Left Behind or Led Astray?

'ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED' is NOT BIBLICAL

 There is NO 'ETERNAL SECURITY' and 'ONCE SAVED; ALWAYS SAVED is NOT BIBLICAL.

Consider the following quote from A.W. Tozer:

   "One distinguishing mark of those first Christians was a supernatural radiance that shined out from within them.  The sun had come up in their hearts and its warmth and light made unnecessary any secondary sources of assurance.  They had the inner witness.  They knew with an immediate awareness that required no jockeying of evidence to give them a feeling of certainty.  Great power and great grace marked their lives, enabling them to rejoice to suffer shame for the name of Jesus.

   It is obvious that the average evangelical ['christian'] today is without this radiance.  The efforts of some of our teachers to cheer up our drooping saints are futile because those same teachers reject the very phenomenon that would naturally produce joy, namely, the inner witness.  In their strange fear of the relgious emotions they have explained away the Scriptures that teach this witness, such as, 'The Spirit itself beareth witness' and 'He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.'

   Instead of the inner witness we now substitute logical conclusions drawn from texts.  A conversation between a seeker and a worker in an inquiry room is likely to run about like this:  'Do you want the Lord to receive you and make you His child?' 'Yes.' 'Well, read this:  "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."  Do you believe that?'  'Yes.'  'Now if He doesn't cast you out, what does He do?'  'I suppose He takes me in.'  'Amen.  Now He has taken you in and you are His child.  Why don't you tell others about it.'  So the bewildered seeker forces a waxy smile and testifies that he has been converted to Christ.  He is honest and means well but he has been led astray.  He has fallen victim to a Spiritless syllogism.  There is no witness, no immediacy of knowledge, no encounter with God, no awareness of inner change.

   Where there is a divine act within the soul there will always be a corresponding awareness.  This act of God is self-validating.  It is its own evidence and addresses itself direct to the religious consciousness.  Abundant external evidence may exist that a work has been done within, and in this the reason may rejoice; but such evidence cannot be sufficient to guarantee that a saving work has been wrought.  Whatever can be judged by reason is subject to the limitations and errors of reason.  God waits to assure us that we are His children in a manner that eliminates the possibility of error, that is, by the inner witness." (A.W. Tozer, Born After Midnight, p. 13-14)

Here are some verses on the inner witness:

Romans 8:16:  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God"

1 John 4:13:  "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit"

1 John 3:24:  "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

   A pastor asking members of the congregation to raise their hands if they can give a Bible reason for going to heaven is a completely false and misguided approach as the above Bible verses and Tozer's explanation point out.  Tozer further writes "When Jesus was here upon the earth and walked among us, He used no fancy evangelistic maneuvers.  He never said, 'Now raise your hand; now put it down!'"  (A.W. Tozer Faith Beyond Reason p. 46-47)  The question to ask would be whether or not a person knows that he has the Inner Witness, the Holy Spirit.  

    Now, what if someone does have the Inner Witness, is there eternal security for that person?  Is he guaranteed a home in heaven?  The Bible pictures us as becoming one with the Lord Jesus Christ (as in marriage).  He saves us by becoming one with us.  1 John 1:2  calls the Lord Jesus "that eternal life".  It is only if we are in the Lord, one with the Lord that we have eternal life.  Jesus said  “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25)  God won't divorce us, but we can divorce Him.

 Consider these Bible verses: 

 Hebrews 6:4-6:  "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." 

Mark 13:13:  "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

Mark 4:13-20:  "And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.  And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.  And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."

2 Peter 2:20, 21:  "For if after they have escaped the  pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus  Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end  is worse with them than the beginning.  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. "

Revelation 3:21:  "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."

 John 15:5-6:  "....I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. "If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is  withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are  burned." 

 Romans 11:21-22:  "....For if God spared not the natural  branches, take heed lest he also spare not  thee.  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."

1Cor. 3:16-17:  "....Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God  destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are..."

Colossians 1:21-23:  “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”

1 Timothy 1:5-7:  “From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;”

1 Timothy 1:18-20:  “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

Jude 12:  “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”

 1 John 5:16:  "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it."

11 Chronicles 14-16 - read the story of King Asa

 Philippians 2:12:  “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

If there is no need to be faithful to the end, than why would all the martyrs down through the centuries have died – why bother?  Revelation 2:10b:  “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

Some of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are warned to repent - read it and see the consequences for not repenting.

Ezekiel 21-30 - "But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?  But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.  Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?  When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.  Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.  Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.  Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?  Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin."

LIVING THE ANTITHESIS

by Rev Susan Tang
(Sr. Pastor of Calvary Charismatic Centre, Lahat Datu, Sabah and the founder of Station of Life)

For the past few years the Lord has been speaking to me about living in a manner that is the 'antithesis' to all that is happening in the church and in the nation. Over the years, as I waited on Him, I heard Him say, " There is darkness in My House. I am now calling those who can hear My voice to live lives that will be the antithesis to all that is happening. Stop your activities; start to pray and to live out that 'antithesis.'”

It was difficult because I had meetings lined up and my itinerant ministry was bringing in much financial blessing. The books and tapes were selling well and people were blessed. The only problem was, I did not have a deep sense of God's reality. I was finding it extremely hard to hear from Him and I did not enjoy the sense of joyful liberation and rest in my spirit that I am experiencing now. God settled my indecision by taking me through the typhoid incident! I was pathetic during that illness but so spiritually enriched after it. After I recovered, I could hear Him better and with His directives, came the explanations. I heard Him say, "Too many want to travel and speak for ministerial and money sake. They have no interest to build into my kingdom but into their own ministry which has no eternal validity. Now, will you obey and live in a manner that is the antithesis to all these?"As I cancelled my itinerant ministry to stay back and spend time to pray, the directives also came to price down my books, to put them on the website for free reading. I was also to sell my house to buy a piece of land and to pioneer a prayer community. Oh, have I been struggling over these directives and decisions for the past two years! No wonder so many of us do not dare to spend time in His presence. Who knows what He will direct us to do next?

The struggles ceased lately as I read Matthew 7:13-14 and Jeremiah 7. In Matthew 7:14, Jesus commanded His disciples to walk the narrow way (or to live in a manner that is antithetical to the popular worldly order) although it was an unpopular choice and 'few there be that find it.' In Jeremiah 7 He convicted me that the deception in the church worldwide had already produced decline and darkness, a darkness which will finally lead to destruction. I then saw the decline of many local pastors and also much confusion in our local church scene as everything climaxes into what Jeremiah described in verse eleven:

"Is this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes. Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord."

Not only do we have semi - nudity, gays and lesbians, con-men and women, paedophiles, adulterers, fornicators, pseudo prophets/prophetesses and false apostles defiling the church, we now have an influx of the merchandizing and trading spirit. No wonder God said the final result is that His house will become 'a den of robbers.' As the mercenary and the merchandizing spirit join forces with the present profanity, we will not only rob God of His glory, we will also rob the nation of godly standards or ‘the sense of God,’ and the heathen of their hope and salvation.

Many non-Christians are already disgusted as they could not find the difference between the church and the world.

Pope Benedict called the present culture the ‘culture of death’, and weaved his recent Easter Day message around the contrast between material and spiritual riches an told Christians to undergo a ‘purification of hearts’ so that we can heal a lacerated world. He warned against selfishness, corruption and said that the temptation of worldly riches is ‘the language of the serpent’.

