Module 7 Lesson 7 - The Visible Kingdom of Christ

by Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Lesson 7 - The Visible Kingdom of Christ

Note: These are the physical notes that were given for the bible study. I was absent and did not transcribe the lesson itself.

The surviving believers from the period of the Great Tribulation finally enter into the millennium period. This period lasting a thousand years will see Christ reigning over a kingdom encompassing the whole earth. The establishment of this millennial kingdom is the answer to the question posed by the disciples to Jesus in Acts 1:6. The restoration of the kingdom to Israel is the promise of the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:16) where God has decreed  that a descendant of David will reign over a kingdom that will endure forever. It is also related to the promise of the covenant made by God with Abraham that his descendants namely the nation of Israel will inherit the promised land . As Jesus Christ, a descendant of David through the lineage of his earthly father Joseph (Mat 1:1-17) establishes his throne in Jerusalem , the center of the promised land, both these covenant promises are finally fulfilled. The governance of the visible kingdom of Christ will be a theocracy with Christ as the divine King and the glorified saints reigning with him (Rev 5:10 , 20:4). Conditions in the millennial kingdom will be near perfect. Christ will reign in righteousness. (Isaiah 32:1) He will be a benevolent despot(Rev 19:15). As a result, there will be perfect and complete justice for all, and sin will be immediately punished (Isaiah 11:4). The millennium will be an era of worldwide peace. The earth will be increasingly productive as the curse to which the earth was subjected when Adam sinned will be reversed. However, even though the lifespan of the millennial people will be much longer than our present lifespan, there will still be death (Isaiah 65:20). In the beginning the millennial kingdom will only be populated by believers. As time goes on, these believers will have children. The population of the kingdom will increase. Outwardly everyone will give allegiance to Christ the King but inwardly there will be rebels. This inward rebellion in the hearts of a great portion of the people will not be outwardly manifested during the millennial period, partly because Satan, the incorrigible head of rebellion is then still locked and sealed in the Abyss (Rev 20:1-3). At the end of the millennium, Satan will be released from his prison. He immediately goes out to do what he has been doing for millennia after millennia. Once again he finds among the people a multitude whom he can deceive. He gathers them for a final assault against Jerusalem. But fire comes down from heaven and devours the armies of Satan. He is then thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and false prophet had been thrown (Rev 20:7-10). Their torment will be continuous ,without respite and will last forever.  This is followed by the Great White throne judgement of unbelievers of all time who will raised and judged. They will finally be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15).

 Rev 20:4

I saw thrones on which were seated those who were given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Questions

1. Relate Mat 3:2 with the millennial kingdom.
2. Why will God release Satan from his prison in the Abyss at the end of the Millennium?

Module 7 Lesson 6 - The Judgment upon the Antichrist

by Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Lesson 6 - The Judgment upon the Antichrist

Note: These are the physical notes that were given for the bible study. I was absent and did not transcribe the lesson itself.

The Great Tribulation is a time of unparalleled distress and suffering in human history. This 7- year period is a time when the wrath of God being poured out upon the whole earth (Rev 6:17) and the permission of God for the ripening of evil results in unprecedented persecution of Christians and upheavals in nature with intense human suffering. At the end of this period ,as the armies of the Antichrist and the nations gather at Armageddon, Christ Jesus descends from heaven with the armies of heaven (Rev 19:14) to engage the armies of the earth in the great battle of Armageddon. The battle will be swift and the total  victory of the heavenly armies is a foregone conclusion. The death toll from the battle is unprecedented (Rev 19:21) as the judgment of God falls upon the armies of the earth. The beast and the false prophet are both captured and thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev 19:20). However ,another fate awaits the Devil. He is seized by an angel and bound for a thousand years. He is thrown into the Abyss , locked and sealed to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years was ended (Rev 20:1-3). Then follows the Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Valley of Decision)(Joel 3:12). Those survivors of the earth after the great battle of Armageddon are then judged. The separation between the sheep and the goats is effected (Mat 25:31,32). The surviving believers enter into the millennial kingdom of God (Mat 25:34,46) while the surviving unbelievers are judged and sent into eternal punishment (Mat 25:46). The visible kingdom of God is established with Jesus and the glorified saints ruling for a thousand years(Rev 20:4).

