ZOE MINISTRIES MALAYSIA

PRAYER NEED

2012-01-26T17:16:00.001-08:00

PREPARE THE WAY

2012-01-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 62:10 (NKJV) Go through, Go through the gates! Prepare the way for the people; Build up, Build up the highway! Take out the stones, Lift up a banner for the peoples!
as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.

The Prophetic Generation will prepare the way of the Lord's 2nd coming. A faceless people are rising up, clothed in Righteousness, wearing the FULL ARMOR of God, Kingdom of God minded, A People who will be relevant to the Nations, Salt and Light, stopping the decay in the community, bringing a thirsting for God, bringing out the flavor of God in the Nations, Exposing evil, Guiding the Nations to The Righteous ONE.
They do not fear "the pharisees" or "pilates". From their mouth will come Truth that will pierce many hearts. Perfect love flows like a river from their lives, cleansing, refreshing and causing fruitfulness to come in the Nations.
They will be BOLD like a "Lion" and TENDER and SACRIFICIAL like the "Lamb".
Nations be Prepared for them.
ck

INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF FIVEFOLD MINISTERS

2012-01-19T01:47:00.000-08:00

Let us pray for each other and speak to each other [sms / write / email / call] and encourage each other and be prepared for a world wide harvest that is coming which needs strong godly leadership [a leadership that has all the Ephesians 4:11 grace].

1] Arun Ramakrishnan [Senior Pastor of Highland Immanuel Fellowship -Cochin]

2] Shiju Ninan [Senior Pastor of Philadelphia Revival Church -USA]

3] Aurelio Samonte [Senior Pastor of Jesus Christian Ministry -Philippines]

4] Onggo [Pastor of Surabaya Community -Indonesia]

5] Dave Broos [ Former Senior Pastor of ICC / Indonesia]

6] Abraham Gan [Former Senior Pastor of RGBC -Penang / Founder of Marketplace Ministry and Missions -Malaysia]

7] Dass [Father Heart Ministry -Malaysia]

8] Silas [Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Word Centre -Kulim, Malaysia]

9] David Rajamurthi [Former Pastor of The Tabernacle -Penang / Evangelist]

10] Paul Ong [Former Salvation Army Pastor / An Apostle]

11] Praphan [Former Senior Pastor of Thai Lanna Church -Chieng Mai / Founder and Director of Divine Communication]

12] Arthur Pua [Senior Pastor of Open Hand Church -Spore]

13] Nigel Boatman [administrator for Colin Urqhuart Ministries in the UK / Marketplace Pastor]

14] Christopher.K [Former Missions Pastor of RGBC -Penang / Senior Pastor of The Tabernacle [T] -Penang / Founder of Zoe Ministries (an apostolic and prophetic ministry to the Body of Christ) / Spiritual mentor for Highland Immanuel Fellowship -Cochin / Accountability Board of Philadelphia Revival Church -USA]

VICTORY

2012-01-19T01:44:00.000-08:00

GL Garden 01-21-02, Solok Paya Terubong 8, 11060 Penang, Malaysia
House Phone: 604-8277554 Hand Phone: 60165318276.
Email: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
Dear Friends [you who have trusted in God and also us, who have stood by us through your prayers, supported us with your finances and encouraged us to move on with God] THANK YOU. We love and appreciate you.
Knowing that this is a year of acceleration in my spirit, we have prepared and still preparing ourselves in HIM for what is coming in 2012. Excited about the many opportunities that are before us to Glorify HIS NAME. Filled with enthusiasm about the many lives we will be sowing into through HIS GRACE. Many new territories that we will be advancing into with HIM. This is ALL possible when we unite OUR HEARTS and HANDS and MOVE TOGETHER my friends.
Warning!!! Coming Soon!!!
Matthew 24:9-10 (NKJV) “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
The “enemy” is planning a systematic attack upon God’s people. They are afraid of us and want to destroy us. They also know that we are scattered. BUT GOD WILL UNITE HIS PEOPLE.
Exodus 17:8-15
Our God is Jehowah Nissi [God our Victory]. He has already given us victory through Jesus the Christ. In order to walk in that victory continually we need to do 3 things.
1] Prayer –We need to look to God in prayer as Moses did. Depend upon HIM. Listen to HIM.
2] Obedience –We need walk in obedience just as Joshua did.
3] Encourage –We need to affirm, encourage, support each other in prayer, words and action as Aaron and Hur did.
Another important thing needs to happen this YEAR.
Exodus 8:1 (NKJV) And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
In the old days Moses went to Pharaoh according to the instruction of the Lord God and said “Let My people go, that they may serve Me”. Today there is a need for God’s People to be delivered from oppressive lordship. There is a need for men of God and women of God to rise up and tell today’s “Pharaohs” to “Let God’s people go, that they may serve God”.
There are lords of the church that are serving themselves and are controlling and manipulating God’s people to serve them and to serve their projects.
1 Peter 4:17 (NKJV) For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?
As Peter has said in his letter the judgment of God has already begun among His People. It has already begun among His leaders. This year we are going to see more and more of this. God loves His Church and He will clean up His leaders first and then the rest of the church.
Therefore let us draw close to HIM who loves us and walk closely with HIM continually.
Please pray for coming ministry
12/1 -Emmanuel Word Centre –Kulim –Kedah
22/1 -Emma Faith Nurturing Centre -Penang
1/2 to 7/2 Malacca
4/2/2012 8pm -Shammah Sanctuary independent charismatic church
5/2/2012 10am-Tampin Living Water AOG Church

4.30pm Salvation Army Tamil Church
9/2 -Emmanuel Word Centre –Kulim –Kedah
11/3 -Emma Faith Nurturing Centre -Penang
5/4 to 9/4 -In Sarawak –Calvary Baptist Church Camp –Bintulu from 6/4 to 8/4.
10/5 to 21/5 –In Sarawak –Maranatha Baptist Church Camp Sri Aman -11/5 to 13/5.
-Emmanuel Baptist Church [B] Camp Kuching -17/5 to 20/5.
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India -Delhi from 11/2 to 26/2/2012 [team members -Jonathan [17 years old -from EPCC], Vijaya and Christopher.K.
12/2 Local church in Delhi
13/2/2012 to 17/2/2012 Kingdom Life -DTS –Delhi –Hearing God’s Voice
18/2/2012 One day Seminar for the Fivefold Ministers Organized by the National Pastors Prayer Fellowship. (NPPF) –Delhi
19/2 Local Church in Delhi
20/2/2012 to 24/2/2012 Kingdom Life -DTS –Delhi –The Anointing
April 2012 -Philippines -16/4 to 26/4/2012
May 2012 -East Java
June 2012 -Central Java and Singapore
July 2012 -Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Kerala [ South India]
We are available to build together the local church through His Grace that is at work in us and through us. Please contact me at 6-0165318276.
Friends, we are a faith ministry and when you are lead by God to give towards our living and ministry, please direct it to
KRISHNASAMY A/L RAMASAMY
I/C Number -540303-07-5307
May Bank account number : 107125195025
Home Branch number 07125 -KAMPONG BHARU
Swift Code: MBBEMYKL
Or
KASIKORNBANK
Account number: 548-2-01969-4
Become a blessing to the nations by sending us to the nations to disciple the nations.
In His Majesty’s Service
Christopher and Vijaya.K
5/1/2012

PRAYER NEED

2011-10-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

GOD SO LOVED

2011-09-30T23:16:00.000-07:00

SPEAK THE WORD BOLDY WITH LOVE

2011-08-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

INDIA AND AFRICA MINISTRY REPORT

2011-08-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

A Letter To All Pastor

2011-08-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Dear beloved bro and Pastor ------- thanks for calling the other day. I know you and your heart that there is no malice in you. That you love God and the people of God and you desire to prepare a people for God.
think about these questions? It will help us for the next chapter of our life and ministry. God asked me to rethink in line with His Word and I started to do that many years ago and found that what I read in the Bible and the way ministry is done is so different from what is written in the Bible.
God's Work must be done in God's way.
These questions are for Pastors of local churches.
1] Who is the centre of our life and ministry? God or Church [majority is church]
2] Are we building the local church together with Jesus? [majority build it according to tradition, observing and copying the Mega Church model (thinking that is the way of success)]
3] Are we making disciples who can make disciples out there in the "marketplace"? [majority training people how to function in their building [which they call "church" -how to lead in worship services, teach in cell groups, be ushers, ...].
4] Are we releasing [ trust in them and release them] the members of the local church to disciple the people in the "marketplace"? [majority feel secure when the members are found in their prayer meetings, commitee meetings, cell meetings ...]
5] Are we found in the "marketplace" standing along side our members [most of them are most of the time found in the "marketplace"] equipping them, listening to them, praying for them, encouraging them, lifting them up (when they fall), helping them to be "salt and light" and be godly leaders at home and the "marketplace". [majority including pastors homes are in a mess and "marketplace" mentality has influenced and swallowed them]
6] Are we and the church we are leading relevant to the World? [most of the local churches are not]
7] Are we threatened by new leaders [leaders in the marketplace] who are from our local churches functioning out there [making disciples, baptising, leading prayer meetings,...]. [majority of traditional pastors are insecure]
I desire to see the prayer meetings happening out there [ out of their church buildings] in their homes and "marketplace". I desire to see discipling [spiritual parenting] happening in the homes and the "marketplace". [I am not against praying in church buildings BUT it cannot be limited to that place]

Matthew 9:35-36 (NKJV) 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
:-? thinking
Christopher.K
your friend and fellow minister.

Lost In Church?

2011-08-03T23:52:00.000-07:00

Lost In Church?
We have often heard that the people in the world are lost without Christ. But these days, many of us Christians are ourselves lost ~ lost in church. Lost in our journeys with the Lord, wandering in our own wildernesses and religious circles. The world at large is lost, and so is the church! This may seem highly impossible, but this is exactly what Jesus said would happen in Matthew 7:21-23:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,'
shall enter the kingdom of heaven,
but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day,
'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name,
and done many wonders in Your name?'
And then I will declare to them,
'I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!'

Looking closely at these verses, we will find that many of these "lost" people are not just ordinary church members sitting in the church pews every week but they are the leaders and the ministers in the church! They are not just a small isolated few individuals, but a large group of people! Jesus said many would be involved! If many of these Christian leaders are lost and going astray, many of their members and followers will be lost too. The apostle Peter revealed this lost condition of the church in 2 Peter 2:1-2:

But there were also false prophets among the people,
even as there will be false teachers among you,
who will secretly bring in destructive heresies,
even denying the Lord Who bought them,
and bring on themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their destructive ways,
because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

Many of them will deny the Lord, and will be denied by the Lord Himself! They may think that they have the spiritual gifts such as prophesying, casting out demons and working miracles, done even in the name of Jesus, but they are lawless in the sight of God, practicing lawlessness! What is lawlessness? It is summed up in just one word "unloving" - not loving God and others! Jesus again said in Matthew 24:12:

And because lawlessness will abound,
the love of many will grow cold.

The love of many Christians will grow cold. And many will be indifferent or lukewarm towards God and others. Many will lose their zeal and passion to seek God and to do His will! How does our love for God or others grow cold? The moment we embrace things of the world more than the things of God! The moment we esteem ourselves and our interests above those of others! The moment we start worshipping money instead of God! The moment we stop seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness!

But know this, that in the last days
perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves,
lovers of money, boasters, proud,
blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal,
despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

We are living in very difficult times. The world climate may be in terrible crisis and condition but much worse is the condition and crisis of human hearts. For people will love only themselves, and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will not consider what is holy and what is not. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their own friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasures rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Many Christians do not have close friends. If they do, their friends would be those they can exploit, take advantage of, use or misuse. And people like these are numerous among us! And we may be one of them.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this:
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)

Without obeying this one law, we become lawless, and practice lawlessness! Many Christians working inside the church and outside the church are lawless in God's eyes! We don't have agape love. God is not impressed with our sermons, our signs and wonders, our prophecies etc. Others look at the outside, God looks at the inside - the heart factor!

"Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature,
because I have refused him.
For the LORD does not see as man sees;
for man looks at the outward appearance,
but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

God looks at the heart, but man always chooses to look somewhere else. In fact, man still chooses to look at the outward appearances. Hollywood and Bollywood have entered the church arenas. Many churches have become show business! Many pastors and preachers have become entertainers and guru stars themselves. Most music in the churches today no longer draws men to God and God to men. The worship teams are performers, and the congregations have become the audiences, enjoying or not enjoying what they see, hear or feel! It is now all about how we feel and not how God will feel! Our preferences of likes and dislikes will determine how the church services will be conducted. In praise and worship, biblically speaking, God is the Audience of One, and we are the worshippers! And God desires true worshippers! Our utmost desire is to please Him and not ourselves!
Today, many people do not wish to listen to sound and wholesome teachings. They will follow their own desires, looking for preachers and teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth of God, chasing after myths and false teachings, and compromising with the standards and values of the world.

For the time will come
when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires,
they will gather around them
a great number of teachers to say
what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth
and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

People love to look at other people either to admire, compare or criticize! And Christians are no exceptions! We love the visuals, the sounds and the razzle-dazzles! Sometimes, we secretly "worship" eloquent preachers and inspirational teachers, admiring them for their spiritual giftings and pulpit showmanship. We are called to worship the invisible God! But we choose to worship the visible! We love doing church, and going through the religious motions and activities! That's why Jesus would say that He does not know many of us. Many of us are known in our churches and congregations, but we may be unknown nobodies in God's eyes!

The Lord says:
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor Me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from Me.
Their worship of Me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." (Isaiah 29:13-14)

Many of us are far away from God! Many of us have lost the joy of our salvation, lost our faith in God, lost our trust in God and in man, lost our pursuit of holiness, lost our desires to do good, lost our passions to win souls, lost our love for God and others, and eventually we lost ourselves! Remember the story of the Israelites! They are God's chosen people, yet many of them strayed away from God even though God was with them 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

And the LORD went before them
by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way,
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so as to go by day and night. (Exodus 13:21)

God called His people stiff-necked, rebellious! They were like sheep who have gone astray, each turning to his own way! In fact, all of the Israelites died in the wilderness, and not one of them was left except Caleb and Joshua. Only their children and children's children entered into the Promised Land! That's why we must remain refreshed and renewed in our relationship with God. God is our Father, and we are His children! We cannot afford to be dull of hearing, having hardened hearts!

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
'Go to this people and say:
"Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand;
And seeing you will see, and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them."' (Acts 28:26-27)

Judas Iscariot was with Jesus for 3½ years. He was the perfect example of one who is lost in church! He was personally chosen by Jesus Himself to be one of His 12 apostles! Very privileged and honored. He was in the same company with Jesus. He ate, slept, worked and journeyed with the Lord! He was the Lord's treasurer! Jesus entrusted him with all His finances! Judas had heard the best sermons spoken directly out of the mouth of Jesus! He saw the miracles, signs and wonders that Jesus did! He witnessed and experienced divine love as Jesus reached out and touched the multitudes! Judas also tasted the goodness of the Lord as Jesus washed his feet. He knew what true servanthood was! But in the end, he chose otherwise. He traded the life of a beloved Friend for 30 pieces of silver! He betrayed Christ! That's the saddest part of the gospel story when Judas committed suicide after all the damages were done! I believe Jesus had forgiven him. On the cross, Christ prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." I believe the pronoun "them" includes Judas. Though Jesus had forgiven him, but Judas just couldn't forgive himself! Like Judas, will we betray the Lord? or will we deny Him like Peter? or will we run away from knowing Him like the other apostles?
Peter denied knowing the Lord thrice but he came to his senses and repented. The Lord forgave him, and reaffirmed him! Like Peter, we must know our own hearts and spiritual conditions. The worst thing we can do is to pretend that we are alright when we are not. The sick must see a doctor, and the lost must find the way home! We cannot afford to go on doing the same things week in and week out! We must turn back and return to God! Like the prodigal son who was lost, we must realize our own wretchedness and go back to the Father in repentance! Before God the Father, we must be transparent. God sees and knows all things! He will forgive, He will restore! Never let our pride and ego prevent us from approaching God! And we may taste His amazing grace again!

