One Thing -- A Matter of Priority

"But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” -- Luke 10:40-42

Fast forward to our present time, as with Martha, we may be distracted from laying down what we are doing to be with Jesus Christ, our LORD and KING.

While what we are doing may be important, I would infer that our priority may at times be out of alignment with Jesus' priority. This is the Son of God who spent time regularly communing with His Father while going about doing His Father's business on this earth with a clear sense of purpose, determination, discipline, direction, dedication and devotion.

We cannot afford to be so busy that we have no time to spend in the presence of Jesus who is One with the Father and the Holy Spirit. We need to catch hold of this revelation:-

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!" -- Psalm 46:10

God is still God whether we take heed or not. But, if we retreat from our distraction and rest our soul, we will know that God is with us for real and He is more majestic and glorious than what we can ever think or envision. 

And, yes, God is certain that He will be exalted among all people and throughout the earth; every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is LORD!

It is time for us to draw near to Jesus daily and eat of His Words (spiritual bread and water) which are life and spirit. 

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." -- Matthew 11:28 

Let's take heed and make it a priority to accept God's Invitation To An Abundant Life as outlined in Isaiah 55:

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, 

Come to the waters;

And you who have no money,

Come, buy and eat.

Yes, come, buy wine and milk

Without money and without price.

Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

And your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

And let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Incline your ear, and come to Me.

Hear, and your soul shall live;

And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—

The sure mercies of David.

Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,

A leader and commander for the people.

Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,

And nations who do not know you shall run to you,

Because of the Lord your God,

And the Holy One of Israel;

For He has glorified you.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the Lord,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,

And do not return there,

But water the earth,

And make it bring forth and bud,

That it may give seed to the sower

And bread to the eater,

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please,

And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

“For you shall go out with joy,

And be led out with peace;

The mountains and the hills

Shall break forth into singing before you,

And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,

And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;

And it shall be to the Lord for a name,

For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

It is well and good for us to come to Jesus and be blessed. When we come to Him, Jesus will speak His specific words for us which we could learn to well recognise like a sheep knowing the shepherd's voice. 

To the rich young man who had kept the commandments, Jesus had this to say to him:

"Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” " -- Mark 10:21 

God has no problem with us having wealth (look at Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), but we have a problem when we are possessed by our possessions. As explained by Jesus in Mark 10:23-31, it is hard for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God and the reason is that they tend to place their trust in riches (rather than God). 

But, with God, all things are possible. This means that with God, we can learn to trust Him and still be able to handle riches with proper stewardship; godliness with riches without losing our consecration. It is, after all, the love of money that is the root of all evil and not money, in and of itself.

May we soldier on to make our time with God (Quiet Time, church service, prayer meeting, etc) a top priority. We may then partake of King David's pursuit of God and godliness:

"One thing I have desired of the Lord,

That will I seek:

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord

All the days of my life,

To behold the beauty of the Lord,

And to inquire in His temple." -- Psalm 27:4

Note: All Scriptures shown here are from the NKJV version.

Faith Revolution IV -- Where There Is No Ownership, There Is No Outrage

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;

But the earth He has given to the children of men." -- Psalm 115:16 (NKJV)

Every now and then in Christendom, we come across a message which will grip us and transform us as the powerful truth of God's Word is unveiled before the mind of our understanding. This is one such message which could revolutionize our faith in God as we know it up till now. Get ready and buckle up for the launching of a new level of faith!

I found this message in prophet Bill Winston's preaching on "You Can Do Something What Other People Can't". Click on the following link to get the full message and be all stirred up in your spirit man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpClD18zh74

Initially, I thought that he would be speaking on the unique gifting which each of us has been given so that we could develop and deploy for the glory of God. The following is an adaptation from what I have learnt from the man of God.

Who is running this world? From the looks of it, the people of God (the church; the redeemed of the LORD) are not running it, yet. By and large, the world is governed by people with human wisdom rather than heavenly wisdom and, worse still, in certain times and places, by leaders who are influenced by the evil one. 

Back in the garden of Eden, God has given Adam the mandate to have dominion over creation, meaning: rulership, authority, stewardship and OWNERSHIP. Ownership denotes sovereign, supreme authority and an owner is someone who has legal or rightful title to a subject matter.