Rev 19:20

But the beast was captured, and with him the false who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Rev 20:2-3

He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years are ended. After that he must be set free for a short time.

Questions

1. Who is the great harlot of Rev 17:1 ?
2. Compare and contrast The First Coming with the Second Coming of Christ.

Stir Up the Gift

Rev Lawrence Seow

How many of you here have been in TOP for 37 years? Wow, I see some hands. God is a faithful God even if we have not been faithful. We may have failed God but God have not failed us.

I want to tell you a story. Some scientists did an experiment. They put a monkey alone in a room. Please, I'm noy saying you people are monkeys okay? It's just a story. And they shone a bright  light at the monkey. And they poured water on the monkey. And they made a lot of noise. And the monkey was frightened, nervous and he panicked. The stress level was very high. Then they stopped everything. Then they put another monkey inside the same room. So there are now two monkeys. They did the same thing with the light, water and sound. This time the two monkeys did not panicked. They were more calm. What they found out is that they needed one another. If the monkeys are like that so are Christians. We need one another. We are one in the body of Christ. As we celebrate 37 years we must learn to honour one another.

Most of the time we want to receive honour. But we must learn not just to receive but to honour one another. Then the church becomes stronger. We won't be so selfish. We will be more giving. By the way, that's not my sermon ya. I have not started yet.

Now I am ready to preach. I promise Pastor Grace I will go slow and not walk around so much. But if I forget and walk about, she must follow me.

Today my message is found in 2Tim 1:6. Only one verse.

2 Timothy 1:6

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

So Paul says I remind you to stir up the gift. Please tell your neighbour don't sleep. If you sleep you cannot stir up the gift. I told this story last night. I better tell you this story. If you sleep I will wake you up.

There was this man who always sleep when the pastor preaches. So the pastor wanted to teach him a lesson. True enough when the pastor preached the man slept. So he whispered to the congregation "how many of you are going to hell?" Then he shouted, "if you are STAND UP!!!". So this man woke up and stood up. Then he realised he is the only one who stood up. But he was quick on his feet and he said "pastor I don't know what you said but you and i are the only ones standing up". (laughs)

These 37 years I want to remind all of you to stir up your gift. First thing is that you have a gift. Please tell your neighbour. You have a gift. Some may not be so well educated or may be poor. You think you are not very smart. But it does not matter. If you are a child of God you have the gift.

As a child of God the Holy Spirit comes into your life and you have the gift. In fact sometimes it's the smart people that don't have the gift. They think too much. Don't feel ashamed of yourself. You have at least one gift.

Some have two gifts and some have multi talented gifts. Praise God for that. If you are one of those, don't be proud. Some have only one gift. Like me. God has called me to preach the gospel. That is God's gift to me. And nobody has every gift. This gift is from God. You cannot choose your gift. It is from God.

No one can stir up the gift for you. God has to stir it up? You have to do it. You must have the desire and hunger to ask God. To stir up the gift.

How many of you love satay? When the man is doing the satay, he needs to fan the flame. Today I want you to make satay. You have to stir up the gift. I cannot do it for you. It's like barbecue, you have to fan the flame.

If everyone stirs up their gift, can you imagine how strong  the church will be? The problem is many come to church but do not exercise their gift. Ask yourself. How long have you been in church and are you exercising your gift? Are you making satay? Many is not so the church is not as strong as it can be. Do you want TOP to be a strong church? Amen? So what must you do? Stir up your gift.

Ephesians 4:11

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,

We need these gifts in church or we invite these gifts to church. Are you with me? Who are the apostles? They are the ones sent out. They plant churches. Who are the prophets? The ones who prophesy to the church, about the future or what's happening in the church. Who are the evangelists? They are the ones that proclaim the gospel. The Pastor's oversee the flock and oversee the congregation.

What is the difference between the pastor and evangelist?

Pastor Gideon is a pastor and I am an evangelist. So let me tell you a story to illustrate it.

