WHAT EXACTLY IS THE GOSPEL?

When one walks into any evangelical church, invariably the preacher will stress the importance of preaching the gospel. Most Christians when asked what is the gospel will reply that it is the gospel about Jesus Christ coming from heaven to earth to die for the sins of mankind. While this is true, it is not the gospel. Others may say it is about the gospel of grace, or it is about God's blessing in the arena of health and wealth. Yet some will preach a social gospel of doing good in this mortal life.

Although these have noble objectives, they are not the gospel. The gospel is not about the Person of Christ but the message of the kingdom of God. Christ was known as the Word in His pre-incarnate Being, together with God the Father (John 1:1). Christ was sent by the Heavenly Father as the Prophet Messenger (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1; Acts 7:37) to earth to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God to mankind (Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:43).  In fact, it was the same gospel that was preached by all the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 3:21)! No prophet ever came to preach about himself, always preaching the message given from a higher authority. For the true gospel it was a message from the Heavenly Father Himself.

Although Christ Himself is not the gospel, the Person of Christ has to be preached in conjunction with the gospel because of the important role He has played as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind, paving the way for true believers to see and enter the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and Jesus Christ are two separate matters as recorded in 2 passages in Acts 8:12 and Acts 28:31 - 'Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God AND the name of Jesus Christ'... Paul taught likewise - 'Preaching the kingdom of God AND teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ'.

The kingdom of God is the supergovernment of God that will descend upon earth when Christ returns. It is about the rulership by government with authority set up by God over literal nations and literal people on earth (Daniel 7:27; Rev 11:15). When Christ was on earth, His main pre-occupation is teaching and instructing His disciples about the kingdom of God. In fact, most of His parables are pointing to the gospel of the kingdom. Similarly, the Apostle Paul was fervent in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8; 20:25).

The prophet Daniel recorded what God revealed to him about the world to come - that there will be four kingdoms ruled by man and one after that will be the kingdom of God ruled by Christ (Daniel 2:31-35, 44). Chapter 2:44 reads, ' And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.' At the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the seventh angel sounded and with great rejoicing in heaven saying, ' The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.' - Revelation 11:15.

While on earth, Christ was in the wilderness for forty days and overcame the three temptations of Satan, qualifying Himself to rule as the King in the coming kingdom of God (Mark 1: 12-13). The first words of Christ after that was 'Repent ye, and believe the gospel' - Mark 1:15 - two key verbs that one must repent and believe in order to be saved! The gospel as stated in the preceding verse 14 is the kingdom of God - not something else as most churches are preaching and squabbling over every issue of doctrinal differences, mostly based on the interpretation of man. Only the Bible can interprets the Bible, and this has to be the basis for all interpretation of scriptural verses, including prophesies.

Christ Himself commissioned His twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God. He also gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases (Luke 9:1-2). He later appointed other seventy, and sent them two and two to do likewise (Luke 10:1-9). In John 8:31, it was recorded that the Jews believed on Him. But that is not enough, Christ continued, If ye abide in my word (kingdom of God), then are ye my disciples indeed.' Then and only then,' ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.' 

Similarly, in the Lord's prayer, Christ taught us to pray beginning with Matthew 6:10  - Thy kingdom come . Follow on in Matthew 6:33, Christ taught us to 'seek ye first the kingdom of God (the gospel) and his reightousness (the laws of God)' . Many can memorise it verbatim, but few understand its meaning, let alone obey it.

At His trial before His crucifixion, Christ told Pontius Pilate that He was born to be King (of the coming kingdom of God), and it was for this purpose that He came into this world, 'that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hearth my voice - John 18:37. Truth of the matter is that the THE TRUTH Christ spoke of is the gospel of the kingdom of God!

This is consistent with the prophecy of Isaiah recorded in Isaiah 9:6-7, ' For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the GOVERNMENT shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace...his government shall be no end...and upon his kingdom.' Similar prophecy is recorded for us in Luke 1:32-33, 'He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David... and of his KINGDOM there shall be no end.' The throne to the kingdom is currently occupied by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. It will make way for Christ - the King of kings and Lord of lords - when He returns. Those who are called and qualified will be amongst the kings and lords to rule and reign with Him - Daniel 7:22; Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 5:10.

