Articles

All Smoke and No Fire
(by Melissa Yong, 03-11-2011)

Did you know that it's possible to operate in anointing without the presence of God? But without His presence, you operate without the source of ability and you run on a limited tank, and also without the power to transform lives.

Sometimes I think we end up worshipping the anointing rather than the Anointer: we lap up the atmosphere, are entertained by the speakers, enjoy the music, dance and jump when it's all good. But what if there wasn't any atmosphere? What if the speaker spoke the truth with sincerity but lacked pizzazz? Would you listen just as hard? What if the music was terrible and the singer off-tune? Could you still sing and jump and have a good time? We can be such superficial people.

The Bible warns that in the last days, there will be more and more people who want their ears tickled more than to hear the truth (2 Tim 4:3-4). Are you one of them?

It is possible to be oblivious to the fact that God is not there, or that you have moved on without Him. There are Church services like that. Serving God without God is a dangerous place to be. Why? Because anointing (ability, dynamism) is irrevocable. It's a gift. But if you're not plugged in, the batteries quickly dry up.

And as surely as a pool of water cut off from the river will stagnate, stink, collect rubbish and die, so will the Christian who serves God but is losing intimacy with Him. If you starve the intimacy, you starve the ability to operate out of life-giving power.

When you are close to God, the glimpses you get of His greatness keep you down-to-earth. Your regular talks with Him bring inspiration, creativity, uncanny timing. But without the life of God coursing through you, anointed people become like a talented monkey showing their skill for entertainment. God is so amazing that He can still use your talents to make a difference. But you'll stink. And stink attracts maggots. There are people rotting inside and dispensing spiritual death but don't know it. They are smoke without fire.

Don't get me wrong. Nobody starts out wanting to go that way. Usually, the right intentions are still there. Rather, it's easy to fall into the traps of laziness, dependency on ourselves, putting other things ahead of our relationship with God. When that happens, our waters begin to stagnate, and the good intentions we may have become tainted with the rubbish of the world.

Many mighty Christians fall because of little things that built up to become big things to separate them from God. Separation from the source of power leads to weakness against temptations. And when they fall, they take a whole lot of people with them, people who become disillusioned, hurt, confused. People who are disconnected from God will minister death. No one is immune from these traps; everyone is susceptible, and all are called to be alert.

Which would you rather be? Defend your time with God, and make each moment count to know and live in His presence.

Answering the Critics
(by Melissa Yong, 30-10-2011)

The other day, I was accosted by a sales girl in a shopping centre. I've met this kind before. They pass you a freebie, then you're hooked. Not every sales girl can do this well, but the girls from this particular organisation are well trained, I have to say. This is the second time in roughly 5 years that I've come across this brand, and it is also the second time I've spent way to much money with them...

That aside, I took the opportunity share the gospel with the girl. She had built a good rapport with me, and was very easy-going and open. Since she was sharing a great product with me (I do think they are good quality products), I thought I'd share something great with her too!

She was so polite, but had some serious indictments against God. Her family fled the Poh Pot regime in Cambodia, and one of her sisters fell victim to the genocide there. If God exists, she countered, this shouldn't have happened.

Additionally, she believed that people only need God when they are sad or in trouble. In other words, she believed God is a crutch only made up by people in need. She also felt that she had no choice to follow another god since her family are all Buddhists. What do you say to such a list?

These arguments are very common. I've read them in books and movies, and heard them repeated in discussions with friends. They may be universal questions but sometimes I wonder if some people just pick up these views from the media.

What I do know is that trying to convince someone when their mindset is fixed is like banging your head against a brick wall. She was definitely fixed, and in any case, she was a stranger I'd met for the first time. For most people, convincing people is not the strategy to take, and you can't allow emotions to overtake rational discussion. No matter how emotional your conversation (or debating) partner, you have to stay rational and calm. You plant a seed, expose a flaw in their argument(s), share Christ with them, show them His love and that's all you can do.

I don't know if what I said went anywhere, but what I hoped that I had done is plant a seed that would make her think, and continue to sit in her heart and remind her in days to come.

We have to remember that we are not there to convince people. It's God who will ultimately help them to be convinced. We are to be faithful messengers who communicate the message accurately, and represent God faithfully. We may be the last in a long line of messengers who plants the last seed to break down the hardness of their hearts, or we may be one in the middle. But every one counts.

I am reminded of an analogy I heard in an awesome SFC camp meeting one year (any SFCers out there??) that everytime we share is like a drop of water. That drop may not seem to go anywhere, but over time, consistent drips over time can break down rock in a way that no flood can.

Be a drop of water today!

Metamorphosis
(by Melissa Yong, 28-10-2011)

Do you feel like all your efforts towards changing for the better are going nowhere? Then consider the caterpillar inside its cocoon.

The cocoon hangs around for quite some time, and looks as if nothing is going on. But that's only what it LOOKS like.

Change always takes time. Let patience have its perfect work in you, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:4).


Don't be frustrated with 'no change' because your perception of 'no change' may be wrong: just because you can't see fruit doesn't mean that it isn't coming; just because the fruit is green, doesn't mean that it's not going to ripen; just because a pregnant woman doesn't look pregnant, it doesn't mean that she isn't!

When there is Silence
(by Melissa Yong, 03-10-2011)

Have you ever felt that your prayers were lost in the ether? Or your ears were peeled for an answer, but none came?


There are many others who could discuss the silence of God more adequately than myself but I can only comment on what I have experienced. Here are some thoughts.


God still has the Last Say
There are many of us, including myself in unguarded moments, where we regard God in our image. We think of Him as having failings and limitations like us - but this is a grave mistake. When we make God in our own image, we not only under-estimate Him and insult Him, we also miss out on so much.


We miss out on the peace that comes with the assurance of God's limitless power; we miss out trusting and stepping out on a limb, then seeing God's step in and do miracles. We miss out when we underestimate Him.


God is also sovereign; He has the last say. It doesn't mean that He doesn't tolerate questions -- it just means that as King of the Universe, He has the right to do what He feels best. Look at Abraham and Moses - both of them pleaded with God to reconsider His plans (Ex 32; Gen 18:16-33) and God listened to them.


Because we know that He is good, and that He loved us enough for Him to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sin, we know that He will make the right decisions concerning us. We may not understand all of His decisions - in fact, we may seriously question them. Yet it is important to realise that we can only see such a small portion of the future, or of events at large.


We can never know the full impact of one act, one word, much less the events of our lives. God can see and comprehend it all, whilst our vision and understanding is so limited that we have no hope of having a strong basis to say to God "You don't know what you're doing."

Isaiah 29:16: How foolish can you be?He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!   Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”?   Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?

God may not answer a prayer, but I cannot deny the times He has answered me before. He may not have done something I asked for, but it does not negate what He had already done for me. My experience is of a God who loves me fully and completely. Who am I to question His hand in the face of His greatness?


Our Sins Get in the Way

Isaiah 59:2 says:"And your iniquities have separated you from God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

When we stubbornly hold on to a sin that we know is wrong but refuse to admit so, we'll find His voice distant, His Word difficult to receive. Our sin blocks the pipes. If you value Him, and the quality of your life enough, you will do all you can to clear the pipes. Sin is poison in our system, and exceedingly deceitful. If gives you what you want, but it brings with it death. Then you'll wonder why things seem harder, why your attitude is poisoned, why the thing that you thought would satisfy you is destroying you too.


Sin is not some laid-down rule to control you - it's the 'don't touch the hot kettle' kind of rules that keep us whole, and safe. You don't need to find out the hard way that God's ways are the best ways - listen and obey!


It's Already Been Said


There's a few parts to this: existing knowledge, the push to discover, the knowing silence of intimacy.


Once upon a time, my Dad told me not to do something but I didn't listen. I went away and thought that the best way to resolve my problem was precisely what he had told me NOT to do. So I asked him what he thought about it. He was silent. I pestered him until he stopped me and said sternly, "I've already told you the answer. You know what I think about it. Why are you asking me?"


His answer wasn't very satisfactory because I wanted him to sanction my decision. But because he didn't stop me, I thought I could go ahead with my plans. When it went all pear-shaped, you can guess that my moans were not received well.


Sometimes God doesn't even bother stopping us with 'You already know what I think'. He knows that we've already decided to go against His counsel, and is leaving it with us to decide whether to follow Him, or to follow our own ideas. It's a test of our obedience.


On the flip side, we might be moaning about something that His Word is already clear about. God may not answer because we have a little nudge to go discover it for ourselves. Search His Word, believe it, act on it. God is definitely no spoon-feeder; every good teacher knows spoon feeding is detrimental to their students.


