In my article, “Relevance of the Gospel”, I have itemized and explained many fancies & spurious efforts that pass as Kingdom advance. The authority of the authentic gospel is to witness to the truth in the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to give people the word as it is on mercy, repentance, judgement & love. Heb 6:1,2. Mix it in right proportion – severity & goodness of God. Rom 11:22. The true word protects the preacher because the sword cuts thru the flesh and subjugates the devil Rom 16:20. Pentecostals rely far too much on their right words, mistakenly called “rhema”, when they tell the “gospel”. This “gospel” is often about how to be healthy or wealthy and happy or blessed and often nothing about eternity. Human love instead of truth lands in the recipient & preacher in moral compromise.
When you talk the word to your demonized relative, the truth goes out to set them free and acts as your shield to prevent backlash. Jn 12:32. Many PP (Pentecostal practitioners) fear backlash and expect satan to trouble them when they minister. Satan or fear or both fulfill their “faith”. “I was attacked by the mouth of that sister”, is common PP language. Certainly verbal battles & prayer battles, believers against believers or believers against pastor are very common in Pentecost. PP has become a weird world of mumbo jumbo. I am sad because I fully believe in Holy Spirit power & baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Ministers who peddle sweet love without righteousness expose themselves to moral compromise by becoming the darling preacher of unsaved females. The sword of truth defends us and the belt of truth covers our nakedness. Violate this and we become cannon fodder for moral laxity.
Behind convoluted problems are demonic afflictions. When we approach those who need our help we have to put forward the truth as their deliverer and as our protection. When we minister in our natural goodness, pride or prejudice, we have no protection. We open our flesh for attack. We develop soul ties with unbelievers when we do not give them redeeming truth and with believers without giving them the sanctifying truth. Many downplay God’s righteousness in speaking the gospel, imagining that it will put off people. Salvation comes form His righteousness. Ps 71:15. Neglect of righteousness of God in proclamation of the Gospel has undermined the truth of the Gospel and made a generation of church hoppers who are not saved and are not born again in righteousness. They do not know 1 Jn 3:9.
GOD DESIRED A GLORIOUS PROGENY
Heb 2:9-10 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He by the grace of God should taste death for all. (10) For it became Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory, to perfect the Captain of their salvation through sufferings.
God desired a glorious progeny. Because we are made in His likeness, we too come to an age & season when His image in us says, “Let us create a child to bear our nature and carry on our inheritance”. Parents sacrifice much, consume less and work for the advancement of another – their progeny. God did the same. We fall short of shedding blood and dying for our progeny. God gave His Son that He may have glory progeny. We, who have Christ in us, will be energized to beget after Christ kind, when we live for Christ in us the Hope of Glory. God the Father must receive the dividends of His precious & painful investment.
Isa 53:10-11 Yet it pleased Jehovah to crush Him; to grieve Him; that He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering. He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand. (11) He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.
Let’s do our best to give our Saviour the fruit of His travail – saved souls among our loved ones & contacts.
When sons into glory increase in a nation, antichrist cannot swallow that nation with his darkness. Japan ‘s tragedy is that they are so sacrificial and heroic for survival, that they have missed the Saviour.
WHAT AILS CHURCH UNITY?
The relevant question is what builds Church unity.
Eph 4:11-13 And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, (12) for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (13) And this until we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
God gave a pattern for the Church to be built with Christ offices – apostle, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to work in God’s governmental order,
1Co 12:28 And God set some in the church, firstly, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers, then works of power, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, kinds of languages.
When the God given order of apostle’s first, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers – is set aright there will be increasing unity. What is prevalent is each one using the Church to display their gift. Many get hold of a foreign ministry and create an opportunity for their gift. Secondly, unity of faith can only be consequent to increasing knowledge of the Son of God. If our aim is not to measure to the fullness of Christ’s stature but have our own agenda, then too assemblies divide and shoot off as another “church plant”. From time to time organization of events would only give an illusion of unity. Attempts will be made to get believers of diverse assemblies to participate without reference to the minister in charge because it is assumed that the minister should support these events and that he would not. Why should a minister who has an orderly program for His assembly with apostles he is connected, to equip & release believers in their call & gift, support such extra events? Who should be organizing inter church events?
