PERSECUTION: WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
In this article, we want to remind people why Kong Hee and his church are being ‘persecuted’ by the government.
CHC and Phil Pringle of C3 Church have reported that the Singaporean government has been unfairly persecuting Kong Hee and CHC because of their Christian mission in Singapore. We have extensively recorded (mainly Pringle) promoting this anti-Singaporean government propaganda at his Presence Conferences.
The idea presented at CHC, C3 and other places around the world is that
Kong Hee is being persecuted as a Christian minister by a pagan government.
Who knew that persecution has fallen on Kong Hee because of his successful ministry in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a pagan nation?
Pringle specifically has portrayed Kong Hee suffering like the Apostle Paul to his church and the thousands of churches that attend his Presence Conferences. Kong Hee has also portrayed himself being persecuted the same way that the Pharisees unfairly persecuted Jesus through an unlawful trial.
So how should Christians discern ‘persecution’ in light of who Kong Hee is and what he has allegedly done? This article will examine this issue.
GODLY SUFFERING versus UNGODLY SUFFERING
The Apostle Paul taught Timothy,
“Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4 [Emphasis Added.]
So why are Kong Hee and his leadership in court? Because they are “entangled in civilian pursuits”/affairs. Paul teaches that we should not suffer by getting tangled in civilian pursuits but suffer in obedience to the “one who enlisted him”. What does this look like?
Paul continues with this analogy,
“An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5
It is this scripture that undoes Kong Hee’s credibility. Kong Hee is a disqualified athlete/minister. He has broken many rules as a minister of God in regards to:
1. stealing/plagiarizing people’s work.
2. promoting immoral/lawless behaviour in his ministry (see China Wine, Kill Bill, etc.)
3. scamming people financially with the false tithe doctrine.
4. inventing his own religion and demanding Christians follow his ideas and visions as though his religion is real Christianity.
5. elevating his visions as a greater authority than the Word of God.
6. creating a false church system where he is accountable to no one.
7. promoting notorious heretics and con artists in his ministry.
8. committing idolatry in preaching a false money-making Jesus.
9. preaching a false gospel.
10. promoting false credentials in regards to his doctorate.
11. Sending people to Hell by misleading them with his false doctrine.
These are just some of his obvious disqualifications. Clearly he is not ordained. He has not shown himself to be qualified or approved at all as a biblical minister.
The fact he insists he should remain a minister only goes on to expose that he is rebelling against God and Christ’s church (this is also known as apostasy). (NOTE: The fact that the Singaporean church puts up with it only makes them guilty of partaking in Kong Hee’s lawlessness, confusing the average Singaporean what a Christian actually believes or stands for.)
Frankly, we do not even have to look at the trial to see that Kong Hee is operating illegally as a minister of God in Singapore. His track record proves this. At this point, we think it is important to contrast Paul’s track record with Kong Hee’s record of Christian integrity and persecution.
This is how Paul was persecuted:
“You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” 2 Timothy 2:10-12
You can read in Acts how the Apostle Paul was stoned and maligned for simply preaching the basic saving gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul was reminding Timothy of the “persecutions I endured” in these places.
Contrast that to Kong Hee. Kong Hee and Phil Pringle have in the past portrayed Kong Hee has an Apostle Paul (or even Messiah-like), being persecuted by a heathen and immoral government. However, the integrity of Paul is the complete opposite to Kong Hee in the above passage. Paul makes it clear that those who desire to “live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. But Kong Hee and Sun Ho producing smutty music videos like China Wine suggest that they don’t even come close to measuring up to living a “Godly life”.
Instead, what we are seeing is the destruction of Kong Hee as a false teacher. He is not suffering in the name of Jesus. Just like Balaam, Kong Hee is suffering because of his unrepentant sin as a false teacher:
“But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.” 2 Peter 2:12-13 [Emphasis Added.]
It is important to note that Kong Hee’s heresies are destructive and now has bought destruction on himself:
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” 2 Peter 2:12-13 [Emphasis Added.]
What we are seeing is the Law working to bring order where there is no order. To bring law where there is lawlessness. Kong Hee’s sin has blinded him and has destroyed him. Now he is so blind to his sin, he is using Jesus’ name to dare say that this is why he is being persecuted.
Peter talks about two types of suffering/persecution. We can be persecuted UNFAIRLY for preaching the gospel and believing in Jesus. Or we can be persecuted FAIRLY for our immorality:
“But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.” 1 Peter 4:13-15 [Emphasis Added.]
By looking at the Scriptures we’ve exposed that Kong Hee is not going through Godly persecution or Godly suffering. We’re NOT talking about the trial, but rather, his track record of people calling him out for his sins and him not being accountable for them. We’ve seen this in other “churches” such as C3, Hillsong, Saddleback, LakeWood, Elevation, and unfortunately, many others.
Are we claiming he is guilty before he has a verdict? No. But we are claiming he is guilty for pretending to be a Pastor when he clearly is not one. We are calling out the lies promoted by Kong Hee and Phil Pringle that he’s in court for “preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins” and that the Singaporean government is being lawless for putting him on trial. Kong Hee is not the victim and he’s not going through “Godly suffering.”
Whether or not Kong Hee is innocent or guilty, our hope and prayer is that he repents and learns from his sins. In keeping with repentance, Kong Hee and Sun Ho both need to stand down and resign from the pastoral office. This is because they are both disqualified according to Biblical standards from holding such a position.
Categories: City Harvest Church
Reblogged this on Truth2Freedom's Blog.
The guy has a martyrdom complex…