In recent few months, there have been several bad presses on the conduct and choice of words used by prominent pastors and a case on the probable misuse of church funds in a high profile church. Being a Christian, I do not feel comfortable when I see these stories highlighted on the headlines of major newspaper. The worse part was people started to take this opportunity to make snide remarks about God and the church on various forums. What happened does not cast a good name on Christianity especially on non believers who followed the news.
If we look carefully, the events that occurred will literally affect two key areas of bringing the gospel to the world.
Firstly, spiritually immature Christians in the area of tithing and giving will be affected. They may not trust the leadership of the church or even feel bitter about giving money to the church if the allegations of fraud is true.
Secondly, if I am a member of the church of which the above news were affiliated to, a young Christian might feel certain reservations in spreading the gospel or even invite people to his/ her church services. Or spiritually young Christians might not openly declare their faith lest people start to challenge them in these areas and they do not know how to respond. As a result, the commission of Jesus upon Christians to spread the gospel will be hindered.
Nevertheless, reflecting on what is happening around us further reinforces two very important principles of Christian living.
Firstly, the gospel is free but the channel of bringing the gospel to the lost is not. Hence it is important that we remain cheerful in tithing and giving with the full awareness that we are giving unto the Lord to build the kingdom of God and not to men.
2 Corinthians 9:7, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Having said that, I knew one of my colleagues belongs to the church under investigation and hence I felt in my heart to drop the person an e mail to encourage her to continue tithing and giving to her church cheerfully and not lose heart. I was glad when she thanked me for the encouragement and that she understood the principle of giving unto the Lord and not to men.
Romans 12:4-5, “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”
This is a good time for fellow Christians to build up each other and undergird each other’s faith in the face of persecution and trials.
Secondly, it is very important that Christians should always look at Jesus and not to men.
Their Christian faith must be based on Jesus and not men.
Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
In an unfortunate event where the pastor/ leader indeed fell from grace, the disappointment of the sheep under the covering of these pastors/ leaders would come but the faith of these believers must not wavier because their confidence is not on men but on God alone.
In fact a spiritually mature Christian should remain in his/ her church to encourage and support their pastors/ leaders at least during this period of time. They should not leave their church or abandon their faith because a truly repented pastor/ leader would need all the encouragement and support they have around them to help him overcome his challenges while he seeks God for restoration and guidance.
Let every Christian stand tall and stay strong and be proud to continue declaring their faith in the midst of these trials and persecutions.
Steve
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Our words rule our world
Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 6:2, “You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.”
Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”
Pastor Amos was sharing the importance of words that proceed out of our mouth.
He shared that our words rule our personal world, not other people’s world but our world. Hence we can change our world through speaking good words. In order words, speaking in tongues is definitely speaking good words that would help shaped our world.
1 Corinthians 14:2, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
Mysteries here refers to divine secrets that God wants to share with us at the right time and at the right place.
We know that we have a good future ahead of us
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
However we do not know what our future is like and sometimes, we do not know if we are walking in the will of God. Hence as we pray in tongues for our future which God has prepared for us, we are actually ruling our world supernaturally. I like to picture myself praying out the supernatural events that would take place in the future that would lead me in the way prosperous.
For example when we pray in tongues, we might be praying out something like this: “On the 1st of August, I would bump into an ex colleague of mine at 5.06pm while I was on my way to buy my family dinner. He will share with me a business venture he is interested in investing and he will asked me if I would be interested in it …” Perhaps, what happened next could be the onset of explosive financial blessings.
Or we might even pray out something like this: “For the church service this coming Sunday, I would not feel like going to church due to a late night the night before. However I would feel the urgency to still attend the service. In that service, Pastor would talk about the forgiveness of heart. This will minister to a particular matter that has been bothering me and the message will set me free once and for all ...” Again, God is arranging an opportunity to set us free from bondage.
Therefore we can safely say that in the event of us walking out of God’s will due to disobedience or due to ignorance, God can lead us back as we pray out the events that will help us to do so. Praise God!
We can rule our world with both our natural tongues as well as our spiritual tongues.
JY
Proverbs 6:2, “You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.”
Proverbs 21:23, “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”
Pastor Amos was sharing the importance of words that proceed out of our mouth.
