Love your neighbor as yourself

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, that you love one another." John 13:34, 35

"Love your neighbor as yourself." When Jesus Christ was asked what were the greatest commandments in the Law, He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength and with all your mind and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. Last week we talked about the first of these, loving God.

To love your neighbor as yourself means to act and think toward your neighbor in such a way that brings about their highest good. The Bible says we are to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In other words, how would you like to be treated? Treat others that same way.

Would you like to be forgiven? Forgive others. Would you like to be treated with kindness and love? Treat others with kindness and love. Would you like to have others be patient with you? Be patient with them.

God's love is unconditional. He loves sinners (all of us have sinned) and He makes His sun to shine on the just and the unjust. So think of someone you can bless. Don't love only your family, or those who love you. Jesus taught us to love even our enemies, for then we would be children of our Father who is in heaven.

God loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. Let us ask God to give us His love for everyone around us.

So, this week, let us pray and ask God to

• Help us love someone in our lives who has caused us difficulty
• Give us a vision to reach the world for Jesus Christ
• Protect the staff and volunteers of Global Media Outreach in His great love

THANK YOU so much for your prayers.

May God bless you.

This is the Way: Because I Said So!

How many times as a child did we hear our mother say those dreaded words: "Because I said so"? Children are naturally curious, asking questions and expecting immediate answers. However, life does not always provide us with answers when we want them or the answers we may want to hear. We may not even have the level of understanding at that moment for an explanation.

3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

God, as our Heavenly Father, will also supply us with answers, though not always at the moment we ask. Through challenges, He teaches us to trust in Him, and He may later supply us with the answers we are seeking. When faced with a challenge, learn to trust in God for the answers.

Man-Made Rules

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—”Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Colossians 2:20-23

In the concluding section of Colossians 2, Paul addresses the ever common mistake of trying to perfect one’s self and attain holiness by rigid self-denials—”do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.” Holiness and perfection never come about by exterior or man-made rules. As a matter of fact, man-made rules reinforce and strengthen the fallen nature. Rules imposed upon us by the human mind never bring release, but only add to our heavy burden. One reason for this is that the Holy Spirit is not obligated to help us keep self-imposed or man-imposed concepts and rules. Therefore, when we attempt to carry out statutes created by the fl esh, it is done without the aid of the Holy Spirit and we will utterly fail. Therefore, it is imperative to understand just what God requires of us and what He does not. All the numerous rituals and ordinances of the Old Testament were described by Peter as a yoke “which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:10). Later, under the Holy Spirit’s direction, the apostles determined to lay upon the Gentiles no greater burden than these four necessary things:

(1) to abstain from things polluted by idols,

(2) from sexual immorality,

(3) from things strangled, and

(4) from drinking blood (Acts 15:20, 28-29).

Concerning added traditions, dos and don’ts, and austere self-denials, Paul continues to say that neglecting the body does not make a person more spiritual (Col. 2:23). Denials and abstinence can appear to be a display of humility and piety. They may even seem to promote holiness, but in actuality, they don’t. Holiness comes as we walk in the Spirit. Exterior regulations in themselves never change the heart. Avoiding certain kinds of food or wearing legislated lengths of dresses or skirts do not change our nature. Holiness comes by union and communion with a holy God. Holiness is the result of walking daily with Him, obeying Him, submitting to those He places over us and maintaining a personal anointing in our lives. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfi ll the lust of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

Therefore, we should ask ourselves, “Are there any traditions, dos and dont’s, or rigid self-denials in my life (imposed upon me by man or by myself) that are hindering me from becoming holy?”

This is the Way: Facing Our Challenges

From time to time, do you find yourself overwhelmed, facing challenges in your life? Do you wake in the middle of the night, confused about the future and wishing that when you get out of bed in the morning, all your problems would be gone?

The apostle Paul encourages Christians in 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." In this verse, Paul shows us that we need not worry and fear because God has given those who have His Spirit the tools we need to face these moments. We can carry these words in our heart and our minds, knowing that God loves us and wants us to succeed.

Next time you find yourself overwhelmed, ponder on these comforting words, and know that through God’s guidance, you can face your most overwhelming challenges.

Superstition

The Nina was floundering in a storm. The panicked sailors began to pray for deliverance. They bargained with God that if they were saved one of the crew would make a pilgrimage to a shrine. They drew lots and Christopher Columbus was chosen.

The storm raged on and the praying became frantic. In a last ditch effort the men decided that if they made it to land all of them would walk shirtless to the first shrine they found.

Have you ever tried to bargain with God? Most of us have at one time or another.

Herein is an important difference between faith and superstition. Superstition is when we believe that if we say the right words, do the proper ritual, make a big enough sacrifice then God is required to do as we ask. Faith is the assurance that God has your best interest in His heart. Faith leads you to obedience because you trust God.