Jesus died for ownership. WHERE THERE IS NO OWNERSHIP, THERE IS NO OUTRAGE. Look at the distress we see in this world. The believers need to take ownership of this world and the nations. We are as much in heaven as we are on earth; seated with Christ in the heavenly places. When we don't own stuffs, the enemy knows it!

For the longest time, I have wondered why people would pray Psalms 1:8 (NKJV): 

"Ask of Me, and I will give You

The nations for Your inheritance,

And the ends of the earth for Your possession." 

There prayers seem so far fetched. Now, I am beginning to see that we the believers need to grow up and grow out of our small vision to see the bigger picture of how God will build His church so that it can, in turn, bind the strongman from stealing, killing and destroying people the world over. God desires that none shall perish; He has given the earth to the children of men.

It's time for us believers to take up the authority over our nation, community, business, school, family and spiritual life, Or, the accuser of the brethren will do so. When we see that our ownership is violated in that things are not run or not turning out as they ought to be, outrage would be an appropriate response. Can you imagine a thief trespassing your property and stealing your stuffs right before your eyes and you are not provoked to do anything about it?!

Our adversary is not people per se, but the evil one. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)  

Jesus is the lawful owner of everything; God has appointed Jesus as heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2). Amazingly, the believers are joint heirs (co-heirs; 100% : 100%) with Christ. "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together." (Romans 8:16 - 17; NKJV)

As pointed out by prophet Winston, "There is an inheritance that cannot be delivered to you beyond your level of growth. ... Many times the people in the church have been carnal. ... For you to face the giants, you're gonna have to be spiritual." In the parable of the prodigal son, the father told the elder son that ".. you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." (Luke 15:31b) But, the elder son could not see it.

In the piranha story, a glass divider was placed between the predator fish and a small fish. After a period of time, the piranha was conditioned to think that it was futile to reach for the provision and ceased trying all together even when the divider was removed. Jesus has removed the divider out of our life and the provisions are swimming around us!" 

The aforesaid phenomenon is not new as apostle Paul has informed us, "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, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world." (Ephesians 4:1-3; NKJV)

Here comes the best part. We have the title deeds! "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." -- Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) We have the legal right to receive what is ours and put the devil to flight.

Believing is seeing. We look through our eyes, but we see with the mind of our understanding. Two persons can look at the same thing, and yet see differently. One believer will look at the evil in this world and question God while another believer will see that the church has been slacked concerning its responsibility to safeguard lives from the evil one. 

The urgency to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to every persons in our community and every nations, among other good works, is something that must continue to be top priority for the church. People need the Word of God for the renewal of their minds and transformation of their lives. The truth of God's Word will set people free from bondage and gives them a sure compass for the good life in Christ Jesus. 

The clearer the picture, the faster will be our acceleration towards our known goals. May our mediation on the Word of God prepare us for the next level of faith. As taught by prophet Winston, meditation is the God-given process that produces a spiritual experience that causes a permanent change in your thinking.

May your faith living be never the same again from this day forward!

Bill Winston - You Can Do Something What Other People Can't 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpClD18zh74

Unlikely Soccer Win on the Wings of Prayer

"All Glory Be To God!" for this testimony I am about to share. Personally, it has encouraged me to know that God listens to prayers and that prayer can make all the difference. Yes, it would be transformational to know and experience God in everyday life, as Dr A R Bernard puts it.

Also, I would like to add that although I do pray regularly, I do not usually receive an inexplicable prayer burden, compulsion, provocation or assignment. And, of course, God would send this spirit of prayer to as many persons as He desires.

However, when such a spirit of prayer comes, I find that it is both a very calm assurance, that surpasses understanding, and a confidence that what is prayed for will come to pass. For example, the prayer for the haze to dissipate from Singapore in an earlier blog post on 22 June 2013.

Well, on the evening of 23 May 2015, I was having dinner at home and glancing at the Malaysian FA Cup final between Kelantan and Singapore on television which my sister-in-law was watching avidly. 

I used to watch soccer games on television regularly but has gotten myself unhooked after countless disappointments with the teams that I fancy and finding that a soccer match which lasts 115 minutes, including half-time, is a time-stealer. In order to stay in the know, occasionally, I would just read the outcome of matches as reported in the newspaper.