Religionists of our day try to spiritualise it away saying that the 'kingdom of God is in your heart or that it is the church'. This is the result of misinterpreting Scripture taken from Luke 17:21. The translation 'the kingdom of God is within you' is incorrect - a better translation is the kingdom of God is in the midst of you as Christ is the Divine Representative of the coming kingdom standing in the midst of the Pharisees. No way Christ was telling them the kingdom of God is in them when He called them names of the derogatory kind.

The kingdom of God is not the church as Christ told Nicodemus that one has to be born again to see the kingdom of God - John 3:3. To be born again is to die physically and be resurrected as an immortal spirit being. That is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God - 1 Corinthians 15:50. If the kingdom of God is the church, then all humans who have eyes - believers or unbelievers - will be able to see and enter therein!

For centuries since the first century AD, the true gospel had not been preached until the mid 20th century with Herbert Armstrong broadcasting the gospel of the kingdom of God over radio and the magazine 'Plain Truth'. The Lord Christ prophesied that the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all the nations before the end will come - Matthew 24:14. Had the true gospel being preached before that, the end of the church age would have come with Christ returning to usher in the kingdom of God on earth.

These are all facts from the Bible that cannot be denied. Sadly, many would choose to believe in man rather than from the words of the Son of God, Jesus Christ and His chosen Apostles. Those who choose to follow man are worshipping and serving God in vain (Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7). Choose wisely, for therein is the difference between life and death - for eternity!

GOD'S PURPOSE FOR FAMILY

The family is the building block of society, and that is a given. But the new liberals of the world today are challenging the norm with 'alternative lifestyle' and the gay agenda. Little do people understand that the concept of the family with one man one woman and natural children born from the sanctity of marriage is God given and unchangeable for a specific divine purpose. That purpose has to do with God's Divine Royal Family which is His ultimate plan and purpose for mankind. Simply put, God is reproducing Himself through the human family!

When I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, divorce was virtually unheard of in my family, extended family, friends, relatives and even in the neighborhood. Today, family break-up is far too common, giving rise to all kinds of social problems and crimes. Marriage as a sacred institution is under threat and those holding on to the sanctity of marriage are lampooned and ridiculed as people living in the past, and very often being accused of being intolerant toward others who wish to exercise their 'freedom of choice'.

But they do not know better. God's purpose for human marriage and family is sacred because it is for the ultimate purpose of extending His Divine Family that will last for eternity. Implicit in the Gospel of Christ is the Family of God, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain (Jesus Christ) of their salvation perfect through sufferings (Hebrews 2:10). Every person born into this world is worth more than the treasures of this world, because it has the potential to be born again as a spirit god being in his or her own right (Psalms 82:6; John 10:34) with eternal significance. No other creation can even come close, for being born a little lower than the angels, man will eventually judge the angels when born again as eternal spirit god being (1 Cor 6:3) - for those who qualify!

Man was created by God in His image (the God kind) to have fellowship with Him and eventually to be "married" into His Family through Jesus Christ which even angelic beings are not offered the privilege (Hebrews 1:5) - and that makes Satan fuming mad - no wonder he is out to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) to deceive man regarding the true Gospel of the kingdom of God! Man has descended into the depths of depravity by embracing the theory of evolution and thus behave more like beasts by committing brutality and inhumanity towards one another, often with little to no understanding or remorse. Man has lost his mind and lost his way, and like the first parents, have seek his own way apart from God. Much like the parable of the prodigal son spoken of by Christ.

God is holding earthly family accountable for the way the children are being brought up, especially the father who is the head of the family. Earthly fathers are to train and teach the children the right values and set good models for their children. If they failed to abide by God's commandments to love their wives and children, God's judgment is set to fall upon them - prophesied to come upon the whole earth during the Great Tribulation which is yet ahead! It is indeed a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a holy God. Hence, earthly father must not take his responsibilities lightly for the eternal destiny of his family, to a large extent falls squarely in his hands!