Apostles, prophets, pastors teachers must bow their knee together in the city at least once a month and meet with their God and wait until God speaks and moves among the lampstands. Rev 1:19. Patmos is possible whenever those appointed into Christ offices by Christ Himself meet, uniting their heart to fear God. Assemblies meeting weekly under apostle, pastor, teacher, prophet for edification and carrying out the Great Commission in the neighbourhoods, would be a church in unity.
• Pastors submit to apostles and do not start off church plants when they have fights with their seniors
• Prophets consider that apostles are first rather than go doing their own thing, being dangerous loose canons, promoting church disunity in order to access churches for their personal gift
• Apostles & senior ministers of the city work as brothers meeting often before God’s face
• False apostles who have no lasting fruits or son in ministry be kept out of meddling in the Church
• Believers be faithful to their house group and permanent Sunday congregation rather than do church hop
• Every believer, disciples a group of twelve under their Greater Friend discipler and bring them all to church on Sunday.
• Para church groups not take away believers from local assembly to foster their activities.
• NGOO not do projects that jeopardize the work & credibility of the local assemblies
• Foreign ministries not create allegiance that mitigates against the national lampstand God ordains, using money or any other means.
• Not use church for political gain
Do this my son and you will have church unity in your city & nation.
MEDIOCRITY KEEPS RECORDS OF OTHERS
Information is power. Have you been at the receiving end of someone extracting info on your mistakes and keeping a record? Have you been tempted to discuss some error which makes you feel powerful when others err? This happens in church under the guise of, “Let’s pray for Anna; she has this problem”. “Did you tell Anna that she needs help?”. “No, don’t tell anyone”. “Did you tell anyone else”. “Few good friends”. Why do people discuss past events or other people’s actions in negative light? We will not do this when we have much to report on what the Lord is doing in us, for us, thru us. It is mediocrity that keeps records of others’ failings. It is by far better to report the great things the Lord did for me. Doing nothing much but gather negative info is a particular Pentecostal perdition.
We pray much – words. Vain repetition is rampant. We praise much – words. We testify to all kinds of things – words. Exaggeration & evangelaaaastic statistics are common. We talk much about the devil – words. We have much fellowship – words. We have opinions – words. Speaking power – words, is the discovery of Pentecost. In our spirit & flesh induced verbosity, we have lost restrain. “Be still and know that I am God” Ps 46:10 is forgotten. Stillness is the lacking element of Pentecostal worship & prayer. Unaccounted words have been the bane of Pentecostal religion. Ironically heavenly tongues, a precious gift from God ought to tame our tongue. Jam 3 But Pentecost abounds with stories and bad reports; spreading of superstitions. Ventilation of theological theories without Biblical foundation is common. We need a fast on words and a fresh understanding of what wholesome conversation should be when believers meet. Ps 58.
Sacrifice of Cain, Balaam & Korah
Jud 1:11 Woe to them! For they went the way of Cain, and gave themselves up to the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah
Cain was religious and used his sacrifices to get God to approve & bless his projects. Cain’s Way is to use religious sacrifices to get one’s own end on one’s own terms. He wants God to wink at his iniquity. Cain is offended when God does not get on Cain’s bandwagon. Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold.
Gainsayings of Korah are those who are offended with authority and make themselves the authority .
Mat 24:10 And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another
The doctrine of Balaam is to use prophecy, to change God’s mind in order to obtain pecuniary benefit from the recipient of prophecy. Mat 24:11 And many false prophets will rise and deceive many.
