The time of Sardis is the fifth era of God's church. The period of 1,260 years, in which the true church of God took flight from persecution of the Roman Church, starts from AD 325, at the time of the Nicean Council till about AD 1585. Subsequently, in 1586-1587, England became free from the yoke of Catholicism with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Other Catholic monarchs appeared in later years, but they were unable to restore Catholic power in England.
In Revelation 3:4, we find Christ's commendation, 'You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.' An ex-Catholic priest, Francis David led a small flock that held on to the truth. He was imprisoned and died in AD 1579. Following on his work was a Hungarian nobleman named Andreas Eossi. He studied the Bible diligently, and led his group faithfully to live and practise the whole Bible - both the teachings of the Old as well as the New Testaments. They understood the Sabbath to be the seventh day of the week, typifying the seventh thousand years (since the creation of Adam and Eve) when they will rule and reign with Christ when He returns to set up His Government on earth.
This group also observed the annual Sabbaths or Holy Days. The Seven annual festivals were given to Old Testament Israel and were ordained forever. Their true meaning had long remained a hidden mystery. They pictured God's plan of redemption - the divine plan by which God is reproducing Himself! This is God's vision for mankind but tragically most within the church still don't get it. No wonder Proverbs 29:18 warns, 'Where there is no vision (of God's Family Government in the Kingdom of God), the people perish (some are eternally lost because of such ignorance); but he that keepeth the law (God's law for righteousness), happy is he (because they will be amply rewarded for eternity).' (KJV).
The Passover pictures the death of Christ in payment for the penalty of human sin repented of (overcome the penalty of sin - death). The seven days of the Festival of Unleavened Bread picture the Church coming out of sin (called out), even as Israel came out of Egypt (Exodus to the Promise Land). The Day of Pentecost, originally called Feast of Firstfruits, pictures the Church as the first to be begotten and born as children of God during the Church age (Firstfruits harvest called out of this evil world presently ruled by Satan). The Feast of Trumpets pictures the Second Coming of Christ to take over the earth's throne (currently held by Queen Elizabeth II of England) and to rule all nations (The Good News when Satan will be dethroned and Christ enthroned). The Day of Atonement pictures the putting away of Satan (bound for one thousand years). The Feast of Tabernacles pictures the thousand-year reign under the rule of Christ and the born children of God (born again resurrected saints who will inherit the Kingdom of God). The Final Great Day pictured the final judgment of all mankind who had ever lived (The Great White Throne).
These faithful followers understood that the pagan holidays such as Christmas and Easter were purely the inventions of popes! The Prophet Daniel in Daniel 7:25 rightly prophesied that the kings of the fourth kingdom (The Roman Empire, later known as the Holy Roman Empire because of the influence of the Roman Church), 'shall persecute the saints of the Most High and shall intend to change the times and law (God's law)'. History had proven these prophecies to be right on target. As there is often a duality in Bible prophecy, the worst persecutions for the people of God lie ahead, unless they repent of their unrighteousness before the time of the coming Great Tribulation!
God's Work was sometimes continued through certain families. One such family was the Stennett family who provided four generations of ministers to the Church of God in England. Then came the Bampfield brothers - Francis and Thomas - who wrote and published books on the Sabbath, creation and laws of God in AD 1675. Unfortunately, in spite of the preaching from the faithful men of God, the Sardis group compromised by 'showing love' for differing views and doctrines. Such practice eventually led the Sardis era spiritually dead.
The Church in England, eventually slipped from the truth of God and diminished in the late 1600s. Many wary Christians fled to the New World, to escape the persecution. Some of the remnants of the Church of God migrated to America by the late 1600s. The first record of these was a group led by Steven Mumford who began to preach among the Baptists in Newport, Rhode Island.
Around the time of 1818, most of the Sabbath-keeping congregations in the United States agreed to merge under the banner of the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference. Around this time in 1844, the defunct Adventist movement began to gather momentum and shown interest in the Sabbath. The majority began to follow a woman named Ellen G. White, whom most deemed to be their prophetess. By 1860, they chose to change their name to be called 'Seventh Day Adventists'. However, they are by no means the true Church of God.
There were political infighting among members of the Church of God leading to the split in 1933. Nonetheless, many European Christians enjoyed for over a hundred years of religious freedom in America granted by the charter of William Penn, which later extended to other colonies. As they continued to depend upon the laws of man rather the the laws of God, many drifted away from the truth they were once taught. God had to close the Sardis era to usher in another era that will transform the Church of God like never before.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
THE AGE OF THYATIRA
The Age of Thyatira is revealed to us in Revelation 2:18-29. The period and area in this era is rich in history, concerning its ties with the apostolic church. The original apostles of Peter, John and Paul had evangelized the southern part of France, and so was Lazarus and others who spent the remainder part of their lives serving in these areas.
Some of the truths spreading in these areas were handed down by the Bogomils or Paulicians. Inspite of severe persecutions from the Church of Rome, the teachings of the true Church of God continued to thrive. The Vaudois, or Waldenses formed the main group in this era and they fled across the Alps and many settled in the valleys to find safety in Germany, England, France, Italy and other countries. The name 'Vaudois' means 'Valley Dwellers', and they practised the true faith as taught to them in the Bible such as the observance of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, immersion for baptism and kept the Passover, or the Lord's Supper.
These thirteen -century 'Valley Dwellers' had fled the papal church's wrath, but were protected by God in the Waldensian wilderness. The Waldenses were among the first Europeans to obtain, before the Reformation, the complete Bible in the Manuscript of their own tongue. Because they had the unadulterated truth, they became the objects of hatred and persecution. For about a thousand years, the Waldenses maintained the truth of God faithfully by passing them on from father to son.
Two great disciples of Christ - Peter de Bruys and his disciple Henry of Lausanne - became great evangelists in winning many Catholics (including some officials) over to the true Church of God. They made no apologies in denouncing the practices that are contrary to the Word of God.
Unfortunately, both were martyred. Peter was burned to death in 1125 and Henry died in prison in 1149.
The man Christ appointed to succeed Him in this period of time was a wealthy merchant named Peter Waldo. He invested much time and money to study the Word of God and had the Scriptures translated into the vernacular. He also gave much of his wealth to the poor, following the teaching of Matthew 19:21. Revelation 2:19 gives a brief description of what transpired in this era during the leadership of Peter Waldo, 'I know your works, love, service, faith and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.'
Peter Waldo brought his skills as a successful businessman to the organization and Work of God. Many saw his faith and dedication began to rally behind him to fulfill the Work of God in this Thyatira Era. Peter Waldo began preaching in AD 1161 with much success. His work continued in northern France and then moved on to Flanders and Holland.
The Waldenses were well known for their knowledge of the Bible. Ministers committed to memory the gospels of Matthew to John, all the letters of Paul, and the Psalms and Proverbs. Youths were also taught to commit to memory entire chapters and later, even the entire bible. This was seen as a precaution against the Catholics who sought to destroy their bibles by fire.
Sadly, when Pope Innocent III came on the scene, he set up the infamous Inquisition to complete the job of eliminating religious objections. Torture and death were the order of the day and thousands of true believers died for failure to compromise or recant of their beliefs. Waldo and his co-workers moved into Germany and Bohemia to evangelize inspite of the intense persecution. Between 1161-1180, Waldo's work was centred around Lyons and much of southern France. For the next nineteen years from 1180-1199, his work expanded to virtually every region of Europe with great success.
After the death of Waldo in 1218 and the split of the Waldenses, the ministry suffered. In 1229, the Council of Toulouse ruled against the reading of the Bible - and the Inquisition enforced it by torture and fire! In 1242, the ban to read the Bible was even extended to include the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church! Some of the Waldenses, in their weakness, compromised with the 'Jezebel' of the Middle Ages - the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, the verse in Revelation 2:20, 'Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immortality and eat things sacrificed to idols.'
