Unfading Glory

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

These two words, glory and unfading captures a certain essence of what our Christian faith is all about. Christ has done the work of the cross and resurrected over 2000 years ago and we await his return.

1 Peter 1:1

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,

Here he mentions pilgrims (strangers) and the elect. This was during a difficult period and Peter is saying even during those times, it is only for a moment, a period. It was a church when initially established went under heavy Jewish persecution. The people persevered and when things seems better they got under Roman persecution.

Today, I believe that our country, when we read epistles like that we find it difficult to identify with the circumstances the people are going through.

For most of us we have a certain religious freedom that the government has given us. I think messages like that of an epistle like 1st Peter, we may not understand. I believe that Malaysia may go through a difficult period and we may not enjoy the liberty that we are enjoying now.

As I prepare this message unfading glory, I was looking at a time if the church faces persecution like we have never experienced before or as a Christian we go through a different challenge, 1st Peter may become meaningful.

I have a friend who is doing well, better than me. I'm doing okay as a school teacher but he is much better financially. He said he don't believe in God and he said he is not doing badly. If we talk of God in the area of temporal blessing they may not appreciate it because they say they are doing better than you. But if you look at Peter you will see he sees his faith in a different light.

Peter says this is not our home when he calls us strangers. We are journeying, a pilgrim. When the church is prosperous, sometimes we may forget that this is not our home. You may say I'm 60 years old so it's okay to say this is not my home but I want to say whether young or old this is not our home. Paul says our citizenship is in heaven. That's why Matthew talks about treasures in heaven. The NT is a gospel where eternity is real and the things that matters to us must be seen in the light of eternity.

It is on that basis that we can be more than conquerors for Christ. It is on that basis we can say that the kingdom of God is expanding on this earth.

1 Peter 1:24-25

24 For, “All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Peter writes that flowers wither and only the word of God will last forever. Peter is not talking about a concept but Peter has seen much of what is in man's heart. As we go through life, many things occupy our life. One is money. We need money but the problem is when their glory is their money. Where their security and worth is their wealth. Then we say their glory is their wealth.

Another area is beauty. I thought this is a problem only women have. But nowadays I realised these days men also have this issue. They go for facials. Sometimes God wants us to look pretty and beautiful and we are like that in God's sight. I remember an actress who could not take growing old. When the glory of her beauty fades. She secluded herself.

For some people their glory is other people's recognition. Like when they retire as boss, they no longer receive the same recognition. Some of these people lose much of the meaning of their life.

Coming to health, our health may become our pursuit and we make statements like my health is the most important thing. But no matter how well you take care of your health, you will slowly lose that glory. Recently I lost my mom and it affected me. I am very close to my mom and those that comes to my house knows that. My mom used to cycle around Lip Sin. Many knows her as the cycling auntie and I'm known as the cycling auntie's son.

In January my mom started losing weight. Esther my youngest daughter touched my mom and felt her bones. It was just skin and bones. We looked through old photos and she was very pretty when young. No offence but she is prettier than many of you here. But day by day I could see her body wasting away. You can see that the body at the end was just skin and bone.

2 Corinthians 4:16

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Paul was talking about a fact of life. Outwardly we will waste away. But we are renewed inwardly.

2 Corinthians 4:17

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

We will one day have that glorious body that Christ will give to us. It is this that allows me to see that hope that I can capture in a real way that my mom as a spiritual soul will one day have a glorified body. But if you look at Paul, he says there are trouble. He said to the Corinthians that he suffered for the sake of the gospel and Christ but he says they are momentary. A passing moment in a journey. The momentary he compares to the eternal. Paul says these problems are light to me.

What we can capture from here is that Paul looks into the future and see the glory. That glory is not just the glorified body. This word glory has diverse meaning. When we say the glory of the Lord, that word glory has a certain sense of the favour and the perfect righteousness of God. And a God given honour imparted to us. That is why we will one day reign with God not because of our doing but his. An honour that God gives to his children.

Jesus was trying to show Peter, James and John what the glory of God was when Jesus transfigured before them. There was a certain radiance and brilliance about the glory of God. When the apostle Paul looks to eternity he is captured by the brilliance of the Lord God almighty.

