Tag: JESTIN MADURAI

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CHRISTMAS ARTICLES WITH A DIFFERENCE Deep Disciples of Jesus Shaping Article

The Full Glory of the Christmas Story Via Christmas Passages You Probably Missed While In A Hurry!

WOWED BY A WIDE-LENS VIEW OF CHRISTMAS BY A STUDY OF THE REFERENCES TO CHRISTMAS/INCARNATION OF CHRIST BY OTHER NEW TESTAMENT WRITERS APART FROM MATTHEW AND LUKE

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

Different writers of the Bible used various styles and imagery to describe the Christmas story. Using Holy Spirit-inspired colors they painted the Christmas Story in a wide range of colors! Yes, Matthew and Luke narrated the historic Christmas story. But other New Testament writers – notably Paul, John and the Hebrews-author – go back to the same Christmas event and explain its theological meanings and implications. Let us look at Christmas using a wide-lens, taking into account the writings of as many different New Testament writers as possible!

Not just Luke and Matthew. Paul, John, and the Hebrews-writer talk about Christmas! We have a mention of Christmas even in the book of Revelation! This article focusses on the non-Matthew, non-Luke stories of Christmas!

Paul described Christmas this way: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman..” (Gal. 4:4). For Paul, Christmas was all about the impeccable TIMING. Jesus came to the planet at the time designed by the Trinity. If God came to the earth as a sinless, perfect human at the right time, he knows the right time to remove that sickness you are presently enduring and give you the promotion you are eagerly expecting! We must learn to salute the Sovereignty of God who is always “on time” when it comes to working miracles on our behalf even though, at times, he may be “four days late” (John 11:39) (as one song-writer memorably put it).

The miracle that God has planned for you, will come at the ‘right time’ – God’s time!

John portrayed Christmas this way: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling (tabernacle) among us…” (John 1:14). For John, Christmas was about the TABERNACLE. This world is not our home and we just tabernacling – passing – through this world! As Jonathan Edwards put it, we go about our earthly tenure with ‘eternity stamped on our eyeballs’.

The Hebrews-writer envisioned Christmas this way: “Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil…” (Heb. 2:14). For the Hebrews-writer, Christmas was all about TERROR-REMOVAL. Jesus was born so that he would die and rise again and thereby open the door to remove the commonest fear among humans – the fear of death. And to die, he needed flesh and blood like us, humans. And during the first Christmas, he chose to cloth himself with flesh and blood! So no fear needs to grip us – the fear of an examination, the fear of a job-loss, the fear of another crippling pandemic, the fear of not being up-to-the-mark in the responsibilities given to us, the fear of …. !

Christmas happened that our fear of death will be gone! Hebrews-writer’s point!

John wrote again about Christmas choosing another thing to focus upon in 2 John. He wrote there: ‘For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist’ (2 John 7). For him, here, Christmas was all about TRUTH-GAURDING. By being born in the flesh – born as a baby into our planet – Jesus was showcasing the importance of the human body. The one who filled the universe would now live inside the body of a woman – her womb! And once he came out of her womb, he would exist in a human body coping with all its restrictions of having to be in one place at one time (something that was strange for the God who was everywhere present)! The human body cannot become a playground for sexual immorality. If you did not believe in Christmas –  God’s coming in the flesh – then it would not be a big deal for you to indulge the flesh! So, if you really believed in Christmas, you will motivation to live a sexually pure life! That was John’s point in 2 John.

2 John has a verse about Christmas/Incarnation that encourages us to overcome sexual sin!

John was not tired of writing about Christmas time and again! He kept coming back to Christmas to expound the theological implications of Christ as the Spirit of God prodded him to. He gives us a peek of Christmas in Revelation 12, I believe: the Sun-clothed woman’s baby was about to be devoured by Satan the moment he was born (Rev. 12:4). Remember how Herod tried to finish off the new born baby Jesus? This Revelation 12 male child, obviously Jesus, was “destined to rule the nations” (Rev. 12:5). Satan also was keen on waging an ongoing battle with the “rest of the children” of the sun-clothed woman (Rev. 12:17). The rest of the children of the sun-clothed – symbolic of believers and Christ-followers – were to hang in there for 1260 days in the wilderness (Rev. 12:14). 1260 days! Does the number ring a bell? It certainly rang a bell among the original readers of John’s letter! They knew that was a code word used by the apostles often to remind believers of those days to become more and more like the One who ministered on this earth for 1260 days, i.e. three and half years – even Jesus! So, the call of Christmas, from John, from Revelation 12 is that of a TRANSFORMATION – a call to be transformed in character like Jesus’ character, more and more in our “wilderness” journey!

