Hearing the Word of God

One of the biggie revelation for me in 2012 is: Faith Comes By Hearing. And, I received this revelation only after hearing it over and over again from Pastor Jerry Savelle and his daughter Terri Savelle Foy through their media channel at www.jerrysavelle.org.

Yes, I am sure many of us are already well versed with Romans 10;17 (NKJV):-

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

There is power in the the spoken word. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. The words that Jesus speaks are Life and Spirit to us.

While I may read the word of God and hear it play out in my mind, it is a different experience and impact altogether when I read the word of God audibly and hear it with my ears. Likewise, if I were to hear a preacher expounding the word of God, it would come across in manner that is richer than merely reading his sermon text. Imagine the world of difference between discerning the "chirping" of a bird in written text and actually hearing a bird sing.

Maybe it is due to the sound waves generated by speech, or perhaps the word of God is best sown when it is spoken. For sure we can read, study, meditate and memorize the word of God. But, there is a distinct benefit for us to hear the word of God; for faith comes by hearing the word of God.

The further revelation for me was not to just listen to the word of God during church service and cell group meeting. I can listen to the word of God everyday! How? Through CDs, MP3 and the internet.

As such, I would like to recommend, for starters, that you listen to the word of God at web sites such as:
http://www.jerrysavelle.org/media/; http://edition.konghee.com/broadcast/; and http://ww2.joelosteen.com/Broadcast/Pages/ThisWeeksMessage.aspx

And, grab hold of CDs by:-

1) Pastor Kong Hee (e.g., "Being a Possibility Thinker" comprising : The Life Cycle of a Dream; Goals Setting for Success; Seven Steps to Goal Setting; Seven Principles of Possibility Thinking; Walking in Truth; The Power of an Apology; and Your Attitude towards Problems, and "Your Mind & Self-Image" comprising: The Mind of Christ and Your Self-Image; The Conscious and Sub-Conscious Mind; How to R-E-N-E-W Your Mind; Breaking the Scarcity Mind-Set; and Transformed by the Renewed Mind); and

2) Pastor Joel Osteen (e.g., "The Dream In You" comprising: Become What You Believe; Giving Your Dreams a New Beginning; and Making Plans to Succeed, and Experiencing the Multiplication of God (TWICE THE LIFE) comprising: Looking Beyond Where You Are; God has More in Store; Making Plans to Live a Blessed Life; and Broaden Your Life).

As faith arise in us to live life forward with God more closely than ever before, our mess can become a message and our test can become a testimony to the Glory of God. Hear the Word of God, and live life more abundantly!

Our Response to the Voice of God

On 28 December 2012 morning, while commuting to work, the following Bible verse from Isaiah 30:21 (NKJV) popped up on my mobile phone:-

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left.

Having read and reflected on it, I left it at that and immersed myself with activities for the day. After work, I would take the train and alight at an interchange station and changeover to another train for my final stop. That evening though at the interchange, I had a clear and deep impression to board the next train towards its centre segment although I would usually get in at the front segment to my right.

I felt good and at peace to follow the prompting although I do not understand what this could mean. No big deal, I thought to myself. If that's what the Holy Spirit is directing, then that's what I need to do. Well, from the little experiences that I had had before on other circumstances, I have found that God already know in advance that which has not unfolded in the realm of time.

It was a humdrum ride and I alighted coolly at my final stop. As I proceeded to the exit, lo and behold, I saw one of my cell group member, Charles Cheong, seated on a bench waiting for the train which will be coming on the adjacent platform and heading to the opposite direction. Man, was I glad to bump into him. I felt like I had not seen him for the longest time (we were together in cell group meeting two Fridays ago). We talked and fellowshipped for a while before I went on my way.

Then, I knew what God was setting me up for. This is but a small glimpse of divine connection. It's like what Pastor Steven Furtick says in his book "Greater" that while we dream big dreams, we start smaller -- a whole lot smaller. In this connection, he also recalled that the German-born evangelist Reinhard Bonke had preached before that "Peter didn't actually walk on the water. He went walking on the word. He stepped out onto c-o-m-e." (page 45, Greater, by Steven Furtick).