However, there were many martyrs who would rather choose death than recant their beliefs and renounce their way of life. Choosing instead to die and obtain a better resurrection. Pope Innocent III targeted the Waldenses, and authorized the monks to frame the court process to deliver the supposed heretics to torture and death. The beginning of the thirteenth century saw thousands of innocent Christians hanged and burned to death, whose sole crime was putting their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to renounce all form of idolatry, superstitution and self-righteousness!
The major labor of love during the Thyatira Era was the translation and copying of the Scriptures. Most of the manuscripts that the Catholic Church had confiscated and stored in the monasteries and the cathedrals were ultimately traceable to the work of the Church of God.
In the Netherlands the Waldenses were known as the Lollards, headed by Walter the Lollard and his brother Raymond. They brought the gospel to England with much success. The development of the Gutenberg Bible, one of the first books printed, was a breakthrough that quickly spread to Holland, England and all over Europe. The New Testamant version with the greatest demand was none other than the one first developed by the Waldenses in the vernacular version. The Thyatira Era was remembered as the period that started the impulse to spread the Word of God to all who would listen and embrace the truth.
The 1,260 years of the Church in the wilderness came to a close in the late 1500s. Intense persecution finally took a toll on the Waldenses. Together with the Lollards and the Church of God, they completed a great work which Christ readily approved (Revelation 2:25-26).
Some of the truths spreading in these areas were handed down by the Bogomils or Paulicians. Inspite of severe persecutions from the Church of Rome, the teachings of the true Church of God continued to thrive. The Vaudois, or Waldenses formed the main group in this era and they fled across the Alps and many settled in the valleys to find safety in Germany, England, France, Italy and other countries. The name 'Vaudois' means 'Valley Dwellers', and they practised the true faith as taught to them in the Bible such as the observance of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, immersion for baptism and kept the Passover, or the Lord's Supper.
These thirteen -century 'Valley Dwellers' had fled the papal church's wrath, but were protected by God in the Waldensian wilderness. The Waldenses were among the first Europeans to obtain, before the Reformation, the complete Bible in the Manuscript of their own tongue. Because they had the unadulterated truth, they became the objects of hatred and persecution. For about a thousand years, the Waldenses maintained the truth of God faithfully by passing them on from father to son.
Two great disciples of Christ - Peter de Bruys and his disciple Henry of Lausanne - became great evangelists in winning many Catholics (including some officials) over to the true Church of God. They made no apologies in denouncing the practices that are contrary to the Word of God.
Unfortunately, both were martyred. Peter was burned to death in 1125 and Henry died in prison in 1149.
The man Christ appointed to succeed Him in this period of time was a wealthy merchant named Peter Waldo. He invested much time and money to study the Word of God and had the Scriptures translated into the vernacular. He also gave much of his wealth to the poor, following the teaching of Matthew 19:21. Revelation 2:19 gives a brief description of what transpired in this era during the leadership of Peter Waldo, 'I know your works, love, service, faith and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.'
Peter Waldo brought his skills as a successful businessman to the organization and Work of God. Many saw his faith and dedication began to rally behind him to fulfill the Work of God in this Thyatira Era. Peter Waldo began preaching in AD 1161 with much success. His work continued in northern France and then moved on to Flanders and Holland.
The Waldenses were well known for their knowledge of the Bible. Ministers committed to memory the gospels of Matthew to John, all the letters of Paul, and the Psalms and Proverbs. Youths were also taught to commit to memory entire chapters and later, even the entire bible. This was seen as a precaution against the Catholics who sought to destroy their bibles by fire.
Sadly, when Pope Innocent III came on the scene, he set up the infamous Inquisition to complete the job of eliminating religious objections. Torture and death were the order of the day and thousands of true believers died for failure to compromise or recant of their beliefs. Waldo and his co-workers moved into Germany and Bohemia to evangelize inspite of the intense persecution. Between 1161-1180, Waldo's work was centred around Lyons and much of southern France. For the next nineteen years from 1180-1199, his work expanded to virtually every region of Europe with great success.
After the death of Waldo in 1218 and the split of the Waldenses, the ministry suffered. In 1229, the Council of Toulouse ruled against the reading of the Bible - and the Inquisition enforced it by torture and fire! In 1242, the ban to read the Bible was even extended to include the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church! Some of the Waldenses, in their weakness, compromised with the 'Jezebel' of the Middle Ages - the Roman Catholic Church. Hence, the verse in Revelation 2:20, 'Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immortality and eat things sacrificed to idols.'
However, there were many martyrs who would rather choose death than recant their beliefs and renounce their way of life. Choosing instead to die and obtain a better resurrection. Pope Innocent III targeted the Waldenses, and authorized the monks to frame the court process to deliver the supposed heretics to torture and death. The beginning of the thirteenth century saw thousands of innocent Christians hanged and burned to death, whose sole crime was putting their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to renounce all form of idolatry, superstitution and self-righteousness!
The major labor of love during the Thyatira Era was the translation and copying of the Scriptures. Most of the manuscripts that the Catholic Church had confiscated and stored in the monasteries and the cathedrals were ultimately traceable to the work of the Church of God.
In the Netherlands the Waldenses were known as the Lollards, headed by Walter the Lollard and his brother Raymond. They brought the gospel to England with much success. The development of the Gutenberg Bible, one of the first books printed, was a breakthrough that quickly spread to Holland, England and all over Europe. The New Testamant version with the greatest demand was none other than the one first developed by the Waldenses in the vernacular version. The Thyatira Era was remembered as the period that started the impulse to spread the Word of God to all who would listen and embrace the truth.
The 1,260 years of the Church in the wilderness came to a close in the late 1500s. Intense persecution finally took a toll on the Waldenses. Together with the Lollards and the Church of God, they completed a great work which Christ readily approved (Revelation 2:25-26).
Sunday, October 26, 2008
THE TIME OF PERGAMOS
The message to Pergamos starts in Revelation 2:13, 'I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed amony you, where Satan dwells.' The Church in the Eastern Roman Empire migrated to the regions in and around Armenia. This was close to Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire.
The phrase in verse 13 - 'where Satan's throne is' - implies that the Church was located at the seat of Satan's government. The city of Pergamos, representing this era, was the centre of the Babylon Mysteries Religion in Asia Minor. Anciently, this region had been the northern areas of Nimrod's Kingdom, and also the homeland of Balaam, one of the many priests of this mystery religion.
Antipas the faithful martyr was probably Constantine of Mananali, the first leader of the Paulicians - a group of faithful followers devoted to the writings and character of the Apostle Paul. Many followers of false creeds and religions were either converted to the truth or were 'sympathizers to the cause' of the Paulicians. Constantine was stoned to death by a traitor named Justus at the order of a Roman officer named Simeon, despatched by the Byzantine Emperor to squash the Paulicians. Simeon was so moved by the reality of the faith of Constantine and his followers that he was converted to become a faithful believer of the truth, much like the Apostle Paul. After having continued the work of Constantine for about three years, Simeon was betrayed by Justus before Emperor Justinian II and burned at the stake.
In the decades and centuries that followed, the Paulicians flourished under able and dedicated leaders such as Paul, Genesius and Joseph. However, many of the original writings of the Paulicians were destroyed and burnt. Only the Key of Truth, hidden for centuries was preserved. Sadly, they were mistranslated centuries later by Gnostic and Catholic writers that negatively corrupted some of the writings of the orthodox fathers from which many Protestant literatures were influenced. For example, the Paulicians rightly believed the the devil is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Rev 12:9), and that human nature is dominant on earth. Unfortunately, either through ignorance or duplicity, many of the orthodox fathers like Origen, Eusebius and Athanasius (student of Origen) and Jerome wrote that the 'god of this world' to mean the 'God of heaven'.