Yes, even the church is now inundated with the ‘culture of death’ and the ‘language of the serpent.’ What, then, is God saying to us? What is His urgent and fresh call at this hour to the church in our nation? Are the prophets and prophetesses in Malaysia hearing Him or are we still prophesying ‘vain things’ and dishing out only favorable personal prophecies? Can we hear God calling men and women to live lives that are the antithesis to the horrible system of greed, materialism and compromise that has defiled the church and the land? Do we hear God calling us back to kingdom life and an apostolic lifestyle? When we do hear, do we then, have the strength to obey? To live a life that is the antithesis to all that is around us is like a fish swimming against the tide. Its strength could break against that onslaught.

Does God know? Yes, He does. This is why He told Israel, “Go on this special diet. Feed on manna (Me) daily. If you do, then you can fight against that order. The journey is indeed too hard for you but you can do it as you feed on Me and let Me infuse you with My life.”

But Israel rejected that special diet. This is why they could not make the journey. Will we let the same happen to us? God knows we can only walk the narrow way and be the antithesis to the defiled, worldly and devilish system if we have an infusion of the life of Jesus. But the church life today is hardly an ‘infusion of His life’; rather, it is an infusion of programs, activities, mental knowledge and great exteriors. If I had not stopped my itinerant ministry and spent time in His presence to hear from Him, and then to have been allowed to see what He showed me, I would not have the strength to carry out His directives. And to many of us these directives seem to be utter foolishness.

Does it seem too much for a single woman pastor who is in her ‘retirement years’ to sell her house and part with her only piece of visible and tangible asset? Yet my disobedience, after the Lord has shown me the rich rewards of my decision, would be worse than total foolishness and wickedness. My heart came to a liberating rest and joy when I could finally agree with what God was saying to me.

“The church must not only pray. She must live her prayers. If the church in Malaysia will not live lives that are the antithesis to all that is around her she will never be able to defeat the powers of darkness in this land; neither will she have the strength to avert My coming judgment.”

The infusion of His strength has helped me to yield, to agree to His directives and to start to live in a manner that will be the ‘antithesis’ to that which is selfish, worldly and devilish. I am doing it not because I m spiritual, wonderful or ‘one step above the rest’. I am doing it as an act of obedience and out of a deep love for God. I am also doing it because I want to ‘stand in the gap’ for many priests and prophets who are unable to come free of the psychic bondage to materialism. I am also doing it as an encouragement to others to follow. The Lord has given me the assurance that there will be many others who will follow as His reality enveloped us for “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (Psalm 110:3)

I now know what it means when I pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.” God’s kingdom cannot come if His will is not done. The ‘kingdom lifestyle’ is the antithesis to the selfish, worldly and devilish order which the enemy has set up. It is wonderful to give it all to Him instead of allowing an incoming tsunami to sweep it away. Of course many still do not believe that a tsunami will ever hit the Malaysian shore or that Malaysian houses or properties will get swept off. People in Acheh and New Orleans did not think it could happen; nevertheless it did. Did people think that Subang Jaya and Shah Alam would get that badly flooded and that winds of that magnitude can hit the city? It happened and the worse is yet to come.

Is your life, up to this time just a product of an institution (the church) or is it an infusion of the life of Jesus? If it is an infusion of the life of Jesus, then you can come free of the psychic attraction to materialism and the ‘culture of death.’ You can live the ‘kingdom lifestyle’ and not listen to the ‘language of the serpent’. You can speak God’s language, ‘go against the tide’ and live the life that is the ‘antithesis’ to all that is around you so that you can heal the lacerated world … and the church.

Other articles related by Susan Tang: 

http://goeagles2u.blogspot.com/2010/07/anointed-priest-who-sins-by-rev-susan.html

http://goeagles2u.blogspot.com/2010/07/adding-value-to-land.html

How King Solomon Became the Original 'Lawless One'—and Model for the Antichrist

4/12/2019 MARK BILTZ



When it comes to truly decoding the Antichrist, we need to realize that the discovery of who or what the Antichrist will be is not nearly as important as understanding why—the motivating purpose behind why he has come. The Bible speaks of how the children of Israel knew God's acts, but Moses knew God's ways, meaning he understood why God does what He does.

There are many types or shadows of Messiah in the Old Testament—Adam, Isaac, Moses, David and Jonah come to mind. Most Christians consider King Solomon another type of Messiah. Surely someone like him would unite both Christians and Jews. Typically, our understanding of Solomon includes how wise, wealthy and famous he was and how he was able to transport Israel to the pinnacle of its existence. The whole world came to Solomon, admiring him and bringing him gifts. Israel was at the top of its game during his reign.

While many consider Solomon a type of Messiah, if we look closer at the details within Scripture, we might find we have been deceived. But wait, didn't he bring peace to the Middle East? Yes. This peace enabled him to accomplish great things, such as the building of the temple. The daunting question that must be asked is, why has it gone downhill for Israel ever since? I believe it is because Solomon compromised the Word of God for peace.

The Antichrist will be equally deceptive. The world will cry out for a messiah like King Solomon to solve the problems in the Middle East. Peace in our time! How could he not be admired? But will we find out we too have been deceived?

This may come as a shock to many, but what would you say if I told you the Antichrist, or lawless one, is going to appear similar to King Solomon in many ways? Pick your chin up off the floor and follow me on an eye-opening adventure of discovering why so many people will be deceived in the last days. My prayer is that the great deception descending upon the world today will not catch you unaware.

Solomon's Sins

God never intended for the children of Israel to be ruled by a human king. He was to be their King, but not as we have come to understand kingship. The Hebrew term translated as "king" is melech. A melech is a king whose subjects voluntarily choose to serve him out of a loving relationship. God is the great Melech of the entire universe, and He was upset and hurt that Israel rejected Him as their Melech and wanted to have a king like all the other nations (1 Sam. 8:5).

The tragic story of Israel's rejection of God as their Melech/King is truly heartbreaking, as you see the Creator of the universe humbling Himself. While God told Samuel to listen to the voice of the people, He told him to first warn them about how a worldly king would rule over them and what he would do: "This will be the judgment concerning the king who will reign over you: Your sons he will take in order to place them for himself in his chariots and as his horsemen, and they will run before his chariot" (1 Sam. 8:11). Samuel warned them that they would have to plow the king's ground and "gather in his harvest, and to make his weapons of war and the equipment of his chariots" (v. 12b).

The first two kings of Israel, Saul and David, did not fulfill these prophetic warnings, but note the similarities between what God had warned in 1 Samuel 8 and what Solomon did. In 1 Kings 9:22b we find that Solomon used the Israelites "as men of war, as his servants, his leaders, his captains, rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen." Sound familiar?

In 1 Kings 12:4a, we find the details of Solomon's rule directly from his former subjects. They are pleading with Solomon's son Rehoboam for a lighter rule than Solomon had subjected them to, saying, "Your father made our yoke unbearable."

Later, Rehoboam responds, "My father made your yoke heavy and ... chastised you with scorpions" (v. 14b).

