10 Ugly Faces of the Grace Hating Spirit

One of the main reasons why I was so utterly gutted to miss the last "Glory and Grace Conference" in Hong Kong was something called an "Island Getaway" that was held after the conference. During that time the guys got to hear Rob speak some more and he gave a session called; "The 10 Ugly Faces of the Grace-Hating Spirit". I did post it some time ago after it was made available but it is a MUST publish again for two reasons. 1. You can never hear these warnings enough. 2. This week we are going to encounter the "Grace-Hating Spirit" in various shades of intensity (myself included for certain).

Here it is:

"This feels like military training where you have been going for days and days and you think "We need to stop and have a break and fellowship!". And someone else says; "Nah push on!". I just want to finish this session so we can finish and go and have lunch. We need to finish at 12pm and I don't like working within schedules. The Holy Spirit seems to work a lot better when there are no schedules. I don't know many miracle ministries that don't have hours of meetings. This is what I believe. When we bring the whole church into grace - miracles will start breaking out in the opening of the service. The reason these meetings take so long to get miracles is because you have got to clear the unbelief away - the condemnation - the confusion and it takes 2-3 hours to get that off God's people. That's why I love local church! I have preached on platforms of multiple thousands and it is an incredible privilidge and an amazing honour but I don't find it flattering at all to my ego. I am enjoying this little church in Hong Kong - small little church at this stage! I believe we will grow into the thousands but I am enjoying this little church because it is the feedback of seeing lives changed through this message of grace. It is just so wonderful.

For me apostles don't go for a weekend here and a weekend there and a weekend there. I don't see that! I think the shortest trip may have been 3 weeks to the Thessalonians but other places - 2 years here, 3 years here. In Ephesus Paul preached every single day. He didn't fly out here and there but preached and stayed every single day for 2 years in the hall of Tyranus. Apostles are not just goers. They are sent ones. But they are not butterflies. I was sent to Australia and I stayed there for 12 years. I was sent to Hong Kong and am staying here! Paul stayed and he shared the grace of God with them and said don't get carried away by this and this - it is the grace of God that can give you an inheritance amongst those being sanctified.

That's what he was doing - preaching grace for 2 years! That is a man caught up in the 3rd heaven and got his message of grace from the Father and he took 3 years to unpack it. In that space of time it says the Gospel went throughout all Asia Minor but Paul didn't go. The fallout of this message gave an inheritance. You can't go - "Well I preached six weeks on grace!". All you did was introduce people to the shallows. "I didn't have anything else to preach - I did everything I knew on grace". Well start at the beginning and preach it all again. You are dealing with more than 1500 years of Dark Ages. The Reformation has only been 500 years but even top evangelical theologians are going back to a Roman Catholic understanding of justification by faith. Top evangelicals! Just read John Piper's books! Justification by faith is under attack again. And Christians are very shallow on their understanding of this.

You don't bring the church out of 1500 years of Dark Ages by a six-part series on grace! It takes years to transition people out!

Just to throw in something here for questions and answers. Abraham got grace. Galatians 3 says that God preached the Gospel in advance to Abraham. Then it was ratified in Christ. It says that the law came 430 years after Abraham but it says when the law covenant came it did not nullify or set aside the covenant of promise that God made with Abraham. So when Jesus arrived on the earth the covenant of grace and the covenant of law were there available for Israel. At any point Israel could have said; "We repent of saying give us the law - we will do what it says! We want what Abraham had!" and they could have come straight back into that. So when people repented and saw grace Jesus called them "sons and daughters of Abraham" and He only said that to two people.

Who were the people who had the greatest faith in all of Israel? Those who had never been under law! The Syro-Phonecian woman and the centurion.

So you have got to understand that by the time Jesus arrived to Israel - grace and the revelation to Abraham was almost completely gone. Abraham brought the key to knowledge - which is the nature of God.

What is the key to knowledge? I believe personally it is the nature of God. When the nature of God is revealed as goodness and grace - that is the key to knowledge!

I do have a history degree although that doesn't mean much because it was so long ago. It's history! This has fascinated me how civilisations have formed and secular historians will say that it was the Reinaissance that brought an acceleration of knowledge, inventions, arts, science and political freedoms. No - if you study Francis Schaeffers book on; "How Then Shall We Live?" - it is the Reformation - the revelation of the nature of God. Justification by faith that God is a good God that justifies the wicked and accepts them and loves them. That's where knowledge is! The nature of God and the revelation of God's nature is the key to knowledge. So once justification by faith came, that is when the church came out of the Dark Ages and you can trace from the Reformation advancements in science - because the religious church was wanting to put to death people that advanced in science! When Galileo was trying to say "No the whole universe isn't rotating around the sun" - the church under law said "We will kill you!". So science was surpressed because they had taken away the key to knowledge which is the nature of God.

Arts began to increase and everything began to explode. Human rights began to increase and civilisation came! That is why Europe was the cradle of civilisation because of the gospel - human rights etc - and now they have got a flimsy frame because they have taken away the foundation! They have taken away the key to knowledge. The church! Not the secular world!

The secular world almost seems to understand more about grace than the average fundementalist Christian.

So we are on about something more than just feeling secure - personal peace and prosperity. "I want to have a happy little church where we all feel happy and praise and worship". No! It is about transformation of the way society thinks. We are meant to have the key of knowledge which is the revelation that Abraham got. Let look here - I am going to look at 10 Ugly Faces of the Grace-Hating Spirit. If you do not understand what I am going to give to you now - if you go into this as a cute, sweet little pastor - then don't even start! Because you will be eaten for breakfast by the grace-hating spirit. You will be so confused and come under such demonic confusion that you won't know whether you are coming or going. You have got to know that Martin Luther nearly lost his mind many times and he was depressed for a long time! Can you imagine when one man stepped out and said "No!" to centuries! There was always a line who believed in justification by faith - but a small little thread here and there. So here is one man that stood out and took the whole thing on. It is not against the Catholic church but against a SPIRIT! I love Roman Catholics, I love Muslims and Hinduis.

2 Corinthians 5:9; "God was in Christ reconciling the WORLD to Himself - NOT counting MEN'S sins against them!". It didn't just say "the church's" sins against them. The world!

So we are involved with more than just sweet little churches that are happy because they are in grace. This is something that changes the globe. It is because of legalism that we have international wars, ethnic violence, religious wars.

Legalism makes people angry, harsh, mean, judgemental, full of selfish ambition, gossip, slander - you cannot trust legalists!

One of the mistakes the devil made when he began to attack us was that he overshot - some of the Chinese people in our church when I began to first preach freedom from the law were completely shocked! They just said "Oh my God he has gone made! If we are not under law what are we under?!". The Holy Spirit! "You mean there's no 10 Commandments anymore!?". I am not blaming them! I love them! I am blaming their teachers.

So those of you who have already started transitioning your churches will know that there are some things that happen. Sometimes it is not even through people - it is an invisible hatred that comes on your mind - an invisible hostility.

I remember I was in Hong Kong for at least a year and then I preached on the finished work of the Cross and got the devil so by surprise that it just flowed and everyone received it and it was wonderful. I stepped out the pulpit and went home and was so happy and then suddenly bang! The heavens closed! Without one second reprive it was a spirit of heaviness! Hong Kong wasn't used to hearing this message! There came a reaction! Please don't be confused. Don't think of human beings - think of a spirit behind human beings. Love the human beings - show mercy and kindness and don't react - that is exactly what part of the tactic is that you get bitter against the opposition and start fighting the opposition and start preaching to prove they are wrong and you are right. No Jesus preached very strongly at the Pharisees and warned them. You need to have those kind of guts and get up and warn and rebuke to their face people who preach the opposite in your church. Peter came to Paul's church in Antioch and Paul had the right to confront Peter to his face.

Shepherds you need to safeguard the church from legalism! That is your main responsibility to keep the church free from the law! You can't rely on apostles to do that because many of them aren't! They are under the law themselves - I am sorry to say that but it is the truth.

I was under the law and I preached law and grace mixed together in Australia and South Africa. I am doing my best to not preach any mixture anymore. When you start that - this is the way that Paul described some of the grace-hating spirit. "Spies, bewitchers, fearmongers, agitators, dogs, evil men, mutilators of the flesh, deceitful schemers". That is what you are dealing with! It can be a face that smiles at you because the legalist face is a nice face and it is sweet when it smiles as it cuts you. Please don't think most legalists to their face are these mean-hearted people. They are sweet and disarming! But they will disarm you from grace into law. It is cunning and clever and deliberate and intentional. Be aware!

What I learnt in the military was if you are going to succeed then know your enemy and know his strengths and weaknesses otherwise he will take you out. Do not try to transition into grace naively thinking "This is such a wonderful message and everyone is going to be happy!".