God has purposed to hand over the world to come (Hebrews 2:5) to born again human beings (saints) and not to angelic beings. Man will ultimately rule with Christ whom God the Father hast put all things in subjection under his (Christ) feet (Hebrews 2:8). God's plan to establish His Divine Royal Family is through the human family, where children born of human flesh and blood will have the potential to become spirit god beings when born again at the time of resurrection (First Resurrection - Heb 11:35; Rev 20:4-6), passing from mortal flesh to immortal spirit composed beings (1 Cor 15:42-52).

Christ taught that human eyes and those born of the flesh cannot see and enter the kingdom of God. He further gave the anology of the wind as man cannot see where the wind blows - John 3:3,6 &8. The Lord Jesus further explained, 'that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit' - verse 6. This is corroborated by the Apostle Paul where he wrote, 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption' - 1 Cor 15:50. Putting these together, it simply means that human being cannot see and enter the kingdom of God (let alone inherit it) but only those born again as immortal spirit composed being can - and this only occur at Resurrection!

Yet almost the whole Christendom teaches that one is born again 'just simply believing in Jesus and be baptised' on the presumption that the kingdom of God is the church - when these are two totally separate doctrine. Just think, any human being, whether a believer or unbeliever can see and enter a church. If the kingdom of God is the church, why then did the Lord Jesus replied His disciples when asked when is the kingdom to be restored to Israel, ' It is not for you to know the times and the season, which the Father hath put in his own power' - Acts 1:6-7. Such a reply simply makes no sense when the church, to be founded on Pentecost, is only ten days away! The kingdom of God cannot also be about the Person of Jesus Christ as clearly shown in the preaching of Philip to the Samaritans (Acts 8:12) and the Apostle Paul in his last days (Acts 28:31) where these are separated by the conjunction 'and' - see also Daniel 7:14,18,22 &27 to get a clearer picture of what the kingdom of God is.

 Jesus Christ is the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18) with many more sons of God to come (Rom 8:19) who are called His brethren ( Heb 2:11-12; firstborn among many brethren - Romans 8:29) effectively making the Lord Jesus Christ the Elder Brother of them all. They will all be made perfect (Heb 12:23) and be like Christ (1 John 3:2) and cannot sin for they are born of God (the 'seed' of God - Greek word 'sperma', the same root word for the human sperm) - 1 Pet 1:23; 1 John 3:9. Hence, all those begettal but not yet begotten (heirs but not yet inheritors) can be aborted if they failed to overcome and remain faithful to the end - Matt 10:22. The Apostle Paul also had to strive towards this goal in his spiritual journey if he is to qualify - 1 Cor 9:19-27; Philippians 3:7-21.

Jesus Christ will be the King of kings (resurrected saints born again as immortal spirit composed  beings who will rule and reign with Him - Rev 2:26, 3:21, 5:10) and Lord of lords (resurrected saints born again as immortal spirit composed beings who will form the Royal priesthood teaching and leading others to salvation and righteousness under the reign of Christ - Rev 5:10; Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-5). The true church is called and trained to undertake the task of bringing in the great harvest (the 'latter rain') in the millennium age (1 Peter 4:17). Ultimately, all true disciples of Jesus Christ are called to inherit His kingdom as inheritors (Matt 6:33; 1 Thess 2:12). Until born again, they are just heirs and joint-heirs with Christ, meaning not yet inheritors - Romans 8:17, 29; James 2:5.

That is why Christ told His hearers,' Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God ' (Mark 10:14). The future of children is immeasurably great because they have the potential to become members of God's Divine Family - spirit beings with great power and authority even to judge the angels (1 Cor 6:3)! If only human beings understand this, the abuse and mistreatment of children can be drastically reduced in every corner of the globe.

Satan and the demons are all out to destroy the human family in a desperate attempt to thwart God's plan and His love for mankind to be reproduced into His Divine Family. The devil is filled with jealousy that puny men and not the superior angelic beings like himself are given such privileged opportunity (Heb 1:5). His devious strategy include corrupting like-minded beings to pervert sex and distort the wholesome purpose of love and family relationships through the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans-sexual) agenda. Whatever man may say, it is contrary to God's will and against God's created nature and order. The Apostle Paul in three separate passage of the epistles warned that those who commit sexual sin, unless repented of, will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5-7).