The Sun-clothed woman story narrated in Revelation 12 is a Christmas Story, according to me, calling us to become more and more like Jesus!

Using the “flood” from his mouth Satan (see Rev. 12:15) will try to drown believers. That reminds me of the “flood” of false teaching Satan has unleashed using the mouths of false-teachers who have surrendered their mouths to him. Using those Satan-inspired mouths the teach hell-populating teaching like hyper-grace, immortality on earth, hyper-supernaturalism, etc. to drown believers. John writes, ‘But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth’ (Rev. 12:16). This is simply another way of saying that one day the earth will open up and swallow Satan-inspired false-teachers the way it opened up and swallowed Korah and his rebellion gang in the Old Testament. It is an imagery of judgment: earth opening up and swallowing. It points to the hell-destination of false teachers and those who buy their theology, I believe. So understanding this seemingly-complex-yet-simple imagery of Revelation 12 brings us back to the message of TRUTH-GAURDING. Obeying the commands of God – holding onto the written Word of God and making it our basis for all matters of belief and behaviour – and holding onto our testimony – testimony via life and lips –  is what enrages Satan, John writes he wraps his ‘Christmas’ commentary in the book of Revelation (Rev. 12:17). Let’s celebrate a Christmas where the focus is not on being ENTERTAINED by SANTA CLAUS but on ENRAGING SATAN!

Revelation 12’s thrust about Christmas brings us to this: Christmas is not about being ENTERTAINED by Santa Claus but about ENRAGING SATAN by safe-gaurding ourselves from false teachings he brings via false teachers/pastors/brothers!!!

This wide-lens view of Christmas is wow, isn’t it? This Christmas take time to read, meditate, chew, non-typical Christmas chapters such as Revelation 12, 2 John, Galatians 4, John 1, etc.!

(Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj, a Agri. Engineer turned M. Div. Gold Medallist and Doctor Of Ministry Graduation Speaker,  is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a para-church ministry to present-day people functioning from Chennai. God has graciously opened doors for him to preach in over 20 Indian states and in a few other nations right from the first time Duke preached, as a school boy of 16, in the year 1991. He has authored three books: Straight Talk (Sex, Love, Marriage, Porn, Phone Addiction, married-sex, etc., – what the Bible says), Daniel in Dell (practical study of the book of Daniel for modern working professionals), Goodnews for the Google Generation (the Gospel presented the way Jesus did in Luke 13 and the way Paul did in Acts 17). Reach him via emailduke@gmail.com or WhatsApp, +91-8886040605, in case you want to buy these or have a question. Duke is married to Evangelin, a Odisha Missionary’s daughter, and this couple are blessed with two children – Dale, 19, who is a student of St. Stephens College, Delhi,  and Datasha, 15, who studies Class X. This article was published in the December 2022 edition of Aim magazine of Evangelical Fellowship of India. Duke’s ministry, the G4 Mission is a reader-supported ministry).

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Presentday Cults and the Bible

Tomatoes and Hell-Populating False Teaching – Duke Jeyaraj

Sound Doctrine and hell-populating false teaching seem very similar. The look alike for the shallow Bible Student. Like Hybrid Tomatoes and Desi Tomatoes appear very similar to the uninitiated grocery shopping husbands, true teaching and false teaching appear very similar to biblical illiterates. False Teaching’s ultra close similarity with Sound Teaching is what makes it so dangerous. The acid test is this: is this teaching leading me to become comfortable with sin in my life? If it does, it is hell-populating teaching most surely! It is not sound teaching then! Obeying that teaching will make you, hell-bound! The ‘Does-this-teaching-lead-me-to-become-comfortable-with-sin?’ Question was the measure used in Revelation 2:20-22 when, a person none other than the Lord Jesus, evaluates False Teacher Jezebel’s teaching! #falseteaching #cults #hypergrace #hopefuluniversalism #gay’believers’ #immortalitynow

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Bible Truth Around Contemporary Events US Presidential Elections 2020 Devotions

TRUMP AT MOUNT RUSHMORE & A TRUTH ABOUT FREEDOM WHICH ENCOURAGES US AGAINST RUSHING TOWARDS SIN!

