Endure hardship as discipline

Heb 12:7 KJV  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
This is what God said to Dr Richard Teo. He died at his prime just one month ago. But his video was going viral so much so that the News server hanged. You can read the full story from an official obituary website for the deceased (where 'flowers' can be given to them): http://www.heavenaddress.com/Dr-Richard-Teo-Keng-Siang/424153/379719/content

He is a living 'epistle' of the two parables in Luke: 

1. Before he repented, he was like the rich man who was arrogant:  Luk 12:16-21 KJV  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:  (17)  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  (18)  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  (20)  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?  (21)  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.  (Many of us may think that the parable above refers to the sinner, the Pharisee, or the Jews, not the believer. However, the Lord did not say that. The rich man could be anyone, including the believers, pastors, and false preachers who think that they can prosper without thinking about others.) 
   

2. After he repented, he was like the prodigal son who returned with humility: Luk 15:17-24 KJV  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  (18)  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,  (19)  And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.  (20)  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  (21)  And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.  (22)  But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:  (23)  And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:  (24)  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. (When he came to himself, he could have repented, metanoia, or changed his minds. But he also realised his sins. It humbled him and led him to God. If he would just metanoia, change his minds and still think he was righteous, favoured, and good, he would not truly repent.)

I realized one more thing today after reading the the parables above. If we remember all the teaching of the Lord, we know that He never taught us how to stay healthy and wealthy. If you can find it, please let me know the Bible verses. No, on the contrary, you can only find His teaching about the fragility of life and glory; or the evasiveness of health and wealth in this world:

• Mat 6:29-32 KJV  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  (30)  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  (31)  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (32)  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

However, you can find more about His teaching on how to live as His disciples:

• Luk 9:23-26 KJV  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.  (24)  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.  (25)  For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?  (26)  For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. (Mat_16:24, Mar_8:34)

Of course, some preachers will argue that you must stay healthy and wealthy to live abundantly with abundance. But do we need our pastors to teach the people and the sinners of the world to live healthy and wealthy when many of them are already healthier and wealthier than the pastors? No, we should teach some of them to be 'poorer' when they would just want to accumulate wealth for themselves at the expense of others. Some of them need to give up some of their wealth to the poor even if they will become poorer like Zacchaeus.

• Luk 19:8-9 KJV  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.  (9)  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 

What the Lord want the pastors to focus more on is not how to live healthy and wealthy (like Zaccheaeus or the rich man in Luk 12:16-21) but to live with His values, principles, laws, and commandments (like the prodigal son who returned in Luk 15:17-24). I have said earlier, at the top of the page:

Those who have the law of God in their hearts know God and have God in their hearts (Heb 8:10); otherwise, they could confess the law or the name of the Lord radically and would still do not know God. Jesus would tell them, I never knew you.. (Mat 7:15:24).

A message from the doctor
I found another link to Dr Richard Teo's video message. This is what he said there,

Hi good morning to all of you. My voice is a bit hoarse from the chemotherapy, so please bear with me. I thought I'll just introduce myself. My name is Richard, I’m a friend of Danny’s, who invited me here...

...

Few things I’d learnt though:
1. Trust in the Lord your God with all your heart – this is so important.
2. Is to love and serve others, not just ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with being rich or wealthy. I think it’s absolutely alright, cos God has blessed. So many people are blessed with good wealth, but the trouble is I think a lot of us can’t handle it. The more we have, the more we want. I’ve gone through it, the deeper the hole we dig, the more we get sucked into it, so much so that we worship wealth and lose focus. Instead of worshipping God, we worship wealth. It’s just a human instinct. It’s just so difficult to get out of it.

We are all professionals, and when we go into private practise, we start to build up our wealth – inevitably. So my thought are, when you start to build up wealth and when the opportunity comes, do remember that all these things don’t belong to us. We don’t really own it nor have rights to this wealth. It’s actually God’s gift to us. Remember that it’s more important to further His Kingdom rather than to further ourselves.

....

Can you believe it? In the video, this medical doctor is advising his fellow doctors to beware of accumulation of wealth? However, the irony is: So many pastors have stopped telling their fellow pastors or believers to beware of accumulation of wealth. They would just gladly let the doctors, like Dr. Richard Teo, preach for them. Instead, the pastors themselves are now busy preaching 'transfer of wealth' or accumulating wealth to themselves, not through medical practices, but through religious practices or religious 'sales' eg. tithes, offering, and sales collection of religious books and CDs, from the average income believers, the desperate, and the poor. And they would boast shamelessly that they could do it more righteously and effortlessly than the doctors? They boast that they don't work with their hands (they work with just their mouths and lies??), but they could prosper more than those who work with sweat or 'self-effort'. This is the greatest insult to the true teaching of Christ and the kingdom of God. Of course, there is nothing wrong to collect tithes, offerings, and sales of CDs. However, raising the prosperity 'flag' or using the prosperity promise as the 'bait' to collect more tithes, more offerings, and more sales of CDs from the desperate and the poor is a shame and disgrace in the kingdom of Christ. It may prosper the preachers but it will choke the gospel of Jesus Christ and the people who listen to them.