Lastly, there is an eloquence in silence. God doesn't have to speak through words or voices. Sometimes, through the silence comes an idea, a sense of assurance... Any couple who know each other well can attest that volumes can be said in just sitting together in silence. 


Hide and Seek
Sometimes we get a whiff of God's presence, and we call to Him and get no answer. These are times calling us to seek Him with all the fervency and vigour of a devoted lover. God is not interested in one-night stands, or flattery. He wants your sincere love.


Those who are prepared to seek and pursue Him will find all that their heart desires, and more.


Now, what should you do?
If you have sin, and are getting silence, you'll know about it. The answer for that is to repent (ie give up your sin, and walk away from it). As for the other reasons, I would say,  "don't be afraid of God's silence." Seek Him. God can speak in innumerable ways. He is always saying something. It just might not be in a way that we expect.

Self Control
(by Melissa Yong, 22-05-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 08/05/2011

1 Cor 9:24-27

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. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

 

Self control is the ability to control oneself. We all have the freedom to do as we please, but not everything is profitable for us. Instead, our freedom allows us choose right or wrong.

 Our Eternal Reward

The athletes of this world all discipline themselves severely: their lives are regimented, their diets restricted; they push themselves through pain, tiredness; they train through all sorts of weather. They commit all their time and energy for a crown that can rust away, and that they are not guaranteed to win. Our prize and reward is imperishable, eternal, and already prepared for us. It waits for us if we will not give p and keep our bodies and will under control so that we will not be disqualified for the prize.

 We have a Coach

God has sent the Holy Spirit to lead us, and help us overcome every difficulty.  The athletes of this world can only afford a trainer if they have money. However, our God has given us all a trainer already — the Holy spirit — who not only shows us what to do, but gives us the strength to do it.

 How do we master Self Control?

1. Join God’s family.

Rom 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

This is the frustrating experience of every human being. Paul echoes our frustrations when he said, ‘O wretched man that  I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?’ (Rom 7:24)

The answer however, is in the next verse: “I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Only through Jesus can we overcome the weakness of our flesh. Any  training or knowledge cannot stop us from doing wrong.

2. Dependence and Humility

We must go to God in dependence and humility. He gives us the ability to overcome when we cannot.

3. Obey the Leading of the Holy Spirit

The Bible says, “walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).

Rom 8:7-8 says:

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be...

Therefore, seek God in dependence and humility, then obey His leading immediately without question.

4.       Discipline: just get on with it

If we are always dictated by how we feel, we will get nowhere. Athletes may have to wake at 3am—they won’t feel like it, but they are disciplined to disregard their feelings and get on with it. Similarly, we must set aside time for God; we cannot read the Bible only when we feel like it. We must choose obedience.

Let us pray for one another and discipline ourselves by the power of Jesus Christ. Let us run diligently for our eternal reward.

 

The Turn of the Heart
(by Melissa Yong, 17-04-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 17/04/2011

God has invited us to a relationship of close friendship withHim. Part of that journey into intimacy with God is to realise that He isnearby. Tozer in 'The Pursuit of God' said, "He is nearer than our ownsoul, closer than our most secret thoughts." 

Paul told the Athenians in Acts 17:26-28: “And He has made fromone blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, andhas determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of theirdwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they mightgrope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; forin Him we live and move and have our being…”

Godhas never been far from us in the sense of spatial distance. It is a distanceof the heart that prevails. To put this in perspective, think of a family thatlive together under the same roof everyday and yet may not actually be veryclose. The distance between them is not spatial but relational. So it is withGod. It is one thing to know that He is there, and another to acknowledgeHim and include Him in all that we do.

I've titled thismessage 'The Turn of the Heart' because I want to talk about the direction ourhearts are facing during our everyday lives. I define this (in a paraphrase ofTozer) as the habitual, conscious focus of our thoughts and attentionon the Lord.

Let’s include Him

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and leannot on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and Heshall direct your paths.” (Emphasismine)

We try to do things on our own but the truth is that we desperatelyneed God. Every ability we have came first from Him, and when we are short onany of it, He is the source from which we can get more.

When we learn true dependence on God, we find an unexpected freedom:the freedom from having to work out, or achieve something in your own strength.Every child of God will learn this vital lesson, and continue to master itthroughout their lives.

Proverbs instructs us "in all your ways acknowledgeHim, and He shall direct your paths." This is both an instruction and apromise. When we include God in our planning and decision-making processes, weare tapping into His wisdom and ability instead of our own limited resources.He will direct our paths and bring us through the swampy, thick darkness ofthis world safely. As we do this, we will experience in a very personal andprofound way the different facets of God's person like the brilliant facets ofa diamond. 

Acknowledging God in our everyday lives can rangefrom the simple, mundane things in life to the complex. We all know to seekGod's plan when the right decision is unclear, or when future is uncertain. Butwhat about the simple things? Ps. Jasmine often shares how she turns her focusto God throughout her day, even in the activities that we seem to think arebeneath God. Her classic example is shopping. Yes, you heard right -- shopping!

She will ask, "God, I need some vegetables.What do you think of these ones?" She talks to Him like she would a closefriend who has come shopping with her. And I can tell you -- she always comeshome with bargains, and is able to buy a lot with a little money.

I myself have found that God will even help you getup on time. For example, when I have something important in the morning, or ifI have slept too late and am not sure that I could get up on time, I would tellGod: "Dear God, I need to get up at x time tomorrow. Please help me to beup and alert at this time so I can make it!"

Those times, I will find myself suddenly wide awakeat the time I need to wake up. Or, if I am lazy and ask Him to hit the snoozebutton (please God, 5 more minutes), somethingwill jar me awake when it is time to get moving. It could be a random birdcalling insistently right outside my window, or a phone call that sends merunning. God is so faithful!

God is not too big for our smallness! We tend tothink that God would not care about these things -- but this is the God whocollects your tears in a bottle and numbers the hairs on your head (Psa 56:8;Matt 10:30)! He cares about the minute details of our lives and delights inparticipating in it...if we let Him.

It's not easy - but it's possible!

Having the habit of turning our attention to God,and then keeping it there is a hard task. Ask any Christian pursuing intimacywith God. 

All sorts of things come up just when you turn yourattention to Him. You may have just sat down to talk to Him, read the Bible, orjust pray quietly by yourself when there will be phone calls, interruptions,sudden thoughts that distract you (did I turn the stove off?...why did myhubby say that this morning?...what will I cook tonight?). 

Sometimes, serious things occur in our lives, and we are so overtaken with busy-ness or emotional battles that we becomedistracted from the One person who can help us navigate it quickly andeffectively. Beware of this because Satanuses this strategy to isolate us from our Source of strength and ability. 

Furthermore, we may want to withdraw, not talk toanyone, or feel distrustful of people. This, too, is part of Satan's isolationstrategy. True, there are times where it is not wise to share with anyone - butjust when you don't want to be around people, it may also be the time where you need fellowship to receive encouragement.If we ask God to help us discern the right people to talk to, He willprovide. Sometimes there is no one -- but Godis waiting to be your confidante and counsel. 

We have to remember that we live in an uncertain,dark world. Bad things happen: sometimes it's brought on by our enemy, Satan;sometimes we bring it upon ourselves.

Whatever challenge may come our way, be assured that God has provided us everything we need to overcome it. However, veryoften, half the battle is realising that you are in one.

Once, while I was complaining to God about some problems I had, God showed me that they were like a cloud of flies around myhead. They had become so annoying that they had completely distracted me and caused me to drop my guard. This made me open to more problems.

When I realised I was in a battle, and that thelittle 'flies' were on a mission to distract me, it was clear what I needed todo. I focused on God and laid my soul bare before Him, submitted to Him andasked Him to show me what to do. After that, I was able to pray in a very targeted way against what was bothering me, and come to victory. It is mucheasier to fight when you know what you are fighting!

When problems come, we need to run straight TO God.We cannot try to deal with it on our own. Include God in the process of dealing with the difficult things in our lives. Sometimes it's hard to even remember tothink of God in these times. Pray! God is always faithful. Everytime you remember Him, turn your heart's focus upon Him for as long as you can whetherin worship, prayer, or just thoughts and listen for His answers. Relationships are two way - so wait for God's reply.

Sharpening our Spiritual Senses

Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lordis good..".

John 10:27 says, "My sheep hear myvoice..."

Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heartfor they shall see God."

How can we 'taste' God's goodness, or hear God'svoice? It is obvious in the context of these passages that there is a differentkind of hearing and seeing that excludes our physical senses. 