A summary of the Paulicians' doctrines, found in the Key of Truth, can be summarized here as follows:
1. They baptized only adults, citing Christ's example. He was 30 years old when baptized.
2. They did not baptize in a font, but by immersion.
3. They believed that Christ, although crucified for man, did not command adoration of the cross.
4. They did no believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, the mother of jesus, nor did they consider that she was a mediatrix.
5. They were characterized by their obedience to the Ten Commandments and believed that a Christian knows Christ and keeps God's Law.
6. They rejected the Catholic mass, communion and confession.
7. They believed that the Church was not a building, but a body of believers.
8. They believed that true repentance was a prerequisite for baptism.
Christ's warning to the church in the Pergamos era went on in Revelation 2:14-15, 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolatians, which thing I hate.' The 'prophet Balaam' was used to practise things that are in defiance of God - to the extent that he thought he could get away with. The doctrine of the Nicolaitians was that of unrestrained indulgence. Practices like attending mass and other Catholic rituals eventually cause them to let their guards down and soon many would revert to the values and practices of this world. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes went even further where the practices of Balaam had let off - even to extent of wholesale abandonment of God's law!
Another significant group that constitute the true church of God within the 1,260 years of the Church in the wilderness (Rev 12:6) is the Bogomils. They are located in the Balkans, and Bulgaria in particular. They opposed Mary worship, infant baptism and all the Catholic rituals. Like the Paulicians, they strongly opposed the doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation - the Catholic belief that the bread and wine of the communion became the real flesh and blood of Christ. They believed that Christ came to overcome Satan and hence qualified to rule the world after His Second Coming to set up the Millennial Kingdom. Intense persecution was a daily occurrence as it was for those brethren who had gone on before them.
One of the great leaders of the Bogomils was Basil. Together with his twelve ministers, they had great success in evangelizing the region of the Balkans. So successful were they that Emperor Alexius Comnenus from Constantinople felt threatened that he plotted to entrap Basil and his ministers. Eventually, Basil and many of his faithful disciples were burned alive for refusing to renounce their beliefs and way of life. Subsequently, their remnants became known as the Paterines who continued the work of the true Church of God.
For the next few centuries, the work of the Church of God was focused in the south and western part of France, northern Italy and Switzerland which would then usher in the Thyatira Era.
The phrase in verse 13 - 'where Satan's throne is' - implies that the Church was located at the seat of Satan's government. The city of Pergamos, representing this era, was the centre of the Babylon Mysteries Religion in Asia Minor. Anciently, this region had been the northern areas of Nimrod's Kingdom, and also the homeland of Balaam, one of the many priests of this mystery religion.
Antipas the faithful martyr was probably Constantine of Mananali, the first leader of the Paulicians - a group of faithful followers devoted to the writings and character of the Apostle Paul. Many followers of false creeds and religions were either converted to the truth or were 'sympathizers to the cause' of the Paulicians. Constantine was stoned to death by a traitor named Justus at the order of a Roman officer named Simeon, despatched by the Byzantine Emperor to squash the Paulicians. Simeon was so moved by the reality of the faith of Constantine and his followers that he was converted to become a faithful believer of the truth, much like the Apostle Paul. After having continued the work of Constantine for about three years, Simeon was betrayed by Justus before Emperor Justinian II and burned at the stake.
In the decades and centuries that followed, the Paulicians flourished under able and dedicated leaders such as Paul, Genesius and Joseph. However, many of the original writings of the Paulicians were destroyed and burnt. Only the Key of Truth, hidden for centuries was preserved. Sadly, they were mistranslated centuries later by Gnostic and Catholic writers that negatively corrupted some of the writings of the orthodox fathers from which many Protestant literatures were influenced. For example, the Paulicians rightly believed the the devil is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; Rev 12:9), and that human nature is dominant on earth. Unfortunately, either through ignorance or duplicity, many of the orthodox fathers like Origen, Eusebius and Athanasius (student of Origen) and Jerome wrote that the 'god of this world' to mean the 'God of heaven'.
A summary of the Paulicians' doctrines, found in the Key of Truth, can be summarized here as follows:
1. They baptized only adults, citing Christ's example. He was 30 years old when baptized.
2. They did not baptize in a font, but by immersion.
3. They believed that Christ, although crucified for man, did not command adoration of the cross.
4. They did no believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, the mother of jesus, nor did they consider that she was a mediatrix.
5. They were characterized by their obedience to the Ten Commandments and believed that a Christian knows Christ and keeps God's Law.
6. They rejected the Catholic mass, communion and confession.
7. They believed that the Church was not a building, but a body of believers.
8. They believed that true repentance was a prerequisite for baptism.
Christ's warning to the church in the Pergamos era went on in Revelation 2:14-15, 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolatians, which thing I hate.' The 'prophet Balaam' was used to practise things that are in defiance of God - to the extent that he thought he could get away with. The doctrine of the Nicolaitians was that of unrestrained indulgence. Practices like attending mass and other Catholic rituals eventually cause them to let their guards down and soon many would revert to the values and practices of this world. The doctrine of the Nicolaitanes went even further where the practices of Balaam had let off - even to extent of wholesale abandonment of God's law!
Another significant group that constitute the true church of God within the 1,260 years of the Church in the wilderness (Rev 12:6) is the Bogomils. They are located in the Balkans, and Bulgaria in particular. They opposed Mary worship, infant baptism and all the Catholic rituals. Like the Paulicians, they strongly opposed the doctrines of the trinity and transubstantiation - the Catholic belief that the bread and wine of the communion became the real flesh and blood of Christ. They believed that Christ came to overcome Satan and hence qualified to rule the world after His Second Coming to set up the Millennial Kingdom. Intense persecution was a daily occurrence as it was for those brethren who had gone on before them.
One of the great leaders of the Bogomils was Basil. Together with his twelve ministers, they had great success in evangelizing the region of the Balkans. So successful were they that Emperor Alexius Comnenus from Constantinople felt threatened that he plotted to entrap Basil and his ministers. Eventually, Basil and many of his faithful disciples were burned alive for refusing to renounce their beliefs and way of life. Subsequently, their remnants became known as the Paterines who continued the work of the true Church of God.
For the next few centuries, the work of the Church of God was focused in the south and western part of France, northern Italy and Switzerland which would then usher in the Thyatira Era.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
THE SMYRNA ERA
The Bible is about one-third prophecies, and of these almost ninety percent of the prophecies are for these last days. This is because of the principle of duality in biblical prophecy where one aspect of a particular prophecy had been fulfilled and another aspect has yet to be fulfilled until the end times of which we are currently in now. This dual principle is clearly seen in 1 John 2:19, 'They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.' Not only were defections and heresies prevalent in the early centuries following the death of the first apostles, they are equally prevalent now in these days just before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
After the death of John at the close of the first century AD, his faithful disciple Polycarp succeeded him in preserving the truth of God handed down from the Apostles. Polycarp turned many from heresy to the true church of God. He presided over the Church for over fifty years and was finally martyred by being burnt at the stake at Smyrna in AD 155.
Polycarp's successor, Polycrates, carried on the work of the true church of God with zeal and courage inspite of mounting opposition from detractors loyal to the Bishop of Rome in observing the Passover according to Scriptural manner.
During the Smyrna Era, the term Ebionites - meaning paupers - came into existence. These are the poor and destitutes who constitute the true and faithful disciples of the Lord. Christ commended them in Revelation 2:9, 'I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.' This false church, started by the Samaritans, grew so strong that it was able to influence, and later dominate the Roman government.