• Mat 13:22 KJV  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
• Mar 4:19 KJV  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.
•  Mar 7:11-13 KJV  But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.  (12)  And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;  (13)  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. (Are there any preachers or 'Pharisees' today saying, 'By whatsoever you are 'blessed' by me..., you are free from any condemnation'? You bet.)

 Now I find that the message of this doctor, whether it is preached to a group of believers or to a group of non-believers, it is more like the message of a pastor. However, where have all the pastors gone ? Have they gone rapture ? Or are we living in the end time now ? 
  
::

The power of His wisdom, instruction, and REPROOF

Pro 1:1-33 KJV The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; (2) To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;  (3)  To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;  (4)  To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.  (5)  A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:  (6)  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.  (7)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  (8)  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:  (9)  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.  (10)  My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.  (11)  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:  (12)  Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:  (13)  We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil:  (14) Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:  (15)  My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:  (16)  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.  (17)  Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.  (18)  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.  (19)  So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.  (20)  Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:  (21)  She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,  (22)  How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?  (23)  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. (24) Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  (25)  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:  (26)  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;  (27)  When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.  (28)  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:  (29)  For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:  (30)  They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.  (31)  Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.  (32)  For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.  (33)  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Should we always preach on the pleasures of lives ?
(included in slide 6 of 'Has grace been preached as license..)
Read the word of the Lord above. I realised the power of His word, wisdom, instruction, reproof, and law only when I started to read the whole chapter today. I was looking for God's answer to those 'rock star' pastors who always boast and preach about the pleasure of their sex lives on pulpit. I knew that I could find good instruction from Proverb on the warning of sexual pleasures or greediness in lives. I knew that with the warnings or instructions from God about sexual addiction and greedy gains, I could relate it to the pleasure of drug addiction which could destroy our lives too. Sexual feeling, love of money, or our body reaction to certain drugs could be good if it is under strict control or discipline (that's why most human flesh which can not think rationally need the wisdom of God's word and instruction). However, if men will decide to go for anything in their lives based on their own thinking and the amount of pleasure they could gain, they would have big problem. I must reiterate that I am not against sex, money, and drugs. They could do positive things; for example:

1. Sex within marriage is good. It is part of God's creation for reproduction of the human race
2. Contentment with efficient use of money and resources will benefit many people and the economy.
3. Proper administration of drugs will give the necessary anaesthetic effect for medical surgery.

All the above are good, but it does not mean that we should propagate their uses to the children, non-medical personnel, and the public for pleasures without any good education and teaching of our values. It will give the wrong signal to the public, especially the sinners, if the preachers will always preach about sex, money, fame, prosperity, personal glory, .. and lots of pleasures in lives. I will tell the preachers, You don't have to tell the people to know how to enjoy sex when most of them know how to do it better than you. If you are a preacher, you have better things to show them. You should show them God's way; not the way most people have already known, for example how to enjoy sex, how to make more money, and how to gain more ..
Luk 15:12-13 KJV  And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.  (13)  And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
I knew that I could find answers and warnings from Proverbs for the preachers who love to preach on pleasures of lives. However, I found something more after reading the first chapter of Proverbs above: 

God's reproof is an ornament of grace on our head
Pro 1:8-9 KJV  My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:  (9)  For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.
I was stunned when I read it again. It reminds me of the mark of a true believer:
Rev 14:11-13 KJV  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.  (12)  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.  (13)  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
From 'henceforth or from now on', those who die in the Lord or those who keep the commandments of God may rest and their works do follow them.
Hence, the instruction, the law, and the commandment of God is the ornament of grace on our head, whilst the rebellion, lawlessness, and ungodliness is the mark of the beast on the forehead of those who do not have God. They hate God's law and they hate God's reproof.

God's word will still reprove us and it is still grace
If it does not reprove, it is not the word of God or the grace of God.