Dear friends, the issue for us today is not whether God is still speaking. The truth is God is always speaking to us. Consider, Hebrews 1:1~2 (NIV):-

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe

As we spend time with God and study His word, we will hear His Voice. Get hold of Bible study resources in print or on the internet (e.g., www.biblegateway.com), and let the Holy Spirit teach us: What does the Word say?; What does it mean?; and How does it apply to me?.

Truly and verily, Jesus says to us in John 10:27 (NKJV) and Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) as follows, respectively,:-

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

God loves us and knows everything about us-- our hope, aspirations, dreams, shortcomings, shame, and what-nots. But, hey, God is speaking to us through Jesus today. And, eventhough, Jesus has ascended to heaven and seated at God's right hand, He has not left us as orphans by sending the Holy Spirit to teach us and lead us in the way that we ought to proceed for His glory.

The crux of the matter is: What is our response to the voice of God? Will we come to Him when He says, "Come!" Will we go to all the worlds, when He says, "Go!"

There is no other way to be happy IN JESUS, but to Trust & Obey. After all, Almighty God Himself has this to say concerning His only begotten Son:-

Matthew 17:5 (NKJV)
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Mark 9:7 (NKJV)
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Luke 9:35 (NKJV)
And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”

As we raise our flutes to greet the New Year 2013, let's toast it with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- Who is THE SUPREMO WHO'S WHO of our life.

The Fruit of Our Lips

"The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 (Amp.)

A good tree brings forth good fruit; we are what we say, to a large and evident extent. As a fig tree will only bring forth figs, the Christian has all the potential to produce fruit of righteousness stemming from his right standing with God through faith in Christ. The challenge is: How good and healthy are we as a tree which we cultivate in Christ? And, how fruitful are we?

To be a good tree, the ground of our heart (the inward man) has to be receptive to the imperishable seed of God's words. This is how Hosea 10:12 (NKJV) addresses the condition of our uncultivated heart, "Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you."

A fallow ground, as explained by Charles G. Finney, is "ground which has once been tilled, but which now lies waste, and needs to be broken up and mellowed, before it is it is ready to receive grain." It is up to us to soften our heart of flesh and open the valves for God's word to renew and refresh us.

Our spirit man need to arise and tune-in to what the Holy Spirit has to teach, instruct and reveal to us from the word of God -- that which our intellect cannot comprehend. Our intellect, which is insistent on getting answers to the what-how-where-who-why, will hinder us from grasping spiritual truths.

Thus, we need to humble ourselves before God and let our every thoughts be subject to the authority of God's words. As we obey God's words, eventhough we do not yet see the truth of His words being manifested fully in our current reality, we may have to tackle certain unscriptural (wicked, evil, false, misguided) thoughts which have become so ingrained in us that they form a stronghold in our mind. We need to renew our mind by the hearing of God's words so that we can be set free from this stranglehold of erroneous thinking and believing so that we can lay hold of the ideal Christian life that God has all along intended for us.

As we feed on the word of God which is like a life-giving river, we can flourish as a fruitful tree. So, we need to position ourselves to be in the word of God and let His words passed our mind and into our heart (spirit). This is the picture that we can hold up in our mind and spirit from Psalms 1:1-3 (Amp.):-

Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night.

And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity].

Jesus likens us to branches that are joined to Himself, our True Vine, from whom we draw our nutrients. When we are truly in Christ, we can ask God expectingly for our life to produce fruit. Jesus said, "If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." John 15:7 (Amp.) 

God loves to be oversee our frutifulness. Today, I caught a glimpse of this truth from the following 2 verses while writing:-

"When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine." John 15:8 (Amp.)

"I have told you these things, that My joy and delight may be in you, and that your joy and gladness may be of full measure and complete and overflowing." John 15:11 (Amp.)

It is thus vital for us to guard what gets into us as we sojourn on this earth and approriate God's supreme powerful rule over our life. Whether we spout poetry or talk thrash; speak life or death; bless or curse; or makes positive or negative confessions, it has a lot to do with the sources of these words that we are hanging out with.