Duke Jeyaraj

“These heroes will never be defaced. Their legacy will never, ever be destroyed. Their achievements will never be forgotten. And Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom.” – So said US President Donald Trump in a much-talked-about Independence Day speech in front of the iconic Mount Rushmore on 3 July 2020. At this time, I recalled a Bible truth about FREEDOM that warns hyper-grace cult embracing believers that we must not rush towards sin because we are ‘free’! At this juncture, I was reminded of a much-neglected truth about FREEDOM that needs to be re-hammered in this false-Grace-embracing age, found in the book which is the very Word of the living God, a book with words that will stand forever according to the Lord Jesus who said, “Heaven and earth will pass away; but my words will never pass-away!” (Luke 21:33)! And I put that truth I discovered in my personal devotion on this poster! Just in case you have never seen the two Bible verses I am quoting in this poster, here they are: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal. 5:13). “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (1 Pet. 2:16). Here is how Eugene Peterson puts a part of I Pet. 2:16 – ‘Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules’ (MSG).

(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. This is a viewer-supported, reader-supported Indian ministry to the Google Generation. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. Write to Duke via emailduke@gmail.com or via WhatsApp 918886040605).

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Anti-Dotes-For-Modern-False-Teachings-Like-Hyper-Grace

THE COMPASSIONATE CONSUMING FIRE


Duke Jeyaraj responds to the oft-repeated hyper-grace teachers’ lie, “No judgement post-Cross”

“Won’t see God as an angry/punishing God anymore after the Cross..” “God is not fuming at sin now….”: This the unbiblical rubbish that hypergrace cult false teachers keep teaching. But the Bible does not teach that. Why did Paul preach about “coming judgment” after the CROSS (Acts 24:24-25)? He could have well skipped it, if he believed in the hyper-grace cult Gospel. But he did not. Jesus prayed for Ananias and Sapphira sitting at God’s right hand. Yet when they lied to the Holy Spirit they dropped dead. After giving them enough chances, God decided to end their lives (Acts 5). “My Spirit does not always strive with man….” Gen. 6:3. After striving with this believer couple who were under the NEW COVENENT God decided to send judgement upon them. This is not a stand-alone event. The angel of the Lord stuck down boasting Herod (Acts 12:20-23). This also happened after Jesus died on the Cross, rose again, ascended, sat next to the Father and started praying! So did the “angel of the Lord” who struck down Herod “insult” the “finished work of the Cross”? Please answer hyper-grace Bible-twisters! “God will DESTROY those who destroy God’s temple” wrote Paul to New Covenent believers (I Cor. 3:16-17). So GOD insulted Jesus’ finished work on the Cross, here? Please answer Hyper-grace teachers! James warned that believers who could not control their tongue were in the danger of going to hell – the ultimate place of God’s judgment (James 3:6). James did not believe in this hyper-grace false teaching: “No judgment post Cross!” The writer to the Hebrews writes, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers, God will judge!” (Heb. 13:4). The writer to the Hebrews did not believe that post-Cross, there was no judgement for believers. Jesus told the believers of the church in Thyatira that he would “throw her (a self-appointed prophetess who mislead his followers to commit immoral sexual acts) into her sickbed with those who commit adultery with her…:” Jesus further said, “I will punish her by striking her children dead.”(Rev. 2:20-23). So the post-Cross Jesus here insulted his own finished work, according to Hyper-grace wolves in sheep clothing? The Bible says, in the New Testament, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…for our God is a consuming fire!” (Heb 12:28,29). He is a compassionate father but also a consuming fire. We must stress on BOTH these characteristics of God. Suffering, sickness, death is not always because of sin (Read John 9: 1 onwards to get this). But God can choose to allow these as acts of punishment after having given a person enough chances. Only God knows how many chances to give a person. Not preachers. Not you. Not me. But if a person is still stubborn in sin, God can move in judgement even now, post the Cross of Jesus. This we find in the Bible as I have shown above. So the message for the believer is this: REMAIN in Christ (John 15). “There is no condemnation to those who ARE in Christ Jesus (notice, it does not say here, “those who ONCE WERE in Christ Jesus!” (Rom. 8:1). Hyper-grace cult false teachers (unless they repent) are not only going to hell, but taking people there. That’s why we can’t simply keep watching this. God’s Word to us is this: “Pursue those who are singed by the flames of God’s wrath and bring them safely to Him.” (Jude 23 The Voice, NKJV for today).