There is a way to transition without hardly losing anyone. I believe good leadership can transition a church without hardly having to lose anyone. Look quickly at Luke chapter 11. Jesus had just read "How to win friends and influence people" so He starts with "Woe to you!". (v52); "Woe to you experts in the law because you have taken away the key to knowledge". What Abraham saw - they took away. "You yourselves have not entered". In other words you haven't stepped into the glory - you haven't stepped into the power and the favour and blessing of God the way Abraham did. You yourselves have not entered and; "You have hindered those who were entering". That is what is happening in the earth. There are leaders who are hindering their people entering because they themselves don't enter and they are preachers of a mixture of law and grace. (v53); "When Jesus left there the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose Him".

1. Ugly Face No. 1: Opposition to Grace.

Jesus is grace! The law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came in Jesus Christ. The law is impersonal. It was given through a mediation of angels through Moses but Jesus who is grace came personally to the earth. Grace is not a doctrine - it is a Person. His Name is Jesus! That is His Nature! That is the key to knowledge; God is a God of grace. God never intended to bring the law and never wanted to bring the law. If you study Galatians 3 and other passages of Scripture like Hebrews 10:8 you will see that He brought the law because of Israel's unbelief.

2. Ugly Face No. 2: Fiercely.

"Oppose Him fiercly". There is a grace-hating spirit that really is fierce!

If you have not yet felt it then you have not yet been preaching grace the way that Paul preached it.

They began to oppose Him fiercly.

3. Ugly Face No. 3: Besiege.

They will set up siege against your ministry. A siege is when an opposing army camps around your city and tries to stop supplies coming in and things going out.

Stop people listening to your website. You won't get invited to our camp. This will close doors to you. I think they are doors that should be closed! They beseiged Him. "Well if we were politically correct then those doors would be open". You shouldn't be going through some doors through the power of political correctness because you are not coming with the gospel anymore! "Besiege Him with questions". Questions are good but questions within questions are not good. (v53). That's why when people ask Jesus questions sometimes He answers them beautifully and sensatively and graciously and sometimes He answered with a baseball bat and smashed the living daylights out of them! He was not going to be a politically correct diplomat because this was too important. (v54);

4. Ugly Face No. 4: Waits to Catch You.

The Pharisees caught that woman in adultery. It wasn't something they stumbled on. I believe they set it up. I personally think one of the Pharisees or indeed they may have paid someone to have adultery with her. They paid him to set it up and they caught her! When you start preaching this grace message you think "I could be caught - I could fail - I could get into serious sin and if they caught me what is going to happen to me?". Then they really can control me! I wonder if it would have been different for Jimmy Swaggert if he was in a community of grace.

Legalism makes sin go underground and then they catch you. Grace makes sin come out into the open because there is an environment of safety, accountability and kindness and there is an openness.

Who could Jimmy Swaggert really have gone to? He is preaching grace now but it took going through hell. He was preaching law back then and judging everything.

You will preach more and more law when you feel more and more guilt and the more guilt you feel the more law you feel. You see how happy the grace people are and you are jealous of their happiness and you don't want them to be so happy because you are trying to do things to earn God's love. They are waiting to catch you. Grace communities should have this attitude - we are not looking to catch people or be suspicious. "Ooh there is probably sin in their lives". Well there probably is! Look at yourself! Catch yourself!

That thing about logs and eyes and specks has some relevance. We ought not to be trying to catch people in sin. And if we do - then Galatians 5 says you that are spiritual should restore them gently. So we should have this attitude that if someone does fall then they are not "caught" - they are a comrade. They are together. There are certain sins you don't need to go public with! You just go to the Father. It does say confess your sins to one another but only if you have done something against the other! On a horizontal level. To the Father it is all gone and forgiven anyway!

Paul never speaks about confessing sins - once! They are already gone! But on the horizontal I need to confess my faults or apologise to people I do wrong. I find it so easy to say sorry when I know that he accepts me. The grace-hating spirit is trying to catch you, trying to besiege you, oppose you and is doing it and when you first start transitioning your church into full grace it will intensify for a while. Eventually when your church gets more and more established in grace then tyranny becomes far from you, no weapon formed against you can prosper and no tongue raised up - God will start giving you a legacy that your righteousness is from Him and God starts fulfilling those conditions of a people established in grace.

Let's have a look at the next one;

5. Ugly Face No. 5: Spies.

I could just say these things but let's look at them. This is not a preaching on a platform to produce miracles - this is teaching.

Spies are secretive. They hide. They move from a place of duplictity. They are double faced and come amongst you for a reason - to hide their real agenda and look for faults. To exploit any opportunity where you are vulnerable and make you a slave to the law and to their control.

Paul went around releasing people from religious handcuffs and spies came right behind Paul and put the handcuffs straight back on again. They brought "balance". You cannot balance grace with law! They neutralise one another! There is no middle ground! It is either all law or all grace and no middle ground! "This is a radical message!". Yes of course. "Rob's preaching a radical message" - no Paul did!

Have you ever thought how radical the law is? These people who preach law and grace are actually just compromisers - they are like the Pharisees and don't preach it at it's full power. If you are going to preach the law then do it properly. Then try and balance it with grace and see where you get. The law means cut your hand off! When guys drive planes into towers in the name of their god - they are being absolutely faithful to the law! Under the law - kill anyone who doesn't keep it! In fact if you go read the law properly if you kids don't keep the law then you must stone your own children. Grace is radical?! The reason why people say grace is radical is because the law is not being taught properly.

God gave me two years to go study the law about seven years ago. I used to sweat every day! Guys use it in evangelism as a schoolmaster to lead people to Christ but I tell you - the law is frightening! It is extreme! That is why Christians shoot people at abortion clinics! They are being consistent to what they believe. They are being faithful to what they believe! The rest who preach law and grace are all compromisers and all backsliders of the law. They just preach partial law! You cannot preach the law in all it's fullness and then balance it with grace! The answer is they water down law and water down grace so people don't know the difference. Preach the law properly and then preach the fullness of grace and see what your people will do! They will say "I am out of here - this is a schizophrenic". These things are so radical that they cannot meet! Because the church for centuries has watered down law and watered down grace - the people sit there like frogs in water slowly heating up.

A few fools for Jesus are going to have to stand up and address this grace-hating spirit. Like Martin Luther took it on, I am taking it on! There are many times that Glenda and I have fallen into each others arms and wept. There are times when Glenda has said; "Oh Rob please stop you are calling fire on our heads". I said; "I don't want to!".

Martin Luther didn't have a choice. Once he saw it, he was finished. Once you see this - you are finished. You are ruined forever.

I have been to law conferences and have heard law preachers and I sit there and think "I am so sorry but I am getting angry - I repent, I repent - look at all these people getting under confusion!". I can't sit there anymore! Either I have to go to the leaders and say "Look guys - do you know what you are doing?" or don't go back again! I pray that all law-preaching and preaching a mixture of law and grace will see this revelation and repent to their people.

Otherwise I pray that God will pull the finances right out of their systems and let them go under. I know that's harsh but I mean it.

(Galatians 2:4); "Some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves". That is their goal and their agenda! Spy on our freedom and make you slaves. Isn't that beautiful? Notice the apostolic passion of those days. "We did not give in to them for a moment!". Why? "So that the truth of the gospel might remain in you". Why mustn't you give in even for a moment? So this gospel will keep on remaining. I preached in Cape Town to 2000 people a night last year in July and there were hundreds and hundreds of hungry people there but there were spies in the camp. Spies coming to check me out. I said to the brothers to whom I was accountable; "Don't let me get naughty on this platform because when I find spies out there ... you know those destroyers that send down depth charges and it goes "ping" ... when I am preaching prophets feel this all the time. They nearly go mad because they can feel where the submarines are - the spies and can feel them out there. Jesus could! He said "Knowing what they were thinking, He said ...". So I could feel the spies there and some of them shouldn't have been spies! God even shows me who they are sometimes!

I am not talking about people sitting there exposed for the first time to the message of grace and are sitting there analysing and trying to work out. That is fine! I am talking about them sitting there trying to catch you and waiting for you to say something that they can twist and distort. Those are spies! So I said to the brothers I was with; "Now listen if I preach in Hong Kong then I can be as naughty as I like - that is my turf and my jurisdiction". But when I am on someone else's platform I am responsible to those leaders and I can't do anything I want to. I hope you understand that authority is exercised differently in different contexts. "If I start getting naughty because of spies out there then show me by code signals. I want to cross every T and dot every I theologically and leave no gap for these spies to seize". Bonnie came to me afterwards and said "Dad you are so tame - what's wrong? You are so nice!". So I said; "No - this is a different context". So I went to the team I was with - and teams form and de-form - they are dynamic and fluid - and said; "Guys is there anything I should have done better?". They said; "Rob we have never heard it so clear - faultless and clear". The elders at the church had problems with some of the grace message and said "That is it - we can't argue".

