Becoming Unshakeable
In Times Of Shaking

- Part I

1st service, 19 October 2008

preached by Pastor Joseph Prince

as noted by Yeo Choon Meng Terence

Holy Communion (1st service) exhortation by Pastor Gabriel

Pastor Gabriel remarked about the verse “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so”. He joked that the Church, in a sense, would not be wrong if they just uttered the word “SO” as this is the 5th note of the musical scale [doe, rei, mi, fa, so, la, ti, doe]. The number 5 as we know symbolises Grace.

Pastor Gabriel also reminded us that the World says “Cheers” before they drink a toast. We as Christians have the most right to exclaim “Cheers” before communion. Why?

“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.”  John 16:33

[Editors Note: The KJV has 7 references to this expression "be of good cheer" - Matt 9:2, Matt 14:27, Mark 6:50, John 16:33,  Acts 23:11, Acts 27:22. Acts 27:25 - all of which are Good!]

For every testing, there is a way of escape (1 Cr 10:13)

Ps 107:23    Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters,

Ps 107:24    They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep.

Ps 107:25    For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea.

Ps 107:26    They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble.

Ps 107:27    They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.

Ps 107:28    Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.

Ps 107:29    He calms the storm, So that its waves are still.

Ps 107:30    Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.

Church in this time – Arise Shine!

Church in this time of darkness, should not feel, think or act like the world and therefore not experience the world.

Isa 59:19-60:7 is clearly a reference to our present time, and not to the future Millennium (where Jesus rules 1,000 years on Earth) or Heaven because there are no dark spots in those future time periods. It is in the here and now that the Church needs to shine.

Isa 59:19    So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him.

Isa 59:20    “The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the LORD.

Isa 59:21    “As for Me,” says the LORD, “this [is] My covenant with them: My Spirit who [is] upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the LORD, “from this time and forevermore.”

Isa 60:1    ARISE, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

Isa 60:2    For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.

Isa 60:3    The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isa 60:4    ”Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at [your] side.

Isa 60:5    Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.

Isa 60:6      The multitude of camels shall cover your [land,] The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD.

Isa 60:7    All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together to you, The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; They shall ascend with acceptance on My altar, And I will glorify the house of My glory.

The church steps into glory when darkness covers the earth!

Isa 60:11    Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That [men] may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.

Isa 60:18      Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; But you shall call your walls Salvation, And your gates Praise

Imagine a room which has its lights switched off. Suddenly, a candle is lit in the midst of that room. Immediately, all eyes will be drawn to that candle. Likewise during this time of darkness, all eyes will be drawn to the light emanating from us because we belong to Jesus.

The Light of Jesus in us, the Church, is prominent in darkness, whilst, the ‘pseudo’ light of the world is proven to be false in times of darkness and testing.

The non-believers will now come to us (Isa 60:3) because they realise that the Father has abundant supply.

End-Time Transfer of Wealth

Isa 60:11 speaks about the transfer of wealth that will take place at this time from the gentiles to the Church.

The present financial crisis has not produced a disapperance of the money in the world. The money is still there. Only that it is being transferred to the Lord’s people. Why? Everything that happens in this world is happening for the benefit of His Church and His natural people, the Jews.

The World is peripheral to the Church and not vice versa.

On the night before the Children of Israel departed Egypt to begin their exodus journey, they spoiled the Egyptians (Exo 12:36). Similarly, in these days, the World will transfer its wealth to the Children of God.

Important to study the OT passages because God works in patterns

Examples of patterns in scriptures:

(i)    husband is head of family,

(ii)    wife is the inspirer,

(iii)   children are to obey their parents (exception is where parents ask their children to do something morally wrong),

(iv)    Jesus is in the midst of everything (including marriage, church etc)

Why should children obey? One reason is that when they do so such favour will be on them that they get on the high road to success.

If you forget the pattern, eg. like David, who failed to have the priests carry the ark of the covenant, the result is disastrous.

Proving of God / Temptation of Devil

God proves to do good. God tests to do good.

The devil imitates this. But the devil’s intention is different — the devil tempts to destroy.

