Text

As a young teenager in the 1980s, I wrote to The Straits Times’ Forum page, and criticised the Boys’ Brigade’s use of its mascot, Sharity Elephant, to foster goodwill and giving during the Christmas season. The essence of Christmas – that Jesus the Son of God was incarnated as a man to save the world – had been diluted by the use of such a mascot, I argued.

More than two decades later, many Christians would agree with that point. Christmas in contemporary society has become a time of want, not of need, with endless shopping, wishes of “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” (political correctness to the extreme, political correctness that seeks to sidestep the First Coming of Jesus). Companies and retailers revel in such a season, since Christmas essentially means the ringing of the tills – and fattening of their bottom-lines.

The modern church of Jesus Christ does better, with depictions of the Nativity and the worship of the baby in a manger, whose birth heralded the salvation of the world and God’s demonstration of His deep desire to have communion with all men. That said, Christmas for Christians should be a time of reflection, not only about the Incarnation of Jesus the Son of God 2,000 years ago, but of His workings in the now and the future. To borrow from Charles Dickens of The Christmas Carol fame, we should take time to reflect on the Jesus of Christmas Past, the Present and Yet to Come.

The Jesus of Christmas Past

The Jesus of Christmas Past should provoke worship and adoration. The Incarnation was a miracle of stupendous proportions – that God, who dwells in unapproachable light, would become incarnated as a helpless babe in a manger.

The early church saw the Incarnation as one of the most important truths of the Christian faith. They formulated the Chalcedonean Creed in 451 AD, which set forth what Christians believe about the Incarnation. The five truths – some of which sound paradoxical – should by themselves inspire worship and adoration of the God-Man.

1. Jesus has two natures — He is God and man.

2. Each nature is full and complete — He is fully God and fully man.

3. Each nature remains distinct.

4. Christ is only one Person.

5. Things that are true of only one nature are nonetheless true of the Person of Christ. [1]

Truths (1) and (2) are mysteries that the human mind cannot fathom. How, for example, can Jesus be God and yet man at the same time? As a man, Jesus was not any less God, but at the same time He was not more than a man! God is omnipresent, but as a man Jesus could only be at 1 place at a time! How much did God love us, so as to descend from His throne to experience weakness as a man, such as hunger, tiredness, rejection and eventually death?

The Jesus of the Present

The Incarnation, however, should not be treated as something that is solely entrenched in the past. Standing in awe of the Incarnate Jesus is one thing, but loving Jesus on a daily basis is quite another. The Jesus of Christmas Past is also the Jesus of the Present.

Therefore, as Christians we have to be careful not to relegate Jesus to the past; He is actively involved in today’s world, and our individual lives. All the significant occurrences in today’s world – the turmoil in the Middle East, the rise of China, the rise and fall of the world’s political leaders – do not happen without Jesus’ approval. The heart of kings are in the hand of the Lord (Proverbs 21:1). In the Book of Revelation, John the Apostle sees the One who sits on the throne, from which proceeded “lightnings, thunderings and voices” (v 3-5). This describes the governmental centre of God – nothing in the world happens without His unction.

Some would say that God is dead, arguing that the widespread suffering around the world invalidates His very existence. They cannot be more wrong. Suffering, as the Christian writer and theologian C.S. Lewis argued, is God’s way of telling mankind that something gone awry in the world. Lewis writes in The Problem of Pain: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” To paraphrase a famous line by the American writer Mark Twain – talk about the demise of Jesus is grossly exaggerated.

The Jesus who is Yet to Come

In Revelation 1:8, Jesus describes Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the One “who is and who was and who is to come.” As Christians, we should always remember that the Jesus of Christmas Past and Jesus of the Present also has a future element i.e. He is the One who is Yet to Come.

In particular, we should ask God for greater revelation of Jesus who is the Bridegroom, King and Judge upon His return. Jesus is the Bridegroom who is eagerly seeking His Bride, the Church. He would go to any length to secure His Bride. Psalm 2 talks about how we should “kiss the Son, lest He be angry.” In Isaiah 54:5 we are told that Jesus is our Bridegroom.