(Dr. Duke Jeyaraj is an engineer (Allahabad University) turned doctor of ministry graduate (of SABC). Duke is also the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission, a ministry to presentday people, that’s supported by those who read/hear/watch Duke’s messages, voluntarily. Find out more by liking www.facebook.com/dukebook)

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Anti-Dotes-For-Modern-False-Teachings-Like-Hyper-Grace

“Jesus loves sinners. But only condemns the self-righteous!” Is this Popular Defense of Hyper-Grace Biblical?

Duke Jeyaraj answers

This is just a popular perception put out by cultic, hell-populating hyper-grace pastors/teachers. But if we carefully look at the Scriptures as a whole, we understand this: Jesus warned that stubborn sin will take ANYONE to hell – not just the Pharisees, Hypocrites and the Self-Righteous! Have you read this statement of Jesus, a statement that he made to someone he healed: “You look wonderful! You’re well! Don’t return to a sinning life or something worse might happen.” (John 5:14, The Message). Because this man was a recipient of Jesus’ grace – he was healed even though he did not deserve healing – Jesus expected and demanded that he be grateful for that grace received by living a holy life, a temptation-beating life, a victory-over-sin life! Grace received must lead to holy living! That was Jesus’ point! That was the point of the Apostles as well. If we are truly grateful for God’s grace, we will say ‘no’ to ‘ungodliness’ and ‘worldly passions” (Titus 2:11,12). In fact the Grace of God enables us to say ‘no’ to sin, ANY SIN. Yes, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, a Pharisaical attitude, is a sin as is porn-watching, as is drunkenness, as is foul-language use, as is pride, as is lying, as is stealing, as is adultery. The writer to the Hebrews warned about this: we cannot ‘obtain’ the Grace of God and ‘maintain’ bitterness with people we have relationship-problems with (Heb. 12:15). This writer also says this: ‘those strengthened by grace’ (Heb. 13:9) should also keep their ‘marriage bed pure’ (Heb. 13:4), of course enabled by the same grace, lest they fall into God’s judgment (Heb. 13:4). Jesus or the Bible does not differentiate between these two sins – self-righteous and other kinds of sins! Let not hyper-grace pastors fool you in this regard tell you this in-effect: “Don’t worry about sin in your life, as long as you are not self-righteous!” You will go to hell along with them (should they not repent), if you believe this lie! What is the ‘something worse’ that Jesus talked about in John 5:14 can happen to those who love to remain in stubborn in? A life in hell – a place of eternal, ever-conscious torment (Rev. 20:10; 14:9; 21:8). I hope that none of us will go there and remember this YouTube comment posted on 21 May 2020 and made as an article on dukewords.com eventually shortly after that!

(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. Watch his message videos at http://www.Youtube.com/c/visitduke. Whatsapp him via +91-8886040605).

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#ThankYouRavi Anti-Dotes-For-Modern-False-Teachings-Like-Hyper-Grace

Answering Hyper-Grace Cult Proponents With A Method of Thinking I Learnt from Dr. Ravi Zacharias / Duke Jeyaraj

Hyper grace false doctrine cannot be sustained by it’s own philosophy. Let me explain: I am believer. I attack hyper-grace false teaching. The hyper grace proponent who sees this should only say, ‘Duke Jeyaraj, though he attacks hyper grace false teaching is the righteousness of God!’ They should not try to change me by commenting and counter commenting on Facebook because, according to them, I remain the ‘righteousness of God’ no matter what I do as a believer in Jesus. So, you see Hyper grace false teaching is a philosophically self-defeating. Thanks to Dr. Ravi ZACHARIAS who has trained me to employ arguments like this. Ever Grateful! #ThankYouRavi

(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. WhatsApp him at +91-8886040605. Read his articles at http://www.dukewords.com. Watch his video messages at http://www.Youtube.com/c/VisitDuke)

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Anti-Dotes-For-Modern-False-Teachings-Like-Hyper-Grace

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF HYPER-GRACE TEACHING: AN ULTRA BRIEF BIBLICAL ANALYSIS

Duke Jeyaraj

A teaching that is called “Hyper-Grace” is sadly lapped up by unsuspecting believers world over (including those in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Singapore and literally world over). A google search on “Hyper-Grace” would throw up the prominent Hyper-Grace teachers in the world, presently. This is an unbiblical teaching that is, at best, a half-truth. But then, a half-truth is a full-lie (as someone said)! Hyper-Grace teachers are in the GRIP of “G-R-I-P”, I noticed. Let me explain:

G-GRACE GRAMMER GOOF-UP!