Amazing grace!
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.

Written on:
11 July 2007

2 DONKEYS

2011-07-31T20:22:00.000-07:00

OUR COMMITMENT

2011-07-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

HE HIMSELF GAVE

2011-07-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

SARAWAK REPORT

2011-06-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Prayer Items For Ps Christopher K - Ministry in Sarawak

2011-06-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sarawak Mission Trip [13/6 to 21/6/2011]

For Your Prayer 4 Us. Thank you.

From Abraham Gan:

1. For the Lord to do at least ONE GOOD THING for each team member in this trip

(Nigel Boatman, Pr Christopher, Agnes Leong, Irene & Abraham)

2. For the Lord to bring to us His "Man of Peace" (see Luke 10:4ff)

- A man? lady? youth? a child? who will be a key contact person in the proposed

socio-economic transformation programme for Sri Aman

3. For significant insight into the key areas each team member is assigned:

Nigel - Elders/Men/Health/Agriculture

Pr Chris - Spirituality & Revival/Youth

Agnes - Business & Finance/Women & Children

Irene - Education/Women & Children

Abraham - Marketplace/Community/Arts & Media

From Pr Chris

1] For God to lead our team to fulfill His Purpose during this trip.

2] For the spiritual, emotional, physical and relational health of team members [protection of family members of team].

3] For the well being of the pastors and ministry leaders and their families that we will be working with.

4] For the Kingdom of God to come upon the state government of Sarawak. Blessing them in Jesus Name.

5] For journey mercies in the air, road and river.

6] For timely word to be spoken to every person / every area / every local church God takes us to.

7] For provision for team.

BE STRONG AND ENCOURAGES

2011-06-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Urgency

2011-06-06T20:51:00.001-07:00

Dear Church of Indonesia,
This morning while praying felt an urgency again. There is a need for a People to be Prepared for the coming of the Lord. I desire to do the below ministry and prepare teams that will cover the land of Indonesia. That will travel to the North, South, East and West and bring the healing of God [relational, emotional and physical healing]. God wants to bring His healing to the families, churches and the nations. I am willing to help train the team and give the materials for them to use. All I need from you is to pray and move and gather the people and arrange the camp. Why camp? So that they will not be distracted and can devote 3 days for receiving ministry. When they can receive it they can also give it away.
Many soldiers are struggling in the battle field to fight a good fight. Generals [those in the fivefold ministry] are also soldiers who need to lead by example and fight a good fight but are dragging their feet in the battle because of wounds that they have been carrying from childhood. The church has put an unrealistic expectation upon church leaders to perform. God has raised me up and has sent me to the nations to prepare a people especially Church Leaders for this end time. Encourage the leaders in Indonesia whom you have found favor with to take the lead to come and experience the Love of the Father and receive their healing and be delivered from those areas that they have been struggling for many years while in the ministry. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. The Father desires to Love you and Heal you and Send you with His authority and power just as He sent His Son, Jesus the Christ to represent HIM accurately.

Theme for Camp:
"Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers"

plus 1/2 hour if interpreted.

1] Understanding the God Head and Community living [family life]. [1hour]
2] Prodigal Father [1 and 1/2 hours]
3] Father issues [1 and 1/2 hours]
4] Breaking Ungodly Cycles [ 3 hours]
5] The Father gives revelation and rest to His Children. [1 and 1/2 hours]
In His Majesty's Service
chris.k

ACCEPTING ONE ANOTHER

2011-06-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

PEACE OR OBIDIENCE

2011-05-28T00:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Jesus is the prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. 　　　　　And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus came to bring peace on earth

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

And we too need to make every effort to live in peace with everyone building "bridges".

Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV) 14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

But understand making peace is not our number ONE Priority. Obedience to God's Word is our priority. For if we put making peace and living in peace our priority then its possible for us to compromise. When we obey God surely there will be people who will oppose us and stay away from us.

Matthew 10:34-39 (NKJV) 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Be strong and courageous my friends. A person who lives in fear is paralysed by fear and dies many times in fear BUT a Faithful man will die only once and hear the words of our God saying

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV) 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

God has put us in a "river of strong opposing current" and we need to "swim" against the current. If not the current will sweep us away. Let us encourage each other and continue to swim against the currents of this world.

Love

Christopher.k

INDONESIA REPORT

2011-05-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

One Direction

2011-02-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

How Shall They Preach?

2011-02-10T19:45:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:14-15 (NKJV) 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

　　　　　Who bring glad tidings of good things!"

Dear friends, a new door of opportunity for equipping leaders has been opened in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia from 11/3/2011 to 27/3/2011. Will you pray for this opportunity that has been opened to you to be a part of what God is doing in Africa. Will you not only pray but give your substance to send me to bless this nation. Please write to me or call me [+60165318276] and let me know of your willingness to stand with us.

When you put finances in my account please do sms or email me a short note giving your name, amount and write for "Africa".

KRISHNASAMY A/L RAMASAMY

I/C Number -540303-07-5307

May Bank account number : 107125195025

Home Branch number 07125 -KAMPONG BHARU

Swift Code: MBBEMYKL

In His Majesty's Service

Christopher.K

I pray, that your love may continue to abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

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DTS in Ethiopia
From:
ywam ethiopia ywamethiopianews@gmail.com
To: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com
Cc: Dass Supperamaniam ; abdissa tadessa
Rev.Christopher,

We are very pleased to inform you that after prayerful consideration we are going to start the Discipleship training school on Jan 17, 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We heard about you through our former leader of Ywam Ethiopia Rev.Dass Supperamaniam, and were touched to see your powerful ZOE ministries,many other pioneerings and schools. We will be grateful if you could accept our invitation. Thank you!

It's our greatest honor to invite you and host you for a week as our guest speaker, if you can make it to take up this oppourtunity to share the joy together with us as we are restarting this DTS after 6-7 years of long gap. Please let us know how we can pray for you ! Thank you!!!

Ruth Samy,
Communicator,
Ywam Ethiopia.
Facebook: ywamethiopia
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HOW MANY WILL READ AND RESPOND

2011-01-03T04:03:00.001-08:00

zoe ministries

GL Garden 01-21-02, Solok Paya Terubong 8, 11060 Penang, Malaysia

House Phone: 604-8277554 Hand Phone: 60165318276.

Email: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Dear Friends, when the early church began after the Pentecost experience they were living as a family of God recognizing other believers as brothers and sisters. The Christians in Jerusalem shared all they had so that all could benefit from God’s blessings.

Acts 2:44-45 (NKJV) 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

None of these Christians felt what they had was their own, and so they were able to give and share, and eradicate poverty among them. This was not a project but an act of love. This was an expression of love towards one another because of what the Holy Spirit was doing inside of them.

Differences of opinion are unavoidable even among believers and can be helpful if handled with the love and wisdom of God. BUT spiritual unity is very important –loyalty, commitment, and love for God and His Word. Without spiritual unity the Church will not survive. When those who have are not sharing with those who do not have simply shows that the church is divided. This shows that the church does not have the Holy Spirit [who is the Spirit of Love]. The Church does not have Love. It is disgusting to say these words.

Acts 4:32 (NKJV) 32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

Acts 4:34 (NKJV) 34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

Acts 4:37 (NKJV) 37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Today is the church growing? Is it maturing? To answer that question please look at some statistics below.

In the United States in 1950, 10% of all income was spent for luxuries ($50 billion).

By 1980, 30% of all income went to luxuries ($350 billion). [Did the Christians in USA live differently?]

Amount Americans spend on entertainment and recreation $705 billion

Amount spent by American teenagers [ages 12 -17] (2006) $179 billion

Amount Americans spend on jewellery (2008) $65 billion

Amount Americans spent on state lottery tickets (2007) $58 billion

Total US – government foreign assistance budget for the world $39.5billion

Amount spent on pets (2003) $31 billion

Amount spent by Americans on cosmetic surgery (2007) $13 billion

Total Overseas ministries income to 700 Protestant mission

agencies, including denominational, interdenominational, and

independent agencies (2005) $5 billion

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Personal income of Christians Globally per year US$15.2 Trillion

Potential giving from above should be US$1.5 Trillion

Actual giving by Christians US$270 Billion [1.8%]

Church budget 0.001% for 24% of UPG

Mission Giving is US$15 Billion [$8 annually per Christian]

[I got the above statistics about the church 7 years ago –Do you think there is a change now –better or worse?]

I believe a BIG part of the church consists of “goats”.

Matthew 25:31-32 (NKJV) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:41-43 (NKJV) 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

The actual giving of the Christians [check above statistics] shows that there are many robbers among us and some of them leading the Church. There are leaders who rob the members and there are churches who rob God.

Malachi 3:8 (NKJV) 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

Mark 11:17 (NKJV) 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Idolatry

Luke 16:13 (NKJV) 13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

Many of God’s people including pastors are still worshipping idols. They worship mammon.

The moment the local church grows in number and finances; what does the pastor of a local church thinks about? He thinks about building a big church building [which he calls church]. He will say that he is building for the glory of God. He is not thinking about building lives but making a name for himself and building an empire. [This is anti –Christ spirit]. He leads the people away from doing God’s will. He leads them to give towards his project. The people will be manipulated and controlled to give to something that is not of God and so the servants of God and the poor will be neglected. Perhaps once in a while they will tip the ministers of God and the poor so that they can show some statistics on the white board.

Genesis 11:4 (NKJV) 4 And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

The statistics above shows that about 99% of the finances of the church budget is used for “self” but 0.001% is used for the 24% of the World’s Unreached People Group.

Does this show that the church is growing [maturing] or decaying?

Remember my friends –the spirit of this warning and exhortation is love. I love God and His Church [including pastors] and those who have not yet become His People. I truly love them. It is His love that moves me to write these strong words. It is not easy for me to do this.

Think with the mind of Christ

A family of five with children going to school and some about to go for college. The father buys a brand new luxury car. Why? All his colleagues have one. Beside it will not glorify God’s name if he is using an old car or even a new Japanese car. The children’s budget is cut because the father needs to drive a new luxury car for the “glory of God”. The wife and children do not have proper food and clothing. But the father dresses and eats for the “glory of God”. [I am wondering whether you understandJ]

Modern day parable

Think with the mind of Christ again

Two brothers’ families live in the same row of the street.

One has 3 cars and lives in a big house with 7 rooms. Daily, in their rubbish bin is found left over rich food. Every year they go for 3 foreign holidays to rest and recover. Window shopping and shopping is a lifestyle. They are fat and have all the rich man’s disease [This family is sick because of over eatingL].

The other brother is working hard to feed, clothe and shelter his family. They are a family of five who live inside a 1 room shack. The father cycles everyday to deliver newspaper. The children did not pay their school fees for the last 6 months because the father was sick and admitted in hospital for the last 5 months that’s why no money [not because of laziness], little food and no school fees. Sometimes the children eat from their uncle’s dust bin. [This family is sick because they are malnourishedL]

The above story is about today’s two churches. One MEGA and one micro church. One RICH church and the other poor church. One City church and the other village church.

[BTW many of the members of mega churches were once from the village and small town churches]

I thought Jesus is building His Church. That is there is only ONE CHURCH.

But we are divided. Divided into have and the have not.

Please read Jesus’ parable on the rich man and Lazarus [Luke 16:19-31]. Please understand what happened to the rich man. Do we understand what is Jesus saying?

Many Big church pastors are going to suffer in hell because they did not care for the poor. When they had their opportunities to help the small churches they did not help them. If they helped them it is with condition; that is the small churches must change their church’s name and come under the Big Church’s covering. [What evil is done by the church?]

Do we minister the spiritual gifts [which we have received from God] with condition?

Do we minister the talents [which we have received from God] with condition?

Why do we minister the finances with condition? We are no better than the World.

Listen to what Paul said.

2 Corinthians 8:13-14 (NKJV) 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.

Paul stressed that all believers had a duty to contribute out of their own abundance to the needs of the poor. Beginning with the family of God and over flowing and touching others who are not yet in the family of God.

Friends, what should we do?

1] Repent from the sin of idolatry [especially worshiping mammon]. Repent from the sin of pride [making a name for yourself].

2] Start giving [your God given Time, God given Talents, God given Treasure] to the small churches / village churches / small town churches to help them to grow. [Your nation and other nations]

3] Start giving to ministers of God [they do not have to be your church staff] and send them to the nations to be a blessing to the nations.

4] Give continuously and consistent to God’s character.

5] Give to the poor and help them to rise up [without condition]. Give without letting them know that you come from the church. They will find out that you are one if you are a follower of Christ.

6] Defend the poor, the widow and the fatherless. Speak up for them.

As we begin 2011 let us ask God for help to pull out every root of bitterness, root of lust, root of pride and ask God to fill us with His Love.

Let us return to our first love then you will understand what I am writing and speaking about.

Revelation 2:4 (NKJV) 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Bonus

Luke 12:42 (NKJV) 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

Luke 16:10 (NKJV) 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Praying that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will grow and flourish and bear fruit that will last and give HIM Glory.

With Love

Christopher.K

31/12/2010

BUILDING RIGHT

2010-12-27T02:32:00.000-08:00

GIVE UNTO THE LORD THE GLORY DUE TO HIS NAME

2010-12-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

Psalm 29:2 (NKJV) Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Dear friends [ Dave, Yusak, Ben ...] and leaders in Indonesia, greetings in Jesus Name. Again I say to you that we are entering into a very very dangerous time and very very exciting time.

Hebrews 12:26 (NKJV) 26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven."

God is going to shake everything and I mean EVERYTHING. Already you can see and hear the shaking. Therefore I urge you to WORSHIP.

As we approach 2011 gather our people together and lead them to worship HIM without any agenda. Worship HIM with songs of love, praises, thanksgiving and adoration. Listen to HIM. And Obey HIM.

Those who worship HIM will be secure. Those who worship HIM will STAND during the shaking.

Fast and Pray and hunger for the Lord our God and go further in doing the acceptable fast of the LORD.

Isaiah 58:3-6 (NKJV)‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers. 4　Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high. 5　Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord? 6　"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

Remember

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2　To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

My friends, the Spirit of God is upon you [the same Spirit who was upon Jesus is upon you] because HE has anointed you to do HIS WORK. Therefore encourage each other in the LORD Jesus and stir them up and urge them to WORSHIP the LORD and SERVE the LORD with gladness of heart.

Love you and miss everyone of you very much.

christopher and vijaya.k

First Century Christians (vs) Present day Christians.

2010-12-06T04:43:00.001-08:00

First Century Christians (vs) Present day Christians.
by Prason Christopher Robin on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 4:10pm

Originally written in Tamil by Brother Vijay(http://vijay76.wordpress.com/)

I have written 14 great accomplishments made by present day Christians. These 14 achievement of us will prove to the world that we are better and knowledgable than the first century Christians.