Next time you find yourself trying to play poker with God, ask yourself, "Do I trust Him, or am I being superstitious?"

The Lord Speaks to Us

1 Kings 19:11-13…….The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Make no mistake about it, the Lord speaks to us. He speaks to us all the time not only on rare occasions and He wants us to hear what He has to say. The problem is, we do not always know how to hear Him.

The Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth, is so creative that He is not limited in the methods He uses to communicate. As in the case of Elijah above, a prophet who regularly heard from God. The Lord could have easily spoken through the phenomenal display of dramatic events that preceded what He had to say but, instead, He chose to speak in a gentle whisper.

Often we have a mindset about how God will speak to us and because of that we limit God to our mindset and we miss what He has to say. It is, therefore, important that we remove our mindset and prepare ourselves to hear God by any means that He chooses to use.

If you are born again and baptised in the Holy Spirit you can hear the Lord speak (although He may have begun to speak to you even before that). As Christian believers how can we pray effectively, or minister in any way, if we do not hear from God?

God loves you and He wants you to know it. He will speak into your heart and into your spirit through the 

Holy Spirit. It is not common to hear God speak in an audible voice.

Prayer is dialogue with God. The bible says that we should pray continually. This means that we should be in constant dialogue with God. In a dialogue one person speaks and the other listens, then the listener responds back to the speaker and so on. This is how the Lord wants us to live out our Christian lives; being led by the Holy Spirit in a continual dialogue with God.

If you just pause for a moment and listen; be still and listen. You will hear God speaking to you in the breath (Hebrew = ruach) of His Spirit. Can you hear that gentle whisper? What is He saying to you? Let the dialogue, a conversation between two lovers, begin…..

Lord Jesus, thank you for speaking to us, please help us to hear you. Amen

Why Did God Choose me?

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4

God has chosen each one of us, knowing us and calling us by name, before the foundation of the world. When we consider this subject, we are bound to examine one of the most profound theological statements pertaining to life—that the Lord foreknew each of us.

Therefore, because He foreknew us before the foundation of the world, He planned the steps that He would take in His preparation for our life and eternity. This thought is developed by Paul in Romans 8:29-30: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God’s predestination is based upon His foreknowledge. These two theological words are inseparable. Because He knows all things, He plans everyone’s life accordingly. However, He gives each person an opportunity to receive salvation and eternal life. God does not predestinate anyone to hell. He bled and died on the cross for every soul. However, He knows who will embrace Him and who will reject Him.

So why did God choose us and what is the purpose of life?

(1) “That we should be holy.” Holiness means “being separate from the world.” Holiness involves a separation from worldliness, the works of the flesh and the devil.

(2) “Without blame.” The phrase means “without blemish” in the Greek. To be totally clean—where our mind, our will, our affections, our walk, our service—are washed through obeying His Word (Eph. 5:26).

(3) “Before Him in love” means that we have a love relationship with Him. We must never forget that the relationship between God (who is love) and His children is rooted and grounded in love. Just think of yourself as a parent. Would you be happy if your child is clean, has good manners, and is obedient to you, but he doesn’t love you? How would you feel? There would be no satisfaction or joy in your heart unless your child loves you. The thing that a parent wants more than anything else from his child is love. So it is with our Heavenly Father. What Hewants more than anything else is for us to love Him with all of our hearts.

True Worshippers

… the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14

The temple was finished in the eleventh year of Solomon’s reign. It took seven years to build. “Seven” is the number of completion. Israel had by now reached a place of permanency and security in their secular and spiritual life, for they were dwelling in the inheritance that God had appointed. David fought all the wars. Solomon was the prince of peace. He entered into the inheritance that had been won through David’s victories.

At the consecration service of the temple, the ark of the covenant and all the holy vessels were brought into the house of God. The ark contained only the two tablets of stone, upon which were written the Ten Commandments. We have the same ark of the covenant and two tablets of stone, but they are placed in a different temple. In the new covenant, those laws are written upon the “fl eshly tablets” of our hearts (2 Cor. 3:3). And it is a work of the Holy Spirit as He raises up holy people who walk in the ways of God.

As Solomon consecrated the temple, the singers started to worship God. There are three interesting things to note: firstly, the singers were clothed in white linen (2 Chr. 5:12).

This is symbolic of the righteousness of God (Rev. 19:8). There are two types of righteousness:

(a) imputed righteousness—God declaring us as righteous; and

(b) actual righteousness—we actually become righteous in character and in heart. This is like a judge pardoning a criminal. He is counted innocent but inside his heart, he still needs to be changed. The true worshipers in the last days must be clothed thoroughly in righteousness.

Secondly, there were 120 singers (2 Chr. 5:12). This is symbolic of the “end of all flesh” (Gen. 6:3). Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the fl esh with its passions and desires.” The fl esh is on the cross. God is looking for true worshipers who are crucified with Christ.

