11 August, 2006

End Time WEALTH TRANSFER (Message)

I believe that this is a message for every Christian living in the End Times. WEALTH TRANSFER like the second coming of the Lord Jesus is an end time event. The time is short and we must get ready for it. Of course, GOD is the One who is to do the transfer but it is also necessary for us to believe Him and to know how to co-operate with Him.

We are going to refer to 3 Wealth Transfer incidences in the Bible and then we are going to draw 7 lessons from these prophetic types. These 7 lessons are important for us if we want to see wealth transfers for ourselves in our times. These 3 bible references are: Genesis 12:10 - 13:2; Genesis 30:29 - 31:21 and Exodus 1 - 15.

The first lesson, is that walking with GOD is not easy at all. Walking with GOD will lead us down to Egypt. Why did GOD bring Israel down to Egypt to be slaves? So that He can be glorified through them. Israel was a slave nation for 430 years. Difficult times may come. Heb 10:38 says, ….the just shall live by faith, and if we shrink or draw back GOD has no pleasure in that. And so, in order for GOD to bring us to mountain-tops, we will also have to pass through the valleys of life. GOD has to prepare us if He wants us to reign with Him (2Tim 2:12).

The second lesson is that, wealth transfer is part of a series of events that GOD will bring us through only if we continue to walk with Him. If we give up walking with GOD because of difficult times, if we quit on GOD then we may miss this event call 'Wealth Transfer'. Is it possible for us to miss, disbelieve or forget the dreams and visions that GOD has given us? Yes, it is perfectly possible. We will miss GOD if we are overcome by difficult circumstances. And we can miss GOD if we have no time for GOD or do not put Him first in our lives.

The third lesson is that, Wealth Transfer is only for those who would leave Egypt. In all the 3 prophetic types of wealth transfer accounts referred to above, we see that Wealth Transfer happened when GOD’s people came out of Egypt to go back to their Promised Land. If the nation of Israel will not follow GOD’s voice in leaving Egypt, they will still continue to be slaves to the Egyptians and there will be no Wealth Transfer for them at all.

Now, what is Egypt? Egypt is a land of slavery and idolatry. Egypt is an ancient type of modern-day Babylon. Through the false values of capitalism and industrialization, many have all become digits of production. The secular world is largely one that rejects GOD. People of this world value worldly success and pleasures above GOD and relationships. And corruption and bribery is practiced everywhere from the least to the most developed countries in the world. In Rev 18, we see that the Word of GOD describes Babylon as the secular world trading system through which all the nations of the world and their kings and merchants grow rich.

Now, we know that many Christians want GOD to prosper them while they are still in Egypt or in Babylon. But we see that GOD’s command for the end times is that we COME OUT of Babylon the Great. Rev 18:4 tells us, not to deceive ourselves that we can remain in Babylon and still be different. If we remain in Babylon and do not want to come out, we will inevitably partake of her sins and share in her plagues. Did not our Bible say that GOD will judge BABYLON and that she will go go up in smoke (Rev 18)? In fact, GOD had already begun to shake the world economic system. As things are, we can already see many cracks, weaknesses and tell-tale signs of her impending fall.

This brings us to our 4th lesson – which is, Is the Church right now, in Babylon? And if we are, how are we to come out of Babylon? I can tell you that up to now the Church of GOD is still in the Babylon and she does not know how to come out of her OTHER than just trying to be different. Right now, most Christians do not know how to come out of Babylon other than to leave a secular job or to leave a secular city or country, just by ourselves, individually as and when the individual is ready to do so. And while we must leave Babylon individually and spiritually, I believe that GOD’s Word tells us that we must come out corporately, as one people or one big family. Indeed Rev 18:4 addresses us as ‘a people’. And in all the 3 prophetic types of wealth transfer accounts that we refer to, the people of GOD all come out as a big family or as one people and with everything that they have. This was the case for Abraham; this was the case for Jacob and also for the nation of Israel.

Although in types and shadows, the lesson is unmistakably there in GOD’s Word. If we will turn to Ex 10:7-12; here, we saw that Pharaoh asked, ‘You may go and worship the Lord your GOD but who exactly will go?’ Moses said, ‘we will all go, young and old, including all our possessions’. Not one hoof was left behind. When we leave Egypt, the whole church must leave together. No one will be left behind unless they themselves choose to be left behind. The Lord lead His people as 'a flock' and not just individually. Since the Israelites left slavery in Egypt several thousand years ago, the world had not witness this testimony of GOD leading His worldwide church as 'one corporate body' (Ps 78:52).

