By Pastor Neil Obeyasekere – Grace MinistriesUAE (+971 50 422 0251)
Sadly it has been the history of the church that every fresh revelation of God through His servants whom He raises up faces persecution some more severe than others even to the point of death….Even our Lord Jesus Christ spoke of it and faced it even to be killed (Acts 2:22-24)
Here’s my question who were the ones who persecuted our Lord and killed Him? (Acts 2:22-24) My understanding of this passage …it was certainly not the devil, neither the government of Rome…but the people of the covenant called to be His people. The first greatest persecution began when Saul and all the “accepted religious leaders” (Acts Chp 1-3) rose against the New Covenant people.
Having faced persecution and been a recipient of many a slander and misunderstanding, the pain and destruction it can cause, I am writing this in response to the various scandalous, slanderous and sad attempts to discredit a genuine servant of God who I am proud to call my “son in the Lord” Kirby De Lanerole. To you I say my true son in the Faith even when I know it is most painful and if I may say so cruel count it all blessed, a joy and worthy that you suffer persecution, this is real. What is also real is that history keeps repeating it self. Always it has been the dying growing old move of God that persecutes the fresh new revelations of God so as to prevent the new move becoming a vessel of grace promoting heaven interest on earth.
Permit me to introduce my self….My name is Neil Obeyesekere now known as Pastor Neil or by those who are close to me (other than my family) PASTI. I am married for 34 years and now a proud grandfather of two awesome grand children. Currently in ministry for approximately 28 years in Dubai.
I grew up as an “Anglican and later was a candidate for the ministry through the Methodist Church having studied Theology at the Theological college of Pilimatalawa in Sri Lanka.
My initial awareness of the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving grace was at an Evangelical conference conducted by Youth for Christ. In 1981 I had a powerful and supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit and was immersed into His power and ever since my life and Ministry has never been the same.
In 1984 my wife and I were led into a ministry that began and established the very first Evangelical Charismatic Church in Dubai UAE. Both my wife and I experienced amazing signs miracles and wonders including the raising of the dead, when at a time there were none of its kind happening at least in this part fo the world. Hundreds were added to the Lord. It is at this period of time all the accusations and slanders of being a false prophet and a threat to the Church took place not stopped since then.
With my history which is still been written I am fully aware of how denominational churches, accepted Charismatic Evangelical churches and ministries can react to a fresh revelation and “new move of God”. There are many reasons needless to say the most important is fear and insecurity. Now this is wrong but also real.
Sadu Sundersing now come to be respected and a saint of God was most misunderstood and persecuted man in his time and why? He dared to believe God for the revelations of heaven that he got not forgetting the multitudes of signs and wonders he performed including raising the dead. At that time the then established evangelical churches rose against him slandered him ostracized him but he continued un wavering in his faith many been added to the Lord through his life and ministry. There are many others from India who have faced such harsh slander criticism and rejection I can sight and quote but I will protect their names and character. But this is what I wish to impress…..Our failure to understand or experience God out side of our understanding and interpretation is not a reason we attack others who have experienced and received revelation. This is displaying a lack of trust in God’s Word and God’s ways. May I ask did we write the bible that we have become the experts of interpretation? Does not Church history show that the many teaching, contradictions and conflicts over doctrines have now come to be accepted by many including those who initially opposed. By the way I am one of them who has gone through a metamorphisis in doctrine and I know God will continue to show me deep things of who He is and about His Kingdome.
Look at the panorama of doctrines that were rejected at first, now become the foundation of many a church belief system….Justification by faith, healing, baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, angels and believers eternal security, to name a few. Those days when the teaching of pre millennium rapture was popular, to think other wise was to receive thoughts from the devil, and declared doctrines of demons. Today post millennium and A millennium is part of the many doctrines of Eschatology believed by many reputed and churches. O much so that as things are going it can be A-Pre-Post(urous) issue. The reason for the diversity of doctrines now accepted is because of the power of persistent preaching and teaching till it is heard ….for how can some believe unless they hear and how can they hear it has not been taught. None of these doctrines were new they were old as the Word of God hidden for us and not from us. Some one came and boldly proclaimed it with a passion and diligence even “to lay down” his or her life for it. This has not been only in the biblical doctrine but even with other spheres of life….the explorer Columbus is a good example so was Einstein the list goes on. New phenomena new revelations new inventions…all replacing or complimenting the old is Real what is wrong is to reject it.
With this back ground lets look at the teaching of Immortality…first question to the people who raise strong opposition. Is the question raised with a desire to know or led by a already thought pattern of rejection? Have these people bothered to check the teaching from the one who teaches it in other words dialogue with genuine interest to learn truth in love, or have these same people based their opinions taking teachings out of context and being subtle in interpreting from what they already have learnt?
