The people of God had flourished in Egypt after Joseph.The Israelites were fruitful and abundant. The new Egyptian king was fearful as the Israelites now had out numbered them and grew in strength. As a result, the Egyptians planned to control and manipulate them. They set over taskmasters and increased their burdens. The Israelites had contributed the work to build Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
Egypt represented the world. We can consider Egypt, Babylon, and Rome synonymous with the "world." We Christians are in this world but we are not of this world. But as we live in this world, we participate with the things of the world. And as the enemy has changed tactics from old, many of us are deceived thinking we have freedom but in reality we are in bondage. In the Old Testament, God's people were in a literal sense "slaves." They were oppressed by a nation such as Egypt and they were forced into labor to build their cities. Today, we are given "democracy" thinking we have freedom but in reality it is cloaked as many of us are made to chase our debts. The world programs us with the rest of the unbelievers to think we need such a house, such a car, such an education, such as this or that and we are programmed to buy things we cannot afford. The western world lets us believe we can worship freely but they have sent many spies and wolves within our ranks to defile and water down the pure gospel. This is evident as our churches and many professing believers do not live in the power of God but rather in bondage and many are not only spiritually sick but physically sick. They are dying in their sins.
The world programs the people to think they should live in a certain way. The world is now almost a 7 days a week, 24 hour commerce. We can trade stocks, commodities, and currency from all over the world. The market does not close in that sense. If one market closes then another market opens from another part of the world.
Most homes in the western world have both parents working. We are so busy trying to pay off our home loans. We have had our burdens increased. The banks and governments are our taskmasters. The cloak is freedom. The message of freedom is to purchase more and more and feel good. Many of us are stuck in this rat race. We are chasing to pay off our student loans. We are chasing to keep up with our credit. We are chasing to keep up with the neighbors. We are slaves to the corporations and governments. We are slaves chasing big screen TVs and the biggest and greatest to boast to our neighbors. We Christians have been given "freedom" to build Pithom and Rameses as store cities for the world.
Why did God have to get Pharaoh to let His people go? Although, it was Pharaoh who increased the burdens over God's people, what gave Pharaoh authority over God's people. If you read the scriptures, even though God's people were slaves to Egypt, they had assimilated themselves into the Egyptian culture and society. They were serving two masters as it was evident when they had built the golden calf. Although, they profess to believe in God and were His people, they did not know HIM in an intimate way. They did not know HIM enough to know how to trust HIM. As Paul said, they were not walking in faith. They had known a system that provided security, food, housing, and a way of life which was by sight. Today is no different for many of God's people. They are not living in faith but rather by sight and what the world has to offer them in terms of security, food, and housing. We depend on our credit. We depend on government programs. We depend on health care. We depend on many things from the world rather than to God first. We have built our own golden calves. How can we say this is not true when our churches preach God is a God of miracles but yet many are still dying and in their bondage? They have made the Word of God and HIS Power of NO AFFECT!!!
God's people were not only slaves but they were in sin as they had the idols of Egypt in their lives. They had given authority over their lives to Pharaoh and did not realize it. God's people did not realize they were serving idols. This is the same problem today. Many of God's people have married themselves to the world and do not even realize it. God wanted to save them but He had to get them released from the world's authority by bringing judgment. And God had to send them into the wilderness to purge them from their idols and teach them to trust HIM. But even as today, many think to believe in God is some vacation on Hawaii. They think Grace exempts them from being taken into their own wildernesses. The wilderness is there and it is first a very difficult journey as it strips the layers of the world from you. You must die to yourself so you can find life in Christ. And as we die to ourselves, we realize the idols that are hidden in our hearts. But the journey must be completed to the promise land. Faith is required to finish to the promise land. Many of God's people who were with Moses did not make it because they did not have faith but scripture said they believed in God. But yet their unbelief prevented them from making it to the promise land. Many had died in the wilderness. Many had died in their sins never learning to trust God even though they had witnessed His miracles and wonders.
James 4:4 (AMP) You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.