The fifth lesson comes to me almost as a discovery and that is, if Christian communities will arise and organize ourselves by connecting Christian businesses within cities, states and nations, we are actually building the so-call Noah’s Ark. Of course, Jesus Himself is the Ark of safety for all of us but the body of Christ is the physical representation of Him on earth. This Ark is to contain 'provisions' (Gen 6:21). This Ark will also operate like a ‘refuge’ and a way of escape for the pre-believers who do not want to receive the Mark of the Beast. When we have the Alternative Christian Economies up, then we can tell the pre-believers, don’t worship the Beast, don’t receive the ‘666’ Mark but come into GOD’s kingdom and GOD’s economy.

Sixthly, forming the End Time CHRISTIAN ECONOMIES, and Coming Out of Egypt or the Babylonian System, will be a very Major Collective Scale Spiritual Warfare for the Church of GOD. In the last days, there will be great CONTENTION between mystery Babylon, the world economic system and the Lord Jesus and His people. We find this in Rev 17:5-6, 14. This is not something that any believer would like to see happen, yet it is not for us to avoid it. Yes, in the last days, it will be the unbelieving world versus JESUS and His church. And I believe that we will be much better off standing together as One rather than apart. As uncertain, and even fearsome as this may seem, those on the other side will ultimately loose (Matt 12:30); although this does not mean that we will not suffer some casualties on our side.

Will Egypt or the World let the Bride of Christ go out of them easily? Even if they will let us go, the dark angels and evil spirits that they serve will not let us go easily. Of course the Pharaoh of this world will say, “NO, No way!” But he has no choice in this matter. GOD will give him ‘no choice’. And just as Moses led Israel out their captivity, with a mighty arm; Jesus will also lead us out with a mighty arm. In Is 2:2-3 or Mic 4:1-2, we see that, ‘In the latter days, GOD is doing something. And the something that GOD is doing is that He will raise mountain [of the house of the Lord and another version says, the mountain] where the temple stands as the highest of all mountains, towering above all the hills. I want us to know that WEALTH has everything to do with the kingdom and the power of the kingdom. Wealth will be transferred to GOD’s faithful stewards in the kingdom because the kingdom of this world and the power of the kingdom will become the kingdom of our Lord Jesus. (Other bible references Ex 11:3; Esther 10).

Es 8:1-2 “On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her; and the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.” [RSV]

Es 10 “King Ahasuerus laid tribute on the land and on the coast lands of the sea. And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honour of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? For Mordecai the Jew was next in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brethren, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.” [RSV]

In the final analysis, we must address one very important question. And that is, ‘Will these End Time CHRISTIAN ECONOMIES not be just like the world’s existing Babylonian System? There is one brother who after reading my book, 'End Time CHRISTIAN ECONOMIES', called me up and asked whether GOD will still prosper us if we go about our business carnally, while forming these End Time CHRISTIAN ECONOMIES. And my answer is ‘Of Course Not’. And WHY Not? It is simple; …. because Israel did not enter the Promised Land straight away after crossing the Red Sea. And why did GOD not bring them in? Because they are not yet ready for it! GOD brings them through the wilderness to train them, to humble and to test them, so that He knows what is in them. And then after that, in order to enter the Land they have to cross the Jordan River. The Jordan valley is often preached as a very low and humble point in our lives. All true Christians WHO walk with GOD will make these journeys and pass by these ways. They will be call out from Egypt, be tested and humbled through the difficulties of wilderness, cross the Jordan River and receive their inheritance.

If you think you can get wealth for yourself, you are wrong about it. It does not matter who you are or what ideas you have. Wealth and riches belongs to GOD and He can sovereignly grant or take away. In fact, GOD said in Deut 8:18, that even if you enter the Land and you forget GOD and serve idols, GOD solemnly warn that we will perish like the others in the world. In fact, if you have walked with GOD for any length of time at all you will know that our GOD is not an easy GOD. GOD is good and gracious. He gives and forgives and keeps forgiving but He is not lowering His standards for anyone. And so, if you ask me, I believe that Wealth Transfer is very much for Christians who have died and rose again with Christ. They have gone through fire and they know that without GOD, they are nothing and can do nothing. They are out to prove GOD rather than themselves. These are the ones that GOD will prepare to take the kingdom of GOD by faith and by force. Jesus has done everything but you must want it enough and take it. If you will not take it, OTHERS WILL!