Thirdly, “the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD” (2 Chr. 5:13). They were not only united in heart, in spirit and in faith, they spoke and sang as one! The place of agreement is the place of power. Immediately the presence of God fi lled the whole house and all of them fell under the weight of that glory. Solomon’s temple is a picture of the type of church God wants to raise up in our time—one that is righteous, holy and walking in total unity.

Church Worship

Then David said, “No one may carry the ark of God but the Levites, for the LORD has chosen them to carry the ark of God and to minister before Him forever.” 1 Chronicles 15:2

Let us look at the way David established the tabernacle-which is a picture of the church. This is the way God desires for us to come into His presence in a church gathering.

(1) David prepared a place for the ark (1 Chr. 15:1). We need to be people who will prepare our hearts to worship. Jesus, the ark of God, now dwells in the midst of us (Matt. 18:20).

(2) David pitched a tent. David built a tabernacle, the house of the Lord. God’s presence is indeed everywhere but He chooses to make His glory and power known in His house-the church.

(3) The Levites shouldered the ark (1 Chr. 15:2). The shoulder in Scripture is symbolic of responsibility. All of us need to learn to bear the responsibility of shouldering the presence of God in our lives. Too often, we leave that to the “professional” pastors and preachers to do it on our behalf. In the new covenant, we are all Levites for we are called into a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). We need to know God for ourselves, and be involved in a personal revival. We need to learn how to live in the Spirit and know the abiding presence of God at all times.

(4) The people gathered together (1 Chr. 15:3). The place of agreement is the place of power. When church members come together in true unity, God commands His blessing among them (Ps. 133).

(5) They sanctified themselves (1 Chr. 15:12). God will not trust His glory and presence to those who live in sin. We are told to sanctify ourselves and not to wait for an “easy” blessing or cleansing from God. Without holiness, no one can see God.

(6) They worshiped God in proper order (15:13). In worship, there is a need for order. We need to obey God in our preparation and approach to His presence. Out of our obedience comes security and confidence in His presence.

(7) Singers and musicians were appointed (15:16). Skillful Levites were placed in their positions. Worship leading is a serious ministry and it is not meant for anyone who just wants to “have a go” at the musical instruments.

(8) David the king was willing to be a priest (15:27). David was already the king of Judah, and he was soon going to be crowned the king over all Israel. But in the presence of the Lord, he humbled himself and operated as a priest. You may be a very successful person in society or in the corporate world. But when you come into God’s presence, you must be willing to humble yourself, put down all your titles and achievements, and like David, humbly minister to the Lord.

Jesus Christ The Rock

Exodus 33:21-22……Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

This amazing Old Testament scripture speaks so clearly of Jesus Christ. He is the Rock of our salvation. When we put our faith in Him, when we stand in His truth, His character and His lordship, we cannot be shaken.

This scripture, however, says a lot more than that. It was on the cross at Calvary that Jesus Christ was glorified….’wait a minute’ you may say, but it is true. In the midst of all the blood and anguish; in the drama of the fiercest spiritual battle ever, Jesus was glorified.

The cross was His place of coronation. Jesus was not only crowned King of the Jews, He was also crowned King of Kings. Some could only see what was happening in the natural realm but others, with the eyes of the Spirit, could perceive the revelation of what was happening in the spiritual realm and they beheld His glory (John 17:5…. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.)

Jesus was pierced for our transgressions; the Rock was cleft for us. Every Christian believer has their identity in Christ. We have been placed into Him, into His wounds that He bore on the cross for us. We have been sealed into Christ by God and our lives are now hidden with Christ.

Christ Jesus who has triumphed over sin and death is now seated at the right hand of God and we are with Him. We can stand firm in our position of freedom and victory. We can shine in and for His glory.

Thank you Jesus, we have been placed in the Rock of our salvation. Amen.

Abundance For Every Work

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

This wonderful promise is found in the middle of two chapters where Paul spoke about finances and giving. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to increase in their giving. He prayed that they would sow richly so that they might harvest richly. He encouraged them to be cheerful givers.

The principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the Bible (Gen. 8:22). It applies not only to farming but to every aspect of life. Paul says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The Bible says when we give our finances, a seed is sown. Sometimes people argue that we should not give with the intent of receiving something in return; that we should not expect anything back. But Jesus said, “Give, it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

We give out of love for God. We give in obedience to God. We never expect anything in return from people. But every farmer understands that when he sows into good soil, he will receive a harvest. Paul said that this applies to our giving as well. If we sow abundantly, we will reap abundantly. We can expect a harvest from God, and the Word of God challenges us to expect an abundant harvest because we have sown abundantly. “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:6-7).

God’s purpose is that we, by being liberal givers, can enter into His abundant blessings and, in turn, can give generously to others. So with the sowing comes the reaping that enables us to be liberal, loving and committed givers for every good work. We are blessed to be a blessing to others!