When I first grasped this, I was shocked! This was not the Solomon I had grown up hearing about. Yes, King Solomon was full of both wisdom and power, but we also know wisdom and power inevitably go to one's head.

In Deuteronomy 17:20, any future king of Israel is specifically instructed not to allow his heart to be lifted up above others or to think he doesn't need to keep God's law. Solomon was given much wisdom, but he forgot who gave it to him. He allowed his heart to be lifted up after he obtained riches for himself through his wisdom.

Leviticus 4:22–23 mentions that if a king sinned through ignorance and was guilty of violating any of the commandments of the Lord, when he realized his mistake, he was mandated to bring a sin offering. According to verse 24, he was even required to lay his very own hand on the head of the goat as he slaughtered it. Even though he was a king, he couldn't simply pass this duty off to a servant. The Torah required him to perform this sacrifice personally.

And that's not all; the king's sin offering was to be completed at the brazen altar where everyone else fulfilled his sacrificial duties. God, in all His wisdom, didn't allow a king to have a private altar of his own in his private courtyard. He was required to complete his sacrifice to the Lord publicly, thereby informing virtually every one of his subjects that he had sinned through ignorance, so that his heart would not be lifted up above his people or above the Word of God.

In light of this, let's see how well Solomon obeyed. We will take a look at a few more of the Torah's unique requirements for the king and see how well Solomon followed God's Word. Surely Solomon wouldn't think he was above the Law, would he?

Solomon multiplied horses and was an international arms trader.

According to the Torah in Deuteronomy 17:16, God demanded that the king was not to increase the number of horses he possessed or make the people return to Egypt to increase his horses. Yet we find in 1 Kings 4:26 that "Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen." It goes on to say in 1 Kings 10:26 that Solomon had 1,400 chariots.

Not only did Solomon disregard God's Word about not increasing the number of his horses, but he also purchased them from Egypt, which God specifically said not to do. Furthermore, the chariots imported from Egypt cost 600 shekels of silver, and a horse cost 150 shekels. Here's the most incredible part: they exported these horses and chariots to the kings of the Hittites and Syria (1 Kings 10:28-29).

Did you catch the significance of the last sentence? In Deuteronomy 7:1-2, the Lord specifically commanded that after He brought the Israelites into the land, they were not to make any covenants with the indigenous Canaanites. The Hittites were No. 1 on the list of seven nations He specified in particular. Yet Solomon was acting as an arms merchant selling weapons directly to Israel's enemies. Despite all of Solomon's wisdom, there aren't many actions the leader of any free country could take that are dumber than that.

Solomon had multiple wives and also married foreign wives.

Deuteronomy 17:17 says the king was not to multiply wives for himself, as his heart might turn away from serving God. And in Deuteronomy 7, God stated that they were not to marry any foreigners because they would turn their sons away from following Him to serve other gods. Yet we find in 1 Kings 11:3 that Solomon "had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away."

Completely disregarding God's instructions, King Solomon loved many foreign women—the daughter of Pharaoh and women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites—all the nations with which the Lord had told the children of Israel not to intermarry (see 1 Kings 11). Even if it was Solomon's way of securing peace with neighboring countries, it was still a direct affront to God's commands. He achieved peace but at a very expensive cost.

Solomon multiplied gold and silver.

In His warning in Deuteronomy 17, God also told the Israelites that their king must not "greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." However, 1 Kings 10:21 tells us, "All of King Solomon's drinking cups were made of gold." He had a fleet of ships, and every three years they brought in gold and silver, plus ivory, apes and peacocks (v. 22).

Guess what the rate of gold was that came to Solomon every year? It was 666 talents (1 Kings 10:14). The number 666 is found only twice in the Bible—once with reference to Solomon's gold trade and wisdom and once with reference to the Antichrist (Rev. 13:18).

Solomon was to write his own personal copy of the Torah.

In Deuteronomy 17, God declared that when the king sits on the throne of his kingdom, he is required to write for himself a copy of the Law in a book, from the one that is before the priests, the Levites. He does not only read it but also writes it, so he will be more likely to ingest God's Word and to incorporate God's Law into his heart.

The king could not have someone else write it for him. Since the priesthood was separate from the kingship, the Levitical priests served as a check to the king. They were supposed to hold the king's feet to the fire. Someone would be looking over his shoulder as he wrote his own copy from the original, ensuring he would not make errors or try to alter it. They would also be there to answer any questions the king might have.

There is a fascinating story in ancient Jewish literature from over 2,000 years ago that states that when Solomon wrote his own personal copy of the Law, he decided he was wise enough to be God's editor and make some editorial changes to God's Word.

Furthermore, when Jesus said in Matthew 5:18 that not one jot or tittle would ever pass from the law, it was a direct assault on King Solomon! The jot refers to the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, known as the letter yud, which is equivalent to our letter y. The story goes that when Solomon was writing his Torah scroll and came across the words in Deuteronomy 17:17 (KJV), "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away," he skipped the first letter of the word, the letter yud. That changes the phrase from "He shall not multiply" to "He did not multiply."

Solomon changed the tense of the verb! By changing the tense, it was no longer an imperative not to multiply wives, but rather a statement implying that his multiplication of wives would not lead his heart astray because he was so wise.

Of that change, a famous ancient midrash says, "At that time the letter ... went up to heaven and prostrated itself before God and said, 'Master of the universe! Didn't you say that no letter should ever be abolished from the Torah? Behold Solomon has now arisen and abolished one. Who knows? Today he has abolished one letter, tomorrow he will abolish another until the whole Torah will be nullified!' God replied, 'Solomon and a thousand like him will pass away, but the smallest tittle will not be erased from you.'"

This historical writing about Solomon existed long before Jesus spoke about not having one jot or tittle passing from the Law, so it is probable that His comment was a reference to this story, and His audience was aware of it.

Solomon built pagan altars rather than destroying them.

In Deuteronomy 7:5, God tells the Israelites they must destroy the idolatrous nations' altars, break down their sacred pillars, cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire. Yet in 1 Kings 11:7 (MEV), we find that Solomon built a "high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is close to Jerusalem, and for Molek, the abomination of the children of Ammon."

Solomon's actions affected many future generations. Not only did his own sons turn from God as the Scriptures said would happen, but his future generations also followed Grandpa Solomon's folly.

It's sobering to put ourselves in King Solomon's shoes and consider that sometimes when everything seems to be going well in our lives, it may not be the result of God's blessing but His abandonment.

In Jeremiah 12:1b, the prophet claims the Lord is righteous but still questions God's judgments by begging the question "Why does the way of the wicked prosper?" King David also addressed this issue in Psalm 73:3 when he stated the ungodly are the ones who prosper in the world and increase in riches.

I am not saying this is true of all people who prosper. It's just that when we are prospering, it doesn't necessarily mean God is favoring us. We could be in a slippery place, and we had better be giving God the glory for "our" successes. Solomon, though, took the credit for his own success.

The Lawless One

So let's summarize what we have learned about Solomon. In spite of being beloved by God, blessed by God, and given abundant wisdom, fame, fortune, power and authority, Solomon thanked God by doing the following:

Multiplying his number of wives

Marrying foreign wives

Building more than a thousand pagan altars in and around Jerusalem, including within the temple precincts

Instituting human sacrifice on those very altars, murdering his firstborn children to pagan gods

Multiplying silver, gold and horses to himself

Selling arms to enemies and terrorists

Making covenants with forbidden foreign nations

Exalting himself above his brethren

Thumbing his nose at God and thinking he was above God's Law

This is the type of king the world is seeking to bring peace to the Middle East? No wonder many will be deceived.

