Morning Star Testimony - Sermon Notes

The Manifestation of the Glory of God Expressed in the Church - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 06/09/24

This message was originally recorded March 8, 2015.

My notes:

As the fulness of God is revealed in His Son, we the church are currently being filled into that fulness which the entire world will see when Jesus comes to establish His throne on Earth at the end of the 7-year tribulation. At the 2nd Advent, when Jesus returns to Earth glorified in and through His body, the Church, this organic spiritual body "will be the diffusion and the mechanism of the revelation of the glory of God, Christ."

 

As we consider the metaphor of the church being the physical human body of the Christ, and Jesus in His humanity being the head of that body, we realize that as our physical heads don't function apart from our physical bodies, neither does Jesus as the head of His body function apart from His body. This should give us much to think about as to our function and purpose here on earth during this church age, how we are involved and included in the work and function of the Holy Spirit as the Restrainer (i.e.: we are salt and light in the world), and as to our function and purpose during the day of the Lord in His ruling and reigning. We, the body of Christ, will function in sync with our head, Jesus Christ. In this message, Doug is focused on the fact that not only for all eternity will we, the body of Christ, manifest the fulness of God in Christ fully formed in us, and not only at the return of Christ in the 2nd Advent where He will be manifested in and through us, but here during this church age we have the opportunity to manifest the presence of Christ as we attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. As we decrease and His life increases in us, Jesus is manifested to this dark Christ-rejecting world. This is an aspect of the morning star (Jesus) arising in our hearts during the 4th (darkest) watch of the night. "We're here to bear the Name; we're here to manifest the new man... the heavenly man... To the degree we manifest that name will be to the degree we're sharing in the sufferings of the One who bears the name."

 

Once again Doug sets the timing of the 'Disclosure Event' to be that which precipitates the apostasy and then the rapture of the church occurs. Either before or after the rapture, the explanation is the same, "When that Disclosure Event occurs and the church is removed, the explanation is, 'We've removed the problem, and now mankind can attain its final evolutionary phase.'"

 

Doug mentions a possible scenario occurring during the Disclosure when 'bad aliens' threaten the existence of mankind, and then the 'good aliens' come to our aid as our 'saviors', ultimately resulting in the emergence of the Antichrist once the principal obstacle (the church) is removed. I found it very interesting when I watched a 2021 TV series on Syfy called Resident Alien. "A crash-landed alien takes on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor and slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth." This 'alien' is a reptilian hybrid and seeks to undermine the 'grey aliens' plan to destroy humanity and populate Earth. The storyline includes a woman abducted by the 'greys' to an alien craft, impregnating and then birthing a hybrid. I'm not recommending anyone watch this, but it is amazing what Hollywood is doing to facilitate the so-far effective "soft Disclosure", programming the world to accept the concept of aliens, hybrids, and the evolution of the human species, etc.

 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ first addresses the church, and in particular, local assemblies (Revelation 2 and 3). "The lampstands, that is, the local churches, are to reflect this character and the light of this Person (Jesus) in our mortal bodies. That is what the local church is. To whatever degree this Christ is not seen in local churches, 'I have this against you!'"

 

"When the church begins to see Him (Jesus), it's going to go down. And when it goes down, there won't be any buildings, there will be no more denominations, they'll just be saints gathered together unto Him... There will be no church buildings remaining at the rapture. Oh, they'll be remaining; there won't be any real saints there."

 

Recommended: True Fellowship by Art Katz (https://benisrael.org/product/true-fellowship-church-as-community/)

 

Link to Audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/3-8-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3

 

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!

The Final Deception Confronting the Body of Christ - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 06/05/24

The Final Deception Confronting the Body of Christ

A Clear Refutation of the Error that Contradicts the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church

by Pastor Doug Riggs

Dear Saints,

This message was originally recorded March 4, 2015.

My notes:

"The last and great and final deception that will be in the body of Christ – [is] the agenda of false teachers". According to Dr. Michael Lake, the doctrines of demons come from the watchers (fallen angels) and the Nephilim (hybrid offspring). The final deception confronting the body of Christ is the false teachings so prevalent in our generation related to eschatology. The confusion and deception is because the church today is not instructed sufficiently in the revelation of the mystery of the Christ, the singular and corporate aspect of the one New Man, Christ the head, the church His body. Without this key to properly interpret scripture, false teaching about the end times abounds. How many will apostatize and abandon their faith when tribulation comes upon the church (not "The Tribulation") and Jesus isn't here to deliver us? The saints at Thessalonica experienced this confusion and had to be corrected.

