Are You Responsive to God?

"And the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.” Exodus 34:1-3 (NKJV)

"Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him." Exodus 34:29 (NKJV)

Relationship depends on responsiveness. When God calls, how would you respond? Would you respond in obedience like Moses?

Consider also how David responded to God. "When You said, “Seek My face,”

My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Psalm 27:8 (NKJV)

David responded without hesitation; he takes delight to fellowship with God.

Click here for Do You Want To See God's Glory? Then Do These Things. || Dr. Jerry Savelle || Feb 18, 2018.

Top Business Ideas from the Holy Bible

"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." - Genesis 1:28 (KJV)

The 4 Steps to being successful in your endeavours such as investment and business with creativity and innovation are as follows:

1. Be Fruitful or Productive

2. Multiply Your Fruit

3. Replenish or Distribute Your Fruit

4. Subdue or Dominate Your Market (Sphere of Influence)


For your illumination on the above best practices, please click here for 4 Keys To Become CHRISTIAN BILLIONAIRE by Dr Myles Munroe (Must Watch!!!).

How To Live Above Your Circumstances

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air." --1 Corinthians 9:24-26 (NKJV)

For your encouragement and refreshing, the following is an extract from "On Holy Ground" by Pastor Charles F. Stanley:-

"A key to living above your circumstances is leaning on the faithfulness of Christ while refusing to be caught up in the instability of your surroundings. Paul used the analogy of a runner to explain how you are to respond to life's circumstances (1 Cor. 9:24-26).

You are to fix your gaze on the finish line and race with all your might toward that goal. Once God places a goal in your heart, never give up. Instead, move toward it with swiftness and courage."

  

The Person of The Holy Spirit

The following sketchy sermon notes is adapted from Pastor Bobby Chaw's preaching at City Harvest Church on 27 January 2018.

"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’” And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand." -- Numbers 8:1-4 (NKJV)

The golden lampstand has a form and function in the Holy of Holies. What is the message of the lampstand?

The lampstand is made of pure gold and not just coated with gold. Gold is a symbol of God's nature. The lamps give light and God is light. The seven lamps refer to the seven-fold Spirit of God as outlined in Isaiah 11:1-3, namely: Spirit of the LORD, wisdom, understanding,  counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

In the Holy of Holies, the high priest depends on the light (power) of the Holy Spirit. The light is divisive as it exposes the good and the bad.

In Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) Jesus refers to the Spirit of the LORD:-

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, 

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

The Holy Spirit is a Person; be sensitive to the Person of the Holy Spirit. Learn to feel, think and direct your mind to the Presence of the Holy Spirit. "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." -- Romans 8:5 (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit and the Anointing are synonymous. When the Holy Spirit is with us, we are anointed. And, this for me is the big takeaway from the sermon -- that we need to fellowship with the Holy Spirit as a Person. 

Allow the Holy Spirit to come in His seven-fold fullness and let Him lead and direct you as you trust and obey. Your life will never be the same again as the oil of the Holy Spirit keeps giving you light and shines through you. 

Won't you make room for the Holy Spirit willingly each day? 

Watch City Harvest Church Videos on YouTube

For your edification, please click here to access an extensive selection of sermon snippets, praise and worship songs as well as special highlights from City Harvest Church.

The following is a sample for your spiritual nourishment:

Kong Hee - Power of Confession (Part 1) [2017-02-18] 

City Harvest Church: Sun Ho - My Journey With The Holy Spirit 

Pure As Gold - Annabel Soh 

City Harvest Church: Bobby Chaw - Numbers 4 - Ministry Of The Levites 


City Harvest Church: Easter Production 2017 - Unforgotten

"Journey to the Beautiful Life" by Rev Wu Yuzhuang

The following article with adaptation is based on what Pastor Wu Yuzhuang of City Harvest Church had preached during the 3 p.m. service on 2 September 2017.

"One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. 

The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing." -- Acts 3: 1-10 (MSG)

The gate where the man crippled from birth sat begging for alms was named Beautiful. Yet, the man's life was anything but beautiful; he had to beg for a subsistence life.

After all these years he could have resigned himself to the fact that the beautiful life was for all the people going into the Temple; it was not for him -- can see only but not touch. Perhaps he didn't even venture into the Temple because he was disheartened by his physical constraint. He didn't feel blessed or thankful and might well be wallowing in self-pity day in and day out.

Today was just another humdrum day, he thought. As usual, he was begging. But, he asked right today! He asked for alms from Peter, the apostle of faith, who was accompanied by John, the apostle of love, while they were coming for prayer meeting. Faith + Love + Prayer = Power of God.

He asked for a handout. But, Peter gave him something exceedingly far better than money. Peter invoked the name of Jesus Christ and unleashed the healing power of God to heal the lame man. 

Sensing the strength in his legs, the man "jumped to his feet and walked" and went into the temple with them "walking, leaping and praising God" Acts 3: 8b (NKJV). Indeed, like what has been recorded in Isaiah 35:6a (NKJV) on the future glory of Zion (the church of Jesus Christ), "Then the lame shall leap like a deer".

In life sometimes we do need people to help or carry us when we have a physical impediment, face setbacks or meet with adversities. But, people can only carry us so far to the brink of our breakthrough, destiny or miracle.

The lame man had people who were faithful to carry him to the Beautiful gate. The key to the blessing of God is showing up. Back-sliders might reach a stage where they analyse or question why they need to go to church. Is it because of praise and worship, giving of tithe and offering, prayer, hearing the Word of God, partaking the bread and wine during Holy Communion and/or receiving the benediction given by the pastor at the end of the service?