Godly Sorrow

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

A graphic example of the contrast between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow is found in the lives of Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter. Somehow Judas allowed Satan to deceive him into betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Luke 22:3-5). When Judas realized what he had done, he was so remorseful that he hung himself. Was his suicide the result of Satan’s accusation or of God’s conviction? It had to be Satan’s accusation because it drove Judas to kill himself. Accusation leads to death; conviction leads to repentance and life.

When Peter denied Jesus, the remorse he felt was every bit as painful as that which Judas experienced. But Peter’s sorrow was from conviction which led to his eventual repentance and restoration to Christ (John 21:15-17).

“Worldly sorrow” is a feeling of remorse that you experience because you are caught doing something wrong. It does not produce the fruit of repentance. Instead it gives you the feeling of condemnation, fear and hopelessness. “Godly sorrow,” however, acknowledges that your relationship with God has been damaged by your actions. “Godly sorrow” says, “Against You, You only, have I sinned” (Ps. 51:4). “Godly sorrow” will move you to take positive actions to deal with the sin and evil.

When your feelings of remorse drive you away from God, you are being accused by Satan. Resist it. But when your sorrow draws you closer to God to confess your sins, you are being convicted by the Holy Spirit. Yield to God through repentance. Let’s also understand what true repentance is. Repentance is an inner change of mind resulting in an outward turning back, or turning around, to face and move in a completely new direction. There are several things that fl ow out of true repentance:

(1) Conviction. There are 3 things that lead to conviction: our conscience (Rom. 2:14-15), the Word of God (Titus 1:9) and the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

(2) Contrition. This means there will be a deep godly sorrow and humiliation of heart because of sin. If there is no true contrition, a man will return to the old sin.

(3) Confession of sin. Someone once said, “Holding on to unconfessed sins in the soul is like keeping a bullet in the body.”

(4) Conversion. This results in a turning away from sin and a turning to God.

(5) Confession of Jesus Christ. Being bold to make a public confession of your faith in Jesus Christ.

The True Grace Of God

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 Corinthians 6:1

Apostle Paul encourages us as workers of God’s kingdom never to take the grace of God in vain. Why? Because there is often a tendency toward “grace abuse.” A third century bishop was shocked to see devout would-be martyrs of the Christian faith devote their last nights in prison to drunkenness, revelry and promiscuity. Since dying a martyr’s death would make them perfect, they reasoned, what would it matter if they spent their last hours sinning? Twentieth century theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined the term “cheap grace” as a way of summarizing grace abuse. Living in Nazi Germany, he was appalled by the cowardly way in which Christians were responding to Hitler’s threat. Lutheran pastors preached grace from the pulpit on Sundays, then kept quiet the rest of the week as the Nazis pursued their policies of racism, euthanasia and finally genocide. Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship, highlights the many New Testament passages commanding Christians to attain holiness. Every call to conversion, he insists, includes a call to discipleship, to Christlikeness. God’s grace can be “abused” when we do not understand what it is and its purpose in our lives. So let’s understand what is true grace:

(1) Grace empowers you to live in God’s righteousness. It is God’s grace that enables us to live in His righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). Romans 5:17 adds, “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.”

(2) Grace empowers you to work hard. Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).

(3) Grace empowers you to serve God (1 Pet. 4:10). The grace of God doesn’t make you passive, complacent, lazy or apathetic. On the contrary, grace teaches you to do what is right and bear the fruit of it. True grace is the power of God that enables you to live a life that fulfi lls God’s purpose.

Spiritual Hunger

And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested. 1 Chronicles 4:10

Today, I want to look with you at a man by the name of Jabez. The Bible never describes Jabez as a man with special abilities or talents. He was just an ordinary man with an extraordinary testimony! Like Jabez, we may be ordinary individuals, but we can achieve great things for the Lord!

Jabez was a man who stood out. He wasn’t sitting and waiting for some miracle to fall from the sky. There was something different about him, he pressed in to God and broke through! Interestingly, the first eight chapters of 1 Chronicles are all genealogies. There are over 600 names mentioned, but right in the middle of it, God singles out one man for special recognition-Jabez. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers” (1 Chr. 4:9). Why was he more honorable? Because of his unusual spiritual hunger.

Spiritual hunger brings three things to a person’s life:

(1) Spiritual hunger births fresh vision. Jabez prayed to God to enlarge his territory! His hunger birth a great vision (4:10). He wasn’t going to live a mediocre life; he wanted to expand and grow! While Jabez’s friends and brothers were satisfied with being average, he wanted the Lord to do something significant in his life.