The prophetic proclaimation of tribulation for 'ten days' (Rev 2:10) was actually a ten year period (based on the principle of using the day-for-a-year principle of Numbers 14:34) inflicted from 303-313 AD under the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was during this period of the beginning of the Dark Ages that the pastors and deacons of the church turned to worldliness and compromises on the truth taught by the early apostles. According to church historians, some ten thousand died as martyrs in Britain - many tragically after much torture.
According to church history, there were three splinters during this period. The first group accepted the original apostolic teachings to the letter, including the Nazarenes of the Pella area, later named as Ebionites. The second splinter was somewhat Pharisaical, rejecting the teachings and writings of the Apostle Paul. The third splinter group adopted the Gnostic doctrine, and became the liberals.
The Gnostic liberals were skilled at twisting the meaning of Scriptures in their preachings to justify their action or inaction through the use of allegory. The warnings in Matthew 24:4, 11 & 24 about deceptions and false prophets/teachings were meant not just for the Smyrna church, but also for the Laodicean church of these last days. The duality of biblical prophecy shows that these liberals are upon us again - coming full circle at the close of this present age. It is simply amazing that after all these centuries, their spirtual descendants are still around!
The growth of sects and false doctrines like the doctrine of the trinity were spreading indirectly under the patronage of the Roman Caesar, Constantine. Before his victory at the Battle of Mulvian Bridge outside Rome, Constantine was said to have a vision of the first two letters of the name of 'Christ' (in Greek are "X' and "P") and heard a voice telling him that he would conquer with this sign. Despite being a sun worshipper (sunday as holiday), Constantine issued the Edict of Toleration which gave Christianity legality in the Roman Empire. This ended the ten years of severe persecution against the true church and gave rise to false Christianity which ultimately enshrined in Roman Catholicism.
In AD 325, Constantine convened the ecumenical council of Nicea to resolve doctrinal differences between the various Christian denominations. As sun worshipper, he decreed that Sunday as a public holiday be kept throughout the Roman Empire instead of Saturday which is the actual Sabbath. Such 'mariage of convenience' between the Church at Rome and the state (Roman Empire) was initiated by Constantine and decreed as state religion for political reason - unification of the empire. Hence, anyone who objected were persecuted and forced into exile.
Faced with such decree, the true church of God had no choice but to flee. Revelation 12:6 prophesied, 'Then the woman (church) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.' According to the biblical principle of prophecy of the day-for-a-year principle, the Church was to be in the wilderness for 1,260 years from AD 325 until AD 1585. The rest of the Smyrna Era saw many true disciples migrated to the north and east into Armenia and Cappadocia. Some even went to the west, far and away from the influence of the authority in Rome. The end of which ushers the church into the Pergamos Era.
After the death of John at the close of the first century AD, his faithful disciple Polycarp succeeded him in preserving the truth of God handed down from the Apostles. Polycarp turned many from heresy to the true church of God. He presided over the Church for over fifty years and was finally martyred by being burnt at the stake at Smyrna in AD 155.
Polycarp's successor, Polycrates, carried on the work of the true church of God with zeal and courage inspite of mounting opposition from detractors loyal to the Bishop of Rome in observing the Passover according to Scriptural manner.
During the Smyrna Era, the term Ebionites - meaning paupers - came into existence. These are the poor and destitutes who constitute the true and faithful disciples of the Lord. Christ commended them in Revelation 2:9, 'I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.' This false church, started by the Samaritans, grew so strong that it was able to influence, and later dominate the Roman government.
The prophetic proclaimation of tribulation for 'ten days' (Rev 2:10) was actually a ten year period (based on the principle of using the day-for-a-year principle of Numbers 14:34) inflicted from 303-313 AD under the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was during this period of the beginning of the Dark Ages that the pastors and deacons of the church turned to worldliness and compromises on the truth taught by the early apostles. According to church historians, some ten thousand died as martyrs in Britain - many tragically after much torture.
According to church history, there were three splinters during this period. The first group accepted the original apostolic teachings to the letter, including the Nazarenes of the Pella area, later named as Ebionites. The second splinter was somewhat Pharisaical, rejecting the teachings and writings of the Apostle Paul. The third splinter group adopted the Gnostic doctrine, and became the liberals.
The Gnostic liberals were skilled at twisting the meaning of Scriptures in their preachings to justify their action or inaction through the use of allegory. The warnings in Matthew 24:4, 11 & 24 about deceptions and false prophets/teachings were meant not just for the Smyrna church, but also for the Laodicean church of these last days. The duality of biblical prophecy shows that these liberals are upon us again - coming full circle at the close of this present age. It is simply amazing that after all these centuries, their spirtual descendants are still around!
The growth of sects and false doctrines like the doctrine of the trinity were spreading indirectly under the patronage of the Roman Caesar, Constantine. Before his victory at the Battle of Mulvian Bridge outside Rome, Constantine was said to have a vision of the first two letters of the name of 'Christ' (in Greek are "X' and "P") and heard a voice telling him that he would conquer with this sign. Despite being a sun worshipper (sunday as holiday), Constantine issued the Edict of Toleration which gave Christianity legality in the Roman Empire. This ended the ten years of severe persecution against the true church and gave rise to false Christianity which ultimately enshrined in Roman Catholicism.
In AD 325, Constantine convened the ecumenical council of Nicea to resolve doctrinal differences between the various Christian denominations. As sun worshipper, he decreed that Sunday as a public holiday be kept throughout the Roman Empire instead of Saturday which is the actual Sabbath. Such 'mariage of convenience' between the Church at Rome and the state (Roman Empire) was initiated by Constantine and decreed as state religion for political reason - unification of the empire. Hence, anyone who objected were persecuted and forced into exile.
Faced with such decree, the true church of God had no choice but to flee. Revelation 12:6 prophesied, 'Then the woman (church) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.' According to the biblical principle of prophecy of the day-for-a-year principle, the Church was to be in the wilderness for 1,260 years from AD 325 until AD 1585. The rest of the Smyrna Era saw many true disciples migrated to the north and east into Armenia and Cappadocia. Some even went to the west, far and away from the influence of the authority in Rome. The end of which ushers the church into the Pergamos Era.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
HISTORY OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH
Some two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ declared, 'I will build My church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.' (Matthew 16:18). His true Church was prophesied to never die out. No matter how intense the persecution throughout the centuries from the the time it was first founded in AD 31 to the present, there was always a small group of faithful followers, empowered by God's Holy Spirit, to keep the faith alive!
The word "church" , derived from the Greek word ecclesia means to be "called out". This means that the true Church of God is one which has come out of the world because though the true church is in the world, it is not of the world (John 15:19). That explains why the true church was, still is, and will remain the minority till the end of this church age.
Since the birth of the Church from Pentecost to the present, the Church has undergone seven separate and successive eras. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Geographically, these were seven cities located in Asia Minor (now western Turkey) on a mail route in biblical times. The messages in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 on these seven cities/eras are spiritual pattern that span the history of Christs' Church over the two millennia - from AD 31 until the Second Coming of Christ.
Before going into the history of each of these seven church eras, it is appropriate to take a glimpse of what happened immediately after the apostolic era of the church. Perhaps the most influential and most destructive of all false teachers is Simon Magus - the word 'magus' means sorcerer or magician. He is probably one of the first founders of the first century heretical movement that mixed truth with falsehood. Christian writers of the second and subsequent centuries were influenced by his false teachings, including well-known Christian writers like Ignatius, Tertullian and Origen.
Simon Magus - the high priest of the Babylonian religion - was especially attracted to the philosophy of Gnosticism. The Gnostic school of philosophy teaches that all reality could only be understood by those well trained in philosophical reasoning. Extending such logic to biblical interpretation, these Gnostics concluded that all events and commandments recorded in the Bible were mere allegories and metaphors never to be taken literally. Simon Magus used the tricks of Gnosticism to deceive and confuse many of his fellow Samaritans for his own purposes. His infamous name was so well-known that the Encyclopedia Britannica referred to him as the 'Samaritan Messiah' and the 'father of all heresy'.