As the timeline for Christ return becomes imminent, the drum beat inspired from the kingdom of darkness in its evil plan gets into overdrive and with greater media coverage across different spectrum of society. The devil is well aware that he has but a short time as god of this world (2 Cor 4:4; Revelation 12:12) and hence the push to extract more damage in their evil scheme of things before Christ return to set up the kingdom of God on earth as King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16)!

Jesus Christ was born to be King (Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1: 31-33) to sit on the throne of David - the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7: 12-16) and the ''Sceptre Promise" (Gen 49:10). He knew full well His reason for Being is to become King (John 18:37) and you need to know yours as Christ's disciple is to be king. Your immeasurable potential as an eternal and immortal spirit composed being is yet ahead. Those who refuse to abide in the words of Christ have one major problem plaguing mankind since the dawn of civilisation - they refuse to have God reigning over them (1 Samuel 8:7; Luke 19:27), whatever their charming and soothing rhetoric and cliché may say (Matt 15:8-9)!

PURPOSE OF LIFE AND DEATH

To the overwhelming majority of people who have inhabited the earth, life is a mystery. Who am I, what am I, and why am I have never been adequately answered by even the most learned philosophers and sages throughout the ages. The reason why no satisfactory answers can be found is simply because they have all turned to the wrong source of knowledge to try and explain all the mysteries of life. Only the source of truth from the holy Bible gives the correct answers. Sadly, even the most learned scholars - both biblical and secular - failed to address the correct issues to elicit the appropriate answers. The Bible has become a mystery even to the most learned scholars themselves!

None of us alive has ever seen our own brain, let alone understand its working. We have never seen the 'inside' of us, be it physiologically, intellectually, emotionally or spiritually, let alone understand  how it all work out that govern our behaviour and who we really are. All these are mysteries that few people would be bothered to seek after the truth, let alone have a good grasp of them. The learned academics and scholars would rather accept the theory of evolution to simplify the issues and avoid the hard facts that an eternal Supreme Being Who is behind the design and has created it all!

But why did God put man on planet earth? Certainly, He has a purpose for  doing so. God initially created the angelic beings to govern His universe, with earth as its headquarters. But because Lucifer, one of three archangels, rebelled against God's rule and led a third of the angels astray, God then created man to have dominion over all His creation (Genesis 1:26). But our first parents, Adam and Eve, failed the test of obedience and sin was introduced into the world with the penalty of death ever since. The loving and merciful God the Father planned for man's redemption through the sacrificial death and blood of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind.

But man was made of matter - flesh and blood and is subject to decay and death. This temporal state of man is necessary so that those who eventually refused to obey Him will not be given eternal life in spirit existence. So man has a spirit ('the spirit of man which is in him' - 1 Cor 2:11), which distinguishes man from all other animals, for animals have no spirit in them. It is this spirit in him that enables man to connect with his Creator. When man dies, his spirit returns to God the Creator. Only those who abide in His Word will eventually be made immortal spirit beings free from sin and death (1 John 3:9), and will never dies (Revelation 20:6). All those who rebelled against God after being given the whole truth will be annihilated in the Lake of Fire as if they have never been (Malachi 4:1-3). A merciful God will put them out of misery!

Had man been made an immortal spirit being at the beginning, it would be tragic for all of His creation if he/she rebelled against God's righteous laws - just like the millions of demons did. That is why at the Garden of Eden, the Tree of Life - which typify the Holy Spirit - had to be barred from man after the Fall of Adam and Eve. Had man taken the Tree of Life after the Fall, they would become immortal spirits but not the righteous character to accompany it (Genesis 3:22-24).

The ultimate purpose for man then is to develop the righteous Christlike character that will last in order to be born again as immortal spirit beings in the Family of God. Embedded in the Gospel of the kingdom of God is God's ultimate plan for man's eternal destiny - to become immortal god beings! That is why we are all created in the image of God - the God kind (Genesis 1:26). The physical family structure of man on earth is but a typology of what is God's ultimate purpose for the birth of His Divine Royal Family. Their role in eternity is to assist Christ to rule and reign on earth during the Millennial Age and thereafter the whole universe for all of eternity. God's government has to be restored which had been usurped from man as a result of the Fall.