For example, there is a whole spread of resources on the internet that are of this world fighting for our attention. But, thankfully, there is also a growing presence of God's words, too, in writings, music and video. Which would we choose?

Much like food, we don't have to choose what we know is bad for us. For the believers, our constant decisions, wise or poor, will develop into habits, shape us and, ulitmately, affect our destiny in terms of salvation and rewards.

God's desire for us is to bear fruit and one prominent aspect of this fruifulness would be in the words that come forth from our mouth. He is looking for His kind of Life-giving water from the fruit of our lips. Consider the following:-

"Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23 (Amp.)

"He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor)." John 7:38-39 (Amp.)

When we feed on God's word as we learn at His feet under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, mix His words with faith and obey them, our speech will be gracious and packed with God's authority; for out of the abundance our heart, our mouth speaks. Check these out:-

"Let your speech at all times be gracious (pleasant and winsome), seasoned [as it were] with salt, [so that you may never be at a loss] to know how you ought to answer anyone [who puts a question to you]." Colossians 4:6 (Amp.)

"Whoever speaks, [let him do it as one who utters] oracles of God; whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever (through endless ages). Amen (so be it)." 1 Peter 4:11 (Amp.)

Yes, we can minister to one another in the Body of Christ with our words. But, hey, we can also bless God with the fruit of our lips. While it is true that God is omnipresent, don't you think that there are places and persons that He rather be at and with?

Psalms 22:3 speaks of God dwelling in the praises of the descendants of Israel (Jacob), to whose faimly the Gentile believers belong by adoption in Christ Jesus, while John 14:23 speaks of God making His home with those who keep His words (obey His teaching).

What shall we say then? "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)

Chris Tomlin - (Let Faith Arise) I Lift My Hands

There are many great songs composed and sung by Chris Tomlin. As we have been revisting the subject of faith recently, you may wish to enjoy and be edified with "I Lift My Hands":-

"Be still, there is a healer
His love is deeper than the sea
His mercy, it is unfailing
His arms are fortress for the weak

Let faith arise
Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Be still, there is a river
That flows from Calvary's tree
A fountain for the thirsty
Pure grace that washes over me

Let faith arise
Let faith arise

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever
(From: http://www.elyrics.net)

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes
Let faith arise, let faith arise
Open my eyes, open my eyes

I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God, forever

And I lift my hands to believe again
You are my refuge, You are my strength
As I pour out my heart
These things, I remember
You are faithful, God
You are faithful, God, forever

Let faith arise
Let faith arise"

And, as faith arises, hey, you may wanna check out our new identity in Christ as a "Chosen Generation".

Faith Revolution III

“ And the Lord said,“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

In the previous blog, we touched base on the abundant life which Jesus spoke of in John 10:10b. John 17:3 describes this fuller life as follows: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” And, we can know more of God through His words which are spirit and life.

Thus, this more abundant life incorporates a spiritual life. In his book “Your Capacity in God”, Pastor Ulf Ekman points out that the Bible speaks of three kinds of life which we live concurrently, namely: bios (the physical, biological life); psyche (the soul life encompassing our mind, will and emotions); and zoe (the divine, spiritual life).  When we have zoe, we are ready for living the life that God has restored for us through the second Adam -- Jesus Christ. “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-12 (NKJV)

In the previous blog, we also delved a bit into the thief’s evil intentions to steal, kill and destroy. Just what is the evil one after -- our car, house, heath, wealth, et cetera? Surely, he doesn’t need a car! Hint: it must be something that he knows is precious to God, whether we value it or not. What could it be? Could it be the hidden and secret oil reserve under your house?! My guess was: “that God is good”.

I found the answer on the evening of 24 November 2012 when Dr. A.R. Bernard^, Advisory Chairman, City Harvest Church, was in town. He was in his element best (as usual), “preached hard”, and unveiled what the devil is after by taking this piece of the “jigsaw puzzle” from Luke 22:31-32.

In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus disclosed to Peter that the devil had actually asked for permission to rough him out. But, Jesus told Simon (Peter), that He had prayed that Peter’s faith should not fail. Satan is after our FAITH –to steal, kill and destroy; just as how wheat is sifted using blades to remove the impurities. And, we thought that the devil had stolen our joy or something else for the longest time!