Faris Ramli scored for Singapore around the 7th minute accompanied by the shouts and cheers stemming from the neighbouring flats. However, Kelantan was clearly the stronger team and they launched waves after waves of attacks. Singapore defended as best as they could with goalkeeper, Izwan Mahbud, having to pull off many superlative saves.

After dinner I did my share of housework by sweeping the floor and glanced at the ongoing match occasionally, but things were really looking downhill for Singapore. By the by, Kelantan equalised around the 60th minute as can be heard from the television. I did not bother to look as I hate to see the despair of Singapore players and fans alike.

With the floor swept, I then proceeded to take my shower. While showering the spirit of prayer came upon me in the knowledge that with God all things are possible, and I began to pray that Singapore will defend stoutly, that there will be a turnaround and the players will be filled with courage and confidence to play their game and score another goal. But, the win had to be convincing, also, I reckoned. Winning by a goal would not be so convincing.

Then, I received by faith a visualised 3-1 incredible scoreline for Singapore. What a stretch that would be for the vanquishing to emerge as a winner notwithstanding that it would be such a sweet celebration for Singapore's 50th year of independence. 

Shortly after, it happened. I heard shouts and cheers from the neighbourhood. It could only mean that Singapore had scored a second goal against all odds. Not long after, there was another round of triumph overheard. I scrambled for the bathroom door and headed for the living room. There, I saw a replay of Sahil Suhaimi scoring from the penalty spot. Hard to believe, but the weak became strong and triumphed 3-1!

We are to glory only in the LORD God Almighty. With Him, all things are possible. "...and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; (1 Corinthians 1:27; NKJV)."

“You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created.” (Revelation 4:11; NKJV)

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord!: (Psalm 150:6; NKJV)

"The Love of God" by Frederick M. Lehman (1868 - 1953)

For your contemplation on the magnitude of God's love, the third stanza of "The Love of God" is highlighted below:-

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen." John 21:25 (NKJV)

Click on the following YouTube clip uploaded by Bob Marshall and be blessed as you listen to Shelley Jennings sing The Love of God:- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Vp3XQ__-w

What is the Sign of Jonah?

When we think of Jonah, we can't help but associate him with a great fish that swallowed him and the closest plausible sea creature we have sighted would be a whale.

God had an assignment for prophet Jonah. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. Jonah 1:2,3 (NKJV)"

As the ship set sail, the LORD sent a violent storm which threatened to shatter the ship. The crew cast lots to determine who may had caused this calamity and the lot fell on Jonah. Still, they rowed as hard as they could to bring the ship to shore, but the tempest worsened. They prayed for God's mercy to spare their lives and, as a last resort, threw Jonah into the sea, and then the storm ceased.

"Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17 (NKJV)"

Fast forward to the New Testament, Jesus Christ was pressed for a sign of from heaven. "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:39, 40 (NKJV)"

In 2010 a gray whale was spotted off Herzliya Marina, which is part of the Jaffa or Tel Aviv district as per the following report by BBC:-

Mediterranean gray whale appears 'back from the dead'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8672000/8672970.stm 

And, Joppa is modern day Jaffa or Tel Aviv and also known as Japho, Joppe, el-Qal'a, 'Yafa, Yafa el-'Atiqa, Yafo) as sourced from the following link:-

http://www.bibleplaces.com/joppa.htm

What do we make of all these? 

I would say that we have already seen the sign of Jonah when Jesus was crucified, dead and buried for three days and three night just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. 

As for  the sighting of the whale, scientists believe that it could be due to climatic changes and/or that the whales are retracing their ancient routes and returning to their former haunts across the Atlantic Ocean.

Still, it is exciting that the fish that swallowed Jonah has finally been transferred out of the pages of the Holy Bible and Sunday Schools onto newspapers, mass media and scientific journals, and into the public domain.

God is Almighty! He sent the storm, He sent the fish, and He sent His Son!!!

How Shall You Run Your Life?

One of the blessing of my life is the many fresh revelations that I have caught since attending City Harvest Church. As a church with close to 100% of members who tithe, I have experienced what is written in Malachi 3:10a (NKJV), "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house,".