Instead of trying to figure out who the Antichrist will be, we need to study what he will be like. Solomon was a total narcissist, and the Antichrist will be as well. Solomon had it all—power, wealth and fame—yet he was completely miserable.

Prophetically, I see all this unfolding again. Remember that prophetic patterns repeat themselves over and over in history. Haman was an Amalekite. His ancestry even showed he was from the royal line of Agag, the king of Amalek.

In Exodus 17:16, after the initial battle with Amalek, God states that from generation to generation He will have war with Amalek. This means that in every generation, there will be a nation wanting to destroy Israel or the Jewish people. Hitler was the Amalek of his day, and today we have the Amalek leaders of Iran proudly boasting of their desire to destroy Israel.

I believe historical patterns will be repeated in other aspects as well. Someone who will seem to be wiser than everyone else will try to achieve a false peace by entering into ungodly covenants with all the foreign nations. He will try to achieve a land-for-peace agreement in Israel, thinking it wiser to cut the baby in half and create two nations as two people groups are claiming the land of Israel as their own. This will only result in killing the baby that is alive!

This ungodly leader will have no regard for God's covenants with Israel, believing the covenants have been done away with, have been replaced or have already been fulfilled, and it is now time for a new era.

Hopefully by now, you have a different perspective on Solomon and can see how deceptively godly someone can appear if you do not have an accurate biblical perspective.

Mark Biltz is an author, commentator and the founder of El Shaddai Ministries.

4 Ways Antichrist Will Deceive Just as Solomon Did

4:00PM EDT 4/1/2019 MARK BILTZ

The Old Testament shows many shadows of the Messiah—Adam, Isaac, Moses, David—and most Christians would add Solomon to that list. Surely someone like him would unite both Christians and Jews, says author and pastor Mark Biltz.

But in his newest book, Decoding the Antichrist and the End Times: What the Bible Says and What the Future Holds, Biltz writes that typically our understanding of Solomon includes how wise he was, how famous he was, his incredible wealth and how Israel was at the top of its game during his reign.

"But if we look closer at the details within Scripture, we might find we have been deceived!" he says. "But didn't he bring peace to the Middle East? Yes. This peace enabled him to accomplish great things, such as the building of the temple. But then why has it gone downhill for Israel ever since? I believe it is because Solomon compromised the Word of God for peace.

"The Antichrist will be equally deceptive," Biltz continued. "The world will cry out for a messiah like King Solomon to solve the problems in the Middle East. But I believe the Antichrist will appear similar to King Solomon in many ways."

For example, Solomon had all the power, all the wealth and all the fame to advance the kingdom of God, but he chose to advance his own kingdom instead. He allowed his heart to be lifted up after he obtained riches for himself, as told in Ezekiel 28:1-7.

"God had given specific instructions in the Torah for Israel's king," Biltz said. "God held the king to a higher standard just so he would not think of himself as better than others and turn from God's commands as stated in Deuteronomy 17. Surely Solomon wouldn't think he was above the Law, would he?"

Biltz outlines some of the deceptions carried out by Solomon:

1. Solomon multiplied horses and was an international arms trader.

According to Deuteronomy 17:16, God demanded that the king was not to increase his number of horses or make the people return to Egypt to increase his horses. Yet we find in 1 Kings 4:26 that "Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen."

Then, verse 27 says that through their agents he exported these horses and chariots to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria. Solomon was acting as an arms merchant selling weapons directly to Israel's enemies.

2. Solomon had multiple wives and married foreign wives.

Deuteronomy 17:17 says the king was not to multiply wives for himself. Yet in 1 Kings 11:3, Solomon "had seven hundred wives who were princess and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away" (1 Kings 11:3).

Solomon also married foreign women, which God said not to do. According to his wisdom, what better way to secure peace than by marrying the daughters of foreign kings? But it was a direct affront to God's commands. He achieved peace at a very expensive cost. How will the Antichrist achieve peace? Will it be according to God's law or through political means?

3. Solomon multiplied silver and gold.

In His warning in Deuteronomy 17, God also told the Israelites that their king must not "greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." However, 1 Kings 10:22 says Solomon had a fleet of ships, and every three years they brought in gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.

1 Kings 10:25 says everything that came into Solomon's kingdom was at a specific rate. And the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents (verse 14)—a man associated with both wisdom and the number 666. The number 666 is found only twice in the Bible, once referring to Solomon's gold trade and wisdom and once referring to the Antichrist.

4. Solomon built pagan altars rather than destroying them.

Deuteronomy 7:5 highlights how the Israelites were commanded to destroy their enemy's altars, break down their sacred pillars, cut down their wooden images and burn their carved images. But in 1 Kings 11, we see that Solomon built a "high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is close to Jerusalem, and for Molek, the abomination of the children of Ammon" (v. 7). Verse 8 says he did this for all his foreign wives, "who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods."

"Solomon had obtained all the fame, riches and power, yet he considered all of his life's actions to be in vain, including the building of the temple," Biltz said. "This is because he felt it was all about himself! He had to be the 'narcissist in chief.'

"Is this the type of king the world is seeking to bring peace to the Middle East?" he continued. "No wonder many will be deceived. Instead of trying to figure out who the Antichrist will be, we need to study what he will be like. Solomon was a total narcissist, and the Antichrist will be as well. I believe historical patterns will also be repeated in other aspects. Someone who will seem to be wiser than everyone else will try to achieve a false peace by entering into ungodly covenants with all the foreign nations. He will try to achieve a land for peace agreement in Israel, thinking it wiser to cut the baby in half and create two nations as two people groups are claiming the land of Israel as their own. This will only result in killing the baby that is alive! We must not be deceived."

Decoding the Antichrist and the End Times takes an in-depth look at some of the deepest questions surrounding the Antichrist, such as the following:

What does the Bible say about the Antichrist's tactics and his motivation?

Will he be a Muslim, a Jew or a professed Christian—or something else?

Will the Antichrist work through modern technology to seize control?

Mark Biltz is founder of El Shaddai Ministries and a well-known and popular commentator on the feasts of the Lord. In fact, he has produced a series of DVDs on the feasts that have gone around the world. Biltz is also the author of Blood Moons and God's Day Timer. His research and theories have led to guest appearances on both radio and television as well as being featured on the covers of magazines.

Joseph Prince Gets It Right and Wrong on the Day of Atonement - Dr Michael Brown

On October 11th, which marked the beginning of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement on the biblical calendar, a friend sent me Joseph Prince's Daily Grace e-devotional entitled, "ONLY CHRIST'S ATONEMENT SATISFIES GOD."

In his email message, Pastor Prince rightly pointed us to the shed blood of the Messiah for our atonement, stating, "Because of His sacrifice, all our sins have already been perfectly atoned for. That is why, should we sin, we know that 'we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous'. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins."

Pastor Prince also emphasized that it is not our acts of self-mortification that bring us forgiveness – not whipping ourselves or beating ourselves or fasting for days or praying for hours — but rather what Jesus did on our behalf.