You may observe that the temptation in the garden was also
Iniquity & lust – eat for the belly
All the glory your eyes can see – deception
You can be like God when you eat – Compete with God – offence
THESE ARE DAYS OF VENGEANCE
Luk 21:22 For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
Vengeance is Just deserts – getting what is due for your deeds. Reaping what you sowed. We need to get rid of offences & grudges fast. If not we’ll reap vengeance. Let’s move to shalom in issues that have burnt too long in us Expectation of Fear or Glory
Luk 21:26-27 men fainting from fear, and expecting those things which have come on the earth. For the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. (27) And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. There are two options – The first option is to live for this world and have fear & failing hearts. The other option is to redefine glory as what God has for my life. I give up my attempts at fading glory – academics, politics, wealth, entertainment etc. when I shift over to God’s glory in daily achieving, God’s power will work for in me small & great things. This is the way to survive at this time.
Fatherless & Widow
Ps 68:5, Modern day widowhood is not merely men dying in war as in Sri Lanka , Rwanda or Libya . Divorcees or Single mother is a widow to the extent that they have no cover. Lesbians who deny marriage are widows who do not want to have a God given kinsman redeemer. Those who delay marriage on purpose for career are in widowhood.
Similarly fatherlessness is the great sin of the generation. It is a husband’s fatherhood that even a wife is redeemed. When she leans on his fatherhood, a wife overcomes the confusion & consequences of the fall which isolates her from her God given cover. Solitary, Bound, Rebellious Psa 68:6 God causes the lonely to live at home; He brings out those who are bound with chains; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land .
“I AM FOR THE ONE WITH FEATHER DOWN”
This is a certain kind of discipler. These are “naturally good” believers who trust their self righteousness. They like to help people with a feather down. They protect protégé fiercely. They like the hand downs that they can give these people. In turn the helped ones are expected to be bound & beholden to them. We need to know that discipling is at your level, where you grow edifying another. It’s a two way process that helps your growth. In time you become friends with the one whom you discipled and he or she will have much good to give you in return. When you are the Helper eradicating need (HEN), there is no give & take. This attitude fiercely guards your own weakness and you are the one who is always strong. When we give ourselves to discipling another, we become vulnerable, share weakness, bear burdens of one another. In this way life long, true to life, Jesus style relationships are formed.
But Pentecost is full of religious fellowship. We share dreams, visions, words, leadings and not our actual difficulties. We live in a make believe world of religious good ness while having deep seated unresolved grudges, fears,, insecurities, failures, sins & weaknesses. Surely we can be friends who will help friends to be more like Christ knowing that in our weakness Christ’s strength is perfected.
THE HOUR HAS COME
The Second Advent will manifest the redemptive struggle during the time of the Exodus when the Messianic nation was being redeemed out of Egypt . In this endtime struggle the Bride will conquer and the earth and world systems will be redeemed. God will issue a clarion call to all of the world’s despots and to oppressive systems, “Let My people go that they may worship Me”. Exod 5:1. That is why Islamic nations are being shaken.
Rachel’s cry said, “we must have children”. Accordingly mothers of Israel decided to have children though Pharaoh decreed that they be murdered.
God gives faith to government officers (midwives) to preserve the children of faith.
A Princess in sheep nations arises to defend the delivering community as Moses was protected.
A system like Pharaoh is already taking over in the world with the one global economy.
Signs that appeared during the days of their earthly ministry will appear with the two witnesses. Many think the witnesses are Moses & Elijah
Rev 11:6 These have authority to shut up the heaven, that it may not rain in the days of their prophecy. And they have authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.
Ten plagues will come upon the world as in Egypt when God delivered the messianic Nation.
God will supernaturally keep the Christians the way he kept Goshen free of plagues, economic trouble and disaster . We have astounding testimonies from the Brisbane flood of January 2011 and from Sri Lanka ‘s flood at the same time, how the Lord hears the prayers of His own.
NOTE: This vision was first published in Germany in Dec 2008.
Japan & World Dominion
My heart is sad and heavy for God’s son Japan . It looks to me that he was used by others and he abused himself with workaholism, no God and self sacrifice, performance for proof, all the signs of fatherhood fracture and emperor worship and Pharaoh domination. Now Japan is becoming the problem child wanted by none but God. His former friends are despising him and blocking his exports. The Global Corporate has no time for weaklings.