1. The fact that Jesus was born on 25th december was not known to the first centuy Christians. It was not even known to Mary- the earthly mother of Jesus. They were under the assumpton that 25th December was the birthday of the Roman SUN GOD. They knew only about the Cross -Tree; The did not know about the X-mas Tree. It is also a sad reality that they had no idea about the Great Man of God - Santa Claus.
2. We know that we have to worsip the Lord in a church on a Sunday. But the early Christians did not know this truth and hence they were worsipping the Lord everyday. (Acts 2:46,47). Only the fourth Century Christians realised that they had to worship every sunday when this rule came into effect after a great group discussion in Heaven.
3. The first century Christians respected Mary - The mother of Jesus. But they were blind to the Truth that she was ought to be worshipped.
4. The first century Christians did not have a clue about the great discovery of the 20th century "Word of Faith Movement". They were idiots who never had Faith. If they had exercised their Faith by making Faith proclamations, they would have never gone through sufferings. The Lions would not have eaten them. They also never knew that they could download the Righteousness of God into them by repeating the words "I am righteous in Christ Jesus". If only they had known that they could "Prophesy Prosperity" they would have been richer than Bill Gates. They were blind jokers who were blind to the revelation that we have now.
5. God has changed his mind and he now lives in temples made of stones also. The early Christians thought that they were the body of Christ. The Apostles were the Church. They gathered together as the church. But they did not know that God hated that format of worship. They did not know that God lives in Big Churces where the Pastor doesn't even know 90 % of the members in the congregation.These truths were revealed to Chrstians after the 4th century AD.
6. The first century Christians thought that Baptism was to die and be buried with Christ to receive redemption for the sins. Only those who acknowledged their sins took batism. But after the 4th century, even new born babies started acknowledging that they were sinners and they were specially designed by God with a super brain.
7. Early Christians were under the assumption that the rituals of the Old covenant were abolished and replaced by the New covenant principles. But the TITHE of the Old Covenant has not been abolished according to the present day Christians.In the Old covenant, the Tithe food was to be stored in the store house. But the present day store house is the Bank account of the preacher. The first century Christians did not know this Truth.
8. The first centuy Christians were dumb to assume that a gathering of saints was building the spiritual bond among them and God.They were even foolish to consider themselves as different parts of the same Body of Christ. But the present day Christians have understood the real meaning of gathering of saints. The real meaning of gathering of saints is conducting spiitual meetings where evryone can jump in joy, roll around and laugh. After the meeting is over, we could go back to our worldly lives. This truth was not known to the first century christians.
9. The first centuy Chrisians had a wrong belief, that they were worshipping and pleasing God by offering their bodies as living sacrifices. But we know the real meaning of spiritual worship. Our Holy Spirt will get acivated when the bassist plays tap bass,the guitarist plays lead progressions with distortion and when the drummer packs a punch with his rolls. Very similar to Software updates, We have also updated our worship to new versions called soaking prayer, Prophetic worship, apostolic worship , rolling on the floor laughing (ROFL). The first centuy Christians might quote Romans 12: 1 and say that our worship is wrong. Let them say that, because they were beaten and bruised when they worshipped God according to Romans 12:1. But we get joy and happiness and we get drunk in the spirit when we worship God. Even Gold powder falls on us when we worship.Which worship is better? You decide!
10. The first century Christians preached a lousy Gospel and became enemies to many. By doing so, they thought that they were following God. But we use the same Gospel message and preach in such a manner that no one gets hurt. By using our brains, we preach a gospel through which we gain many friends. The early Christians lived in a small world and they went through a narrow gate. But the gate we enter through is Broad just like our mind. They thought that Gospel is about making disciples. But we know Gospel is about the number of people who get converted. Why care about quality when we have quantity?
11. The early Christians had three enemies ( World, Flesh, Satan). But we have only one enemy (Satan). We bind him, make him to dance like MJ; and we even tie him and throw him in Hell and burn him with Fire. What is this World and Flesh? The frst century Christians complicated things. The only world that we know is the rotating globe that we have in our home. Talking about flesh, we recommend everyone to eat the chicken breasts from KFC.
12. The early christians thought that a prophet is one who Edifies the Church by standing in the gap, as a gatekeeper and as a watchman. But we know that a prophet is one who places his hands on our heads to predict our future.
13. In the Old Covenant, there was a dfference between High Priest and the people. This system was referred to as the clergy-laity system.The first century christians thought that Jesus abolished this system on the cross (when the Veil Tore). They considered themselves to be brothers and servants for one another. Even the shepherds and elders were one among them. But we proved them wrong by the 4th century AD when we brought back the Cergy-Laity system to practise.
14. Above all,the crowning glory of our finding is our discovery that we could love the world and God at the same time. We have given a new meaning to Chrstendom with our discovery. The first century Christians never knew this truth.They loved only God and hated the world and because of that had a miserable life.

PARTNERING 5 FOLD MINISTERS IN MARKET PLACE

2010-12-03T00:48:00.000-08:00

A QUESTION TO THINK

2010-11-26T03:44:00.000-08:00

Perfectly Weak

2010-11-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

Perfectly Weak
by Francis Frangipane

According to the Scriptures, Moses was "educated in all the learning of the Egyptians." Indeed, as a prince in Egypt, Moses had grown to be a "man of power in words and deeds" (Acts 7:22). Thus, it is hard to equate this eloquent and cultured man with the stammering shepherd who, at 80 years old, was overwhelmed with his inadequacies, so much so that he pleaded with God to choose someone else.

Consider: The Lord took a self-assured world leader and reduced his opinion of himself until he possessed no confidence. And it was in this state of mind that God decided to use him. Having been thoroughly convinced of his unfitness for leadership, Moses was now qualified to lead.

Remarkably, the Lord would ultimately reveal Himself to Moses (and all Israel as well) as Jehovah-Rapha: "I am the Lord that healeth thee." Yes, God is our healer, yet there are times when God's hands wound before they heal. Indeed, He must cripple our self-confidence before we truly become God-confident. He breaks and drains us of pride so that we, who were once full of self, might instead be filled with God.

The Lord called Moses to return to Egypt as His spokesman. In response Moses pleaded, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Ex. 4:10).

Never been eloquent? What about Egypt? "Moses the Eloquent" has become "Moses the Stammerer." The identity of a sophisticated leader, a prince who knew the highest tiers of Egyptian culture, no longer functions in Moses. God has so humbled His servant that he cannot even remember his days of powerful words and mighty deeds. Moses has only one memory of Egypt: failure.

For Moses, the very mention of the word Egypt floods his mind with weakness; Moses fears returning to the place of his humiliation, especially as a leader. Yet, God has not called him to be a leader, but a servant. And, to be a servant, one need not be eloquent, but obedient.

It Was God's Idea
Moses is sure his particular weakness, stammering, will disqualify him. How can a man who cannot speak clearly speak for God? Yet, not only is the Lord unhindered by human weakness, He asks, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Ex. 4:11). Amazingly, the Lord not only accommodates Moses' condition, He takes credit for it!

It is a profound thought: God stripped Moses of his worldly place and training, burdened him with a heavy and slow tongue, and then commanded him to serve Him in this specific area of weakness: speaking!

The Lord could have instantly healed Moses! He could have given him oratorical skills greater than what he possessed in Egypt, but He did nothing to cure Moses. In fact, the slow speech is God's idea!

Perhaps we have spent too much time blaming the devil for certain limitations that actually have their origins in God. Yet, what truly matters with the Almighty is not the eloquence of our words, but His power to fulfill them. It's a fitting combination: stammering words backed up with immutable power. "I...will be with your mouth" (Ex. 4:12). This is the alliance that makes for victory.

Why is the Lord so attracted to the lowly? He knows the weaker His servant, the more genuinely he will praise God for the work He accomplishes.

So the Lord kept Moses weak, and He maintained His servant’s sense of dependancy throughout the wilderness sojourning. Forget Charlton Heston’s portrayal of Moses with perfect articulation, there is no record of God having healed Moses’ stammer. Standing before the regalia of Pharaoh's court, Moses spoke with the same stammering tongue that began to afflict him in his old age. Later, at the Red Sea, when the horses and chariots of Pharaoh's army cornered the fleeing Hebrews, Moses lifted his voice and, with struggling lips, proclaimed, "Sta-sta-stand st-still a-a-and see th-the s-s-salvation of the L-L-Lord!"

Who would not be tempted to plead, "Hurry Lord; heal his stutter!" Yet, the Red Sea parted. God was never troubled by His servant's flawed oratory skills.

This is the glory of the cross: self is crucified so that Christ may be revealed in power.

The fact is, the Lord deliberately seeks those who know their flaws. Paul testifies that "God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong. . .the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God" (1 Cor. 1:27-29).

"That no man may boast before God." May the revelation of God liberate us from human vanity. The truth of God is this: Our weaknesses are an asset. God has chosen us, not because of our strength, but because we are weak. I am not talking about our sinfulness, but that our weaknesses and lack of pedigree do not disqualify us from being used by God.

I am not saying we shouldn’t seek God to heal our weaknesses, let us pray and believe Him! But let us also not excuse ourselves from God's calling because of our weakness. You see, before the Almighty, we each are nothing, and we can do nothing of lasting value apart from Him. It is in our lowliness that God's glory rises to its greatest heights.

Perhaps your last place of service to the Lord seemed to be a complete failure. Yet, it is possible that the Lord has simply been making you perfectly weak, that He might manifest Himself perfectly strong within you

Money and Ministry

2010-11-03T02:20:00.000-07:00

Money and Ministry
by Asher Intrate

The relationship between money and ministry is very sensitive. Let's look at a few issues:

Lordship
We never do anything in the ministry for the sake of getting money. Yeshua said, "You cannot serve God and Mammon" – Matthew 6:24. Of course we need money for the work of the Lord, and God knows that. He will provide. We are never to worry (Matthew 6:25). Yet the motives we have for serving the Lord are not to make a profit.

Not Merchandising
Therefore we are not to treat the word of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit as a product to be marketed. It is not merchandise. "We are not like many who make commerce of the word of God" – II Corinthians 2:17. We are to be good stewards and act as responsible business professionals in the manner of our work, yet we are not to see the power of God as something to be sold. "Your money perish with you, for you thought to buy the gift of God with money" – Acts 8:20. The subtle ability to manipulate manifestations of God's grace as a trick to bring in donations is evil at its root (I Timothy 6:10).

Faith to Give
As we grow in faith, God teaches us to trust Him to be able to give more and more to help others. Yeshua purposely placed His disciples in a test. There were 5,000 men, in addition to women and children, in attendance. The people needed food. Yeshua said to His disciples, "You give them to eat" – Matthew 14:16. God demanded of them to change their identity from a taker to a giver, from being a needy person to being a supplier of needs. There is supernatural provision in faith.

Recently I felt God limiting my faith to be able to provide for the needs of our ministry. He wanted our staff and team members to grow in faith. After prayer, I told them, "Now you will begin to have faith to give and provide." This is part of discipleship. As we learn to give, God will provide. After the disciples fed the 5,000, Yeshua told them to gather all the crumbs. There were 12 baskets left over – enough for one basket to each disciple. God's economy is lavish in giving, yet frugal in expenses.

Paying Taxes
Paying taxes to the government is very costly and sometimes seems to be a waste of God's money. However, we are instructed to pay taxes as part of our faith in God (Romans 13:6). The tax services are not bothered by the fact that a person receives a lot of money. Quite the contrary – they just want their percentage of the income.

Yeshua instructed Peter to receive a supernatural supply of money to pay the religious tax on the Temple by taking money out of a fish's mouth (Matthew 17:27). He also instructed all the people to pay the secular tax to the government. "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's; and unto God what is God's" – Matthew 22:21. We have to distinguish between God and Caesar. Those who have money are not necessarily more spiritual. On the other hand, we can't over-spiritualize money. We have to pay bills; and we have to pay taxes. The rabbis have an expression, "Without bread (flour), there is no Torah; and without Torah, there is no bread" – Pirke Avot 3.

Keeping Records
There were moments in history of revival and abundance, where keeping records of every expense was not necessary (II Kings 22:7). However in our world today, there is much suspicion and much financial pressure. We have to be diligent in keeping records correctly. The process of keeping records is what demonstrates integrity. "That no one should blame us in these great donations, which are administered by us. We have determined to act with integrity, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" - II Corinthians 8:20-21. We purpose to show our morality, not just before God, but also toward men.

Don't Be Offended
One of the reasons that Judas betrayed Yeshua was that he saw Miriam of Bethany pour expensive perfume on Yeshua. He thought it was wasteful. He was offended (and was also stealing money himself). This offense triggered his betrayal (Matthew 26:14). Don't let yourself fall into the same trap.

Don't Compare
Comparing salaries and benefits can cause jealousy and anger. "Why does that person receive more than I do? I work harder than he does." Yeshua addressed this issue in the parable of the hired workers. Some worked longer hours. They expected more money. They were offended that they did not receive more. Yeshua answered, "Friend, I did not wrong you. Did you not agree to work for one denarius? Do I not have the right to do with my own money what I want? Are you envious because I am generous?" – Matthew 20:13, 15. The attitude that "I deserve this" is not appropriate when employed in service to the Lord. What we have is by His grace. One aspect of repentance is to be satisfied with one's earnings (Luke 3:14).

Wealth of the Nations
There are amazing promises of prosperity in the Bible. There are even prophecies that the "wealth of the nations" will come to us (Isaiah 60:5; 60:9; 60:11; 60:16; 61:6; Zechariah 14:14). Why would God want to bring us the wealth of the nations? It is not for us to live in luxury. The wealth of the nations will come to us in order to bring the gospel to the nations. Our motivation is not to GET the wealth of the nations, but to USE it. We desire not to take money from them but to give salvation to them. We need to enlarge our faith for giving, our faith for receiving, and our faith for the kingdom of God.

Comments

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Zoe Ministries

2010-10-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Grace or Gospel of Radical Grace

2010-09-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of Grace or Gospel of Radical Grace

In view of the unfolding events in the church, it is important for us to explain the issues surrounding the so called Gospel of Grace or Radical Grace as taught by Joseph Prince, New Creation Church , Singapore .

The Gospel of Grace is a stream of teaching that was already present during the early church, called antinomianism (anti-“nomos” or law) then, which is the exact opposite of legalism. Antinomianism is the extreme end of being “under grace and free from law” which resulted in many problems in the early church (Jude, Galatians, Romans etc).

In a nutshell, since we have been justified in Christ by faith alone through grace which is a gift of God; Law has no place or worth in a believer’s life; because we cannot earn salvation through it. Therefore, obedience is not a necessary part of Christian salvation. There are dangers associated with this type of teaching. Those propagating the Gospel of Grace will deny they are antinomianist. It would be wise to evaluate their teachings based on the observations below.

J.I. Packer in his book “Concise Theology” (1993) identified the following types of antinomianism:

1. Dualistic Antinomianism

“Dualistic antinomianism appears in the Gnostic heretics against whom Jude and Peter wrote (Jude 4-19; 2 Peter 2). This view sees salvation as for the soul only, and bodily behavior as irrelevant both to God’s interest and to the soul’s health, so one may behave riotously and it will not matter.”

2. Spirit-Centered Antinomianism

“Spirit-centered antinomianism outs such trust in the Holy Spirit’s inward prompting as to deny any need to be taught by the law how to live. Freedom from the law as a way of salvation is assumed to bring with it freedom from the law as a guide to conduct. In the first 150 years of the Reformation era this kind of antinomianism often threatened the church, and Paul’s insistence that a truly spiritual person acknowledges the authority of God’s Word through Christ’s apostles (1 Cor. 14:37; cf. 7:40) suggests that the Spirit-obsessed Corinthian church was in the grip of the same mind set.”

3. Christ-Centered Antinomianism

“Christ-centered antinomianism argues that God sees no sin in believers, because they are in Christ, who kept the law for them, and therefore their actions make no difference, providing that they keep believing. But 1 John 1:8-2:1 (expounding 1:7) and 3:4-10 point in a different direction, showing that it is not possible to be in Christ and at the same time to embrace a sinful way of life.”

4. Dispensational Antinomianism

“Dispensational antinomianism holds that keeping the moral law is at no stage necessary for Christians, since we live under a dispensation of grace, not of law. Romans 3:31 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 clearly show, however, that law keeping is a continuing obligation for Christians. “I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law,” says Paul (1 Cor. 9:21).”

5. Situationist Antinomianism

“Situationist antinomianism says that a motive and intention of love is all that God now requires of Christians, and the commands of the Decalogue (10 Commandments) and other ethical parts of Scripture, for all that they are ascribed to God directly, are mere rules of thumb for loving, and may at anytime be disregarded. But Romans 13:8-10, to which this view appeals, teaches that without love as a motive these specific commands cannot be fulfilled. Once more an unacceptably weak view of Scripture surfaces.”

These classifications may not be so distinctive as they overlap each other.