This brings me to verse 18. People asked me you talk so much about heaven but we are here on earth. So which is more important?

2 Corinthians 4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The apostle Paul is telling the Corinthians that we have to fix our eyes on the unseen and eternal. I wrote it down like that, that we must see eternity as we live out our present. Not see eternity and have that kiasu attitude with that of wanting eternity now. The decisions you make in your life will be different. And things that are important to you will be different.

Even though eternity is the destination, what we do now will affect our eternity. We all have eternal glory but you can slowly sense that there are different degrees of glory. I struggled with this. I thought glory is perfection so everybody is the same. Recently I bought a book that solved this problem. Infinity is infinite but there is smaller and bigger infinity. It's mathematical and it's true. There are different degrees. Apostle Paul will have a different degree of glory to you and I.

2 Corinthians 5:9-10

9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Paul is saying we must please God and that we have to appear before God not for judgement but rewards. What we do now will affect our eternal glory. What are we supposed to do or what criteria will God look at?

Centuries back, the church had a system called indulgence, this was before the protestants. You give and your sins can be cancelled. Until one day Martin Luther wrote this, it is blasphemous to be able to buy your way to heaven. How does God judge? I look at a more practical framework. Like if you are a cell leader more marks. If you are a ministry leader you get marks or if you save how many souls. I use a simpler system. I would put it this way, all in Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 3:18

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

God's system is easier. Not by merit. This scripture show how we get to heaven. How do we experienced having the wrath of God taken away from us to have favour of God. It is the imputed righteousness of God that is the criteria. The righteousness of Christ is where your eternity lies in. If you grow in the image or likeness of God you are on safe grounds.  But what exactly do we mean by the likeness of Jesus Christ? You have to look at the gospels.

When Jesus was being baptised by John, Jesus had done nothing but God the Father spoke that Jesus is his well pleased son, because of the life he lived even before he did any ministry.

If you want to grow in the image of Christ, it is about who you are, the spiritual character and the fruitfulness of your character. When God sees you does he sees the fruits of who Christ is. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to empower you to Christlikeness.

In the garden of Gethsemane, he ended with that prayer not my will but your will. Christ knew his purpose, that he was faithful till the end. It's the faithfulness of his ministry.

Some people find loop holes. He said God has not called me to be a pastor, and I say thank God, or called me to be an evangelist or a prophet so I don't have to do anything. Those are positions that God has a special calling as office. Not all are called and it's true. But has God called you to preach the gospel? God has not called you to be an evangelist but called you to do evangelism. Or God has not called you to be a pastor but you are called to pastoral work and to care for another. We are all called to do the work of the ministry. The call leaders are not pastors but they do pastoral work. Faithful to the ministry where God has called you and every child of God is called.

It is just most of the time you have ignored what God has called you for. The renewal we have daily is a renewal of glory. A renewal that comes from the glory of God transforming us. In that transformation you go from glory to glory.

When the glory of God comes upon you, there is a certain joy and you feel light. That is what will carry you to eternity.

I was reading about Martin Luther who gave his last sermon the day before he was assassinated. I have been to the mountaintop. He says I have no fear of any man and what may come I am prepared for it. He had a premonition from God that God is taking him home. He said I have seen the glory of God and it's upon me. Like at the Transfiguration, they have seen the glory of God. The apostle Paul saw it. It was so brilliant and bright that it blinded him. The apostle Paul saw the glory of Christ.

As we behold him and spend time with the Lord, that glory will rub on us. We need to experience the glory of God. I am someone who uses my mind. What you experience in your mind is important but the spirit man grow when he experiences what is in the word. The logos has to become the rhema. You will see a difference.

All of us have eternal life which God the Holy Spirit promised us but how many of us have eternity in our hearts. Let's have eternity in our hearts.

I want to end with a story of two birds. One is the eagle while the other is a turkey. Can a turkey fly? I used to think no. Google say domesticated turkeys can't fly but wild turkeys can fly up to 100 feet. But they struggle to reach 100 feet. They have to accelerate hard before they can fly.