One day pastor Gideon is cooking in a cabin in the forest. He saw me running and there was a big Bear chasing me. So he knew I was running for my life. He called me to come into his cabin. I ran towards the cabin and the bear was catching me. Just before I reach the open door, I side stepped the door and the bear ran into the cabin and pastor Gideon quickly closed the door. So I told pastor Gideon the bear is his. And I'll bring in more bears. And Pastor Gideon has to "bear" with them. Some christians are bears. If you are one don't be a grizzly bear. Don't be a polar bear. Try to be a Koala bear.

Some are teachers. They are those who master the word of God and make it very clear to the students. I pray God will raise up such people. There may be apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists here.

There was this 80 year old widow. She lost her husband ten years ago. She has never dated anyone since the husband died. Now there is a 90 year old wanting to date her. So she dressed up . And was excited. When she came back she was very angry. So the daughter asked what happened. She said she wanted to slap him. So the daughter said did he try to get fresh with you? She said no, I had to slap him to wake him because I thought he was dead.

So I need to know you are awake. You don't let me do all the hard work and you are just seating there. You must response. You must say Amen. You must lift up the level. Today is your 37th anniversary. You got to be excited. I am sweating already.

Romans 12:6-8

6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

These are not all the gifts. These are some of the gifts and it's not a study of the gifts. In Bible school it takes one semester to study all the gifts. Today I have only 30 minutes. So it's not a study.

Gift of prophesying, to serve, to encourage, lead or have mercy. Use it for the glory of God. Maybe  you can cook. Then cook with love. Our spirit is very important. Like those who do worship. The spirit is very important. Be thankful you can serve. You are not there to show off. Or you complain that you have to play again. The same when I preach. I come to bless you.  That's why I give 100%. It may be my last sermon. When I cross the road it may be my last. Yes! How can we know what will happen? So you must also listen like it's your last message. A coconut may drop on you when you go out. How would you know?

In Delhi, a 5 year old girl was gang rape. In Spain, 81 men were raided for pornography. In Bangkok, security guard ditches his wife after winning a one million dollar lottery. Russia, St Petersburg, businessman threw a man into the ditch for touching his car. All these happened in a day. It's a mess up world.

If the church is sleeping, how can we touch the world? That is why my message is stir up the gift. Our spirit in which we serve is very important. We come to God as a sinner. We deserve hell but he saved me. He forgave my sin. And put the Holy Spirit within me. I have at least one gift and we are to stir up that gift to be a blessing. Can we not do that?

For your 37th anniversary, stir up your gift. Some of you are encouragers. Your gift is to encourage. Not everyone is on the mountains. Some has a lot of problems. If you are an encourager, you lift them up. It can make a big difference. We must come prepared. Some people are depressed. You know what that means? Like an elephant sitting on a fat woman. They have a mountain of burdens on them. We are a body of Christ. Not everyone can be a preacher or a worship leader. I appreciate your worship leader. When brother Vive said he was collecting the offering, he took out his wallet and gave. I knew a pastor who said to collect the offering but he himself did not give. When you are up here people are watching you. You have to do it for the glory of God. When you did not give the offering you are sending out a wrong message. You may be a giver but when up there you have to be an a example.

You may be in the backstage. But you are just as important as the preacher. When a boy loves a girl, he will tell his friend. Look at Mary. Look at her eyes, and her hair, her beautiful eyes and lips like cherry. But a boy will not tell his friend, look at her kidneys, and her liver or her intestines. You may not see the kidney or intestines but they are Important. Without the kidneys your eyes will close.

You just use your gift. Are you with me? We all have at least one gift. And sometimes it takes a long time to discover your gift. Once you discover it ask God to use the gift to bless the body. And when the body is strong the church can touch the world. Just look at Jelutong. No need to look too far. Your commitment can translate into action.

You may say it's not fair I'm a kidney or intestine. Your reward is not on earth. Your reward is in heaven. Are you living for the 30,000 days here? That's just 82 years. Uncle Ho has passed 30,000 days. He is living on bonus. So what do you do with that time, to make money , be successful?  In heaven God won't ask you what house you have or how much you have in your bank.

I'm here to remind you to live for eternity. 30,000 days pass by very quickly and one day we have to go. I pray I go preaching. Just like that. There are only two ways you can die. Either you die in your sins or you die in Christ. Amen? So today I want to ask you. Are you in Christ? Or are you in your sins? If you are in Christ you must stir up your gift.