What I mean here is that, the Hyper-Grace Teachers tell us that a believer’s past, present and future sins stand automatically forgiven when he gets saved. This is simply not true, according to Scripture. A “brother” (that is, a believer) who had regular sexual relationship with his own mother was not considered “forgiven” or “righteous” but as a “evil person” by Apostle Paul (I Cor. 5:1,11,13). David Ravenhill wrote, “The fact is that the provision for my cleansing was completed at the cross but the process of my cleansing is conditional upon my repentance.” I agree.

R-REPENTANCE REDIFINTION-RIDDANCE!

Hyper-Grace teachers tell us that Repentance merely means changing one’s mind – it does not involve action. Some Hyper-Grace teachers unashamedly say, “I don’t preach on repentance (turning from sin), anymore!” Paul clearly taught in Acts 26:20 that the Gentiles should repent, turn to God, “performing deeds in keeping with repentance”. This was the description given in the book of Revelation about those condemned to eternal hell: “they did not repent” (Rev. 9:20, 21; 16: 9,11). All of us have a choice, Jesus preached: to repent or to perish in hell (Luke 13:1-5; Rev. 21:8). Some hyper-grace teachers are very quick to reject any so-called “pre-cross” statement of Jesus like the one I just quoted. But they do quote portions from the sayings of pre-cross Jesus which they think squares up well with their deceptive theology. For example I have heard them quote from Luke 9:53-55 (where Jesus rebukes his disciples, James and John, who wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy Samaritans). They should make up their minds to accept ALL the words of Jesus or NONE of it. And they should not forget, “ALL” Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for “teaching” (2 Tim. 3:16).

I-INCESSANT IDENTITY INSANITY!

The way Hyper-Grace teachers will invariably begin their messages is this way: “Today, I will tell you who you are in Christ – your identity in Christ!!” While it is good to know our identity in Christ, we must not forget the “responsibility” of holy living that Christ calls us to (I Thess 4:3 which says, “It is God’s will, your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality”). Hyper-Grace teachers, call those who preach on holiness/progressive sanctification, as ‘hypocritical legalists’/’mixed-grace preachers’. But the Scripture does teach progressive, day-to-day sanctification. One of the 16 fundamental doctrines of the Assemblies of God is (progressive) sanctification which is expressed by these words: “Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.” We chose to live holy using our free-will, enabled by the Holy Spirit’s power(Gal. 5:16; Rom. 8:13). Therefore we have nothing to boast about, except that we have been enabled by His Grace.

P-PERMANENTLY PLEASED POP!

The teaching they systematically spread is this: “God, your loving father, doesn’t see you in your failures and short-comings; He sees you in Jesus’ perfection and loveliness, always.” If that were true, Jesus, when he saw the failures and short-comings of the Revelation churches would have said, “Rejoice! I do not see your sin!” But, instead, he said “Repent!” (because he did see their sin, post-cross!) He said that six times (Rev. 2:5,16, 21,22; 3:3,19). We must not exalt one image of God found in the Bible at the expense of other images, leading to a blunder that could land us in hell. In Hebrews 12, we read that God is both these “CFs” – a Compassionate Father (verse 5) and a Consuming Fire (vs. 29)! God is not just a Father who dotes over us, he is a Master whom we must obey, the Scripture tells us repeatedly (I Cor. 6:13; Col. 3:24; Jude 4; Gal. 6:17; I Thess 1:6-8). He is not just a loving dad but also a faithfulness-expecting and purity-expecting Bride Groom (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:27). We are saved by Grace, for good works and holy living (Eph. 2:8-10). Let us not forget that.

Let’s get busy with the work of rescuing those friends of ours in the g-r-i-p of the hyper-grace teaching before it is too late. Let us boldly go to places where false doctrines like hell-taking hyper-grace teaching is taught and “charge” people not to teach any doctrine that is contrary to Scripture (See I Tim. 1:3).

(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Gen from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. Watch his videos at http://www.youtube.com/c/visitduke).