In the Second Coming, Jesus will also be King to establish His rule among the nations (Psalm 2:6). Psalm 98 talks about the return of Jesus to establish His Kingdom as a king (v6). Finally, Jesus will return as a Judge over the nations. Isaiah 63 talks about Jesus treading the winepress, with His garments dyed red from the fury of His judgment. Jesus’ robes will be dipped in blood as He will destroy nations and people who will challenge His authority at the end of the Age (Revelation 19:13). In Matthew 25, we see that Jesus will judge the nations when He returns.

The three facets of His identity – Bridegroom, King and Judge – should provoke us into further meditation and prayers for God to reveal the mysteries of Jesus’ identity upon His Second Coming. The explicit imagery Him being the Bridegroom, King, and Judge might be alien to some believers. But come Christmas, they should inspire awe, and a greater desire for Jesus to be made known in our hearts.

Joy to the World is a famous hymn typically sung during the Christmas season. But it should remembered that Isaac Watts, the creator of the hymn, meant it in the context of Psalm 98, heralding the 2nd Coming of Jesus at the end of the Age. We should reflect on Verse 4:

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Our Lord Jesus is more than a babe in the manger! He lives today, and is returning to rule as Bridegroom, King and Judge! All the more, this Christmas season, our hearts should pine and yearn for His return. The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!” (Rev 22:17).

[1]Matt Perman, “How can Jesus be God and man?” Desiring God, http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/articles/how-can-jesus-be-god-and-man#ftn2 [accessed 12 May 2013]

To many people brought up on the modern horror diet of Nightmare on Elm Street and Poltergeist, Halloween is par for the course, cool, and even fun. Dressing up in ghoulish costumes, going around the neighbourhood to trick-or-treat and sharing horror stories on October 31 of every year is considered harmless fun, a time to let one’s hair down.

However, as Christians, we should be aware that Halloween has pagan roots. For the ancient Celts – the predecessors of the Welsh, Scottish and Irish peoples – October 31 was the first day of the new year called Samhain. According to the Irish sagas, which were penned sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries, Samhain was the day that many mundane chores were done: crops were harvested and farmsteads secured. October 31 also marked the end of fall and the start of winter, which was a time of increasing darkness, death of vegetation and the harvest; all this contributed to the symbolism of the day, and in turn, its power.

Click Here to Read Online

There was a recent outbreak of revival in Lakeland, Florida, USA. Along with signs, wonders and miracles, there were also controversies and unsound teachings. Below are some of my thoughts that will help us to understand the move of God and more importantly, learning to embrace the future moves of God in the Last Days.

There are obvious increases of the move of the Holy Spirit around the world. There have been many outpouring of the Holy Spirit and important moves of God in the last 100 years since the Azusa street revival in 1906. These are preparations for the coming major moves of God in the proportion of Joel 2:28 – 32.

The Holy Spirit pours out and holds back “for a season” throughout Church history. He releases a flow of revival then He draws back His activity to give the body of Christ time to digest what He has imparted. God releases grace for different moves of God that work together to prepare the body of Christ for the great final global End-Time Move of God that surpasses the book of Acts and results in Jesus’ return.

We must learn to see the big picture of God’s purposes in all these moves of God.

First of all, we must recognize that God uses many different people, places and seasons of visitation in preparing the End-Time generation for the fullness of His purpose. Most moves of God for the last century are only meant to last about 2 to 5 years because the Lord is establishing a bigger purpose.

We must learn to see that all the moves of God are in one tandem – one visitation of God prepares for the next one. The Lord uses each one to teach His people in each of the following and coming moves of God in what to do and what not to do.

In our commitment to fully embrace the move of the Holy Spirit, we need to be prepared in our understanding so that our hearts can respond in the right way. Matt. 3:3 says this,

“Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight…”

The way of the Lord is prepared by giving understanding so that we can cooperate with the leadership of the Holy Spirit and not to neglect, resist nor exaggerate it. The Lord’s path is “made straight” when it is seen to be right by showing it to be biblical.

