ZOE MINISTRIES MALAYSIA

Selasa, 30 Maret 2010

TOUCH NOT THE ANOINTED ONES

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 and partners,

We greet you in Jesus Name; the most precious name and the only name given to all people on earth. Only through that name we can have salvation.

Friends, we thank you for standing with us through your prayers when we were in Thailand. Thailand is in a troubled state; divided as “Reds’ and “Yellows” just like the Church of Jesus Christ is divided by denominations.

I have been observing for some time that pastors of churches like to use the word “Touch not the anointed ones” to protect themselves. If any member questions them then they are accused as rebelling against leadership and touching the anointed ones. Before I go further I want to say that I have seen true shepherds who diligently care for and protect and lead their flock [there are very few of such shepherds around –I greatly honor such shepherds] but I am also aware of those who call themselves shepherds but are “wolves who feed on lambs” and “bosses” who lord over their people. True shepherds will be rewarded and wolves and “bosses” will be destroyed.

What does this verse means and to whom it is applied?

1 Chronicles 16:22 (NKJV) 22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.”

Abraham and the patriarchs were not literally anointed with oil as though they were entering the priesthood or kingship. In this context, anointed ones means those set apart for God’s service. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the whole of Israel was anointed [set apart]. prophets: Though the office of prophet as a “professional” calling began with Samuel, there were individuals from the earliest days of biblical history who were known as prophets. The reference here is specifically to Abraham, who is called a prophet in Gen. 20:7, This was the first occurrence of the word in the Bible.

Genesis 20:7 (NKJV) 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”

The above verse can be applied to all of God’s people and not just some church leaders.

Exalt their position and themselves

2 Kings 2:12 (NKJV) 12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

Recently a pastor taught the people to call their pastors “father” because this is how they address their senior pastor. This is how Elisha called Elijah. I am wondering if the papal system is coming back fully to the present church. I have already seen such signs in the present church.

Terrify the members

These are the ones who control and manipulate and put fear in the hearts of the people. It is not the fear of God but the fear of the leaders. These are the Talibans who terrorise the people of God. They like to use scriptures such as below to put fear in the hearts of people.

Numbers 12:1-3 (NKJV) Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)

Numbers 12:9-13 (NKJV) 9 So the anger of the Lord was aroused against them, and He departed. 10 And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper. 11 So Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord! Please do not lay this sin on us, in which we have done foolishly and in which we have sinned. 12 Please do not let her be as one dead, whose flesh is half consumed when he comes out of his mother’s womb!” 13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”

Observe how Moses responded

Num 12:13 So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “Please heal her, O God, I pray!”

Moses was a man of God who loved God and loved people. When it was a matter concerning God and His word; Moses stood boldly like a lion. But when it was an accusation against him; he fell flat on his face before God. God defended him. I believe this is the standard Church leaders should follow and not try to defend themselves.

Consider the Words of the Greatest Minister.

Matthew 23:8-12 (NKJV) 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

If He is Lord of our lives then we should follow His example.

Paul did.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV) Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Lucifer exalted himself and his position

Isaiah 14:12-13 (NKJV) 12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north;

Honor your elders

1 Timothy 5:17-21 (NKJV) 17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20 Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. 21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

Honor is not double salute but double pay to take care of the needs of those who teach the Word of God with integrity of heart.

Elders [matured leaders –who could be moving in any of the following gifting –Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers, who use their God given gifting to teach and equip the local church should be supported with tithes and offerings. It is the responsibility of believers who are being spiritually fed by ministers of the gospel to support them financially. A Christian minister who has been faithful in preaching the Word of God should have his needs and the needs of his family well taken care of by the church. It is the spiritual responsibility of the local churches to make sure that they are faithful in supporting God’s work.

The truth sets you free.

Christopher.K

30/3/2010

Senin, 15 Maret 2010

EASTER

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

Rabu, 10 Maret 2010

PRAYER NEED

Sabtu, 27 Februari 2010

Why Are So Many Christians Hypocrites?

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

Senin, 22 Februari 2010

WARNING to THE HIRELINGS

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!