How many of us have gone somewhere or met someone and felt uneasy? What we sense with our physical senses does not explain theuneasy feeling; it is our spirits picking up something that makes us uneasy.

As God's soldiers, we must position ourselves to be alert so that we can be prepared for anything coming our way. Any soldier whospends the night partying and drinking will not be fit for battle the next day. In fact, that soldier will be an easy target.

In the same way, there are things in our lives thatcan dull our spiritual senses. Anything that distracts our attention from Godcan make it hard to hear His voice, or discern things quickly and correctly.

For example, there was a time when I was travellingwith my parents in Tasmania.We were settling down for the night and were watching TV after a long day.Suddenly, there was a voice of a man under our window - but we hadn't heard what he'd said. We had been watching TV. We all felt strange and were not sure whether this meant danger or whether it meant anything at all. 

Our physical senses had been numbed by watching TV so that we were not alert. We heard a voice but didn't know what he said; subsequently, we could not tell whether or not we should be prepared fordanger. This man later rang the doorbell looking for someone. If we had heard what he'd said first, we might have been more confident when he rang thedoorbell!

We need to be alert. It there is anything that keeps us from keeping appointments with God, we need to do something about it. If there is anything we do that causes us to sin, leave God out of theactivity, or makes us feel less inclined to seek God, it is probably best to avoid those things. It may mean that we should cut down on those Korean dramas,block Bejewelled from our Facebook accounts, or to stop buying certainmagazines. Whatever it is, you will be able to identify those things in your life.

Alert and Ready

So, in summary, cultivating intimacy with God requires some alertness on our side. We need to acknowledge and include God in all we do; because this is not a natural habit for most of us, it takes time to develop and to watch for those opportunities to turn the 'eyes' of our heart to God.

We also need to be alert because many things will try to distract our attention away from God. If we are alert, we will include God in those situations, thus keeping our focus on Him.

Sometimes, it's up to us to stay away from or remove the things that tempt us away from God. In those cases, we just need to bite the bullet, knuckle down and sacrifice those things, push them off the throne of our lives so that God can sit there. Ultimately, an intimate relationship with God will be the most valuable thing we can have.

Let's keep our hearts turned to God for as long as we live.

Jesus is Coming Again
(by Melissa Yong, 25-03-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 20/03/2011

In the past few months,we’ve had an unprecedented succession of natural disasters and internationalincidents: flooding, cyclones, multiple earthquakes, the Japanese tsunami, thepolitical uprising of several Arabic nations one after the other. Events in thisworld are moving so fast around us that people are left wondering ‘what does itall mean?’

 

The Bible has made it clearthat in the end times there will be (Matt 24:6-14):

• Wars & rumours of wars (v.6)
• Natural disasters, famine &pestilence (v.7)
• Persecution of Christians (v. 9, 10)
• Religious confusion & deception(v.11)
• Cold heartedness (v. 12)

 We’ve watched all the abovehappening in the last year or so. Jesus said in Matthew 24 regarding His secondcoming:

“...when you see allthese things, know that it is near—at the doors!”

 

When He Comes

• He will gather His elect (Matt 24:31; 1 Thess4:15-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52; Phil 3:17-21). People often call this the rapture.
• He will wage war with the kingdoms of theearth who have rallied behind the ‘Beast’ of Revelations (Rev 19)
• There will be a time of Judgement (Rev 20; 1Cor 3:11-15)
• His coming will be sudden, like a thief in thenight (Matt 24:36-44; Rev 16:15)

Jesus therefore taught His disciples to bealert, watchful, and prepare for His coming as a servant prepares for thecoming of His master.

Preparing for His Coming

Our Master is coming back expecting Hisservants to be busy doing the very things He has commanded us before He left:preaching the gospel.

 How this is doneis unique to the calling of our lives; but the goal and purpose is the same forevery Christian. The whole world must be given the choice of accepting orrejecting Jesus—but to do that, they must hear the Gospel  first. When the Gospel has reached everycorner of the Earth, then the end will come (Matt  24:14).

Jesus expects usto be:

• Obedient to carry out the work He gave us todo, remembering that He is coming back (parable of the faithful servant, Matt24:45-51)
• Prepared & waiting (parable of the wise and foolish virgins, Matt 25:1-13)
• Faithful with whatever He has given us eg. Inskills, talents, influence (parable of the talents, Matt 25:14-30)

So here we seethat He expects us to be obedient and faithful to Him in our heart, attitudesand motives; in a spiritual sense (signified by the oil in the parable of thewise and foolish virgins), and in obedience (by practical action).

 If we were responsibleteenagers who were given the task of looking after the house and doing certainchores by the time our parents arrived back, we would be fully expected tocarry out all those tasks, and more. Our parents would be expecting us toexpect them back, and be prepared so that when we come and they judge theproduct of our efforts, they will be pleased with us. It is the same with Jesuswhen He comes again.

 We may not knowthe exact day, time or year that Jesus is coming again, but the Bible makesclear that we should know its season so that we are not taken by surprise.

For youyourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in thenight... But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day shouldovertake you as a thief.  1 Thess 5:2-4

Re-Evaluating ourPriorities

Jesus said that when He comes, He will bring the reward of all ourwork, whether good or bad. Wouldn’t you prefer your reward to be good?

Therefore, we need to re-evaluate our priorities aright in the light ofHis coming. What’s your highest priority now? How important is it if Jesus wereto come tomorrow?

What dream has He put in your heart? Is there something you know Godhas asked you to do, but you haven’t found the nerve, or time to do it yet?What command has God put in your heart that you may have put aside for a while?It may be high time to put it back onto your agenda.

The fear of failure, the narrowness of time or resources pale incomparison to the fearsome Judgement Seat of Christ. If we do nothing when we’vebeen given something, we are being just like the servant who hid that onetalent in the ground. That servant was pronounced ‘wicked’ and thrown out intoutter darkness.

If God has already given the command, I’d rather step out infaith with what I already have and give it a go, than to do nothing and regretit eternally.

God already knows the limitations of your time, energy, or resources. Hedoesn’t expect us to operate out of our limitations. He expects us to step outin HIS strength and resources. He has never asked us to do anything alonewithout Him.

The very fact that you are low on resources means that God hassomething ready to fill the gap. He does not ask us to do something that Hehasn’t already prepared for in advance. So just OBEY! God is waiting to catchyou!

We now know thesigns of the season of His coming (Matt 24:6-14), and that season is alreadyhere; so let’s not hang back anymore! It’s time to get ready for Him!

 

ButThat’s What They’ve Said for the Last 2 Centuries!

It’s true – the disciplesof the Early Church fully expected Jesus to arrive intheir time. Everything they did was done in the light of that expectation; theglory and joy of meeting the One they saw crucified, come back to life, thenascend into heaven was very real to them.

 Has it happened yet? Havewe ALL missed the boat? The Thessalonian Church thought so, and panicked aboutit enough for Paul to send them a second letter explaining that the Son ofPerdition must come first, a man who would make himself a god and be seeminglysupported with what the Bible calls ‘power, signs and lying wonders’. Revelationsshows that this person will so dominate the political arena across the Earththat the vast majority of people will be enamored by him.

 I can’t think of anyone inhistory who fits that job description. He is yet to come. If it does happen, itwill signal a time of great difficulty.

 So we still have time! Forall those who scoff at Jesus’ Second Coming is this warning:

 “…knowing this first: that scoffers willcome in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Whereis the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all thingscontinue as they were from thebeginning of creation.”

For this they willfully forget: that by theword of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and inthe water, by which the world thatthen existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the sameword, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodlymen. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousandyears as one day.The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsufferingtoward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 Some people get a bitcarried away with the ‘one day is a thousand days, and a thousand years as oneday’. Whether or not this is literal is not our concern. We don’t know the exactday of His Coming. Jesus said, neither He Himself, nor the angels in heavenknow. What hope then have we of knowing?

 What we DO know is theseason. And that everyone will be going about their daily lives, just as in thedays of Noah, until the event hits them between the eyes and it is too late. Butwe, as sons and daughters of the Day, will be ready because His Spirit bearswitness with our Spirits that we belong to Christ, and that the Season has cometo be ready.

 Whether the Day comes asphysical death, or as the actual coming of Jesus Himself, either way we muststand before God and make account for all that we have done. It pays to beready.

 

Comfort

In what state will Jesus find you when He comes? Will He find youfaithfully doing His work? How can we be sure?

Firstly, by obedience, in reverent fear of a Master who is powerful andjust. What about our weaknesses? Jesus knows all about them. That’s why He sentthe Holy Spirit to help us.