Eagles are different. They can fly to 10,000 feet. That's very high. And the eagle seldom flaps their wings, because they glide and look effortless when they soar.

If you have the temporal on earth at best you are like a turkey, struggling to fly. But if you are able to be like Peter who is a stranger on earth or like Paul whose citizenship is heaven, then you will be like the eagle that can reach 10,000 feet in your spiritual height.

Do you want to soar into the spiritual heavenly or do you want to struggle as a spiritual turkey. You should want to soar like an eagle instead of struggling like a turkey because you will end up on the dinner table on thanksgiving.

SaveSave
SaveSave

Module 7 Lesson 2 - The Rapture and First Resurrection

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Note: Text in grey are transcribed and not part of the notes given.

The First Coming - Grace to Save

The Second Coming - Glory to Reign

The First Resurrection refers to our new body

The Rapture refers to us being caught up.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Coming of the Lord

13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words.

Paul was addressing something in the Thessalonian church. That the dead will not be raised. Paul is saying that the dead will also be raised like those who are alive. The Rapture is when Jesus comes, the dead will rise first and those who are alive will be caught up together with them. All will be with Jesus in the clouds. And always with him.

The way Paul writes it he believes that Jesus would come in his lifetime.

The position that we are taking as we look into the scriptures is that we look at the book of Revelations but Paul predates Revelations so he don't have the scriptures that we have. We have the benefit of Revelations. Paul had not. Paul used the word the imminence of the coming of Christ. The church is called to live as if Jesus is coming tomorrow. All great preachers that comes after Paul believes the same, that Jesus would come in their generation and this is what God wants the church to be ready for. God wants us to understand the imminence of his coming because of our nature. It is one way to encourage us to be diligent in our faith.

I want to look at two verses that talks about the imminence of his coming.

Titus 2:11-14

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Here it sets a pattern of his second coming. It is always seen in the context of the pursuit of the person of Christ. Many may look at his second coming with different motive.

1. Unfinished business here on earth
2. For argumentative reasons
3. They are just curious

Don't waste your time on these three. The second coming is always associated with the word readiness, with the exaltation to live holy life.

Most of us have a general picture of the Rapture  but not the details of its event.

2 Timothy 3:1-4

Godlessness in the Last Days

​1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–

Does this describe the world we live in? Think about it. When Paul write this last epistle, Paul sees the gospel bearing a power that goes against forces of evil. Paul says perilous times. He was facing his execution when he wrote this epistle and Jewish persecution was shifting to Roman persecution so it was difficult times for the church. That is why he yearns for the coming of Christ.

Our life consists of two perspective. One is the immediate, what we do every day and our family. Another goes beyond this, like what's going on in the country, beyond our family.

When things are not well and you struggle in this world, there is such a difference in the splendour of Christ coming. The early church was a church yearning for the coming of Christ. They were a church looking to Christ the blessed hope.

Let's look at the Rapture.

When Jesus come, all theologians agree the first  event is the Rapture. Rapture (harpazo) is being caught violently. But Paul uses another Greek word caught away (rhuo).

Let's look at what it means to be Caught Away.

We are not perfect Christians. Some of you have been longer than me. But as I grow in Christ I have now learn to be "slow to sin" and "quick to repent". Let's nit be "quick to sin" but "slow to repent". There is that yearning for glory (perfectly holy in Christ). We are caught away from something, like all the injustice in the world.

Happiness is a by-product of holiness. We pursue it but often we cannot lay hold of it. I've shifted that thought about happiness being the by-product of holiness. Holiness is often misunderstood. It is about grace. Having no bitterness or unforgiveness.

One may say "I can forgive everyone except him". Or another who says he lay it all down and forgive all. Who is happier? Holiness is having an intimate relationship with God. He has found a rest for his soul.

The other meaning is we are Caught Up.

When we are caught up there will be a multitude. A history of the church from the day of Pentecost where everyone of the church will be together as a multitude. A body united to the head who is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:2

in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

This is the realm of the devil. Here the church is caught up into the realm of the enemy where we declare the triumph of Christ and his church and we are transfigured. 

1 Corinthians 15:42-58

42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

This is the Transfiguration. In the twinkling of an eye we will be changed. Look at question 1.