Some spies came out of that and went back to their home churches and said "Rob is preaching that you don't have to submit to leaders and you can sin as much as you like". Then I realised that this is not a rational thing but a grace-hating spirit. They don't know what they are doing to their congregations. Members of those congregations who had known me for years emailed me and said; "Our pastor is saying this - is it true?". We wrote back and clarified and they said; "We always believed that what our pastor said wasn't true but we just wanted to check with you". These leaders that are fighting this message don't know that they are fighting God. They are not fighting us - they are fighting God. We must be accountable - we can be in error! I say to my local leaders in this church; "If I am getting too harsh ..." - I asked that after the first session. I am an accountable man. I want to be! But you have to be bold.

6. Ugly Face No. 6: A Bewitching Spirit.

Galatians 3:1; "You foolish Galatians - who has bewitched you?". That word there can be elaborated into; "With occultic power". That is witchcraft! Witchcraft is being preached in our churches around the world. Hopefully not in our churches but maybe still. Witchcraft is like the sin of rebellion.

Christ died to remove the law forever and when you preach law the Holy Spirit is not empowering you to preach something that Christ has removed. Another spirit is - a spirit of witchcraft.

The disciples wanted to call fire down on the Samaritans and Jesus said; "You are of the wrong spirit". The legalists will call fire down on the world and will say God is killing and judging and smashing. He isn't! There is a day of judgement coming but "in the last days I will pour out My Spirit - for salvation - on all flesh!". He goes on and speaks about miracles, signs and wonders happening because you believe the message of grace and not observing the law. You are dealing with occultic powers here that are in the church. The devil doesn't dabble much with those on broomsticks etc - that is his hobby. Witchcraft in the church to come back under law is the main agenda. He is the accuser of the brethren. And if he accuses you enough - if you are under a little bit of law he will condemn you enough then think you must come under more law to improve and so condemnation will go. It's called witchcraft.

Let's do one more and then we will close.

7. Ugly Face No. 7: Fear.

Go to Galatians 2. The next one is fear. I have been enjoying grace and then someone maybe I respect or know who preaches a Pentecostal/Holiness (which is not real holiness at all - it is still law dressed up as holiness) and you are going along happily and the power of God is flowing and there is joy and then someone comes among you and you think they are holy because they don't go to movies or don't drink wine. And you feel fear! And start agreeing with them and their standards! And you start becoming a hypocrite and you start rebuilding the law over your life and then you make out that Christ is the one rebuilding the law over your life and that Christ is causing the sin of the law and you become a hypocrite and confuse those in freedom because you change your behaviour when certain people are in your midst. Certain leaders that are respected.

If Peter who had visions of heaven and revelation could go back under law and be afraid of the legalists then we ought to know that we are dealing with a fear spirit. A bewitching spirit, a fear spirit, a control spirit. (v11); "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face". Peter was one of the big boys! "He was clearly in the wrong!". (v12); "Because he was afraid of those who belonged to the Jewish group ... so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabus was led astray .. in front of them all I said; "How is it that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs"?".

He isn't just talking about the way you come into the kingdom but the way you live! Don't let people tell you it is all about justification.

(v18); "I prove I am a law-breaker .. might live for God". In the next session we will talk about the other things and transitioning through.

We ask that you will establish righteousness as a revelation in our hearts and we will discern what we are dealing with and we won't be naive or cute or politically correct or diplomatic but truly apostolic, discerning legalism from a mile away and protecting the church. We ask the Holy Spirit to brood over us. Help us to ask the question why every movement that has started in grace and freedom ended in law and institution and control? Because the leaders were naive about what they were up against. The Ugly Face of a Grace-Hating Spirit that took them out because they were unaware and not protected by a true apostolic ministry. We pray across the planet as we see grace revolution gathering momentum for more apostles to emerge that will be faithful to the gospel that Paul was faithful too and will be willing to confront those who preach a mixture. Deliver us from this niceness that Jesus never had. Help us to be willing to die to personal reputation - no matter how many doors are closed! They should be closed! We thank You for the multitudes waiting to hear this message!

“God’s Eternal Grace Covenant” by Ryan Rufus

This incredible sermon was preached by Ryan Rufus at City Church International in Hong Kong on Sunday 27th October 2008.

“This is what we were created for – to be with You. This was Your grand master plan from the very beginning – to have us close. Father we just love Your Presence. Holy Spirit we thank You for what You are doing here this morning – taking us deeper and taking us further. Lord I don’t feel like I have ever been this far into Your Presence! What an awesome place! We just love it Lord! Let the brilliant bright light of Your shekinah glory shine into our hearts and awaken us and illuminate us to see the greater truth of You Lord. To have a revelation amidst all the lies and the confusions and perversions of Your truth – amidst all of that – let a brilliant bright light pierce us and awaken us this morning.

All week I have been very excited about preaching. I have been looking forward to it! It’s probably been the only time I have really looked forward to preaching! I have really been excited about preaching the Word this week. I don’t know the end and exactly how it will come out but we will see what the Holy Spirit does. I feel to continue about this theme of “God’s Eternal Grace Covenant”. I have just two points to share about this.

1. The first one is that God’s grace covenant does not have a beginning and it does not have an end.

His grace does not have a beginning and it does not have an end! It is eternal – an eternal covenant that God cut even before time began and it was cut between the Trinity. Jesus Christ the Son is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. We spoke last week about God’s grand master plan.

What is God’s grand master plan? To have a people clothed in His righteousness. His people – with revelation so that they can come before Him in perfect standing based on what He has done in His glory and His pleasure.

God’s grand master plan is that He would have and create a people that would not relate to Him and have relationship with Him on the basis of their righteousness but He would create a people that would relate to God and have relationship with God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness.

That is why Jesus is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth because God NEVER intended us to relate to Him through our own righteousness. He always, always, always intended us to relate to Him through Christ’s righteousness. That is why even before He created us He had already planned a way for us to receive that righteousness through Christ and through faith. Not through anything we have ever done – not through works, not through keeping the law, not through trying to please God or by being obedient, not through tithes and offerings or anything but simply on believing what Jesus did for us. That we would become the righteousness of God in Him – perfect access to Him every moment of every day!

Let me read you a Scripture – 2nd Timothy chapter 1:8. “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me His prisoner but join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life”. Remember that is not a holy life that we try to live. That is a holy life that He has called us to and given us in Christ before the foundation of the world. When He said “Be holy as I am holy” – He never meant try to be as holy as Me. That is impossible for mankind to be as holy as God. God never said be holy with your own holiness. He said “Be holy as I am holy - With MY holiness! (v9); “Who has saved us and called us to a holy life” – that’s His holiness. “Not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”. This grace was given us in Christ before time began!

Ephesians chapter 1:4 says; “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world”. When did God choose us in Christ? Before the creation of the world! “To be holy and blameless in His sight”. Is that a holiness of our own? Our own self-holiness and self-blamelessness? No He chose us even before He had created us or done one holy thing and one blameless thing – He chose us to be holy and blameless in Him before creation! “In love He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure to the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood – the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of His grace that He lavished upon us with wisdom and understanding and He made known to us the mystery of His will”. What is the mystery of His will? That we would relate to Him through Christ’s righteousness and not our own. That is the mystery of God’s will! “According to His good pleasure which He purposed in Christ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment to bring all things in heaven and on earth under one head even Christ”.

That Scripture about Jesus being the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world is in Revelation 13:8. I just want to read one more Scripture before we move on. That is Romans chapter 8:29. Another awesome Scripture about God’s master plan. When we read the Scriptures we need to see God’s master plan. We must see God’s plan! He predestined us to relate to us on His righteousness and not our own. Many of us look at the doctrine of election and predestination through the wrong lenses and through the wrong angle. We are looking at it thinking “Who has God predestined?”. It is not so much about that! It is more about the fact that before time began God predestined you to relate to Him through His righteousness and His perfection and not your own! That to me is predestination. Romans 8:28:

“And we know that God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose”. (v29); “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son that He might be the firstborn among many brothers – and those He predestined, He also called, those He called He also justified, those He justified, He also glorified”.