Sometimes God loves you too much to promote you. Sometimes God knows that the person, should he rise to a position too quickly, will destroy himself by abusing the power of that position to eg unjustly enrich himself, commit adultery, etc

God gives to his children influence (to impact others for the Kingdom of God) NOT fame.

The letter-writer to Sunday Times (12 October 2008)

Although Pastor Prince did not address the letter-writer to the 12 October 2008 forum page by name, he alluded to that letter. Pastor said that while the letter-writer wanted to claim the moral high ground by stating that he would live by the “thou-shalt-nots”, he already failed in this very aspiration as he clearly failed to practise, in his letter, one of the most fundamental “thou-shalt-nots” which is: thou shalt not judge. [Editor: I believe Pastor is alluding to Matthew 7:1-5.]

Heb 12:25-29 [quotation from Haggai]

Heb 12:25    See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more [shall we not escape] if we turn away from Him who [speaks] from heaven,

Heb 12:26    whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”

Heb 12:27    Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Heb 12:28    Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Heb 12:29    For our God [is] a consuming fire.

GOD is now shaking both heaven AND earth. In the OT, He just shook the earth (eg at Mt Sinai) as Jesus Christ had not gone to the Cross and there was thus no re-claimed authority over the principalities and spirits in the heavens. The “heaven” in Heb 12:26 is the atmospheric heaven and not the heaven in which God dwells.

Take note in Heb 12:27 that it is the things which are man-made which are being and can be be shaken. So that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

The stock market is being shaken now – probably because it is in the category of “things that are made”.  God never said in His Word that the stock market was His way to prosper his children.

Note that God’s institutions such as tithing and offering cannot be shaken. Thus our trust must be on things which cannot be shaken i.e. God’s institutions. We must establish our foundations on and build on things which are eternal.

If things are built on sand, Pastor says, he wants to know NOW what they are and not in the future. So there is a silver-lining now in that the shaking taking place now will reveal weaknesses. We thus don’t need to nor do we want to wait for a major ‘earthquake’ before the weaknesses are manifested. We want to find out now if we have houses established on firm foundations. If not, we want to take remedial action now!

Thus, if we have trusted in the stockmarket, and have suffered losses, commit the losses to the Lord. Realise this: Better to have suffered the relatively small losses now and learn the appropriate lesson now rather than be plunged into bankruptcy in the future.

Health comes from God, mere fitness comes from exercise.

Built your house on the Rock and not on sand (Matt 7:24).

Good to suffer loss now, so that future blessing is founded on the Rock.

Correcting our Children

Bring Jesus Christ in when correcting your children.

Don’t use man’s opinion when correcting kids. e.g. don’t say “shame on you child” or “what will people say”. Rather say, e.g. Jesus died because He took your sins of stealing, etc so sin is no light matter. Children won’t see the beauty of His Grace until the see the severity of sin punished on Jesus at the Cross.

Don’t use guilt, manipulation, etc on kids because when they grow up they might end up trusting their friends more than their parents.

If guilt, manipulation, etc is used on kids now, a possible scenario in the future is that the young man joins a gang. When asked the reason why, he says his friends called him ‘chicken’. Perhaps, the true reason is that as a kid he was shamed by his parents when they disciplined him.

Marriage

Marriage must be built in Jesus.

Each partner in a marriage ought not to demand from the other partner what only God can give.

It is not wise to make one’s happiness in marriage to revolve around one’s husband or wife.

Husband should seek his need for esteem and respect from Jesus and not his wife.

Each partner in marriage should draw from Jesus. Only when they are each full of Jesus, can they minister to each other.

Don’t draw from each other, what is to be drawn from the LORD.

Cause of Financial Crisis

The whole crisis is caused by the greed of a few. To reverse it, God will use a few un-selfish Christ-centred people.

One of the weapons of Believers will be tithing.

Tithe to the Lord NOT church. Practise this and you will realise that it works in any church.

No senior partner asks only for 10%. Yet God asks only 10%. Most senior partners ask for at least 51%.

Parables in the New Testament reveal tithing truths

Examples in Luke 15: (1) parable of shepherd looking for the 1 lost sheep, (2)   woman looking for the 1 lost coin [10%] out of 10 silver coins.

