Sunday, April 29, 2012

RELIGIOUS DECEPTION

The level of religious deception in the whole wide world is so pervasive and deep that many prophetic warnings reverberating across Scriptures are exactly spot on for time such as this. God warns through Hosea that My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (ignorance because they are being deceived)- Hosea 4:6 & Isaiah 5:13. The Lord Christ pointed out categorically in the Olivet prophecy to His close disciples (Matt 24:4-5) to 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ", and will deceive many.'

Throughout the centuries since then, many have misrepresented God in His work and Christ in His teachings and Gospel message carved out for the true church to do. Many leaders have flippantly misuse God's name to do this and that without biblical basis. The book of Jeremiah is filled with prophecies for the end time as we are now undergoing with strong rebuke for the corrupt religious leaders guilty of deceiving the people of God for working out their own agendas by misusing the name of Christ (Jer 5:31). They have simply worshipped the works of their own hands (Jer 1:16) but using the name of Christainity to lend credibility to deceive the masses! Unless they repent before their physical death or the coming Great Tribulation, whichever comes first, such religious leaders will face a bleak eternal future that includes weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 24:51).

Many are unaware that Rev 6:1-2 reveals a counterfeit Christianity representing a man with a bow sitting on a white horse, going out conquering and to conquer. The true Jesus Christ (reveals in Rev 19:11-15) is One sitting on a white horse wearing many crowns (not just a crown) with a sharp sword out of His mouth (not a bow in his hand)) Who will return to rule (and not just conquering). The true church of Jesus Christ is represented in the Bible as a woman (Rev 12:1). The symbol of a bow has a subtle reference to Nimrod, who was  a great hunter out conquering, and founded the ancient city Babylon and the Babylonian Empire which was the seat of the Babylonian Mystery religion (Rev 17:5). The rider in Revelation 6 and the One in Revelation 19 are two opposing individuals showing two distinct spectrum of time. Revelation 6 shows a false Christ (another Christ) with a false gospel (different gospel)- 2 Cor 11:4 - while Revelation 19 reveals the true Jesus Christ with the true gospel, founded and leading the true church in all its power and glory until He returns.

To be authentic, the false Christ and gospel have to look real, just like a counterfeit US dollar or a Rolex watch to deceive the unwary. In the last days, these false ministers and prophets are so prevalent that they are everywhere as Christ rightly warned in Matthew 24: 24-26, 'For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFOREHAND. Therefore, if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!", do not go out, or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it.' Here Christ is warning His people that many false ministers and prophets will attempt to work miracles to lure the gullible - do not fall into their trap. Although the counterfeit Christianity system has been fairly entrenched since the third and fourth century, it will be greater in power and intensity at the close of the church age - as Satan had been cast out of the domain of heaven (Rev 12:9-10) and is upping his ante before relinquishing his throne to the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev 11:15)!

The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1,13 warns, ' But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come...evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.'  It seems to me that there will be different kinds and levels of deception - that even deceivers themselves are being deceived by higher level of deception that it will be impossible for most to make any sense of what is going on. Church history shows that after the death of all the first Apostles (the last being Apostle John) and men like Polycarp and Polycrates, much of the truth of the Bible were rejected as 'Judaizing' and taken over by false teachers and replaced with man's practices to appease the majority. Hence, the overwhelming majority of the teachings in traditional Christianity today are variations of the Babylonian Mystery Religion adopted by religious leaders throughout the early centuries and formalised as 'biblical truth'! Much of the writings of the early church leaders like Justin Martyr and Jerome were ideas adopted from Simon Magus (Acts 8:18-20), a magician who founded a heretical movement that influenced the doctrine of most false churches today!

The famous Roman general Constantine, who later became the emperor, subsequently convened the ecumenial Council in Nicea in 325 AD also outlaw true Christianity for political and selfish reasons to consolidate his power in the Roman Empire. For purpose of unity and compromise to rally different groups together, the truth of Scriptures were booted out and many false doctrines were introduced. Teachings like Sunday worship to replace the true Sabbath on Saturday (he was an avid sun worshipper) and the preaching of the gospel about the person of Christ, instead of the true gospel of the kingdom of God that He was sent by God the Father to proclaim to mankind, were made mandatory. Pagan holidays were introduced as part of Christian festivities and 'holy days'. The false doctrine of the trinity was also introduced to conceal God's plan of expanding His divine Family forever (Isaiah 9:6-7). Those who refused to conform were forced into exile and many leaders of the true church were captured, tortured and martyred - just as Christ prophesied in Matthew 24:9. As much of prophecy is a duality, what had happened is a typology of events yet to come - in the coming Great Tribulation!

When Martin Luther came onto the scene in the 1500s, he saw the corruption and brutality of the counterfeit church system. The Protestant Reformation was birth then and now the Babylonian Religious system has 'many daughters' born out of that system. Today, there are thousands of denominations and sects calling themselves Protestants churches. But things are coming full circle with the ecumenical movement gaining grounds on the Charismatic platform, moving towards unity and 'coming home' to the mother church. The false religious system is spreading through false conversion and false hope all propagated by men in the name of Christ! The anti-Christ and false prophet will arise from the Beast with 'bow and arrows' to unleash war and bloodshed to fight Christ on His imminent return! Only those who understand and believe the truth will watch and pray... and be counted worthy to escape all these things (Luke 21:36)!

