Although God is Supreme and omnipotent, He cannot create the righteous character demanded of man through fiat. It has to be developed through the crucible of trials and tribulations of life (Acts 14:22), and that takes a lifetime of learning, developing and overcoming - the very reason why we are here on planet earth! I learned as a kid growing up through my dad's pre-war blacksmith shop that a piece of hard iron and steel had to be forged through molten fire, much hammering and sledge-hammering to be made into useful implement of hardware tools. The same applies to our lives that only through much diligence and discipline can man be transformed to become members of the Royal Family of God for His glory and eternal purpose.

 Whatever man may say, character is everything. Talent, wealth and material success as seen through the eyes of this world are all but vain and temporal which will eventually fade away. Character is the real test of  what makes you and I, and will transcend us even after death. Those who failed to develop the righteous character required by God will not make the grade for immortality. But in this present church age, only a small group of those who are called of God will be born again into spirit immortality (Matthew 22:14). The rest of mankind will await their opportunity for salvation and eternal life towards the end of the Millennial Age when Satan was cast away. Simply put, there is no other way that peace, prosperity, unity and harmony can co-exist, not just on planet earth but throughout the whole universe. That is man's ultimate destiny and why we were all created for.

Only a correct understanding of the true Gospel of the kingdom of God which Christ and His disciples preached will one be empowered by the Holy Spirit to change and transform from the inside out. When Christ and His disciples preached the Gospel of the coming kingdom, power and authority flow from the Heavenly Father to heal the sick and cast out demons of those who were demon-possessed. All those who embraced some truth mixed with much errors are being shortchanged - the millions who are 'Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (2 Timothy 3:7).



 

WHAT EXACTLY IS MEANT BY 'THY KINGDOM COME'

The Bible is the world's best selling book, but it is also the least understood. Millions of Christians bought the bible without even reading it, let alone study the content of some three quarter of a million words printed therein. In the Lord's prayer, Christ instructed His disciples to pray, 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.' - Matt 6:10,13. But what exactly do these verses mean?

Christ was teaching those He had called that they should pray to the true God in heaven - Our Father which art in heaven - Matt 6:9 - and not any other man-made gods. The first thing a true Christian should focus on his mind is the coming kingdom of God - the true Gospel essence Jesus Christ was commissioned by God the Father to proclaim at His first advent (Luke 4:43). God is ruling the universe from His throne in heaven. We are commanded to pray that God's rule will likewise extend to the whole earth when the time comes for Christ to return. Presently, Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4) - albeit with God's permission to rule since the fall of Adam.

 One of the most quoted verses but probably least understood verse in the Bible - Seek ye first the kingdom of God (Matt 6:33)- was relegated to insignificance. Many are deceived (Rev 12:9) into thinking that the kingdom of God is something ethereal - in your hearts and minds! The kingdom of God is the coming supergovernment of God that will replace all man-made government and laws on earth (Rev 11:15). That will be the time of refreshing when hope is restored to all the poor, handicapped and marginalised with peace and prosperity extended to the whole world (Luke 4:18-19).

Jesus Chrst was foretold by Archangel Gabriel to be born of a virgin and God shall give Him the throne of David and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:32-33). Before Pontius Pilate when asked, 'Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.' - John 18:37.  The truth Christ was referring to is the Gospel message of the kingdom of God! But man had twisted the Gospel to become the Gospel about Christ instead of the Gospel of Christ as prophesied by Moses and Malachi that a Prophet will come and we are to hear Him, even His word (Deut 18:15; Malachi 3:1; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35).

Man's mindset is so engrossed with the cares of this world that he has no clue that the coming God's kingdom on earth will affect everyone - whether those living or dead - when Christ return to establish God's kingdom on earth (Luke 19:12). Everything will undergo drastic transformation on planet earth when God's righteous laws are established worldwide (Isaiah 2: 2-4) and Satan is incarcerated (Revelation 20:2). It does not matter if people know or believe in this, as it will happen. The coming kingdom should be the topmost priority of every true Christian and not the cares and worries of this world. Just before the kingdom of God arrives, all true disciples (saints) who are living then will be translated to immortal spirit beings and that will be the time when their redemption takes place (Luke 21:28).

