30/05/12

Immigrants will one day take away your future

1 Samuel 31:2,3 - And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.


This is one of the topics when I share most people especially Christians do not like.

Today's preachers want to have large crowds and more money flowing into their coffers, so they prefer teaching things which people like to hear even though these teachings go against the teachings of the Kingdom of God. In reality they are laying death traps for people just to fulfil their greed and dreams.

When we attend any church service or any preaching, we are most probable to find one of the most important parts of the service or prayers or part of the preaching would be all about the Lord blessing His people with abundance of worldly things either directly or via teaching of tithes. Most of the testimonies we hear also are on those lines. All want good jobs, more and more income, better gadgets, better cars, bigger house, greater fame and greater power in society. That is the reason most church trusties are more people of power or influence and not people in the Lord who walks in His righteousness.

Talk to a Believer on this topic and they will throw scriptures like 2 Corinthians 8:9 "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich".They do not understand the scripture or what the words rich and poor imply here.

Was Jesus born in a rich family or was He having money in Heaven before He humbled Himself and was born in a 'poor' family?

Firstly Jesus was not born in a poor family He was born in a family that was self sufficient. Joseph was a carpenter and was blessed like his wife Mary was and was able to provide for the needs of the family till the time he was alive, after which Jesus been the eldest son did that job until the other siblings could continue that task.

Jesus was born in a manger (wooden box used to feed) in a stable not because they could not afford an inn but because they did not find one and also because scriptures were to be fulfilled (note He was born in Bethlehem - House of Bread and He was the Bread of Life for His flock therefore born in a manger - feeding box).

The most important aspect of being a Christian is about going to our permanent House which is Heaven. The only way to Heaven is by having the Truth in us (therefore Jesus came to pay the price so as to let us receive the Spirit of Truth). It is only after the Truth is in us will we be able to really benefit from the Blood sacrifice (Righteous covering) of the Son so as to enter Heaven. And the biggest hurdle for the Truth is this world and the things of this world (world / Cosmos / Kosmos in Greek implies to this worldly government / powers / principalities).

One needs to understand Satan or his forces have no power in Hell or in any other place in Heaven but only on earth (this world) for he managed to corrupt it through Adam and Eve by making them eat the fruit of doubt. Thus he uses the things of this world as his weapon and his most powerful weapon is the fleshly desires of man. He tried the same tricks with Jesus as he did with Adam when he tempted them but he did not succeed with Jesus for Jesus had the Truth in Him and countered Satan's temptations with the Truth.

Jesus again and again specified the importance of becoming overcomers therefore spoke of the grape wine and gave importance to grapes about all other earthly fruits.

In today's message the word Philistines means 'immigrants'. Today's message is not about immigrants of one country or state who travel to another and dwell there. Although they dwell there they are easily identifiable by their customs, languages or living of their native land. Today's message is about the immigrants of Lord's Kingdom. It talks about people who call themselves Christians but live a worldly life or harness desires for things of this world; such people the Lord calls as immigrants of His Kingdom. When He comes to judge, these immigrants will not enter Heaven. But that is not the problem, the problem as per today's message is, these immigrants will perish but by their way of life they will cause many of the Lord's sheep also to lose. If we are not rooted in the Lord like Saul was not roots then like Saul lost his sons who were his future to the immigrants so also we too will loss our future because of them.

The Lord has warned about what He would do to the lukewarm Christians, also Peter in his second letter (2 Peter 2:20) warns about these immigrants. Let us not be like Saul but let us discern these immigrants and not be affected by them. Let us overcome come them by overcoming the world through the Spirit of the Lord.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, today's Church is filled with more immigrants than citizens of your Kingdom. People come to You hoping they will benefit with things of this world, the ever world which hates You. All they want is to be blessed. They do not seek You but things through You. Lord, we pray we become overcomers of this world and be citizens of your Kingdom living our lives as citizens and having authority as citizens...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
John 15:18-19
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

1 John 5:4 - For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, our faith.

John 17:9-23
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

2 Peter 2:20 - 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.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)