It is important to understand Japan in their historical role. Japan always had world dominion in its sights. Japan readily did lend herself to Hitler’s expansionist agenda because it blended well with their intention . After Hiroshima , world dominion shifted to the economic realm. US economy was in Japanese hands and that looked like sweet revenge for Hiroshima . It was China ‘s investment that saved US from Japan . Japan was a key player in the trilateral Commission. Wittingly or unwittingly, global planners used Japan ‘s technology & work drive to economically subjugate USA and other nations. West lost out to Japan and had to play along. The superrich of these countries Japan included, especially Bankers planned the Global Economic Order. Every nation’s wealth was to get into the hands of the global planners. Japan ‘s technological supremacy was singly used for this end more than any other factor. The moral collapse in the west which contributed to deteriorating word ethic made Japan the invincible hero. A US Presidential plant was needed to agree to globalism. It is ironic that in abstaining, both Russia and Germany read the UN sponsored French led strike on Libya , as dangerous meddling with nationally sovereignty.
A weakened Japan plays into the hands of European global planners, who cannot have any one strong nation. USA had to be made weak. Japan is now weak. Global planners will work on Germany & China to make them weak. I expect Japan to have their eyes opened when killer sharks attack her after she has been weakened by the tsunami crisis. Already they are planning how to get the Japanese & Saudi savings into the mobile global liquidity market to promote which the global casino called the stock market was launched. It exposes nations’ wealth to global buccaneers. Japan will back out of the global monster she helped form and will be saved by the Lord. That is the blessing of the disaster. Global planners will say it is too costly to rebuild Japan . Let’s just get their saving for more profitable “global development”, which is the euphemism applied to projects that drain national wealth to global coffers in the guise of development. China will oppose the global economic tyranny and will even be helpful in saving Israel . Dan 11:44
VISION- THE BOOM from THE SEA and “MOBILIZATION” -John Matutis. (2008).
While I was praying this morning, God gave me a vision. He showed me a great, world-wide “mobilization” I saw myself strolling along a beach. Suddenly, there sounded a loud boom, which became stronger and more massive. It was not the noise of the sea or of the wind. It was completely still outside. The sea water was as smooth as glass.
The deep booming sound which was like the sound of the mountains about to cave in, a banging sound which I had up till now never heard in my whole life, came from the other side of the ocean, from far away. It became so strong and mighty, that the earth began to quake and shake.
It sounded like the blasting of a deep bass trumpet. I had never heard this sort and depth of bass sound before now. The whole air vibrated. I holed myself up in the dunes of the embankment, face down, and waited to see what would come out of this natural spectacle.
When the booming refused to stop, and instead became stronger, I saw myself begin to pray in the vision, and to speak with my God. Then I heard a voice saying, “my child, fear not. That is my mobilization call, a signal, from the other world. I am calling my people out from all peoples. I myself am shaking the earth and the sea. The sinners and godless will pass away for fear and the fearful expectation of the things which are to come. Understand, my child, that all these have been initiated by the financial crises. That was just the beginning of ruin. The foundation of today’s society will be so shaken that the people will lose all that they have acquired, and saved up till now. Every infrastructure and welfare will collapse with time. Life will be very difficult for very many people. The general security will get out of control and there will be a proliferation of crime such that life on earth will be massively threatened. But you, who fear my name will I save from ruin. I am holding my arm of protection over you.
Although not even a silent wind blew, and not even a small wave was seen on the sea, the booming was so mighty, that my heart threatened to stop beating. Then I thought to myself, “I will now also die”. And then the Lord said to me, “my child, do not fear. You are to live and continue to declare my works. Arise, go home and tell your loved ones. Let them know that the coming of my son is very close at hand, at the doorstep. I am setting everything in motion in order to take my people home, and I am now stripping them of everything that is holding them back, or blocking them. As I stood up to obey God’s voice, starting to make my way homewards, I saw very many people, lying in the dunes. They had come out from their houses, racing towards the sea to see and experience this extraordinary natural spectacle. They lay on their faces as if paralyzed, exactly as I had lain a few minutes before now. As I passed by them on my way home, despite the continuous distant booming sound, these people called to me saying “you are crazy; you cannot make it home in this situation. It is too dangerous”.