People need people is a common refrain. But, hey, we need spiritual food, too. God, our Creator, has furnished us with not just a body and soul, but also a spirit (inner man). God's instruction manual has made it clear for his "very good" creation that: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’" (Matthew 4:4b; NKJV)

When we backslide, neglect or gloss over God's Word and relegate into carnal mindedness, it's time to sit up and seek for freshly baked bread to feed and stir up our spirit man. By honouring God's Word, we are honouring Him. What God has said, let it be settled in our mind, established in our heart and followed through in obedience by faith.

As we do so, our eyes will be opened to fresh revelations of spiritual truths such as "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105; NKJV); “.. He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.” (Matthew 8:17); and "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." (John 3-51:; NKJV)

Back to the question of "How shall you run your life?", I am reminded of what my cell group leader had shared on 27 March 2015 to run our lives in the following three manners:

1. Be like Jesus who has a clear Vision and Purpose.

2. Be like Jesus who has led a Disciplined Life.

3. Be like Jesus who has centred Himself around God the Father.

When we have a clear vision and purpose coupled with a disciplined life in Christ Jesus, we are running our life well. 

But, the clincher is to do the specific will or assignment that the Father has for us and glorify God the Father just as Jesus did.

"... nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42; NKJV)

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16; NKJV)

Let us therefore take heed of what God the Father is saying to us already in His Word as well as what the Holy Spirit is revealing to us.

As Jesus told His disciples, "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]." (John 16:13; Amp)

This is a shout-out that Jesus is Alive!

Feed and stengthen your spirit or inner man with Word of God, prayer, praise/worship songs and right associations with Spirit-anointed followers of Jesus Christ.

Click on the following YouTube clip to re-affirm that Jesus is Alive! within you by listening to "Alive" in this rendition by Sun Ho at City Harvest Church and be blessed:-

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlL7kibH8lw

God Loves the 5th Sparrow, too!

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will." Matthew 10:29 (NKJV)

"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God." Luke 12:6 (NKJV)


The above two Scripture passages are I am sure familiar to those of us who have been a Christian for the longest time. Yet, as with me, you may have read them without due thought and overlook the significance of the math involved -- God's mathematics that would bend our mind with 2 + 2 = 5!

As we read closely, we could buy 2 sparrows for 1 copper coin and for 2 copper coins we could buy not 4 but 5 sparrows. In other words, the 5th sparrow is thrown in as a spare or goodwill. In effect, the 5th sparrow is of no monetary value; only to be given away for free upon the sale of every 4 sparrows.

Now, there are upon a search on the internet quite a number of stories or exposition on the 5th sparrow but I like the following version best as shared by Pastor Edmund Chan in his book Growing Deeper With God (ISBN 978-981-08-1392-5):-

"A moving story was told of a little Spanish boy in Vigo who became a devout Christian. He was asked about his conversion.

"It was all because of the fifth sparrow," he said.

"I do not understand," said the Englishman. "What fifth sparrow?"

"Well, Senor, it is this way," the boy said. "A man gave me a New Testament, and I read in one Gospel that two sparrows were sold for a cent (farthing). And again I read in Luke, 'Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?'

"And I said to myself, Jesus Christ knew well our custom of selling birds. As you know, Sir, we trap birds and get one chico for two sparrows and for two chicos, we throw in an extra sparrow, the odd sparrow as a spare. That extra sparrow, the fifth sparrow, is a dead weight and is of no account at all. It's just a spare. But yet, the Bible says that not one of them is forgotten before God.

"And so I think to myself, I am so insignificant, so poor, so small, of no account at all. Yet I am like that odd sparrow. God remembers me. I have never heard of such a thing. No one but God would have thought of not forgetting me. I am significant to Him!" 

That, my friend, is the saving grace of God! "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:30-32 (NKJV) 

Join me, and tell the world that Jesus lives!

Breakthrough!

On 2 November 2013, I received this revelation that God has a good plan and great destiny for the believers even though it may not have panned yet out according to His plan. He has already seen the end from the very beginning as He is the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end.

