Part 1: A Battle Ready Christians knows his source of strength and victory

 Text: Ephesians 6:10-18


Apostle Paul starts the statement on the topic of Armor of God by giving the command to the believer to be “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”. Paul is telling us that the unlimited power and strength of Christ is the source of strength for those who belong to Him. Despite the fact that God has provided the believer with the necessary apparatus by which to withstand the attack of the enemy, the Christian must not lose sight that every element of the armor of God is the creation of God and thus is His provision.

In verse 10, Paul is teaching us that our primary source of victory is only through Christ and His mighty power. Unfortunately when the battle rages, we fall into the trap of relying on our own strength. As Christians, we are to be strong in the mighty power of God. This means that our strength is not our own; it is not human or fleshly. Our strength is not of the world, but our strength is found in Christ — in having a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Him. As Paul tells us in Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

We can trust God's provision for battle, not our own.  God's faithfulness to us has already been manifested in the cross and His power is channeled through the Holy Spirit. Paul in Ephesians 3:16 says “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being...”.

How do we obtain God’s strength? Isaiah 40:31 gives us the key - “but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting and spending time in God's presence is the key in drawing strength from above. Knowing our source of strength is one important criterion in spiritual warfare. It is by first aligning ourselves with the strength of God through our total submission to Him that we are able to withstand the wiles of the evil one: “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power”.   

Total submission is also an act of trusting the Lord. The true source of strength for the believer is not physical weaponry or carnal ability. As Paul saliently notes, the armor of God is only effective if the believer places complete trust in God.

Be Blessed.

Sacrificial Generosity

A story was told of a missionary in Africa who received a knock on the door of his hut one afternoon. Answering, the missionary found a native boy holding a large fish in his hands. The boy said, "Reverend, you taught us what tithing is, so here. I've brought you my tithe." As the missionary gratefully took the fish, he questioned the boy. "If this is your tithe, where are the other nine fish?" At this, the boy beamed and said, "Oh, they're still back in the river. I'm going back to catch them now.

Couple of weeks ago I was reading Acts Chapter 2 and my attention was drawn to verse 45 that speaks about the generosity of the early church.  The whole thought beginning with verse 44 reads, "All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need" (2:44-45).

From chapters 4 and 5 of Acts we know that the generosity of the early Christians wasn't demanded by church leaders, nor was it required of all the people. Rather, it was a free response to the movement of the Holy Spirit in people's hearts.

Generosity, at its core, means giving to others to meet their needs or to help them achieve their goals. Generosity is never about the recipient, but rather it is all about the giver. Generosity is about the heart attitude of the giver when they give. People often associate generosity with giving money. However, generosity is not just about money, but is also about giving out of what we have to others - our time, our talents, our treasure and our testimony.

True generosity is giving away something we want and need to someone who doesn't have the ability to obtain it any other way. It is responding to the obvious need of another without calculating how much we stand to gain or lose. Life's richest rewards can only be found when we follow the Master's example and give without measure. "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure--pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38)

The Psalmist adds his own endorsement to generosity, “Good will come to him who is generous     and lends freely.” (Psalm 112:5) Proverbs is wisdom literature. It states universal truths which any wise person can experience for themselves. It is Proverbs that tells us, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Proverbs 11:25). It goes on to add, “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9).

Often we think of generosity as an unfortunate obligation that leads to personal loss. But here, in the verses above, Proverbs speaks of giving as an opportunity for gain. Generosity is profitable. This fact may collide with worldly wisdom and seem paradoxical to those of us who believe that a tight fist rather than an open hand will lead to financial security. 

Can you imagine being part of a generous community like what is mentioned in Acts 2:45? It would be a foretaste of heaven. The result of sacrificial generosity is recorded two verses later, “The Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). It was the grace of God that saved them but it was the generosity of God’s people that opened     the door for the gospel.

May the Holy Spirit continue to reminds us to be generous

Bring Forth Treasure!

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

When the apostle Paul compared our lives to clay pots, he focused not on the earthen vessels, but rather the contents of those vessels. Jars of clay deteriorate over time, become chipped, cracked, and eventually broken. However, the real value of those ancient pots was not in the clay containers themselves, but in what they contained.

We human beings tend to focus on the frailties and imperfections of our decaying "vessels", looking, characteristically, on the outward form rather than the substance within. But the inward reality is what matters to God, and ultimately, to us as well, since that reality is His living Presence within us; a treasure of wisdom, power and love with inestimable value.