The church now exists in the period between the Resurrection of Christ and the First

Resurrection of believers. This period is a time of spiritual resurrection (Col 3:1) when the

church is called to the work of missions and evangelism. It is indeed the time known as the "day of salvation". (2 Cor 6:2)

At the end of this period of world evangelization, the church looks forward to the First

Resurrection; the resurrection of believers. This is a resurrection unto eternal life, a

resurrection accompanied by the judgment of the righteous (John 5:28, 29) (2 Cor 5:10). This

resurrection occurs in the event known as the Rapture of the church.

In 1 Thess 4:17 the Greek word 'harpazo' that Paul uses denotes to seize hastily, to draw to

oneself by swift, sudden movement. In 1 Thes 1:10, Paul uses a Greek word 'rhuo' which means a 'rescue with power* to describe rapture as a deliverance from the coming wrath. The rapture is therefore an event that describes the church being caught away, being removed from persecution and suffering, from the distress of the soul and body (Phil 3:21), from the entire sphere of sin (Rom 6:6). It is both an act of divine grace (1 Pet 1:13) and divine mercy (Jude 21).

Divine grace frees us from all sin and divine mercy that frees us from all misery. Rapture is also at the same time a catching up. The members of the body are now being united with the Head, for the Lord Himself will descend and we shall be with Him forever (1 Thess 4:17). For the first time, the church of all times and from all nations will exist together as the living and the dead are caught up at the same time. Thus, the completed church will exist for the first time, but not on earth but in the air. The rapture is also a transfiguration, a changing of the body of humiliation into a body of glory, the corruptible being transformed into the incorruptible (1 Cor 15:51.53). The rapture is also a declaration of triumph. As the church gathers in the air, the area of activity of the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:2), the triumph cannot be greater. Death indeed has been completely conquered (1 Cor 15:54). Christ has conquered completely. His church has overcome absolutely. The rapture manifest the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) of the church. In the rapture, all that believers have longed for will come true. Faith will meet hope in the realized promise of the blessed hope. There is no other more dramatic way to meet our Lord. Indeed in the Resurrection of Christ He is the first fruits of those who will be resurrected at His Coming (1 Cor 15:23).

1Thess 4:16-17

For the Lord Himself will descend from heavon with a shout, with the voice of an archangel,

and with the trumpet of God. And the dead In Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive

and remain shall be caught up together with them In the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Questions

1. What are the characteristics of the resurrection body?

What is the constitution of man. We are spirit, soul and body. The other interpretation is that we have a spiritual soul and a body. Both are correct interpretation.

What is death? If you are an unbeliever, you will not be sure. Die mean die. Or you could be here or there. They see death as the end. Not a transition. There is a big question mark. For us we understand differently. Death is the separation of the soul from the body. We are embodied souls. The Greeks believed this. God made the body first. Then only a living soul when God breath into us. We become complete at the Rapture when the Transfiguration occurs.

What the Bible says about this transfigured body.

1 Corinthians 15:42

So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;

This body of ours will decay but the new body will be incorruptible. No sickness no decay.

1 Corinthians 15:43

it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

It is a body that exhibits the glory of God. It is glorified and has power.

1 Corinthians 15:44-46

44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.

If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.45 So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being” ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.

There is a spirituality to the body. Now we have a soulish as well as a spiritual. It will now be spiritual.

1 Corinthians 15:54

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

It is an immortal body. No more death.

Luke 24:39-40

39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

It is a real physical body with flesh and bones.

Some questions will be, will we eat?

1 John 3:2

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

The best evidence is that of Jesus' body. And Jesus ate with them. But Jesus is now in heaven and I think he need not eat.

Also Jesus had a physical body that can transcend space. It's an upgrade. The disciples also know who Jesus is so he can be recognised. God glorified our body so we can be recognised.

The body we have is a seed. It will flower which is our resurrection body. There will be a semblance.

1 Corinthians 15:49

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

We will be Christ-like and will be conformed to Him.

2. Will the Rapture of the church occur before the tribulation period or after the tribulation period?

This sounds one a simple question but it has been much debated. The question is, is it pre-trip or post-trip. It has been debated for more than 100 years.

