The Branch of Righteousness

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

The Lord says that he will raise shepherds to feed the sheep. We are like the sheep and Pastor Prince is the shepherd, we shall not fear nor be dismayed and shall not lack. Indeed, after knowing Christ, fear does not really have a grip on me. It makes me bold and courageous. I would not say that I am totally freed of fear, but truly, I feel so less fearful now. Although at times, I still lack, but I am trusting God that He will certainly be faithful to His word and I shall certainly not lack.

The way the shepherd feeds is such that he would proclaim that THE LORD IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. And we are in Him, therefore we are righteous.

“ Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “ That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

Since the 1970s and 1980s, there has been a release of people from Israel from Russia (north country). Indeed, the days are coming, that the people shall dwell in their own land.

Daniel 9:23-24

“ Seventy weeks are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end of sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy. "

In the story of Rachel where it is stated "Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years" (Genesis 29:27) that Jacob serve Laban for seven years though it is stated that it is a week. This shows that a week is equals to 7 years. Therefore, 70 weeks = 7 x 70 weeks= 490 years.

This is the time where divine events occurs in 490 years:

Abraham to Exodus 490 years

Exodus to Solomon's Temple 490 years

Solomons's Temple to Nehemiah Temple 490 years

Nehemiah Temple to Jesus 490 years

In Solomon's Temple, there is plenty of riches. There is liberty.

Now let's see how the time clock applies in modern era:

31 Oct 1517 Reformation date

.

.

.+ 490 years

31 Oct 2007 Pastor Prince preached on becoming the Heir

of the world

So this is the time when we are supposed to have riches and liberty. But we need to know it to inherit it.

I declare that I am truly blessed. On the first day of my work, I had such a lovely position. The separators are very tall and surrounding me and two other male colleagues. I feel so blessed to have such a nice place. It's just like God's hiding place just for me.

Well, God's grace is superabundantly more than I can ever ask or thing. Guess what, my head of my department even bring us out to a Japanese Restaurant for a meal. And it's his treat! How blessed am I to have such a generous head. Really very happy and touched la.

Then I am so honoured to be sitting at the back of the seminar and listen to the dynamic speech given by Gary. Really he demonstrates traits of Adam Khoo. I enjoyed myself and learnt much new stuff for free! Can you imagine how much other people have to pay? And I get to listen for free! Truly I am blessed.

And to think that all is done for the day, God blessed me somemore. He sent my colleague to bring me around to where Adam Khoo is seated! And he was there to my amazement. Was so excited when I greeted him as usual.

And throughout all this while, I think my colleagues really treat me quite well. It must be the favour of God.

Soon after went with Mel and Susan for dinner at Bishan at Delifrance.

Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day. All praise and glory to Him.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

The hope over here means positive, joyful, and confident expectation of good. Which means that we should no longer fear that bad things will happen to us whenever we sin deliberately. Instead, we should expect good things to happen which is the opposite of the fearful expectation of judgment. We need to hold fast to the confession of our hope since there will be contary evidence.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:2-4)

Over here, the highlighted words is just the opposite of each other. In the past, the people have to sacrifice bulls and goats to cover their sins which means that their sins will be reminded every year. But today, for you and me believers, we shall have no more consciousness of sins. But why is this so? It is because:

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).

Therefore, we know that all our sins are being put onto the cross 2000 years ago, therefore, we are convicted of HIs righteousness while He was convicted of our sins on the cross where God impute all our sins on His body.

In the bible, Paul was accused twice, this is the first accusation he received, that is :

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Hebrews 10:12)

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Hebrews 5:19-20)

So what is grace? Grace is unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour. It is when we sin, we are in this unearned, unmerited, undeserved position that grace can come.

Grace superabounded means huperperisseuo (In Greek) which means abound beyond meassure, overflow. This means when sin increased, grace soars in superabundance and some more on top of that.