(2) Spiritual hunger produces faith in God. Evidently, Jabez had some kind of disability as his name in Hebrew means “painful.” He must have caused his mother so much pain when he was born that his mother labeled him as such. Jabez probably had to struggle with being unwanted and unloved. He must have suffered rejection as a child and that would probably have been a big handicap in his life. But Jabez’s faith was stronger than his handicap. So instead of being a cause of pain to others, he rose up and laid hold of God in faith to become a great man of God.

(3) Spiritual hunger brings God’s blessings. Jabez was honored by God because heprayed! He prayed for God’s presence in his life (4:10). He knew that apart from God, he could do nothing. Jabez also prayed for God’s protection in his life. Jabez knew that without God’s protection, he could lose everything overnight. But with God’s presence and protection, he didn’t need to fear anything.

What made Jabez stand out from the crowd? He had something that the rest did not have … spiritual hunger. He did not want to live an ordinary life like the rest of the people. He wanted more from God.

Eternal Life

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

The total personality of man is made from two absolute distinct and separate sources (Gen. 2:7): the material and the immaterial part of man. The outward man is the physical body, and the inward man is the soul and spirit which includes the ability to think, to feel, to choose and to relate to God.

When God created Adam, he was totally alive-physically and spiritually. But because of Adam’s sin and subsequent spiritual death, every person who comes into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead. Being separated from God, we lacked the presence and wisdom of God in our lives. We learned to live independently of God, centering our interests on ourselves. This lifestyle of living independently of God is the characteristic of the flesh or the old nature.

When we are born again, our inward man is made alive by the Holy Spirit. Jesus declares that whoever believes in Him has everlasting life (John 5:24-26). In the Bible, everlasting life does not mean just merely existing on and on. Everlasting or eternal life is zoe. It is a supernatural life-it is the quality of life that God has in Himself! We don’t have to wait until we die to get eternal life; we receive this zoe-life of God at the moment of conversion!

In the Old Testament, there are instances when certain individuals experience zoe. Moses was 120 years old and yet his eyesight was not weakened, and his strength was not reduced (Deut. 34:7). Caleb was 85 years old and yet he declared that he was as strong as when he was 40 (Josh. 14:10-11). Elijah was able to go without food for 40 days and nights (1 Kin. 19:8). Jesus was able to minister to the woman from Samaria despite not resting and eating after traveling a very long distance (John 4).

The people in the world try to fi nd extra boosts to cope with life’s pressure. They use drugs, cigarettes, coffee, vitamins, valium, etc. But when our inner man is born again, we can have the zoe-life of God! Though our outward man is perishing, if we are continually guided by the Lord, His zoe-life will overfl ow within us, renewing us day by day.

The Day Of The Lord

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” Malachi 4:5

Today you will read the last of the 929 chapters, 23,214 verses in the Old Testament. Congratulations! You’ve reached a significant milestone in your Christian walk … you’ve read through the entire Bible!

Malachi the prophet and Nehemiah the builder were contemporaries, and the problems Nehemiah faced became the basis for the sermons Malachi preached. Years after the restoration from exile, the spiritual condition of God’s people had deteriorated. Again they lapsed into the same sins that brought about their captivity and exile to Babylon. They tithed sporadically, ignored the Sabbath, and intermarried with unbelievers. Their hearts had grown hard and their love for God had grown cold.

Malachi came to remind the people of God’s love for them. Using a question-andanswer approach, Malachi probed deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, divorce, false worship and arrogance. For 400 years after Malachi’s ringing condemnations, God was silent. Malachi’s final warning was about the Day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5). The Day of the Lord is a common theme of the prophets. That day signifies the final judgment of God on the earth and the eventual time of blessing and peace. It’s not a literal 24-hour day, but a culmination of God’s plan—including the return of Christ, the final judgments, and the end of history as we know it.

Both aspects—judgment and salvation, punishment and peace—are contained in the Day of the Lord. The Bible says that those who desire the Lord’s coming must know that He requires clean hands and a pure heart (Ps. 24:3-4). The Day of the Lord may be frightening to some, but for the believer who loves God, it’s a day of great rejoicing.

In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul says, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” As Christians, we should be longing for the Day of the Lord to come. Jesus says, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Rev. 22:12). Are you ready for the Day of the Lord? Jesus may not return tomorrow, but we should live our lives as if He is. We must seize every moment of our lives and make it count for the Lord.

As Malachi brings down the curtain on Old Testament prophecy, God’s silence is broken in the New Testament with John the Baptist declaring, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2)! On this last day of the year, search your heart before the Lord to see if there are any areas that you need to repent from. Rededicate your life to Jesus, so that He may continue to use you greatly in the days to come!

The Latest (Adventist News) 7.5.10

Latest news stories about Adventists across the South Pacific and around the world. Download the clip and play it at church from infocus.org.au

Revival Carrier

Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. 2 Kings 23:25

During Josiah’s reign, Judah experienced its greatest revival years since the days of David and Solomon. What precipitated the great move of God? First of all, when Josiah was only 16 years old, he was seeking the Lord with all his heart (2 Chr. 34:3). Every revival starts by hungry hearts seeking God with great fervency.