I cannot go through exactly what is this about and each of the verses. But after much reading, at the end of the day, we are not sure. The church does not have a definite answer.

But to the best of my understanding, I look at it this way. I get most of my books from Evangel. Even if it is not conclusive, when asked I always must have an answer. I may not know the exact answer but I will always take a position and tell them this is what I think. If we want to take a position we have to know why.

First is the historical perspective. From the first century until now much of the church is post-trip position until the 19th century. What changed is that there was a fresh theological under on the salvation history, pre-trip came into the theological picture. Today pre-trip together with post-trip have had much more understanding. The AOG's position is pre-trip.

I will look at pre-trip and take this position.

What does pre-trip and post-trip mean?

The First Coming -> 7 Years Tribulation -> Second Coming (Armageddon) -> Millennium Kingdom (1000 years) - note not all agree to this -> Eternal State

The question is when is the Rapture (Jesus taking us)? Before the tribulation is pre-trip or after the tribulation is post-trip. There is now a minority that even look at a mid-trip or even partial Rapture. But we're not looking at the minority's position.

What makes us think it's a pre-trip?

Let's look at the structure of the book of Revelations.

Roughly it goes by chapter. Chapter 1 is the introduction and covers the risen Christ.

Revelation 1:19

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

The which are, the present. The things which will take place, the future. This is the chronological structure of the book of Revelations. Chapters 2 to 3 is the present. Letters to the 7 churches. 7 churches in those region. But like all biblical prophetic book, it also points to what's to happen in the future, how the church history worked out. This we have studied about 2 years ago at cell.

Revelation 3:10

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

This is a key word. The hour of trial is the tribulation. John's command to persevere is talking about us, the church. And keep us from tribulation (hour of trial).

Chapters 4 and 5, John is taken to heaven in his vision. It talks about the Throne Room of Christ. A vision of heaven.

Chapters 6 to 18 will actually be the tribulation period. The seals, trumpet and bows.

Chapters 19 to 22, Age to come beginning with the second coming.

From the tribulation period onwards (chapters 6-18) the church is no longer mentioned. This is circumstantial evidence that the church is no longer present. We the church have been taken away.

It has something to do with a third thing.

The relationship of the church with Israel. Is Israel no more or is the church the new Israel?

The Roman Catholic Church had a man called Martin Luther who protested against their theology so the protestant movement of which we are part of came about. Then came John Calvin, from who came the Covenant Theology.  Which sees Israel in the OT as a people.of God. And the church in the NT is the people of God.

Then came the Dispensationalism. 

Acts 1:6

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

The disciples who were all Jews asked Jesus. This was an important question. Jesus is a Jew descendant from David. When they ask about Israel, they were looking at Israel as a nation. They didn't see Christ as the savior of the world and not just the Jews. This Kingdom that they asked about is the Davidic Kingdom.

The answer that Jesus gave was this.

Acts 1:7

And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Jesus gave a vague answer. But when Jesus said it is not for you to know the time, it is implied that it will happen.

Salvation is only and only for the Jews that accepted Jesus as Saviour. They cannot be saved based on the mosaic law. The Jews have to become a Christian to be saved.

So the church is both Jews and Gentiles. Israelites who are saved will receive the promise of the Dravidic Kingdom. They will be part of the Millennium Kingdom.

The question asked is why the Millennium Kingdom? Covenant Theology do not have a 1948 forming of the nation of Israel. That was a miracle. Nobody thought it could happen. The Jews were already scattered all over the world. With the birth of Israel, it brought us back to the Dravidic Kingdom. One of the sign is the temple of Jerusalem will be rebuilt. We don't know how but it will be built. With this event Israel came back into the picture.

Dispensationalism gave a place for Israel.

As far as the Bible is concerned, it's a Rapture.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

The second coming and the Rapture are separate events or the same thing? The post-trip believe that between the Rapture and Second Coming is 7 years.

Revelation 19:11-16

Christ on a White Horse

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

In the pre-trip, the Rapture and the second coming is the same event before the tribulation.

At the Rapture (Jesus comes for the Saints). Second coming (Jesus comes down with his Saints). The church is in heaven in between this period.