After all, is there anything too hard for our Creator? God can do anything. (Okay, God can’t sin, to wit.) And, God remembers and cares for us. While the children of Israel were taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar from Jerusalem to Babylon, God sent His word to them through the prophet Jeremiah. Amongst other things, He said, “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Jeremiah 29:11; MSG)”

Also, didn’t Jesus say: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. (John 10:10b; MSG)”? What is eternal life? “And this is the real and eternal life: That they know You, the one and only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You sent. (John 17:3; MSG)” Did we get that? We have access to the most High God! An audience with Him in His throne room, if you will. And, we thought minion thoughts that meeting with Bill Gates or having lunch with Warren Buffet was such a big deal. Hey, let’s get our perspective and relativity of awesomeness in order.

Coming down to earth, we may be living far below what God has planned for us but that does not negate His plans. The greatest waste or loss is the gap between who we are and the person we were meant to be, in Christ Jesus. No wonder it is also commonly said that one of the richest places on earth is the cemetery where so much dreams and aspirations lay buried and wasted. One idea or product and one prepared person whose time has come can change the world.

Yes, who knows (God knows!), you may well change your world or even change the world if you would prepare and pursue all that the Holy Spirit is revealing to you. Think about it, mull over it. Do we really know our God? Don’t we know our God? If we would recall, “God is not a man, that He should tell or act a lie, neither the son of man, that He should feel repentance or compunction [for what He has promised]. Has He said and shall He not do it? Or has He spoken and shall He not make it good? Numbers 23:19; MSG)”

The ball is in our court, so to speak. We can bridge the dichotomy between who we are now and all that God intends for us. It’s all up to us to respond and take this journey of faith. It’s amazing that we can trust God for our salvation by His grace or favour through faith in Jesus Christ and not apply the same faith in God’s grace for every other areas of our life.

I am repentant of this and have only just begun to see that while Ephesians 2:8 speaks of God’s grace for salvation, His grace is not confined or restricted to salvation from the consequences of our sins and our sin nature. There is so much more, in Christ!

How do we advance and step into our Promised Land -- our dream position, home, family relationships, friendships, ministry, et cetera? Faith is sacrosanct in this regards. Faith in God through our relationship with Him and in His Word. It has to be developed and proven (put to the test) over time through our a close walk with the Holy Spirit who will teach us the Word of God, reveal the truth and wisdom therein, and instructs us in our walk of faith.

^“But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10; NKJV).

Also, “This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success” (Joshua 1:8; MSG).

Next, we need to guard our heart and let praise and thanksgiving spring forth. What we say will reveal the treasure of our heart -- the Word of God, no less! We will get the biggest bang for storing His Word in our heart and internalizing it so much so that we know the thoughts and ways of God. For example, that He is a good God and He has loved us with an everlasting love.

King David knew so well of how to find salvation or deliverance when he wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that: “He who brings an offering of praise and thanksgiving honors and glorifies Me; and he who orders his way aright [who prepares the way that I may show him], to him I will demonstrate the salvation of God. Psalms 50:23; AMP)”

Our breakthrough is at hand. Keep believing. Do not grow weary. Keep sowing. God is all for us and we can truly live out, through obedient faith, all of what He has planned for us.

It is Finished!

This article “It is Finished” is adapted from Dr. Yonggi Cho’s sermon at City Harvest Church’s Dedication Service on 9 July 2013 upon its move home to the renewed and upgraded Suntec Singapore, and Pastor Kong Hee’s sermon on 13 July 2013.

There are two occasions in the Holy Bible where God’s work is finished. The first is when “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished” and God “rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done”. (Genesis 2:1~2; NKJV) The second event took place when Jesus died for us on the cross at Calvary and declared, “It is finished!” (John 19:28,30; NKJV)

Interestingly, man and woman were created on the sixth day and on the very next day God rested from all His work. There was no more work to be done and we entered His rest, as it were, before the curse of sin (disobedience) fell on us.

Though we fell from glory, God did not give up on us. Then, Jesus obeyed the Father and completed the work of redemption, and we the redeemed of the LORD can now say, “Salvation is finished work!”; “Sickness, you are finished because of Jesus Christ.”; “Sin, temptation and poverty, you are finished by Jesus Christ”; and “I’m a blessed person of Jesus Christ.”