The Lord's evaluation of us is not by outward appearance, which is corruptible and deteriorates with time. His indwelling Spirit, His Living Word, and the dynamic intimate relationship into which He invites us— are where the real treasure lies!



Article taken from Worthy Devotion - http://www.worthydevotions.com/

A Reflection on 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 - Spiritual Parenting

This brief passage in 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 is one of the most important statements in all of Scripture about spiritual parenting. Paul gave a compelling example for us. Paul describes his ministry among the Thessalonians by employing both parental figures side by side to describe his style of leadership. He considered the congregation his spiritual children and cared for them accordingly.  When a person gets saved, that is wonderful, but then he desperately needs the tender loving care of someone who will assume the role of a spiritual parent for him or her. Helping people to grow in the Lord, as with growing children, takes time and requires patience. Sometimes it causes pain and priorities need to be set in our relationships. We don’t raise children overnight, we can’t raise them without growing pains for both parent and child alike, and we can’t impact them for Christ without spending quality time to see them built up in Christ. The Spiritual Parent's heart based on Paul’s double metaphor for an effective leadership — a loving mother who cares for her children and a gentle father who encourages, comforts, and urges his family flock to live lives worthy is important for a church leadeship today. The two sides of spiritual parenting that Paul describe in perfect balance: the tenderness of compassionate, motherly care alongside the fortitude and strength of fatherly love.

Be Blessed.

Merdeka 2012

While driving today, I heard an old song on the radio titled “Saya Anak Malaysia”. Tomorrow is our Independence Day (Merdeka Day).

Though as a nation we attained political freedom 55 years ago from our colonial master, there are many other freedoms that we have yet to win: freedom from poverty, deprivation, and the bane of corruption at various levels. What price political freedom if it doesn't include freedom from inequality, injustice and exploitation?

May we look forward for a better Malaysia as we celebrate this 55th Merdeka. In the pursuit to be a developed nation by 2020, let us not forget our principles of nationhood (Rukun Negara). Let us be reminded that this principles starts with the first fundamental principle that is "Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan" (Belief in God). It is important to establish this first principle right because the Bible says in Proverbs 9:10 (NLT) "Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment".

This Merdeka, I am glad to say - "Saya Anak Malaysia. Saya Anak Malaysia yang percaya kepada Tuhan"

There is a first time for everything!!

Yesterday we went to a Stage Comedy show at Penang Performing Arts Center. First time ever going for such show like this. The show titled "Indian Lawyers! Saints or Serpents?" is a tongue-twisting Malaysian comedy about the seemingly magical powers of Indian lawyers.

Serious Comedy studios have a history of creating sharp, witty insights into the idiosyncrasies of Malaysian culture and they hit the nail on the head once again with Indian Lawyers! Saints or Serpents. It was 90 minutes full of entertainment and good acting bythe small cast of four comprises of Malay, Chinese and Indian... the true Malaysian "Muhibbah" spirit.!!!

The play spins an amusing tale of a Chinese man who will only settle for an Indian lawyer after he is accused of a terrible crime, witnessed by a young Malay man. The story follows the build up to the trial and the defendant’s desperation to get an Indian lawyer to defend him. All Indians are supposed to have the power to “speak Indian” and make you doubt yourself despite being one hundred percent certain before any question, so the obvious career for most should be a lawyer! The show is definitely worth viewing.

Revisiting Ecclesia - The Called Out Ones

The challenge of the 21st century church is that the church moved from being a first century movement, to a powerful organization in the middle ages, to a consumer mindset in this present world. The church moved from being concerned with the lost to being concerned with the insiders of the church.

The New Testament Greek word for the church is "Ecclesia", meaning "an assembly of called-out ones". Ecclesia has two purposes with regards to Ministry. One is Inward Ministry and the other Outward Ministry. The Inward Ministry refers to the ministry that goes on within the church. The Outward Ministry refers to the ministry that reaching out – based on the Great Commission and the great love of God for mankind. My focus of sharing today is on the External Ministry of the Church.

The church is given the mandate called the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20.

Matthew 28:18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The church is given the mandate to propagate the Good News. We are familiar with the mandate but unfortunately the mandate has slowly lost it meaning among the 21st century Christian. We are living in our comfort zone that leads us to forget our ultimate purpose in this world. Time and time again, we are pounded with messages of the Great Commission. But what is our response?

Joseph Stowell identified the problem of the modern church well when he said, “We have become quite happy to call ourselves Christians with little or no thought of following”

The church knows the mandate but decides to stay in their comfort zone. Instead of being fishers of men, the 21st century church has become keepers of the aquarium.