He writes, "My friend, there is no need to climb the Himalayas or whip your back bloody to atone for your sins. No amount of self-punishment or crying can atone for them. Your sins have already been punished fully in the body of Jesus. Only His finished work satisfies God."

This is a life-giving, life-transforming message, and it is one that can deliver us from a legalistic, work-righteousness, earn-your-salvation mentality that plagues many believers.

We are saved by Jesus' righteousness, not our own righteousness! May we never forget that as long as we live.

Unfortunately, as is common with the hyper-grace message, there is a mixture of beautiful truth with potentially dangerous error.

Citing 1 John 2:1-2, Pastor Prince writes, "Now, it does not say that if anyone repents, we have an Advocate with the Father. It says that if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father. The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him."

Does that mean, then, that I can continue in sin without consequence? Does that mean that, the more I rebel and the more I turn away from God, the more Jesus forgives me?

You might say, "But that's not the point Pastor Prince was making. He's teaching believers not to get caught up in fleshly efforts of 'repentance' and rather to find forgiveness in the cross."

Of course, I understand that, and I applaud that. Shout that from the rooftops, Pastor Prince. (I know you already do.)

But since he never once says in the article that it's important that we turn from sin to be in right relationship with God (something taught throughout the entire New Testament), and since he wrongly defines repentance (more on that in a moment), how is someone to know that it's important that we do not continue in sin?

Perhaps Pastor Prince could have added in even one line to the effect?

After all, why quote 1 John 2:1-2 without also quoting the next two verses? John continued, "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3-4). Would this undermine one of Pastor Prince's points?

And how about some of these other verses from 1 John? Would the reader of Pastor Prince's e-devotional realize that this, too, was John's message?

1. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth (1 John 1:6).

2. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (1 John 2:9)

3. Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him (1 John 3:4-6).

4. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:8-9).

5. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him (1 John 3:24a).

6. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:2-3).

Yes, it is absolutely true that Jesus paid for our sins and our atonement is found in Him alone. And it is equally true that He saves us out of sin, calls us out of sin, and as our Lord and King, commands us and empowers us to turn from sin.

That is also an essential part of the gospel message, and in a devotional that misrepresents repentance and states that, "The moment a child of God sins, straightaway, his Advocate, Jesus Christ, goes into action to pray for and protect him," this is a potentially fatal omission.

With regard, then, to repentance, Pastor Prince rightly states that, "Bible repentance is not this idea of hitting or punishing yourself to atone for your sins." But he wrongly states that, "The word 'repentance' is metanoia in the Greek, which means to change one's mind."

Not so (although this a very common error).

"Repentance" in the Bible means a change of mind, heart, and direction. It means the recognition that you are heading the wrong way on the highway, then making a complete about face — with God's help and grace — and heading in a brand new direction. But if you recognize you're heading in the wrong direction — in other words, you have a change of mind — but you don't turn around, you have not repented in the biblical sense of the word.

And how important is repentance for the believer?

According to Jesus, very important.

That's why, five separate times, he told congregations in Asia Minor (to paraphrase), "If you want to be in right relationship with Me, repent and change your ways" (see Rev 2:5, 16, 21-22; 3:3, 19).

To quote the Lord's own words, "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me" (Rev. 3:19-20).

And so, as we celebrate the atonement we enjoy in Jesus the Messiah, let us always remember that He sets us free from sin, not to sin, and that forgiveness and repentance go hand in hand.

So, we look to the cross, where our sins were paid for in full, and, empowered by the Spirit of God, we confess our sins (see 1 John 1:9, which is primarily written to believers, not the lost), we renounce those sins, and being washed and cleansed by His blood, we turn away from those sins.

As expressed so powerfully by Peter, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls" (1 Pet. 2:24-25).

That is the message of atonement.

Megachurch Pastor Kong Hee Pleads for 8 Year Prison Sentence to Be Overturned as Court Case Resumes

Singapore's City Harvest Church founder and Senior Pastor Kong Hee is back in court, pleading for his eight-year prison sentence for misappropriating $35 million of church funds to be overturned.



Kong's lawyer, Edwin Tong, argued on Thursday that the pastor should see all three of the criminal convictions against him overturned, Channel News Asia reported.

Tong said that the CHC founder put money forward to support the church's mission, which was supported by virtually the entire congregation, and that the church had not suffered any actual financial loss.

Although Kong is accused of being part of a scheme that funneled $35 million to the pop star career of his wife, fellow CHC pastor Sun Ho, the lawyer noted that the singer was synonymous with the Crossover Project, the church's ministry through music effort.

"It is beyond question that the accused believed wholeheartedly that they were using church funds for an approved church purpose," Tong explained.

Judge See Kee Oon said last year that Kong and five other CHC members had a major role to play in channeling millions of dollars that were set to be used for investments and building-related projects into sham bonds, used for Ho's career.

All six of the convicted church members have appealed their guilty verdicts and sentences, pleading innocence.

The prosecution has insisted that Kong and the others were well aware that they were misusing the church's money, however, and said that the sentences are "manifestly inadequate," calling on Kong to face a jail term of 11 to 12 years instead.

Tong said on Thursday that it is wrong to believe that Kong acted dishonestly and was only concerned with funding his wife's music career, however, and gave evidence that Kong had consistently consulted auditors and lawyers on two bond investments.

"Every cent was used entirely for the church's mission," the lawyer said. "Even if (the church's funds — meant for investments or building-related expenses) were put to 'wrongful use,' they were 'applied in good faith," he added.

Kong has said in his own words that he was not the mastermind behind the misuse of money, and said that the sentencing against him was "erroneous."

"My lawyers will also address the prosecution's appeal at the appropriate time. I sincerely need your prayers during this process for a favorable outcome. The road ahead is long and arduous, but God's grace is sufficient for me," he told supporters last year.

Ho has stood by her husband in the long standing court case, though she has not herself been accused of wrongdoing.

The Straits Times reported that the trial will resume on Friday, with former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han and former finance manager Sharon Tan expected to present their own appeals.

The prosecution, on the other hand, is scheduled to present its case on Sept. 20.

Kong Hee's City Harvest Church Hit by New Police Investigation Into Fraud by Ex-Fund Manager

Eight members linked to Pastor Kong Hee's City Harvest Church in Singapore have been hit by a new police report by former CHC fund manager Chew Eng Han, accusing them of "fraudulent misrepresentation" of facts, as Kong, Chew, and four other members await appeal decisions on a prior conviction.



TodayOnline reported on Wednesday that Chew, who was one of the six CHC leaders convicted and sentenced to prison, pending appeal, for misusing close to $35 million in church donations, has filed a police report regarding eight church members accusing them of fraudulent misrepresentation of facts about the church.

Police officials confirmed that a report has indeed been made, but could not provide many details.

"As police investigations are confidential, and the complainant Chew also has an appeal against his conviction and sentence pending adjudication by the Supreme Court, it is inappropriate at this juncture for the police not to comment further," a police statement told Today.

Lawyers for CHC have already responded to Chew's report, calling his statements "bare allegations."

"Further, these allegations are misconceived and/or erroneous as a matter of law," the lawyers added.