It's important to see the distinctions between the prophecies in the Old Testament and the gospels relating to Israel and the second coming of Jesus, and the teaching on the coming of Jesus for the church (i.e.: the rapture), two completely different events soon to come. "The message for the church is very much different than what you see in Luke 21, Mark 13, and Matthew 24. Luke 21 is actually the Temple Discourse which sets the stage for the Olivet Discourse in Mark 13 and Matthew 24 that is focusing on the 2nd coming of the Lord. In other words, you look at the events leading up to the 2nd Advent of Christ when He returns from heaven to earth to establish His kingdom, that's what those passages are focusing on. There's nothing in there of the church; absolutely nothing." Remember, the revelation of the mystery of the Christ (corporate body of Christ) was not yet revealed, so the Gospels do not prophecy the rapture of the church, only the prophecy of Israel.

The "day of the Lord" is not the same as when Jesus comes for the church. The day of the Lord is that 7-year period of time prophesied in Daniel (and other places) that pertains to Israel. The "day of Christ Jesus" ("day of Christ") refers to when Jesus returns for the church. For those confused about the 2nd coming of Jesus, it's in two phases: first He comes FOR His church; then He comes WITH His church at the 2nd Advent when He will establish His throne on Earth. Doug also clears up the confusion about the trumpet of God blown when Jesus comes for the church and the trumpets blown by angels during the tribulation... not the same. "The eschatology of the church, that is, the last days prophetic plan for the church, is distinct from Israel and the nations... There's at least 7 years separation between the translation of the church and Jesus returning with His church to this earth 7 years later." "The rapture precipitates the day of the Lord."

Doug refers to Christians who pass on being referred to as those who have fallen asleep. Some religious denominations teach 'soul sleep' based on the passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:13. However, the Apostle Paul wrote about being "absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord." Being "at home with the Lord" wouldn't make sense if we are asleep.

In Ephesians 6 where the Christian armor is listed, Doug clears up the reason for the helmet of salvation. It isn't about eternal security, protecting our minds from doubting our salvation; it's about FINAL deliverance (deliverance = 'salvation' - i.e.: the deliverance of the church at the end), protecting our minds from deception and false teaching. In this message, Doug teaches us the feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace is the firm footing of the fact we are eternally saved once we receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Doug takes us into the context and framework of the letters to the Thessalonians. "Why is he (Paul) addressing this issue (false teaching) in 2 Thessalonians? Because the suffering they were going through was being interpreted as that they were in the day of the Lord... This is not just about Thessalonica. This is about the church at the end of the age. This is giving us the framework of what it's going to be like prior to the rapture. There's going to be universal suffering."

Doug mentions The Celestial Court, his 4-part series of messages (https://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html#anchor_53) as the explanation for those who suffered for their faith during the church age receiving vindication from the Lord.

In this message, Doug gives a scenario that the falling away (apostasy) of the church prior to the rapture will be precipitated by the Disclosure Event, the public unveiling of the "aliens" and “extraterrestrials” among us. In other messages, Doug has suggested it could happen after the church is removed and that will be used to explain the sudden disappearance of Christians at the rapture. Either way, the Disclosure event "will be the precipitating factor that will prepare the stage for Antichrist."

Doug stresses the importance of the Apostle Paul's clear teaching on the pre-day of the Lord (i.e.: pre-tribulation) rapture and it is not his private interpretation. "Pre-day of the Lord is not a position; it's the truth. You can't have 'pre-day of the Lord', 'mid-day of the Lord', 'pre-wrath', 'post-trib', 'post-day of the Lord'; only one can be right, and this is the right one. And, if you're certain about this, you're in sync with Paul. If you're not, you're not in sync with the Holy Spirit who's speaking through Paul to Gentile believers." When the doctrine of the rapture of the church is accurately taught, it should be an encouragement. "There's no encouragement about going through any phase of the day of the Lord - zero encouragement!"

