- Luk 16:27-31 LITV And he said, Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father's house; (28) (for I have five brothers, so that he may witness to them, that they not also come to this place of torment). (29) Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. (30) But he said, No, father Abraham, but if one should go from the dead to them, they will repent. (31) And he said to him, If they will not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if one from the dead should rise.
We don't need anointed rich preachers to show us how to repent
Many preachers, especially the rich ones, said that the parable above is not applicable to them because both the rich man and Lazarus were Jews under the law. However, many preachers said so, because they are very rich. They mock at others and boast that they have more favours than their fellow preachers who preach the truth. They continue to enjoy their 'lamb' chops and increase of member 'sheep' while knowing and seeing other people's sheep running away because of their false doctrine. And they do nothing to stop the confusion or the 'ding dong bell' revolution caused by them. Instead, they continue to mock at the 'poor' preachers. I will ask the rich ones, If both the prodigal son and his elder brother in the parable were Jews, will you say that the parable is not applicable to you too? No, you will still need to repent if you behave like them, irrespective of whether you are the Jews or non-Jews, or whether you are a rich pastor, a rich lawyer, a rich son, or a rich man. We do not need to see what the rich man saw in hell to repent. Neither do we need the anointed preachers to seduce us or psych us to 'repent' or 'believe' like them. We should just simply repent based on the words of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour .. We and the true sheep will know what Jesus meant when He said, 'Repent, ..'
What is repentance?
Repentance is certainly not just doing something at our own convenience. It requires great effort, and sometimes sacrifice, to repent from the way we lived our lives. We can rest on the shoulder of the Great Shepherd only if we become the sheep, who obey all the words of Christ, like the one sinner that repenteth in the following parables:
- Luk 15:4-13 KJV What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? (5) And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (6) And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. (7) I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (8) Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? (9) And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. (10) Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. (11) And he said, A certain man had two sons: (12) 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 ..
Obviously, Jesus was teaching about repentance in Luke 15 and 16. After the parable of the prodigal son, He talked about the covetousness of the Pharisees and men who worshipped mammon, and then the rich man who loved his riches so much so that he was blind to the suffering of Lazarus who died at the front of his house. In the rich man's case, he and his five greedy brothers should have repented by using their riches to help Lazarus and the poor. Hence, repentance is not just empty talks of love and belief on how much God loves us, favours us, or gives us grace. Repentance is a drastic spiritual change (or born again in Joh 3:7) which is normally accompanied by many changes too; it's not just physical change, mental change, mysterious change, or any change that no one can tell. Jesus told Nicodemus in Joh 3:8-12 that he and the unregenerated cannot tell (see) when and where the 'wind' blows; but those who are from Him know where the 'wind' (change) comes from; it comes from true repentance! Hence, if we are obedient to the Lord's call of repentance, we are most likely to have understood, and believed in Him, believed in what He preached, and believed in the gospel that He preached too:
- Mar 1:13-15 KJV And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. (14) Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, (15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
We don't need to wait for the right season to preach and teach repentance
Many preachers, especially the rich ones, will say, "People will feel condemned if you do not preach carefully; it depends on what kinds of message you preach to them. If you preach repentance, they won't feel good; instead, they feel condemned. So, why do you keep talking about repentance? The real message today is not to tell the people to repent; it is to tell them how not to feel condemned. Hence, we should preach more on the goodness of God, for example, forgiveness, love, grace, blessings, healing, and prosperity. If people can see the goodness of God, the goodness of God will automatically teach them and lead them to a 'non-condemning repentance'. That's why the Bible says, Grace can teach (Tit 2:11-12). And we don't need to teach or preach.
Do you know that there is a season for everything? In a few more days we will celebrate Christmas. But preaching of repentance is not appropriate for this joyous season.. it's because repentance is not the reason for Christmas .. Christmas is the season to celebrate, exchange gifts, make merries, eat, drink, and be happy because a son has been given to us .. Grace and supplies have come, but law and demand (judgement or commandment) has been removed from us .."
I will tell them, Preaching of repentance is the most appropriate message of the gospel for all seasons, especially Christmas. It is the main ministry of the Lord which has been passed on to His disciples:
- Luk 24:45-48 KJV Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (46) And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: (47) And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And ye are witnesses of these things.