Dr. Cho’s urged us, believers, to pray and find our rest in God; the work belongs to God. God wants to take over our sin, failure, work and other problems. He (Jesus) is ready to meet the needs of people who are sick, cursed, unhappy and dying. Also, Dr. Cho shared on how good and pleasant it is to meditate on and experience the truth and reality of life in the realm of God’s kingdom with particular focus on the following nuggets:

a)    Forgiveness of sins;

b)    Healing from sickness and diseases;

c)    Sanctification by the Holy Spirit;

d)    The covenant blessing of Abraham; and

e)    Eternal kingdom of God.

Take some time to just pause and reflect deeply on the aforementioned blessings of life in the Presence of God. Such an exercise will truly help us to fix our eyes on Jesus Christ rather than our despair or discouragement.

Pastor Kong’s exaltation is for us to pray, worship and find our rest in God. He touched on Matthew 6 which has two major themes: (I) Don’t worry; and (II) Jesus’ teaching us how to pray.

Reference was also made to Revelation 5:8~10, which offer a glimpse of a believer’s life of victory in Christ Jesus, with the playing of a harp representing praise/worship and golden bowls full of incense being the prayers of the saints. “And they sang a new song, saying:“You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.” (NKJV)

Fret not, Jesus is our King who is wearing the Victor’s Crown. God has given us four things to go beyond our three-dimensional realm:

1.            THINKING

-      Change your thinking life; feed our mind with God’s Word.

-      As a man thinks, so is he.

2.            VISIONS AND DREAMS

-      Visions and dreams are the preferred language of the Holy Spirit.

-      See yourself healthy, wealthy, strong and wise in Christ Jesus.

-      If your dream is from God, He will back it up.

3.            BELIEVING

-      You must believe with the faith you have.

-      “Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”” (Mark 9:23;NKJV)

-      Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40; NKJV)

4.            SPEAKING

-      This is what Dr. Cho often speak of as “mouth confession”.

-      What you speak, you are going to have it.

-      There is power in your confession; your confession will change your life.

-      After suffering from a stroke at 88 years old, Dr. Stanley E. Jones (regarded as the Billy Graham of India), got the nurses to confess God’s Word over him in Jesus’ name. He was healed and went on to preach again for several more years. Hallelujah!

Dear believers, we live unto God and wanna let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify Him. We may do all we can with the help and anointing of the Holy Spirit as vessels and vehicles (hands and feet) of God and keep learning to do things with Him and in His ways.

But, ultimately, it is the LORD’s work and there are things that are simply beyond us to lift a finger. For example, healing the blind, and setting captives free from strongholds. Let God do all the heavy lifting.

However, we can come under Jesus’ anointing of ease and learnt of Him. We can get our thinking right by receiving the rhema of God’s Word (remember, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God); receive anointed visions and dreams through communion with the Holy Spirit in praise/worship and prayers; exercise our mustard seed-size faith and keep listening to God’s Word (for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God); order our conversation aright by confessing God’s Word as the Sword of the Holy Spirit.

To put a smile on your face, there is a work that God is still about. YOU! He is not done with you yet as His new creation in Christ Jesus. Hear then the Word of God by the hands of Paul the apostle, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”. (Philippians 1:6; NKJV)

Meanwhile, let’s keep fighting the good fight of faith and apply the aforesaid four spiritual disciplines as disciples and friends of Jesus Christ. We are the blessed of the LORD, indeed!

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For your spiritual edification, you may wish to check out some resources by Dr. Cho and Pastor Kong Hee by clicking on The Ink Room.

JESUS, Our Best Friend

Many people will find it a great honour to have tea with a person of great stature such as the President or Prime Minister of their country. Indeed, many of you may have had the privilege of doing so from time to time, year after year. But, what if you have the privilege of having breakfast (by the Sea of Galilee would be nice) with the King of kings and the Lord of lords every day? Lunch and dinner are do-able, too.

On 11 August 2006, my cell group leader shared that it is a privilege to be in relationship with God and that serving God is a privilege. Upon reflection, it hit me that we must never take our relationship with God for granted. The danger is that we tend to lose what we do not value.