After the Rapture, the anti-christ is revealed. Only the unbelievers are on earth. Events on earth no longer concerns the Christians.

If it is post-trip, then it's very different. The Saints will be in the 7 years tribulation.

Another reason I believe it's the pre-trip is this. Every time the second coming is mentioned, the church was waiting in anticipation. This is circumstantial. But if the second coming is post-trip, and the tribulation is going to be before the Rapture, the church would not be so excited about the second coming, the blessed hope. That's why the church looks forward to the second coming.

In conclusion we end on a good note. In the first coming we got saved. Now we look forward to the blessed hope because it will be the fulfilment of his promise. 

The Transfiguration of Christ

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

Today's message is going to be something we seldom hear about. We are quite familiar about the incarnation or the birth of Christ. God became man. And we are also familiar with the baptism and temptation of Christ. The point of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is also another one and of course the resurrection, the empty tomb. The resurrection followed by the ascension. Today I'm going to talk about something a little more different, the transfiguration of Christ.

All the worship songs by Bro Jacob ties in with my message today. We are trying to reach out to the folks in Teluk Kumbar and also pastor’s vision to reach out to the drug addicts, a good place to take stock of is that we must always remember the focus of the Christian faith is not primarily the ministry. The focus is the minister. Our Lord Jesus Christ. As we move into ministry we must never forget our first love. Everything we do must spring from the Lord.

Luke 9:28-29 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning."

Matthew 17:2-3 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus."

As he was praying his appearance changed. Luke did not use transfigured but Matthew did. Jesus was praying and he was transfigured.

The first insight is that communion brings the glory of God in your life.

Jesus radiated the glory. As he was praying something happened to him. It's metamorphosis. And in that word we think of the butterfly as a student. The metamorphosis word tells us that what happened to Jesus was not just the outward. Today I wear different from normal because I'm preaching. Normally I'll were a t-shirt but today I wear long sleeve and a tie. Looks more handsome la. Transfiguration is also inward. The glory radiated from him.

When we put our hands on the plough and put our lives into ministry, first and foremost it must come from a communion from our Lord. If not two things will happen. We will become tired and burn out. And second we will not bear spiritual fruits.

Exodus 34:29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord."

His face was radiant with the glory of God and the connection is that he has spoken with the Lord. He was there with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights.

Here was a description of his face being radiant because he has spent time with the Lord, had communion and spoken to the Lord. Moses was carrying the word of God. He has commune with God and his face was radiant.

A few months back I had a session with the ushers. And I asked them what is the most important asset of an usher. Like for example, a worship leader must be able to sing. To the usher it's their face, their countenance. For the teacher of the word will need to have God’s grace on him to be able to think. To be able to reason. The ushers must smile and the people look at our face. I told them they need to spend time with the Lord so that their face will shine the glory of God. Their countenance will show the glory of God. For the ladies, you can save some money on cosmetics with the glory of God. Or perhaps less make up.

Now that I have a smartphone, I found that a fashion designer Versace I think whose face is shining because he overdid his plastic surgery.

Often the words we say do not fit our actions, and some says the action or body language says more. Like an angry father may say to the son “do you know how much I love you?” Screaming at the child with anger. The child will think if love is like that, better don’t love me.

In communion there is something that the Lord does.

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

In this verse we reflect the Lord’s glory. Radiate comes from the essence of who we are. Moses reflected the glory of God. For us we must understand that we are a little bit better than Moses. Because the Holy Spirit is in us and he works in us so that we can reflect the glory. The reflection is outward. If you commune with God, the reflection will be strong but if you are busy with other things the reflection will be dimmer. It is something we must do daily.

I watched a movie called long ago called The Fly. This man invented teleportation where he enters a pod and transmit himself to a second pod. One day, as he experimented, he went into the pod and a fly happened to fly in there and the genes of the fly infused into him, as he was teleported to the other pod. And soon he became more and more like a fly. Why am I saying this?

We have the capacity to be more like Jesus as we commune with him. In the story, the man became more like a fly and he cannot control it. In our case, it depends on how much we yield to the Lord. As we spend more time communion with him, we are transformed from glory to glory.