The eight members reportedly include Kong and his wife, fellow CHC pastor Sun Ho, along with CHC Kuala Lumpur founder Kevin Loo, former CHC Executive Pastor Derek Dunn and CHC Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain.

Kong has insisted that he is innocent of all charges despite being sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the alleged misuse of church funds, which are believed to have gone into funding the music career of Sun Ho in America.

The CHC lead pastors have been touring several countries across Asia and even into Africa, focusing on healing and revival services, while Kong awaits the result of his appeal back home in Singapore.

Back in May, the Sunday Times reported that the legal troubles have been taking a toll on the CHC ministry, with the congregation having dropped to 16,482 members in 2015. Before the trial began in 2009, the church had 23, 565 members, meaning it has lost close to a third.

As Today noted, Chew and CHC have been embroiled in a civil suit concerning millions in unreturned investments, with CHC accusing Chew of owing close to 3.5 million USD in accrued interest.

THE MISTRESS OF MINISTRY by Mike Robinson

I had anticipated this moment with an emotional mixture of intimidation and challenge. The intimidation was generated by the fact that I was standing before a large group of my fellow pastors and I was to deliver the opening address at our annual Pastors' Conference. The element of challenge found its focus in the question, "How can I outflank their professional communication skills and their ability to anticipate what they think I'm about to say? How can I arrest their attention long enough to make my point?"

I decided to take a risk and begin with a confession that would need more than a little explanation!

"I begin tonight with a very difficult confession before you, my fellow Pastors. There is no simple or easy way to say this; so I will just say it: I have been guilty of having an affair."

The tension level took a quantum leap upward! Some of those sitting in front of me were my peers. I had trained with these men for Ministry. I noted some looks of stunned disbelief. Others showed their disbelief in smiles that indicated that they knew I had to have an angle here of some kind!
I continued... "In one sense, I can think of no better place to make such a confession than in the presence of other Pastors because most of you will have long since recognised your own vulnerability. In another sense, I can think of no worse place to acknowledge my failure because the judgment of my peers has the potential to be the worst kind of condemnation.

Now I can almost hear your ask the question, 'How can one who is supposedly committed to the Lord Jesus and to his own wife ever allow another relationship to develop to the point where those two holy relationships are endangered?'

As best I can determine, it began with a flaw or weakness in my own character that was (and is) wide open to exploitation. Like many of you, I have a need to be needed and to be affirmed. sometimes I think that need is above and beyond what might be considered healthy. I further acknowledge that I am at my most vulnerable when there is an absence of encouragement and affirmation in my emotional diet".

Well, so far my explanation was not doing very much to lessen the tension level. I pressed on....

"My mistress was very subtle. She knew my emotional need for praise and affirmation in my life and she was quick to meet that need. Time and again she was ready to speak warmly of my qualities as a person and my endeavours as a Pastor. In return, she seemed to require so little - initially, at least. She repeatedly assured me that our developing relationship need not negatively effect my relationship with Bev, my wife, or with the Lord. At first she had told me she would be satisfied if I only offered her the time that was left after my prior relational responsibilities. It seemed that I could have my cake and eat it, too! It all seemed so legitimate...so rational...so inviting.....so fulfilling....just too good to be true!

But as time passed, this seemingly free liaison became increasingly demanding. I began to realise that I was becoming both enmeshed and addicted to the relationship.

My mistress was demanding more and more of my time. She began to begrudge the time I gave to Bev and my family. She also began to make demands on the time I had initially reserved for the Lord".

It was at this point that I became aware that a number of my listeners were becoming restless in their chairs while others sat like statues as though any movement might betray an inner response. of guilt. I was beginning to wonder if my approach was a bad choice. Too late now. I continued:

"As I tried to meet those demands, the intensity of my guilt began to increase. My priority commitments to my Lord and my wife came under enormous pressure. I found myself making excuses for the decreasing amount of time I was spending with Bev. I kept telling her that my lack of time with her and the family was part of the sacrifice we had to make for the sake of the Lord's work. I seemed to be forever asking forgiveness from God because of what I was allowing to happen in my relationship with Him".

"Another complicating and destructive factor in all this mess was that my mistress was now claiming that she, too, had needs that only I could meet. I found myself in the terrible situation of becoming indispensable to her and that just added to the feelings of fragmentation. The whole dynamic had become like a spiritual "Fatal Attraction". It sounds stupid even as I say it but, as demanding as she became, even that price was worth paying when I lost sight of where my needs were supposed to be met and tried to meet them with her. The paradox is that I have both warmly welcomed her and deeply resented her. I have sought consolation with her and yet I have despised the cost of that comfort".

I now began to note some further changes in the facial expressions of my listeners. Some, at least, were beginning to suspect that this was not what it first appeared to be! Some mental gears were beginning to turn in another direction as they tried to pre-empt just where I was going with this 'confession'? It seems that even pastors don't want to be the last to get it!

"I began by confessing to you that I had a mistress. I deliberately made that statement in the past tense. I did so partly as a statement of fact and partly as a statement of hope. It is a statement of fact inasmuch as, at this point of time, I do not have a mistress. That destructive relationship is now broken and is part of my history. I have owned it and I have been forgiven".

"It is a statement of hope inasmuch as I fully realise that I am capable of re-commencing that liaison at any time; particularly during those periods of emotional weakness when others seem insensitive to my needs. I know that she is always there ready to meet that need.

And now, as part of my confession, I have determined to complete my confessional atonement before you by actually naming my mistress to you".

The tension that had started to ease with some was quickly restored with this last remark! In fact, I was to find out later that two or three had determined by this time to get out of their seats and leave the room.

"I name her in your presence because, as I have listened to fellow pastors talk over the years, I believe some of you also know her and you may want to join me in my confession and atonement.

Her name is 'MINISTRY'".

The tension level, which had varied quite noticeably to this point, now relaxed very noticeably!

Ah, yes! I can see from the looks on some faces that there are those of you who are acquainted with her. That being the case, perhaps you might like to journey with me a little further as I try to explain the process of recovery and restoration to my wife and to my God that has happened for me.

Before I ask you to walk further with me in this expose, I need first to make another confession and, perhaps, an apology.

I recognise that, in using the analogy of an affair to make a point, I have run the very serious risk of piercing the hearts of those who may be struggling with a more literal affair or relationship than what I have described. If I have unwittingly and unhelpfully wounded you, I do ask for your forgiveness and understanding. On the other hand, if my analogy has pierced your heart with conviction, I do not apologise for that.

The reason I have been prepared to take the risk in describing the dynamics of this unhealthy relationship with "ministry" in terms of an affair is that I really believe that "ministry" can become a destructive "affair of the heart" that has the capacity to estrange us from our families. I, for one, have felt times of enormous pressure and conflict of interest as I have sought to be both a loving husband and a faithful Pastor. In retrospect, I can see that those pressures have been largely of my own making and have emerged in my life because of my failure to understand the true relationship that I was to have with "ministry".

Let me explain first how the Lord Jesus moved to expose and correct what had become an idol in my life. Even now it sounds strange to refer to "ministry" as an idol. But if an idol is something to which one devotes the major portion of one's time, energy and effort....if an idol is that for which I am willing to sacrifice just about everything in my life...if an idol is anything that comes between me and my God and competes for that devotion, loyalty and commitment that ought to belong only to Him.....then "Ministry " had become such an idol.....such a mistress.