He shared that our words rule our personal world, not other people’s world but our world. Hence we can change our world through speaking good words. In order words, speaking in tongues is definitely speaking good words that would help shaped our world.
1 Corinthians 14:2, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
Mysteries here refers to divine secrets that God wants to share with us at the right time and at the right place.
We know that we have a good future ahead of us
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”
However we do not know what our future is like and sometimes, we do not know if we are walking in the will of God. Hence as we pray in tongues for our future which God has prepared for us, we are actually ruling our world supernaturally. I like to picture myself praying out the supernatural events that would take place in the future that would lead me in the way prosperous.
For example when we pray in tongues, we might be praying out something like this: “On the 1st of August, I would bump into an ex colleague of mine at 5.06pm while I was on my way to buy my family dinner. He will share with me a business venture he is interested in investing and he will asked me if I would be interested in it …” Perhaps, what happened next could be the onset of explosive financial blessings.
Or we might even pray out something like this: “For the church service this coming Sunday, I would not feel like going to church due to a late night the night before. However I would feel the urgency to still attend the service. In that service, Pastor would talk about the forgiveness of heart. This will minister to a particular matter that has been bothering me and the message will set me free once and for all ...” Again, God is arranging an opportunity to set us free from bondage.
Therefore we can safely say that in the event of us walking out of God’s will due to disobedience or due to ignorance, God can lead us back as we pray out the events that will help us to do so. Praise God!
We can rule our world with both our natural tongues as well as our spiritual tongues.
JY
God gave Jesus to the world but He gave the Holy Spirit to His Children
Pastor Timothy shared with the church a revelation that he received previously. He taught about the relationship between spiritual facts and truths in our hearts.
It is a spiritual fact that Jesus died for our sins and whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. God gave Jesus to the world.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
It is also a spiritual fact that God has already prepared all the promises for us and it is our responsibility to access by grace through faith to claim these promises in our lives.
Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
However how do we establish these truth in our lives?
Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Holy Spirit is given to His children. We are the children of God. Therefore we need to be led by the Holy Spirit to translate what the bible says into reality in our lives. We need to receive these promises as established truths in our heart in a manner that we are fully persuaded by the Word of God through the revelation that the Holy Spirit brings to us.
Ephesians 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,”
One example is in the area of tithing/ giving. You will not be fully established in this truth unless the Holy Spirit leads you to tithe/ give accompanied by experiences of the supernatural blessing and protection from God in the area of finances.
After establishing the various truths of the bible in our lives, we will then be able to minister effectively to believers or non believers who need to hear our personal experiences.
Like what John C. Maxwell wrote in his book: Everyone Communicates Few Connects, “Nothing can happen through you until it happens to you.”
Therefore it is necessary that we spend time reading the bible, praying in the Holy Ghost so that Holy Spirit is able to teach us and guide us and bring the reality of God’s promises into our lives.
1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Steve
It is a spiritual fact that Jesus died for our sins and whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life. God gave Jesus to the world.
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
It is also a spiritual fact that God has already prepared all the promises for us and it is our responsibility to access by grace through faith to claim these promises in our lives.
Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
However how do we establish these truth in our lives?
Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Holy Spirit is given to His children. We are the children of God. Therefore we need to be led by the Holy Spirit to translate what the bible says into reality in our lives. We need to receive these promises as established truths in our heart in a manner that we are fully persuaded by the Word of God through the revelation that the Holy Spirit brings to us.
Ephesians 1:17, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,”
One example is in the area of tithing/ giving. You will not be fully established in this truth unless the Holy Spirit leads you to tithe/ give accompanied by experiences of the supernatural blessing and protection from God in the area of finances.
After establishing the various truths of the bible in our lives, we will then be able to minister effectively to believers or non believers who need to hear our personal experiences.
Like what John C. Maxwell wrote in his book: Everyone Communicates Few Connects, “Nothing can happen through you until it happens to you.”
Therefore it is necessary that we spend time reading the bible, praying in the Holy Ghost so that Holy Spirit is able to teach us and guide us and bring the reality of God’s promises into our lives.