Rev Gideon Lee and Ps Grace cutting the cake together with the church board.

A Walk with God

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

I know when we talk about a walk it can be sensitive. Like walking Petaling Street during the street rally. But this is a blessed walk when you walk with God. I believe it's a message for the season.

I just want to ask a few questions for a start. I feel they are relevant.

1. Are you going through a spiritual desert experience? You just feel God is far away. And things overwhelm your life. And anxiety has come back. And worries and there's a spiritual vacuum.
2. Are you tired of serving in a ministry? You wake up Monday and you think about resigning. Friday you prepare for cell and Saturday you feel better because no longer have to prepare.
3. Are you tired of being a Christian? Perhaps the worst scenario. In other words, are you spiritually weary?

If you are then this message is to lift you up. Some of us here have grown and is on fire. And is fresh and vibrant but this message is also for you to guard you against spiritual weariness. In our spiritual journey there will be ups and downs. So this message is for both. To lift you or to guard you.

Spiritual journey weariness is about those who are putting their hands on the plough. Not those who for one reason or another is sitting idly. Our church is a serving church.  No problems getting people to serve.

The question is are you walking with God or working for God? This is a message I speak from experience.

After I accepted the Lord I went to cell at Bro Wilbur’s house under Bro Jason as cell leader.  Those days I was really working for God. From 1994, I would do anything that is to do with serving the church. I was found in church and put my hands on the plough. I served as usher, Sunday school, cell leadership, youth. Almost anything.

Then one night I had a chat of Pastor Geoffrey. I told him I'm burned out. I used that word. My mom was very angry with me back in 1995. My wife had Rebecca and those days I always had something in church. My mom was excited because it's her first grand daughter. My mom will ask me to run errands. And I remember telling her I'm not free. Have to go to church.

My mom was not happy. She is saying I'm now a new father but I told her I've to go to church. I just work and work. It's not about right or wrong but that was my experience.

I told pastor I want to stop and I want to take a year off. I took a year off. People asked me why I'm no longer a cell leader? I went for some studies at Baptist Seminary but I told pastor I will be back. Not the Terminator kind ya.

One Friday afternoon I told pastor, I am back! I went to see him and he wondered where to fit me in because it's been a while. I believe there may be people here who can relate to me.

I was trying to work for God in which I am not called for because I'm called to walk with God. That's just the introduction.

Genesis 5:24

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Enoch did not see death. He was translated to heaven. But I want to focus on Enoch walked with God. What did Moses see when he said Enoch walked with God?

The commentary by Matthew Henry looked at it this way.

When you want to walk with someone, you have to be in agreement with the person. Moses must have in mind that Enoch had agreed with God in all things.

One problem we have is we do two things we're not supposed to. We do what we want and then we turn to God and say God now you do something. The second is that everything is God's business but we leave God out of the picture. The thing is if things are bad, we blame God. If things are good we take all the credit.

Enoch is constantly someone who wants to please God and not offend him and look into the interest and glory of God. He is always aware that God is always there for him, a refuge for him. That there is no fear in him because the Lord that is beside will always be his fortress.

That he will always be spiritually vibrant because God is working through him. Our hands are called to the plough, we are not meant to be idle. A godly walk will always express itself in godly works.

One day my daughter Esther in my car saw a monk and she asked me about monks. So I tried my best to explain to her. She then said, oh, then you can be a monk.

There were Christian monks in the early church history. Some would be spiritually close to God and would go out to do good works. There are also those who just want to have a spiritual experience with God without going into the world to work.

John 17:14-15

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.

When we walk with God, we will work for him and him working through us. It's a joy to allow God to work through us.

To cell leaders, who is going to be having a cell at 8.00pm and you're quarrelling with your wife at 7.30pm  that the food is not ready and the place is not ready, then it seems like you are working for God, like a job.

The Lord will set in order all things and in his timing all things will work for good. Let God work through you rather than you work for God.

Every time you commune with God, it is a deep personal experience. It's an experience that will give you that spiritual strength. Walking with God is something no one has except the children of God. It has to be cultivated. I like watching TV and movies, I play badminton and do other stuff but to spend time with God needs to be cultivated. Today if you go back and you've not spent time with God, spend some time with him. Some use the word communion, or prayer, or devotion, or worship. Whatever it is, spend some time with the Lord.