Faith is foundational to the Christian life. Without faith, it’s IMPOSSIBLE to please God; the just (righteous in Christ Jesus) shall live BY FAITH. Get hold of a CD on Dr. A.R. Bernard message, and be encouraged in your faith.

In gist, by the wisdom of God, Dr. Bernard expounded that: THROUGH CONVERSION, JESUS MAKES US A PART OF A PERFECTLY NEW IDEAL IN ETERNITY (IN SPIRIT), BUT GOD LEFT US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REALITIES OF “TIME”. THEREFORE, THE BELIEVER LIVES IN A TENSION BETWEEN THE IDEAL AND THE REALITY.

Hey, take heart. JESUS has prayed for us believers, too! “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15 (NKJV) JESUS is the Author and Finisher of our faith. Let’s continue to follow Him, our Good Shepherd, and fight the good fight of FAITH!

^ Dr. A.R. Bernard is the founder of the thriving 33,000-member Christian Cultural Center in New York. As a highly sought-after speaker by some of the leading Fortune 500 companies, universities, colleges and faith-based organizations, Dr. Bernard regularly addresses U.S. senators and congressmen. He is also the president of the Council of Churches of the City of New York representing 1.5 million Protestants, Anglicans and Orthodox Christians. Dr. Bernard was named one of “The Powers of New York” by the New York Times in May 2012.

Faith Revolution II

One my favourite Bible verse is John 10:10 (NKJV) where Jesus said, " The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

For the longest time I have wandered how the abundant life could materialise for an ordinary believer like me. One of the hindrance would, of course, be a lack of knowledge. Make no doubt about it that our enemy, the devil -- the Father of lies, would rejoice to see us live a hapless Christian life as he casts doubts and seeks to deceive us from believing God's word. And, horror of horrors, so many Christians have unwittingly play the devil's advocate by condemning ourselves and choosing to be imprisoned by him rather than be liberated by the truths of God's promises. What were we thinking? Do we yet not get it that GOD IS GOOD and the devil is as bad as can be? Hosea 4:6 speaks of God's people being destroyed for a lack of knowledge and John 10:10a speaks clearly of the thief's intentions to steal, kill, and destroy.

It's time for Christians to know God's words -- the sword of the Spirit, and put them into practice by faith. The more we practice, the more we prove our faith and become a skillful warrior. It's time for us to get violent in our spirit and wage a good fight of faith, believing and contending for things which are aligned with God's word and will for us.

Jesus has said, "It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life." John 6:63 (Amp.) We can have the God-filled life when we have His words in our heart. His words are like seeds which are sown first into our minds. If we mix God's words with faith, the seeds would reach the good soil of our heart and spring forth a harvest as they are packed with God's Spirit and Life -- causing us to be a fruit-bearing vine.

Truth be told, we are, for example, heir with Christ and master of all. Yet, when we are still young in faith and feeding on milk rather than solid food, we are no different from a slave in our Master's house! Check this out: "Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, " Galatians 4:1 (NKJV)

A corollary verse to John 10:10b would be Romans 5:17 and this is becoming a hot favourite verse for me. Pastor John Bevere has stated in one of his book (it's either 'Relentless' or Extraordinary') that this is one verse that the believers ought to know besides John 3:16.

"For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

As we read Romans 5, the challenge for us would be whether we will choose the victorious life God has wrought for us through Jesus Christ (the second Adam) and be a champion in life or would we live in defeat by remaining under the power of sin which came through the first Adam.

Believe it: We are the righteousness of God in Christ^. "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) Righteousness, as with grace, is a gift from God through faith in Christ.

As we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), we will certainly be able to come to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and ask for all that we need and live life with flourish as joint heirs with Christ. We are one with Christ. When God the Father sees us, He sees the righteousness of Christ Jesus and the power of Holy Spirit working through us.

It's about time for us believers to increase our understanding of how God sees us and know more than ever before of who we are in Christ Jesus by faith! And, press in to God and do the greater things that Jesus spoke of in John 14:12-14.

