Graham Cooke, prophecy and judgment

Graham Cooke has always seen things differently to me, from what I saw in his books. That’s fine and normal – we are all part of a body and it takes all of us working together to get stuff done.

And he has made a fabulous video 5 days ago about God and judgment. Well, he was speaking about poor and false prophecy. But in my opinion, this was a great teaching about the cross of Jesus Christ, but a not so great teaching about what Christians are tasked to do in the world as a result of the cross.

In this video he excellently quotes the bible to show that Jesus Christ paid the full penalty and there is no more penalty and no more anger. Graham says that because God has poured out His wrath, He cannot pour it out again on us.

Graham is right about the cross and I think he is wrong about the implementation of what occured on the cross. If you have read this far, then I heartily recommend you take time to watch the whole 11 minute video.

History shows us that when the light went out of the world – the bible containing the good news about Jesus Christ – was taken out of the world, we went into the dark ages and we slaughtered one another.

So I think Graham is perhaps in denial of reality. If we were out of judgment then that would not have happened, and he would be right in saying it can never happen again because judgment has ceased.

But Graham doesn’t take into account that Jesus Christ said that this world is ALREADY under judgement, represented by darkness and death, because we failed to recognise His Light…

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world,
and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. – Joh 3:19

and this passage is also interesting…

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.

He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. – Joh 5:24

So this world remains under judgment UNTIL someone hears and believes what Jesus Christ has done on the cross. Graham reckons that this world is not under judgment, but that is not in agreement with what Jesus Christ is saying.

Ah… but… the moment we believe Who He is and what He has done… then we begin to receive, and then things change.

Life and light come into the equation. The darkness begins to unravel. And more than that, when we receive, then life, light and favor, grace and mercy come into it. And EVEN MORE than that! But I don’t want to get too excited and carried away here. Hehehe.

So the world is not out from under judgemnt, it is constantly under it, because we did not believe. That is why we see darkness and death all around. If this was no so – logically – everything would have changed on the cross. Those things would have ended instantly.

But it obviously did not. The opposite occurred. Jerusalem was utterly destroyed. Jewish people were rejected even though He died for their sins! More and more destruction occurred across the world, if we look at history.

Even believers were affected. Ananias and Sapphira were struck down… that story should tell us a lot!

BUT. Now we Christians are coming into an initial time of understanding of what Jesus Christ did on the cross… and this knowledge connects us to Him and it sets us free. But ONLY when we receive it through our faith.

I can receive the truth that Jesus Christ has cleansed the world. When I do that I am doing something that affects unsaved people. I CAN’T make their decision for them, I can’t receive “eternal life” for them, but I can believe for their salvation and believe that He has released them – because He has!

That is why we are called ministers of reconciliation. We AD-minister it. We show it. We explain it. We give it as food.

Graham says the whole world was reconciled. And scripture DOES say that. But it has to be RECEIVED. And we received by faith. That is why we Christians are fruit, light and salt to the world. Our faith in Jesus Christ ended the dark ages and started the revival called The Rennaisance.

He did it all. We cannot add anything to it. Nothing remains to be done. Even the Holy City is already built and ready in Heaven! Receive it! Jesus Christ ALREADY took the old Heaven away and brought the new, on His cross. Receive it! Jesus Christ ALREADY made all things new – scripture says so! Receive it!

But until what He did is received, nothing changes. Look around you. Are people being raped by armed fighters in African conflicts? Are there divorces in your country? Is there crushing poverty throughout the world, even in rich countries like the USA where there are tent cities?

Clearly Graham is NOT right… we are not yet out from judgment and out from under darkenss and death. Jesus Christ is right, we remain there because we do not accept Who He is.

And yet Graham IS exactly right! Scripture clearly say that Jesus Christ has completed His work and made all things new and reconciled the WHOLE WORLD back to our Father God.

But Graham doesn’t manage to reconcile those two contradictory things that Jesus Christ said and did.

Graham is denying what he sees around him, he is admirably walking by faith and not by sight. And that is the RIGHT thing to do… we must believe the unseen truth of what Jesus Christ has done on His cross. And it is WHEN we believe, THAT is when we receive and THAT is when everything changes.

It doesn’t change until we believe. Before that, the devil is a liar and he keeps making people pay again and again for the very thing that has been paid for on the cross. And he will keep making people pay, he is a thief and a cheat and a liar.

We Christians have a job to do! Our job is to be MINISTERS of the reconciliation that Jesus Christ has already achieved!

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and

entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. – 2Co 5:18-20

Why do people need to be implored to be reconciled back to God… if we are already reconciled by Jesus Christ?

So I see three things…

1. Jesus Christ did ALL that it takes to reconcile us to God. Absolutely nothing more needs to be done
2. This message is entrusted to us
3. We are to implore people to be reconciled

We are “ministers” and one of the things that such people (according to the Thayer dictionary) do is they do “the service of those who prepare and present food”.

It is our immense priveledge to take AND SHOW and feed this reconciliation which has been achieve for ALL people, and take it to the people.

Evangelists can speak about it, showing signs and wonders of the power that Jesus Christ has achieved over sin and death. Prayer warriors can intercede and make use of that power that Jesus Christ achieved over sin and death.

But until we actually receive it, for ourselves or on behalf of others, it is not recieved, and the liar, cheat, thief the devil will keep on accusing and making us pay. We remain in that dark kingdom of death.

But the good news is this: Jesus Christ HAS overcome that kingdom of darkness and it has no legal power. The devil’s time is short now. Right now all over the world Christians are rising up and realising their inheritance and realising their role in this most incredible story of triumph.

Jesus Christ did it ALL. Now receive what He did through your faith!

The final sentence in the bible (before the last statements of warning about not to tamper with the words of the prophecy)… the last statements are:

And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. – Rev 22:17

Yes! The final words are COME AND TAKE. He has done it all, He has even cleansed Heaven and Earth. He has made all things new. He has created a new Jerusalem, His Holy City in which He dwells. It’s all done… “let the one who desires TAKE”.

Be salt and light to this world. Bear fruit!

You and I are His bride. Does a bride not have a role to play in the marriage? Is a wife a totally passive person with nothing to do while her husband goes around doing all the fun stuff? No, not at all. You and I are the bride. We have a role to play. Receive. Take!

I am not afraid of what we are beginning to go through, I am excited. The dead bones are about to be given life. amazing things are beginning to happen.

Wahooo! Jesus!!