible. In fact, the idea came from the worship of Nimrod and his family ( Nimrod, his wife and son). The Holy Spirit is God's power and agent to get the Work of God accomplished on earth, and not a separate God Being like Jesus Christ. That is why in the prayer of Jesus Christ to God the Father in John 17, there is no mention of the Holy Spirit. In the opening epistles of the Apostle Paul, he greets both God the Father and the Son Jesus Christ but not the Holy Spirit. In our prayers, we pray to God the Father through Jesus Christ, and no mention of the Holy Spirit. In Psalm 51:11 David asked the Lord not to take away His Holy Spirit away from him instead of pleading with the Spirit of God directly as he would if the Holy Spirit is a separate God Being. At this juncture, I would like to clarify that the Holy Spirit is from God (Spirit of God) but that the Spirit is NOT A SEPARATE GOD BEING. Just like the spirit of Adrian is one and the same person being with me. When Simon the sorcerer tried to use money to buy the power of God's Spirit, Peter rejected it (Acts 8:18-20). The Holy Spirit is always represented as water, oil, wind and dove - a kind of power and agent of the Living God. That is why man is created in the image of God - male and female - two separate beings representing two separate God Beings. If the Holy Spirit is a a member of the God Head and lives in us, all Christians would die physically the moment they sin, period. The Trinitarians failed to understand the person of God and destroyed God's Vision of an open and expanding Family!
When Adam and Eve fell, God activated plan B to beget the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus Christ divested Himself of His glory He shared with God to be begotten as a Man. After Jesus Christ's begettal, God became His Father. The God Family Vision was born! All true disciples can become members of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19). Marriage becomes the channel through which God can accomplish His Vision. If we can fully grasp this Vision, all marriage problems can be easily resolved. Chapter 5 of Ephesians makes this relationships clear.
The Hebrew word for 'God' is Elohim - a plural word which can mean 'Family, Church'. The word 'son' is used over 420 times and the word 'Father' over 350 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected from the dead to become the Son of God (Romans 1:4) and indeed,' the firstborn (Son) among many brethren' (Rom 8:29; Colossians 1:15). Christ was first and many brethren will follow after Him. All true disciples of Jesus Christ who are overcomers like the Philadelphians (Rev 3:7-12) will be resurrected as spirit beings to become sons in the Family of God to rule in the Kingdom of God, beginning with the earth in the Millennial Age and then the universe into eternity!
Genesis 1:25 tells us that God made animals after their kind, then He made man in His image - basically the God-kind. We are like 'God', for 1 John 3:2 says when Christ is revealed (Second Coming), 'we shall be like Him'. Since the Lord Jesus told Philip that 'He who has seen Me has seen the Father' (John 14:9), we look like God, waiting to be born into His Family (overcomers who passed the tests of trials and tribulations) at the time of resurrection. In this life, the Holy Spirit is God's Seed in us as a deposit for our inheritance until redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).
Paul in Ephesians 2:19-22 writes about the God Family (household of God) which is built on the 'foundation of the apostles and the prophets'. He went on to write about ' Jesus as the chief cornerstone and the whole building grows into a holy temple in the Lord' (verse 20-21). This is consistent with Ezekiel's temple vision in chapter 40-48 (more about that in later blogs) and John's vision in Rev 11:1-2. Going on in Ephesians chapter 3, Paul reveals this mystery which was hidden from the beginning of the ages before it was made known to him (obviously by the Lord Jesus Christ) of 'whom the WHOLE FAMILY in heaven and earth is named ' (3:15). As Paul had to undergo great trials to preach this message, all the true disciples of Jesus Christ who obey His commission to do likewise can expect the same.
The question is, 'Are you willing to pay the price to complete the Work of God in these last days?' Do not let Satan deceive you of the truth and keep you in limbo. I can say with confidence from the bottom of my heart, 'I am willing'. For when you truly grasp God's Family Vision for mankind in general and for you in particular, nothing else matters. Amen.
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