Daniel Steele, more than two centuries ago in his writing “A SUBSTITUTE FOR HOLINESS OR ANTINOMIANISM REVIVED – THE THEOLOGY OF THE SO-CALLED PLYMOUTH BRETHREN EXAMINED AND REFUTED “ defined the creed of an antinomian as follows:

“I was justified when Christ died, and my faith is simply a waking up to the fact that I have always been saved – a realization of what was done before I had any being; that a believer is not bound to mourn for sin, because it was pardoned before it was committed, and pardoned sin is no sin; that God does not see sin in believers, however great sins they commit; that by God's laying our iniquities upon Christ, He became as completely sinful as I, and I as completely righteous as Christ. More over, I believe that no sin can do a believer any ultimate harm, although it may temporarily interrupt communion with God. I must not do any duty for my own salvation. This is included in the new covenant, which is all of it a promise, having no condition on my part. It is a paid up, non-forfeitable, eternal-life insurance policy. Since the new covenant is not properly made with us, but with Christ for us, the conditions, repentance, faith, and obedience, are not on our side, but on Christ's side, who repented, believed, and obeyed, in such a way to relieve us from these unpleasant acts. Hence it is folly to search for inward marks of grace, and it is a fundamental error to make sanctification an indispensable evidence of justification – an error which dampens the joys of him who takes Christ for his sanctification, and plunges him into needless alarms and distresses."

The NCC’s Gospel of Grace teaching is very similar to the above. Our concerns are:

I was justified when Christ died, and my faith is simply a waking up to the fact that I have always been saved – a realization of what was done before I had any being; that a believer is not bound to mourn for sin, because it was pardoned before it was committed, and pardoned sin is no sin; that God does not see sin in believers, however great sins they commit; that by God's laying our iniquities upon Christ, He became as completely sinful as I, and I as completely righteous as Christ. Moreover, I believe that no sin can do a believer any ultimate harm, although it may temporarily interrupt communion with God. The implications:

1. Strong emphasis on the completed work of Christ Jesus on the Cross. Selectively focused on the positional or “forensics” aspects of God’s justification and sanctification in a believer’s life through the cross as an end by itself. Orthodox Christianity sees “justification and sanctification” as a means to an end that requires obedience living in Christ.

2. God does not see sin in believers. He only sees us as His beloved, forgiven and favoured children of God because Christ already paid the horrible price for sin on the Cross. We have become the righteousness of Christ. An incomplete view and emphasis on the teaching of “imputed righteousness” and “counted as righteous”.
3. Christ has forgiven our sins, past present and future. Believers are not bound to confess or mourn for their sins because it has been pardoned. To do so is devalue the work of justification by faith. Such teachings can result in a presumptuous and dull/low view about sin that is still in our lives even as Christians. There is no emphasis for believers to live correctly and actively allow the Holy Spirit to deal with sins. Jesus teaches us the need to actively deal with sins in our lives… If your eyes, hands cause you to sin, pluck it out, cut it off. (Matthew)
4. God’s anger/wrath is only towards non-believers. We believe that God can still be angry with His people and does discipline believers to bring us back to him.

Salvation is a gift of God by grace through faith alone. It is all of it a promise, having no condition on my part. It is a paid up, non-forfeitable, eternal-life insurance policy. The implications:

1. We must focus on the “indicatives” i.e. what Christ has done for us and the benefits/blessings. Let’s stress on the positives continuously.

2. We just need to believe and accept (that is main point) and it is done by faith.

3. We live under grace and not under Law. We should not focus on preaching the “imperatives” (how we should live i.e. the outworking). The more extreme Gospel of Grace will view this as preaching the law and trying to earn salvation. We believe there should be a healthy balance between “indicatives” and “imperatives”. The imperatives must be founded on the indicatives. Christians need to understand the finished work of Christ and respond in obedience to Him.

4. While there is eternal security in God’s promise and work of salvation, it is also man’s responsibility to co-operate and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to help us to live our lives intentionally, purposefully and to show the evidences of grace through obedience and good works in Christ. We would call into question salvation in the first place if there is no evidence of fruits of salvation.

Since the new covenant is not properly made with us, but with Christ for us, the conditions, repentance, faith, and obedience, are not on our side, but on Christ's side, who repented, believed, and obeyed, in such a way to relieve us from these unpleasant acts. The implications:

1. Effortless faith or easy believerism. We are now the recipients of the completed work which is your God-given right. We quote: “Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour will not only save you from sin and hell, but also give to you health, joy, peace, love, hope, unconditional acceptance, favour, the power to get wealth, all good things you can think of and more.” NCC-website

2. There is no need to talk about obedience, sacrifice, suffering and cost of discipleship because Christ has already suffered these. We just need to claim and receive the blessings that flows from the finished work of the cross – termed as “divine exchange.” We agree and acknowledge the finished work of the Cross but are concerned about emphasis on the blessings minus the commitment of believers.

3. It is alright to live in the excesses of our lives without feeling guilty about it. Where is the teaching about Christian virtues like contentment, simplicity, moderation and thankfulness?

4. The blessings that are ours to claim include “health, power to get wealth and all good things you can think and more.” It is our “birthright”. All over the world, there are Christians who still live in poverty, in persecution because of their faith and yet are able to witness and give thanks in all circumstances. Their birthright is hope in Christ Jesus.

5. Healing through the Holy Communion. The Holy Communion is a sacrament for us to commemorate what Christ has done for us. We are to do it in remembrance of Christ. We believe that God can heal even at Communion but the sacraments are not to be considered the means for healing. Imagine the communion stewards, talking back home the excess sacraments (bread and wine) in plastic bags to be partaken regularly to claim healing!

6. Propensity to divide Scripture into the New Covenant and Old Covenant. It is unscriptural to claim that some teachings of Jesus does not apply in the new covenant because he was addressing the Jews (therefore, does not apply) and before the cross because the new covenant only came into effect through his death and resurrection on the Cross. All Scripture is God breathed and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correction and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hence it is folly to search for inward marks of grace, and it is a fundamental error to make sanctification an indispensable evidence of justification – an error which dampens the joys of him who takes Christ for his sanctification, and plunges him into needless alarms and distresses. The implication:

1. Justification and Sanctification are understood as definitive events. Legally, we are justified and sanctified because Christ paid the cost on the Cross. To interpret this as an end itself is incomplete. We believe this is not the end but it is a means for us to walk in obedience with Christ through the continuous transformation work of Holy Spirit resulting in progressive sanctification and to be more like Him.

2. To teach or preach about obedient living will only burden the believer. They believe if you know Christ, you will live right. 2 Tim 3:16 implores us to teach, rebuke, correct and train through the Word of God.

Eisegesis vs Exegesis

We also have reservations about the tendency of Joseph Prince to read his theology into the text. Eisegesis is the approach in Bible interpretation where the interpreter tries to "force" the Bible to mean something that fits his existing belief or understanding of a particular issue or doctrine. People who interpret the Bible this way are usually not willing to let the Bible speak for itself and let the chips fall where they may. They start off with the up-front goal of trying to prove a point they already believe in, and everything they read and interpret is filtered through that paradigm. The exegetical process takes place in the workshop, the warehouse. Exegesis is a process in private, a perspiring task in which the Bible student examines the backgrounds, meanings, and forms of words; studies the structure and parts of sentences; seeks to ascertain the original textual reading (textual criticism) etc. ... In the privacy of his study, the exegete seeks to comprehend the exact meaning of the Bible passage being studied." Roy B. Zuck's book titled Basic Bible Interpretation.) "

Some teachings from JP that requires closer scrutiny:

1. 1 John 1: 9 does not apply to Christians because it is written to Gentile non-believers (agnostics). If we do a proper exegesis on this epistle, it was written to believers. All epistles in the NT are for believers (corporately or individually, never to unbelievers). John was addressing the proto-Gnostics false teachings amongst believers in the church that claims ('if we, v8) they have no sin. JP’s teaching: Christ has forgiven your sins – past, present and future. Therefore, the teaching that Christians do not need to confess and repent from sins still present is not scriptural.
2. 2 Tim 2:15 - "rightly dividing the word of truth" has come to be understood as dividing the OLD Covenant (law) from NEW Covenant (grace). There is no hint that Paul is talking about Old and New Covenant in this passage. Rather, Paul reminds Timothy to know the Word and handle it with great care (divide = to cut straight, careful and great care) and refers to specific examples, Hymaenus and Philetus who taught there is no resurrection (v17) i.e. wrong teachings. Such teaching is like gangrene and caused many to fall. There is no basis that Paul is asking Timothy to divide the word based on NEW and OLD Covenant. This is just to justify his contention about "grace and law".

3. JP claims that “some of the words which Jesus spoke in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are part of the old covenant. They were spoken before the cross as He had not yet died. The new covenant only begins after the cross, when the Holy Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost… Some of what Jesus said before the cross and what He said after the cross were spoken under completely different covenants." (Destined to Reign, p.92) The Lord’s prayer in Matt 6 and Luke 11 where Jesus taught his disciples to pray; “forgive us our sins ...” Should we not pray likewise or should we interpret it that it does not apply because Jesus was teaching them to pray before the New Covenant ?

DO NOT GIVE UP

2010-09-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

INDIAN TRIP

2010-09-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Beware of leaders who are willing to bend the truth in their quest for popularity, power, and pleasure

2010-08-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

zoe ministries

GL Garden 01-21-02, Solok Paya Terubong 8, 11060 Penang, Malaysia

House Phone: 604-8277554 Hand Phone: 60165318276.

Email: cvs3zoe@yahoo.com

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Dear friends, I do want to share a little bit about false ministers during this dangerous time we live in. This warning is directed against false ministers whose messages are not from God, but lies intended to win popularity by saying whatever made the people happy. Their messages comforted people into a false sense of security, making not only Ezekiel [in the OT] but today’s true ministers of God’s work more difficult.

Beware of leaders who are willing to bend the truth in their quest for popularity, power, and pleasure.

Please read carefully. Do not rush through.

The false representatives of God during Ezekiel’s time exhibited at least ten negative characteristics.

First, they spoke out of their own will, not God’s will.

Ezekiel 13:1-3 (NKJV) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’ ” 3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

Ezekiel 13:17 (NKJV) 17 “Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,

Second, they made the people a victim instead of performing a ministry for them. They scavenged among ruined lives for personal gain and self-indulgence.

Ezekiel 13:4 (NKJV) 4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts.

Third, they had no crisis ministry. They could not strengthen the breaks in the walls (i.e., people or nations) or fortify broken lives.

Ezekiel 13:5 (NKJV) 5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.

Fourth, they claimed their revelations were divine to deceive their followers and easily deceived others because they were deceived themselves.

Ezekiel 13:6-7 (NKJV) 6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.”

Fifth, they failed to stand against sin and declared an empty message without truth.

Ezekiel 13:6-9 (NKJV) 6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.” 8 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God. 9 “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

Sixth, they preached a message of peace, prosperity, and safety in the face of imminent judgment because they failed to relate the consequences of sin.

Ezekiel 13:10-12 (NKJV) 10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar— 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?’ ”

Seventh, their ministry provoked the wrath of God and invited his judgment.

Ezekiel 13:13-16 (NKJV) 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord God.

Eighth, they often used false methods and occult practices to legitimize their work and control their victims.

Ezekiel 13:17-21 (NKJV) 17 “Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, 18 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19 And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?” 20 ‘Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

Ninth, they encouraged iniquity by word and personal example.

Ezekiel 13:22-23 (NKJV) 22 “Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”

Tenth, they set up the worst idols, their own self-will (14:1–7).

Ezekiel 14:1-7 (NKJV) Now some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them? 4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may seize the house of Israel by their heart, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols.” ’ 6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself.

Please pray for Vijaya and me, that we will continue to stay close with the one who called us and chose us and fulfill HIS PURPOSE. That we will be HIS Mouth Piece and speak forth His Truth boldly and with His Love.

Ephesians 6:18-19 (NKJV) 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Malaysia

5/8/2010 Emmanuel Word Centre –Kulim- Kedah

8/8/2010 Trinity Bible Church -Penang

29/8/2010 Emma Faith Nurturing Centre –Penang

Singapore

31/7/2010 An Afternoon with Christopher.K in Open Hand Fellowship on Spiritual Leadership

1/8/2010 Open Hand Christian Fellowship

Australia –August [pray for more doors to open] 12/8 to 25/8/2010

12/8 AM-Pastors Prayer Meeting

13/8 PM –Reach Community Church –Melbourne

14/8 PM -8th Anniversary of Reach Community Church

15/8 AM –Sunday Morning Service–Reach Community Church –Melbourne

21/8 AM- Men’s Breakfast Meeting –Reach Community Church –Melbourne

22/8 AM-Assembly [name of church TBC later]

India –Kerala / Tamil Nadu –September 7th to 24th.

11/9 to 16/9 Highlands Immanuel Fellowship -Kochi

18/9 10am to 4pm New Life Fellowship -Kochi

19/9 7am Tamil –New Life fellowship -Kochi

9am English –New Life Fellowship –Kochi

11am Malayalam –New Life Fellowship -Kochi

20/9 to 24/9 Chennai –Tamil Nadu

Philippines [28/10 to 4/11]

Friends, we are a faith ministry and when you are lead by God to give towards our living and ministry, please direct it to

KRISHNASAMY A/L RAMASAMY

I/C Number -540303-07-5307

May Bank account number : 107125195025

Home Branch number 07125 -KAMPONG BHARU

Swift Code: MBBEMYKL

Or

KASIKORNBANK

Account number: 548-2-01969-4

Become a blessing to the nations by sending us to the nations to disciple the nations.

In His Majesty’s service

Christopher.K [Krishnasamy s/o Ramasamy] and Vijaya.K

29/7/2010

Testimony from Open Hand Christian Fellowship

2010-07-06T02:27:00.000-07:00

Open Hand Christian Fellowship
Blk 209, New Upper Changi Road, #04-645, Singapore 460209

Pastor Christopher Krishnasamy and his wife Vijaya have ministered in our church and have also conducted a 4-day seminar on “Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Mal 4:6” from 13th to 16th June 2010. It was a fruitful time of bringing our church members to a place of oneness and reconciliation.

Pastor Christopher is very much a father figure and many of our church members found him approachable and caring. Sister Vijaya is a wonderful help-mate for his ministry. He is light-hearted and jovial when not in the pulpit. He is very focused on his subject when teaching and he knows his material well.

I believe he also has the gift of mentoring and coming along-side pastors and leaders. His in-depth knowledge and understanding of those in the front line of church life can be seen in his ability to give godly counsel. It is probably because of his many years of experience in the ministry and vast interaction with different denominations.

I am delighted to know him and would not hesitate to recommend him for your fellowship or church so that you may benefit from his talents and spiritual giftings.

Pastor Arthur Phua
Senior Pastor
Open Hand Christian Fellowship, Singapore

PRAYER NEED

2010-06-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

PRAYER NEED

2010-06-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Apostle Paul: Rejected

2010-05-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

Apostle Paul: Rejected
By Rowland Croucher and others ⋅ May 1, 2010

Based on Bill Britton’s classic; modified and expanded by Dean VanDruff.

MYSTERY BABYLON DENOMINATION
FOREIGN MISSIONS BOARD
To: Rev. Saul Paul
First Christian Church
Antioch, Syria

Dear Mr. Paul:

I have your application for missionary appointment before me, and will be as frank as possible concerning your qualifications as a foreign missionary. We have to be very careful in choosing our missionaries, and our Missions Board has reviewed your case thoroughly. We have decided that it would be unwise to send you to the foreign field for the following reasons:

It has come to our attention that you are doing secular work on the side. We do not feel that making tents and full time ministry go together very well. [1Th 2:9] It seems that you do not have enough experience in trusting the Lord for your income. You should make up your mind whether you want to preach or continue your profession.