God predestined you before He created you to be justified by the blood of Jesus! To be made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus! It is awesome – God’s master plan! I hope you are seeing it. Abraham was chosen! God chose a filthy pagan sinner. We think Abraham was a holy man and that’s why God chose him. He wasn’t. He was a pagan and a filthy sinner – and God chose Him. God came to him one day and said; “Hey Abraham – you don’t deserve it but I am going to bless you”. You don’t deserve it one bit but I am choosing to bless you. To prove to you that I am going to bless you, I am going to make a covenant with you. I am cut a covenant to you and swear by an oath and bind Myself to you through an oath and a promise that says “I will bless you and make you righteous even though you don’t deserve it and I will make you into many nations even though you don’t deserve it”. And you know what? Abraham believed God. It was insane for him to believe God because He didn’t deserve it yet he believed God and that is why Abraham is the Father of our faith because he believed that God would bless him even though he didn’t deserve it. And that is the exact same faith we have. We believe that He makes filthy sinners righteous even though we haven’t merited it and even though we haven’t earned it. That is why grace is called “unmerited favour”.

God’s grace – His covenant does not have a beginning and it does not have an end. It is eternal.

It is His Plan A and Jesus was God’s Plan A! Jesus was not God’s plan B. Mankind didn’t sin and God thought; “Oh no! What am I going to do?”. Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God knew that mankind could never relate to God through their own righteousness. It was just never going to be good enough. There was only one way that man can relate to God and that is through His righteousness through the grace of God. So God had to teach this to man because there is a time when man thought he could relate to God through his own righteousness and just be good enough to earn His favour and earn His blessings. God blessed Abraham through faith and it wasn’t through anything Abraham had chosen to do or had done. It was through faith and faith alone. Israel forgot the Abrahamic covenant – they forgot the faith of Abraham. They forgot the covenant that God made with Abraham!

So when Moses came down Mount Sinai with the Law to Israel and said “If you want to be blessed then keep the 10 Commandments but if you break even the smallest one then you are going to come under incredible curse”. Israel had to think about it and thought “Yes that doesn’t sound too bad – I reckon we can do that!”. They should have said; “God what on earth are You doing!? You already made a covenant with Abraham who was our Father and You said You will bless him regardless of his performance and You would bless him through faith. God why are You making this new covenant with Israel? Why are You making this Law covenant?”. They should have said; “No God! We reject this law covenant that You are trying to make with us! We don’t want the 10 Commandments and this performance-based covenant! We want Your grace covenant not the law covenant! We want You to give us the Abrahamic covenant!”. But instead they thought “No we can keep the law”. So for 1700 years God showed them how they couldn’t keep the law and how inferior that covenant was and how weak and useless that covenant was. How it was impossible through that covenant to relate to God – God had to show mankind that the law covenant is a weak and useless covenant and the law covenant had a beginning and an end. It was a parenthesis in the eternal grace covenant of God.

The grace covenant is eternal – it goes on for millions and billions of years into the eternity of eternity. The law covenant appears for a fraction of time – a parenthesis in the grand scheme of God. The law appears – why? Why did God bring this law covenant? So much of the church today is struggling under a heavy yoke.

Jesus said “Come to Me those that are heavy burdened, laidened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke”. What was He talking about? He was talking about those that are under the yoke of the Pharisees – the law yoke. The heavy yoke of the law. It weighs you down and crushes you and destroys you – because that’s what it was intended to do. It was intended to break you and to smash you down and show you that you cannot relate to God through your own righteousness. The harder you try – the harder it has got to smash you down. That is why Jesus was angry with the Pharisees.

We look at Jesus’ teachings and think that He was giving this higher ability for us to keep the law! That is the biggest lie – He wasn’t giving us a higher law standard that we can now keep through the Holy Spirit. He was angry with the Pharisees for lowering the law for making it appear as though we can almost keep it. And people would look at them and think; “Wow – look at how holy they are. I wish I could be like them!”. Legalism was a virtue in those days. “I wish I could be that legalistic then I would be close to God”. Up until the time Jesus came, everyone look at the Pharisees and thought; “Wow – those men are so righteous”. But Jesus came and exposed their hypocrisy and they hated Him for it. He said; “Yes on the outside you look like white-washed walls, beautifully decorated and look so holy. But on the inside you are full of death, rubbish – because you think you can be holy through your own righteousness.

You think you can be holy – you think you can earn the right into God’s Presence. On the outside you are keeping the law but on the inside you are breaking every single command and God sees you as filthy, disgusting and dead. That’s how God sees you. You say you shouldn’t commit adultery but I say to you if you have even lusted in your heart then you have committed adultery”. We say “Oh that is the new standard for us”. No – God was showing the Pharisees how extreme the law was! If you lust in your heart then you have broken all the commandments and you deserve judgement. If you want to be so holy then as soon as you begin to lust, then cut your hand off and pluck your eye out!

He was ANGRY with the Pharisees and He heightened the law to show how NO ONE can keep the law because NO ONE was intended to keep the law because NO ONE would able to be righteous enough to earn God’s favour and love and grace on us. There is only ONE covenant that is good enough and that is the grace covenant – the law covenant is not good enough. It is a self-righteous covenant and a flesh based covenant. Grace is a spiritually based covenant, an eternal covenant, the ONLY covenant by which man can draw near to God!

Abraham was not under the law. The faith of Abraham is not a law-based faith! He had a grace-based faith. What is a law-based faith? A law-based faith says; “I believe that I can be righteous enough to earn God’s blessings and God’s Presence and favour with God”. That is the faith of the law – faith in my ability. It is a useless faith because the object of your faith is useless! You don’t have the ability! Grace-based faith says; “My faith is in heaven and Him alone! It is in Jesus, the finished work of the Cross and in His ability to take My sin and give me His righteousness and His ability to make me 100% righteous before God!”. THAT’S what my faith is in! Nothing else! Absolutely nothing else! It is crazy to put my faith in anything else!

Hebrews 8:7. The lights are going to come on for some of you and it is going to change you forever and you are not going to be the same. And your relationship with God will not be the same. From when you see this – your relationship with God is never going to be the same! This morning when I was praying I saw this – I really saw this towards the end of my preparation and suddenly the lights went on and instantly the glory of God fell on me and I was weeping, laughing and it was so awesome!

Hebrews 8:7 says; “For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant” (talking about the law covenant) “no place would have been sought for another”. There was something wrong with that first covenant. That’s why another covenant had to come. The grace covenant that had already been established in eternity! (v8); “For God found fault with the people”. The law covenant is a faultfinding covenant. It is based on you and your performance and so God scrutinises your performance through the law. There is no way you can please God because we are always falling short and always messing up. God always must find fault with us through the law. That covenant is a terrible covenant and that is why Jesus said; “Come to Me those that are heavy-laden, weighed down and crushed”. Why? Because they were living under a faultfinding covenant.

Imagine every day you live your life with someone who says; “Oh you did that wrong, that wrong and you should have done that, oh what are you doing? Oh you are pathetic! You are useless, why did you do that? You are a failure! You shouldn’t have done that! You did that badly! God is not happy with that! God can’t stand that!”. That is a faultfinding covenant – that is the law covenant.

Then after all that you think; “Praise God I am just going to go and worship God and get in His Presence”. Goodness gracious – good luck!

And all you can do is say; “Oh I am so sorry, I’m so pathetic and so useless!”. Even the best thing and most righteous thing you can do for God wouldn’t matter because of all the unrighteous things you have done against God. You know why it is a faultfinding covenant? Because God made the covenant with man. Now listen to this and try to get it alright? The law covenant which is a blip in time and eternity and a paranthesis in the grace covenant is a useless and weak covenant because it is a covenant that God made with man. You will see this! So the covenant is when two people come together and they make promises to each other. “I will do this if you do that – I will do that if you do this”. They bind themselves to each other through signatures and through swearing and through oaths and it is a legal contract, a covenant contract that binds you together and if you fail under your end then you are liable in a court of law.

So God makes a covenant with man and says “I will fulfil my end if you will fulfil your end. I will bless you if you keep the law. If you break the law or even the smallest part of the law then I will curse you”. That is the covenant that man signed with God. But the grace covenant – how many of you realise this? You do not have a covenant with God. God didn’t make a covenant with you. He made it with His Son. He made it with Jesus. And then He brought you into it because you are in Jesus. Jesus will never ever break His end of the covenant – He fulfils it perfectly. He is eternal! He is a perfect sacrifice. He offered a perfect sacrifice, which perfectly removes your sins and perfectly makes you righteous. He was raised from the dead and entered into the highest heavens and offered His own blood. The earthly tabernacle could never ever remove your sins; it could only cover your sins. The heavenly tabernacle can remove all your sins. He went into heaven with resurrection life and we have a high priest that mediates between God and man and He offered His blood and He has an indestructible life. He will never ever die and Hebrews chapter 7 says “Jesus ever intercedes for us”.

This is when the lights came on for me this morning. He EVER lives to intercede for you and I! That means in the eternity of eternities if we ever sin then we are STILL righteous! We will never ever get kicked out of His Presence and the oath God makes with us – the way it works is that God binds Himself to the New Covenant – the grace covenant – and says;

“I will bind Myself and promise that I will never, ever relate to man through his righteousness but I swear by an oath to always and ever relate to man through Christ’s righteousness and on man’s behalf!”.