 Jude 25 says, “Now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling andpresent you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…”

 This implies that God Himself is willing and able to help us in ourweaknesses, and get us ready for Him when He comes so that we will come beforeHim spotless, with great joy.

 I want so much to be found pleasing to Him when He comes! Aren’t youglad that we don’t have to make it on our own? Our own efforts can be so punyand ineffective, even when we give it our best. If we are faithful in heart, Godwill see to it that we are ready.

 Rev 22:12-13

“And behold, Iam coming quickly, and My reward iswith Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and theOmega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Jude 24, 25

Now to Him who is able tokeep you from stumbling,       And to present you faultless       Before the presence of His glory withexceeding joy,

To God our Savior,       Who alone is wise,       Beglory and majesty,       Dominion and power,       Both now and forever.       Amen.

 Amen!

 

Eat God's Word
(by Ps. Jasmine Yong, 13-03-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 06/03/2011

Ezekiel 3:1-11

Ezekiel is presented a scroll in a vision and in a remarkable analogy, is told to eat it. Ezekiel sees that the scroll is full of words of lamentation and woe, yet when he eats it, it is sweet as honey.

 The Word of God is food for our souls; even if the Word of God rebukes us, it is good for us. The wise will find it sweet when they obey God’s Word.

 It is important to realise that the Word of God is not some abstract ‘food’ but is truly essential  for our spirits like food is for our bodies. The Bible tells us that we receive it by hearing it and reading it.

 The negative effect of a spirit being deprived of God’s Word is spiritual sickness and death, which leads to manifestations in ungodly attitudes, habits and even negative effects in the physical body. Therefore it is important to feed on the Word of God as regularly and carefully as we feed our physical bodies.

 V.1-2 Eat this scroll

God commanded Ezekiel to eat the Word of God and digest its revelation.

· He must choose to receive the divine revelation

 V.3 Cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.

· Let the Word be imprinted in your mind and your soul be nourished and strengthened by it.

 V.4-11 “Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them…”

· Whenever God speaks to us, He expects an appropriate response. In whatever case, we need to obey. In Ezekiel’s case, it was to deliver the Word faithfully to Israel.

· Ezekiel’s call is very specific; it is to speak to the house of Israel, to reprove them for their sins. A father corrects his own child if the child makes mistakes, not the child of strangers.

· Ezekiel is told his calling in these short passages. He is sent to be God’s mouthpiece to the house of Israel.

 Ezekiel is warned that his words to Israel will be mocked and disobeyed. It is the same with God’s commission to us to preach the Good News. We were not called to convict anybody; our responsibility, as was Ezekiel’s, is to deliver God’s Word. The rest is up to God.

 Ezekiel is commanded to have a good heart and to go on in his work and divine calling. He needs to stay focused on God’s divine purpose. He is not to feel threatened by the words of enemies or to feel discouraged. Whatever the people’s response to God’s Word, it is not up to us to respond to it. That is God’s place. The prophet’s job is to obey.

 God’s Word is the literal spiritual food for our souls. We must not just listen to it, but ‘eat it’ — receive it, digest it, let it fill our whole being. We must then also obey it, passing it on when called to with God’s heart.

 

 

Almsgiving and Prayer
(by Melissa Yong, 20-02-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 20/02/2011

Almsgiving, prayer and fasting are three great Christian duties, yet they are easily tainted by ungodly motives. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus warns against hypocrisy in these areas.

 Avoid Vainglory

Almsgiving: almsgiving is not just talk about giving money to the poor and needy; this also includes any charitable deed. Jesus instructs us:

“But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Matt 6:3-4)

Those who seek men’s approval for their reward may get just that, but that’s all they’ll get. When the Father rewards, it is far more than what people can give. Don’t expect any reward when you do a good deed. Do good without wanting anything in return.

 The folly of putting hope in people

If you look to people for approval, you will surely be disappointed. If you put your hope in your husband, wife, children or friends, you are 100% guaranteed disappointment. This is because those people are just as flawed as you. They are not God. They don’t know how to meet your deepest heart’s desires.

Only God knows what those desires are, and only God knows how to satisfy you. When you put your hope and sense of identity or approval in God, you will never be disappointed.

 Prayer

What is prayer? Prayer is simply talking to God. Talking to God is as natural and essential as breathing. God WANTS to talk to you. So how should we pray? Jesus provided a model of prayer in Matthew 6:5-14.

· Avoid vain repetition of phrases or words. God knows what you are already going to say; be real with God.

· Do not pray just for show; Jesus calls this hypocrisy. God requires us to be humble when we come before Him.

· ‘Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name…’: address God in reverence and worship.

· ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’: Submit your will to God’s will, and say so.

· ‘Give us this day our daily bread’: Ask for your daily, essential needs. Whatever they are, ask and you will receive.

· ‘Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors’: Pray for forgiveness — but make sure you forgive others first. We receive God’s forgiveness only if we forgive others, and ourselves first.

· ‘Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one’: Pray for leading and protection.

· ‘For thine is the kingdom…Amen’: end with praise and acknowledgement of who He is.

 

Reasons why God does not answer prayer:

1. His answer is NO

2. His answer is WAIT

3. You have not forgiven someone.

4. There is unconfessed sin in your life.

5. Your request was not pleasing to God, or had the wrong motives.

Remember, God always knows best. Just as parents will not feed their children McDonalds everyday, even though they might ask for it, so God will only give us what is good for us. Trust Him!

 

Paul's Prayer for Inner Growth
(by Ps. Jasmine Yong, 19-02-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 06/02/2011

Yesterday, I spent time with a  dear friend at the end of her life. This morning, she passed away. As I reflect on her life, I want to remind us all that although this life is so all-consuming, we must remember that our world is more than the eye can see. We ourselves are not entirely physical beings. Our true self is spirit.

 The Bible tells us that there is a time for birth, and a time for death (Ecc 3:1-2). For each one of us, there is a time appointed for us to leave this earth. However, we are not without hope in the face of death as some are in this world. Jesus said in John 14:2-3,

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

 Paul also says in 2 Cor 5:1-8:

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens...So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord...We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

 I have personally witnessed the passing of several friends who crossed that invisible line from earthly life to a life in the heavens. For each one, I realise afresh the truth of Paul’s words. There is no fear in death because the redeemed will be escorted home by their Heavenly Father’s angels, and all is at peace, all is well.

For those of us who are left on the earth, we must learn to live for Christ — because it is He who has redeemed our lives from the Enemy; our lives belong to Him, and to Him we will return. Since it is our spirits that will live on, it is important to nurture the inner growth of our spirit through the leading of our Lord.

 Eph 3:11-21 records Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian saints’ growth. It contains three main points:

1) Strengthened with might in the inner man.

When we are strengthened by His spirit in the inner man, we are able to face any challenge life may throw at us. We are so weak and hopeless on our own; not just any kind of strength will do — we require the strength of our Maker to sustain our inner man on our journey of life

2) That you might comprehend [the greatness of] the love of Christ. When we know Christ’s love for us, we can be secure in the knowledge that He will never leave us, and that HE KNOWS WHAT TO DO. He will lead and show us the way to overcome every difficulty.

3) To know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. We can be filled with God’s character, and His love. To better understand the greatness of Christ’s love for us is to know the heart of God for the world. He gave us His love that we might be like containers of love that pour it out to the world around us. Let us decide to be an available vessel through which we allow God to fill with, and to pour out, His love.

 May Paul’s prayer also be our own. May we all live lives that are surrendered to Him, and that reveal  an accurate reflection of God’s likeness to the world until He takes us Home.

 

What does God require of us? Micah 6:8
(by Ps. Jasmine Yong, 06-02-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY 30/01/2011

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O man, what is good;       And what does the LORD require of you       But to do justly,       To love mercy,       And to walk humbly with your God?

 

 1) Justice is carrying out wise judgement based on the laws and character of God. This requires a person to verbally confirm God’s truth and carry it out. To do justly, then, is to do what is right to all around us according to God’s ways.

 

2) Love mercy -- It is not enough to just do good and right things. Without mercy, we become legalistic and without compassion. We must do good AND be kind and merciful to all. The heart of God is uncompromisingly good yet wonderfully merciful. The Lord desires that we can carry and reveal His heart to the world around us.

 

3) Walk Humbly -- Humility is the recognition and acknowledgment of our total dependence upon the Lord. The proof of our dependence is to seek His will for every decision, then trust Him enough to obey Him without reserve. It also means that we treat others with respect, remembering that we ourselves are weak.

 

 Jesus embodied the above three points when he met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:5-30. We know He sought God regularly in deserted places through prayer: Jesus was humble.