Your previous actions have been very rash and unseemly for a minister. We learned that in a public meeting you opposed Dr. Simon Peter, an esteemed minister with a high reputation. [Ga 2:11-14] We also hear that you refused to compromise with other ministers such that a special council meeting had to be called in Jerusalem to prevent a serious split in the churches. [Ac 15:1-30] We frown on putting ideology before people. For your own good, I am enclosing a copy of Daius’ Carnegus book on “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.” [Ga 1:10, 1Th 2:4-6]

You have conflicted with mature Jewish brethren in nearly every city you have visited who simply want to encourage the converted Pagans to be properly circumcised. Mr. Paul, you must know that these men are our most learned sages with a deep sense of the roots and history of our faith. As well, and more importantly, these men control the synagogues you could be ministering in if you would simply tone down your dialog into a more friendly and respectful exchange. [Gal 5:2-12]

In checking back, we discovered your Christian education consisted of a three year course in Arabia. [Ga 1:15-20] We find that the Arabian school has not been approved by our accreditation board.
Further, you admit to being an unskilled public speaker. [2Co 10:10, 11:6] Paul, surely you must know that people expect fine elocution from men of God, and that as a denomination we stand for the highest levels of excellence in the pulpit. Yet instead of going to much-needed oratory classes you spend your time making tents instead. From your correspondence, you also appear to be spending a considerable amount of time writing letters to insignificant little “churches” that meet in homes. [Ac 28:3-6] Honestly now; do you really think that such misguided activities are what will lead to your success in the world of religion? We strongly suggest that you put down your tools and set aside your pen, and instead practice hand gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation in front of a mirror for several hours a day until you come up to par.

It has come to our attention that you often emphasize “the power of God” and “the gifts of the Spirit.” [1Co 2:3-5, 12:1-7] Also that you speak in tongues a great deal. [1Co 14:18] Surely you realize that such as this only drives off the better class of people, and attracts only the riff-raff. It would be better to tone down those more sensational forms of worship. You sound as though you are “off the deep end.” [1Co 3:18]

It has been proven to our satisfaction that you had hands laid on you at Antioch with prophecy going forth, [Ac 13:1-3] with none of the Apostles or Headquarters brethren present to conduct this ordination service in the prescribed manner.

We see here that you have a jail record in several places. [2Co 11:23-27] If this is true, it puts you in a bad light, for our denomination has always stood for a high standard of civic responsibility. I fear it would damage our reputation to have someone representing us that had served time in jails and prisons. Frankly, Mr. Paul, we seriously doubt you could have been innocent and the judge wrong in so many cases. It just doesn’t look right.

It seems that you are a troublemaker, Mr. Paul. Several business men of Ephesus have written us that you were the cause of severe loss of business to them and stirred up a mob protest. You must learn to cultivate the friendship and influence of men and groups such as these. [Ac 16:16-22]

We also have some details of a shameful “over the wall in a basket” episode at Damascus, [2Co 11:30-33] plus a stoning at Lystra, and several other violent actions taken against your ministry. [2Ti 3:11] Haven’t you ever suspected that conciliatory behavior and gentler words might gain you more friends?

We have learned through channels that following some trouble with a preacher on the island of Cyprus, you began to allow yourself to be known by the Gentile pronunciation of your name rather than the proper Hebrew. [Ac 13:4-11] Yet another conflict, and then a name change. This does not seem to us to be conduct becoming to the ministry.

You admitted in your application that in the past you neglected such needy fields as Bithynia, just because “the Spirit didn’t lead that way,” and that you undertook a hazardous journey on the strength of a dream you had at Troas. [Ac 16:6-10] Mr. Paul, surely you don’t expect us to go along with such flimsy and fantastic excuses for your seemingly purposeless wanderings.

Many times you did not stay long enough, in our opinion, to get a church properly established. You left your converts many times without even a pastor to guide them, and without setting the church in order in some good hierarchical denomination. [Ts 1:5]

We hear also from Troas that you preach too long, one sermon lasting almost twenty-four hours, even to the extent that a young man fell asleep and was seriously injured. [Ac 20:7-12] We understand that you claim to have restored his life and raised him from the dead by falling on him and embracing him. What nonsense! We need practical men in the ministry, Mr. Paul, not high strung emotional radicals. Our advice is for you to shorten your sermons considerably. We find that about twenty minutes is the longest a minister can hold the attention of his audience these days. Our motto is “Stand up, speak up, and shut up.”

It is reported from your home church that you could not get along with your fellow ministers; that John Mark–a commendable young man and nephew of one of our highest leaders–had to leave your party in the middle of a journey; and that you had a sharp quarrel with gentle, good natured Barnabas. [Ac 15:36-40] Now these men are well thought of in Jerusalem and we wonder why you are always having trouble with your fellow workers?

We have notarized affidavits from four very popular and influential preachers: Diotrephes, Demas, Hymenaeus, and Alexander; to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your program. [1Ti 1:20]

From what we hear, you seem to think that you have some direct sanction from on-high, boasting about your revelations and that God has chosen you to reveal some “Mystery”. [Ep 3:3-4] Can’t you realize that any truth that is to be revealed would come through Headquarters to the recognized, established brethren, and that after it had been checked by our Procedure and Doctrine Committee that we would distribute it on to the field workers?

Finally, we hear that you claim to be an Apostle. We know nothing of this being passed upon by the proper authoritative channels and wonder how you could back that claim up, when the last Apostle was voted into office right here in Jerusalem. [Ac 1:26] Now that our denomination is firmly established, why do you imagine there would be any need for God to continue the Apostolic gifting?

As you see, Mr. Paul, we feel definitely after close scrutiny of your case, that you are undoubtedly the most unqualified applicant we have ever seen, and my advice for you is to find a church where you can work in harmony, and use your past education as perhaps a Sunday School teacher.

I hope I have prevented you from making a terrible mistake in your life.

Most sincerely yours,

J. Flavios Fluphehead, SECY

The National Day of World Prayer

2010-05-06T23:44:00.000-07:00

A River is Rising! Keep Moving Toward Pentecost!

2010-05-04T01:58:00.000-07:00

Chuck Pierce:

A River is Rising! Keep Moving Toward Pentecost!

http://www.mypropheticspace.com/images/faces/Chuck_Pierce08_100pixels.jpgA River is Rising!

"There is a river within My people that I am bubbling up now. There is a river within My people that will bubble up and pour out now. Many of your rivers have been filled up with debris. Therefore, over the next several weeks, I will be cleansing you. There is a grace to be cleansed. There is a window to be cleansed. There is a moment that I will cleanse you. Because bacterium like E. coli has been down in your intestines, I will begin to produce clear colons. I will begin to cause your stomachs to be able to digest what I have for the future. My cleansing stream will come forth."

Keep Moving Toward Pentecost!

As we approach Pentecost we must continue to shift our minds and thinking processes toward HARVEST. Watch for NEW DOORS to FORM! To "form" means to develop or mold the shape or outline of something or to give meaning, character or nature to something.

Another way of looking at a forming time is when something is becoming what it will be in days ahead. This includes the conditioning of our mind and body in regard to its mental performance ahead. A forming season includes conceiving, training, and disciplining. This phase denotes the arrangement of the part of a thing that gives its distinctive appearance.

A key Scripture reference about Pentecost time is 1 Corinthians 16:8. Paul purposed to stay at Ephesus until Pentecost, because an effectual door was opened to him for his ministry. Many enemies are behind this forming door, but the Lord says:

"Do not focus on your enemies during this season, but watch the door form and be ready to enter into this new opportunity. I will give you grace over your enemies. I am releasing your new assignment and you will go forth into new mission fields."

Do Not Fear Darkness

God will be sending some of His people into dark structures. Do not fear the darkness. He will give you "night vision" to see a path of righteousness through any unrighteous structure. This will be like moving in the Gulf Stream through normal ocean currents. The Gulf Stream is a warm stream that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, goes through the Florida Straits and then moves into the colder waters of the Atlantic Ocean. God is parting waters! Dark spirits that have stopped us from advancing in certain areas to bring forth the harvest commission of the Son will now let go of harvest gates.

1 Corinthians 16:9 which says, "For a great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries," and will become a reality in this season. The Word of God will enter places and groups of people that have been closed or resisted freedom. Demon forces will part like the Red Sea and will be held back while God's children go into their new assignments.

Time for Harvest!

Most of us do not understand harvest time. We're in the days of waving the omer. Biblically, you wave your best offering daily and then by Pentecost you enter into a new harvest release. Because of our complex life, we are far removed from the actual production of our food supplies and the origination of the source of our provision. The harvest was a most important season (Genesis 8:22; 45:6). Events were reckoned from harvests (Genesis 30:14; Joshua 3:15; Judges 15:1; Ruth 1:22; 2:23; 1 Samuel 6:13; 2 Samuel 21:9; 23:13).

We must understand that harvest has a process:

1. The seed is broadcast and plowed under in late winter.

2. The prayer for rain–the early and the latter rain (Zechariah 10).

3. The grain was grasped and cut with the sickle (Deuteronomy 16:9 and Mark 4:29).

4. The grain was gathered into sheaves.

5. The grain was taken to the threshing floor.

6. Tools were used for threshing. You have tools for harvest.

7. The grain was winnowed (tossed in the air). Let the wind blow away your chaff.

8. The remaining grain was shaken into a sieve (Amos 9:9). Some of you are in this process.

9. The grain was brought into the storehouse. Find your storehouse.

Now, the harvest must be protected because harvest has major enemies:

1. Drought. Ask the Lord to identify and break all your dryness.

2. Locust invasion. Ask the Lord to remove any devouring in your harvest.

3. Plant diseases (mold, mildew). Ask the Lord to remove any mold in your life.

4. Hot, scorching winds. Ask the Lord to turn any adverse winds.

5. War. The enemy wanted to live off the land. Declare that any enemy that has eaten your harvest will run out of your land.

Firstfruits: A Key to Blessing

This feast was called the "Day of Firstfruits" (Numbers 28:26) because it marked the beginning of the time in which people were to bring offerings of firstfruits. It was a feast of joy and thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest season. Then these offerings were presented as a "wave offering" for the people. The first ripe of fruit, grapes, grain, oil, wine and the first of fleece were required as an offering (Exodus 22:29; Leviticus 2:12-16; Numbers 18:12; Deuteronomy 18:4; 2 Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35, 37, 39; Proverbs 3:9; Jeremiah 2:3; Romans 11:16).

At this time, the Lord was credited as the source of rain and fertility (Jeremiah 5:24). In the New Testament the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), at the festive time when Jews from different countries were in Jerusalem to celebrate this annual feast. The interval between Pentecost and tabernacles was the time for offering firstfruits.

Ask the Lord for your firstfruit offerings.

The Power of Redemptive Multiplication

Here are some keys to prayer to bring an increase to your thinking processes and to help you learn the power of redemptive multiplication:

• Read Proverbs 10:5. "He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame." Break a spirit of slumber. Ask the Lord if you have slumbered when you should have gathered.

• Repent and Don't Look Back! Ask the Lord to forgive you for any sins that you have made. In this passage you see how the people continually questioned the Lord's power and protection. They had no faith that He would deliver them out of their present distress so they began building and worshipping false gods. The Word says when God saw this He was "Provoked to anger." The Scripture says, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" Know that God is willing to save you out of every situation, but you must make the choice to fully surrender to Him and understand that His timing is perfect. Read Jeremiah 8:20.

• Thank Him for Your Inheritance! Thank Him that He has an inheritance for you. Here you see that David describes the inheritance that he has been given from the Lord as a good inheritance. Thank God for what He has given you to steward over and bless Him in all you do. The inheritance that God has given you is better than anything you could ever ask or dream of. God gives you nothing but the best. It is your decision to accept it and move into all the blessings that He has available for you. Read Psalm 16.

• The Greater Dimension of Faith! Let Faith arise in your heart - "the greater dimension of faith." Whenever I read the stories about healing in the Bible, I always seem to be baffled at the amount of faith displayed by these people. Now, as I view our culture, everyone seems to place all their faith into things they know. Many things, without a doubt, will give them some sort of return. Faith has an object. These people had found an object, Jesus, the Messiah, to place their faith. If we all would just fully let go and come into the understanding that God wants to heal and move into a new level of faith. We just have to have the faith.

In Matthew 8, I love when the centurion came to Jesus and pleaded with Him to heal his servant. Jesus was more than willing to go out of His way to personally visit the man's place and heal the servant. However, the soldier knew all that was needed was for Jesus to SPEAK or SAY that the servant was healed and he would be healed. This man understood authority and command. That is the kind of faith that I desire to see!

Ask the Lord for a new level of faith to arise in you! Read Matthew 7 and 8.

• Be A Laborer in His Kingdom! Ask the Lord for laborers. Let Him show you where you are to labor in His Kingdom. At the end of this chapter Jesus tell His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." The Gospel says that Jesus was moved with compassion when He saw the people for they were weary and scattered.

God has a harvest that He is bringing that will be too much for us to anticipate. We must pray and ask for the wisdom to have all the proper "laborers" in place so we don't get beat down in the process. Thank God for the harvest that He is bringing! Be ready to be a laborer in this next harvest move! Read Matthew 9.

• Freely You Have Received! "Freely you have received, freely give." Prepare an offering. We have received so much, as a matter of fact all the Father had—His only Son. Do not be afraid to give. In Matthew 10 you see that Jesus charged the disciples to go to the Israelites and preach to them saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" Jesus said that His disciples could not take gold or silver with them. He told them to preach and stay with those who would receive them.

In verse 14 Jesus says, "And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet." We must become more sensitive to the presence of Holy Spirit in our midst. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to His presence and pray that you would see Him in every situation you are in! Be patient in your job or your city so that you do not leave prematurely. Do not be afraid to witness. Read Matthew 10

Blessings,

Chuck D. Pierce
Glory of Zion International Ministries
Email: chuckp@glory-of-zion.org

PRAYER FOR PHILIPPINES (from 22-26/4/2010)

2010-04-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) 14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Father, I pray in Jesus name for your mercy to come upon Philippines. I admit that there is so much corruption among our leaders; there is violence and lawlessness; the land is defiled by immorality and idolatry; there is injustice. It is getting from bad to worst oh God. Deep darkness has covered the Philippines. Philippines is unhealthy because the church in the Philippines is unhealthy. Please forgive us.

Father, your people who are called by your name to be salt and light in Philippines has rebelled against you. We repent of our sins. We repent of corruption, idolatry, immorality, violence, lawlessness, favoritism, prejudice in Jesus Name. Please forgive us of our sins and come and heal our land. Restore us oh Lord. Once again that we may draw close to you and be seated at your feet and receive from you and work together with you.

In Jesus Name. Amen

Christopher.k

PRAYER NEED

2010-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

"PROPHESY unto us SMOOTH THINGS"

2010-04-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

"PROPHESY unto us SMOOTH THINGS"
-by Darren Smith.

As conditions around the world get worse it seems the sleeping
state of the modern church gets worse. As earthquakes become
more frequent and famine as well as oppression grows, we sleep.
As the prosperity message pollutes the world, we sleep. What
will it take to waken the church?

I want to give you some things to think about on our local level.
Houston is the capitol of the world for human trafficking, yeah
that's right, Houston. We get the stories on the local news but
never see them on a national level, in fact, they are not getting
as much attention even here as they were. Houston is also the
home of the largest abortion clinic in the United States, yet it is
also home to some of the biggest churches in the nation. Gang
violence is at epidemic levels as the Mexican drug cartels use
violence and fear to take over more and more neighborhoods. The
Border with Mexico is a war zone and is to the point where many
experts are saying the country is on the verge of a revolution, and
still we sleep. Most are content with living their comfortable life
and turning their thoughts away from the truth of what is really
happening. Our nation has never been in a worse state than it is
right now, and life as we know it is about to change forever as
judgment falls, and still we sleep.