Secondly, a revival always involves repentance and cleansing. When Josiah was 20 years old, he began to clean up Judah and Jerusalem, destroying the heathen altars and the shameful idols on the hills.

Thirdly, when he was 26 years old, Josiah started repairing the house of the Lord (34:8). To seek God’s kingdom first means that His house must become the First House in your life. The house of God is the gate of heaven (Gen. 28:17). Everything you do should be arranged around His house.

Fourthly, there was a restoration of God’s Word. As the workers were cleaning the temple, they found an obscure book that no one had ever heard of-the Bible. As the king listened to his secretary read the Scriptures, he was moved by the fear of the Lord (2 Kin. 22:11). He then read out all the words of the Book of the Covenant in the hearing of the people (23:2).

Fifthly, every revival needs a good spiritual leader. Huldah the prophetess said of Josiah, “Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you” (22:19).

Sixthly, Josiah moved the whole nation toward God. He motivated all the people to follow the Lord and keep His commandments with all their heart and soul (23:3).

Seventhly, Josiah restored true worship among the people. He organized the most elaborate Passover celebration ever since the days of judges (23:22-23). Josiah was such an outstanding king that “before him there was no king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (23:25). Would you decide to rise up to be a “Josiah” of your generation?

Escapology verus Eschatology

Romans 8:19……The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

Jesus is coming back soon. The bible has told us what to watch out for and the signs are clear for all to see. What is not so obvious is the answer to the question; at what point will Jesus take the church away from the earth?

The scriptures tell us that there is a time of terrible ordeal to come. It is called the time of tribulation or distress. Matthew 24:21 says…For then there will be great distress, unequalled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equalled again.

Christians and theologians have debated over this issue for a long time. The branch of theology that is concerned with the End Times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is called eschatology.

There are basically three points of view on the timing of the return of Jesus to take away every Christian believer (the church), they are; pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation or post-tribulation. I believe that God is a good and loving God who does not want His children to unnecessarily suffer; therefore, I side with the pre-tribulation camp.

I have used a play-on-words to help illustrate this….my eschatology is synonymous with escapology. I believe that the church will escape the coming wrath.

The earth will not be a place to be once the church has gone. The dispensation of grace will have come to an end and those left behind will come under the judgement of God. Do not wait until it is too late. Avoid the wrath of God. Make sure that you will be in that number when the saints go marching into the presence of God.

Jesus is coming back soon, do not delay. If He is not your Lord and Saviour, ask Him into your life today.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are coming back to rescue those who know and love you. Amen

Don’t Waste Your Pain

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When Paul came to Asia, he was troubled and burdened beyond measure. He was so crushed and overwhelmed, he thought he was not going to make it (2 Cor. 1:8). To have gone through such suffering, was it a sign that Paul was not in the center of God’s will? Of course he was! Yet, God allowed Paul to come into such a season of trouble, a situation of pressure where it seemed as if his very life was pressed out of him. Have you ever felt like that before? “Oh God, I can’t take another step. I can’t possibly handle another ounce of pressure. God, why are you permitting this to happen to me?”Well, God had His reason. And Paul understood that reason. He said, “God brings us to a place where we would stop putting our confi dence in ourselves. Where we have reached the absolute limit of our own knowledge, experience, strength and ability. Our dreams, goals, desires, aspirations and visions all seem to have died. But out of that death, God supernaturally brings us into a resurrection”(1:9).

After death, there is always a resurrection! And God takes us into the next level-onward and upward-into a far higher level of living than ever before. Not only will you live on a higher plane, you will be a blessing to the world. Because having experienced the comfort of the Lord in the midst of severe trials, you can now comfort others with the comfort with which you yourself were comforted by God (1:4). You can now be an encouragement and example to others who are going through similar situations you have previously gone through. Hosea 2:14 says that God often draws His people in ways we don’t understand. He may lead us into the diffi cult situation of a wilderness to speak tenderly into our hearts. And once God has our attention, He will turn our Valley of Achor (Trouble) into a door of hope (2:15). The ultimate purpose of every trial is so that God can show us that: “I am not just your Master (Baali), I am your Husband (Ishi). I am the Husband of your soul”(2:16). Don’t waste your pain and troubles. Allow your pain :

(1) To make you a better person. 

(2) To bring you closer to the Lord-knowing Him as your Ishi-Husband, not just your Baali- Master. 

(3) To make you an encouragement and comfort to others.