If we ask ourselves, Jesus has prayed many times. Why on this particular juncture he is being transfigured. Here we have to read the passage upwards. The transfiguration was connected to Peter’s response.

Luke 9:18-20 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”"

The transfiguration is the precursor to the full glory of God. He authenticated it by being transfigured. It is here that Jesus reveals himself that he is the Christ, the Messiah.

If you look at Luke you'll find the authentication became complete when God the father spoke. Much like what Jesus heard when he was baptised. If you compare the voice of God during the baptism and the transfiguration you'll find that at the baptism the voice was for Jesus. But in this transfiguration it is the three disciples that heard the voice. It was to confirm the messiahship of Jesus to the disciples.

So do you now really really know who is Jesus? It is easy to call Jesus the teacher, the healer, the prophet. In many other faiths what the God can do is more important than whom the God is. In Christianity who he is is far more important than what he can do. I want to elaborate a bit more on this.

Most of us are from Taoist background. If you worship “tua pek kong” and you asked for something and it's not answered, you may move to another “kong”. In Buddhism, the philosophy overshadows the founder. In the case of Buddhism if you follow closely you can become the next Buddha. In Christianity if you take out Jesus you have nothing. Christianity falls on the person of Jesus. Who Jesus is is of paramount importance.

At the transfiguration, the three of them, Peter, James and John recorded this down.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

2 Peter 1:16-18

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."

For John and Peter this was the defining moment in their lives. The other one was James, died by the sword and Peter was crucified upside down and John was persecuted until his last days on the island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelations.

In the transfiguration, they knew Jesus is indeed God. Whatever experiences you have it is a point of contact. That point of contact must lead you to the point of focus. And that focus is to lead you to the person of Jesus.

There are two things that will grasp and take our attention.

One, we have to be practical. The pressures of life are very real. The circumstances of life are real. On the other end is the Christ of God. If we want to mature we must turn our focus from the circumstances of life to the Christ of God.

There are four Ps in my bible. 

Person Presence Power Peace. 

When you focus upon the Person of Christ you will carry the Presence of God. In the presence the Power of God will manifest and you will have the Peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Our tendencies are that we focus so much on our circumstances we loose focus on Christ.
When you look to Christ, the providential blessings of God will impact your circumstances.

The transfiguration showed them that Jesus is the Messiah and that changed their whole outlook on life. Let's turn out eyes to Jesus as the author and finisher of our life. Coming back to the ministry when we focus on God, our ministry will bear spiritual fruit or if you do it on your own you will have to slog it out yourself. The ministry is God’s work not your work.

The last question I want to ask is where the answer is not very clear.

What was the content of Jesus‘ prayer?

You will probably search the bible and theologically this is the best answer we have. If you look at 9:28-36pp – Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray."

Luke 9:22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”"

Jesus was talking about him going to the cross. Also mentioned when Jesus prayed at the garden of Gethsemane. If you tie them all in, the one interpretation is like this.

This was a precursor to the garden prayer. The prayer about the cross and the transfiguration is God the Father’s answer to Jesus. Jesus was facing the cross. You must understand that he asked if it’s possible to pass it away from him. Jesus was looking at the abandonment and it is a deep struggle for the Lord. But in the end, Jesus submitted to the will of God. This was what we believe was in Jesus’ mind.

God the Father’s answer about him going to the cross did not take the cross from him. But what God gave him was victory over the cross. The transfiguration was an inkling of the resurrection. In it is the future glorified body of God. In the suffering on the cross is the glory that would come.

As children of God and Disciples of Christ, we must understand that there is suffering before the glory. Even if none of us has the transfiguration experience, the word of God tells us that we through communion with God the voice of the word will bring the presence of God into our lives.

There are three things we learn.

Our communion with God must drive our commission. God must drive the ministry.
Communion is not primary for the commission. The communion transforms you. In that presence is the peace and power of God.

The focus is not on our need but on God. Focus on God and your need will be met. Jesus is more than just what he can do for you.

And lastly, the Christian Faith is first and foremost a call to sacrifice and in it is the completion in glory.