The world is getting from bad to worse, and will get far worse before it gets better - and only when God's kingdom is established on planet earth. As Christians, we must be focused and watch what is happening in the world today in order to pray effectively for God's kingdom to come and restore all that had been lost due to sin and evil. God will punish the world through the coming Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord and most of the living will perish. Only those who are true to their calling will escape the coming cataclysmic events that will unfold onto this world as a snare (Luke 21: 35). True disciples of Christ are commanded to 'Watch and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.' - Luke 21:36.

To seek God's righteousness is to desire His laws as stated in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and expanded by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7). Only when God's holy laws are understood and implemented will peace and prosperity for all mankind be enjoyed on a global scale during the Millennium. Wars and conflicts will then be relegated to history.Those who think that God's laws are being made redundant because of Christ's death on the cross are being deceived. Only the observance of them is different. There has to be a change of hearts and minds before there can be any real lasting transformation for the better. Only God's government under Christ the King and the born again resurrected saints as kings ruling and reigning in the Royal Family of God can the coming paradise world of tomorrow become a reality. It behoves all true disciples of Christ to watch and pray for His kingdom to come!
 

WHAT EXACTLY IS BORN AGAIN?

The subject of  'born again' is a touchy one as millions misunderstood its true meaning and import as to their eternal destiny. This is because the true Gospel of the kingdom of God has been hidden from mankind since the days of the first century and had not been preached for some 1,900 years after the first Apostles passed on from the early church. Most Christians today believe that once they have undergone water baptism, they are 'automatically being born again'. But nothing is further from the truth.

Christ's encounter with Nicodemus in John 3 makes it clear that flesh and blood cannot see the kingdom of God (verse 3) for what is born of the flesh is flesh  and what is born of the spirit is spirit (verse 6). To see the kingdom of God, one has to become spirit being and to become spirit being, one has to be born again. And to be born again, one has to die physically and be resurrected to immortal spirit, for 'flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God' - 1 Cor 15:50.

What people do not realise is that it is real stuff, not some ethereal concept within the hearts and minds of those who were being baptised. The confusion arise because they failed to understand what is the Gospel of the kingdom of God - which is about the transformation of mortal beings into immortal spirit beings to form the God Family. It is only then that they will be made perfect to inherit the divine nature as true sons of God (2 Pet 1:4)! God the Father as the Head of the God Family has worked out a plan to reproduce Himself (in bringing many sons unto glory - Heb 2:10), that is why man was made in His image, in His likeness.

Those who failed to grasp the truth and the implications of the true Gospel of the kingdom of God that Christ preached will find it hard to understand. It is so profound that even 'the angels desire to look into' - 1 Peter 1:12. However, all who died in their faith are still 'asleep' in their graves and will be resurrected to immortal spirit at the First Resurrection upon the return of Christ. For they 'shall be like Him' (1 John 3:2) and 'cannot sin... born of God' (1 John 3:9). Only Christ as the Firstborn Son of God had been changed from mortal man to immortal Spirit Being and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. The whole creation is awaiting with bated breath for the revelation of the sons of God (Romans 8: 19) to come to the rescue -  due to decay as a result of rebellion over the government of God and sin, instigated by Satan and his fallen angels.

The incredible human potential awaits those who are called and chosen by God to grasp the deep spiritual truth (1 Cor 2:10) and become the firstfruits (James 1:18) of His new creation - the born again saints who will inherit, rule and reign with Christ in the kingdom of God when He returns. Even though God has only revealed a glimpse of the glorious future now (1 Cor 13:12), but they shall be exceedingly delighted to be part of the 'A' team with Christ to rule the world and subsequently the whole universe when all things are put under their power and authority (Hebrews 2:10) - what an exciting future and destiny lies ahead (1 Cor 2:9)!