Once we were part of the crowd, searching for purpose and meaning in life. As the following song puts it:

One day I was wandering, what’s it all about
Life is full of heartbreak, restlessness and doubt
Then a gentle stranger whispered words of love
Pointed me to heaven, wrote my name above

Chorus:
I know where I’m going, and who I’m gonna see
I have a Friend named JESUS, waiting there for me
He has given me something that only He could give
He gave His life in payment so that I could live

JESUS is no longer a stranger to us now, but has become our Saviour and LORD. We began our walk with Him as follower amongst the crowd of new believers, moved on to become a disciple (disciplined, consistent and faithful follower), and, as we keep walking with Him, we can experience Him as a Friend (think of Abraham, Enoch and Moses).

For sure, God anoints us for roles such as shepherd, under-shepherd, king, priest, and prophet. Yet, God desires that we do not neglect spending time with Him in intimate fellowship so that He can impart His secret things (great and wondrous truths from His word) through the Holy Spirit, our Helper. Just as we share our secrets (aspirations, dreams, visions, etc.) with our close friends, God will do the same with us when we cultivate a close fellowship with Him.

And, we can become a friend of God when we choose to obey His word and the Holy Spirit. God is not a dictator who insists that we must obey Him. The truth is that God, our Creator, knows what is best for us and everything that He desires of us is actually for our own benefits, first of all. When He sees us arranging our lives under His principles, He rejoices over us because His blessing will be ours to receive. Remember, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b; NKJV)”

In Jeremiah 7:23 (NLT), God said to the Israelites, “Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!” What a privilege it is when God is for us! The choice is ours to make by deliberate acts of obedience to His word. Hear then the words of JESUS: “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, FOR ALL THINGS THAT I HEARD FROM MY FATHER I HAVE MADE KNOWN TO YOU. (John 15:14, 15; NKJV)” What an awesome privilege it is to be a friend of JESUS!

Have we failed our Friend, Jesus, or grieved His Holy Spirit, our Helper? Repent, come back to embrace His good, acceptable, and perfect will for us. As Jesus asked Peter, He may well asks us, too, “Do you love Me?” Jesus could see that despite Peter’s failings, he (Peter) loves Him in his heart of hearts. Let’s love (agape) Jesus at all times, and He will guide and lead us towards His plan and purpose for us through the times and seasons of our life.

“Thank you, JESUS, for being our Friend. You are the best friend we can ever have. Help us to nurture our friendship with you, day after day. Amen.”

(Scripture quotations are taken from:
- the Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
- Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.)
© Copyright 2006, by Michael S K Chu.

(Free to Share article posted by me with FaithWriters.com on 18 August 2006)

Paul's Letter to the Church of God

During Saint Paul’s era, it is common for people to dictate their letters to a secretary and then add their signature to it. Also, as pointed out by Dr William Barclay in his Daily Bible Study Series, the letters in those days would usually consist of the following sections: (i) The Greeting; (ii) The Prayer (for the health of the recipients); (iii) The Thanksgiving; (iv) The Special Contents (the main body of the letters); and (v) Special Salutations and Personal Greetings.

Why did Paul write his letters or epistles, as they are commonly called? How come they can still speak to us through the years? Dr Barclay explains, “With a very few exceptions, all Paul’s letters were written to meet an immediate situation and not treatises which he sat down to write in the peace and silence of his study. There was something threatening in Corinth, or Galatia, or Philippi, or Thessalonica, and he wrote a letter to meet it. He was not in the least thinking of us when he wrote, but solely of the people to whom he was writing. Deissmann writes, ‘Paul had no thought of adding a few fresh compositions to the already extant Jewish epistles; still less of enriching the sacred literature of his nation … he had no presentiment of the place his words would occupy in universal history; not so much that they would be in the next generation, far less that one day people will look at them as Holy Scripture.’

We must always remember that a thing need not be transient because it was written to meet an immediate situation. All the great love songs of the world were written for one person, but they live on for the whole of mankind. It is just because Paul’s letters were written to meet a threatening danger or a clamant need that they still throb with life. And it is because human need and the human situation do not change that God speaks to us through them today.”