Be blessed now as you listen to Pastor Ulf Ekman preaching on the Foundations of Effective Prayer (starts at 4 minutes 20 seconds after the introduction and worship song).



Bibliography:-
^ Sermon on "Righteouness In Christ" by my senior pastor, Kong Hee, at City Harvest Church on 17 November 2012. (Get hold of the CD and be edified tremendously!)

Faith Revolution

Familiarity may lead to complacency and status quo. For example, we are told that there is no point in reinventing the wheel. Guess what, the wheel has literally been re-invented by Mr Brian Russell and you can check out his invention in the following clip on his Energy Return Wheel (ERW).

In a similar track, Christians may gloss over the call for us to live by faith. For example, the modern day believers are well attuned to having faith in the grace of God for salvation according to Ephesians 2:8,9(NKJV):  ^"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

As we can see, the grace of God comes by having faith in Him -- believing His words, His ability and His willingness to do what He says He will do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves; it is a gift of God so that God receives all the glory.

It wasn't until this year when I started reading Pastor John Bevere's book entitled "Relentless" that I caught hold of this truth that the grace of God is much more than the gift of salvation. Ever heard the phrase 'God has so much more installed for us'? I often wondered how this could apply to an ordinary believer like me and thought of it as only a good thought which sounded so right. 

Pastor Bevere reported in "Relentless" of a survey conducted in 2009 by his ministry across America that the overwhelming majority of U.S. Christian responders defined God's grace as: (1) salvation; (2) an unmerited gift; and (3) forgiveness of sins. However, only 2 percent believed that "grace is God's empowerment." That means 98% were living the Christian life in their own ability and strength!

Yet, this is what Jesus told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 concerning the power of His grace:-

 My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness.

There is so much more that our Extraordinary God has installed for us His children by the power of His Holy Spirit with revelation through His word. "The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning." Psalms 25:14 (Amp.)

Yes, we may proceed to stetch forth not just the pipeline of faith for Salvation and Forgiveness of sins but also PIPELINES OF FAITH to the RIVER OF GOD'S GRACE for Holy Living, Healing (Divine Health), Abundance for meeting of needs, Reigning in life and SO MUCH MORE.

In this regard, please, please read EXTRAORDINARY by Pastor Bevere. The value of God's word by the revelation of the Holy Spirit as expounded in Relentless and Extraordinary are priceless and will revolutionize faith as we know it. For now, you can listen to this sermon by Pastor Bevere on Relentless.

There is nothing ordinary about our God! He is Extraordinary!! By faith, through His grace, don't you think we are meant to live an Extraordinary life doing His will so that God gets all the glory?! 

Would you cause Jesus to marvel?

This is like freshly baked bread, hot off the spiritual oven of heaven in that I hadn't put the 2 events together of when people had actually caused Jesus to marvel. It's like having butter on toast and now its butter-and-kaya on toast.

It was my Senior Pastor, Kong Hee, City Harvest Church, who touched on these 2 occasions in his sermon on 3 November 2012. One would have thought that Jesus had seen it all and nothing would surprise Him.

In the first account from Mark 6:1-6 (NKJV), familiarity bred contempt for Jesus and He marveled at the unbelief of the people at Nazareth who rejected Him:-

"Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching."

The second account is from Matthew 8:5-13 (NKJV), where Jesus saw the incredible faith of a centurion at Capernaum:-

"Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour."

Unbelief could stem from ignorance due to a lack of head knowledge and/or heart knowledge (i.e., revelation). But, even if we know, we may still find it difficult to believe or act in disobedience to God's word. On a wiser note, we can choose to believe that God's word, i.e., the sword of the Spirit,  in our mouth is as powerful as God's word in His mouth. 

The bottom line is: Will we cause Jesus to marvel at our faith or our unbelief? Let's not be proud and think that we are smarter than God. Do we not know that disobedience is actually camouflaged pride? God has said it; that settles it. Let God, let go and let's go!

Destined to Bear Fruit

^"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

Let's first be reminded of God's call for us to be fruitful and multiply. If possible, we shall touch on the reigning and ruling-in-life part on another occasion.