1 John 2:27, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
Steve
God refreshes my spirit when I feel down from the pressures of working life
I am always trying to do my best to conduct myself in every aspect of my life, honoring God, especially at work. However, in this pressure cooking society, I realized it is difficult to keep my focus on God as much as I want to. In my new job, there are so much politics and strives that makes me sick to my guts, often time... I am one of the tools that people use in the game of "Who is to Blame?" Just a few days back in the office, my supervisor was in a bad mood and shouted at the top of her lungs at me from morning till evening for minor issues that crashed my soul and my confidence.
Nevertheless as I seek the Lord that night, He touched my heart and gave me the strength to stand. I stood up from the inside, refreshed and felt like the best employee that everyone wants, hahaa. The next day, my supervisor was like a changed person, happy and kept her cool and gave me peace for that day. And Yes, the Lord has saved my day once again!
In the midst of this chaotic environment, I realized Jesus is my only hope in journey of life. Many times, Jesus has took me out of burning situations that would oppress my soul. This just makes me shout, "Yes, Jesus is my all, my way out and my God who understands all my sorrows that no human or creature can feel. Oh I need him so much!!..."
I love the way Apostle Paul wrote about work, labor and patience in 1 Thessalonians 1:3
1 Thessalonians 1:3, “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,”
I think I will anchor myself on this verse, as I walk towards my destiny that the Lord has prepared for me and while waiting for His return :)
D
Nevertheless as I seek the Lord that night, He touched my heart and gave me the strength to stand. I stood up from the inside, refreshed and felt like the best employee that everyone wants, hahaa. The next day, my supervisor was like a changed person, happy and kept her cool and gave me peace for that day. And Yes, the Lord has saved my day once again!
In the midst of this chaotic environment, I realized Jesus is my only hope in journey of life. Many times, Jesus has took me out of burning situations that would oppress my soul. This just makes me shout, "Yes, Jesus is my all, my way out and my God who understands all my sorrows that no human or creature can feel. Oh I need him so much!!..."
I love the way Apostle Paul wrote about work, labor and patience in 1 Thessalonians 1:3
1 Thessalonians 1:3, “remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,”
I think I will anchor myself on this verse, as I walk towards my destiny that the Lord has prepared for me and while waiting for His return :)
D
We are to be the LABORERS to reach out to the harvest
Luke 10:2, “Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
Pastor Timothy shared on one occasion with the church. He asked, “If the Lord of the harvest refers to Jesus. Have you ever wonder why would Jesus himself urge His believers to pray to Himself to send laborers into the field?
The answer is simple: Jesus, being the head of the church, is in heaven while we, the body of Christ, is on earth and hence we are His hands and legs and mouth piece to spread the gospel of God.
In Dutch Sheets: Intercessory Prayer, he wrote the following passages which I felt help to explain why we need to pray.
Why, then, am I supposed to ask Him for something He already wants to do if it’s not that my asking somehow releases Him to do it?
It has been handed over humans were forever to be God’s link to authority and activity on earth.
Please think about that. If earth remained a paradise, it would be because of humankind. If things became messed up, it would be because of humankind. If serpent ever gained control, it would be because of humankind. Humanity was really in control.
Here we have, I believe, the reason for the necessity of prayer. God chose, from the time of the Creation, to work the earth through humans, not independent of them. He always has and always will, even at the cost of becoming one. Though God is sovereign and all-powerful, Scripture clearly tells us that He limited Himself, concerning affairs of Earth, to working through human beings.
Therefore while we pray for more laborers to be sent to spread the gospel of God, let us be driven by the passion to proactively seek out opportunities to bring the message to people around us. Jesus already says that we are the laborers, meaning we are to be the workers. We need to work to reach out to the harvest.
Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Pastor Timothy brought up something which I found very insightful. In the medieval times, when one nation attacks another nation, the attacker will attack the fort/ castle and the only way of penetrating the fort/ castle would be through the gate.
Hence what Matthew is illustrating here is we are the attackers, attacking satan’s gate to bring souls to the Kingdom of God. We are not to be passive. And this is further enforced in Matthew 11:12.
Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
JY
Pastor Timothy shared on one occasion with the church. He asked, “If the Lord of the harvest refers to Jesus. Have you ever wonder why would Jesus himself urge His believers to pray to Himself to send laborers into the field?
The answer is simple: Jesus, being the head of the church, is in heaven while we, the body of Christ, is on earth and hence we are His hands and legs and mouth piece to spread the gospel of God.