• 2Ti 3:15-17 KJV And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  (16)  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

All scripture means everything in the scripture. Can we tell people that "God's word is only about how good God is, or about His promises, blessings, prosperity, grace, favor, no condemnation, no judgment, no warning, no doctrine, no law, no moral obligation, no Bible values,  .. etc" ? No. God's word would still include His do's and don'ts, doctrine, laws, and commandments. They will argue, "No, Tit 2 said, God's word has only grace and grace can teach better ..":

• Tit 2:11-12 KJV  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  (12)  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

I will tell them, No, telling people that God's word has no doctrine or instruction is a lie. please read the whole chapter. It is about sound doctrine, God's commandments and instructions in the whole chapter, not just grace:

• Tit 2:1-8 KJV  But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:  (2)  That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience... (7)  In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,  (8)  Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you...

Hence, if God's word, instructions, commandments, and sound doctrine can still reprove us and correct us, we are His sons. We will receive grace and grace will also discipline us or train us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts so that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly. Who can say that the preaching of grace has no more God's laws, no more commandments, no more judgment, no more reproofs, no more conviction of sins, no more repentance from sins, no more discipline, or no more teaching of moral principles? Please don't lie when grace will even train, instruct, reprove, and discipline us with moral principles ..

• Tit 2:11-12 KJV  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  (12)  Teaching (Thayer's - instruct, chastise) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Please think, If grace instructs us to deny ungodliness, worldly lusts, and unrighteousness in the present world, isn't grace teaching us moral principles and God's commandments? If grace will teach us moral principles and God's commandments, what's wrong if we will teach obedience and keeping God's commandments too ?
I have heard one radical grace preachers who said, "God is not interested in life behaviour modification; He wants life transformation. And this is what grace is all about.." I will tell him, What's the difference between both changes ? While you may think that life transformation is better because it demands less from you or it has less emphasis on behaviour modification, I would think otherwise. I would think that life transformation is better because it is more than behaviour modification. It is more than changing of minds or changing of behaviour too. God is interested in true repentance which is more than religious confession of His name, confession of His righteousness, or confession of His goodness. It is about changes of our heart which includes keeping God's commandments, moral obligation to others, and moral values in our lives too. Hence, true grace is more than behaviour modification and life transformation. It includes behaviour modification, life transformation, moral obligation, and keeping God's commandments too. I will tell them, "No, grace is not just about life transformation without any behaviour modification or changes. God is interested in repentance which is more than confession of the hearts and minds; God is interested in the fruits of repentance."
Many say that they can't be wrong because they preach grace. But did they preach the grace of God or their own 'grace' ?

God will reprove all the people in the world, including the believers
In the last days, the Holy Spirit will reprove the sinners, the believers, and the churches in the world. The following words are not just God's words for the sinners, they are for the believers who hate God's reproof and need to repent too:

• Pro 1:23-25 KJV  Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.  (24)  Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;  (25)  But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

The following is a prophecy of what God will do in the last day:

• Joh 16:7-9 KJV  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  (8)  And when he is come, he will reprove the world (kosmos) of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:..

Please think, If God will never reprove us, why are there so many rebukes and reproofs from the Apostles in their letters? Can we deceive ourselves that those reproofs are not for us; but for the non-believers who will never read the Bible? No, God will reprove His own people and would want all of us to read His words:  

• Heb 12:5-8 KJV  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:  (6)  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.  (7)  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?  (8)  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. ..(15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
• 2Ti 4:2-3 KJV  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  (3)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
• Tit 1:13-16 KJV  This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;  (14)  Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.  (15)  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.  (16)  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
• Tit 2:11-15 KJV  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,  (12)  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; ...  (15)  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
• Rev 3:19 KJV  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

In the last days, God will speak to a group of 'believers' who will 'set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:' (Pro 1:25). They will convince themselves and others that God can never reprove them and condemn them. They will preach lies, telling everyone that God's law lies, and lie that they can never die even if they rebel and preach against God's law and commandments:

• Gen 3:4 KJV  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Hence, I don't think anyone can deny that Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit can convict sins. If Jesus could convict the Pharisees by writing on the ground with His fingers and cause the Pharisees to leave one by one before Him (Joh 8:8-9), He can convict anyone in the world ('kosmos'), including the self-righteous believers, gnostic believers, agnostic believers, carnal believers, false believers, lying believers, worldly believers, or any kind of believers who think and argue that they can never be the sinners of the world and that, therefore, they can never sin or do not have any sin to be convicted by the Holy Spirit too. 


God will reprove whom He will call
I realised that God was confirming His words when I read about the news of a millionaire who confessed that he had to 'Endure hardship as discipline as God is treating him as His child'. He died at his prime when he taught he would never die .. However, I believe that he has repented.


::