God had to bring judgment onto the nation of Egypt to get Pharaoh to release His people. It was also to a matter to display His majesty and power so He may be Glorified. Today, many of God's people are still in "Egypt." They are but slaves and they are full of idols. Many today believe the rapture is imminent. Yes, we are in the last hour but God's people are still under the authority of Pharaoh. His people are not ready for rapture. The world has many in bondage.
And as God brought judgment onto Egypt, He must bring judgment onto the world to make the world to release His people. Today, the world has many in bondage to TV, Hollywood, secular music, sports, drugs, lust, coveting, greed, money, breaking the 4th commandment, convenience, sickness, commerce, and etc. Many Christians give very little time for God but they will spend hours on nonsense such as TV. They will spend two hours waiting to see a doctor but they cannot even pray for one hour for their healing. They give God worship only on Sundays and will rob Him of His tithes but they will tithe to the devil and the world. They may give God only one hour on Sundays and then run to the world to enjoy themselves with the heathens. We ask one another to pray for each other but hardly anyone prays diligently. Many Christians are expecting other Christians to carry this burden as they rather watch TV or vegetate. They will tithe to the devil by buying cigarettes, liquor, drugs, gambling, sex, big ticket items, greed, things they do not need, and the things that exalt and glorifies themselves. They buy things of death rather than life. Many Christians are but slaves to this world and do not even realize it. And we wonder why God is not answering many of our prayers as we watch our brethren die in their sins?
God must bring judgment to free His people before the rapture. How can they be rapture and ready in their current state? They must be freed from what we consider freedom from the world. We have but fatten ourselves for the day of the slaughter. The Day of the Lord quickly is approaching. His judgments will come to show His RIGHTEOUSNESS!
James 5:5 [Here] on earth you have abandoned yourselves to soft (prodigal) living and to [the pleasures of] self-indulgence and self-gratification. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
Judgment is coming to this nation as it is evident as the hand of His protection is being lifted. The world is not becoming more evil. The world has always been evil. But it is the light in God's people that is becoming more dimmer and dimmer. The world is becoming more darker and darker as His people are losing the light and salt in them. Will you get on your knees and repent or will we continue to blame others? We Christians will answer to God. Such evil is occurring on our watch. We have the POWER to bind and loose what is on the earth and heavens through our prayer. But we rather be idle and lazy running this rat race trying to pay bills we cannot afford and thinking rapture is coming for us as we listen to false prophets with false dates and seasons. We are but being denied the Power of God to glorify HIM.
Isaiah 5:16 (AMP) But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and God, the Holy One, shows Himself holy in righteousness and through righteous judgments.
When judgement comes, the big screen TVs, Hollywood, secular music, sports, greed, the big homes, the nice cars, and such will not matter. When judgement comes, it will be a matter of survival. Then hopefully, His people will humble themselves turning from their wicked ways and return back to HIM with ALL their hearts. Then He will heal our lands and we will be ripe for rapture as our eyes our upon HIM. A fruit is ripe when it is soft and perhaps beaten when it has fallen. Have you been broken? When it is hard, it is not ready to be eaten. Many of God's people are but hard unripe fruits.
Matthew 24:14 (AMP) And this good news of the kingdom (the Gospel) will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then will come the end.
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Read what is before verse 14. Many things are coming before the good news of the Kingdom is preached through the whole world as far as God is concerned!! Today, yes, much has been preached to the world. But it has been religion and a powerless one at that which has engulfed most of the world. It is a prosperity gospel which glorifies oneself rather than God.
Matthew 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes one [a proselyte], you make him doubly as much a child of hell (Gehenna) as you are.
Much of today's scribes and Pharisees have sent many on missions throughout the world. But it is God's turn now. It will not be done with the power of money, religion, humanism, or the strength of men but by HIS SPIRIT! He is raising up an army trained and led by the Spirit of God. He is raising up an army of FIRE ministers to overcome the world. He is raising up a chosen people of HIS. He will be Glorified!!
Zechariah 4:6 (AMP) Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.
Fire of God Ministries International
Pst Steve Yong Kim
December 18, 2012
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