In the following excerpt from Pastor Ulf Ekman's book, "Born to Win" (Chapter 1 on Destined to Bear Fruit), we are reminded of God's will for us to bear fruit:-

"The word "destined" appears more often  in the Bible than the word "revival". The Bible says that we are destined to do good works, which means that we are destined to bear fruit. If you accept this perspective, God's perspective, you will become strong in your inner being. You will become resolute, dedicated and eager. You will not only dream and long, but your dreams and longings will activate you, through the Holy Spirit. to truly bear fruit.

Jesus will look at the fruit. He says that He knows the tree by the fruit -- not by the leaves, the lushness, the commercials, the newsletter, the buildings or the fantastic things that surround it. The tree will be judged by its fruit. This could be the most important thing for you to understand. Fruit glorifies God. Fruit makes you grow and it is what you will be judged by. Everything is about fruit. We cannot fool God. God enjoys you praising Him from the heart. If you stand there yawning and only pretend to worship, He sees that. But His primary interest is not in your worship. He looks to see if you are doing your heavenly Father's will. You will not enter heaven simply saying, "Lord, Lord" but by doing your heavenly Father's will. Obviously you must know what His will is. His will is that you bear fruit."

"What is God's will for me?" is one of the foremost question that Christians ask. And, we have just found the answer in Genesis 1:28. There is more. Consider also Ephesians 2: 10 (Amp.), "For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."

As my Senior Pastor, Kong Hee, wrote on the church being the expression of Christ in society in his inflection, Called to Connect, for City Harvest Church's bulletin of Nov 3-4, 2012:-

 "Though you may not be of the world, you have been called by God into the world, to be an influence on His behalf. God created this world and He created you with special talents, interests and desires so that you might be obedient to live this life for His glory. Step beyond the four walls of the church and engage culture with your unique talents. In all things, strive to be a relevant, creative and authentic person who boldly lives for the gospel of Christ. Then, through you, the world will experience the love of God in greater measure!"

Be inspired as you listen to this song composed by Teo Poh Heng, a worship leader at City Harvest Church, as performed by the hands of 'braindot':-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDYoOnyj6wg&feature=related

Truly, as Jesus has said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NJKV)

The Man Who Made Jesus Stand Still

Mark 10:46-52 (New King James Version)

⁴⁶ Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. ⁴⁷ And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸ Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.
Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”
⁵⁰ And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.+ + + + + + +

It has been said that a picture paints a thousand words. Imagine what a movie or a video clip can do to communicate God's word to us.

Thus, consider and catch hold of the following YouTube presentation by Pastor Steve Munsey of blind Bartimaeus who made Jesus stand still:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56aXpc6K7xY

Let faith arise and may our eyes be opened to see that God has so much more good things prepared for us.

What A Friend We Have In Jesus!

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:12-14; NKJV)

We can give without loving, but we can’t love without giving. We can give of the resources vested upon us such as time, talent and finances. But, giving of ourselves would be the ultimate sacrifice of love. How many of us would die for a friend?

What kind of person would die for a friend? On this Good Friday, Jesus Christ, the very person who proffered that “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” comes to mind effortlessly. As Jesus was drawing close to the day His death by crucifixion, He said that “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25; NKJV)

“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.” (John 3:16; NKJV) While Jesus died for the whole human race, His hope would be that as many of us as possible could be His friends. He believes in our friendship with Him because He thinks we are worth it!

To the religious amongst us, it might seem sacrilegious to even think that we can actually be a friend of Jesus. Yes, we can by living in manner which is worthy of our high calling in Christ Jesus. The friends of Jesus are to walk in love. Like what my Senior Pastor, Dr Rev Kong Hee, would say: We are to love God wholeheartedly and to love people fervently. And, it has to be on a daily basis; no off-day, so to speak. “Then He (Jesus) said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” “ (Luke 9:22-24; NKJV) Whom would we give our lives to?

Thank God for sending Jesus to atone for our sins on that very first Good Friday. What a friend we have in Jesus! The challenge would be: What kind of friend are we to Jesus?