In Dutch Sheets: Intercessory Prayer, he wrote the following passages which I felt help to explain why we need to pray.
Why, then, am I supposed to ask Him for something He already wants to do if it’s not that my asking somehow releases Him to do it?
It has been handed over humans were forever to be God’s link to authority and activity on earth.
Please think about that. If earth remained a paradise, it would be because of humankind. If things became messed up, it would be because of humankind. If serpent ever gained control, it would be because of humankind. Humanity was really in control.
Here we have, I believe, the reason for the necessity of prayer. God chose, from the time of the Creation, to work the earth through humans, not independent of them. He always has and always will, even at the cost of becoming one. Though God is sovereign and all-powerful, Scripture clearly tells us that He limited Himself, concerning affairs of Earth, to working through human beings.
Therefore while we pray for more laborers to be sent to spread the gospel of God, let us be driven by the passion to proactively seek out opportunities to bring the message to people around us. Jesus already says that we are the laborers, meaning we are to be the workers. We need to work to reach out to the harvest.
Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
Pastor Timothy brought up something which I found very insightful. In the medieval times, when one nation attacks another nation, the attacker will attack the fort/ castle and the only way of penetrating the fort/ castle would be through the gate.
Hence what Matthew is illustrating here is we are the attackers, attacking satan’s gate to bring souls to the Kingdom of God. We are not to be passive. And this is further enforced in Matthew 11:12.
Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
JY
True meaning of submitting to your authorities
Colossians 3:22-24, “Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”
1 Peter 2:18, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.”
God wants us to be submissive to both our spiritual leaders as well as secular leaders regardless whether they are good or bad.
A few days ago, I was reading Kate McVeigh: 12 ways to be a blessing to your church,
In one of the chapters, I thought it gave a very good description of what it meant by submission. In essence, the author wrote:
Agreeing with what your leader asks you to do does not involve submission. You do not submit until you disagree with what your authority asks you to do. What it means to say is if you are in the shoes of your leader, you will not handle the matter in the manner you leader does. Nevertheless you choose to obey and follow what your leaders says even though you think your idea is so much better than your leader’s.
Recently, I was ordering a plate of grilled fish with two side dishes from a hawker during lunch. While I was pondering what side dishes to choose from, the hawker took the initiative to make his recommendations fervently. He ended his recommendation with the following words which I was quite impressed. He concluded his recommendation with, “Sir, my suggestion, your decision.” I think this saying fits very well into the context that was shared above. Our attitude towards our leaders should be “My suggestion, your decision.”
I have witnessed several instances of people falling off with their leaders in both the secular world and in church as a result of not submitting to their authorities. It affects both parties ultimately.
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Hence what I read is a good reminder for me to consistently watch out for this aspect of my Christian walk as an employee as well as a church member. As what Pastor Amos said several times, “Humility is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength!”
Steve
1 Peter 2:18, “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.”
God wants us to be submissive to both our spiritual leaders as well as secular leaders regardless whether they are good or bad.
A few days ago, I was reading Kate McVeigh: 12 ways to be a blessing to your church,
In one of the chapters, I thought it gave a very good description of what it meant by submission. In essence, the author wrote:
Agreeing with what your leader asks you to do does not involve submission. You do not submit until you disagree with what your authority asks you to do. What it means to say is if you are in the shoes of your leader, you will not handle the matter in the manner you leader does. Nevertheless you choose to obey and follow what your leaders says even though you think your idea is so much better than your leader’s.
Recently, I was ordering a plate of grilled fish with two side dishes from a hawker during lunch. While I was pondering what side dishes to choose from, the hawker took the initiative to make his recommendations fervently. He ended his recommendation with the following words which I was quite impressed. He concluded his recommendation with, “Sir, my suggestion, your decision.” I think this saying fits very well into the context that was shared above. Our attitude towards our leaders should be “My suggestion, your decision.”
I have witnessed several instances of people falling off with their leaders in both the secular world and in church as a result of not submitting to their authorities. It affects both parties ultimately.
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.”
Hence what I read is a good reminder for me to consistently watch out for this aspect of my Christian walk as an employee as well as a church member. As what Pastor Amos said several times, “Humility is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength!”
Steve
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