 

Jesus also clearly knew the woman very well but he did not condemn her: this is mercy and compassion. From the first moment he met her, He helped her identify her NEED:

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” 

 

He could have started with her wrongs but Jesus was interested in her healing and restoration. Her sin was already a bane on her existence—it is the reason that she had avoided the crowds to draw water alone, in the heat of the day. Jesus knew this so drew her to Himself first.

 

The woman’s response of piqued curiosity showed the effectiveness of Jesus’ approach: “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?”

 Jesus then showed her how her need could be met: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”  The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”

 

 Jesus then swung the conversation to address her sin. He is a just and holy God and therefore cannot overlook sin. But notice how gentle he is:

“Go, call your husband, and come here.” The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”

 

 This woman would be the reason Samaria would be so open to the gospel when Jesus, and later the apostles, returned to this area.

 

May we be just like Jesus and bring many to Him as we do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God!

 

 

 

You have the Mind of Christ
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  You have the mind of Christ   Ps Jasmine 10/10

1 Cor 2:16  For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

1. It means that we can have His heart and His way of thinking because of the Holy Spirit working in us. When we pray and trust in God, He puts His ability and His understanding in us, so that we can glorify His name.

 2. It means that we have Spiritual sight is to see as God sees. It gives us clear understanding as to how to deal with every situation. Our own physical sight is limited but we can ask God to give us spiritual sight to see as He sees.

Spiritual sight also brings spiritual insight and knowledge into people’s needs. God empowers us to do everything He calls us to do. He is ever ready to hear and fulfil your prayers according to His Word. If He has spoken it, He will do it.

Declare over your sight the blessing of God to see as He sees!

 3. It means that God will cause you to know all that you need to know and are supposed to know at that moment, so that you are better able to minister to or pray for others.

 1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

 It is important to be able to hear the voice of God and know His will for us so that we make the right decisions. He will teach you and show you what to do.

The Word of God reveals God’s will for us. Therefore, in Joshua 1:7 we are instructed to obey the Word of God closely, do not turn to the left or to the right. If we do these things and keep His Word in our hearts and thoughts all the time, then our way will be prosperous and you will have good success.

 4. It means we live with a Kingdom mentality and a Kingdom purpose.

Christ came to seek and save the lost. He also came to heal and restore.

In 1 Pet 2:24, it tells us that Jesus died on the cross for us and:

· paid for every curse

· Forgiveness of sins

· Righteousness

· Purpose (live for righteousness)

· Healing in every facet of life.

So if we know that this is Christ’s heart for us (His mind) we know that we can ask and receive, not just put up with it!

1. Ask

2. Believe

3. Confess & Declare

4. Act with faith

 We have also been made able ministers to minister in the same mission to seek, save, heal and restore by His power. So get out there and minister with that mind and power of Christ!

 Conclusion:

Seek His will, and do His will; do not seek or be dictated by what people think.

The mind of Christ is one of purpose and destiny; to testify of the Kingdom of God and reveal it to the world and expand that kingdom for the glory of His name.

Faith
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  Faith   Ps. Jasmine 24/10

1. What is faith?

Heb 11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

It is the faith that sees the result of our hope before we physically receive it.

 2. Eph 2:8-9 We are saved by grace through  faith; “it is a gift so that none can boast that they were saved by their own deeds.”

We receive that grace by faith. Faith is not just what we hope for — it is the foundation of our salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:1-2 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. “

 3. Through faith we receive purification

Acts 15:9 “...purifying their hearts by faith“

 4. Faith that moves mountains

Faith can supernaturally remove obstacles and hindrances, and accomplish the impossible by His Name.

Faith is a spiritual sense, our sixth sense.

 5. How do we receive this faith?

Rom 10:17 “So then, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”.

Hearing the Word of God and believing that what it says is true increases our faith.

Logos—Word, thing

Rhema—God’s direct word for your situation at a particular point in time that brings revelation.

 We need to receive God’s RHEMA word for us everyday, not just read words (logos) in the Bible.

 3 important factors:

· Hear the Word of God,

· Speak it

· Act on it!

 Luke 5. Lake Genesaret—Jesus met Simon Peter, James and John. He commanded them to let down nets and catch fish. Simon said, “All night we caught nothing, nevertheless at Your Word I will let down the net.”

Peter had acted on Jesus’ direct command for that situation (Rhema) - and that brought miracles and a breakthrough after a long night of fruitless labour.

 Do you believe? If we only have the faith to say, “God, You said in Your Word….

(Eg. “by your stripes we were healed”)

And even though I can’t see how and I can’t see any changes at the time, I know You are the God of miracles.  I know You can and will cause a miracle to happen, in Your time and for Your glory, that (I will be healed) in the name of Jesus. I receive the Promises of God, for in Him they are yes, and in Him amen.”

“God, what is your Rhema Word for me today?”

Moving Forward (part 1)
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  Moving Forward (part 1)    Ps Jasmine 31/10

Who are the real disciples of Jesus?

John 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed . (KVJ)

The true disciples of Jesus make His Word their top priority, believes and obeys it. It is God who  gives us the ability to understand His Word.

We can pray Eph 1:17, “open the eyes of my understanding...”.

 True Disciples Obey Despite Difficulties

Gen 16. Hagar, servant of Sarah, was given “as wife of Abraham” to bear children for Sarah but when she conceived, she despised her mistress. In response, Sarah treated her harshly so Hagar ran away.

Gen 16:7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.”

Notice that the angel of the Lord purposely went to meet Hagar. God goes TO us in our time of trouble. Notice also that although the Lord knows everything, He wanted Hagar to acknowledge what she was doing.

She had given up hope; Shur was on the way back to Egypt, her homeland. The Lord comforted her, gave instructions, and revealed that if she ran away, she would be running away from her destiny, and that of Her child.

Gen 16:9 “Return… and submit yourself… I will multiply thy seed exceedingly… [Thou] shalt bear a son, and shall call his name Ishmael.”

 True Disciples Are Firm in Faith Despite Pressure

Declare the Word of God in faith as Daniel’s friends did. Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego declared their faith in God when they refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzer’s golden statue. The King was furious and before ordering the furnace to be heated up 7 times more than usual, said, “Who is the god that shall deliver you out of my hands?”

But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew their God, and were unmoveable, prepared to both be delivered, or to die in obedience to God.

Dan 3:17: “...our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. ”

They had great faith that God would come to the rescue, and He did! God caused a miracle— they were not completely unaffected by the fire; they neither smelled or were singed. The King and all his officials were astounded.

Dan 3:28-29 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who... delivered His servants who trusted in Him… that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! ... there is no other God who can deliver like this.”  

 God will reveal to you who he is.

1. Confess and declare your faith.

2. Obey

 

“What do you want Me to do for you?”
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  “What do you want Me to do for you?”

Matthew 20:29-34 (NKJVTM)

“Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.”

 Jesus heard the blind men crying out to him despite the great sound of the multitude of people that followed Him. The two men had faith and did not want to miss this opportunity to be healed, no matter what.

They acknowledged that Jesus was not just any person but “Lord” (master) and “Son of David”” in reference to the promised Messiah. They were probably thinking if Jesus is really the Promised One, then He will have mercy and heal us.

 1. Know how to address God

Acknowledge that He is Almighty; there is nothing too hard for Him. We need to know that we need God’s mercy.

 2. Come humbly

“ God I need you, have mercy on me”.

 3. Have faith, a faith  that  does not waver no matter what others say (The multitude rebuked the blind men but they shouted even more).

Don’t let people silence you, especially when it may be your only opportunity. They had faith that Jesus would hear them, have mercy on them and cause their eyes to be able to see.

(v32.) “Jesus stood still…” He will never be too busy for us.

 4. Persevere in prayer, Cry out in faith.

God’s timing is perfect, but it’s not the same as our timing. He is not limited by the constraints of time.

He hears our prayers and is preparing the     answers/ solutions for us even before we ask Him.

We are mighty men & women of God because our Heavenly Father is the Almighty. Even though we may not be able to do anything more, there is nothing too hard for God. He will make a way and can turn the situation around on its head.

He will raise you up on wings like eagles.

Our God is a miracle-working God. He doesn’t work miracles just because we’re special but because we are His Children. He loves and cares for you.

 What do you want Him to do for you today?

Matt 21:21-22 “If ye have faith, and doubt not… whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Isa 55:1-11 Getting from A to B
(by Melissa Yong, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  Isa 55:1-11 Getting from A to B

Often, we find a gap between who we are and what the Bible says we are. So how do we get from A (where we are now) to B (God’s promise)?