Today, for our study and reflection, let’s refer  to 1 Corinthians 1:1-3 (NKJV): “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

In his greeting, Paul identified himself by his new name after conversion from Judaism to become a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and forsook his former identity as Saul of Tarsus. The name “Paul” is derived from the Roman family name Paulus, which meant “small” or “humble” in Latin. As for Saul (Saoul in Greek or Sha’ul in Hebrew) it denotes “asked for” or “prayed for”. He certainly never looked back. For example, he regarded himself as the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9) and consistently acknowledged that it was God who has called him to be an apostle; he did not pray or asked for it.

While Saul was still persecuting the churches and making his way to Damascus, he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ (Acts 9:1-9). He was called to be a chosen vessel of Christ to bear His name before Gentiles, kings and the children of Israel and to suffer for His name’s sake (Acts 9:15-16).

Later on, as he testified before King Agrippa, Paul recalled the words of Jesus to him, “…for I have appeared before you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:16-18)

What I find amazing is the faith and obedience that Paul demonstrated to fulfill his calling. It wasn’t like he was launched off in double-quick time, smoothly, unchallenged and without perils to become a prominent apostle of Jesus Christ. After his calling, Paul immediately went to the synagogues preaching that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The Jews were furious and plotted to kill him. “But their plot became known to Paul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a larges basket.” (Acts 9:24-25; NKJV)

As explained by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33 (NKJV), “In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to apprehend me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.”

Paul then went to Jerusalem but the disciples there found it hard to accept his sudden turnaround. Moreover, he disputed against the Greek-speaking Jews, but they attempted to kill him. “When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.” (Acts 9:30; NKJV)  

From his letter to the Galatians, we understand that Paul “went to Arabia and returned again to Damascus” (Galatians 1;17b; NKJV); “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to se Peter, and remained with him fifteen days” (Galatians 1:18; NKJV); and “Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; and I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ.” (Galatians 1:22; NKJV); and “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.” (Galatians 2:1; NKJV)

Indeed, Paul endured much suffering just as Jesus Christ had said he would for his calling. Consider Paul’s account in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 (NKJV): “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Paul was diligent to make his calling and election as an apostle of Jesus Christ sure. It was an apostleship that is rooted in Christ and for the glory of Christ. He was not an apostle for his own satisfaction and achievement; he was nothing apart from Christ. Dr C. Peter Wagner briefly defines an ‘Apostle’ as a: “Christian leader who is gifted, taught, and commissioned by God with the authority to establish the foundational government of the Church within an assigned sphere of ministry by hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches and by setting things in order accordingly for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.”

Also, he pointed out that his calling was by divine initiative (“by the will of God”). He set this out clearly in Galatians 1:1 (NKJV), “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead). To this, we can add divine revelation, as well, from what he disclosed in Galatians 1:11-12, “But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

In his epistle to the Corinthians, Paul recognized that the Church is primarily the Church of God, regardless of whether it is located at Corinth or elsewhere. He described the Christian as: (i) one who is set apart to God by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (i.e., positional sanctification); (ii) one who is marked out and being made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit as specially belonging to God and devoted to God’s service (i.e., progressive sancitifcation); and (iii) one who is part of a community of believers worldwide.      

Finally, as Dr Barclay explains, “Paul speaks of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then, as it were, he corrects himself and adds their Lord and ours. No man, no Church, has exclusive possession of Jesus Christ. He is our Lord but he is also the Lord of all men. It is the amazing wonder of Christianity that all men possess all the love of Jesus Christ, that “God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love.” ”

Thus in just the aforesaid three verses from 1 Corinthians 1:1-3, we have much to understand and deepen our knowledge of God’s Word. You may wish to ponder over the following questions and emulate the example of Saint Paul:

a)                  Have I truly embraced my new identity in Christ by seeing myself in the mirror of God’s Word?

b)                  Am I living out my calling in Jesus Christ or am I still enslaved to self and sin?

c)                  Am I growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ?

The following selected manifesto from Saint Paul is for your takeaway:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

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Bibliography:

1.                  The Daily Bible Study Series (Revised Edition): The Letters to the Corinthians – translated with an Introduction and Interpretation by William Barclay 

2.                  Meaning of “Paul” and “Saul” (Source: http://www.behindthename.com/name/)

3.                  Definition of “Apostle” (Source: http://www.coalitionofapostles.com/about-ica/definition-of-apostle/)

4.                  The NIV Study Bible by The Zondervan Corporation