That is why the Holy Spirit is also our Counsellor. He doesn’t come alongside and say; “Hey man, you are doing a good job”. He is our Counsellor – our legal defence. So when Satan is in heaven accusing the brethren saying; “God they broke this law or this law” – the Holy Spirit says; “Father! Remember You swore and promised to not relate to them through their performance, their righteousness or their shortcomings. You swore to relate to them through Christ’s righteousness”. Case dismissed! That is good!

Jesus ever lives to intercede because He also stands up and says; “Father You said You would always relate to them through My righteousness and I have given them My righteousness, I have made them righteous – I have removed their sins and they don’t even have their sins! He is talking rubbish! It is hot air – he’s talking lies, he is accusing! They are not found on substantial evidence – he cannot present any evidence because God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west and they did do this”. But can you prove that they did this? I am looking but it has got no evidence!

The New Covenant is not a fault-finding covenant.

You have to get that – you have to see that. It can never be a fault-finding covenant because God is not relating to you through your performance. He is relating to you through Christ’s performance. God will never find fault with Christ – He is perfect. He is absolutely perfect! For you to break covenant with God or to lose your covenant with God would mean that Jesus would have to be made unperfect. It would mean that Jesus would have to backslide. It is absolutely impossible for Jesus to backslide – He is absolutely perfect in all description. He is indestructibly perfect. He is immutable and unchangeable and we are perfect with Him and He has made us perfect forever. This is the good news! This unlocks Scripture! Hebrews 6 says that the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator and is superior to the old one. It is founded on better promises. That is God’s promise – to relate to you through His righteousness and not your own.

The Old Covenant was bad promises – it was full of promises you made to God. You broke your promise to God. But the New Covenant is founded on better promises because it is Jesus’ promises on our behalf. Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf.

You know what it comes down to? It comes down to the fact that God promises to bless you regardless of your performance! How much of the Church is teaching performance-based blessings? The Church today preaches performance-based blessings and it is Old Covenant!

The covenant God made with Abraham said; “I will bless you regardless of what you have done!”. I don’t know if you have read Genesis 12 to 15, 22. Every time God came to Abraham, He said; “I will bless you!”. “But God what have I done to deserve this?”. “Exactly! That is the point! I choose to bless you. I will bless you and make your name great. I will make you a blessing to nations”. So much of the Church teaches that God will bless you so you can be a blessing to the nations. God says, “I will bless you AND you will be a blessing to the nations”. We have turned that thing around that says if you want God to bless you then you need to be a blessing to the nations. You need to bless the nations and then God will bless you. Rubbish! The covenant is based on better promises. God says “I will bless you even when you don’t deserve it”. Why? Because I am not blessing you on your performance but I am blessing you on Christ’s performance on your behalf. This cleans up our motives for why we serve God.

We don’t do – in order to get. We do because He has transformed us. He has blessed us already. It is an overflow of what He has done to us. It is not trying to get something from God.

I believe in tithing and I believe in generous giving. I believe in sowing and reaping as a lower principle, but I believe there is a higher principle. That Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law so that the blessings of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through faith. Righteousness of God comes through faith and wealth comes through faith and health comes through faith – not from what you have done but from what He has done on your behalf. It is not law-based faith in yourself but grace-based faith in the finished work of Jesus. I love to give! I believe in tithing! I believe tithing is right there in Hebrews chapter 7. God makes a big deal about it! I believe all the glory belongs to God. I believe worship and honour belong to God and 10% of our income belongs to God – you don’t have to see it that way. But that is the way I see it currently – that is my conviction. That is the way I see it.

God is expanding and going broad with our convictions. He is redeeming New Covenant truth and bringing His word back into the New Covenant. He is redeeming New Covenant truth and He is going deep on some things we have been looking at for the last 3 and a half years like justification by faith, the gift of righteousness, those things – we are unchanging on those things and will not budge on those things! But God has us going broader on things like tithing and offering and all those things we have been taught under law such as Malachi 3 and have done them under law but God is redeeming them out of law and bringing them into grace. And we are seeing what makes it through into grace.

He is going broad now so we mustn’t let these things divide us. We are all heading to the same direction and all are at different paces and we love each other. Why don’t you stand? God is awesome and I hope you saw something today! We just want God to turn His light on so we see that it is not about our righteousness but His".

New Nature Publications!!

I am so tremendously excited to report that Ryan Rufus's new publishing company - "New Nature Publications" - has just gone live on the internet offering an awesome vision along with products and resources from City Church International and others to "rain grace upon the nations"!

Ryan's two incredible books; "Sanctification by Grace" (that I've just finished reading for the tenth time!) and "Do Christians Still Have a Sinful Nature?" are available there along with ...

A new book by Rob Rufus called "Invading the Impossible!"

The vision is this;

"The vision of New Nature Publications is to provide an ever increasing amount of grace resources to churches and people across the planet and to see those churches and people come into the fullness of His glorious grace. Our desire is that the lost will find these resources irresistible as well, as they encounter gracious grace filled people who are getting these resources out!"

I do urge you all to go have a browse! This is an awesome answer to prayer for all those who hunger and long for a people of reality and grace to arise in the earth and start showing the lost that not all religion is hypocrisy and legalism!

Faith is Conducting Heaven's Influence Into The Earth - Part 7

This quite awesome sermon was preached by Rob Rufus at City Church International on Sunday 5th April 2009.

"The Good Shepherd".


At the "Glory and Grace Conference" - people became slightly like the Bible - we're not there yet. They were much more drunk in the Book of Acts in the original church! People got so drunk in the Holy Spirit on the Wednesday or the Thursday night at "Glory and Grace" that they rolled down the driveway where we were meeting and staggered through the streets and people in the coffee shop reported them to the police. This is a true story! The Hong Kong police came and saw members of this church staggering drunk in the street - no alcohol on their breath at all! They said; "What are you doing?". And the people said; "Oh no, ha ha, we have just come from a church meeting! And we are so happy!". The police said; "That's fine - carry on - carry on". Those must be anointed police to recognise that these people were not drunk on alcohol that leads to stupid things but drunk on the very essence and nectar and atmosphere of the glory realm that believers are set for for all eternity and that was a little experience of the glory! And people were drunk for hours! Some actually lost their cool drinks! I saw coke cans rolling down!

I wanted to read so many testimonies and emails that have been coming in from all over the world of the after-effects of the "Glory and Grace Conference". There are healings and testimonies - I will read them out next week maybe. Of people deaf hearing - the first Sunday back! Miracles, fresh message of grace being preached around the world in different churches! I would love to read about some miracles that happened here - people from this church and others went into resturants in Hong Kong and shared the gospel. Gold started appearing on their hands and they started showing unbelievers the gold appearing in their hands! That is signs and wonders evangelism! It is giving them something to be fascinated by so they say "What is this?" and then you have a right to speak the truth! I would love to read you a letter from a small opal mining town in South Australia where they are having revival because of City Church International Hong Kong and the downloads off our website and aboriginal people are getting set free from generations of curses and issues! I would love to read you all the good things that God is doing! But I want to get straight into the message because we have a wedding here today at 12:00.

Open your Bibles if you feel like it! How many of you remember that when Peter the apostle was speaking at Cornelius's home and Paul when he was speaking against his accusers and they spoke about Jesus and they said this; "This thing about Jesus never happened in a small corner in Israel but it was noised abroad for the whole of the nation to hear about!". In Acts chapter 4 when the disciples are arrested for the miracle of that man that was crippled at Gate Beautiful and they said that this teaching and talk about Jesus has filled the whole city and we forbid you to preach in His Name!

You and I were not born to live quiet little Christian lives in the corner somewhere meeting for little chicken dinners after church, for cute little Christianity! We were born and we were destined for the world to know that the greatest event that has ever happened is not some celebrity coming to Hong Kong - but it is Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the Nations! In the New Covenant God has changed the way He looks at the world! He is now not counting men's sins against them! He has reconciled the entire world to Himself and He has cancelled the law at the Cross!

Are all going to go to heaven? No! That is the tragedy! There is one sin that He could not die for and that is the sin of unbelief in Jesus. But He has forgiven the world! He is not judging the world! The tsnuamis are not God - it is the earth creaking and cracking under the stress of first Adam's fallenness! But our God is in a good mood and He is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh and all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved!

We were called to make a riot! We were called to go to prison or we were called to have revival - but we were NOT called to be ignored!