As I think back now, one of the factors that led to the emergence of this form of idolatry was the confusion that developed when I lost sight of the fact that God had called me to Himself before ever he called me to "the ministry".

I have been challenged again by the call of the early disciples recorded in Mark 3 where the purpose for which Jesus called His disciples was "...that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach..."

That sequence has now become so important to me. God has called us first of all to Himself. He first says, "Come to me....." before He says, "Go into all the world...." All ministry must flow out of that reality. Of course, if you had asked me at any point in my 30 years of pastoral ministry if I believed that, truth I would have answered with a prompt "Yes!" But that answer would have come from my head, not my heart. The truth is that there is a lot that I affirm with my head which, if my actions are any indication, I do not really believe in my heart.

There is a key passage in Luke 10 that has helped me regain a perspective that my former mistress took from me. When the seventy-two disciples returned from their ministry assignment, they were ecstatic that even the demons were subject to the authority that Christ had given them. They had experienced a good time with "ministry"!! I hear in their words feelings of fulfilment, excitement and anticipation for what the future might hold by way of further ministry.

However, Jesus firmly added a corrective to their understandable enthusiasm. He said to them: "I have given you authority to overcome all the power of the enemy. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven". (Luke 10:20)

Jesus was identifying for them - and for us - the only source and basis of joy and rejoicing and it was not be in the "ministry". Sure, we may be grateful for those times of blessing that result from what we do for Him but the only appropriate, unchanging and dependable source of joy is in our relationship with Jesus....the fact that our names are written down in heaven and we are secure in that fact!

Like some of you, I have often made the mistake of finding my joy elsewhere... especially with "ministry" ....and she has a way of becoming a mistress....an idol. Too often my perspective and mood swings are directly effected by "ministry"! My source of joy becomes confused and I find myself on an emotional roller-coaster. I have also discovered that it is so easy, as a pastor, to develop a "professional" relationship with Jesus. In that kind of relationship, He is the "employer" and I am the "employee".

By contrast, I was challenged by the basis of Jesus' joy identified in the same passage: "At that time, Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth...Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure". (Luke 10:21). Here is the heartbeat of Jesus in terms of His relationship with His Father. His source of joy was in the other two members of the Godhead - the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Maybe that is why we never see Jesus centred upon the results of His ministry as though that was the beginning and end of everything. He never allowed "ministry" to become His mistress. He knew how to say "No" without feeling guilty. He knew how and when to serve and how and when to retreat...even in the midst of the demands and expectations of those about Him. Luke records these simple but telling words in chapter 5:16: "The news about Him spread all the more so that crowds of people came to hear him and be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed".

Prayer retreats in the midst of human need! What kind of Pastor is this?

I hear echoes of that same demanding insistence in the words of the disciples when Jesus had gone out early in the morning to pray. In Mark 1:37, we are told that they came to him and said, "Everyone is looking for you!" Roughly translated that seems to me to mean, "You are indispensable! They can't do without you! Prayer is nice in its right place but you don't have time for that luxury right now! We are surrounded by need!"

Jesus response is both startling and instructive: "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. That is why I have come".(Mark 1:38)

What kind of Pastor indeed! The answer is simple and disturbing. Jesus was a Shepherd/Pastor who knew what His Father wanted Him to do and He did it - nothing more, nothing less and nothing else. He was the kind of Pastor who, at the end of His earthly ministry could say, "I have completed the work that you gave me to do"! (John 17:4). He fulfilled God's agenda for Him, not the expectations of countless other people. He was the kind of Pastor who found his joy in His relationship with God; not in what He did for God!

While I am grateful for what God does through "ministry", I am nowhere called to rejoice in the ministry or to rejoice in who I am or what I am doing. I am to be with Jesus and to rejoice in Him and in the relationship He has established with me as expressed in the fact that my name is written in heaven.

Part of my restoration process has been to set aside every Wednesday afternoon for a personal retreat time when I go away from my office and my home and I spend time with Jesus - not Jesus, my employer but Jesus, the lover of my soul. That's our time. I try not to talk "business" with Him in that setting. ....if you understand what I mean.

Knowing my own initial response to God's call for that time to be set aside, I am fairly certain that there are those of you who are now assuring yourselves that there is no way you can afford to be so extravagant with your use of time. In your priorities, such time allocation, while perhaps desirable, is not possible. You are busy telling yourself that the demands on your time are such that they exclude any possibility of 3 or 4 hours spent with the Lord in a block like that each week. Brothers and sisters, those words are being seductively whispered in your heart by the mistress....."ministry". I know because she has seduced me time and again with the same rationale. There is so much to be done, isn't there?

All that brings me to another biblical address that I have often had to visit. It is again in Luke 10. This time it is the domestic scene recorded in vs. 38-42.

The Lord has repeatedly drawn my attention to the difference between Martha and Mary.......Martha, the activist, and Mary, the listener. The question with which God has often challenged me is, "Who most clearly reflects your priorities - Martha or Mary?"

The answer is usually Martha. Now, you and I are hardly in a position to question her heart and her motives. They may well have been of the highest calibre. But what we are told is what was happening to her on the inside as she gave herself to 'ministry'. The three words used of her emotional condition are "distracted", "worried" and "upset".

Please don't get me wrong here. Someone had to prepare the meal. Someone had to be out in the kitchen. But the challenge to me is what was happening to Martha in terms of her attitude. Did you pick up on the resentment that was fermenting towards her sister? The water on the stove wasn't the only thing boiling out in the kitchen that day! "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (Luke 10:40)

She was becoming resentful towards her sister and dictatorial towards her Lord! She presumed to direct Jesus as to what He should do to get her immobile sister mobile!! How often I have done that over the years! Jesus was again gracious but firm in His evaluation of the condition of Martha's heart.

He corrected Martha and commended Mary. Martha was committed to the urgent whereas Mary was committed to the important. Martha opened her home whereas Mary opened her heart. Martha gave her service whereas Mary gave herself.

I don't think it is coincidental that I hear in that inter-change an echo of what God has often said to my heart. Have you not had times when, in your genuine desire to serve the Lord, you have become distracted by all the things that had to be done? You have become worried and upset over the many things. You have become resentful towards your brothers and sisters in Christ because they seem to have been immobile when they should have been up and working. You have become resentful and guilty about the time your wife and family seemed to expect.

You have even presumed to complain to the Lord of the Church in such a way as to suggest that, if He paid some attention to your plight, He might just begin to do things the way you think they should be done. When those dynamics begin to emerge, we can be sure that "ministry" has successfully seduced us and become our mistress.

But what about that other prior relationship in all this...my relationship with my wife, Bev? We have just celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary. We have three great kids, two delightful daughters-in-law and 5 wonderful grand-daughters!! As I look back over the almost 40 years that I have been a Pastor, I can say that my wife has been very understanding about many, many aspects of what it means for me to be a pastor and her place as my wife.

She has been less than understanding about my mistress!!

I recall how, when we were in our sixth year of pastoral ministry back in the early seventies, Bev first tried to speak to me about how "ministry" was coming between us. I couldn't understand why she felt as she did because, after all, we were doing the Lord's work! From time to time she tried to explain how she felt and why but it was to no avail. I was blind to the fact that the dynamics of the "eternal triangle" were appearing in our relationship. Only it was not another woman. But it was a mistress, sure enough.