Calling On The Lord

“Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2 Kings 20:3

King Hezekiah started well as a young king at 25 years old. He refused to get into an alliance with the idolatrous and mighty Assyrians. Hezekiah loved God and obeyed Him. He reopened the temple in Jerusalem. He destroyed the places of idolatry. Hezekiah even destroyed the bronze serpent Moses had erected in the wilderness (Num. 21:4-9), so that the people would not view the bronze serpent as an object of worship. He organized the priests and Levites for the conducting of worship services. The tithe was reinstated. In short, Hezekiah followed the Lord closely and loved His law. In return, God protected Hezekiah and the people of Judah from the Assyrians.

In 701 B.C., Hezekiah became seriously ill. Isaiah warned the king to prepare for his approaching death. But Hezekiah prayed that God would intervene. He reminded God how he had followed Him and obeyed Him. He poured out his heart in tears before the Lord (2 Kin. 20:2-3). As Isaiah began to walk out of the palace, God instructed him to go back to Hezekiah and tell him the good news-he will have 15 more years of life and the deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyria (20:4-6).

Hezekiah asked Isaiah for a special sign to know that God would really heal him and prolong his life. He requested that God moves the shadow of the sundial back by 10 degrees (20:9-11). God agreed. Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). When you follow God with all your heart, there is practically nothing God wouldn’t do for you.

Unfortunately, the story had a sad ending. Hezekiah’s faith and healing brought him recognition from the surrounding nations. The Babylonian leader, Berodach-Baladan, even congratulated Hezekiah on his recovery. Hezekiah was so fl attered by Berodach-Baladan that he showed him all his secret treasures and armories. Isaiah was grieved when he saw Hezekiah being persuaded to enter into an alliance with Babylon. To be unequally yoked with an unbelieving partner would surely take Judah down the path to destruction. Having received such a great miracle, Hezekiah should have just trusted God for protection from the Assyrians. There was no need to enter into partnership with another idolatrous nation. Ironically, the descendants of Berodach-Baladan would one day deport the Jews to Babylon (2 Kin. 20:17-18). Many are called but few are chosen. Even fewer are found faithful. That was Hezekiah’s problem-he didn’t end well in his life. Let us stay faithful to Jesus all the way to the very end.

Glories In The Resurrection

There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star

differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead … 1 Corinthians 15:41-42

At the second coming of Christ, there will be a rapture and a resurrection of the dead. “But I am telling you this strange and wonderful secret: we shall not all die, but we shall all be given new bodies! It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too” (1 Cor. 15:51-52, TLB). It will not be a time of condemnation for Christians, but a time for reward (2 Cor. 5:10).

We will be judged according to the following criteria:

(1) Character. To the seven churches of Revelation 2-3, Jesus dealt with the love believers have for Him. Those who are fully consecrated will be rewarded in glory.

(2) Motives. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says, “Each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” Your motive in everything you do will be tested.

(3) Faithfulness to the call. In the parable of talents, the servants that receive five and two talents produced another extra five and two talents respectively (Matt. 25:20-23). They were both rewarded with greater ministry and responsibility in glory.

(4) Treatment of the Jews. When Jesus comes in His glory, He will separate the sheep from the goats. Who are the sheep? Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (25:40). According to the measure we have blessed Jesus’ “brethren”—the Jews—that will be the measure we will be rewarded at the resurrection.

(5) Great Commission. “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Dan. 12:3).

At the resurrection, we will be given different levels of bodies. Some will shine with blinding glory like the sun. Others like the moon. And yet others only like the stars. As such, let us never get complacent with our spiritual walk. Let us press on 100 percent “toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

The Charismatic Gifts

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. 1 Corinthians 12:7

There are nine different Greek words that are translated into the one English word “gift.” One of the nine is the word charisma. It is from this word that we have the English adjective “charismatic.” In the Church world today, Christians who flow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit are called “Charismatics.”

Charis means “grace” and charis-ma means “grace made specific” or the “manifestation of grace.” In 1 Corinthians, we have the largest occurrences of this word charisma. Although there were many serious problems in the Corinthian church, yet every charisma was manifested among the people. Did those Corinthians deserve such wonderful gifts from God? Of course not!

That is why they are called the gifts of grace-they are freely and sovereignly given, not based on the merits of the recipients. In 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, we have the nine charismata of the Holy Spirit. And Paul tells us to “earnestly desire the best gifts” (12:31). So the Bible takes it for granted that we are to be very familiar with all of them. The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit are:

(1) word of wisdom, 

(2) word of knowledge, 

(3) faith, 

(4) gifts of healings, 

(5) working of miracles, 

(6) prophecy, 

(7) discerning of spirits, 

(8) different kinds of tongues, and 

(9) interpretation of tongues.

The key word that distinguishes these nine from all other gifts is the word “manifestation.” This means they can be clearly perceived by the physical senses. You can see it and hear it. And the nine gifts of the Spirit are precisely that-the manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit within a believer. Through these gifts, the invisible Holy Spirit shows Himself out of the believer. When we see these gifts in operation, they are the evidences of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside a Christian.