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Anti-Dotes-For-Modern-False-Teachings-Like-Hyper-Grace

“I am the Righteous of God!” Proclamation, Temptation & Hyper-Grace Cult Theology

Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj

You must tell the Devil, “I am the righteousness of God”, when he brings temptation before you. That is the teaching of Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:21. This confession helps you to overcome temptation. “I am the righteousness of God. So, I will not lie! So, I will not watch porn! So, I will not use those Fs and Bs!” Yes, we can use these exact words during times of Temptation.

What the verse that is found after 2 Corinthians 5:21? It is found in the next chapter. Chapter and verse divisions were put in our Bibles for our convenience and were not inspired by God. This verse teaches that way we will not be guilty of using the grace of God in “vain” (2 Cor. 6:1/compare with Titus 2:11-12, Romans 3:8, Romans 6:1-2,15).

This is correct teaching.

However, if you and I fall into temptation, we should not foolishly continue saying, “I am the righteousness of God” (as Hyper-grace, heretic, hell-populating false teachers tell us to). The Bible calls those believers stubborn in sin with this names: “adulterers!” (James 4:4). Notice, the Bible does not call believers stubborn in sin as “Children of God!” We must repent and confess our sin immediately (I John 1:7-9, Compare with Romans 2:4-5). Hyper-grace false teachers tell us that there is no need to repent or confess our sins, even if we sin. False theology. Dangerous theology. Hell-leading theology. Because Hell is the place for unforgiven people.

(Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission. Find out more at http://www.dukev.org. WhatsApp him via +91-8886040605).

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Uncategorized

NO DEATH FOR BELEIVERS?

DID JESUS TEACH IMMORTALITY ON EARTH IN JOHN 11:25-26? DID APOSTLE PAUL TEACH BELEIEVERS WON’T EVER DIE UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO?

Duke Jeyaraj examines the claims of a Chennai cult pastor and Madurai cult pastor that the Bible teaches that believers need not die if they choose not to

Jesus said, I myself am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus told her. “The man who believes in me will live even though he dies, and anyone who is alive and believes in me will never die at all. Can you believe that?” (John 11:25,26).

Does this verse teach ‘immortality on earth’ as a Chennai cult Pastor and Madurai cult Pastor emphatically teach? Does this mean that believers will never need to physical death?

These verses – John 11:25,26 – does not teach that man will have immortality on this eternity. These verses do not teach that believers will not experience physical death. Why do I say that? Because I have read I Timothy 6:16 which says, “He (God) alone is immortal and dwells in immortal light…” This, Apostle Paul, writes after Jesus spoke the words he spoke in John 11:25-26. We must interpret the words of Jesus the way the Apostle interpret it – not according to our whims and fancies. We cannot interpret Jesus’ words according to way some cult pastors interpret it. We must follow Christ, as Apostle Paul followed Christ. We must interpret Christ as Apostle Paul interpreted Christ! Also, don’t forget, that Apostle Paul included ‘death’ in the list of the things that cannot separate a believer who abides in Christ, from Christ (Romans 8:38). If he believed in immortality/physical death cancellation, he would not have included death! If he believed that death is not for a believer, Paul would not have acknowledged that a ‘sentence of death’ hung over him and the other apostles doing God’s Work (I Cor. 4:9).

So, what did Jesus mean when he said, “anyone who is alive and believes in me will never die” (John 11:26)? We must ask the question, “What did Jesus mean by the word ‘die’ here?” This question brings us to the different meanings of the word ‘death’ in the Bible. A careful study of the word ‘death’ in the Bible tells us that there are three kinds of death.

First, there is spiritual death. In fact, the first reference in the Bible about death, concerns spiritual death. God told the first couple: “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Did Adam and Eve experience physical death instantly when they ate the forbidden fruit? No. But they died spiritually speaking. For Jesus, this concept of death was foremost in his mind. In Luke 15:32, the Loving, Waiting Father says the prodigal, lost son was “dead” but now “alive” after he repented and returned! Was the prodigal younger son “dead” – physically or literally? No. He was very much alive! He squandered his father’s wealth in ‘reckless LIVING’ (Lk 15:13). He was the “LIFE” of the party (to use today’s youth’s language) when he partied hard living in open sin, yet he was DEAD (according to his dad, according to Jesus who narrated this parable). Only after his repentance and return to God, did he find LIFE! Otherwise he was DEAD. Luke 15:32 is clear. Apostle Paul also taught the same thing. Those living in sin are “dead in sin” he wrote concerning the Ephesian believers before they found Jesus (Eph. 2:1).