 CHANGE YOUR DIET (Isa 55:1-2)

There are three components of one’s self: body, soul and spirit. The satisfaction that comes from a well-fed spirit is priceless.

Deut 8:3 ... man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.

Spiritual foods bear fruit in the physical through our attitudes, words, actions and reactions. If we want to see the Abundant Life that God says we can have, we must change our diet.

 Prov 4:20-22 outlines the gates with which we feed our soul and spirit:

“Incline... ”: ENGAGEMENT OF WILL AND MIND. Purposely choose to receive His Word and think about it, not just read or listen robotically.

Incline your ear: HEARING. What are you listening most to? Is that stuff really what you want to become?

“Do not let it depart from your eyes”: SIGHT. You’ll become what you consistently look at.

“Write it on the tablet of your heart”: DAILY THOUGHT AND MEMORY. Mull over the Word of God, memorise it.

If we flood our gates with the things of this world, we will have no appetite for the Word of God, and find it harder to live it out. CHANGE YOUR DIET.

 SEEK THE LORD (Isa 44:3, 6)

Incline: Choose to pay attention to the Lord.

Come: requires humility, letting go of selfish desires and plans, stopping what you are currently doing to respond.

Seek & Call upon the Lord (v 6):

‘Seek the Lord’ sounds very abstract but it’s the same as looking for a friend.

1. GO TO WHERE HE IS: Is God  in busy-ness and worry, or in stillness and trust? In TV or in His Word? He is in your heart—is it uncluttered enough for you to hear Him?

2. MAKE TIME FOR HIM

3. LISTEN AND SHARE: As you feed on the Word of God, you’ll get to know and recognise God’s voice. Share with God all that is in your heart. The condition to finding God is: “You will seek me & find me when you search for me with all your heart.”  (Jer 29:13). God looks for commitment.

 REPENT (Isa 55:7)

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts.

Forsake= relinquish, leave, loosen from yourself

Way= path, journey, manner

Thoughts=plans, imaginations, thought patterns

 BELIEVE GOD’S PROMISES (Isa 55:8-11)

All the above points are things WE can do. But the end-product is only possible by God’s grace and power. Do your part and leave the rest to Him—He will keep His Word. TRUST AND OBEY.

Run the Race — Endurance & Experiencing the Power
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY

Run the Race — Endurance & Experiencing the Power

Endurance is associated with physical stamina, and biblically can refer to abiding in God’s love by rejoicing in trials and tribulations. This characteristic is the strength that comes by rejoicing in reproaches that occur when we follow God. ‘Endurance’ means: to bear and to forbear, to persevere, to suffer, to take patiently and to remain.

Although circumstances are often beyond our control, we have control over our response to those circumstances.

1) Take personal responsibility to be  persevering (using constant effort) and steadfast in one’s convictions to follow God, and acting accordingly.

2) Accept God’s standards e.g. Joseph. God blessed Joseph for his faithfulness: “The Lord was with Joseph” (Gen 39:2,3), “the Lord gave him success in everything he did” (Gen 39:3), “the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph” (Gen 39:3), and “The blessing of the Lord was on everything” (Gen 39:5).

3) Refuse to give in to sin (i) When we confess all our sins, God can forgive us (1 John 1:9) (ii) Make a commitment in your heart to God to remain pure for the rest of your life (iii) Bathe your mind with God’s Word (Rom 12:2). The cleansing power of His Word works when we allow it to fill our minds and hide His Word in our hearts (Ps 119:9, 105, 133) (iv) Remember that sin has consequences. It is far better to flee from sin than to give in to it.

 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2)  

Endurance is the hallmark of marathon runners—their grit, determination, and drive to reach the finish line is an example of the endurance we ought to display in our lives. They undergo rigorous and painful training so that they can endure the challenges of running marathons. By the same token, persevering to live for Jesus requires discipline and commitment.

 To run with perseverance

· Look inward— Throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles (Heb 12:1)

· Look upward— “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb 12:2) who ran the race of life successfully before God, knowing that persevering produces the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22)

· Look outward— “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy” (Heb 12:14-15)

· Look forward— “Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (Heb 12:28)

Endurance is holding on until a goal is accomplished. “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God... giving thanks to His name” (Heb 13:5) for “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh 9:10b).

My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer
(by Ps. Jasmine, 23-01-2011)

SERMON SUMMARY  Matt 21:13  “And said unto them, it is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

 Christ’s death signified the end of sacrificial offerings for the atonement of sins.

 Heb 10:16-22 “I’ll put my laws into thine hearts, and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more”

 With this provision, every believer becomes a temple of the living God:

1 Cor 3:16-17: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the Holy temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”

 Important functions of the temple:

1. Prayer: the burning of incense day and night

2. Represent the household of faith

- Be in harmony with all other believers

- Exercise faith!

Now that we know that we are temples of the Living and God and houses of prayer, what shall we do?

1.  Dedicate your house of prayer with a living sacrifice. It is our reasonable service after what Jesus has done for us. Our bodies and lives are no longer our own: they belong to our Redeemer and Master, Jesus Christ. Therefore we must live for Him, ask for and follow His leading for each day of our lives.

2.Cleanse your house of prayer                                                                                   Rom 12:2, 11 Cor 6:14-18, 17:1 “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord”

3.Maintain daily cleansing by the Word of God                                                              A) Read God’s Word: it is food for our spirits. Matt 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Study and search the scriptures for God’s personal word to you for that day.Every child of God has to obtain food for his inner man through the Word of God.                                           B) Meditate on God’s Word: think on His Word, memorise and ponder over it, letting it sink deep into our hearts.                                                                                      C) Pray with all kinds of prayer                                                                                 - praise                                                                                                                   - personal needs                                                                                                    -intercession for others

 You are the temple of the Living God, a house of Prayer.

 

 

Deepening Intimacy Devotional
(by Michelle Miller, 25-07-2010)

A devotional designed to guide you through the thoughts contained in the Deepening Intimacy Bible Study Before you start your quiet time today, commit the time to God in prayer, asking Him to speak to you and lead you. Read Our passage for today is Psalm 89:11-18. Read through it and allow God to speak to you through His Word. Study and Respond Draw near: In Bible Study today we talked about how we draw near to God by seeking Him through His Word. This passage is the perfect one to use to spend time meditating on the character of God. What better way to develop a more intimate relationship with the Lord, than to meditate on His character and who He is. Confide in the Lord: Spend some time sharing with God your questions and thoughts. Also spend some time listening as He speaks to you. Rely on His strength: As we prepare to leave camp today, this is perhaps one of the most important points. Determination to change is important, but not enough. If we simply determine, in our own strength, to seek God more -- we will fail, because the *** (Matthew 26:41). If what we've talked about on this camp is to impact and change your life, then you need to learn to let God lead. You might like to spend some time to reflect on what you've learnt so far on this camp. How can you apply what you've learnt into your life? How can you take steps today to draw closer to God and develop a deeper relationship with Him?

Connecting With God Devotional
(by Michelle Miller, 25-07-2010)

A devotional to guide you through the thoughts contained in the Connecting With God Bible Study. Have you got your notebook, pen and a Bible? Great! Spend a few moments in prayer before you get started, committing your time to God and asking Him to speak to you. Read Read through John 15:11-17. Read it through a few times. Are there any verses which particularly stand out to you? Write down some of your thoughts as God speaks to you. Study Notice the similarities in theme to our discussion this morning. Does this passage shed any new light on the themes of being chosen by God, obedience and friendship with God? Chosen by God: A deep revelation of this truth gives rise to a heart of willingness and obedience.

• Reflect on how you first came to know God. How has it changed your life?
• From this passage, what responsibilities and promises come with being chosen by God?
• What does it mean to you to be chosen by God? Why does Jesus emphasise it in this passage? What are we chosen for?

Obedience:

• What command are we specifically called to obey in this passage?
• Why is this important for our spiritual lives, and for the spread of the gospel message (Hint: John 13:34-35)?
• What steps can you take TODAY to be obedient to this? Camp is a great opportunity to develop our friendships with one another and to practice putting others before ourselves. Be on the lookout for those opportunities!

Friendship: Spend some time thinking and praying about what it means to be a "friend of God". Only two people in the Old Testament, Moses and Abraham (Exodus 33:11; Isaiah 41:8), were called God's friends. But now, Jesus says that all those who call on His name and obey His commandments are His friends. Spend some time reflecting on this. How does being a friend of God affect your life? Respond Our time studying the Bible is only beneficial to us if we take time to respond to what God has spoken to us. How has God spoken to you this morning? What encouragement or challenge have you received? Respond to God in prayer, praising and thanking Him for His encouragement, and asking Him for strength to meet any challenges.