Why silver? Silver is the metal associated with the power to redeem everything in life.

Why tithe? The earth is cursed as a result of the fall of man. Giving the tithe make the remaining 90% holy (Romans 11:16).

Adopt not the world’s pattern. Follow God’s!

Let us have Grace

Heb 12:28    Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

Without the Grace of God, we cannot have Godly fear and reverence. God is against us having a slavish fear.

“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But [there is] forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.” Psalm 130:3-4 — King David realized this.

Haggai 2:6-9

Hag 2:6    “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it [is] a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;

Hag 2:7    ‘and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag 2:8    ‘The silver [is] Mine, and the gold [is] Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts.

Hag 2:9     ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

Hebrews 12:25-29 quotes from Haggai. Notice in Hag 2:6 that the “sea” is being shaken. There was a high incidence of hurricanes in 2008.

A Jewish commentary says that Hag 2:7 is referring to the Messiah when it talks about the “Desire of All Nations” because only in Him can health and peace be found.

The shaking in Hag 2:7 is good as it draws people to Jesus!

Hag 2:9 — Early Church was known for his many and dramatic miracles. Hag 2:9 promises us that the End-Time Church will see greater miracles! Also, the gold is being shaken into the Church / temple of God!

Pastor tells us that more than 200 were healed in Hillsong London from cancer!

Psalm 91 in the time of SARS

In 2003, when New Creation Church’s attendance stood at 9,199, God gave us Psalm 91 in the time of SARS.

Hag 2:8    -> The silver and gold are the Lord’s. Therefore people who have kept wealth selfishly will see their wealth transferred. The gold is for the building of God’s temple NOT for building one’s golden calf!

Tithing affects generations

When Abraham tithed, Levi in his loins tithed as well (Heb 7:9). Tithing affects generations! That is why we see the Jewish race so successful even today!

True wealth is in Christ which starts on the inside, in one’s spirit, before manifesting on the outside.

Pastor’s revelation from God on the Financial Crisis

Pastor told us about his pre-waking dream in which God told him that the financial crisis came about in part because He is freezing the wealth of the world. This was necessary because the World does not care about Israel’s safety in the wake of the Iran’s nuclear weapons programme and to give Israel time to prepare itself militarily against Ahmadinejad’s nuclear weapons, as Israel is not ready yet.

[Editor's note: The financial crisis has caused oil prices to head south. This would probably weaken Iran's finances and in turn its nuclear program.]

Another pattern found in the scriptures is the preaching of the Gospel. It should be to the jew first, then the gentiles (Rom 1:16). That is why Pastor Prince treasures the broadcasts that Joseph Prince ministries is now making to Israel.

Always maintain a humble spirit so God can show you things

Luke 10:21    In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Don’t get too theological. Stay child-like and open to Jesus so He can show you things and teach you.

Where is the money going in this financial crisis?

When people as this question, you can tell them, “It is all going to the Kingdom of God”. The money does not simply disappear. It is being transferred. Invest not in the world but in the Kingdom of God!

Shalom!

Hag 2:9     ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.”

In Hag 2:9, God promises that the end-time Church is more glorious than the early Church and that in the Church, He will give peace or SHALOM!

Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkhot

Note that the chapter in which the prophet Haggai prophesies the shaking (Haggai 2:6-9) begins in this fashion.

Haggai 2:1     IN the seventh [month,] on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying:

Pastor notes that Haggai’s prophecy falls on Sukkhot which happens on the 21st of the 7th month on the Jewish religious calendar.

In fact Sukkhot culminates on Hoshana Rabbah which begins to be celebrated at sundown this year on 20 October 2008 (Jews mark the beginning of a new day at evening) to evening of 21 October 2008. Hoshana Raba translates into: Great Save or Great Salvation

Man is pessimistic by nature. Therefore, he begins reckoning his day at dawn and the day then gets darker and darker. GOD is opposite, He reckons each day from evening to evening. This means the day starts dark and becomes brighter and brighter. We should think like God and follow his pattern. The day does indeed brighter and brighter!

