Luke 8:13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.

1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

A few days ago, the US celebrated D-day, the landing at Normandy beach on 06 June 1944. They knew who was the enemy and strived to defeat Hitler. Their focus was clear. They had to fight for their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. Seventy years later, there is a great spiritual battle happening in the church and in the spiritual realm.

 It was not too long ago that ecumenical movement dominated. Miracles and the power gifts were said to be long over, and the bible denied. Over 70 years from D-Day 1944 where post modern theology dominates the landscape to a very different overtly legalistic evangelical christianity now being experienced after waves of bible tent revival, Jesus People, the Tele Evangelists, and Billy Graham Crusades. A Gospel of Grace is coming.

At the start of the 20^th century, the wind of the Holy Spirit hit Azuza Street in the US. It was a Holy Spirit Revival and it took another 70 to 80 years to reach Singapore amongst the youths at the elite missionary schools. Instead of moving in the Holy Spirit, thirty years later these youths now became the leaders of the mega churches but strayed into a religious legalistic Law, known for persecuting gays harshly and putting them in prison. The pace of revival has slowed down.

 In the start of the 21^st century, we are now seeing a new wave of revival where the worship of Moses is dead, and we to enter by Joshua into the promised land of rest by God’s grace. We are no longer striving for the law.

Many modern day churches have erred, either being extremely harsh legalistically, or a complete denial of the basic principles of faith. They attend bible colleges to learn a higher criticism to explain away the bible and replaced it with a man centred faith, or to memorise all the OT laws which they themselves could not obey. There is a fake sense of religiosity, spirituality and Holiness.

When we look inwards to our own salvation and heaven on earth either through our minds or good works, instead of heaven above, the devil has won. A deliberate misconception is that the devil is a myth. They are roaring lions, who when you turn your back on them will surely devour you even if we don’t believe.

 As a result, we see a different Gospel in some churches, which is contrary to God’s unmerited grace:-

·         Salvation based on our mind and reason

·         Salvation based on our works of love

·         God is a distant higher power rather than an intimate creator, friend, and our heavenly Father.

·         Everyone is saved, thus negating faith in Christ for our justification and righteousness.

Instead of proclaiming a justification by faith, the mega churches under the banner of Love Singapore became the moral defenders of Singapore using ancient bible laws which we ourselves do not fully follow.

There is one thing grace could not do, it could not take the church out of bondage for the sins committed eg if we rob and kill a person at Orchard, we are liable for a long prison sentence. Grace could not help us. The plan of the Devil is to make the mega churches self destruct.

The Bishop Gene Robinson proclaimed that Sodom and Gomorrah fell because of a failure to care for the poor, widows and orphans. If this was so, then the entire world would have long ago been destroyed including all the poor, widows and orphans. It was strange flesh that led to the fall. They knew precisely when the angels came to extract Lot and gathered together quickly as a mob because they were half supernatural breeds – half human and half demonic angels. Their abomination was having sex with satanic demons.

Since, the beginning of time, since the fall of mankind, the devil has been vary of the prophecy that the seed of the woman will be his downfall. He tried corrupt the seed with the demonic angels having sex with the daughters of men before the flood and at Sodom and Gomorrah. Our postmodern faith is all about the rich versus the poor, the have versus the have-nots, the majority versus the minority. What if the oppressor is not only the privileged! For Jesus was betrayed by Judas, whose mind was deceived by the evil one.

The blogger John Shore claimed “the inevitability of the rise of progressive Christianity” judged on the acceptance of Gay marriage. However, Christianity is about Jesus, the justification by faith. It does not feel like it had won. The Mainline liberal pews are empty, and for the Episcopal, their HQ building are being sold off.  When we believe the devil is a myth, he visits us even more. Perhaps, that is why the presence of the Holy Spirit left us.  

The mega churches are their own worst enemies. Pastor Derek Hong of Church of Our Saviour commented that “Satan is using homosexuals to destroy the church”. This is absolutely true! Imagine a woman out at night in the streets being raped by a gang of men. Who is to be blamed?

The devil has offered gays as the “woman” for the church to be tempted. When blood of the innocent is shed, when there is tens of thousands in the Gay community that have been denied the freedom to exist and the freedom to love, many have taken their own lives.

The name of Jesus, the blood of the Lamb, is the power and authority against the devil. It is has its basis in the fundamentals of faith including God as the creator, Jesus as Lord and Saviour and our justification, and the bible as the inspired Word of God.   We are strong standing on the Rock of Jesus Christ, and pledging to seek mercy and justice and to do no harm.

At the start of the 21^st century, a wave and move of the Holy Spirit of God is coming. It is a return to the justification by Faith apart from the Law, with Christ being our righteousness and the Rock from whom all blessings and rest flows. The church faced a moment of decision, and that gate is a rainbow coloured door in which the church must pass through.