The Name and Blood of Jesus Christ
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A look at the power and authority of our Lord's name. Read Philippians 2:5-11. What does it mean to pray something 'in the name of Jesus'? Firstly, it is a legal term that acknowledges that Jesus is the One who paid the price for our sins and died on the cross to take back our stolen authority from Satan. Our authority only comes through Him - that's why we pray and command things in His name, not ours. We are like the police who, on their own, have no authority to pull you over and demand to see your licence - but have all that authority when acting in the name of the Law. Another example could be the chosen officer of a King to carry out a job. This officer would go knocking on the doors getting the job done and saying, "‘I am here in the name of the King to [insert activity here].’" That officer came in the authority of the King, because he was sent by the King. Jesus' Blood in a similar way bought us from Satan, trumping him once and for all - Satan hates this, and fears it. Jesus'’ blood also made a Blood covenant with us, and carries an assurance of God’'s backing and power. Jesus'’ blood says to Satan: "If you touch my child, you’'ll pay.”"

The Armoury of Heaven: Persevering Prayer
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A guide to thinking about the power of ongoing prayer Read Daniel 10 and Luke 18:1-8 In Daniel 10, Daniel had been prayed and was waiting, continually praying for 3 weeks before he got his answer. What was keeping the answer from coming? What does this tell you about the importance of persevering prayer? Luke 18:1-8: what is Jesus trying to say here? Is God the unjust judge? God WANTS to answer our prayers. But often we have to fight for the answer to come - don't give up, even if it takes years because you can't see what God needs to do behind the scenes. He knows what He's doing and if it's in His plans, He'll answer one way or another. Application: have you given up on praying for someone or something? Ask God for a fresh outlook and what specifically to pray, and take it up again. God always keeps His word.

The Armoury of Heaven: Praise and Worship
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A look at praise and worship, and what they mean to us. Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. The Bible says that the Lord inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22:3), and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. This is not just a pretty thought: it is a spiritual principle that we need to put into practice. Whether private or corporate, praise and worship invites the fullness of God to take control of situations and act on your behalf. The key of true praise and worship is humility and surrender. This kind of worship comes from a place of thanksgiving, and trust in God's goodness and love.
When we put our trust in God, He acts. Praise and worship has a two-pronged effect on us: 1. It MINISTERS to our hearts as we express ourselves in praise and worship. FAITH is exercised and built up as we continually think and sing about God's power, His goodness to us, His Word and promises. This brings HOPE and expectation.
2. It MAGNIFIES God to all the people. Our view of God can get distorted.
In hard times, He may seem far, or we can be distracted - but in praise and worship we focus on and declare the attributes of God. As we do this, the negative thoughts fall off and the Lord is 'magnified' in our eyes and we see Him unveiled in His glory. When these things happen, praise and worship become ACTIVE. It is no longer just about singing a tune, but wielding a dynamic force. The words we sing become words with power because they are backed by our faith. Remember, death and life are in the power of the tongue and God's power is activated and put in motion by faith. Praise and worship can bring healing, deliverance, the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and new insight into the character of God, amongst others. This is because worship is also a personal interaction between yourself and God. This is also why praise and worship is not complete without prayer. Prayer is basically working with God and His authority, through faith-filled words, to accomplish His Kingdom's objectives on the earth. High level praise and worship can lead to powerful prayers that can break through invisible obstacles and cause significant outcomes in both the physical and spiritual realm. Think about King Jehoshaphat's approach outlined in 2 Chronicles, from his prayer to the victory. God's strategy against that huge army was very different, and according to the approach to combat in those days it would have been seen as crazy. Why was it 'crazy' and what was God responding to?
Think about the principles discussed in today's devotional and spot where they were in use. Application: now that you know some more about the dynamics of praise and worship, aim to get actively involved with your heart and will during times of praise and worship - both in private and corporately in meetings.
Think about what you sing, and mean what you sing. Ask God to teach you more about praise and worship.

Strategy
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A devotional designed to guide you in thinking about the strategy of spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare requires a game plan, a "how to win" plan like those used in physical war and in sports like basketball. The specific strategy towards your personal victory, or victory for others (eg. family, school, the nation) will be unique and only comes from God. He already has a strategy. You just need to find out your part in it. Ask Him for that and keep praying for it until it comes. It may be about finding out why the stronghold was allowed to be established in the first place, then taking away the reason. There may be several steps, or just one. If there is more than one stronghold, you will need to pray for God's strategy in dealing with each stronghold as strongmen have a hierarchy. To deal effectively with all, you need to deal with the top guy. As in any battle, timing, force and method are important. The Bible describes Jesus as the Captain of the Host. The Captain has a plan-- be careful to let Him lead you in your prayers and actions towards breaking through each stronghold. Read 2 Samuel 5:17-25. Two different battles are outlined here. What gave David success both times? God gave a specific strategy for one of the battles and said "when you hear...then bestir yourselves, for then has the Lord gone out before you to smite the army..." What does this teach us? Are you giving God the time to tell you His plans?

Our Part, Our Privilege
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A look at the blood covenant between our Lord and ourselves. Pacts made with blood have been around a long time and lives on in tribal culture all over the world today. A new member of the Italian mafia mixes his blood with that of an existing member in a pact-making act that binds him to life-long loyalty to the Mafia. The rewards are protection, connections, people who will fight for you. Disloyalty to the Mafia brings swift retribution and death. Jesus himself made a pact with us by shedding His own blood. He didn't require us to shed blood so the pact is unconditional - Jesus gave Himself, His power and authority, His love to us, and took on Himself our sickness, pain, troubles. We also call 'pact, 'covenant'. The Mafia covenant can only be broken by disloyalty or death but our covenant with Jesus cannot be broken (unless willingly and purposefully done so by the person) because Jesus cannot break His own word, even when we are disloyal. Because we are joined to God by covenant, we become targets of the enemy because His enemies become ours. However, we have all of heaven behind us and on our side because of that covenant! God, in His amazing love, freed us from the power of Satan. Now we live to extend God's Kingdom, and bring that same freedom to those who are still in captivity. The battles we fight are not only our duty as His soldiers, it is our privilege. Read the following scriptures and ask God to teach you more: Romans 8:12-17, Hebrews chapter 9, 2 Timothy 2:11-13.

What is Spiritual Warfare?
(by Melissa Yong, 08-07-2009)

A short devotional designed to guide you through the understanding of spiritual warfare. Imagine a determined, singing mass of white-clad warriors clashing with a black, oppressive, snarling cloud of demons. Sound like a scene from the Lord of the Rings? No-- it's what happens everyday in the invisible spiritual realm. Spiritual warfare is about destroying the works of the enemy, taking back enemy territory for the Kingdom of God and establishing the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ as King over it. However, the whole heart of the matter is seeking and saving the lost. This is the ultimate goal of God in everything He does. Read Ephesians 6:12-18. * According to Ephesians, who/what is your true enemy? * How does Paul suggest we prepare and fight this enemy? Application: Have you been blaming circumstances or anyone for problems in your life? If so, you need to release them from your judgement over them through forgiveness and ask God to help you see the real battle.

Refreshed Through Fellowship (Devotional)
(by Michelle Miller, 14-03-2009)

A devotional designed to guide you through thinking and applying the truths contained in the article Refreshed through Fellowship. Today in our devotional we’re going to follow a similar format to yesterday, so why don’t you pray first and give your time into God’s hands, that He would lead you and speak to you as you spend time with Him. Reflect This morning we talked about how we can be refreshed through fellowship with other believers. We looked specifically at Hebrews 10:24-25 as a guideline to how we can both refresh others and be refreshed ourselves. 1. Consider others (Philippians 2:3-4) 2. Stir up = on purpose 3. Stir up love (Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 3:14-19; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8) 4. Stir up good works (Ephesians 2:10) 5. Encourage/exhort one another Which of these points in particular spoke to you this morning? Is there any ways that God is calling you to consider others better than yourself, or to stir up love and good works in another believer, or to encourage someone else? Think about how you can put this message into practice TODAY. Ask God who you can encourage and look for opportunities to encourage that person. If you haven’t already got someone in mind, pray and ask God, and then listen. Does anyone particular come across your mind? A name, or a picture of that person? Then that’s probably who God wants you to encourage. Be on the look out for opportunities to encourage that person. If no one comes to mind, don’t worry! God will probably show you during the day, just keep your eyes out for someone to encourage and be used by God! Study Today we want to study 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter talks about how love should be the foundation for everything that we do, and then Paul tells us what that love looks like. Spend some time thinking about this chapter, and especially about verses 4-8. God wants us to live lives that reflect His love. Ask God to show you in which areas you are lacking, and then ask Him how you can change. As God speaks to you, you may want to write your thoughts down in a notebook so that you can look back on it later (plus, it helps stop our minds from wandering off!). Pray Today, as you pray remember that God hears your prayers and that He is using you through your prayers to bless others. Praise Him for that privilege! Pray for whatever or whoever is on your heart to pray for: pray about your own needs, pray for the needs of others. And don’t forget to pray for the day ahead! And finally, I hope you enjoyed these notes to help you in your times spent with God. Make sure, even as you go home from camp, you continue to set aside time daily to read the Bible and pray to God, because you will be greatly strengthened and blessed as a result. God will use you in ways that you never thought possible! To Him be all glory forever and ever, Amen!