The church is ignored in many parts of the world until signs, wonders and miracles start happening! Until boldness comes on the people and they get so full of love that they can't help it anymore! It is not about them anymore and their retirement fund and their happy little life! They are so full of the overflow of the goodness of God that they MUST tell people who are half-way to suicide, depressed, on drugs, on excess alcohol - they MUST tell broken people that I have been redeemed, I was broken and HE rescued me! And I have seen the dead raised and I have seen blind eyes opened and the deaf hearing and I have seen cripples come out of their wheelchairs and it wasn't me - it was the God I met!

And most of us will have to say that I didn't meet Him in church! Because church doesn't preach this Jesus! Church preaches another gospel, another Jesus and another Spirit! They teach something that is comfortable for little small-thinking religious bigots who would gather every Sunday and be happy with their little fellowship and to hell with the world and don't let the world find out about us! No - let the whole world find out, not about us, but about the One that we worship!

We are impacting nations from Hong Kong! You should read the email! Miners down there in the opal mines, working in dark tunnels with MP3's in their ears - listening to "Glory and Grace" - listening to City Church messages on grace - and singing! They say they are singing and shouting down there in the opal tunnels! Other testimonies and miracles! I want to talk today and it is going to be Part 7 on "Conducting Heaven's Influence into the Earth". One of the biggest revelations for me is the picture of our Lord in a specific way. Jesus and God Almighty are pictured in many, many tremendous images. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He is the Lamb of God, He is the Captain of the Host, the Warrior King! But the picture He is most pictured in throughout the Old and New Testament - by far the most often used picture of our God is that of a "Good Shepherd"!

You need to come into the revelation I have come into! One of the biggest privilidges in recent months in my life personally is the rediscovery that the best that I am is that I am a sheep in His flock. He is the Chief Shepherd and yes I am a shepherd, but I am a sheep! Under the Chief Shepherd! Many pastor/shepherds have problems because they don't see that they are sheep! First we are sheep with sheep needs and the greatest privilidge that I am discovering is being a sheep in the flock of the Good Shepherd. The Bible talks about goats and sheep - goats are those that are very independent and it is a representation of pride. Goats find their own paths on the rocky cliffs and they go where they want and when they want. Sheep find safety and security when they have a good shepherd leading them! We call them "dumb sheep" but maybe we should call them "humble" because they are followers of the shepherd! They trust that shepherd's integrity has absolute authenticity and that shepherd absolutely has designed a master-plan for their lives that is not going to lead them through death and destruction and breakup and pain! That He has a green pasture for them and He has still waters for them and if they follow Him they will lack for nothing!

When David, this great warrior king who could cut people's heads off - when he found out about Saul's offer to him; "200 Philistines" - this man who wrote the Psalms! - went and cut foreskins off men he had killed with his own hands! That is a man I love! I like those kind of men! I like those men and want more men like that in the church! Not to kill because you are not allowed to do that. But I am tired of effeminate men in the church. I want men, rugged, crazy, bold men! Every wife tries to tame her men because she wants him to be more considerate then she tames him and resents him for being so tame and then runs off with some ugly guy because he climbs mountains and is rugged and adventerous. God called men to do what the Man Christ Jesus did and go into the Temple and kick tables over and crack a whip and say "This is MY Father's house! You Pharisees! You brood of vipers! You are so clean on the outside but on the inside you are stinking corpses!". The man! We have a man in the church today! Where are they?! Sitting politically correct in so-called false unity! Not rocking the boat! Well Jesus is shaking the boat and breaking the boat! He is breaking the religious boat!

There are millions going to hell because of the politically correct men in the church! Sorry - this isn't part of my message! There are women who are so awesome all over the church world because they have had to stand up because of the absence of men!

Hong Kong needs more Chinese men strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might! We have so many beautiful Chinese single sisters! For the lack of men with some chest on them and some boldness!

And they will say; "I want to follow a man like that! He is decisive and courageous! Boy I want to follow him!". He is not dominating and he will never punch me! But he will punch a man that tries to hurt me! I punched a high-ranking United States officer of the marines in Australia. As a Christian pastor! So his face was bleeding! Why? Because he crossed the line and tried to do something that my wife wasn't encouraging. You say "Oh that isn't Christian Rob". No, I know but a son of God does those things.

I don't want to be a Christian! I want to be a son of God!

The point I am trying to make is being a sheep. This man called David - the warrior king - said "The Lord is my Shepherd". There are so many people who are so full of; "I am an apostle! I am this and I am that!". No - you are a sheep and He is the Shepherd! And I shall not lack for anything! And David didn't lack for anything - for wealth, for victory, for armies, for friends, for the anointing - he never lacked because he said "The Lord is my shepherd. He makes me lie down in green pastures". The word in Hebrew for "green" is the word for the anointing. It means "newness, freshness".

The new anointing of the New Covenant is different to the old anointing of the Old Covenant. The old anointing reminds you of your sins. The New Covenant reminds you that you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! The Old Covenant anointing reminds you of everything that is wrong with you. The New Covenant anointing reminds you of how perfectly right you are with God all the time because it is in Christ Jesus! The Old Covenant says "I will not remove the iniquity of the guilty" and imputes your sin to you. The New Covenant does not ever impute your sin to you but it is declared; "Your sins He will never remember!".

He makes me lie down in realms of the NEW! There is a newness today happening in this church. New, green pastures! New! "Beside still waters". That doesn't mean stagnation. The Hebrew word means "restful waters". The Hebrew word for healing has it's root word in "relaxation". It is when you enter into rest there is healing in your life. "He makes me lie down next to restful waters in green, new fresh anointing that I am righteous in Christ".

Anyone who knows the voice of the Good Shepherd, the voice of religion they will not follow! The voice that condemns you, the voice that says "Do harder, you are not doing enough, come on try harder". That is the voice of the church. It is not the voice of the Good Shepherd. HE makes you lie down in green pastures and next to restful waters. He will always lead His sheep by rest. He never drives you, He never manipulates you, He never makes you do a thing. He leads you by rest and when there is unrest - that is Him letting you know; "Don't make that decision!". I don't care if it is a big decision - do I leave this country and go to that country or marry this or that person or change this or that job. EVERY decision must be made out of rest!

If you let rest lead you by the Good Shepherd's leading then you will look so clever! People will think you are so well educated! People will say; "How did you invest then just before everything went up? And how come you pulled your stocks out then just before everything went down? Did you study? Are you highly educated? Do you have a great IQ and talents for the investment world?". No. I am a sheep and the greatest privilidge is to be a sheep because I am not a goat. I don't pride myself on independence and I have looked at goats and I have been a goat and there is a trail of depression, broken relationships, hell, addictions, no I never want to be a goat again! He makes me lie down in green, new pastures and restful waters! And He guides me with rest!

I have seen the educated goats and highly talented goats lead frustrated lives of failure in their marriages and everything they do is frustrated yet they are most educated and clever people! Because they don't know what it is to be a sheep and to trust the integrity and the goodness of this shepherd.

When we were deciding on "Glory and Grace" and we had to make up our minds about 7 months ago - we started planning. The economic credit crunch had already kicked in big time. And we had to decide whether to meet again in this hall or go to the 800 seater hall. I was already getting friends ringing me and saying they wouldn't be able to come because finances were difficult. Pastors weren't being paid salaries. And I remember Marike, Glenda and I went and looked at the hall and they were inside. I was standing outside and I said; "Lord I am not gambling with the church's money. I haven't given everyone an opportunity to decide whether they want to have this conference or whether to meet in that hall. It is therefore not my right to gamble with City Church's savings". And if we fell short of the budget - because I was calculating that hall was $65,000 and hundreds of thousands to run the conference with speakers, hotels and advertising - I said I would pay it out of my own pocket. I said; "Lord do we hire this hall?".

And as soon as I said that, peace! Restful waters! Rest! "Go ahead!". And when Marike and Glenda came out I said, "That's it! We are signing!". The next few months leading upto "Glory and Grace" people were cancelling and letting me know that they couldn't come - even key people. Then our website collapsed! It was hacked into and destroyed! And I thought "What are we going to do?". And I felt "Rest!". You know what? The conference came and the building was full! There were signs, wonders and miracles that many people in their entire Christian lives had never seen! Lives were changed! Not only was the budget met but we put into the savings accounts of City Church International a nice healthy figure of finance numbers that was left over! Not into my account! This church's account! And people thought; "Rob is such a good conference leader! He is so clever! So experienced! We can trust this man - he knows what he is doing!". No! I was a dumb sheep! I just listened because if He had said "Don't take that hall" and if there was unrest then I would have not taken the hall.