Hoshana Rabbah is the last day of Sukkhot and is the most joyous.

It is actually a coincidence that October in our Gregorian calendar in 2008 coincides with Tishrei (the Jewish 7th month from the religious new year) 5769 of the Jewish calendar. [Editor's note: The consistency of the Jewish and Gregorian calendars is exceptional this year and the calendars will diverge again next year.]

Thus for example: 20 October 2008 approximates 21 Tishrei 5769

What is more amazing is that Pastor Prince did not plan in advance to time his message - exhorting the people of New Creation Church on Haggai 2 which occurs at Sukkhot – to be preached in the season of Sukkhot. It is a true God-incidence!

In fact, Haggai declared his prophecy on the last day of Sukkhot – Hoshana Rabbah!  Haggai 2:6-9 and Heb 12:25-29 is clearly the NOW WORD for New Creation church.

Jesus on Hoshana Rabbah

Jesus made this famous declaration on Hoshana Rabbah. Jesus cried out when He made this declaration. Pastor says that the only time Jesus is recorded as having cried out is at the Cross. Therefore it is important to pay attention to what he says in John 7:37-39.

John 7:37    On the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

John 7:38    “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 7:39    But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given,] because Jesus was not yet glorified.

In this season, especially in this time of financial crisis, we ought to come to Jesus Christ and drink (John 7:38).

Psalm 118 sung during Hoshana Rabbah

Psalm 118 is sung and prayed after the water which is drawn from pool of  Siloam is poured out in a ceremony at the Temple.

Ps 118:21    I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.

Ps 118:22    The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.

Ps 118:23    This is the LORD’S doing; it [is] marvellous in our eyes.

Ps 118:24    This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Ps 118:25     Save now [Editor: Hebrew: HOSANNA] , I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.

Ps 118:26    Blessed [be] he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.

Jesus is no longer set aside, He will be the chief stone. Indeed after this psalm was recited, Jesus appeared and made the statements in John 7:37-39. Jesus is the answer to the cry for “send now prosperity”

Psalm 118 speaks about “save now” which is the hebrew word – yasha – a cognate to Yeshua - Jesus!

When Jesus Christ is the centre-piece in your life –  this will be the day which the Lord has made for you in personal way (Ps 118:24) and you will rejoice in it!

One should also ask: What’s in this day for Jesus? Why is this day for Jesus?

Not ask selfishly, what is it in this day for me. What’s in it for me.

We are ugly, He is beautiful

We have ugly motives, He is all-together lovely.

The day we realise – as He is so are we (1 John 4:17)  – we will get ‘lost’ in Jesus.

The key to deliverance from SELF is be Christ-occupied and the moment that happens the pain that afflicts will disappear.

Shear-Jashub

Isa 7:3    Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and Shear-Jashub your son, at the end of the aqueduct from the upper pool, on the highway to the Fuller’s Field,

Isa 7:4     “and say to him: ‘Take heed, and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and the son of Remaliah.

According to Pastor Prince, there was an incident near Israel’s Shaar Yishuv (pronounced Shia Yashub) near Jordan, where 2 Israeli military helicopters crashed and 73 people died. There was thus literally 2 stubs of smoking firebrands (the 2 crash helicopters) in the place of Shear-Jashub and 73 people died (Isa 7:3!).

[Editor's note: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E7DE163CF936A35751C0A961958260 tells the story. New York times article.]

This illustrates that even on a superficial reading of the OT, certain bible passages dovetail with actual events happening in the world today.

Jewish Torah Reading

It is thus of interest that the Jewish Torah reading (this is consistent for Jews of all branches of Judaism) or parashot for Sukkhot is Exodus 33:21-23

Exo 33:21    And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

Exo 33:22     “So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

Exo 33:23    “Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Why was there cleft in rock? Jesus was divided at the Cross so that there is a cleft for us to hide in. Jesus was pierced at His side so that we can abide in Him.

Lesson for us: LET us in this time, find our safety in the UN-shakeable cleft of THE ROCK – Jesus Christ!

Copyright ©  26 October 2008  Yeo Choon Meng Terence. All Rights Reserved.