By focussing on the doings, we miss out on the essence of Who -- why we do what we do or who are we honouring and acknowledging by doing what we do. King David, a man after God's own heart, declared in Psalm 122:1 (NKJV), "I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Also, our approach to God must be reverential and honouring, as preached by Rev Bobby Chaw recently when he reminded us on what the LORD has said in Leviticus 10:3 (NKJV), "By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified."

When Jesus was in the wilderness, the devil put Him through three tests with the evil intent of rattling His identity:

1. Performance-based Identity (I am what I do)

'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.'

2. Popularity-based Identity (I am how many followers I have)

'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge concerning you."'

3. Possession-based Identity (I am what I have)

'All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.'

Back to our condition in life. Don't stay down and wallow in self-pity. You don't need to succumb to an identity crisis because of wrong thinking which leads to negative emotions and warped (carnal) mindset which is out of alignment with God's Word concerning you. You don't have to seek validation from other people in order to feel good about yourself. If God be for you, who can be against you?

Being carried and lifted up is an experience. But, God wants to give you more. He wants to take you on a journey to the beautiful life. "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." John 10:10 (NKJV) 

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Cor. 5:17 (NKJV) 

Jumping up and walking is the journey. The crippled man moved from dependence to independence! Man, he was ready for his breakthrough and he seized it without hesitation when God touched him. Get ready for your breakthrough/destiny/miracle today!

Click here to watch a snippet of the sermon.

For your further encouragement, click here to watch and listen to CityWorship: Miracle // Teo Poh Heng @ City Harvest Church.

Look at the Birds

(The following sermon notes with adaptation is based on what Bishop Dale Bronner had shared on 24 June 2017 at City Harvest Church.) 

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  -- Matthew 6:25-34 (MSG)

God is for you. God is in you. God moves through you. Find supernatural help by knowing that God is with you. Don't lose you head over a piece of tail. A squirrel was crossing a rail track when its tail got ran over by a train. As it turned back to look, it lost its head, too. 

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus urges us to look at the birds. You don't have to be concerned with everything that is happening. God takes care of the birds. 

Photo: Pixabay

1. Birds don't stress. The same God who fed them yesterday will also feed them today. Every morning they break fast as they look forward to breakfast. They get food for their young. God has got their provisions under control. Stress is a call to prayer. You weren't design to do certain things on your own. Birds can fly but some choose to walk. They are not in a rush. 

2. Birds don't stress over time! Time is subjective. Time is slow when you are waiting. Time is very fast whenever you are late. Time is supposed to be consistent. 

Birds can only carry a little. Little begins the process. Are you paying attention to the lessons of nature? Consider the ants. The little ants are diligent. Be diligent in what you do.

Don't expect to possess the promise if you cannot embrace the process!

"Give me a clean heart to pursue the things of God."  A desire without discipline becomes a delusion.  There is a process involved; it happens and unfolds over time.

Whenever God has something installed for you to do there is distraction. The greatest enemy to your destiny is a clear path to a lesser goal. 

Everything happens in an atmosphere. When the atmosphere is conducive, a seed will germinate and sprout. A little prayer begins the process of prayer.

The greatest blessing comes from serving other people. Everybody, even a billionaire, still has a need to be met. If you can meet the need of others, it could open their hearts towards you to receive the Gospel or to bless you with their insights or expert advice. When you serve, God opens the door. 

Relationships account for 80% of our happiness. If relationships are what matters at the end of the day, shouldn’t it matter now? An African woman who has her own house and grow her own food supply was once asked, "What would you do with $50k? She replied, "I guess I would give the money to somebody who need it."

Wealth is measured by how little you need. Be rich in His Peace and contentment. Christianity is the only religion that replaces religion with relationships. Take care of your relationships with the people that matter. The church is a family of families. There is only one way to happiness. And that is to cease worrying about things that are beyond you. 

In Psalm 46:10, God reminds us to, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

When we put our cares in His hands He put his Peace on our heart. 

Take a leaf from the 72 Hour Rule. If it won't matter in 72 hours, it never did matter. If you won't feel the need to react in 72 hours, do not react at all. If someone hurt you, and hasn't checked on you in 72 hours, move on.

Go to the source not the symptoms. Our job is a resource. God is our Source. We suffer from destination syndrome. There is no finish line! Keep going. Birds never stop searching for food. 

Far be it from us to say "I have read the Bible" or "I have prayed" which sound like it is once and for all enough. Men ought always pray and not faint.

Circumstances don't determine your outlook. Manage your miracle! Whatever you pray and came about is a miracle. Now you have to manage the miracle. When you don't know how to manage the miracle, the solution is to simplify. 

Life is like a 4-act play. After the drama, the curtain closes for the setting of the next scene. Then comes the grand finale where every culminates. In every narrative God is writing an epic and would not leave Himself out. And we know that all things (good and bad) will "... work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28b; NKJV)

Every drama needs an antagonist ... this produces energy and makes you stronger on the inside as a believer as your faith is proven. There is glory in your story. The next chapter is a shift. The greater  the darkness the greater the glory. There is treasure hidden in darkness. Hidden for you and not from you.

The little begins the process. Birds are little but they have much to teach us. Look at the birds which are well taken of by God who is big enough to take care of us all. Let go, let God and let's get going to keep at doing our little things. Little becomes much over time and when placed in God's Hands.

Do not become weary in well doing. May God multiply the works of your hands!

Footnote from the writings of Charles F. Stanley:-

"What does living life to the fullest mean to you? Some may picture a lifelong dream being fulfilled. Others may think of a comfortable retirement, while many more envision what they can achieve if given enough time. But if you really want to start living life to the fullest, begin with Jesus. He is the fulfillment of all your dreams. In Him, you will find the things you need the most -- contentment, love, and friendship."