Don't keep being a goat making stupid decisions of independence and then when hell beaks loose you say "It's the devil!". No - it's not the devil! It's the goat! Goats butt here and butt there! "Rob I know that's true BUT there's an economic downturn!". He restores my soul! If you could look at the state of the average person in Hong Kong I think you would be shocked and horrified. If you look out at a yacht on the marina you can see their sails but below the surface there are barnacles stuck that hinder their passage through the water. If you could look at the state of people's souls - what is that? Their soul hasn't been restored and has wear and tear year after year but if you follow the Good Shepherd then He restores your soul. Why has the church got so many "inner healing" seminars and so many "Cleansing Streams" seminars and all kinds of supplements to the Cross, all kinds of things to add-to rather than the simple?

Did the apostles have all of these seminars and all of these supplement ministries? Or did they just preach the Cross and the power of the Holy Spirit and the revelation that you are not under law but grace and the manifestation of the Good Shepherd turned up and healed their broken hearts!?

This introspection - go back to your mother's womb, go back to your past, back to your budgies cage where it committed suicide. Please! We have got to stop this! It is anti-Christ, it is anti the Gospel and it is anti the finished work of the Cross and I haven't seen anyone helped by it yet! The proponents of it are the most insecure people! It is the truth! I have been leading churches for over 30 years and I have seen and watched these things and have watched the people who have led them and I haven't seen convincing results! But I have seen a people emerge when this Gospel is preached and this Good Shepherd is revealed and the goats repent and become sheep. Stop sticking your head into a sausage machine and then turning the handle yourself! And coming out the other side; "It's the devil!". No it is your goat thinking that got you into the problem! I was too busy to let the Shepherd do this or that! We just sit and watch stuff instead of learning about the anointing of the New Covenant. He leads me in the pathways of righteousness for His own Name's sake! This is for His Name sake! It is not the sheep that keep the Shepherd! It is not the sheep that are responsible to make the Shepherd look good! It is the Shepherd who feels responsible to make the SHEEP look good! If He has a lot of sheep walking around crippled and half their hair is off and they are mangy then it doesn't make the Shepherd look very good does it? It is for His own Names sake!

The pathways of righteousness that He leads us in - righteousness theologically and accurately - means the gift of His righteousness!

He leads me in pathways of ever increasing revelation that I have the righteousness of God as a free gift! For Romans 9 and 10:1-4 says Israel sought after righteousness according to the principle of the law and never gained righteousness. The Gentiles who did not seek righteousness obtained righteousness and then in Romans 10:2-3 says that Israel was zealous but their zeal was without knowledge and they did not submit to the gift of God's righteousness but sought to establish their own righteousness but those who look to Him will never be put to shame! WE have the righteousness of God and this Good Shepherd will keep leading you in that pathway of understanding the righteousness of God!

Remember that little woman who touched the robe of Jesus and she had 12 years of bleeding. She touched His robe and felt power come out of His robe. What does Isaiah 61 say? It is a Messanic prophecy about Jesus - it says that He will be clothed with the robe of righteousness. What did she touch? She touched His RIGHTEOUSNESS. She touched the hem of the robe which is the colour blue for the Israeli rabbi - the colour of grace. She touched righteousness and when she touched it - 12 years of bleeding stopped. But not her righteousness! She was led in the pathways of His gift of righteousness.

What did Jesus say? Matthew 5; "Stop being so worried, stop taking care of this and worrying about that, and running after this and burning the candle at both ends - you are overworking! This is what the pagans do - they try to store up and have!". He said; "You seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things ...". The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack NOTHING! I lack no love, no finance - I am not in debt. I lack no health. I am not a goat but a little dumb sheep and all I have to do is what my Father shows me and do whatever He tells me! If there is unrest then I don't do it! I don't leave, I don't go, don't preach, don't say unless there is rest! Seek first the kingdom and not your righteousness!

The church will say; "Get more righteous - righteousness is your performance!". There is NO such righteousness in the New Covenant - that is OLD Covenant righteousness earned by the law! Paul said; "I don't want a righteousness that is by the law but one that is apart from the law that is by faith in Jesus Christ!". There is no other righteousness except imputed righteousness that is a gift!

Seek first the Kingdom and HIS righteousness. The more you seek that to understand it and be led in the pathways of the revelation of righteousness for His Namesake then all things will come to you. That would stop about 90% of pastoral counselling in the church world! Most problems are goat problems! That doesn't mean you don't come for counselling unless you be seen as a goat! No I need counselling sometimes and if we have goat problems then this is a grace church and we love goats! A little bit of goat in all of us! She touched the robe of His righteousness and 12 years of bleeding stopped. Now I just want you to think of something here and this is very important for your future.

God said through Isaiah - Israel you are seeking a righteousness that is by the law. Israel your righteousness to Me is like filthy rags. He didn't say your sinning is like filthy rags. He said your RIGHTEOUSNESS - your morality - you trying to be good enough to earn blessings - you trying to keep the law to be good enough - your righteousness is like filthy rags! Am I being crude or biblical? What is the Hebrew? Anyway who has studied the Hebrew there knows that filthy rags is referring to a woman's menstrual cloth. That is what it refers to. That is God! I am not being crude. Women have menstruation cycles a few days every month and it is healthy and beautiful and glorious and it is God and it brings fertility and it is wonderful. It is God's design. But He said; "Your righteousness is like filthy menstrual cloths. Paul said self-righteousness is like faeces or dung or poo (Philippians 3). The modern church with it's Victorian morality can't take Bible words anymore - it has become so politically correct.

Where has the laughter gone in this place? All I am doing is speaking and reading Bible to you. Your efforts to please Me with all your works and your absence of faith in what happened at the Cross is like dirty menstrual cloths. There was a woman who had a menstrual cloth on for 12 years. You can't give birth when you are bleeding for 12 years. The Church has got it's menstrual cloth on and it hasn't come out of the Dark Ages yet. It is still not finished in the Reformation. It has got so much menstrual cloth, it is bleeding on the inside because of the savagery of condemnation, guilt and accusation by the law. 12 years of wearing a menstrual cloth, 12 years of not being fruitful and not giving birth to dreams and visions and signs and wonders and miracles and all paralysed! She touched His robe of righteousness and 12 years of bleeding stopped like that. He leads me in the pathways of righteousness for His Name sake!

You know why you have goats? Because they are people under law and angry with the church because they don't realise He loves them. When you realise this is a Good Shepherd and I might have a hurting heart and might sit under grace message for a few months and the hurt will still be there but it is getting less and less and you are getting healed! You may have decisions that took years and years to get into and you are not getting out of it - seek first His Kingdom! Touch the robe of His righteousness and that menstrual robe mentality is gone! Now people that receive the grace message - all it is doing is equipping you. It is not guaranteeing you immunity to condemnation! How many of you have found that out? That equipment is not a passive thing in your hand! You hear the message of grace and some frothing at the mouth, insane man preaches it year after year and you sit there and are getting equipped but what you DO with that equipment is not my responsibilty.

We that receive the message of grace love to believe we are not self-righteous in any area. "Praise God I go to a grace church and I believe I am the righteousness of God that is in Christ Jesus! There is NO self-righteousness in me! No filthy menstrual cloths over my head!". Oh yere? You want to look me in the eye and tell me there is NO area in your life that you are not self-righteous in? Come on. Anyone want to do that today? Let's find out who has got self-righteous areas in our lives. I believe deeply at many levels that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus even when I have messed up and made a mistake - I am still the righteousness of God. It is a permament standing in Christ. Do I have any self-righteous areas in my life? Unfortunately - yes. Where? Not telling you!

Here is the litmus test - this is how you know which area you have self-righteousness in. Any area in your life where you have worry, anxiety frequently - that is an area where you are living in self-righteousness. Let me say that again. The pagans and heathens - most of these precious Hong Kong and expat people - 99% of people in this city take thought and worry. How do you know that someone is a heathen and self-righteous? Worry. Anxiety. What shall we wear? What's my image? How will I pay the bills? He said; "Take no thought!".

No worries mate! I am sure that Jesus was an Aussie! He said "Take no worries mate!". Tell them! Be honest! Let them see the real face! God doesn't have faces that He hides behind! He has a beautiful face! Let people see the real you! Let your anger out! I would rather you punch me and we kiss and make up later than this false artificial politically correct rubbish! I don't want people saving face! I want people to be angry with me! I want reality! Stop worrying about this and that but seek first the Kingdom of God!

What is the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is the reign of God - the Good Shepherd leading your life!

It's not a pretense that He is leading your life when it is convinient! But I want to marry this person! Unrest! But I want! Don't! Oh He doesn't know what He's talking about! We really follow the Good Shepherd! That is His beautiful peaceful government! Not you trying to be holy, obedient or good enough!

His righteousness and His obedience and His holiness and His obedience and His fulfilling the law given to YOU as a gift! When you believe that it will start changing the way you live! You will have greater victory over sin and addictions and the control of addictions!