The second kind of death the Bible talks about is physical death. When the Bible says in Genesis 5:5, “Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died”, it is talking about physical death. Physical death is called the ‘way of all the earth’ (Josh 23:14, Joshua’s words; I Kings 2:2, David’s words). Joshua heard Moses his mentor asking those he lead to “choose life and not death” (Deut. 30:19, 29:2). Yet he knew while he found spiritual life through Yahweh, he did have to die physically! The Madurai pastor quotes ‘choose life’ (from the Old Testament) at the end of an immortality-promoting sermon! Why not also quote Josh 23:14 and I Kings 2:2 and other Old Testament passages that clearly say that death is for all – including Yahweh followers and believers in the Messiah (Jesus) to come! In the light of the full message of the Bible, choose ‘life’ did not mean Physical Death’s end (Joshua, who heard it did not see it that way)!

The third kind of death is eternal death. For Apostle John – the author of John 11:25-26 (the fave verse of no-physical-death-for-believers-bluffers) – this was the meaning of death. He called it ‘second death’ or ultimate death. Hell punishment was ‘second death’ for John (Rev. 21:8). If you have not read Revelation 21:8 which the author of Gospel of John also wrote here it is:”But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,  their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

When Jesus died on the Cross, He endured ‘second death’ punishment for us. We should have gone to hell which the Bible calls as ‘second death’ (Rev. 21:8). But Jesus endured hell – which is ultimate death – for us. As he hung on the Cross, he cried out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me!” Jesus experienced the hell of separation from his father! As he hung on the Cross, he cried out, “I thirst!” Those were the words that Rich Man spoke after he died (physical death) to endure second/eternal death (punishment in hell) (Luke 16). Jesus spoke those very words while he hung on the Cross! We can see it this way: Jesus endured ultimate death – which the Bible calls ‘second death’ in Revelation 21:8 – so that we will not have to go to hell! In Romans 5:8-9 and I Thessalonians 1:10 Apostle Paul also explains how Jesus’ death on the Cross saved believers who would abide in him from ‘second death’ – hell punishment (or the coming wrath). So the message of John 11:25-26 is simple: Jesus died to save us from hell-punishment; if we live in Christ, we will never go to hell. I tell youth this: If you come to Jesus now, he will save you from your living hell (the disappointment you have as you found out that you never found in sin, what you entered sin to find) and literal hell (burning Sulfur furnace punishment).

So, Jesus was not teaching physical death cancellation in John 11:25-26 (as what he said would contradict what he spoke through the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul that only God can be ‘immortal’, I Tim. 6:16). The meaning of John 11:25-26 is this: “those who keep believing in Jesus will be resurrected by spiritual death and be kept from eternal death – hell punishment!” Let not the cult-pastors-brigade confuse you by making you believe that these verses – John 11:25-26 means something else!

There is another reason why I believe that Jesus did not teach physical death cancellation for the believer in John 11:25-26. If there was to be no death for his followers why did he allow John the Baptist to die (Matt. 14)? If there was to be no death for believers why did Jesus allow James the apostle to die (Acts 12)? If there is no death for New Covenant believers why did Apostle Paul commend Ephaphroditus one of his ministry team members for risking his life for the Lord and almost dying (Phil. 2)? If death was cancelled for believers believers cannot be ever at ‘risk’ of dying – isn’t it? But Ephaphroditus faced this real risk according to Paul. So, Apostle Paul never believed what these cult pastors are saying that he believed! He never believed in immortality on earth!

These cult pastors twist Scriptures to teach that Hebrews 9:23-28 and 2 Cor. 5:15 to bring this false teaching: “When Jesus died, we all died and when Jesus rose we all rose. So, since Jesus died once for all and will not die again, we too will have to die!” The Madurai cult pastor argues: “Since we were buried with Christ when we got water baptized (see Romans 6:3) we will not have to die again!” Really?

So, John 11:25-26 must be interpreted with the light of the rest of the Bible. If Jesus meant physical death cancellation for the believer in John 11:25-26, he would not called his disciples to be martyrdom ready using the ‘grain of wheat’ imagery in John 12:24. But he did! You see – cancelling physical death, here and now, was never part of Jesus’ plan for us!