Kirby has never claimed or claims to be immortal and he has clearly taught it as an EVENT beginning with a process in desiring to live long and enjoy good life. This is biblical as we will see.It is also based on a deep biblical question…”who is the man who desires life and loves many days….” Psl 34:12and again based on the promises of God to those who have set their love on Him .Psl 91:16. The Hebrew scriptures are filled with life without death. A diligent servant of God will do well to take a concordance and search the Hebrew Scriptures, to see what God’s heart is for all who love and believe in Him. Even a cross reference Bible will help any person find the scriptures and see for themselves the light of this glorious gospel. It certainly for those who seek it – Rom 2:7
What I touch here will hardly scratch the surface but may the scriptures shared give light as in His light we see light and I pray that eyes of the reader will be opened to see what is the surpassing greatness of His power and life.
When we study a doctrine it is always good to follow the law of first reference. In this case it is found in the first divine instruction given by God to man…Gen 2:16-17. Man chose to die. But God’s heart was that man should live(Deut 30:15-20) in fact it is a sign of our love for Him and His word. Even it is taught in the Law. The command is to do it and live… not die – Deut 4:1-10, 8:1 read this full chapter please to see the heart of God and why people perish according to the Hebrew Scriptures. Even after man chose to die it took him hundreds of years till the process of death culminated in the physical demise, because death is a process culminating in the final demise of the physical body. In the light fo this and more of the heart of God for man to live and enjoy I would leave you with this verse of scripture as well…Deut 30:18-20. Again I say this is not an exhaustive study or explanation but merely to wet your appetite for as I said before only for those who seek immortality and eternal life will be given the revelation.
When we come to the New covenant none other than our Lord Jesus Christ shows us the heart of the Father..John 10:10. In this verse He opens the heart of God so that we may believe and enjoy qualitative life in all its super abundance. It begins as the Holy Spirit teaches in John 3:16.Jesus then further teaches in John 5:24-30. Please note the fullness of this prophetic teaching as surely the graves physically opened as first fruits …Matthew 27:51-53. Forget about money appearing and gold manifesting this scene would have rocked the city and nation…do you believe this. Today he opens the graves of any dead and raises them up gives life and places them in positions of authority – Eph 2:1-6. Read thses scriptures with an open heart John 6:26-27;32-51. Read within the immediate context not trying to explain away the deep truth. Remember the Lord jesus Christ when teaching on Life spoke of three meanings….everlasting life – that which is lfe after death, eternal Life – that which is a qualitative life in the present moment and Immortal life – a life with out death which is a process beginning the moment you believe in Him culminating in and event. Read John 11:20-26 and answer the question our Lord asks at the end of verse 26 and do not avoid by answering as Martha did in verse 27. Did Jesus Christ ask her if He was the Christ the Son of God or did He ask her if she believed that “…who ever lives and believes in me shall NEVER DIE….” Die and live again is in verse 25. The whole of John is about Life from the beginning to the end – John 1:4;20:30. I will not go any further but better you learn it from Kirby by listening with an open ear but suffice to leave you pondering this scripture as taught by Paul – 2Tim 1:8-12, and PLEASE I urge you by the mercies of God give your heart to hear verse 10. Also read Hebrews 2:-18 and cros reference them for deeper study.
Breatharinism – again Kirby has not made it a rule that every one should be what he is or live as he does. It is a Revelation he has received from the word of God again beginning in Genesis as well as the corner stone of his teaching Matthew 4:4.
Next it is a means of reaching a world of people whom either the Church has shunned and condemned or fears to tread. Our Lord said go into all the world…and Kirby is doing just that by entering cultures, ethnicities and religions which others may not be going into. He uses Breathterian not only as means of his own lifestyle but a tool to touch peoples lives with the gospel of the Kingdom and he is phenomenal in this way. He is able to become all things to all men that he may win some not an easy thing to do. Kirby is a non legalistic non dogmatic friendly loving and a very relational person where the person is more important than the doctrine. He will lay down his life(thinking) for a friend. Kirby lives out a grace life non compromising with truth. He is full of grace and truth. You who are opposing him and in away persecuting his ministry and life have you met him? When Martin Luther shared hgis revelation on Justification by faith he was termed demonic by the church, when Oral Roberts and Kenneth Haggin began the healing, faith and prosperity teaching they were termed demonic, when John Wimber taught on The Kingdom and its power and works he was termed demonic and the list goes and this is wrong but what is real is Kerby walks with the Generals(the cloud of witnesses) who pioneered new revelations un afraid of the opposition and today we are all the more are rich and blessed at how big God is and willing to be explored as He is not threatened.
One more thing….The Glory, the Greatness of His Power and the Gold.