Any area you have anxiety or worry in - you are being self-righteous because in that area you do not believe you are the righteousness of God. Those who believe I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus have such a secure self-image and a trust in this Good Shepherd that they are not going to worry about going down.

When this woman with a menstrual cloth on her for 12 years touched the robe of righteousness - her bleeding instantly stopped.

In (v34) of that chapter He turned to her and said; "Daughter!" (a believer) "your faith has made you well - go in peace and be freed from your suffering". When you read that you don't get the full meaning of what Jesus was saying. I promise you this - the New Testament was written in Greek primarily and the Old Testament in Hebrew. In the Greek - and it is easy to find - when He said; "Daughter ... go in peace and be freed from your suffering" - He did not say "Go in peace". The Greek word for "in" is "en" - He said; "Go eis" which is "Go INTO peace". Go into the realm of peace! Go into the reality of peace and your healing will be permament! The English says; "And you will be freed from your suffering" but He says; "Go into peace and your healing will be permament". I can guarantee you that it was her self-righteousness that drove her into stress-worry and anxiety that finally caused 12 years of bleeding - that He knew He could stop that flow of blood by the power that came out of Him but if she doesn't go into peace, which is going INTO the righteousness of God then she will get that same condition back again.

Any area that you have anxiety or worry in - then in that area you are not seeking first His righteousness but your own and your own hard work and own earning and own deserving and your own leading to guilt, condemnation, worry and anxiety. How many you truly believe that it is the will of God and it is possible for believers to spend all of their lives without worry and without anxiety? How many of you believe that is a possibility?! Is it happening in the Church!? Christians are some of the most depressed people I have met! Because they are under laws and rules and regulations! They know how to act on Sunday and "Hallelujah, praise God" and go home and have weird depressions and ideas and worries. That is not the Kingdom and Jesus didn't die for that! Go INTO peace! What is the Kingdom? Romans 14:17 - righteousness! The whole book of Romans is speaking about not being self-righteous but receiving the gift of righteousness! Righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit!

When you believe you are righteous then peace comes and joy comes in the Holy Spirit! I am committed to having no areas in my life where I live with self-righteousness! I don't want a menstrual rag over some areas of my life. Every area of my life I want to believe that I am the righteousness of God! Every area! No worry and no cares! "Though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death". That staff brings them in close and the rod would beat the living daylights out of any wolf. When He says "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" - He is not saying that God leads you through the valley of the shadow of death. The implication is that it is sheep that decide to take short cuts! It is sheep that want to be a goat today and end up walking through the valley of the shadow of death! Even when we end up in that valley then this Shepherd doesn't say "To hell with them" but He comes into that valley and picks you up and carries you back on His shoulders celebrating and having a great party! The Bible says He will abundantly party and according to forgiveness Ephesians chapter 1 says; "He forgives us according to the riches of His grace!". If you want to know how much you are forgiven then find out about the riches of His grace!

People will worry if you are not worried! Just follow the Good Shepherd! Follow the Good Shepherd into new green fresh revelation, restful waters, restore your soul, you will touch His righteousness and that eternal bleeding will stop and wholeness will come into your soul.

The man and the women who can conquer condemnation and religious guilt by believing the grace of God is a man or woman that the Lord will appoint to be a commander-in-chief on this planet. That is what David said - anyone who can go up and rescue Jerusalem from the Jebbusites, the oppressors, the condemners. The man who will go up by the watergate and rescue Jerusalem from the Jebbusites; "I will make commander-in-chief". The man that can defeat the oppressor, the spirit of heaviness will in Hong Kong be a commander in chief because there are millions living under the oppression of the Jebbusites.

Not only over the church but the unsaved - because they suffer guilt and oppression! There are husbands that work so hard and feel so guilty that they are neglecting their children. I say this to you - any decision you make motivated by guilt is a disasterous decision. Religion will motivate people to do things by manipulating them with guilt and it makes them twice as subject to the Jebbusites. The husband or wife that can understand that guilt and condemnation are of the devil and not from the Good Shepherd - when a partner sees them feeling they are neglecting the children and that wife or husband learns that they are being rude, irritable and unkind then they don't take it personally because when there is guilt in your life then anxiety, worry and depression will follow. They may be irritable with you but inside they are feeling guilty because they are neglecting the children because they are working so hard. The husband or wife who realises the worst thing they could do is put more guilt on them - that is a commander in chief husband or wife and he will not let the Jebbusites have any more room. A husband or wife who realises that any decision made out of guilt will bring destruction on this home - but they instead realise they must take the guilt off their partner and their partner will worship the ground they walk on and be amazed but you are really just a sheep walking and following.

I know pastors that leave the ministry because they feel guilty about the people that leave their church and can't meet the needs of everyone. Every church has got someone leaving saying there is not enough love here. Pastors who leave - and hundreds left Jesus! - but He didn't make a decision to destroy His ministry. The man that gives up his job that is so busy because his wife is complaining and then they have nothing and the wife complains that there is not enough. I have seen men and women give up careers because they feel guilty about neglecting their children and then they make their children gods and give their children everything. I watch those children grow up and those children grow up confused and messed up. You can motivate people out of guilt but they are doing it as hostages. It is not the amount of time you spend with your children but the amount of peace on your life while you spend time with your children. I say this to people - make NO decision based on guilt from children, people, anybody. Wait for the orders of rest and peace. Follow the Lamb and not the pressure of guilt. Your kids won't appreciate you spending time with them based out of guilt but the little time you can give to them because you are no longer self-righteous and bound by worry and anxiety and depression but free and full of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit then they will appreciate that time - whether it is half an hour or an hour! They will appreciate it! If out of peace the Lord says "Leave" and you leave governned by peace then you will be under the government of heaven.

Glory and Grace Conference Update 1!!

So to make it clear for those who aren't quite up to speed - here's the deal. I was always going to "Glory and Grace" in Hong Kong ... until last week. I had the money saved up for me and Scott to go and we both had the weeks booked off. Then unfortunately my new work intervened and said they "couldn't afford for me to go" seeing as the paediatric client I look after won't have proper care while I am away. I tried and explored every option short of resigning (I was open to that prospect and just waiting for a confirmatory word to do just that!) but it seemed clear that something just wasn't right.

There's been nothing short of a satanic onslaught trying to keep me away from Rob Rufus this week. Firstly this whole disaster with the conference happened. So I vowed to take sanctified revenge on the devil and told him "he would regret what he has done" and began transcribing the message of grace with greater fury and greater venom than ever before! The next thing that happened was that internet access in my flat got cut off - thanks to a "surprise" virus. I sorted that out by installing wireless internet onto my laptop that I use for transcribing. And then last night I was packing to go to work and my IPOD that I store all my Rob Rufus sermons on was stolen from my car!

Oh and then a day too late ... my work turned round and said I could have the week off anyway!

Nevertheless my threat of sanctified revenge still stands! Three of my most special friends are going to "Glory and Grace" and I am probably more excited about what God will do than when I went to Hong Kong in October 2007 (maybe!). We have agreed that absolutely EVERYTHING they tell me is going to be reported and published so this conference is the most heard about event possible!

My wonderful friend Ursula sent me the first of many updates I hope! Her being able to go was a miracle in and of itself promised to her by Jesus - here is her testimony! Here's what she's going through;

"Dan...wow....I'm so excited! I just heard from Fini...and they are so stoked to be seeing me....and me them, so hopefully I can steal them away for an hour or two and just spend some Father, Mother, Daughter time! I can't wait!

Other good new is that Fini went to SA for his brothers funeral and one got saved and several healings. Yay Jesus!

Ok...so the plan is, I'm going to London tomorrow afternoon to spend the night with my oldest friend, who is not saved. I'm really really excited! You knwo when you know someone its like wearing old slippers? So we are just going to hang, visit, she is going through some stuff so I get to minister the love of Jesus.....and we can just be! Then Monday I head to Heathrow...and on the flight!

Arrive in HK, attempt to take two busses to where I'm going.....and text my friends to pick me up! And then....GLORY! The party is guaranteed to start immediately! So good!And then....Wednesday...BLISS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I'm probably staying with Lydia and Julie Sat/Sun night....so we will be sightseeing and all....and I have the whole of Monday to sight see!I heard from Julies hubby yesterday and it sounds like she is having a tough time with morning sickness......hopefully we get to see her healed of that quick smart! And of course will have my phone to send you texts...heeeheeee! Going to be so so fun! ;-)

Ok...I have to go put the first load of washing in!!!!!!!

Love Me"

Our prayers and thoughts are going with you Ursula!! As I say, my plan is to publish absolutely every scrap of information that they send - I feel like a dying man desperate for drops of water of glory here! And I know God is going to do some life changing work in everyone who attends that conference.