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

The Hebrew writer said Enoch pleased God. God is a relational God, so Enoch had a relationship with God that pleases God.

The same was with Jesus.

Matthew 3:16-17

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Notice that this was before Jesus began his ministry. He was commended for his walk with the Father. Not because of his work. If we are to please the Almighty, it's about our walk with him and not our work.

Somehow or another we just cannot put this into practice. If we were to do a survey, whether we will spend 3 hours to pray or 3 hours to move the furniture, I would think most would tick move furniture. 3 hours may seem like an eternity praying for some, like after 10 minutes, you don't know what else to say. Where else, when you put your hands to moving the furniture, 3 hours seem to pass by quickly. The more we spend time with the person we love, the more we can relate to the person. Every time we spend time with him, we open up the communication channel.

Many of us believe that as long as we are working for God, God is pleased. If we do not have a corresponding walk with God, then it is self commission.

If you are not serving, you will be on self omission. You will also be cold. Your walk with God would also be cold. Sin separates us from God. We are all not perfect. Pastor is not perfect. I am not perfect. Vive is not perfect. The board is not perfect. My father, just before he died, he told me I'm not perfect but he said I look forward, forgetting my pass failures and that I need Jesus. I know he is saved.

What God wants of us is a desire not to sin. It is not the perfect state of not sinning. But that desire not to sin. People justify by saying they cannot relate to God because they have sin. What is our path for coming back to God? Here we have to look at the one person, the source of all this problem. We have to look at Adam.

Adam when he sinned what did he do? He made a cardinal error.

Genesis 3:8-10

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

From these verses you know it was not the first time God was walking into the garden. But this time Adam was not to be found. He hid himself and he saw himself unworthy to be in God's presence. And God asked where are you? Different people have interpreted this differently.

The question did not give you the tone of his voice. If God said "WHERE ARE YOU!!!" No wonder Adam hid. If me I'd run.

But careful exegete tells us this.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

God is already saying that  Jesus will crush the serpents head.

Genesis 3:21

Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

If God is angry he would not have clothed Adam. Let him run naked better. This tells us that God cared for Adam. God was grieved like a father, but God was also gracious.

God probably said "where are you?" Like a father looking for his son. A father who would want to restore the situation. Adam got it wrong. And this is where I tell you this, when you sin, you moved away. Not God. And when he comes to you, he does not want you to do it again. Look at David.

He is called a man after God's heart but he sinned terribly. The sin of Bathsheba and the murder he committed. It was a public sin because Bathsheba got pregnant. The people knew what the King David did when he sent her husband to the death, but just didn’t dare say it in public or confront him. It took one whole year until the Lord spoke to Nathan and Nathan confronted him. Nathan approach David in a round about way and David was convicted. I have sinned against the Lord. And look at his confession in Psalms 51.

Psalms 51:1-4

A Prayer of Repentance

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

​1 Have mercy upon me, O God,

According to Your lovingkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight—

That You may be found just when You speak,

And blameless when You judge.

He repented. If you sinned against God, just get on your knees and repent and you'll be completely restored. When you have a cold heart, God is waiting and asking "where are you?".

My mom said being a pastor is not easy. Her pastor called her and asked why she's not in church? So she responded and said "just don't go to church three weeks only and Pastor called"! So she went back to church. Another time after three weeks she didn't go to church, she complained "three weeks didn't go to church pastor also didn't call". Call also wrong didn't call also wrong. Difficult to be a pastor.

We have much to learn from David the psalmist. Moses is known as the man of the mountain.  But David is called a man after God's heart. David spent a lot of time reflecting on God. Read the Psalms and you find it's theology in poetry form. It's not something he did in one week. It was a continuous thing. Throughout his whole life he wrote many many songs.

Walking with God is simple. Think of him all the time. During your work, driving, praying or studying the bible. Think of him.

I want to end with this.

Matthew 11:28-30

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Come to him to follow him. To follow him is to walk with him. A man who walks with God is a man who will always have the rest of the soul.