Here I would like to share about the controversial, miracles signs and wonders that take place through God’s servants as well as at meetings. I personally have experienced these “un usual” works of wonder take place. At the beginning I too was a very much taken aback and I grappled with it theologically . Fortunately for me God in His grace moved in on me and as I did struggle with the real I had a supernatural encounter with the Holy spirit for the first time speaking with other tongues seeing visions and the the most extraordinary un usual one ….electricity flowing into a bulb in the midst of a power cut in Sri Lanka. If this did not happen we would not been able to see a “Christian movie” which touch over 200 lives and know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today in many other ways absolutely mind boggling kind of occurrences are reported frequently all around the world… gold dust, gem stones, money appearing, feathers falling from heaven when no birds are around, others have witness water turning into wine, still others have experienced oil flowing from their hand and manna from heaven…the list goes on these are real. Critics and skeptics ,can question, mock and ridicule all they like but the truth be they are happening and it is real not wrong. While our Lord was on earth His Messgae, ministry and methodology shocked and rocked the “religious people” of His time. Thankfully the churches do accept such today but back in those days it was scandalous even blasphemous to the point that Jesus Christ was accused of being in league with the devil….sounds familiar with what is happening among the critics and theological pundits, church leaders who police the Kingdom rather than usher the Kingdom in. Permit me to explain and here I must say we go a bit deep if the readers care to go with me. Both with the Biblical theology along with Physics. I do this to make things easy for us to see, and believe like Thomas.
Many have misunderstood or misinterpreted the “presence of God and the Glory of God. Most teaches think it is the same but not so. Let me explain….the presence of God is subjective and not all have the identical or common experience at gatherings. It can vary and is most often individually experienced. It is more felt than “seen”. Not so with the glory ….it is objective and seen by all though it may not be for all. It can be for an individual but definitely seen by all at the gatherings. I am in particular referring when we gather for meetings. I know from personal experience as well that in the privacy a personal time with the Lord the glory has been experience. In these days we need to hear the prophetic voice of Isaiah “rise shine your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen UPON YOU. Upon and not in though the glory is also in us…Christ in us the hope of glory. All this is real.
Heaven is filled with the light of God’s glory but it is not a physical natural light it is supernatural. Natural light consists of a stream of billions of photons…these are a wave form electromagnetic radiation. Each day the earth experiences this stream of electromagnetic radiation from the sun, this is natural light and real but is merely a analogue of the supernatural light of the Son. Here is how it works in the natural…a photon leaves the sun as a particle then it travels through space as a wave, but here is the thing it arrives on earth as a particle. This duel activity between particle and wave is interesting and you areb welcome to study the quantum physics of it. The relationship between the natural light and the supernatural is quite interestingly the same….the supernatural light of glory leaves as a particle, travels as a wave and then as it hits the earths atmosphere and people it becomes a particle and even takes form. Read the incident that happed on the mount of transfiguration Matthew 17:2;Mark 9:2 Luke 9:28-32. It says “became” or “changed” as He was praying meaning it was not the same before…hmmm what happened to the normal human face or even the clothes our Lord was wearing prior to this incident…it even happened to Moses when he experienced the glory…something happened to the ordinary and natural. Can it not happen today with servants of God and people of God or any one in the realm of the glory. Also we must not make the Bible a constitutional rule book to stay to the letter of the law and say “where does it say oil or gold or money or any of the phenomena’s that are happening today.” That is to limit God as Peter tried to do on the roof top in Joppa Acts 10:13-16. By the way where did the money come from into the fishes mouth for Jesus and Peter to pay their tax? God wants people who will not walk and work by the letter of the law but those who hear the Voice of The Spirit that appears to contradict the written word but as we read further we will see “it is also written”. To the extent and measure that you pray Eph 1:17-19 we will see and know the God who is ABLE to do MORE than we can ask or IMAGINE. My urgent request is do not quench the Spirit as you keep testing the spirit. This may be real but is wrong. The people of Berea we say checked the scriptures and were noble ..true but do you hear of a church planted in Berea? We can be sincerely wrong when wanting to be check and search more than we ought to. The God who turned the water into wine can He not bring oil into your palms? Now it may be said that one has to be extremely Holy if these things are to happen. Remember the law of first reference…EX 16;1-9, what is recorded here is not about a holy people but those opposing God, doubting His goodness and complaining…but He showed them His glory again for all to see. Isaiah says in the midst of thick darkness His glory will rise.
Finally I simply like to tell all those who continue to oppose this revelation and authentic revival move of God and a true genuine servant of God Kirby and any other true servant of God …be biblical and follow the advise of Gamaliel “…Take heed ….for if this plan or this work is of men it will come to nothing; but if it is of God you cannot over throw it – lest you even be found to fight against God” Acts 5:33-39. So my plea is that you get to know what is real and what is wrong but watch out stop throwing out the baby and bath tub you may well throw God out as well.
I am fully aware that what I have shared (if at the end) may not be for every one how ever I have been led to challenge the sensibilities of man made doctrines and traditions along with the culture which have made the “the present truth” of no effect to this current generation of Christandome. My challenge is for you to listen to the inner voice of the Spirit – the Christ intelligence which will always lead you to present truth rather than stay with the feeble fast dying dogmatic voices which will only keep you in a shallow non dynamic truth of God which challenges the current generation to wards God and His Son The Lord Jesus Christ. I further challenge the readers to be willing to let the Spirit of truth lead you out of childhood beliefs which served a purpose but is no longer a means to a more excellent way.