Saturday, April 14, 2012

PURPOSE OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH

The true Church of Jesus Christ bears the name of  'The Church of God' - which is mentioned twelve times in the New Testament (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 1:2, 10:32, 11:16, 11:22, 15:9; 2 Cor 1:1; Gal 1:13; 1 Tim 3:5, 3:15; 1 Thess 2:14; 2 Thess 1:4). Jesus Christ Himself promised that he will build His church and it could never be destroyed (Matt 16:18). It is worthy to note that He did not say 'churches' - meaning to say that there is only one true church, and by definition, to the exclusion of all others who are outside the rule and government of God. The word 'churches' is used only to identify one from another within the same body with the same doctrine and purpose - not those of differing denominations and doctrinal persuasions, often conflicting ones!

According to the Bible and authenticated through church history, there are seven church eras, namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodiceans (Rev chapters 2 & 3) in that order of time. These seven cities were located on a mail route in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. They reflect the time of the founding of the Church by Christ in AD 31 to His Second Coming. Apart from the eras of Smyrna and Philadelphia, all the other five eras have their unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems that eventually led to their downfall. However, each time when that happened, God has raised up a leader for the Church to enter the subsequent era. We are now in the final era of the Laodiceans - the lukewarm Church which will be spitted out of the mouth of Christ to face the Great Tribulation!

Due to apostasy, division and egoistic leaders, the Church has failed to proclaim the Gospel according to Jesus Christ for some nineteen centuries since about AD 50 to AD 1953, until God raised up Herbert W. Armstrong to proclaim the true Gospel of the kingdom of God. What has been preached all along is the Gospel about the person of Christ, and most churches wrongly assumed it is the same as the kingdom of God. The Gospel of the kingdom has been preached by the prophets in the Old Testament and by Christ even before His crucifixion. As the Apostle Paul rightly expected before it happened, 'But even if our gospel is veiled (hidden), it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.' (2 Cor 4:3-4)

The purpose of the Church is NOT to convert all unbelievers into Christianity in this age. While Christ was on earth, there was no attempt by Him to invite people to believe in Him. He simply drafted twelve men to be His disciples - all called by God the Father (John 6:44). If the Church is the instrument of God to save the world, then all humanity outside of Israel before the time of Christ were doomed! The word ekklesia in the New Testament Greek means the called-out ones - an assembly, a congregation, a gathering or a group. In the Old Testament Church, it was a 'congregation of Israel'. However, the true Church has the sanctity of the name Church of God - used twelve times in the New Testament. Simply put, when Christ said in Matthew 16:18 - I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it - He was saying that He will call out of Satan's world disciples, to grow into an altogether new and different world, which will be God's kingdom. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church (Eph 5:23).

The Church was created for the divine purpose of saving the whole of humanity, but in accordance to God's Master Plan and time order.Those who are called out of this world and into His church now are being called for a specific purpose and for a specific work (1 Cor 12:18). The specific purpose and work is to be trained in the government of God to prepare for the time when all of humanity will be converted to God's way of righteousness. The time will come for the salvation of mankind when Satan is removed from his throne (Rev 20:1-3) and Christ installed as King and the born again saints made immortal as kings to rule and reign on earth (Rev 11:15). Christ will be the King of kings and Lord of lords - Rev 19:16 - (kings - those who are called to form the true Church in this age and lords - those who will be converted in the Millennial age to come).

Jesus did not come to save Satan's world while Satan is still on his throne (2 Cor 4:4). The time for the salvation of all humanity is yet ahead. So why did Jesus Christ come some two thousand years ago to earth. He came for the following reasons:

1. To qualify to rule where the first Adam failed, and to replace Satan on the throne at His Second Coming.
2. To proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God - the future establishment of God's government on earth to be ruled by His divine Family.
3. To die for the sins of mankind so that we all can have eternal life with God in eternity through His resurrection.
4. To establish the Church of God to be trained to rule and reign under Christ.

Satan's world is filled with deception, strife and violence, envy and coveteousness, vanity and self-centredness - all contrary to the righteous laws of God's government. Since then, mankind has been on collision course with God. Despite all the mounting problems and disasters mankind is facing, man is unrepentant and like a Titanic heading toward the coming Great Tribulation (the wrath of Satan) and the Day of the Lord (God's wrath). The Good News is after all that, there will be a new world dawning with God intervening in the affairs of man, with Christ and His immortal saints ruling and reigning on earth. The true Church (firstfruits) is the Bride who will eventually marry the Lord Jesus Christ at His Return (Rev 19:7-9) to become His 'help meet' (Genesis 2:18). God the Father, God the Son and His Bride will form the divine Family that will rule the universe for all eternity. The Apostle Paul put it succinctly in Romans 8:19, 'For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God'.