Jesus - God Revealed
(by Michelle Miller, 14-03-2009)

Discover the truth of who Jesus is and how that truth can transform your life. Based on John 1:1-18 This set of studies are a brief summary of our Young Adults Bible Study on the gospel of John. It is not a comprehensive study, but concentrates on discovering WHO Jesus is, and how we can effectively share that truth with others. For a more in-depth study the commentary on John in the Bible Speaks Today series is highly recommended. Milne, Bruce: The Message of John : Here Is Your King! :with Study Guide. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill. : Inter-Varsity Press, 1993 (The Bible Speaks Today). The greatest call and purpose of our lives is to know Jesus and to make Him known. The gospel of John is a great place to start to deepen our knowledge of who Jesus is, why He came and how we can learn from His example of sharing the truth of God with others. As we go through our study, I hope and pray that what we discover and learn will be more than just facts to fill our minds, but they will be relevant, life transforming truths that take us to a new level in our intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ and empower us to share that truth with those around us. Jesus Christ - the Word Become Flesh Read John 1:1-18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2 John begins his gospel with the familiar phrase, in the beginning, which draws our minds back to the very first words of the Bible: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Before heaven and earth were created; before anything that we can see, hear, touch, taste or smell even existed -- the Word was there. In short, the Word is eternal. Eternal means that He had no finite beginning, in other words, He was not created; and that He has no end. The next thing John tells us about the Word is that He was with God in the beginning. Is there evidence of this in Genesis? And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. Genesis 1:3 The Word of God was not only with God, but He was God's agent of creation. That's why John goes on to say in verse 3 that all things were made through Him [the Word]. Furthermore, we can see the development of the concept of the trinity. That John says the Word was with God indicates some sort of separation, and yet John immediately follows that by the awesome declaration that the Word is God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three persons or roles, and yet one God. A mystery that we won't go into in any more detail here. It will suffice to say that in the very first verse of John we have John's declaration that the Word is God. We have learnt so far that the Word is eternal, was God's agent of creation, and is one with God. But what does this mean to you and me as we go through our everyday lives? Jesus is eternal: Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that Jesus had His beginning in a little stable in Bethlehem as a baby. Although this was certainly the moment that He was born as a human into this world, His actual "beginning" was much before that. In fact, He was IN THE BEGINNING. He was there in Creation, He was there all throughout the Old Testament, and He has been there ever since. He has seen everything that has ever transpired on this earth, from Adam and Eve's transgression, through Noah and the flood, Moses and the exodus from Egypt, the times of the judges and the kings, and even through to the hundreds of years the Bible says nothing about! He knows it all! What's more, is that in addition to having no beginning, He will have no end. Jesus did not cease to exist when He died an earthly death. He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in glory, ever living to make intercession for us. He lives right now to make intercession for you and me before the Father. He is praying for you RIGHT NOW. As you go through that stressful period at work or uni, Jesus is praying for you. When things are difficult at home, Jesus is praying for you. When you face temptation, Jesus is praying for you. Let that truth give you strength today. To know that firstly, Jesus is with you and secondly, that He is praying for you. Jesus was God's agent of creation: There are numerous verses in the New Testament that remind us that all things were created through Him. For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him. Colossians 1:16 The Jesus that we serve, the Jesus that has called us His friends, is the same Jesus that created us. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:13-14 That Jesus is our Creator reminds us firstly of how valuable we are to Him, and secondly of how powerful He is. He is the Lord over all creation. Jesus is God: This is perhaps one of the most amazing truths in the New Testament. John 1:14 says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. The Word, who is God, became a human and dwelt among us. He became one of His creation in order to save us. We were stuck in our sin, unable to approach God. Yet the responsibility lay completely with us, because we had forfeited our relationship with God through sin. So God came down to earth, as the man Jesus Christ, to reconcile us to God. He was fully God, and yet fully human. Reflection on this fundamental truth of Christianity should forever leave us in awe of the God that we serve. There is nothing that He cannot do, there is nothing that He would not do to redeem us for Himself.

Refreshed in His Presence
(by Michelle Miller, 06-03-2009)

Are you tired and weary? Learn about waiting on the Lord and the refreshing that comes from His presence in these notes from our Camp Bible Study Waiting on the Lord But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 To think about: What does it mean to you to "wait on the Lord"? The word "wait" in this verse comes from the Hebrew word meaning to wait, to look for, to hope and to expect. It can also have the meaning of being twisted or braided together. The Bible equates it with seeking the Lord in Lamentations 3:25 and Psalm 69:6. Joyce Meyer in her teaching Mount up on Wings like Eagles gives the illustration of long hair braided together. It becomes impossible to tell where one strand starts and the other stops. God wants us to be like this in our union with Him, where our characteristics become so much like His that we are a direct representative of Him on the earth. When we begin to feel tired, weary or stressed out it is important to set aside some extra time to wait on the Lord and receive renewed strength from Him. If we are to wait on the Lord and to be braided together with Him, we must first draw near to Him. We cannot be braided or twisted together with Him if we are far away from the Lord. Repent and turn to the Lord Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 3:19 Acts 3:19 shows us the first thing that we need in order to come to Jesus - a relationship with Him. We must repent and be converted. Repentance is turning from sin and involves our thoughts and our actions. Conversion is turning to God. Peter, in this instance, is referring specifically to an initial decision to follow Christ, but those of us who are Christians can learn from this as well, that we must deal with any sin in our lives when we come to the Lord to wait on Him. John, in his epistle, speaking specifically to Christians, says: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 Cast Your Burdens on the Lord Now that through the blood of Jesus we are in right-standing with God, we need to cast our burdens on the Lord. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.Psalm 55:22 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 We bring our needs to the Lord because He is the all-powerful Creator God. He not only cares for us and will sustain us, but He is able to deal with and solve all our troubles. We are called to place all of our cares in His hands, because He is more than able to deal with them. Enter into His Rest There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.Hebrews 4:9-11 To think about: What do you think it means to cease from our works? How can we enter His rest? This passage speaks of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt, that they did not enter the Promised Land (the Land of Rest) because of unbelief and disobedience. We, therefore, can enter into His rest by faith because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Spend Time with Him An important part of this rest, and of waiting on the Lord, is spending time alone in His presence. Psalms tells us that waiting on the Lord includes prayer (Psalm 40:1), is based on His Word (Psalm 130:5) and can involve personal and corporate worship (Psalm 63:1-2). Ultimately it is His presence that will bring us refreshing.

Bringing People into the Presence of God
(by Melissa Yong, 15-10-2008)

Praise and worship can easily be seen as just entertainment but true praise and worship is a deep, powerful, interaction between the heart of God and the hearts of His people. Praise and worship can easily be seen as just entertainment. Concerts all over the world dispense atmosphere, memorable lyrics, pulsing beats and great music. Entertainment. It makes a lot of money. This is one danger that the churches of the western world must guard against because praise and worship that is presented as entertainment is cheapened and powerless. Entertainment tickles our ears and leaves people saying, "That was great music!" But true praise and worship is a deep, powerful, interaction between the heart of God and the hearts of His people. True praise and worship leaves people finding God Himself. God is real, all-powerful, and able to reach into our lives and show Himself strong. True praise and worship leaves people refreshed and strengthened. Some also leave with healing, some with the answer to a problem they have long mulled over, others with deliverance from depression or despair. God knows how to meet people where they are. They may all leave with something different, but it is always wonderful, always relevant, and always leaves them in awe of Him. Our desire at the Covenant Church is to magnify Jesus Christ and exalt His name in praise, worship and dance. We want to bless the Lord and minister to His people. We want the Holy Spirit to do as He pleases without hindrance. Our prayer also is that every person, through praise and worship, encounters God in a powerful, personal way that transforms them, and sets them free to fulfil their destiny as children of the Almighty God. Like Moses, we cry, "Lord, show us your glory!"