Many Christians hold on to a wrong religious notion that emotional feelings are bad. But nothing can be further from the truth. God created us with feelings and emotions. And Christianity is an experience with a living God. While God doesn’t want us to be emotional freaks, He nonetheless wants us to perceive Him, to feel Him, and to experience His presence among us.

The nine spiritual gifts are given “for the profit of all” (12:7). They are tools and not toys. They are for the edification of the church. Start earnestly desiring them today!

InFocus Adventist News April 29 2010

Latest news stories about Adventists across the South Pacific and around the world. Download the clip and play it at church from www.infocus.org.au

The Lord's Supper

And when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new agreement between God and you that has been established and set in motion by my blood. Do this in remembrance of me whenever you drink it.” 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (TLB)

Many Christians don’t really understand what happens when the Lord’s Supper takes place. Possibly due to an overreaction against Roman Catholicism, many Protestants are keen to establish that “nothing happens” at Communion. Yet, for the Early Church, it was the third thing they did in Acts 2:42. And that was when the Church was at its “optimum power” just after the Day of Pentecost. Ultimately, it was Jesus Christ Himself who instituted the Lord’s Supper. As such, it must be very special to God.

There are four major views about Communion:

(1) The Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation. That once a priest says, “Hocest corpus meum (This is my body),” the bread and the wine literally become the body and blood of Christ.

(2) Martin Luther objected to transubstantiation but came up with consubstantiation, which means that bread and the wine became the body and blood of Christ only when eaten.

(3) Ulrich Zwingli objected to both the Roman Catholic and Lutheran views. He taught that it is merely a “Memorial Supper” to honor Christ’s death.

(4) John Calvin felt that all have missed the point. He said Christ is spiritually present in the bread and wine, and grace is imparted to us in the Supper if we have faith.

What actually is the purpose of Holy Communion?

(1) To remind us regularly that the reason God sent His Son is to die on the cross for our sins (1 Cor. 11:26).

(2) To bring us into a deep intimacy with Christ. To eat someone’s flesh, or drink his blood, is to desire an intimacy that is ordinarily unthinkable. But we are to love Christ so much that, by partaking of the bread and wine, we affirm Him to the most extreme degree.

(3) To enjoy the Lord’s presence in a special manner. Whenever we meet around the Lord’s table, Jesus is there.

(4) To have more of Him in us (John 6:53-58).

(5) To affirm that Jesus literally has a body and to honor His blood.

(6) To affirm the Church-we are to be at peace and unity with one another.

(7) To regularly examine our own spiritual condition in the light of God’s Word (1 Cor. 11:28). All in all, through the Lord’s Supper, we are exalting Jesus and enjoying His presence in a very special way.

“Why Sit Here Until We Die?”

Now there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate; and they said to one another, “Why are we sitting here until we die?” 2 Kings 7:3

King Ben-Hadad of Syria besieged Samaria in the midst of a severe famine. So desperate was Samaria’s plight that people ate almost anything in order to survive. Donkey’s heads and dove’s dung were sold for exorbitant prices (2 Kin. 6:24-25). It was a dire time. But in 2 Kings 7:1, the word of the Lord came to Elisha saying, “By tomorrow, the famine will be over. Grain will be plentiful again!” Unfortunately, the officer of the king of Israel scoffed at that prophecy.

Meanwhile, there were four lepers sitting by the city gates. “Why sit here until we die?” They asked each other. “We will starve if we stay here and we will starve if we go back into the city; so we might as well go out and surrender to the Syrian army. If they let us live, so much the better; but if they kill us, we would have died anyway” (7:3-4).

God is never moved by needs. God moves when we turn our faith loose. Those four lepers decided not to be passive and started to do something about their living condition. They chose to take responsibility of their own lives and step out by faith. That evening, as they walked toward the camp of the Syrians, God amplified the sounds of their footsteps. Although there were only four weak, sickly leprous men, the whole Syrian army heard the clatter of speeding chariots and loud galloping of horses. It was as if a great army was approaching their garrison. “The king of Israel has hired the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us,” they cried out. So they panicked and fled into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else (7:5-7). When the lepers arrived, to their amazement they found the camp totally abandoned. What was left for their taking was an abundance of food, drink, silver, gold and clothing!

The four lepers speak of sinners everywhere who are languishing in their soul without hope in life. The devil seems like a powerful, impenetrable enemy. But when we decide to step out in faith and trust the Lord for our salvation, Satan will flee and we will enter into God’s abundant life.

But as the lepers enjoyed the spoils of war, their conscience began to bother them. How could they gorge themselves with food while the residents of Samaria were starving to death (7:9)? They decided to share the good news of salvation to the Samaritans and bring them out of death into life. We too cannot “remain silent” when this “is a day of good news.” We must share the gospel to those spiritually starving, living without hope, and take them into the abundant life Christ has promised.