I will tell them, You said that your 'Grace' can teach. But how can your 'Grace' teach if your 'Grace' has no doctrine? Did you read the Bible properly before you quoted from it? Please ask the people to read the whole chapter instead of giving them your 'bite-size' deception which you call nuggets of truth:
- Tit 2:1-15 KJV But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: (2) That the aged men be sober, .. (3) The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, .. (4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, .. (6) Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. (7) In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, (8) Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; .. (9) Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters,.. (10) Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. (11) 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; (13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (14) Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (15) These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
I will ask them, Do you really think that you are the rich ones because you are rich and others are jealous of you? I tell you, You are the blind ones if you refuse to repent:
- Rev 3:15-22 KJV I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (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. (22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Bible warning is applicable to all men at all time, and at all seasons;
otherwise, it would not be in the Bible. However, I have heard of one very ridiculous explanation from a famous radical grace preacher. He said, "What? You still preach about the warnings and tribulations from the book of Revelation which is full of dooms and glooms? No, we should not be around to know who is the beast, the false prophets, or the dragon. We should have been caught up in the rapture. Hence, the tribulations should be reserved only for the lawless, the ungodly, and the people who do not know grace.. Why? Please do a thorough search on the book of Revelation and you will find that the word 'churches' appears only in the first three chapters of Revelation. However, you won't find any churches mentioned again later in the rest of the chapters, until the last chapter or chapter 22 of Revelation. It means that the churches will grow from glory to glory. We will not need to know any beast, any false prophet, or any dragon because we are well-protected. We can just sleep and rest with the peace and assurance of God that no one can harm us or deceive us.. Hence, spiritual warfare does not mean much to us; it would only mean more 'fighting' to enter into the peace of God, to rest even more.. by the grace of God. Revelation 2 to Revelation 3 are not warnings for us; they were only obsolete warnings to the seven churches in the past. Our churches today and the churches in the future would never need any warning because they will become more and more glorious because of our 'revolution' and the goodness of God, Hallelujah, amen .."
I will tell him, It sounds very logical and encouraging. I like to enter the rest too. And I know which Bible verses you have quoted from:
- Heb 4:8-11 KJV For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. (9) There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (10) For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (11) Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
- Heb 3:10-19 KJV Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. (11) So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) (12) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. (13) But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (14) For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; (15) While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. (16) For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. (17) But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? (18) And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? (19) So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
You said that you have searched the whole book of Revelation and concluded that the churches will not be around when the beast or the false prophet starts to give away the 'mark of the beast'. But have you read the following Bible verses in the book of Revelation?
- Rev 12:17 KJV And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
- Rev 14:12 KJV Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
You said that the parable of ten virgins in Mat25 is not applicable to you too because it was teaching and prophecy for the Jews under the law. I am not sure how many more Bible verses you would say that they are not for us. I don't have time to explain the parable of the ten virgins, the one talent servant, and the separation of sheep from the goats in Mat25. But I can say that they are relevant prophecies about the churches (virgins), the pastors and preachers (the servants with the talents), and the believers (the sheep and the goats). If we just want to keep explaining that the words of Jesus are not for us just because He taught to those who were under the law, one day the Lord will rebuke us and ask, "Do you say that my words in John 3:16 is for the Jews too because it was taught to the Jews, recorded by a Jew, read to the Jews, or preached by the Jewish disciples ?"
One of the greatest warnings from the Lord to the believers, especially the preachers, is: don't be a 'ding dong bell' preacher
Many radical grace preachers, especially the rich ones, are now changing their minds. They insist that they are not against repentance; they preach repentance. But it could be a bit too late and it could be a serious problem to many of their followers.
I will ask the preachers, Having attracted many followers who hated to repent and who departed from their traditional churches to join you, will you now tell your followers that they must still repent? They will become more confused than before and they may leave again, unless you will deceive them again with yet another version of 'repentance' which is different from the traditional teaching of repentance. However, you will never really get the people to repent simply in the traditional or biblical way. And you will keep on arguing why the other churches can never preach repentance better than yours. Will you now start a 'Repentance' revolution instead, after finding that your 'Radical grace' revolution had given the wrong impression to the sinners about the need to repent? No, please do not preach all kinds of revolution or confusion like playing the 'yoyo'. You can't switch God's doctrine to and fro to promote your own way of thinkings at the expense of others; or else, you would be no difference from the lukewarm believers who are neither cold nor hot; or neither here nor there - like a ding dong bell that repeatedly produces two different sounds:
- Rev 3:15-19 KJV I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: (18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
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