The other accusation is:

And why not say, “Let s do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. (Hebrews 3:8)

Well, to be accused of this means that Paul must have so strongly preached that GOOD WILL COME OUT OF THE EVIL. This means that no matter any bad circumstances that may occur in our lives, it just means that good shall surely come out from it as all things work together for our good!

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I[c] may live because of you.” So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

So of the world, what would you expect? You would expect that God will punish Abramham right? Since he was the one that told a lie and sin to save his own sin.

But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

But no! The Lord punished Pharaoh instead, the one being lied to! Amazing right? See how much those that are not under the law is protected? And don't Pharaoh sounds stressed here...

And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. (Genesis 12: 10-20)

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. (Genesis 12:10-20)

Can you see how things of God is so different from Man's way? Instead of punishing him, Abram ended up being blessed with silver and gold and much riches. By the way, notice that in Eygpt it is always described as went down and coming up from Eygpt. Because Eygpt stands for a land of slavery and sweat.

Now why is that so? Its because:

Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:17-19)

just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”

Now there is something interesting about the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife.

Let me explain to you who is who.

Tamar is the one who actually pretended to be a harlot (prostitute) to cheat her father in law to have sex with her without him knowing it since he refuse to let his son to meet her as she had caused the other sons to die.

Rahab is the one who is a harlot (prostitute) but later trusted God and married Boaz, the rich man.

Ruth is the one who married into the Jews although she is a Moahbite which under the law is not allowed to do that.

Finally Uriah is the one whom David fancied and have sex with while she is still another man's wife.

But guess what, God chosen their names to be in the line of Jesus Christ showing us that the past of sins shall not dictate the good future of us..

Preached by Pastor Prince on 18 May 2008

The Branch of Righteousness

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD.

The Lord says that he will raise shepherds to feed the sheep. We are like the sheep and Pastor Prince is the shepherd, we shall not fear nor be dismayed and shall not lack. Indeed, after knowing Christ, fear does not really have a grip on me. It makes me bold and courageous. I would not say that I am totally freed of fear, but truly, I feel so less fearful now. Although at times, I still lack, but I am trusting God that He will certainly be faithful to His word and I shall certainly not lack.

The way the shepherd feeds is such that he would proclaim that THE LORD IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. And we are in Him, therefore we are righteous.

“ Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “ That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “that they shall no longer say, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ And they shall dwell in their own land.”

Since the 1970s and 1980s, there has been a release of people from Israel from Russia (north country). Indeed, the days are coming, that the people shall dwell in their own land.

Daniel 9:23-24

“ Seventy weeks are determined

For your people and for your holy city,

To finish the transgression,

To make an end of sins,

To make reconciliation for iniquity,

To bring in everlasting righteousness,

To seal up vision and prophecy,

And to anoint the Most Holy. "

In the story of Rachel where it is stated "Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years" (Genesis 29:27) that Jacob serve Laban for seven years though it is stated that it is a week. This shows that a week is equals to 7 years. Therefore, 70 weeks = 7 x 70 weeks= 490 years.

This is the time where divine events occurs in 490 years:

Abraham to Exodus 490 years

Exodus to Solomon's Temple 490 years

Solomons's Temple to Nehemiah Temple 490 years

Nehemiah Temple to Jesus 490 years

In Solomon's Temple, there is plenty of riches. There is liberty.

Now let's see how the time clock applies in modern era:

31 Oct 1517 Reformation date

.

.

.+ 490 years

31 Oct 2007 Pastor Prince preached on becoming the Heir

of the world

So this is the time when we are supposed to have riches and liberty. But we need to know it to inherit it.

I declare that I am truly blessed. On the first day of my work, I had such a lovely position. The separators are very tall and surrounding me and two other male colleagues. I feel so blessed to have such a nice place. It's just like God's hiding place just for me.

Well, God's grace is superabundantly more than I can ever ask or thing. Guess what, my head of my department even bring us out to a Japanese Restaurant for a meal. And it's his treat! How blessed am I to have such a generous head. Really very happy and touched la.