His work of heresy was set to expand as he travelled from city to city to propagate his own counterfeit brand of Christianity. He propounded the doctrine of grace as the licence to disobey God's law. Hence, in the early formative years of the growth of the true Church of God was this counterfeit movement. Many like Simon Magus claimed to be apostles, but are not. Revelation 2:2 was recorded as a warning to the church in the Ephesus era, 'I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.'
At this juncture, let's look at the ministries of Christ appointed twelve apostles. It is worthy to note that Christ instructed His twelve to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). Again, He reiterated this same statement in Matthew 15:24, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' Because when he comes in His glory, the twelve disciples shall sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28).
Christ chosen twelve apostles were sent to the lost tribes of Israel after ministering in Jerusalem and Judea in the formative years of the church. The rest of the book of Acts records primarily the works of the Apostle Paul and his missions to the Greek and the Romans areas. Since most of the records of the book of Acts were mainly focused in the eastern Mediterranean area from Judea in the east to Rome in the west, much of the work by the other apostles to the lost tribes were left unrecorded. Some bible scholars conjectured that it could be God's purpose to leave the identity of the lost tribes hidden throughout the ages, perhaps until the time of the end.
When the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the invading Assyrian army, they were taken captives and many of them relocated to the areas in and around Assyria and Media. Their place of abode include places like Parthia, Scythia and Armenia. In a period of a few centuries, many had already migrated to the northwest - the present area of Western Europe. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his epistle acknowledged the twelve tribes scattered abroad. The Apostle Peter addressed his opening espistle in 1 Peter 1:1 to the pilgrims scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. All these areas are in the northern part of Asia Minor.
According to highly acclaimed historians of that period, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon Zelotes and Aristobulus planted the true church in Britain. It seems that Joseph of Arimathea played a significant part in the work of the church in Britain. So was Aristobulus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:10), who became the first bishop of Britain.
As was the case throughout the history of God's true church, when there was persecution, the church grew and spread to many regions where it was first preached. One account relates how the Roman Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) summoned the Apostle John to Rome and questioned him about the teachings that Christ was to reign as King and would abolish all human installed governments. John's reply: "You shall reign for many years given you by God, and after you very many others; and when the times of things upon the earth have been fulfilled, out of heaven shall come a King, eternal, true Judge of the living and the dead, to whom every nation and tribe shall conform, through whom every earthly power and dominion shall be brought to nothing, and every mouth speaking great things shall be shut." (Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", page 560-562).
Not too long thereafter, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. It was there that he received the vision from the Lord Christ to record the prophecies of Revelation. Upon his release, John resided in Ephesus for the remaining years of his life. He was the only apostle to die of old age, the rest were martyred.
John's death around AD 100 ended the apostolic era - the most part constituted the Ephesus Era. Polycarp succeeded him and it was then that the Smyrna Era commenced.
The word "church" , derived from the Greek word ecclesia means to be "called out". This means that the true Church of God is one which has come out of the world because though the true church is in the world, it is not of the world (John 15:19). That explains why the true church was, still is, and will remain the minority till the end of this church age.
Since the birth of the Church from Pentecost to the present, the Church has undergone seven separate and successive eras. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Geographically, these were seven cities located in Asia Minor (now western Turkey) on a mail route in biblical times. The messages in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 on these seven cities/eras are spiritual pattern that span the history of Christs' Church over the two millennia - from AD 31 until the Second Coming of Christ.
Before going into the history of each of these seven church eras, it is appropriate to take a glimpse of what happened immediately after the apostolic era of the church. Perhaps the most influential and most destructive of all false teachers is Simon Magus - the word 'magus' means sorcerer or magician. He is probably one of the first founders of the first century heretical movement that mixed truth with falsehood. Christian writers of the second and subsequent centuries were influenced by his false teachings, including well-known Christian writers like Ignatius, Tertullian and Origen.
Simon Magus - the high priest of the Babylonian religion - was especially attracted to the philosophy of Gnosticism. The Gnostic school of philosophy teaches that all reality could only be understood by those well trained in philosophical reasoning. Extending such logic to biblical interpretation, these Gnostics concluded that all events and commandments recorded in the Bible were mere allegories and metaphors never to be taken literally. Simon Magus used the tricks of Gnosticism to deceive and confuse many of his fellow Samaritans for his own purposes. His infamous name was so well-known that the Encyclopedia Britannica referred to him as the 'Samaritan Messiah' and the 'father of all heresy'.
His work of heresy was set to expand as he travelled from city to city to propagate his own counterfeit brand of Christianity. He propounded the doctrine of grace as the licence to disobey God's law. Hence, in the early formative years of the growth of the true Church of God was this counterfeit movement. Many like Simon Magus claimed to be apostles, but are not. Revelation 2:2 was recorded as a warning to the church in the Ephesus era, 'I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.'
At this juncture, let's look at the ministries of Christ appointed twelve apostles. It is worthy to note that Christ instructed His twelve to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6). Again, He reiterated this same statement in Matthew 15:24, 'I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' Because when he comes in His glory, the twelve disciples shall sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28).
Christ chosen twelve apostles were sent to the lost tribes of Israel after ministering in Jerusalem and Judea in the formative years of the church. The rest of the book of Acts records primarily the works of the Apostle Paul and his missions to the Greek and the Romans areas. Since most of the records of the book of Acts were mainly focused in the eastern Mediterranean area from Judea in the east to Rome in the west, much of the work by the other apostles to the lost tribes were left unrecorded. Some bible scholars conjectured that it could be God's purpose to leave the identity of the lost tribes hidden throughout the ages, perhaps until the time of the end.
When the northern kingdom of Israel fell to the invading Assyrian army, they were taken captives and many of them relocated to the areas in and around Assyria and Media. Their place of abode include places like Parthia, Scythia and Armenia. In a period of a few centuries, many had already migrated to the northwest - the present area of Western Europe. James, the brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his epistle acknowledged the twelve tribes scattered abroad. The Apostle Peter addressed his opening espistle in 1 Peter 1:1 to the pilgrims scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. All these areas are in the northern part of Asia Minor.
According to highly acclaimed historians of that period, Joseph of Arimathea, Simon Zelotes and Aristobulus planted the true church in Britain. It seems that Joseph of Arimathea played a significant part in the work of the church in Britain. So was Aristobulus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul (Romans 16:10), who became the first bishop of Britain.
As was the case throughout the history of God's true church, when there was persecution, the church grew and spread to many regions where it was first preached. One account relates how the Roman Emperor Domitian (AD 81-96) summoned the Apostle John to Rome and questioned him about the teachings that Christ was to reign as King and would abolish all human installed governments. John's reply: "You shall reign for many years given you by God, and after you very many others; and when the times of things upon the earth have been fulfilled, out of heaven shall come a King, eternal, true Judge of the living and the dead, to whom every nation and tribe shall conform, through whom every earthly power and dominion shall be brought to nothing, and every mouth speaking great things shall be shut." (Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian", page 560-562).
Not too long thereafter, John was banished to the Isle of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea. It was there that he received the vision from the Lord Christ to record the prophecies of Revelation. Upon his release, John resided in Ephesus for the remaining years of his life. He was the only apostle to die of old age, the rest were martyred.
John's death around AD 100 ended the apostolic era - the most part constituted the Ephesus Era. Polycarp succeeded him and it was then that the Smyrna Era commenced.
Monday, September 15, 2008
MEANING OF TRUE CONVERSION
I have come across several Christian leaders and even pastors who had 'fallen away' from the faith they once held dearly. What actually happened? Could it be that they were never truly converted in the first place? While I can never know for sure, it behooves us to learn and understand what a true conversion really is.