Link to audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/3-4-15+Wednesday+Assembly.mp3

Additional Resource: Doug’s series The Helmet of Salvation (https://www.dougriggs.org/Videos.html#anchor_62)

Knowing – and Revealing the Father Heart of God - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 06/02/24

This message was originally recorded February 22, 2015.

My notes:

What gives us access to God? "The blood [of Jesus] sprinkled is what consecrates and sets us apart to have access to God; it's the life released through death and makes us approachable to God... New birth - new creation - can only occur once Jesus Christ is raised from the dead... born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." And what is the goal? "To obtain an inheritance... so, in the measure in which we live our life hidden with Christ in God, then we are coming in experientially to the appropriation and the receiving of that inheritance. It's there - it's already ours, but we have to press in to take it."

As Doug refers to 1 Peter 2:9, the KJV says we are "a peculiar people". Unfortunately in today's vernacular, it seems to imply that we are different, weird or odd. Doug has given us more explanation of the Hebrew form of this word Segulah - Greek N.T. word equivalent: periousios with the following resource:

Segulah, God’s Peculiar Treasure - Article by Allan Halton (https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/segulah.pdf)

In this message, Doug digs deep into some of the technical definitions of terms that reveal some of the characteristics and divine nature of Jesus Christ, including His intrinsic eminence. This was demonstrated in the unthinkable act of Jesus when instead of avoiding a man afflicted with leprosy, He touched him. Doug paralleled this to survivors of SRA, "everyone who is still unresolved does not know God as Father. That is what we need to see in the body of Christ" - not just survivors, but all of us. In the Old Testament, the Fatherhood of God was not clearly expressed nor defined. It took Jesus Christ as the last Adam, the second man to reveal God as Father. The Apostle Paul sadly confronts the church that should be carrying on that revelation, "though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers" (1 Corinthians 4:15). Why is that? "Anything in our lives that is not crucified with Christ is eclipsing Jesus Christ." Later in the message, Doug shares the story of a man he saw in an interview that spoke of the immeasurable value of spiritual fathers in the church. Doug's spiritual father was T. Austin-Sparks, though he never met him in person. That quality of spiritual fatherhood, the reality and manifestation of God as Father, was communicated to Doug for many years, and the result has been very evident.

As we consider what it means for the morning star to arise in our hearts in the closing chapter of this dispensation, Doug shares that it "will have its final crowning event in the not-too-near future. The world's greatest revival is on the horizon; and the most terrible time in the age of the church age - most terrible and wonderful - we're right on the cusp of that occurring."

We are reminded of another teaching missing from today's pulpits, the fact that we can actually hasten the coming of the Lord. In a previous message, we focused on making a way for the Lord as John the Baptist did in the first advent. The passage in 2 Peter 3:11-12 tells us the coming day of God (i.e.: the rapture in contrast to 'the day of the Lord', the 7-year tribulation) can be brought sooner as a result of our holy conduct and living our lives in godliness. "So, what sort of people [should we be]? That which bears intrinsic eminence of God." 'Eminence' is defined as: "a person of high rank or attainments." As members of the body of Christ, sons and daughters of the Most High God, we bear that rank and authority over the angelic realm as well as His attainments and victory in our lives and conduct. Jesus, the last Adam, the second man, as High Priest, mediates that eminence into us, His body.

Doug got very personal as he asked what it was we saw in him as our pastor. "Pastors are very much occupied with what people are going to hear from us and not too aware of what people see. So, whatever way you have not seen a father in me in all these years, if that's all you've seen is a teacher - I failed. I don't care how accurate the teaching is, there's no teaching that I've ever given that I can repent of. I believe that everything I've given is the truth... But - what do people see?" In the ministry God gave Doug, he could speak this from experience: "You show love towards His [God's] name in that you're ministering to the saints." In another message, Doug helped me understand what "first love" is (Revelation 2:4); loving God and loving what (and who) God loves. I testify that this is what I saw in Doug during the 40+ years I knew him.

In this message, we not only hear of the fatherhood of God, but also the motherhood. Years ago when Doug taught us the names of God in the Old Testament, he referred to El Shaddai as the bountiful provider, illustrated as a many-breasted God. In the Hindu religion that has many gods, and one that actually pictures this.

Doug raises the question of those graduating from seminaries, bible colleges, and churches, "How many sons are coming out of there? How many sons are coming forth from any ministry that bear the image of the father? Something's going to happen in the church; something very, very radical and shaking." Quoting Chuck Missler, "The church in the book of Acts, [the] beginning of the church age, began in houses; and it will finish in houses." Doug adds, "Because when the shaking comes (Hebrews 12:25-29), you will not see any buildings. They're all going to be gone. The money that people have put in the buildings, it's all destined for fire." In China, after the church seemed to have been destroyed in its shaking, what remained? "Love for God; love for one another."

For those not aware, many of the 40 years, including the beginning and at the end of Morning Star Testimony Church, we met in houses. I often thought of us as an 'underground church'.

Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/2-22-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3

 

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!

 

An Eternal Dwelling Place for God – The Church - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 05/29/24

This message was originally recorded February 18, 2015, a follow-up to the previous message posted.

My notes:

Doug continues from the previous assembly message with the reminder that Satan will physically occupy the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem during the day of the Lord, but currently he holds that place in the church, the inner shrine of those Christians held captive to do his will. The 'Illuminists' "laugh and mock at the Christians playing their little games, going to church, listening to sermonettes, and living the rest of their life not actually functioning as the body of Christ. It's just kind of a form or ritual to attend church. But they refer to Christians as 'zombies'." This is not meant by Doug as a condemnation of the church in general, but as a challenge to those willing to look at where we are as the church, the body of Christ, and where we are individually.

"Jesus Christ is formed in us through the work of the cross as we decrease and He increases. He is actually formed in us progressively through our obedience and dying to self, and picking up our cross and following Him. The measure in which He is actually being formed in us, there's a corresponding measure which we are being filled into all the fulness of God. To come into God's fulness, it takes Christ, because in Him, all the fulness of the godhead dwells bodily."

Doug describes the reason why the antichrist comes during the day of the Lord with a bow, but no arrows. "When he comes bringing peace, there's a bow and no arrows, so the question is, 'What'd he do with the arrows?' He already let them loose; he let them loose on the body of Christ. And God has used those arrows to reduce the church of Laodicea to only that which will remain as Philadelphia." As we listen to countless prophecy teachers, how many are teaching this? The popular view, one I was taught early in my Christian life, is that everything will be peaceful and nice when Jesus comes to take us home. Then, all hell breaks out once we're gone and the tribulation begins. I just was listening to a mostly accurate contemporary bible teacher compare the taking of Enoch to heaven as he walked with God, equating that with the church, and Noah being taken through the waters of the flood equating it to Israel during the tribulation. I believe this is true, but he misses the fact the church will go through its own tribulation prior to its rescue and deliverance from the earth. We heard that in the last message posted.

Speaking of the church in the last days, Doug says, "Overcomers will not be able to be in the established churches - they're put out; they're rejected... The overcomers are not welcome in the church of Laodicea." Some of us here (and I’m sure, out there) have first-hand experience with this on more than one occasion.

One of the many reasons the church won't be here on earth during the day of the Lord (7-year tribulation) is that the church as the eternal dwelling of God, the Holy of Holies will be in heaven through whom the judgments of God on Antichrist will be administered by angels. Additionally, "the church in union with Christ is the criterion for judging Antichrist" (Daniel 7; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3). 1 Peter 4:17 says, "For it is time for judgment to begin with (literally: at and out from) the household of God... begins with us (the church) first." So judgment will come to the church to purge and refine her; then judgment will come out from the glorified church in heaven on Israel and the nations during the day of the Lord (i.e.: Revelation 6 - 19). "The church in union with Christ is the administrative tribunal that is executing these judgments. And that means all the suffering saints of the church age, their suffering will be the divine criteria as vindicated in the judgments that are taking place on earth."

 Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/2-18-15+Wednesday+Assembly.mp3

A Dwelling Place for God - by Pastor Doug Riggs

by John Mark on 05/26/24

This message was originally recorded February 15, 2015.

My notes:

A house is where one's name can be found. The name represents the character and nature of that person who has that name. King David wanted to build a house where the Name of Yahweh could dwell, where people could experience and have a connection to the character and nature of the God of Israel. In this church age, Jesus is building the church where that Name of Yahweh can find its home, its expression, its place to manifest the nature and character of God in the presence of man and the angelic realm. In the age to come, that dwelling place for God will consist of the Holy of Holies (the church, the innermost sanctuary), the Holy Place (Israel), and the outer court (the nations). "What attracts the attention of God? That which is dedicated for the Name to have a dwelling place, and thus a manifestation among the nations."

Doug reads and comments on the scriptures that speak of our bodies being the temple (inner shrine; Holy of Holies) of the Holy Spirit. "Jesus's body, His temple, is the presence of God; now the church, by membership, is an extension of that body - living, organic membership." So, individually and corporately expressed locally, "You're the innermost shrine; you're the extension of Jesus Christ; you're a member of the Messiah... the place where the Shekinah glory dwells."

Doug then talks about the fact there will be a pre-tribulation rapture. However, unlike many who believe all will be nice and peaceful and at any minute now Jesus will come for the church - and then things will get really bad, i.e.: the Tribulation, he warns, "Before the rapture occurs, it's gonna get really, really bad. It's gonna be such that believers are gonna actually think that they're in the day of the Lord. It's gonna be that bad." Doug has often taught us, "There'll be a remnant that will be on the earth in those days that will represent a bride without spot nor wrinkle prior to the rapture."

"I can empathize with those that are fed up with the Laodicean sleeping church, and therefore conclude that we must have a purging... but you don't have to change your eschatology to have a cleansed church. All you have to understand is that 'judgment begins at the household of God.' The church will have its own purging and tribulation before Israel and the nations... BEFORE... And when that comes, people will be interpreting it as the day of the Lord - and it's not."

Due to what Doug learned over the years of working with Christian survivors of SRA with generational DID who held the highest places in the Luciferian cult, he made this shocking statement: "The antichrist will be enthroned in the church, the very temple of God." You may want to listen to Generational SRA/DID and the Replication of Satan's Throne in the Body of Christ (https://www.dougriggs.org/Generational_SRA_-_DID_and_Satan_s_Throne.mp3) and read The Luciferian Kingdomization of Christians (pdf - Lori’s notes taken at a SRA/DID seminar). "Antichrist is in the body of Christ, and he is right there attached to the innermost sanctuary, the inner man, then new birth identity." Doug warns, "Your church that has any semblance of salt and light, antichrist is in your midst... Your church is infiltrated, pastors!" "You claim to be a servant of God, are you willing to get antichrist out of your midst? Then you will deal with SRA-DID in your midst."

"Antichrist will be expelled from the church. How do we know. Because he's going to occupy the physical naos [in the rebuilt temple] in the day of the Lord, the tribulation."

Doug challenges pastors who know nothing of the satanic strategy to infiltrate the church with those who are generational SRA survivors and the need to take action. "You got these people in your midst; it's an assignment, it's a Kingdom assignment. It's not subordinate to what you're doing... to your vision. It's priority. ...I'm looking for those pastors who really are ready to mean business with the Lord and are willing to die; to be going into a pit with a lion on a snowy day, and saying, 'God, I'm not coming out until the lion is slain.'"

Doug refers to "the executive position of a believer who actually believes the word of God that says, 'seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6)'; 'co-enthroned with Him'. Well, if you're co-enthroned with Him, what are you doing there? Are you executing the judgments written (Psalm 149)? What are you doing? ... singing your little choruses in church; sitting there listing to a twenty-minute sermon watching your watch? If you're sitting in a church where it's a twenty-minute sermonette, you need to get out of that church, and you need to find out where God wants you to be where you can hear the word of God with enough continuity, enough content where you can come into the mind of God and begin functioning in the manner and way which represents a divinely prepared remnant in these last days."

Recommended Resources:

T. Austin-Sparks, “One Spirit” – I believe this is the full title Doug referred to: "He That is Joined to the Lord is One Spirit" (https://www.austin-sparks.net/english/004782.html)

Wrestling Prayer: A Passionate Communion with God by Eric Ludy and Leslie Ludy

 Link to today's audio: https://dougriggs.s3.amazonaws.com/Assemblies/2-15-15+Sunday+Assembly.mp3

 

Maranatha!

John Mark

...hereby committing this unto the providential care of the enthroned Head of the Church; whose Name is blessed forevermore, Yeshua Mashiach - Jesus Christ!