They then buried their heads even further in the dunes, because they feared what would happen next. They no longer wanted to hear or know of anything.
And then said the Lord to me: “for you, my children, who fear my name, this is the day of my “mobilization”. For you my “sun of salvation” arises, with which I gather my true children, and bring them together. Go, my son, and tell this to everyone you can reach”.
Then I asked the Lord “what shall I tell them?” “Tell my children, The Lord said”, “they are no longer to occupy themselves with perishable things, but rather, much more with the immortal, the eternal things. They are to seek me and study my word. They should forgive one another, so long as there is still time, and make peace with one another. They should stop being envious of, and pointing fingers at one another. They should neither accuse nor suspect one another. Everyone should do what he is supposed to, and can do. Tell them to free themselves of every unnecessary thing, and to stop fighting spasmodically (intermittently) for their rights. From now on, I will ensure your rights, and provide for justice for you. Great changes are about to occur all over the world, in every area of life. Adjust yourselves therefore and be prepared. Nothing is going to be as it has been before now…”The further I moved away from the beach, the less of the booming sound I heard, even though I was of the opinion that the sound had become stronger and even more massive. I felt as if I had been secured in a glass case. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying “I will bring my children into safety in my own way. You will see everything I will do in the world, which will experience all the “plagues of Egypt ” before I withdraw my children unto myself, before Pharaoh releases you forever. My people hold together! Stay with one another, encourage one another. Soon, you would have made it!”
That was the last thing I took with me from this vision.
Bad Mouthing & Judgement
When we are disappointed we blame politicians, pastors and anyone lese in authority. A little Shylock residing in me exacts the pound of flesh from those who deserve just deserts according to my verdict – especially when they slight me. As a result, Church badmouths herself. We do the work of the accuser. We cross from light to darkness when we open our mouth to diminish our brother or sister. Satan has recruited us for his purpose. Christians unwittingly release warfare against themselves and wonder why trouble hit them. This happens when we fight others with our prayers.
We have a sense of right & wrong because the Lord gave us a regenerate heart. We feel righteous thru Jesus’ blood. Then we use that sense of justice to condemn errors as we see in our brother or sister. Surely Christ is grieved that we do this to another who also is under His blood. Surely He will rebuke us for condemning whom His blood has cleansed. Some believers feel good & self righteous when they can pick a hole in another or in a church program. This comes from condemnation and harsh judgement one received in childhood. Christ has freely promoted us. We do not have to demote anyone else to feel higher.
When we fear God we’ll be quick to judge ourselves and slow to opine on others. The flip side of this is that when we move from righting wrong to writing wrongs, we expose our errors to judgement rather than clemency. That’s how divine law works. Mercy to those who show mercy. Vengeance to those who invoke justice. Satan also gets hold of our wrongs and implements the wages of sin that our errors deserve. When we drag our brother’s sin from under Jesus’ blood cover into the open by bad mouthing, we expose our own sin for wages. We are to confess our brother’s sin or the politician’s sin only to God in order to forgive him. But Christians freely speak of other people’s sins. The same happens with the sin of the other race or other person’s child. We hide the sin of our race or our child’s sin and expose the sin of the other. We violate the simple dictate of the Lord’s prayer, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us”. When we have retold another’s sin, be assured we have not forgiven but indicted. The same will be given back to us, as we reap what we sow. Lk 6:38. We reap appreciation if we sow appreciation. We shall reap depreciation when we sow depreciation. When we bear up, others will bear us up. When we build up with words, others will build us up. When we break down others with our words, the same will be our return.
Why would we badmouth our brother or the Lord’s work? One reason is our disappointment that the Lord failed us. Such thoughts subliminally dwell in us. It’s under the surface.