Then I am so honoured to be sitting at the back of the seminar and listen to the dynamic speech given by Gary. Really he demonstrates traits of Adam Khoo. I enjoyed myself and learnt much new stuff for free! Can you imagine how much other people have to pay? And I get to listen for free! Truly I am blessed.

And to think that all is done for the day, God blessed me somemore. He sent my colleague to bring me around to where Adam Khoo is seated! And he was there to my amazement. Was so excited when I greeted him as usual.

And throughout all this while, I think my colleagues really treat me quite well. It must be the favour of God.

Soon after went with Mel and Susan for dinner at Bishan at Delifrance.

Thank you Jesus for this wonderful day. All praise and glory to Him.

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23)

The hope over here means positive, joyful, and confident expectation of good. Which means that we should no longer fear that bad things will happen to us whenever we sin deliberately. Instead, we should expect good things to happen which is the opposite of the fearful expectation of judgment. We need to hold fast to the confession of our hope since there will be contary evidence.

For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:2-4)

Over here, the highlighted words is just the opposite of each other. In the past, the people have to sacrifice bulls and goats to cover their sins which means that their sins will be reminded every year. But today, for you and me believers, we shall have no more consciousness of sins. But why is this so? It is because:

But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).

Therefore, we know that all our sins are being put onto the cross 2000 years ago, therefore, we are convicted of HIs righteousness while He was convicted of our sins on the cross where God impute all our sins on His body.

In the bible, Paul was accused twice, this is the first accusation he received, that is :

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Hebrews 10:12)

For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Hebrews 5:19-20)

So what is grace? Grace is unearned, unmerited, undeserved favour. It is when we sin, we are in this unearned, unmerited, undeserved position that grace can come.

Grace superabounded means huperperisseuo (In Greek) which means abound beyond meassure, overflow. This means when sin increased, grace soars in superabundance and some more on top of that.

The other accusation is:

And why not say, “Let s do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. (Hebrews 3:8)

Well, to be accused of this means that Paul must have so strongly preached that GOOD WILL COME OUT OF THE EVIL. This means that no matter any bad circumstances that may occur in our lives, it just means that good shall surely come out from it as all things work together for our good!

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land. And it came to pass, when he was close to entering Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance. Therefore it will happen, when the Egyptians see you, that they will say, ‘This is his wife’; and they will kill me, but they will let you live. Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me for your sake, and that I[c] may live because of you.” So it was, when Abram came into Egypt, that the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful. The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house. He treated Abram well for her sake. He had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female servants, female donkeys, and camels.

So of the world, what would you expect? You would expect that God will punish Abramham right? Since he was the one that told a lie and sin to save his own sin.

But the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife.

But no! The Lord punished Pharaoh instead, the one being lied to! Amazing right? See how much those that are not under the law is protected? And don't Pharaoh sounds stressed here...

And Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’? I might have taken her as my wife. Now therefore, here is your wife; take her and go your way.” So Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away, with his wife and all that he had. (Genesis 12: 10-20)

So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. (Genesis 12:10-20)

Can you see how things of God is so different from Man's way? Instead of punishing him, Abram ended up being blessed with silver and gold and much riches. By the way, notice that in Eygpt it is always described as went down and coming up from Eygpt. Because Eygpt stands for a land of slavery and sweat.

Now why is that so? Its because:

Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:17-19)

just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “ Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”

Now there is something interesting about the genealogy of Jesus Christ:

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife.

Let me explain to you who is who.

Tamar is the one who actually pretended to be a harlot (prostitute) to cheat her father in law to have sex with her without him knowing it since he refuse to let his son to meet her as she had caused the other sons to die.

Rahab is the one who is a harlot (prostitute) but later trusted God and married Boaz, the rich man.

Ruth is the one who married into the Jews although she is a Moahbite which under the law is not allowed to do that.

Finally Uriah is the one whom David fancied and have sex with while she is still another man's wife.

But guess what, God chosen their names to be in the line of Jesus Christ showing us that the past of sins shall not dictate the good future of us..

Preached by Pastor Prince on 18 May 2008