The world defines a Christian as one who 'attends church', 'knows Christ', 'professes Christ' or 'having been baptized'. But Romans 8:14 makes it very clear that a true Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit leading him/her. Otherwise, he/she is none of His (Christ). All those who are truly converted have the Holy Spirit in them, not just with them.
But how does one receives the Spirit of God? Receiving God's Spirit comes upon real repentance and a correct baptism through immersion. The Apostle Peter proclaimed in Acts 2:38, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' . But is 'salvation now finished' in the baptized believer? There is more...much more as conversion is a gradual process of learning, growing and overcoming.
Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew contains seven parables about the Kingdom of God. The first is the 'Sower and the Seed'. Sowing some seed in different locations and types of soil will yield different results. In one case, some seed fell on the wayside and the birds (devil) came and devoured them. Some fell on stony ground, did not take root and withered away. Others fell among thorns and got choked by the cares of this world. Those that fell on good ground yielded good character growth of some thirty, sixty and a hundred fold.
The next parable is the 'Wheat and Tares'. This signifies the 'fruit' of Christian growth and maturity prior to the Lord gathering them into his Kingdom (barn).
The third parable typifies the Kingdom starting off as a 'grain of mustard seed' that grows into a huge tree. This is followed by the parable of leaven, showing God's Kingdom as a leaven spreading until it encompasses all the nations of the earth (dough) . The fifth compares the Kingdom to 'hidden treasures' found in the field. It is so precious that the finder sells all that he has to buy the field.
The parable of the 'pearl of great price' depicts a person sells all that he has in order to raise funds to buy it. The final parable in this chapter describes the Kingdom of God as a 'net' gathering all kinds of fish - both good and bad. The 'good fish' are those who will enter the Kingdom of God while the'bad fish' are those who will be destroyed in the lake of fire.
The message for each of these parable is the same - there is a price to be paid for being a true disciple of Jesus Christ with the ultimate goal of entering the Kingdom of God and be a member of the God Family, ruling and reigning with Him (Rev 3:21). Others like the Parable of the Talent (Matthew 25:14-30), Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27), Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt 22:2-14), Parable of the Ten Virgin (Matt 25:1-13), Parable of the Fig Tree (Luke 13: 6-9) and many more besides - all depict a Christian entering the coming Kingdom of God into the God Family at Christ's Second Coming.
The Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:33 admonishes all His called disciples to 'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness'. The first priority of a true believer is seeking the Kingdom of God. However, he/she must develop God's righteousness, which is the divine character. The Sermon on the Mount goes on to emphasise on character building through obedience to God's law.
John 14:2-3 has been one of the most misunderstood passages of the New Testament gospels as eulogies have often being given at Christian memorial services based on this text - albeit with wrong analogy! "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3).
The literal meaning of these two verses is simply this: there are many offices (positions) in God's Kingdom. Christ is going to heaven to prepare these positions for His disciples before He comes back again (Luke 19:12-27). That is where He will be - on earth (after His Second Coming), not in heaven. And this (earth) will be where His disciples be also. One chapter later in John 15, Christ tells His disciples to bear fruits...and much fruits. He identifies His true disciples by whether they bear fruits in this life so as to qualify them for inheritances (rewards) into the Kingdom of God.
Likewise, the prophet Daniel wrote, 'But the saints (resurrected spirit-beings) of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' (Daniel 7:18). This reward is again reiterated in verses 22 and 27 of the same chapter. Revelations 3:21, 5:10 and 20:4-6 make it unequivocally clear that the resurrected saints of the first resurrection shall become 'kings and priests' who will reign and rule with Christ on earth for a thousand years! The converted true believers are to be trained to prepare for such 'high positions' in the coming Kingdom of God. Proper understanding of the Word of God, coupled with 'trials and tribulations' are part and parcel of the 'training regimen'. No wonder the Apostle Paul warned, 'We must through many tribulations ENTER the kingdom of God.' (Acts 14:22b). And in the early centuries of the history of the true church, thousands of true believers were martyred for their belief in the kingdom of God with no compromise. Some were burned at the stakes, others were thrown to feed hungry wild beasts and many were immersed in boiling oil. Little wonder the Lord Jesus Christ warned in Matthew 11:12, 'And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven (God) suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.'
The world defines a Christian as one who 'attends church', 'knows Christ', 'professes Christ' or 'having been baptized'. But Romans 8:14 makes it very clear that a true Christian is one who has the Holy Spirit leading him/her. Otherwise, he/she is none of His (Christ). All those who are truly converted have the Holy Spirit in them, not just with them.
But how does one receives the Spirit of God? Receiving God's Spirit comes upon real repentance and a correct baptism through immersion. The Apostle Peter proclaimed in Acts 2:38, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit' . But is 'salvation now finished' in the baptized believer? There is more...much more as conversion is a gradual process of learning, growing and overcoming.
Chapter 13 of the Gospel of Matthew contains seven parables about the Kingdom of God. The first is the 'Sower and the Seed'. Sowing some seed in different locations and types of soil will yield different results. In one case, some seed fell on the wayside and the birds (devil) came and devoured them. Some fell on stony ground, did not take root and withered away. Others fell among thorns and got choked by the cares of this world. Those that fell on good ground yielded good character growth of some thirty, sixty and a hundred fold.
The next parable is the 'Wheat and Tares'. This signifies the 'fruit' of Christian growth and maturity prior to the Lord gathering them into his Kingdom (barn).
The third parable typifies the Kingdom starting off as a 'grain of mustard seed' that grows into a huge tree. This is followed by the parable of leaven, showing God's Kingdom as a leaven spreading until it encompasses all the nations of the earth (dough) . The fifth compares the Kingdom to 'hidden treasures' found in the field. It is so precious that the finder sells all that he has to buy the field.
The parable of the 'pearl of great price' depicts a person sells all that he has in order to raise funds to buy it. The final parable in this chapter describes the Kingdom of God as a 'net' gathering all kinds of fish - both good and bad. The 'good fish' are those who will enter the Kingdom of God while the'bad fish' are those who will be destroyed in the lake of fire.
The message for each of these parable is the same - there is a price to be paid for being a true disciple of Jesus Christ with the ultimate goal of entering the Kingdom of God and be a member of the God Family, ruling and reigning with Him (Rev 3:21). Others like the Parable of the Talent (Matthew 25:14-30), Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27), Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matt 22:2-14), Parable of the Ten Virgin (Matt 25:1-13), Parable of the Fig Tree (Luke 13: 6-9) and many more besides - all depict a Christian entering the coming Kingdom of God into the God Family at Christ's Second Coming.
The Lord Jesus in Matthew 6:33 admonishes all His called disciples to 'Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness'. The first priority of a true believer is seeking the Kingdom of God. However, he/she must develop God's righteousness, which is the divine character. The Sermon on the Mount goes on to emphasise on character building through obedience to God's law.
John 14:2-3 has been one of the most misunderstood passages of the New Testament gospels as eulogies have often being given at Christian memorial services based on this text - albeit with wrong analogy! "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:2-3).
The literal meaning of these two verses is simply this: there are many offices (positions) in God's Kingdom. Christ is going to heaven to prepare these positions for His disciples before He comes back again (Luke 19:12-27). That is where He will be - on earth (after His Second Coming), not in heaven. And this (earth) will be where His disciples be also. One chapter later in John 15, Christ tells His disciples to bear fruits...and much fruits. He identifies His true disciples by whether they bear fruits in this life so as to qualify them for inheritances (rewards) into the Kingdom of God.