Bev was teaching school at the time and, because I had relatively little time for her, she began to apply herself in her work to the point where, on one day of rare enlightenment for me, I found myself thinking that she seemed to care more for her work than she did for me!

And suddenly my eyes were opened! Within 24 hours of that revelation, I was down at the travel agent trying to organise a holiday just for the two of us. It proved to be a smart move! We had a great time away together and a new start in our relationship when we came home.

You would think that I would have learned from that experience, wouldn't you? The truth is that my mistress was waiting to seduce me as soon as we came back. I have had to learn that the commitment of giving my wife the priority she deserves as my God-given partner in life is never static. It is always dynamic in the sense that it is a daily choice.

Over the years since that first realisation, I have sought to give to Bev the time commitment she deserves as my wife but it has been with varying degrees of success and failure.

From time to time, she has suggested that I should take time out from pastoral ministry so that we could have extended time as a family without those unique demands and expectations that constitute pastoral ministry. The very idea was anathema! Didn't she realise I was needed...even indispensable?!

Somehow I had become so involved again with my mistress that to even think of extended leave was tantamount to a betrayal of some kind! I look back now and I can see that what Bev was suggesting, in effect, was a sabbatical....a God-ordained principle.....a period of refreshment and renewal of our spiritual and emotional lives and our relationship together.

It was still some time before I began realising something else that was obvious to Bev long before it dawned on me. I was loosing my cutting edge. The vision of the Lord and a right understanding of my relationship to ministry had again become fuzzy. I was getting tired in the ministry....not physically tired but emotionally and spiritually weary. Although I took holidays and long service leave, the benefits seemed very short-lived.

It was towards the end of the 1980's that these realisations began to dawn and I can recall sharing with the Church Leadership what Bev had been saying for quite some time: namely, a growing sense that I was finding little fulfilment and a lot of tiredness and that I needed to take extended leave. So clearly did the Lord seem to say, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest". (Mark 6:31)

We resigned from that Church at the end of 1989 and we spent the next 14 months obeying and enjoying the biblical principle of the Sabbath. The level of renewal and refreshment that came to us is beyond my ability to describe and we both returned ready to embrace the Lord's call to service in a new and enthusiastic way.

We went to a new Church at the beginning of 1991 And guess what? The mistress called "Ministry" had moved to the new Church!! But there is now some understanding of how she operates and the way she seduces.

I feel free of her at the moment but I know that I need to daily monitor her attempts to seduce me and my response to her. I have come to accept that I will live with this tension for the rest of my pastoral life. It will involve daily choices for me. Somehow, I feel at peace about that prospect now that the "enemy" has been identified and her tactics are out in the open. I am also encouraged by the fact that the antidote to her poison has also been identified - a daily yielding of my life to my Lord and to my wife.

How to Avoid Self Deception in Your Walk With Christ by SHAWN A. AKERS

Sometimes you need to be honest with yourself. Jesus knows your heart. (iStock photo)

For most of my adult I life, I believed James 1:22-25 didn't apply to me. I had convinced myself that I was a "doer" of God's Word and not simply a "hearer."

After all, I went to church. I tithed. I listened to well-known preachers and agreed with what they said. Here and there, I told people about Jesus.

Wow, did I buy into Satan's lies. And he did a fantastic job of selling it, too.

Over the past year of my transformation as a believer, however, I slowly began to realize that I was the epitome of James 1:22, which says, "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does" (MEV).

Every Sunday I would hear a good sermon at church, and every Sunday it would be the same. I got fired up and knew I was going to have a great week after being filled with a good word and great fellowship. But then something would happen in traffic or my children would say something that shouldn't have upset me but did, or I would worry about our family finances, and my joy would dissipate.

Immediately, I had forgotten what kind of man I was. I was a "hearer" of the Word and not a "doer." Immediately, I had become exactly like the sower in Matthew 13:20-22, "But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (MEV).

As a believer in Jesus Christ, you've heard the good news of the gospel. Most know of God's promises of provision and protection, and most know they have the ultimate victory in Jesus. Yet when trials and tribulation come, and they deceive themselves into believing that God doesn't really care for them. They deceive themselves by thinking he's distant and isn't listening to their problems. The word is choked from them as the weeds have grown among the good seeds that were planted.

In other words, if I hear the word of God but do not do what it says, I am treating the Word as if it were useless. I am deceiving myself about the very nature and purpose of the Word of God.

"... for the hearers of the law are not justified before God, but the doers of the law will be justified" (Rom. 2:13, MEV).

So what can you do to make sure this doesn't happen to you, that you don't become a "hearer" only and deceive yourself?

* Realize that trials WILL come in this life, and let your faith be tested, because it produces patience (James 1:3-4). It's all part of the growing process.

* Get connected with a small group at church. I'm not saying that you can trust everyone, but find people within that small group to discuss your life issues—people with whom you can be transparent and vulnerable.

* Pray that God will teach you how to be a "doer" of His Word and not simply a "hearer." Pray that you will know better than to deceive yourself. 

* Adhere to Proverbs 3:5-6 and trust God "with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding." Don't be one of those nominal Christians who simply won't allow that.

* Continually seek wisdom. Don't just read your Bible every day, study it. Realize that the Bible reveals God's wisdom to us (Prov. 2:10).

* When you make sinful or mistaken choices, learn from them, repent and recover. God will be right there with you. 

Rather than be the sower from Matthew 13:19-22, don't you want to be the sower from verse 23? "He who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown" (MEV).

Bearing fruit is what your walk with Christ is all about. It's all about being a "doer." 

And as I always like to say, "there is that." 

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!


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The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy

by George Davis, Michael Clark, & Kirk Pearson

Introduction

This book was written as an expose' of an 1800 year old conspiracy. It is intended to define the conspiracy, leaving you to judge for yourself. Consider it a primer, covering only the basic elements of the subject. It is not intended to be exhaustive, since the total truth of this matter could not be told in such brevity. It is written with the utmost confidence that its readers will be its perfecters. It is the result of a million prayers, asking, "Why? Why Lord, is the Church before me so unlike the one I read about in the Bible? Why O God is there so much failure and defeat in what is supposed to be the representation of you in the earth?" This book may present more questions than answers, but questions are not to be feared.  God is not like the haggard parent who resents the seemingly unending barrage of questions proceeding from the inquisitive child. God is eager and attentive to them all.

While not written for everyone, this book is dedicated to those analytical ones who have dared to ask the forbidden question, "What is wrong with the church?" It is dedicated to all those who are willing to pay the price to see Christ's Ekklesia restored. The reformation is not over. In fact it is just begun, and this book is dedicated to all reformers everywhere. It is dedicated, as we are, to the restoration of all things. It is written to those who willingly suffer the loss of all things for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ. It is written in the deepest respect and honor for those of whom the world is not worthy, who laid down their very lives to expose this conspiracy. What qualifies us to write such a work? Nothing, except perhaps an indescribable burden, a passion that can only be characterized by the heart of a Father yearning to see His children set free from their oppressors, and a desire for the final deliverance of His family from the conspirators’ hands.

George Davis and Michael Clark

Continue reading The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy