Lady in Red

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Category: Teachings & Articles
Published: Thursday, 10 May 2018 08:07
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Lady in Red

Formerly entitled “The White Linen” then “It isn’t easy”

By Augusto A. Kho
April 29, 2018; Sunday: 9:00 am

Updated: May 6, 2018 (Sunday); 2:10 AM

Updated: May 09, 2018 (Wednesday); 9:30 PM

Updated: May 10, 2018 (Thursday); 2:15 AM; 7:50 AM

 

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A beauty queen turned model–actress

and gave her all to Christ

 

Isn’t cheap

Giving up isn’t that cheap.

 

Yes, giving up to Christ isn’t that cheap. Salvation in Christ is free but God’s call isn’t free. It demands a cost and a high price.

 

This is a very moving, powerful testimony of God’s calling in one’s life. A former beauty queen- turned –endorser –model -actress in a TV series “Law & Order” and later married to affluent nice professional and straight American guy, a resident of United States of America. But God called her and told her to go back to a very sleepy town somewhere in the Philippines where she have been raised up as a child. Right there and then where and when I met her at least twice.

 

 

 

The great prostitute

On April 10, 2018, I have this daily devotion that that reads:

“Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters …There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it…A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World” - (Revelation 17:1-5/NLT)

 

 

 

Babylon, mother of all prostitutes

John the Beloved refers Babylon as a noun (person, place or thing). Babylon can be interpreted as literal and figurative. But what is most prominent in Babylon is that it is associated with the rulers, kings and people.

 

 

In Revelation 17:5 / (New Living Translation/ NLT),, “ Babylon, the great Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World,” is associated with materialism and mammon which says in chapter 18:3, “For all the nations have fallen because of the wine of her passionate immorality. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her. Because of her desires for extravagant luxury, the merchants of the world have grown rich.”

 

The word “luxury” or “luxuries” is mentioned in 18:7; 9, 14. The word “merchant/s” is mentioned in 18:3, 11, 15, 17 and 23. The word “wealth” or “wealthy” is mentioned in Rev. 18:15, 17 and in Rev. 18:19 it is mentioned twice.

 

 

Luxury, merchandise or wealth if treated as god is being called as the following:

  • Home for demons (Rev. 18:2)

  • Hideout for every foul spirit (Rev. 18:2)

  • Adultery (Rev. 18:3)

  • Brewed cup of terror , torment and sorrow (Rev. 18:6-7)

  • Consumed by fire (Rev. 18:8)

  • Thrown down with violence (Rev. 18:21)

  • Form of sorcery causing the blood of the prophets and God’s people (v. 23-24).

 

 

 

Spiritual whoring

The “super-grace” doctrine has come to the church resulting to laxity among believers in terms of moral and spiritual principles. High monetary income (in the form of tithes, offerings) and acquisition of property is often become a source of leadership crisis and church splits. The church therefore is being prostituted having the god of mammon and using as agora or common marketplace and no longer a “house of prayer” and converted it instead as “den of robbers.”

 

Converting God’s temple from worship and prayer to marketplace (agora) is spiritual whoring (Matthew 6:24; Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13). And to trade your divine calling for secular job or calling is prostitution as well (in spiritual sense).

 

Some churches here in the Philippines become a venue for MLM (multi level marketing) and some pastor-traders uses their church members as their down-line to avail of commissions instead of strengthening God’s temple as house of intercession and prayer.

 

 

 

A prophet

When a prophet came, Sadhu Selvaraj gave a stern warning of God’s judgment to our nation in Dagupan, Pangasinan on May 23, 2013, pastors this province mostly in this city raised their hands in their united effort to sustain a Monthly Province-wide Prayer Meeting. Purposely, I did not raise my hand. However, I had the conviction to sustain what the pastors have agreed. On our first few weeks, around 20 to 25 intercessors would come to join the monthly prayer with barely few pastors until it trimmed down to 8-15 per meeting. Not until the super-typhoon Yolanda came and hit the Visayan as accurately prophesied by Vincent Selvakumar, Sadhu’s disciple.

 

Up to this very day we are sustaining this monthly prayer. Prior to the prayer meeting, I would text around 1,200 pastors to the scheduled prayer meeting but ironically it is “lucky” if 5 pastors would come to join us.

 

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Huckster, a fornicator

2 Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. “ The word “corrupt” in Greek “pedeleuo” means “to retail.” Christ and the Gospel can be used as merchandise for one’s personal gain and profit. In NLT, it used the word “huckster” instead of” corrupt.” Webster define “huckster” as someone who sells or advertises something in an aggressive, dishonest or annoying way.

 

That was the reason why Esau is being hated by God and called him “fornicator”. Fornicator in Greek word “pornos” means” a “male prostitute” just that of the woman in scarlet red in the Book of Revelation.. Esau derived his name from the Hebrew word, “esav” meaning “hairy red”. And Esau prostituted his call as the firstborn son in exchanged of bowl of lentil (Genesis 25:34).

 

 

The scarlet red

Twice that word “scarlet colour” is mentioned there. Also twice “prostitute/s” is mentioned as well.

 

“Scarlet” is any of various bright reds according to Webster. Scarlet in Greek “Kokkinos” means “crimson.”

 

“Prostitute” on the other hand is written as “harlot” in KJV which is derived from the Greek word “porne” i.e. “a woman who sells her body for sexual uses; a prostitute or harlot, one who indulges herself in unlawful sexual intercourse, whether for gain or lust.”

 

Metaphorically,“an idolatress” or referring to “Babylon” i.e. Rome, the chief seat of idolatry. Strong calls it “a whore.” Originally “porne” is derived from Greek “pornos” i.e. “a man who prostitutes his body to another’s lust for hire; a fornicator or a male prostitute.”

 

 

“The Unexpected”

The word “Unexpected” is the Theme of Open Bible Christian Fellowship’s 20th Year Church Anniversary held in San Jose, Anda, Pangasinan last April 24, 2018 where I was invited as Guest Speaker”.

 

While waiting for my cue to speak, I asked the Lord this question, “Why are you sending me to this place for the second time around?”

 

I was on that same place on April 5, 2018 where I was one among the two speakers during the “End Time Seminar” where I was tasked to talk about “SOGIE Bill” or Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression, a bill for LGBT (lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender) and “Civil Partnership” or House Bill 6595 aka “same sex marriage.”

 

The Lord was silent though and He did not answer my question. Until the testimony portion struck me hard.

 

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The Testimony

The lady-emcee called the one who will be giving a personal testimony prior to my preaching. The testimony goes (similar) like this…

 

“I became confused of my sexuality not until I reached college and I became attracted with someone of the same sex…that was the time I knew who I was… At age 17, another one enticed me stow away to Manila. I joined him there in the city and attended beauty pageant. To sustain myself, I prostitute myself to earn a living … until I joined Eat Bulaga’s Super Sirena and I won. I also vied other international pageant until I won again and I became a model, an endorser and actress and later married to an American guy in the U.S. Until we had a divorce and I was married to a nice, wealthy, professional American guy. I lived in California with great comfort and I was being treated like a queen and I can buy anything I want. But deep inside, I am not happy. I don’t have peace not until I heard the Word of God and got convicted of my sin and repented and I asked God’s forgiveness. Last year, the Lord told me to go back to the Philippines here in Anda and reconciled with my mother. My mother is here right now as well… I tell to other LGBT group of my personal experience with the Lord and we opened a Face Book where we can share each other’s experience of God’s love. I am still with LGBT but of another version that goes like this, “Love God. Believe to be Transformed.”

 

That was the time where I met this person for the second. The first time was when I was their speaker in the End Times Seminar on April 5, 2018. And this is the person whom I will call, “The Lady in Red,” a title of a song by Chris De Burgh when I saw his photo that is posted in the internet dressed up in red.

 

 

“The White Linen”

My quite time at 8:00 in the morning just the next day after meeting the once dressed in red is

In Revelation 19:8/ NLT, “She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.”

 

It is amazing to see this transformed person because of God’s love. Jesus is the only one who could provide us clean, pure white linen to cover our sins.

 

And Revelation 19:8/ NLT in full text read like this: “She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear. For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

 

The “white linen” is quite the opposite of the crimson red or scarlet red referring to the “great prostitute” in Revelation 17:1-5.

 

Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. “

 

Scarlet in Hebrew shaniy means crimson. Crimson is a deep purplish-red colour.

 

Though our sin is as deep as coloured red, God can transform or change us as white just like the “pure white linen “ as Apostle John assured in Revelation or “as white as now” as prophet Isaiah revealed. John the Beloved assured of God untiring forgiveness for us in 1 John 1:9.

 

 

 

Scarlet made as white

A day after my Anda preaching, I started searching from internet for some references about this person who made the testimony. Not until I saw this “lady in red” right there and then from the internet… And I watched her amazing conversion from YouTube that matches her moving testimony which I heard firsthand from that sleepy town here in Philippines in Anda, Pangasinan.

 

I’m pricked in the heart how far she given up what she have had been enjoying before – the pleasures of the world, the comfort zone, and the klieg lights of fame. And how I wonder how God could change a person like her from being a beautiful lady in red to become a man. This is his story.

 

That “Lady in Red” is he. God told him to return from she-to-he. Like scarlet-made-as-white-as snow.

 

 

 

Before and now.

If she is known as the transgender before in the person of Sabel Gonzales his name now is Mark Steele (as what he texted me lately).

 

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-->>Click to watch I am vodka<<--

 

Mother of all coincidence! The once Sabel Gonzales turned Mark Steele is wearing a red shirt on this April 5, 2018 photo prior to the final re-titling of this writing called “Lady In Red”.

 

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-->>Click to watch personal testimony<<--

 

 

Branded Church

I used to be very sporty and classy. But I have to admit that I must surrender everything to God. God has dealt me in terms of my materialism. John the Beloved forewarned us of this world-standard that corrupts the soul: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17).

 

Even Christ was tempted in the wilderness when Satan showed Him the world’s splendour and it will be all His as long that He will worship the Devil (Matthew 4:8).

 

Revelation 3: 17-18 (NLT) speaks of a church in her most branded and signature label. The Church in Laodicea is considered the “Garments Capital of the Ancient World” because of their rich resource of wool and leather goods. Yet Jesus Christ rebuked them saying,

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“You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be ashamed by your nakedness..”

 

 

 

 

Red blood

While the great prostitute who sits on scarlet beast which is an abomination (Revelation 17:3), the Christ’s red bloodshed speaks of redemptive purpose.

 

Romans 3:25 says, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

 

Blood in Greek ‘aima’ means “blood” or “bloodshed” i.e. violence, slay or murder (literal or figurative). Blood also means “of those that resemble blood like the grape juice” (referring to The Lord’s Supper) or “kindred.” Perhaps this is what this call from the saying that “it runs in the blood (family).”

 

While Christ for example was falsely and innocently accused and murdered, the “mother of harlots” that speaks of prostitution and adultery, this “woman drunken with the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs,” (Revelation 17:6) and Christ has to redeem these innocent blood.

 

 

Purple robe

Christ Jesus himself was also dressed in purple robe in John 19:5 while crowd’s uproar is “Crucify him!” Pilate tried to pacify the angry crowd saying, “I found no fault in him” but still they killed an innocent man. (John 19:6).

 

The word “purple’ means “bluish red” (from Greek ‘porphurous’) that speaks of royalty’s blood, being a Son of God crucified and died innocently in the hands of the murderers.

 

The colour of purple and scarlet are just two of God’s divine preferred colours in His tabernacle, court gate and in the priestly garment (Exodus 26:1; 27:16; 28:8). Purple there means red-purple (Hebrew “argaman”) and scarlet as crimson (Hebrew : shaniy) is flashing or growing red.

 

So when the mocking Roman soldiers dressed Christ with purple robe, it is being done prophetically to fulfil His priestly anointing in Hebrew 2;17 in the order of Melchizedek.

 

Colours has divine meaning.

 

 

 

The rainbow’s 7 colour

When God made a covenant with Noah, His pledge to him is in the form of colours – the rainbow. And colour red is included there (Genesis 9:16). It is pledge of honour in the form of colour.

 

Munsell colour system in the 20th century can distinguish the seven (7) major colours visible by the human eyes namely – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. And seven speaks of perfection (Genesis 2:1-2)

 

A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, retraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in spectrum of light appearing in the sky (Dr. Jeff Masters Rainbow Site, 2015).

 

 

White Linen: It isn’t easy

To wear that “white linen” isn’t that easy. First, you have to know the Lord Christ. That was the title of my Sunday Preaching that concerns about the lady in red and in connection with the “finest of pure white linen” (Rev. 19:8/NLT).

 

 

The re-writing

By the time I was re-writing “White Linen: It isn’t easy” I was contemplating of changing the title to “Lady In Red” in reference with what I saw from the internet and the popularized song sung by Christ De Burgh.

 

(Have you not notice that the our photo last April 5, 2018, Mark Steele was wearing red shirt prior to the rewriting it as “Lady in Red?” )

 

As I was driving my car with such a thought when suddenly or unexpectedly FM 2 aired the De Burgh’s song, “Lady In Red” at 11:00 PM in radio station 91.90 and I just simply grinned smiling. What a coincidence?

 

If I may repeat….And I watched her amazing conversion from YouTube that matches her moving testimony which I heard firsthand from that sleepy town here in Philippines I’m pricked in the heart how far she given up what she have had been enjoying before – the mesmerizing pleasures of the world, the comfort zone, and the klieg lights of fame. And how I wonder how God could change a person like her from being a beautiful lady in red to become a man. This is her or his story….

 

 

 

Scarlet red’s biblical accounts

Scarlet or crimson is a colour; associated with Zarah son of a prostitute named Tamar. Tamar has been fathered by her own father-in-law, Judah (Gen. 28-38:30).

 

A man with great call yet he sold his birth-right with a bowl of lentil that ended up forfeiting his inheritance as the first-born son. Finally God branded him, “Esau a fornicator,” in Hebrew 12:16. Fornication is from the Greek “pornos” meaning “a male prostitute.”

 

And in the last days many Christians will like be Esau selling their birth-rights as sons of God in exchange of money, power, influence to name a few. Esau in Hebrew “esav” means “hairy” many of us does know this that he is associated with colour red. Genesis 25:25 says, “At the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment and they call his name Esau.”

 

A prostitute uses enticing words and she has a great convincing power to fall you into her trap. Proverbs 2:16,18 says, “Flattering words of a strange woman (prostitute) ..paths unto the grave (stairway to hell).”

 

A prostitute is good in trading (business) schemes. Remember that a prostitute sells his or her own body for gain or for lust. And she possesses great leadership skills. Revelation 17:1 (KJV), “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: .”

 

The word, “sitteth” in Greek “kathemai” is “to sit down as to have a fixed abode “like a court tribunal or magistrate. Meanwhile in NLT it says, “the great prostitute, who rules over many waters..” Waters from the Greek “hudor” refers to water or peoples (figurative).

 

 

 

The Invitation

Two days later after I met the “lady-in-red” as a man, my devotion on April 26, 2018 in Revelation. 19:9/ NLT read like this: “And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.”

 

You and me, all of us have been invited on this very special feast. The once lady in red who is he now is one among those who are being invited. God does not make any preference after all we are all sinners.

 

“Many (though) are called but few are chosen” as Christ Himself said (Matthew 22:14).

 

The invitation is free for all. Though it is free yet many could not afford the price they have to pay in following Him. To follow Him demands a costly cause. In the ‘Parable of the Wedding Feast,’ every invited guest must wear the Groom’s Father provided wedding garment and that garment speaks of purity and holiness that is as white as linen, without blemish, without spot (Ephesians 5:27).

 

We cannot dress up in our own self-made, holier-coated apron just like Adam and Eve did (Genesis 3:7). Man’s covering for his own nakedness must of God’s and not of men (Genesis 1:21; Romans 3:22).

 

From the very beginning since the fall of man, God has provided the red blood that is shedding animal’s blood to give Adam and Eve a “coats of skin.” In the meantime, that was the temporary covering of man’s nakedness (Genesis 3:21). “Coat” in Hebrew “kuttoneth” means “a covering” or “a garment.”

 

The garment we should wear now must be of God’s inspired wardrobe. His royal red-blood alone can cover our shame and nakedness. That is only appropriate garment to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Matthew 22:11-14).

 

 

Have you been invited to this wedding?

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NOTES:

Scriptures are quoted in KJV unless otherwise specified

 

From crimson red to white

God’s Promise to any sinner is this - Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

 

Transgender turned to Christ

He later texted me and he said that his real nake is Mark Steele Hern Oblero later joined Eat Bulaga and got the coveted title as Super Sirena. He later joined international pageant for the transgender and he won. He is known as Sabel Gonzales who was once dubbed as the most beautiful transgender in the whole world (as he testified during their Church’s 20 Year Anniversary in Barangay San Jose, Anda, Pangasinan).


He said he have the life’s comfort, the fame and money. He said he was living like a queen and he can buy whatever he wanted. Not until the Lord have heavily convicted of his sins and he repented late last year. A US-resident for eight ( 8 ) years, God commanded him to come back to the Philippines just recently. He heard the conviction of the Lord only December, 2017.

 

He said despite of the success he attained he only found true peace and love in the Lord Christ. Many times I heard him repeatedly saying that we must have the purity in life to walk with Christ. Until he parted ways with his straight-guy husband saying to him, “this is sin.”

 

The tradesman can be Babylon

A “ tradesman” can trade anything or everything for self-gain. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how. This is the kind of world that we live in now. Rev. 18:3/ NLT;, “The kings of the world have committed adultery with her because of her desires for extravagant luxury. The merchants of the world grown rich.” Merchant (KJV/NLT) in Greek “emporos” is “one on a journey, whether by land or by sea, especially for trade; wholesaler, tradesman.”

 

Tradesman: A universal sin

Rev. 18:6 “She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brewed twice as much for her.”

 

 

The hideout

Materialism is a caged-like spirit of the last days. Love for money or whatever this world offers become a prison wall.

 

Rev. 18:2, “She (Babylon) is a hideout to every foul spirit; a hideout for every foul vulture.”

Hideout in KJV is “hold” or “cage” (Greek) “phulake” i.e. “on guard at prison.”

 

 

The Millennial

I wonder why today’s generation is being called Millennial. The word is borrowed from Revelation

 

The Millennium refers to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus after the Tribulation and before all the people of the world are sent to either heaven or hell. Jesus will reign as king over Israel as well as all the nations of the world (Isaiah 2:4; 42:1). The world will live in peace and prosperity (Isaiah 11:6–9; 32:18) and Satan will be bound (Revelation 20:1–3), and, at the beginning, everyone will worship God (Isaiah 2:2–3). The very purpose of the 1,000-year reign is to fulfil the promises that God made to the world that cannot be fulfilled while Satan is free and humans have political authority. Some of these promises, called covenants, were given specifically to Israel. Others were given to Jesus, the nations of the world, and creation. All of these will be fulfilled during Jesus’ during the millennium.

 

Today’s generation is under the spirit of the great abomination – the mother of all harlots, be literal or figurative. The Book of Revelation chapter 18 made mentioned of “luxury, merchants, trade and wealth” – these refers to money, material gain, sexual promiscuity and perversion, spiritual apathy and unfaithfulness (harlotry) to name some that is corrupting our systems This is what is looming to this present generation, a sign of sorcery gearing to global deception.

 

Two masters, two personas

Matthew 6:24, “No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the other and love the other..” You can be she and he at the same time.

 

Isn’t cheap

Knowing Christ isn’t cheap

  • Abraham have to leave his sheik status in the land of Ur

  • Moses has to leave his awaited-fame as the next Prince of Egypt

  • James and John has to leave their father immediately behind to follow Christ

  • Jesus have to leave his glorious throne to become a mortal man born in animal’s stable.

 

The unexpected happens

Anda, Pangasinan I asked the Lord, “Why you sent me here for the 2nd time?” Ironically, that

Bridge which is not in Anda is taken from Carmen, Rosales where I hailed from.

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“The White Linen”

Rev. 19:8 / NLT, “She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear. For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.”

 

Linen is a textile made from the fibres of the flax plant and it is being used for the following:

  • a priestly garments (2 Chr. 5:12)

  • being used for a king’s feasts (Esther 1:6)

  • a kingly garment ( Esther 8:15)

  • garments of angels (Rev. 15:6)

  • Figuratively: righteousness of saints (Rev. 19:8). Greek “bussinos” i.e. “made of fine linen.” Origin : “bussos” from “bussus, a specie of Egyptian flax; a very costly, delicate, soft and white colour.Root word: “buts” (boots) i.e. “to bleach; be white; probably cotton, fine (white) linen.

  • A linen was used for Christ’s burial which is a form of baptism that we are dead in Christ

(Matthew 27:59; Romans 6:1-2).

  • Linen is associated in dyeing. It has a substance to change one colour to another usually permanently. God therefore can change evil man and transformed him into Christ-likeness. To dye is to change colour like from red to white (Isaiah 1:18)

 

 

 

Jesus’ transfiguration

Jesus transfiguration is like white linen when His disciples seen Him with glorious shining glory.

Matt. 17:2, “And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the Light.” White in Greek “leukos” means “bright, brilliant, dazzling white (of the garments of angels; worn on festive occasions; sign of innocence and purity of soul (Thayer). Ephesians 5:26-27 speaks of the Bride of Christ who is transfigured in sparkling purity as white as snow.