Likewise, the prophet Daniel wrote, 'But the saints (resurrected spirit-beings) of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.' (Daniel 7:18). This reward is again reiterated in verses 22 and 27 of the same chapter. Revelations 3:21, 5:10 and 20:4-6 make it unequivocally clear that the resurrected saints of the first resurrection shall become 'kings and priests' who will reign and rule with Christ on earth for a thousand years! The converted true believers are to be trained to prepare for such 'high positions' in the coming Kingdom of God. Proper understanding of the Word of God, coupled with 'trials and tribulations' are part and parcel of the 'training regimen'. No wonder the Apostle Paul warned, 'We must through many tribulations ENTER the kingdom of God.' (Acts 14:22b). And in the early centuries of the history of the true church, thousands of true believers were martyred for their belief in the kingdom of God with no compromise. Some were burned at the stakes, others were thrown to feed hungry wild beasts and many were immersed in boiling oil. Little wonder the Lord Jesus Christ warned in Matthew 11:12, 'And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven (God) suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.'
A truly converted Christian keeps God's law, for sin is the transgression of the laws of God (1 John 3:4). Hence, God will only give His Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). Those who don't understand God thinks that His laws and commandments are cumbersome. But God's law is necessary for our own good; and if we have the love of God in us, we will manifest it in our heart and mind in all aspects of our life (Romans 5:5). The repentant mind, under the guidance of God's Spirit, will turn from the 'get' way of life to the 'give' way of life. His/her entire thinking and value system will be transformed to the new way - God's way instead of Satan's way who is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The converted Christian can grow in truth and grace through abiding in Christ (John 15:5). This involves regular bible study and prayer. It is important to ask God for a greater anointing of His Spirit on a regular basis to help in overcoming one's 'trials and tribulations'. However, I must add that this must be done God's way and not those 'Holy Ghost' meetings where 'gibberish tongue' and 'people being slain by the Spirit' are a common occurrence. This is partly due to a mistranslation of 1 Corinthians 12:13. The preposition in the original Greek means 'IN' and not 'by' (Derek Prince - Baptism in the Holy Spirit, page 12). Hence, it should be translated as, 'For IN one Spirit we were all baptized into one body'. All true converts are to be baptized by Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:11). The Holy Spirit is the MEANS through which Jesus Christ baptizes them for the Holy Spirit cannot baptize anyone. There was no record in the history of the true church of such practices for ' getting converts to speak in tongues' - other than those recorded in 1 Corinthians which many failed to understand the reasons why they happened and is not meant to be a precedent for the church!
All these are important because the believer is called out of this world's 'value systems and way of life' to be different and to fight and resist 'Satan's value systems and way of life'. Ephesians chapter 6 provides us the 'spiritual tools ' to do so, 'Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.' (verse 11). It is a warning to us that we are not fighting against 'flesh and blood', but aginst the 'wicked spirits in high places'.
Basically, the converted believer has to 'wage spiritual war' on three fronts. First, Satan wants to defeat every potential son of God who will become a member of God Family if he overcomes. Satan is like a 'roaring lion seeking whom he may devour' (1 Peter 5:8). But we can 'resist him and be steadfast in faith' (verse 9). We must always check our mindset, attitude and intention to resist such attack from the devil and his demons. Second, the glitter and glamour of SOCIETY is indeed the temptations and rewards that cause the downfall of many great people - both within and outside the church. Always remember that this world in this age is still Satan's world and we have to tread very cautiously not to 'fall into his world'. Third, the SELF is oftentimes the greatest 'culprit' of one's own undoing. The lust of the flesh and the pride of life often come in the way of pursuits that are right, honoring and pleasing to the Heavenly Father. Because they that are 'in the flesh cannot please God' (Romans 8:8).
The building of God's divine character is the main reason why you and I were born into this world. For there is no other way to learn and develop divine character than in real life's experiences. The converted true disciple of Christ is to 'put on' the character of God and Christ and to 'put off' the fleshly pulls of human nature (Colossians 3:8-13). I know it is never easy, but for those who overcome the reward is 'way out of this world'. This verse in 1 Corinthains 2:9 rings loud and clear of God's eternal plan for those who love Him, 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. Nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.' For indeed, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
THE GOD FAMILY VISION (3)
In this blog, I will attempt to walk the readers through the plan of God since the first creation of man in the Garden of Eden. Satan deceived Eve to partake of the wrong tree but Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14). Instead, he disobeyed God and sinned deliberately. Such disobedience cut him off from God and opened his mind (and all children born after him) receptive to the lies, perversions and deceptions of Satan. It is God's mercy to seal off the Tree of Life (symbolic of eternal life) after the Fall (Genesis 3:24); or else, sinful man partaking of it will live for all eternity with all the sufferings and pain sins would bring. That would be the mother of all tragedy!
By partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam relied wholly on himself rather than on God. Such self reliance for knowledge and power for performance is like deciding for himself what is good and what is evil, giving rise to self-righteousness. The crafty Satan got Adam through his wife Eve, much like what his strategy is today by deceiving the church through the Laodicean ministers who would rely on their own talents and eloquence to push through any agenda, often under cover as the Work of God!
Since the first Adam failed in his opportunity to unseat the throne of Satan and restore the government of God on earth, Jesus Christ as the second Adam, will return to earth at His Second Coming (after qualifying to rule by overcoming Satan, society and self on His first advent) in supreme power and glory to unseat Satan and rule all the nations of the earth with His saints as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 11:15; 19:16). His reward for the true disciples will be to rule the nations of the earth as their inheritance (Psalms 2:8) in accordance to their works (Luke 19: 12-19; Rev 22:12).
God's vision is to reproduce Himself in humans into His family as the royal SUPERGOVERNMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Only true believer who has the Holy Spirit living inside his/her mind to write the living truth for understanding and obedience will be born again into spirit being in the First Resurrection to enter the Kingdom of God. These resurrected saints - though relatively small in numbers ('little flock' - Luke 12:32; 'little strength' - Rev 3:8) - will rule in the world to come, and after the new heaven and new earth were formed, to rule the whole universe throughout the age of eternity. Make no mistake, God's SuperGovernment of His whole creation is a Family business! But how is God going to accomplish His Masterplan since the world is presently ruled by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) until the Second Coming of Christ? This is a mystery I will attempt to unfold.
By sealing off the Tree of Life, God is cutting off salvation to all of mankind EXCEPT those He has called (John 6:44). These were the prophets and some small group of righteous men and women in the Old Testament days plus the true church of God who are called and chosen (Matthew 20:16, 22:14 - those who respond to His truth in obedience to His laws and commandments). These are the firstfruits of the harvest represented by the priest waving the sheaf before the Lord (Leviticus 23:10).
At this juncture, I need to emphasise that throughout the history of the true church, all true disciples believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and His GOSPEL (Good News) from God the Father of the coming Kingdom of God reigning over the earth after His return. His opening verses on the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:3 & 5 affirms that: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven(God)' and 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'. That is why Jesus' disciples asked Him when will the Kingdom be restored just before His ascent to heaven (Acts: 1:3, 6). Sadly, many ministers are preaching that the Kingdom of God is right 'where you are working, living and playing'. This was precisely what the Apostle Paul warned the church in Galatia in Galatians 1:8-9 against the preaching of 'any other gospel' - that which is not from Christ!
The true church of God is His plan to call out the firstfruits to be His priests and kings to teach and govern during the Millenial Age all the flesh and blood humans who survived the Great Tribulation. Subsequently, at the end of the Millennial Age, all of mankind will be resurrected (Second Resurrection) to learn the truth from the saints in the Kingdom of God and given the opportunity to repent and be saved. It is God's heart that 'none should perish but that ALL should come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9) and God's plan cannot be thwarted. In this church age, only the church is called and judged (1 Peter 4:17) to qualify for the 'high calling and prize' (Philippians 3:14). Subsequently, those who have yet to be saved will be in the Second Resurrection standing at the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev20:11-13). All the humans who had ever lived will be shown the truth of God and given an opportunity to repent and accept God's laws, commandments and way of life without Satan's influence. Probably, many of them will be saved and be resurrected to spirit beings and be given some form of responsibility in the Government of God (Isaiah 9:7 - 'Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end').