Generally, the Holy Spirit has 3 purposes when He releases and heightens His activity:

1. He manifests His power to those needing salvation, healing or renewal. (e.g. Toronto Blessings)
2. He imparts His truth or wisdom. In every move of God there are particular facets of truth that He wants the larger Body to receive.
3. He wants to establish godliness and holiness. (e.g. humility or love)

It is the intention of God to allow all involved with His move to be humbled and sometimes even humiliated. This includes the anointed vessels, their friends, those who passively ignore the revival as well as this those who actively oppose it.

God often offends our mind to reveal our heart. People will get healed and people will get hurt as God gives opportunities to all to be humbled. The same lamp that lights the house sometimes is the same fire that burns down the house.

We must receive Jesus as the God of power, wisdom and humility. We ask, “Lord what are you doing in our midst?” as well as, “What are you saying to us?” People have unnecessary pain and disillusionment in the wake of a revival because they thought that revival was mostly about enjoying God’s power instead of learning wisdom and growing in humility.

We must also remember that history testifies that those who are involved in the most recent move of God are often those who also persecute the next move of God. We must avoid the same pitfall. We must be zealous for the Holy Spirit’s activity, not just open to it, as we seek to excel in love.. 1 Cor. 14:12 says,

“Since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.”

Understand that God uses weak and broken vessels of clay so that no one glories or boasts in man. People typically only boast in men in their first experience in revival. Read 1 Cor. 1:27 – 31. We need to learn to honor God’s vessels but not neglecting our responsibility to only receive what is biblical. Read Acts 17:11.

A few important principles to embrace:

1. We must be childlike in faith yet not childish in discernment (Matt. 18:3 – 4) Like the humility of a child, we must trust God in risk taking. Children do not fear losing their status. Similarly, we must have a open and teachable spirit like a child.However, we must not naively embrace all nor critically reject all because those leading in revival sometimes say and do unwise things. Similarly, those who resist the revival sometimes say wise things, too. God can use our adversaries to humble us, teach us and keep us honest. (1 Thes. 5:19 – 22)

   Some will say we are biblically irresponsible for allowing some things yet at the same time others will say we are controlling for not allowing more “liberty”. We can quench the Spirit by allowing fleshly elements to dominate as well as by stopping things the Spirit wants. We need wisdom and discernment to know how to move with God.

2. We must discern the things that are excellent We are to abound in love (for God and people) by discerning the things that are excellent in the midst of things less than excellent. Some wrongly view the move of the Spirit as either “totally right or totally wrong” instead of seeing substantial good while discerning that which is not good. The weaknesses – character, doctrine, and ministry style of the vessels that the Spirit chooses are not automatically resolved when the power of God operates through them. Some wrongly assume that the Spirit only moves through people that are right in all they do or say.

   We must see God’s favor and honor His activity while graciously discerning that which is not excellent. We are NOT mandated to point out what lacks excellence in each vessel. (1 Pet. 4:8)

3. Define the “major” and “minor” issues We must distinguish and define the “major” and “minor” issues in a move of God so that we can swallow or tolerate the lesser “unsound issues” while refusing the larger “unsound issues”. Because the Pharisees did not do this they ended up straining out gnats and swallowing camels. (Matt. 23:23 – 24)We are to graciously bear with the lack of excellence in the “minor” issues of their doctrine and ministry style without being compelled to imitate them to “receive the anointing”. We must not be “superstitious” in our quest to show our faith in embracing the Holy Spirit. We must not be “overly cautious” in our quest to walk in wisdom. We must not be “overly receptive” in our quest to walk in faith. We must learn to receive new things while honoring the Scripture. Matt. 13:52 says, “He said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’”
4. Stigma that comes with new move of God There is a God orchestrated stigma on the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When God releases new levels of the Holy Spirit’s activity, then new devils attack. Many of God’s servants in history were rejected by God’s people and later killed (e.g. Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul, Peter, etc.). Many of God’s “chosen vessels” end up bitter and the “host ministries” end up in division. It is good to experience a move of God that exalts Jesus’ name but it is not mostly easy or fun. May God grant us wisdom, understand and discernment so that we learn to embrace, participate and move with the coming Move of God in the Last Days!

Kay-Chong Yeo Founder & Director One Thing Ministries International House of Prayer (Singapore)