The born again immortal spirit beings (the former saints) will be endowed with unique power and capabilities to be able to zip through space and time that even the most advanced technological spacecraft of man cannot achieved. It is not living a life of idleness in heaven but what king David described as 'life of pleasures for evermore' - Psalm 16:11. Members of the born again God Family will be able to accomplish wonderful, creative work and service just as God does (John 5:17). The immortals will direct people to obey God's laws and His ways (Isaiah 30:20-21) and assist Christ in establishing peace and order and uphold righteousness worldwide (Rom 8:21).

As is all things in life, one has to prepare for the privileged tasks ahead now while still in the flesh so that he or she can be born again as immortal spirit when the kingdom comes. Those who cannot be ruled by Christ now will not be qualified to rule when He returns. All who are called will have the veil of deception (set by Satan) lifted to understand the deep spiritual truth. Once the person who is called has his/her eyes opened to understand His truth, he/she must learn to overcome the pull of the flesh, the value system of this world which is false and perverted, and the deception and temptation of Satan to lure us away from the purposes and ways of God. Though there will be price to be paid and challenges to overcome, but it is well worth it all considering the glorious eternal destiny awaits those who succeed!

 

THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

The world is filled with all kinds of churches of different beliefs and persuasions. Some are named after the founder, others are affiliated together through certain doctrinal beliefs and practices. But Christ taught that He came to found a church, not churches. 'I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' - Matthew 16:18. On the night before His crucifixion, Christ prayed to the Father that He will keep His disciples in thine own name, meaning the body of Christ is to bear the name of the church of God. The term church of God is stated a total of twelve times in the New Testament.

According to the teaching of Scripture from 1 Corinthins 12:12-13, the body of Christ is one and it is made up of many members. All its members were baptised into one body by one Spirit. Which means to say that there is one true church, named after God the Father called The Church of God. The one true church teaches the truth of God and not the doctrine and tradition of man - Matt 15:9; Mark 7:9. Only those who are not corrupted by doctrinal errors will be part of the called and chosen of God who will form the 144,000 firstfruits in the First Resurrection. These are the disciples who had not been defiled by false teachings and are 'spiritual virgins' - Rev 14:4. God will not allow His church to be defiled and mixing truth with error is disallowed - just like eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was similarly forbidden in the Garden of Eden - Genesis 2:17- even though there is some good in it.

Unknown to theologians and church leaders, the purpose of Christ establishing His church is not primarily for 'saving the souls' of the whole world in this church age. If that is so, Christ failed miserably! All whom God has called to be part of His church is not merely for salvation and eternal life, but also for learning the ways and government of God, and to develop the character of Christ during their physical life in the church age. They have to overcome the deception of Satan, the lure and temptation of society and the weakness and idiosyncracies of self to be an overcomer to inherit the kingdom of God as immortal spirit beings; and thus become members of the Royal Family of God! Those who are called and chosen in this church age will have to turn from Satan's way of life (greed, selfishness, fear etc - the get way of life) to God's way of righteousness based on His holy law (love, peace, joy etc - the give way of life).

If the church is the instrument to get all mankind to be saved, then there is no salvation for the Gentiles before the time of Christ, other than the few who were specifically called and given the Spirit of God! Only the true church knows and understand God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind found in Leviticus 23, teaches its members to observe the Holy Days of God rather than man-made holidays.Those who are called in the church age are called for a specific purpose and specific work. These saints are in training now to be equipped for the noble and great task ahead to assist Christ in bringing the whole of humanity to salvation when Satan is being put away.

The one true church is headed by Jesus Christ and He had come as the second Adam to qualify to replace the former Lucifer as the King on the throne of the earth ruling with the government of God. Christ also came as a Prophet to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God which is the good news of replacing God's government in place of Satan on the throne of the earth - 2 Cor 4:4. The way for humans to enter and inherit the kingdom of God is for Christ to die to pay the death penalty for our sins and later resurrected as eternal spirit beings. Christ first advent was also to establish the church to train and equip those who are called and chosen to rule with Him when He returns.

All other churches who are not part of the true church of God, working under the rulership of Jesus Christ will not know, understand and have the faith and power to obey the commandments of His word and instructions to become the firstfruits of the calling. They will not form part of the First Resurrection when Christ returns!