I want to share 3 perspectives with all of us how we as a church can reflect back our calling in answering the great commission that Christ has given us.


1. Ecclesia - The Purpose of the Call: Evangelism

Evangelism is one of the elements that is embedded in the Great Commission. You don't evangelize to Christians, but to non-Christians. We are called to evangelism. In the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit came down in power in the Upper Room, the church went out to become witnesses.

Someone once said the church is meant to be the hospital for sinners and not museum for the saints.

We are a healing community; the church is a hospital for sinners, for the social outcast, for the brokenhearted. We are a community gathered that engages in a ministry of healing that reflects Jesus’ ministry. Hospital ultimate aim is to help the patient. As the church of Christ, our purpose is to bring the Good News, for people to come and experience the life of Christ.

One of my favorite shows in the late 1990’s was the medical drama “ER.” Each week the show usually began with a patient arriving at the hospital in an ambulance, and the doctors and nurses would rush them to a trauma room and with such passion and drama, they began working frantically to save yet another life.

The church is in the business of bringing the grace of God to the world filled with Sinners

Matthew 9:10-13: "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’? On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. ’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The “Church is a hospital for sinners”, for it is here that we encounter Jesus’ healing power, both for physical and spiritual healing.


2. Ecclesia - The Mission of the Call: Operation Save A Life

I recall two weeks ago Bro. Koay shared on his favorite show – Mission Impossible. In MI, every operation has a code name and it will self-destruct after few minutes.

The church is called to a mission and the code name for that operation is Operation Save a Life.

Luke 19:1-10: Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore- fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

I want to emphasize on this, "for the son of man came to seek and save the lost".

We are drawn into this mission because God is on a search and rescue mission. Luke 19, Verse 10 says this: "For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost."

There are so many of us who are busy with the world that we forget the mandate for Christ. We are called to the Great Commission to save and rescue the lost.

In the movie The Guardian, the coast guards respond whenever there's a distress call - rescue and help will be sent on their way no matter the sea condition.

In a search and rescue mission, we are not held up by risks but to press on because of lives.

If you watch the movie Titanic, there was a lady named Molly Brown. She was crying out to the crew to help and save those who are still in the water, but she was ignored. Perhaps the greatest tragedy surrounding the Titanic is that many of those people in the water didn’t have to die. Many of the lifeboats were only half full. Hundreds of people were in the cold water with life preservers. Most of them did not die from drowning; they froze to death.

God has given us the capacity to serve Him to the fullest and do our very best for His kingdom's sake.

We need to put our effort together to save a life.

In a search and rescue, you don't know who you save. I am reminded of the person who took me to church and led me to Christ. Couple of years ago, I managed to make contact with him. I thanked Uncle Khoo for all that he has done especially the path to Jesus.

Curtis Hudson says that most churches are like ailing lungs, with only few cells doing the breathing.

There is no retirement when serving God. The only retirement in our mission is when God calls us home. Till then, let us serve Him faithfully.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost and today that mandate is extended to us to bring His message of salvation to others.


3. Ecclesia - The Warfare of the Call: Know Our Enemy

In a Search & Rescue Mission, we ought to know that we are in a spiritual warfare. It is not easy.

Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It is too bad that sometimes the church fail to realize who is the real enemy. We need to know who is our real enemy in our battle. And we, as followers of Christ, are called to fight a good fight! But our fight is not against human flesh and blood. It is against the powers and principalities and rulers of the air.

In operation Desert Storm, the Americans went in to rescue Kuwait from Iraq. The highest casualties came from friendly fire. It is sad to hear that sometimes - "The church is the only army that shoots it’s own wounded."

The church in the 21st century failed to realize the real enemy. We need to know who we are fighting against; we need to know friends from foes.

Psalms 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is, when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore”.

Unity is an important nature of a church. A God led church is always a united church. Unity is an important nature of the church.
The tragedy of disputes in the church is that it destroys the unity of the church and what Christ represents. We need to know our real enemy and who we are fighting against.

Summary

The church is given the mandate which is the Great Commission, and that mandate translates to first our purpose, for evangelism. In fulfilling the mandate, we need to know the battle that we are facing.

My challenge to you this morning is “Are we geared up for the Great Commission?”

I would like to end with what Bro. Koay shared two weeks ago: The church has one mission; to bring a person who doesn't know Christ to know Him. And the church's mission is to complete that mission.

Be Blessed.