Why can't we look at the signs around us and see where we really
are? Because we don't want to know the truth, it's too hard. We
want to hear only the smooth things as the Bible says in Isa 30:
10-11. The modern church says unto the seer "do not see" and to
the prophet "prophesy unto us smooth things." We are in a state
of denial so deep I'm afraid it is too late for most to see the
destruction that awaits. When a prophet gives truth he is rejected
and scorned, yet the false prophets, or should I say profits, are
held in high esteem. In all this, the Gospel has been lost, or
should I say, stolen. The enemy has done a great job in stealing
and hiding the truth and he has done it by promoting a false gospel
of prosperity. No matter what denomination you name, the
humanistic gospel of Self has crept its way in and rocked the
people to sleep. The mandate to take the Gospel, which is the
power of God, to the nations has been lost to the gospel of comfort
and self promotion.

This has happened in every form of the modern church, from the
preaching, to the music. The message of the Cross is no longer
found in sermons or songs. The blood has been overtaken by
smooth words and songs designed to make us feel better about
ourselves. A couple of days ago, while traveling in East TX, I saw
a billboard for a church that said life is hard, church shouldn't be.
I thought to myself, nothing could be farther from the truth. Truly
being the church is the hardest thing you will ever do in your life.
We are called to be the church, not attend a social meeting
designed to make us feel better. Being the Church requires self
sacrifice and commitment to the cross. It requires you to live the
Gospel everyday, not just on Sunday. It is for this very reason
our cities as well as our whole nation are asleep and out of the
will of God, yet we still believe that we are Gods' chosen land.
How much longer can we sleep? I believe just as long as we have
smooth lullaby's in sermon and song to sooth us in our slumber.

I refuse to let the sleeping dog lie in this state. I will not prophesy
the smooth things and I refuse not to say what I see coming. For
this reason, I don't get to preach in many churches, but that
doesn't really matter, neither did the prophets. The message of
God cannot be stopped by man or man's organizations and God
is raising an army of fearless preachers out here that has nothing
to lose by preaching the truth, because it's all we have. We have
already forsaken the world for the Cross. You may not want to
hear what we have to say, but you cannot stop the truth. If you
are one in this army, set your face like flint and march forward,
don't retreat, there is nothing to return to. Don't faint, let the Lord
be your strength for you will face persecution even from those
close to you, but you will see victory. This is a time of war not
peace, a time for the extreme and the radical, a time for
revolutionaries. Don't walk in fear, march forward in faith.

I haven't sent out anything in a while, I have been struggling with
an illness in my liver and have had to take some time to be still
and quiet, but now am at a point to let it go. Please pray for God
to heal me and give me strength to march on in this battle. I'm
setting dates to speak now for mid April and May - if anyone would
like me to come please contact us.

-Darren Smith
http://www.streetscapeministries.com/

THAILAND MINISTRY REPORT

2010-04-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

TOUCH NOT THE ANOINTED ONES

2010-03-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

EASTER

2010-03-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

EASTER
pascha (3957), mistranslated “Easter” in Acts 12:4, kjv, denotes the Passover (rv). The phrase “after the Passover” signifies after the whole festival was at an end. The term “Easter” is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast, but was not instituted by Christ, nor was it connected with Lent. From this Pasch the pagan festival of “Easter” was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity.
Vine, W., Unger, M. F., & White, W. (1997, c1996). Vine's complete expository dictionary of Old and New Testament words (electronic ed.) (2:192). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of light and spring. At the time of the vernal equinox (the day in the spring when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length), sacrifices were offered in her honor. As early as the eighth century, the word was used to designate the annual Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
The only appearance of the word Easter (KJV) is a mistranslation of pascha, the Greek word for “Passover” (Acts 12:4).
Youngblood, R. F. (1997, c1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary : An authoritative one-volume reference work on the Bible with full color illustrations (F. Bruce, Ed.) (electronic edition of the revised edition of Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Asking our children to paint eggs is from paganism -it is from fertility rite.

Let us celebrate Jesus The Christ.

Christopher. K

JEREMIAH

2010-03-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

PRAYER NEED

2010-03-10T00:11:00.000-08:00

Why Are So Many Christians Hypocrites?

2010-02-27T22:54:00.000-08:00

Why Are So Many Christians Hypocrites?
by Rich Deem
Introduction
Hypocritical Christians?
In the Sermon on the Mount of Olives, Jesus talked a lot about people who were hypocrites. In fact, the topic of hypocrisy took up a major amount of Jesus' preaching. So, why is it that those who claim to follow Him are so often hypocritical?
Rich Deem
One of the major complaints non-believers level against Christianity is that the churches are full of hypocrites. This page examines what Jesus and the Bible have to say about hypocrisy among those who claim to be Christians.
What is hypocrisy?
The dictionary definition of hypocrisy is:

hy·poc·ri·sy [hi-pok-ruh-see]

1. a pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs or principles, etc., that one does not really possess.
2. a pretense of having some desirable or publicly approved attitude.
3. an act or instance of hypocrisy.

Etymology: Middle English ypocrisie, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin hypocrisis, from Greek hypokrisis act of playing a part on the stage, hypocrisy, from hypokrinesthai to answer, act on the stage, from hypo- + krinein to decide1

So, a religious hypocrite is, by definition, a non-believer, since he is only pretending to be an adherent of the faith. A hypocrite is not a person who commits some sins on occasion (all people commit sin occasionally), but someone who practices those sins on a routine basis. The truth of the matter is that hypocrisy has been a problem for those who claim to follow God for a very long time. In fact, God challenged Cain (the first son born of Adam and Eve) on his hypocrisy when he submitted an inferior offering to Him.2
What did Jesus say about hypocrisy and hypocrites?
By far, of all preachers and prophets of the Bible, Jesus had the most to say about hypocrisy and hypocrites. Since He didn't mince any words on the subject, but directly confronted the religious hypocrites of His day (the scribes and Pharisees), they hated Him intensely - eventually having Him arrested on trumped up charges. Here is a list of some of the hypocrisy that Jesus spoke against:

* Giving to the poor to be recognized by others3
* Praying in public to be recognized as "God's man"4
* Letting everybody know you are fasting to get recognition by others5
* Complaining about other's behavior when yours is even worse.6
* Pretending to honor God through lip service only7
* Testing other people to try to make yourself look superior8
* Deceiving people from knowing God9
* Repressing the poor and widows10
* Teaching proselytes to be hypocrites11
* Tithing (giving to the church), but neglecting justice and mercy12
* Doing everything for show, while really being self-indulgent and unrighteous13
* Treating stock animals better than fellow human beings14
* Being able to analyze the weather, but unable to distinguish between right and wrong15

Jesus indicated that those who practiced hypocrisy would be sent to hell,16 indicating that they were really non-believers. In other books of the New Testament, the writers associate hypocrisy with such things as evil,17 lying,18 perverting the gospel,19 envy and slander,20 and jealousy and selfish ambition.21 James contrasts the evil of hypocrisy with the "wisdom from above," which is characterized as being "pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering."21
Modern day hypocrites
The news media loves to make a big deal when a "Christian" preacher commits some sort of sexual sin, with the most recent example being Ted Haggard, who rabidly preached against homosexual practice, while he himself was involved in it on a routine basis. Everybody loves to hate a hypocrite. It is not surprising that there are hypocrites today, as there were in Jesus' day. The Old Testament prophet Daniel even predicted that there would be more hypocrites in the end times, as the cost of faith could well be your life.22 Jesus also predicted that many would fall away23 although they would claim to be His disciple at the judgment:

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' " (Matthew 7:21-23)

Christianity should not be judged on the basis of those who claim to be its adherents, when, in reality, they practice the opposite of what it teaches.
Atheist hypocrites
Yes, hypocrisy is not just limited to those who believe in God. When I first started reviewing Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion I expected to find some pretty crazy atheists' arguments, but did not expect to find any intentional misquoting. However, like some of the creationists he detests for misquoting, Dawkins, in his defense of atheism, used the exact same tactic - not just once or twice, but a bunch of times.24 It's good to know that even atheists can be hypocrites.
Conclusion Top of page
Christians are often accused of being hypocrites. However, the Bible clearly indicates that those who practice hypocrisy really aren't Christians at all, but will be judged to be non-believers and sent to hell. If you are a non-believer, this is a good reason to consider the Christian faith, since you don't want to end up in hell with all the hypocrites. Having attended many Christian churches, I can assure you that the pretenders are few and far between. One should judge Christianity not on the basis of what the fakers do, but on the basis of what Jesus taught and how He lived.

Flag this message Those who receive me will receive you

2010-02-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

WARNING to THE HIRELINGS

2010-02-22T00:45:00.000-08:00

WARNING to THE HIRELINGS
-by Holly Dye.

One day, outside of a store I frequent, stood two boy scouts –
one at the entrance and one at the exit.

The boy at the entrance was speaking toward people, however,
because he was rather sheepish and his voice so low; no one
paid attention to him. They walked right past him into the store.

In contrast, the boy at the exit, being very bold, was not afraid to
confront people. Making sure he had their attention, he then began
to plead his cause. The situation struck me immediately that what
I was witnessing was a profound analogy of the preachers in this
land.

The god that has been preached in our pulpits – this god who is
effeminate and repressively tolerant, is not the true God. This god
who is a wish granter and life coach is not the God of the Bible.
This god who coercers you into sowing your seed into the most
successful ground for the sole purpose of you having all your
wealthy dreams come true, is not the same God who told us to
store up our treasures in heaven!

Oh how these false ministers have fleeced God’s flock!

The gods that have been erected in the minds of men are putrid
representations of the true God. Holy and righteous, He has been
reduced to some cupie doll that grants all our wishes.

The merchandizing of all that is holy shall be destroyed by great
judgment. Do not be deceived into thinking that in this great
Christian land, God will prevent His holy wrath from destroying
those who have thought to mock Him. Who has mocked Him
more, but hirelings who have disguised themselves as shepherds?
These have led the sheep astray, teaching as truth utter heresy!
“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them
astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill
they have gone. They have forgotten their fold. All who found them
have devoured them…” (Jer 50:6-7 )

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy,
and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD:
Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should
not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe
yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do
not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick
you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed
you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with
force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered,
because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the
wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the
mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over
all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.
“Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: As I live,
declares the Lord GOD, surely because my sheep have become
a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts,
since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have
not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves,
and have not fed my sheep, therefore, you shepherds, hear the
word of the LORD: Thus says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against
the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a
stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed
themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they
may not be food for them.” (Ezek 34:2-10)

The true gospel message is rarely preached in our churches. We
are given a soft message to digest. Nothing that offends or prods
or rebukes – and we are told this is love! 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is
used to defend everything in which they do not want to confront.

The false shepherds in this land have created effeminate sheep
that cannot bear to hear rebuke. They cannot bear to hear anything
that would make them uncomfortable enough to change.

As a friend of mine said, “If we just simply stood and read the
books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, it would empty our churches.”
– for the sheep cannot bear such harsh messages.

The false shepherds will not teach against error, because they
have been taught to keep their message positive and never, ever
teach against anything. So, the result of this quite obviously is,
false doctrine has invaded the church like never before. Deceiving
and being deceived, the sheep have been lulled into a false state
of comfort by the hirelings who speak peace instead of warning.

Jesus warned us about this very thing in John 10. A very
interesting fact is that every Christian can quote the first part of
John 10:10, which says, The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy… “Oh yes, that’s talking about the devil! The devil
is the thief! The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy!”

This seems to be the most quoted verse and yet the most
terribly misinterpreted. Let’s look at this verse in context.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold
by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and
a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice,
and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When
he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will
not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the
voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them,
but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So
Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the
door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and
robbers, but the sh eep did not listen to them. I am the door. If
anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and
out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.I
am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for
the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does
not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep
and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He
flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
(John 10:1-13)

Verse 10 is not talking about the devil; it is talking about false
teachers!... False teachers.

That’s what John 10:10 is talking about. And because we have so
many hirelings in our pulpits today, the Word has not been rightly
divided. This is serious, folks. This is not a small issue. We have
not been taught about the dangers of false teachers therefore they
are glorified in American Christianity! But false prophets also arose
among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you,
who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way
of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you
with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and
their destruction is not asleep. (2 Pet 2:1-3)

These false shepherds have left the foundational doctrines of
Christ and have sought after spiritual experiences to qualify their
belief system. Scripture is then used in a very twisted way to
endorse every goose bump and spectacular display.

Altar calls are non-confrontational, with no calls for repentance.
“Just slip up your hand to acknowledge that you need Jesus.
We’re not going to embarrass you or ask you to come down
front. Just simply acknowledge that you need Him.” Some
churches don’t even go that far and just ask you to fill out a
card as you leave...

False shepherds working false conversions! Allowing men to think
they are okay with God, without meeting any requirements of
scripture! The Lord God, is against these shepherds, and will
require His sheep at their hand and put a stop to them feeding the
sheep such vile doctines! For we know him who said, “Vengeance
is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.
” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
(Heb 10:30-31)

O you hirelings, repent before your soul and the blood of others is
required of you!

God Wants You

2010-02-20T02:14:00.000-08:00

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

God Wants You
The Lord desires you greatly. In fact, He wants your fellowship in such an intense way that the Bible tells us that the impulse to seek God begins with Him. God knows that the human heart is not capable of seeking Him, so God gives the human heart strength to do it. We simply don’t have the hunger or desire, but God places that hunger and desire in us.

We are told in Scripture that hunger originates with the Lord Himself: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2).

That is why we are told, “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4). Until we are drawn by the Lord, we don’t have it in us to seek God. Therefore, the psalmist wrote, “Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name” (Psalm 80:18). He knew he had to be quickened and drawn before he could call upon the Lord.

Hunger is the sign of life in a believer. One of the first symptoms of illness is the loss of appetite. When hunger is gone, a person is increasingly open to more sickness and weakness. Real believers are hungry, and that hunger is placed in the heart by the Lord Himself, drawing you into His presence.

Three Realms of Prayer
When we study the subject of being in God’s presence, we should always go to the source. The Old Testament gives a map for entering into His presence. That map leads us from the outer court to the Holy Place, and then into the Holy of Holies. In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

In this passage, the Lord presents three realms of prayer—the realm of asking, the realm of seeking, and the realm of knocking. Each area has a unique purpose in obtaining direct access to the throne room.

When Moses, under God’s direction, built the Tabernacle in the wilderness, he built it with three distinct areas:

* Outer Court. This area was surrounded by a linen fence, and within it stood the altar of sacrifice and the laver.
* Holy Place. In this room was found the candlestick, the table of showbread, and the table of incense.
* Holy of Holies. Here was placed the ark of the covenant and the golden censor.

In the Tabernacle are revealed the three realms of prayer and the presence of God.

The Outer Court – the Realm of Asking
The Lord Jesus tells us, “Every one that asketh receiveth” (Matthew 7:7). Asking is where we begin and results in abiding in Christ. As He said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

Asking begins in the outer court. This is where we make our requests known to Him: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6).

That is where we ask and receive. That is where we come to the Lord and make our desires and needs known to Him.

It is also where we are cleansed by His blood as we confess our sins—where we find Him faithful and just to forgive us: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). For it is in the outer court that we find the altar of sacrifice, where the work of the cross and the blood of Jesus avail. The outer court is also where we find the laver, the Word of God, and it is in this realm of prayer that we remind the Lord of His promises. We do this by asking according to His will, according to His Word: “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us” (1 John 5:14). That is why David cried, “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Psalm 119:2).

The outer court, where we make requests, is where we fight the devil and our own desires. It is outside of where God is. There is no quickening power there, no presence of God there. It is a place of the altar of sacrifice and confession of sin.

Sadly, this is where too many people stop their prayers. They confess their sins. They ask for God’s help. Then they say “Amen!” and leave. They leave before experiencing the victory that is found inside the second realm, the Holy Place.

Only when we wait in the outer court, overcoming the flesh in this first realm, are we granted the privilege of advancing to the next realm.

The Holy Place – the Realm of Seeking
In the Holy Place, the seeking realm, stood the candlestick on one side and the table of showbread on the other. As the high priest entered and looked toward the veil, he would see the table of incense.