 

WHERE ARE ALL THE DEAD? (PART TWO)

Many who came from Sunday School are also familiar with the story of prophet Elijah 'ascending up by a whirlwind unto heaven'. But the story in 2 Kings 2:11 was merely stating that Elijah was miraculously being transported into another place, away from the crowd. That was why the students from the school of prophets started looking for him after his departure. In  2 Chronicle 21:12, the same prophet Elijah wrote a letter warning King Jehoram to repent from his wickedness lest 'serious affliction wil come upon him and his family'. Since, spirit beings in heaven do not write letters to earthlings, Eliajh was not 'lifted up to heaven'!

Traditional Christianity misrepresents God as the 'Ultimate Sadist' who is game to send unrepentant sinners to eternal life in hellfire 'roasting in all eternity without ever being burned up'. Could the saved in heaven ever be joyful knowing that their loved ones are being tormented in hellfire all of eternity? Would even the most wicked person on earth mete out such punishment? What more if most of those 'lost souls' have never ever heard of the true Gospel and God's laws and commandments? But most do not realise that the belief in the lost eternally burning in hellfire (having eternal life in hell) is in direct contradiction to John 3:16 which states unequivocally that only the saved in Christ have eternal life! Such belief is from pagan religion and not from Scriptures.

The Psalmist states that in 115:17, 'The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down in silence'. If the 'lost' who were dead - who forms the majority of all who had ever lived - are crying and wailing in hell, then there is no silence from the grave! Christ told His audience that ALL (the dead) that are in the graves shall hear his voice (John 5:28), not just some and true disciples of Christ should take all the words of the Lord at face value, not selectively!

The Hebrew word for 'hell' is shoel and in the Greek it is hades - literally means 'the grave'. In fact, all the dead - whatever their religious affiliation, go to 'hell ' (the grave). In the second usage of the word 'hell' is found in 2 Peter 2:4 - tartaros - refers to a place of restraint for the fallen angelic beings. The third usage of the word is translated from the word gehenna in Greek which could mean hell or hellfire, and refers to destruction and not ongoing punishment as stated by Christ in Matthew 10:28, ' And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.'

The Gehenna hellfire mentions in Mark 9:43-48 refers to the Valley of Hinnon - a deep gorge outside of Jerusalem where fire used to burn 24/7. Not only trash but dead bodies of those killed in battle or prisoners were thrown in to be burned. Some of the corpses thrown over never made it into the fire below but got stuck on the ledges near the edge of the gorge and were swarmed with maggots which later turned to flies!

Gehenna actually refers to the Lake of Fire which is a place of punishment with permanent destruction which Revelation 20:14 refers as the second death. All those who refused to repent after being given all the truth and the opportunity to do so will be resurrected in the Third Resurrection to end up in the Lake of Fire of annihilation (Malachi 4:1). A righteous and merciful God will never allow anyone to be tormented in pain and misery for eternity!

Some will defend the belief of eternal life in hell inferno by quoting the parable of The Rich Man and the Beggar spoken of by Christ in Luke 16:19-31. However, a closer examination of the parable shows that it is teaching about resurrection and not the living state of the dead either in 'heaven or in hell'. If the parable is referring to an inferno, can the tongue of the rich man be cooled simply by a dip of water (Luke 16:24)? One would rightly ask for a huge pool of water to quench the fire! Besides, the word 'remember' used in verse 25 when Abraham answered the rich man shows that a long lapse of time had passed - not an instance of getting to a burning hell after death for the unrepentant. The parable is rightly teaching about the prospect the wicked will face the Lake of Fire when they are so fearful that they can hardly move their tongue to speak coherently!

All those who are called and chosen to be true disciples of Christ will have their spirits renewed by God when their spirits return to Him upon death  - 'the spirits of just men made perfect' (Hebrews 12:23). These saints will be asleep 'in the graves' awaiting the First Resurrection when Christ returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth and that will be the time when true saints are resurrected to be born again as spirit beings to enter and inherit the kingdom as members of the Family of God. Make no mistake, only members of the Divine Family will untimately rule over the whole earth in the Millennium Age (Rev 3:21, 5:10) and the universe in eternity (Col 1:15-20) - even ruling over the angels (1 Cor 6:3)!