Many think that Satan is winning the fight as the church is still the minority on earth. But they failed to realise the time order of God's Masterplan - 'there is a season and time for every purpose under heaven' (Eccl 3:1). However, there is one main reason why God put man on earth to go through all the ordeals of sufferings and pain (diseases, war, hatred, strife and death etc). That is to allow man to develop the character of Christ through the 'school of hard knocks' - in order to qualify them as sons and daughters - the yet to be born again spirit-beings in God's Family that the whole creation is awaiting for its revelation (Romans 8:19). Even the Almighty God cannot clone Christ character into man, it has to be trained and developed through hard work. That is why Paul admonishes all believers to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12). The true church is mandated the task to train and 'shepherd the flock of God' (1 Peter 5:2-4). Peter had to be reminded three times by the Lord 'to feed/tend My lambs/sheep' (John 21: 15-17).
God loves us too much to allow any repeat of what Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) had done. Lucifer was created perfect without the benefit of birth, sufferings and death to experience and learn the awfulness of sin. God now wants man to be given the freedom of choice as a free moral agent to choose wisely in order to develop the character of Christ - the mature and righteous disciple that will qualify him/her the reward of inheritance to rule and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God.
After the Government of God has been restored to the Kingdom of God, the Tree of Life will once again be opened to man. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9b). It will be available for all to partake of it as the Holy Spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh (Joel 2:28b). As Satan will then be bound, it will be easier for man to receive the truth and ways of God without demonic interference. Meanwhile, in this present evil age, God's people are being destroyed because of ignorance (Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6) and the Laodicean ministers are contributing to the problem.
The role of an Ezekiel Watchman is to proclaim and warn by sounding the trumpet ( see Ezekiel chapter 33). Whatever action you decide to take or not to take is up to you. But remember, a day will dawn when there will be a famine of God's word (Amos 8:11-12) and it will be too late for the 'unbelieving believer' for the door will be shut (Matthew 25:10) and his/her destiny sealed!
By partaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam relied wholly on himself rather than on God. Such self reliance for knowledge and power for performance is like deciding for himself what is good and what is evil, giving rise to self-righteousness. The crafty Satan got Adam through his wife Eve, much like what his strategy is today by deceiving the church through the Laodicean ministers who would rely on their own talents and eloquence to push through any agenda, often under cover as the Work of God!
Since the first Adam failed in his opportunity to unseat the throne of Satan and restore the government of God on earth, Jesus Christ as the second Adam, will return to earth at His Second Coming (after qualifying to rule by overcoming Satan, society and self on His first advent) in supreme power and glory to unseat Satan and rule all the nations of the earth with His saints as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 11:15; 19:16). His reward for the true disciples will be to rule the nations of the earth as their inheritance (Psalms 2:8) in accordance to their works (Luke 19: 12-19; Rev 22:12).
God's vision is to reproduce Himself in humans into His family as the royal SUPERGOVERNMENT IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Only true believer who has the Holy Spirit living inside his/her mind to write the living truth for understanding and obedience will be born again into spirit being in the First Resurrection to enter the Kingdom of God. These resurrected saints - though relatively small in numbers ('little flock' - Luke 12:32; 'little strength' - Rev 3:8) - will rule in the world to come, and after the new heaven and new earth were formed, to rule the whole universe throughout the age of eternity. Make no mistake, God's SuperGovernment of His whole creation is a Family business! But how is God going to accomplish His Masterplan since the world is presently ruled by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4) until the Second Coming of Christ? This is a mystery I will attempt to unfold.
By sealing off the Tree of Life, God is cutting off salvation to all of mankind EXCEPT those He has called (John 6:44). These were the prophets and some small group of righteous men and women in the Old Testament days plus the true church of God who are called and chosen (Matthew 20:16, 22:14 - those who respond to His truth in obedience to His laws and commandments). These are the firstfruits of the harvest represented by the priest waving the sheaf before the Lord (Leviticus 23:10).
At this juncture, I need to emphasise that throughout the history of the true church, all true disciples believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and His GOSPEL (Good News) from God the Father of the coming Kingdom of God reigning over the earth after His return. His opening verses on the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:3 & 5 affirms that: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven(God)' and 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'. That is why Jesus' disciples asked Him when will the Kingdom be restored just before His ascent to heaven (Acts: 1:3, 6). Sadly, many ministers are preaching that the Kingdom of God is right 'where you are working, living and playing'. This was precisely what the Apostle Paul warned the church in Galatia in Galatians 1:8-9 against the preaching of 'any other gospel' - that which is not from Christ!
The true church of God is His plan to call out the firstfruits to be His priests and kings to teach and govern during the Millenial Age all the flesh and blood humans who survived the Great Tribulation. Subsequently, at the end of the Millennial Age, all of mankind will be resurrected (Second Resurrection) to learn the truth from the saints in the Kingdom of God and given the opportunity to repent and be saved. It is God's heart that 'none should perish but that ALL should come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9) and God's plan cannot be thwarted. In this church age, only the church is called and judged (1 Peter 4:17) to qualify for the 'high calling and prize' (Philippians 3:14). Subsequently, those who have yet to be saved will be in the Second Resurrection standing at the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev20:11-13). All the humans who had ever lived will be shown the truth of God and given an opportunity to repent and accept God's laws, commandments and way of life without Satan's influence. Probably, many of them will be saved and be resurrected to spirit beings and be given some form of responsibility in the Government of God (Isaiah 9:7 - 'Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end').
Many think that Satan is winning the fight as the church is still the minority on earth. But they failed to realise the time order of God's Masterplan - 'there is a season and time for every purpose under heaven' (Eccl 3:1). However, there is one main reason why God put man on earth to go through all the ordeals of sufferings and pain (diseases, war, hatred, strife and death etc). That is to allow man to develop the character of Christ through the 'school of hard knocks' - in order to qualify them as sons and daughters - the yet to be born again spirit-beings in God's Family that the whole creation is awaiting for its revelation (Romans 8:19). Even the Almighty God cannot clone Christ character into man, it has to be trained and developed through hard work. That is why Paul admonishes all believers to 'work out your own salvation with fear and trembling' (Philippians 2:12). The true church is mandated the task to train and 'shepherd the flock of God' (1 Peter 5:2-4). Peter had to be reminded three times by the Lord 'to feed/tend My lambs/sheep' (John 21: 15-17).
God loves us too much to allow any repeat of what Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) had done. Lucifer was created perfect without the benefit of birth, sufferings and death to experience and learn the awfulness of sin. God now wants man to be given the freedom of choice as a free moral agent to choose wisely in order to develop the character of Christ - the mature and righteous disciple that will qualify him/her the reward of inheritance to rule and reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God.
After the Government of God has been restored to the Kingdom of God, the Tree of Life will once again be opened to man. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9b). It will be available for all to partake of it as the Holy Spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh (Joel 2:28b). As Satan will then be bound, it will be easier for man to receive the truth and ways of God without demonic interference. Meanwhile, in this present evil age, God's people are being destroyed because of ignorance (Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6) and the Laodicean ministers are contributing to the problem.
The role of an Ezekiel Watchman is to proclaim and warn by sounding the trumpet ( see Ezekiel chapter 33). Whatever action you decide to take or not to take is up to you. But remember, a day will dawn when there will be a famine of God's word (Amos 8:11-12) and it will be too late for the 'unbelieving believer' for the door will be shut (Matthew 25:10) and his/her destiny sealed!
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