God commanded the priests to burn incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, the same times that the daily burnt offerings were made. The incense was to be left burning continually throughout the day and night as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

The incense was a symbol especially of the prayers and intercession of the people going up to God as a sweet fragrance. God wanted His dwelling to be a place where people could be drawn to approach Him and pray to Him.

God seeks before He is sought! You cannot seek God until He has sought you. We all want to seek God on our own, but beginning this process in the flesh will bring failure. We must wait until He quickens us. That is what happens when we enter into the first realm of prayer.

It is here in the Holy Place that the Holy Spirit grants you the power to seek the Lord. In we read:

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

It is in this realm that you begin to find the Lord and liberty from all captivity. It is here that God Almighty gives you illumination through His Word. It is here that you receive the truth of God’s Word. And it is also here that you will be nourished and satisfied by the promises of God, for it is here that you find the table of showbread. Seeking the Lord, finding Him, and finding the fullness of your liberty will cause your heart to be filled with His Word. It will cause you to erupt in worship and prepare you for the greatest privilege a Christian will ever know—the knocking world.

The Holy of Holies – the Realm of Knocking
The third realm of prayer and God’s presence, the Holy of Holies, is the place of knocking and partnership with God. God speaks in the Holy of Holies. He does not speak in the outer court or the Holy Place. The seventh chapter is one of the longest in the book of Numbers. It deals with the day the Tabernacle was fully set up, detailing the offerings. Then in the very last verse of that chapter we read these amazing words: And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him. (Numbers 7:89)

Moses had to enter into the Holy of Holies to be in God’s presence and to hear God speak. How glorious that moment must have been! It still is today, for the deepest form of intimacy with the Lord takes place only in the Holy of Holies. There are no shortcuts. You have to go through the process. You have to come to the outer court and get on your knees, making your requests known to God in the first realm. It is easy to get distracted in the outer court because there is so much activity. The flesh is still in control. You get tired and worn out. You cannot hear God’s voice there, so it gets easy to give up. Sometimes I spend an hour and a half or two hours in the outer court. You have to wait upon the Lord, asking. Suddenly you become aware that Psalm 80:18 is taking place. God is drawing you toward Him. You enter into the second realm of prayer, starting to seek the Lord. He continues drawing you. Time moves much more quickly as God allows you a foretaste of His presence, but it is nothing like what awaits you inside the Holy of Holies. You must wait. That is the key. Most people will not. They get stuck either in the outer court or inside the Holy Place. They are distracted. They lose desire. They accept only a foretaste of God’s presence. When you wait upon the Lord, though, you begin to experience a newfound strength: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

Suddenly spiritual strength is restored. All the tiredness you felt in the outer court and Holy Place starts to go away. You become aware that you are increasingly drawn into God’s presence. In the Holy of Holies you understand what Moses meant: “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight” (Exodus 33:13). God shows the way so we can say with Moses, “That I may know thee.”

The third realm becomes reality, as the psalmist wrote, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). In the outer court, the first realm, we find asking and activity. In the Holy Place, the second realm, we have seeking and intercession. But in the Holy of Holies, the third realm, we experience quietness.

There His presence overwhelms me. I become soaked with tears. My heart cries out for more of Jesus, yet I don’t want to talk and break the calm. It’s the most glorious place! In the Holy of Holies you hear the language of the heart where “deep calleth unto deep” (Psalm 42:7). You become aware that you are in the presence of the Creator! Your spirit comes alive as never before! The physical realm is the outer court. The soul realm is the Holy Place. But the spiritual realm is the Holy of Holies. It is where the flesh and soul are no longer in control. The silence is the product of abundance. You understand the meaning of the verse, “Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God” (Zephaniah 1:7). A holy hush permeates your soul. A wonderful peace floods over you, sweeping over your spirit, and overwhelms you.

The Calling to Communion
Charles G. Finney, a Presbyterian minister in the 1800s, became an important figure in the Second Great Awakening, so much so that he was called the “Father of Modern Revivalism.” He knew amazing depths of God’s presence and wrote, “No words can express the wonderful love that was shed abroad in my heart.… These waves came over me, and over me, one after another, until I recollect I cried out, ‘I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me.’ I said, ‘Lord, I cannot bear any more,’ yet I had no fear of death.”

Such intense, ecstatic, intimate worship in God’s presence cannot be described with human words: “The Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

The Lord is asking us to come daily into the outer court to make our requests known and to receive blessing from His giving, loving hands. He is asking us to come daily into the Holy Place, seeking Him until we find Him. And He wants us to come daily into the Holy of Holies, where we can experience intimate communion with Him.

The "T" Word

2010-02-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

The "T" Word

I'm tired of it. It is a word that I am honestly sick of hearing over and over for the past few months, and even years, and has just simply worn me out. Despite my personal feelings on the matter, I cannot seem to get away from its sound. When I watch the news, read the paper, talk to friends or even spend time in prayer—there it is again! This expression has haunted me for several months and is almost eerie to my ears now. It is currently being used in virtually every sphere and sector of society to describe the state of mankind in our day. The world of politics, economics, sports, medicine and even the Church are using this single word to describe the significant shift taking place: Transition.

Revelation in the Mundane

Every leader and director from the BURN 24-7 movement across the globe has been pressing into the heart of God with consecrated hearts, asking for fresh perspective for the New Year. It has once again been a rich time flooded with unreal encounters in the presence of God. Our tribe corporately carries a burden and resolve to not just lazily and lethargically stumble into another year as if nothing is changing except a "10" instead of a "9" on our calendars. We MUST be guided by fresh revelation, intuition and unction as we literally are ushered into a new season across the world, whether we are ready or not! Similar to Joseph, Daniel and even the sons of Issachar in the Bible, we long to be a people that the world even councils to interpret the "times and the seasons."

During our fast, I was unpacking a ridiculous amount of boxes in my new home when God began to speak to me. I was tired, a little irritated and very overwhelmed at all the work before me during the few days I was home. It was in this uncomfortable place that God decided to show up and download some fresh stuff into my spirit.. I think it's funny how He loves to choose the most seemingly random moments to reveal heavenly perspective to His children. It does not always occur during the intense prayer, worship and pressing-in times, when we feel we are most "postured" to listen. I think God just might be attracted to the routine, mundane and sometimes even boring parts of our lives. What if He actually delights in dwelling with us during the 98% of our lives we are not in church services, prayer meetings or quiet times? That's just a little thought to mull on.

There it is Again

My wife Kate and I recently moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on a dream, a word and a whim. Seriously! God violently hijacked our California dreams and took us back to the East Coast to partner with His burning heart to see young revivalists and Davidic musicianaries—empowered through grace and faith—strike down the giant of humanism towering over a generation. A beautiful community of radical lovers have welcomed us in with open arms and we feel caught in the swirl of destiny.

So here I am, in the middle of the frigid and snowy tundra of the Northeast (which is a far cry from mild Texas). As I'm expending myself to unpack the last four years of my life (that has never really been unpacked) in an unfamiliar, cold and dusty old house—God speaks. The infamous, repetitive and annoying word that I have been working hard to escape reaches my ears yet again: Transition.

I hear the words the Spirit speaks: "The year of the greatest transition in human history."

Immediately, I am brought to 2 Corinthians 3:18:

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

The Perpetual State

Although I've heard this verse many times before, the revelation dawned that we are sons and daughters of God who remain on a mortal earth and live in a perpetual state of transition. It is no longer a buzzword or the greatest and latest Christian rhetoric, but it's actually factual Biblical truth! With every single breath and heartbeat, and during every mundane task of life, a glorious transformation is taking place! We are caught in the "ever increasing glory" and are transitioning to look more and more radiant—just like He is! Now we may not always feel this radiant (especially when unpacking a house), but it is surely taking place.

As I was sitting on the 70-year-old hardwood floors and frustrated at a massive "to do" list in front of me, it was as if God was saying to me:

"You better get used to this and not get too comfortable with your life! Don't forget why you are here and where you are going, son! This is a year where I am transitioning you farther and faster than ever before, so get ready!"

In that single moment, a supernatural grace and heavenly perspective was released on my heart to receive and catch this revelation. It afforded me the opportunity to rejoice in this journey as a "peculiar" and "otherworldly" creature on a mortal planet that is truly not my ultimate destination. I began to shed off the feelings of "annoyance" and invite the transition of the Spirit to sweep me up and be in sync with His heart.

Even the World Knows

Just as many a structure, system and creature on the earth can feel and are actually prophesying about this great global transition, so we must be more aware and ready to receive it! They are eagerly looking for the answers, the meaning and the Person that is to come. I was struck by this a few days ago as I was walking through Times Square in New York City. I was chatting with a retail store worker only a few days after the world gathered on her city streets to party and usher in the New Year.

During that same moment, we were gathered across the Hudson River and hunkered down in a warehouse packed with hundreds of wild, screaming and passionate worshippers. It was intense, raw and beautifully random as we beckoned the gaze of Heaven to fix on the nation through 100 hours of fiery worship and prayer. It was the most epic New Year's celebration I was ever a part of!

Back to the retail worker—I asked this lady what she thought about the New Year already underway. She responded by saying, "I'm not really sure...but I feel something big is coming...we all do." I was shocked at her prophetic gifting and realized God was releasing this same feeling of anticipation on even the lost of the world! That is why Romans 8:19 remarks that: "All creation groans for the sons and daughters of God to be revealed!"

Fathers to Sons

Well, guess what? Here we are. It is time to awaken to the revelation of our high calling and throw off the yoke of cynicism, hope deferred and false humility. Those entanglements and excuses will do you no good in the year 2010. Allow the Spirit of faith and a "great grace" to rise up to pull you out of the mire and hopelessness of humanity! These are the greatest hours of the history of the world!

With the recent heavenly homecoming of many great men and women of God in our day, lofty mantles, mandates and callings are just waiting for a generation to boldly pick them up. This current transition is from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters. Among these evangelists, revivalists, pioneers and men and women of great faith were Jill Austin and Oral Roberts. Having known Jill for a few years and even traveled with her to the Holy Land, and having attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and earning my degree there, I along with an entire generation, am reaching out to carry this legacy forward where they left off. The baton has changed hands and we have no choice but to run, run, RUN the race marked out before us!

Let Us Embrace It

The current shakings, shiftings and season of transition will continue and must continue! They will not only continue in this hour, but they will increase and accelerate. So let us embrace it! Allow the Lord to cleanse your heart with pure and living water and prepare you for the most dynamic and grand transition the world has ever seen that is coming in this New Year!

Genuine excitement, incredible thrill and the unpredictability of the Spirit is coming back to the Western Church and we will welcome it! China, Nepal and parts of the Middle East are already reaping the fruit of this explosion of the Kingdom and transition in our day. Miracles, signs and wonders, and salvations are taking place in unprecedented numbers. Now it's the rest of the world's turn to enter into it. So much glory is being released in the accessibility of His presence that we may not even recognize ourselves with this radiance upon us next year!

Let us embrace and welcome the "Year of the Greatest Transition in Human History!"

Sean Feucht
Founder, BURN 24-7
Email: info@theburn247.com
Sean and Kate Feucht

About Sean Feucht: Sean and his wife Kate are the founders of Burn 24-7—powerful, prolonged experiences of worshiping the Father and intercession for the nations. Their undying vision is to ignite and establish places of continual worship and prayer that will affect the spiritual atmospheres, climates and cultures of cities and regions for the Kingdom of God. Sean has released five prophetic worship albums and travels around the nation leading worship and speaking at conferences, camps, services and BURN 24-7 furnaces.

UN-LIMIT YOURSELF - DR NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

2010-02-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV) "nothing will be impossible for you."

I would like to ask you a possibly embarrasing question. What are you doing with the marvelous abilities and the extraordinary potential Almighty God built into you? Now there's a question for you! And only you can answer it.

Positive Action Step #1: Believe in your Potential
I suppose one reason is that we just haven't adequately developed the potential that is ours. But a second reason is this: We do a terrible thing to ourselves; we actually clamp down upon ourselves self-imposed limitations. A person tells himself, " Beyond this point, I cannot go." And then, an even greater tragedy occurs: We come to the point where we're willing to settle.

Positive Action Step #2: Nothing is Impossible
Everyone has something of a problem or deficiency that could hold him back - could limit him in some way but what would this world be like if everyone facing a difficulty, a handicap, an infirmity, a weakness, or some other inability, were to sit back and accept his or her circumstances? Everything would come to a standstill. You must learn to use your weaknesses as strengths, and build successes instead of excuses.

Positive Action Step #3: Break the Limitation Barrier
Whatever you do, don't spend your life telling the world and yourself that you do not have within you the capacity to live a good life. We cannot conquer the big limitations by our own unaided strength. Faith in God will set us free. He has freed people from shrinking; He has freed them from self-doubt; He has freed them from their sense of inferiority; He has freed them from shyness; He has freed them from being over-awed by life's difficulties; He has freed them from their lusts, from their dishonesties, from their sins. he has freed them from limitations of every kind.

God never willed that you should be less than you can be.

zoe ministries

2010-02-04T01:22:00.000-08:00

INdia Trip

2010-01-29T00:54:00.001-08:00

FIREBOMBS WERE THROWN AT TWO MORE CHURCHES

2010-01-13T01:36:00.001-08:00

AP – Police officers inspect damage at the All Saints Church in Taiping of Perak state, Malaysia, Sunday, …
By EILEEN NG, Associated Press Writer Eileen Ng, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 35 mins ago

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Firebombs were thrown at two more churches in Malaysia early Sunday and another church was splashed with black paint, the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use "Allah" to refer to God.

Hundreds of worshippers whose parish church was partly gutted in a firebomb attack last week gathered at a makeshift prayer hall for their Sunday service and called for national unity and an end to violence.

On Sunday, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping town in central Perak state early in the morning before it had opened, said state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah. He told The Associated Press that the building was not damaged but police found burn marks on the wall.

A broken kerosene bottle with an unlit wick was found early Sunday inside the compound of the St. Louis Catholic church, also in Taiping, said the Rev. David Lourdes. He said it appeared to be a failed attack.

In southern Malacca state, the outer wall of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, police said.

Four other churches were hit by gasoline bombs on Friday and Saturday. All except the Metro Tabernacle, whose parishioners moved their services, suffered little damage, and no one was hurt. The other three held normal services Sunday.

The unprecedented attacks have set off a wave of disquiet among Malaysia's minority Christians and strained their ties with the majority Malay Muslims.

The dispute is over a Dec. 31 High Court decision that overturned a government order banning non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" in their prayers and literature. The court was ruling on a petition by Malaysia's Roman Catholic Church, whose main publication, the Herald, uses the word "Allah" in its Malay-language edition. The government has appealed the verdict.

About 9 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Christian, most of whom are ethnic Chinese or Indian. Muslims make 60 percent of the population and most of them are ethnic Malays.

On Sunday, men, women and children from the Metro Tabernacle parish assembled in the cavernous, 1,800-seat meeting hall of the Malaysian Chinese Association party for the service. They lifted their hands and sang "We put all our faith in you," and "You are the God of love and peace" during the Sunday service.

"My wife was worried, but we want to be here to support the church," said Michael Chew, 40, who came to the service with two children, aged 1 and 6.

The service was in English, as are most Christian services in mainland Malaysia, though some are in Chinese and Tamil languages. Such services do not use the word "Allah." Only the Malay-language prayers for indigenous tribespeople in the remote states of Sabah and Sarawak use "Allah," as they have for decades.

Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said Christians won't be intimidated by the attacks, describing them as the work of extremist minority among Muslims.

"What is clear is that it is done by extremist groups. It does not reflect the majority Muslims in the country. We all have to stand together to stamp out terror perpetuated by these extremist groups," he said.

The government contends that making Allah synonymous with God may confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity.

Still, government leaders and many Muslims have condemned the firebombings, saying it is un-Islamic to attack places of worship.

Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the Metro Tabernacle church late Saturday and announced a grant of 500,000 ringgit ($147,000) for rebuilding it at a new location, a major concession in a country where permission is rarely given for building new churches or temples.

The Allah ban is unusual in the Muslim world. The Arabic word is commonly used by Christians to describe God in such countries as Egypt, Syria and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

Prayer Request for India trip

2010-01-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

Friends, writing from LCCT KL International Airport.
In a few hours we will be leaving for Kochi -Kerala [India] for ministry. Returning on 22/1/2010.
Keep us and the ministry in prayer.
Thanks

Chris and Vijaya.k

Two Malaysia Churches Burned

2010-01-09T20:33:00.001-08:00

Two Malaysia Churches Burned

Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 Posted: 7:41:45PM HKT

Kuala Lumpur police officers inspect the damage to the Metro Tabernacle Church which was destroyed by a fire bomb a little after midnight in the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Desa Melawati, Friday, Jan. 8, 2010. (Photo: AP)

A spate of firebomb attacks which started midnight has seriously damaged a Malaysian church and mildly damaged another, leaving a third undamaged.

The attacks were carried out on the day Muslim groups planned to hold protests over a recent high court decision which allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word ‘Allah’ in its Malay-language edition.

The first-floor office of the three-storey Assemblies of God Metro Tabernacle Church was destroyed in a fire around midnight, a spokesman said. The upper floors were not affected and there were no casualties.

A witness spotted four people on two motorcycles breaking the glass front of the church and throwing an incendiary object inside before fleeing, according to Kuala Lumpur police chief Mohamad Sabtu Osman.

He said police have found a wrench, empty gasoline can and two scorched motorcycle helmets at the church, which is located in Desa Melawati, a suburb in KL.

Hours later the Catholic Church of the Assumption in southwest KL was also attacked.

“I was awoken by men riding on motorcycles who threw a kerosene bomb into the church compound,” said parish priest Philip Muthu.

“The bomb lit a fire and damaged part of the compound but it did not burn down the church building,” he said. “I don’t know why they are doing this but this is worrying.”

A third church, also hit by a Molotov cocktail, was not damaged, a church official said.

“We are investigating the matter thoroughly and those responsible will be brought to book,” police chief Musa Hassan told reporters.

“Police will deploy patrol cars to patrol churches in the country. We will investigate the matter thoroughly.”

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak has condemned the actions at a press conference, adding that they are destructive to the country’s harmony.

“The government will take whatever steps it can to prevent such acts,” he said.

The high court ruled last week in favour of the Catholic ‘Herald’ newspaper which has been using ‘Allah’ as a translation for ‘God’ in its Malay edition, removing a three-year government ban against non-Muslim usage of the word.

The ruling was suspended on Wednesday pending an appeal after the government argued the decision could cause racial conflict in the Muslim-majority country, which experienced deadly race riots in 1969 and has been seeing tensions between Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians who fear Malaysia is being ‘Islamised.’

AGENCIES

Pray for situation in Malaysia

2010-01-08T01:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,
situation very sensitive and dangerous in Malaysia. We fear not for GOD ALMIGHTY is in control. It is time ALL Malaysian Christians pray and do the right thing with LOVE.
Stand together with us and pray.
Chris.K

>
> Dear Pastor/Elder/Leader
>
>
> Please, disseminate the following prayer alert to your members.
>
> Thank you
>
> NECF Malaysia

Time To Meet Your Maker!

2010-01-05T23:53:00.000-08:00

Time To Meet Your Maker!
Ben Komanapalli Jr.

Another year has come to an end, and here we are starting a new one. For almost everyone reading this, we have been at this place at least a dozen times. Looking back at our lives, some of those moments were great but some were pretty bad. In fact they were so bad that we wanted to forget all about it when we entered the New Year.

As this new year begins, most of us close certain chapters of our lives and open new ones; we also plan on changing things. All of us have want to become better than we were in the past year.

As we come to that time of the year again, I have a simple question to ask: Who is making you?

Let me explain. In Acts 26:13-18, we see Paul recounting his conversion story to King Agrippa. In verse 16, it is important to see what Jesus says to Paul during the encounter. Jesus says, "I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness...."I want you to focus on the words 'to make you.'
My question to you as a leader is more specifically this: Are you letting Jesus make you?

All of us live in a very fast paced world. There are many responsibilities that we as leaders have in the world today. There are things that need to be accomplished, vision to be cast, money to be raised, conflicts that need to be resolved etc. We need to do all of these things as good leaders.

However, the most important thing is to let Jesus make you the man or women He has called you to be. We can only lead other people as well as we can lead ourselves; the most important thing in leading ourselves is to let Jesus make us the people He has called us to be.

Sponsor AdThere is always the temptation for us to do the work of God more than we let God work in us. Bill Hybels once said, "The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me." I heard that statement about two years ago and it has stuck with me. I believe it is a dangerous place for us to be when we are more excited about a book, album, project, program or an event than about spending time with Jesus and letting Him work on us.

As we plan, strategize, evaluate, set goals and recharge our batteries to make ourselves better leaders for next year, make it a priority to make this year the year where you let Jesus make you the person He has called you to be. Planning and setting goals are very good things but letting Jesus make you is the God thing. He desires to make each one of us. He sees much more in us than we can see for ourselves. We must stop resisting the things God wants to do in our lives. No matter where you live or what kind of organization or ministry you might be leading, if there is one thing we are to do as Christian leaders it is to let Jesus make us.

We might not have had an encounter with Jesus in the way Paul did on his journey to Damascus, but we can all remember the time when we received Jesus as the Lord and Savior of our lives or the time when the call of God became very real. This is a good time to go back and remember the purpose for which Jesus saved you and to let Him make you.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Take some time to think about the moment when the purpose of God became clear to you. What is it that He has purposed for you?

2. Become very intentional to let Jesus make you into the person He has called you to be during the next year. Write down some of the areas that He really needs to work on.

3. Thank God for the opportunity He has given you to serve people for His kingdom and Glory.

Our Prayer for Thailand.

2009-12-31T21:25:00.000-08:00

Get The Fire Raging

2009-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Get The Fire Raging

Consider a fire says the Lord. How much does it take to cause it to rage out of control? It takes just a spark and the right environment and before you know it, it has spread beyond anything that is containable. So is it with my spirit says the Lord. You have sought me to stir up the fire inside of you. At times you have felt dead and wondered even if I am near to you.

You have cried out to me so that you could feel my power again. But my child it only takes a spark of my presence to cause the fire to rage again. Do you not realize that deep inside of your spirit I have already put this spark? Only stop for a moment and realize that I have already put that flame in you since the day you were born again. I have put a desire inside of you to serve me. I have put a fire inside of you to make a difference. I have put a fire inside of you to change your circumstances.

If you will stop for a moment and just remember this small flame that already burns inside of you, you will start to see a massive difference in your life. Do you not feel my presence even now? I am right by you, calling to you and stirring up things inside of you that you thought were dead. Put aside the failures and disappointments of the past and look only to my promises. Look only at the desire that I put inside of you from the beginning.

As you do this, the small desire inside of you will begin to grow. I will blow my wind on it. What started as a small hope and vision will suddenly burst full flame into a grand hope and vision. I have not forsaken you child. I have been there all along. Glowing quietly inside of you. Tap once again into that desire and hope and soon you will see a massive change in your life and in your passion to serve me says the Lord.

PREACHING OF PAUL WASHER

2009-12-29T19:05:00.001-08:00

WE can learn something from Paul Washer preaching

"THE 5 KEYS TO DISCERNMENT"

2009-12-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

"THE 5 KEYS TO DISCERNMENT"

-by Andrew Strom.

Practical tips for the End-time church.

Some people say that knowing Scripture is the only real key to discernment that we need. And yes - Scripture is very important - especially in exposing false doctrine. But it is not only doctrines or teachings that are the greatest danger today. It is just as likely to be false 'anointings' or spirits - perhaps even "lying signs and wonders". And we may need more than just a good understanding of Scripture to spot these things. Remember, a lot of the people caught up in the "manifestations mania" that we described in the last chapter actually know their Bible quite well. And yet they could still be deceived. So what are the things that can help us avoid deception in similar situations?

Some of the most basic keys to discernment that God has shown me are as follows:
(1) Know your HOLY GOD intimately. (When you have seen His glory, His holiness and His love - by drawing close to Him in prayer - then you can usually see through any counterfeits because you know the "real thing" so well).
(2) Know your Bible. It is very important to be able to spot teachings that are either extra-biblical or directly opposed to what the Scriptures teach. However, it is important to remember that the Scribes and Pharisees were extrememly learned in the Scriptures and yet they missed the very Messiah that was prophesied! So knowing the Bible is important - especially for doctrinal issues - but we need to be able to "discern the spirits" also.
(3) Be a "lover of truth". This is very crucial. Are you someone who will actually stand up for Truth - even against the crowd? Or do you remain silent even when you are convinced something is very wrong?
(4) Purity of heart and Humility. Many deceptions only appeal to us because there is something inside us that "wants" to believe them. They are seductive because of darkness and wrong motives in our own lives. We must search our hearts and root these out.
(5) The 'inner witness' of the Holy Spirit. We must learn to never over-ride this "still small voice", as it will save us from deception again and again. (More on this below).

Did you know that even an unbeliever can often spot a con-man or a snake-oil salesman? They get a kind-of "gut feeling" about such things. And they are often right! In fact, they are often less gullible than the Christians! (Because we are told in the church- "Do not judge", 'Touch not the Lord's anointed', "You have a critical spirit if you do not join in", etc, etc. This is the very reason why Christians are often the most gullible and easily deceived). We need to realize that the Bible says to "test the spirits" and warns very strongly that the Last Days will be a time of "seducing spirits" and great deception. So how can we become more alert to these things?

I believe that God has placed within every human being at least a measure of an inner "warning system" to protect us from being easily deceived - just as He has given us all a conscience. It is something that He has built into every one of us, in His mercy. (I guess a lot of it is simply 'common sense'). However, Christians should have an even greater advantage in this area, because we have the "inner witness" of the Holy Spirit, and the 'still small voice' of the Lord speaking to us every day.

But what I have found again and again with people who give themselves over to some form of deception is that they often "override" these inner alarms. They go against their 'better judgment'. They ignore the little voice deep inside them that is telling them that there is something wrong. Christians today do this all the time. That is how they get themselves involved in such foolish deceptions.

This may all sound very obvious, but I am telling you, this one basic area alone could wipe out half the deception in the church right now. If only people would listen to these internal 'alarm bells' and act with common sense, half of it would be gone overnight.

The Bible is very clear that the Last Days are a time of such widespread deception that it would "deceive if possible the very elect". It also shows that much of this deception will arise from WITHIN the church - luring believers who have "itching ears". Do we see evidence of this kind of thing taking place today? Absolutely! In fact, some of it is at a level that is truly shocking. And yet it is all accepted as perfectly "normal" by many Christians.

One of the problems, of course, is that those who bring in these deceptions are 'trusted' by the congregation. They have a reputation and they put across some very convincing-sounding arguments and surround the whole thing with Biblical terminology. And thus the deception is harder to spot. (After all, if it were not "deceptive" then it would not be called 'deception'!) People see spiritual power operating and assume that it "must be God". But this is a very dangerous assumption to make in these days.

As I said in a previous chapter, there is also a lot of "peer pressure" involved as well. For if everyone in the church is getting into something, then shouldn't you just ignore those little 'alarm bells' and jump right in? This is what is happening all the time in the church right now. And some preachers are very good at making people feel that they are 'hindering the Spirit' if they do not get involved.

So how do you avoid being deceived in this way?

Very simply, you do not go along to these meetings in a "gullible" frame of mind. And you do not allow yourself to be carried along with the crowd. You listen carefully to the preaching and make sure that it truly is Biblical. Then you watch the ministry happening down the front of the meeting and discern whether it really is of God or not. You do not "override" any feelings of unease or any 'alarm bells' going off inside you. And you do not allow yourself to be swayed by 'peer pressure'. Even if the whole church is getting into something, it does not mean that you have to. If you do not feel quite "right" about it then DO NOT GET INVOLVED. If you need to, make some excuse and get out of there! You do not have to get involved in things that do not feel spiritually "right" to you.

A lot of people today will go to the front to get something "imparted" to them by almost every visiting speaker - almost as a matter of course. I tell you, in today's climate this can be a very dangerous thing to do. In fact, some of this 'impartation' business has very flimsy backing in Scripture. Who knows what on earth these preachers are imparting? And who knows where they picked it up? I tell you, deceiving spirits are commonplace today, and I believe they are being imparted to Christians on a large scale.

Let me give you an example. I received the following account from a preacher in England not too long ago: "There were about 20 fellow ministers all gathered together in one large room at a local minister's house. We were introduced to the special guest... The next 3 hours were the weirdest three hours I have ever had to endure. We started listening to [her] testimony which seemed very powerful, next she spoke of the times that she meets with the Angel Gabriel and other spiritual beings, next we moved on to portals between this world and the next and then finally to how she was going to open up a portal to Heaven in the room that we were all in. Now things started to happen, really crazy things and strange noises... As [she] moved around the room ministering to individual people they were crashing to the ground, bouncing up and down, running around as if on fire and making all sorts of sounds. When she came to me she had no prophetic words for me and nothing happened to me so she just moved on. My Vineyard friend was the first to crash to the floor. Since that day his church has taken on a different guise, it is not the same church any more."

Now, you should know that this 'guest speaker' is a woman who is very high up in the Prophetic Movement - well known and highly regarded (except by people with discernment). This is typical of the kind of thing that happens in a lot of the more "powerful" prophetic meetings today. People are so desperate for a 'touch' or a spiritual experience that they will fall for anything. I myself have been in one of her meetings and what I saw was people making involuntary "bat"-like movements all over the building and an eery 'wailing' noise filling the air. It was truly awful.

Now, it should not surprise us that there are strong deceptions or "powerful delusions" around today, for this is exactly what the Scriptures predict will happen. All the way through the New Testament we are warned of these days - over and over again.

However, one of the problems we have is that God actually does 'strange and unusual' things Himself. (Especially in Revivals). So we cannot simply throw out everything unusual. Just think about the Book of Acts for a moment. Not only are there healings and miracles and demons being cast out right through the whole book, but there are also occasionally angels appearing with instructions from the Lord, and an abundance of dreams, visions and prophecies, etc. So we see that God is definitely a SUPERNATURAL GOD. He does "unusual" things. Angelic visitations DO HAPPEN. Prophetic signs DO OCCUR. But please notice that all of these things have a certain holy "character" about them. And that is the key right there. They have a holy character, because they come from a holy God.

Being a strong Pentecostal-type Christian myself, I expect to see believers speaking in tongues and moving in the gifts of the Holy Spirit - just like in the New Testament. But as I stated earlier, God never goes against His own holy character. Or against Scripture. And as I often say, we may see Him do 'unusual' things but I believe we need to draw the line at "weird" or ugly. Some of the deception that is around right now has a 'touchy-feely' New Age sense about it. Remember that the New Age movement majors on "inner healing" and unusual spiritual experiences. I do not believe in 'guided visualisation' or anything of that kind. And neither am I very fond of the writings of Catholic mystics or the like.

However, I have personally found it very helpful to immerse myself in the writings of past Revivalists and the accounts of great moves of God. A lot of the men and women involved in these Revivals lived very close to God and knew Him intimately. They knew His holiness, they knew His glory, and they knew His love. And it is enormously helpful to one's discernment to immerse oneself in these writings, I have found. I would recommend this to all Christians everywhere.

If you have been touched or involved in any way with manifestations or experiences that you think may not have been from God, then I urge you to utterly RENOUNCE (with your mouth, but also from the depths of your very being in Jesus' name) any links or involvement with that experience or 'anointing'. Please do not put this off, my friends. Some of this stuff is extremely dangerous. RENOUNCE it today.

I hope this article has been of some practical help.

God bless you all!

Kindest regards in Christ,

Andrew Strom.