These cult pastors also claim that Apostle Paul kept beating death (in the sea amidst storms, in the island of Malta – they quote these examples). But he ultimately died because he chose to die. God took Apostle Paul because Apostle Paul gave permission to God to take him away when he wrote, “I finished the race” (2 Tim 4) – this is their bizarre claim. Apostle Paul – hear me good – never for a second thought that he would be immortal as he wrote that ONLY GOD can be immortal (I Tim. 6:16). The Chennai cult pastor says Paul, like Jesus had the right to lay down his life on his own accord (John 10:18). What blasphemy! This is an attempt to make Paul, a mere human as God, by this cult pastor! Only God has the power over the duration of one’s life. King Hezekiah understood that correctly. That’s why he pleaded with God to extend his life weeping bitterly. We see the same truth in the New Testament when in Acts we read that Jesus is the ‘author of life’ (Acts 3:15).

Yes, Jesus will stop physical human death one day. That is after his Second Coming! Revelation 21:4 talks about a time when there will be no more death in this world! Notice this happens only after Jesus’ return to the earth riding a white horse which is recorded in Revelation 19! So, do not get confused and get carried by what these cult false pastors teach.

The Chennai cult pastor asserts that Jesus will not come back until a generation in church rises to beat death. He quotes Psalm 110:1/alluded to in I Cor. 15:25 to ‘prove’ this: He says after reading this verse, “Jesus is sitting right now at the right hand of the father. His body and legs are the church. And the church should make all enemies the footstool! And death is the last enemy to be defeated (I Cor. 15:26)! So, when a generation rises in the church that beats death by believing in immortality,  and then Jesus will come back. Till then he will only sit at the right hand of the father!” This interpretation is wrong. Why? It violates the principle in the Bible that Jesus will return without giving any warning to anyone. Four Scriptures teach that Jesus will return like a thief in the night (Matt. 24:43; I Thess. 5:2,4; Rev. 16:15). The meaning is plain as day: Jesus will return when no one expects him! Only a fool will say, “Jesus can never come until this happens!” The truth of the Bible is this: “Jesus can come anytime!” If Jesus will not come till a generation beats death (as this Chennai pastor asserts), that again gives youth time to live in sin without the fear of being “left behind” during his coming! So, this teaching put forth by these cult pastors lead to slackening of holiness! That’s why these doctrinal deviations are taking people to hell! That’s why these doctrines put forth by this immortality company of pastors are “doctrines of demons” whose final destiny is hell.

And if you carefully read Psalm 110:1/I Cor. 15:25 (also quoted in Matt. 22:22 and Heb. 2:8) that verse says that Jesus must reign until “He” has put everything “under his feet” (re-read I Cor. 15:25)! But this Chennai cult pastor is talking about believers – not ‘He’ meaning Jesus – working to put everything “under his feet!” So, it Jesus who will defeat the final enemy called Death.  Believers will not do it! It is Jesus who will do it! That’s why Paul writes, “to those who….Seek immortality” (Rom. 2;5)  following repentance (Rom. 2:5),  Jesus will give eternal life (Rom. 2:7). We must get that clear – immortal life for believers is only in future eternity (‘will give’).

These cult pastors have an agenda. Their main target is the younger generation. If youth are told, ‘no more death’, then that would give youth (or anyone else who will believe this rubbish) the license to sin. Because after death there is no chance for salvation as the Bible teaches (Hebrews 9:27). After death, there is going to be only judgement! And if we are found to be living in secret sin and not abiding in Christ then hell is where we will go! So, by removing death from the equation by twisting and raping certain Bible verses, they want to remove the fear of God from the youth and give them license to sin with freedom! Let us not welcome such teaching and share in their wicked work (2 John 10,11) and land in hell with them!

I say this because both the Chennai cult pastor and the Madurai cult pastor readily admit that they may die anytime but they say that they will still preach immortality “as it is in the Word of God”! As we have seen here above – it is not in the Word of God! So, what is the real reason why they preach this poison?  The real reason they preach immortality is to comfort young people in their sin. I implore them to repent and start preaching like Jesus: “Tonight your life will be demanded from you….” (Luke 12:20)/”Mrs Lot did not have lots of time to repent….so remember Lot’s wife….(Luke 17:32)!”

(Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission. This is a reader supported Indian ministry. Find out more at www.dukev.org or via WhatsApp at +91-8886040605).