Paul – Total Commitment. What is Commitment?

Pastor Reynold Lim, 29 Jun 2008.

Are you a "pig" Christian or a "hen" Christian? A pig and a hen passed by a church and wanted to know how they could contribute to the church. The hen suggested ham and egg. The pig was appalled. In the giving of ham and egg, the hen was giving a contribution but the pig would be giving a total commitment.

What is Commitment?

A person who has "commitment" is one that is being "boung emotionally or intellectually to a course of action or persons." When we are committed to something, we are totally bounded body, mind and soul to that something or someone.

We are almost halfway into 2008. Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, earthquake in SiChuan and the sank ferry in the Philippines claimed many lives without the knowledge of Christ.

In the words of Charles Dickens in Great Expectations, we are in the best of times and we are in the worst of times.

Pastor Reynold remembered in the past when he mail missionaries, he would get a reply in a matter of weeks. Today, his test messages are replied within seconds.

Pastor Reynold wanted to encourage us to crossover, just like the Israelites crossing the river Jordan. Those who murmured could not cross Jordan.

Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock. And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock. So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan."

(Num 32:1-5)

The 2.5 tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh (1/2) did not want to cross Jordan.

Mat 8:28-32 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. (29) And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" (30) Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. (31) And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." (32) And he said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters.

Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Let our prayer, our words of encouragements and our sermons be acceptable to God. Let them be from our heart.

1. Take the first Step v3 "As he journey… "

Act 9:3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Salvation is not just about us receiving redemption. It is also God putting the Holy Spirit in us to conform us to the image of Christ. Salvation is not about what we do. True success is about how much we allow God to work in us.

Saul was the Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was not contented in where he was. How could Paul wrote such profoundly if he has not taken the first step? Some of us will follow God up to how our logic will take us.

2. Examine your heart v4 "Why are you persecuting Me?"

Act 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

1Sa 12:23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

The Bible tells us prayerlessness is disobedience and it's a sin. As long as we don't have our eyes on the throne, we are sinning.

Jacob was running away from Esau for twenty years. He was also running away from God. He was the ladder where angels going up and down. But his life was not changed. Today Christians want Jesus to do all the dying while we do all the living. We have taken the Word of God and apply it according to our own desire / mindset / convenience and filter out what we don't want. We judge the preachers according to our own way. In doing so, we cannot get the full value of the Word and hence could not grow from glory to glory. Preachers have come and gone. Have we allowed the Word of God to change our lives?

When the angel spoke to Mary, she responded "be it unto me." Mary was willing to take the consequences of a self-righteous community that may stone her to death for an unexplained pregnancy.

3. Make a Commitment of Faith v5 "Who are You, Lord?"

Act 9:5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Does Jesus know us? Are we known by God? The first passion in our LORD is to have a personal relationship with Him, not ministry

4. Embrace the LORDship of Christ v6 "LORD, what do You want me to do?"

Act 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

Every time we invoke the name "LORD" and yet we do not obey then we are calling the name of the LORD in vain. We have been trained to know what will happen tomorrow. When we follow God, we are not too sure what will happen. We are happy to relate to Him and His deliverance from hell. We are happy to find joy and comfort in Him. But we are not happy to follow him unconditionally. Every invoking of the word LORD must be followed by making a personal commitment.

Act 9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

No wonder we don't want to ask God this question (what God wants us to do.) When Saul made the commitment to know what God wanted him to do, he forfeited everything.

Php 3:7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Saul had everything to lose yet he was willing to give up everything. Jesus is not the LORD of our lives until we make Him our master in every part of our lives.

In John 5, the man who had an infirmity for 38 years could not get a chance to get healing by getting into the pool. Jesus asked him whether he wanted to be well. Surely Jesus knew he wanted to be well. The man explained why he was not well. He should have answered he wanted to be well. But Jesus was merciful and healed him.

Paul was blinded but he made a commitment and took the journey to die to self.

5. Die to self vv7-9

Act 9:7-9 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. (8) Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. (9) And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

What do we do when we are blind? Paul was blinded for 3 days. He did not eat or drink. He was blind physically but God opened his spiritual eyes.

Paul's Response:

1. A Commitment to Body Ministry: Serving Others (v10-17)

Act 9:10-17 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." (11) And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, (12) and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." (13) But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. (14) And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." (15) But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. (16) For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." (17) So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

2. A Commitment to the Public Declaration of Faith: Water Baptism and Testimony

Act 9:18,20 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; (20) And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

Water baptism is an outward act of an inward obedience in faith.

3. A Commitment to Body Life

(19) and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

Because he preached the Gospel to passionately his life was endangered.

We need to grow from infants (awareness) to children (receptiveness) to young men (believing) and ultimately to fathers (commitment.)

Commitment to cell life in a cell church like CBC is important for the following reasons.

1. Life in association with one another – People who become responsible to one another and for another.
   
2. God is real and active in our midst.
   
3. Learning is done through experiences in the cell community.
   
4. Every member is a minister.
   
5. Cell experience body life through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
   
6. Cell penetrates the community through Body Evangelism.
   
7. A church that can survive any government.
   

How do I get started?

1. Initiate a Paradigm Shift
   
2. Your Commitment to a Biblical Community & Authentic Relationship
   

Give a nudge – do it today

What me weary?

I watched Pushing Daisies last night. It was the 3rd episode. I caught the beginning of the Pie-lette (a smart title for a pilot this side of Everybody Hates A Pilot.) I am somehow very intrigued by the storyline. A man has the ability to bring someone from the dead (I am VERY clear only God can do that) and "accidentally and involuntarily" brought his old sweet heart to life but he could not touch her or else she'd die again? Book me for future Tuesday nights.

Now, on to the quote that started this blog post.

Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. ~ John Ruskin.

So, why am I so tired when I have so little?

A Sharp Warning 当头棒喝

Ps Wong CM – 22 Jun 2008, 0930

We only know about prayer when we pray. When we begin to pray, we will find out that we know little about prayers and other things. On why pray when God already knows, Oswald Chambers wrote that it is for us to know Him for who He is. God's invitation to prayers is not due to our needs or requests but in the end we might come into knowledge of God. Prayer is the overflow of our relationship with God.

Any invitation to prayers is to do with God dealing with our hearts. Our flesh does not welcome prayer. It's easy to server, to run around and do things for God. But when it comes to prayer, every part of the body starts to revolt and recoil. As a Christian, this is a battle we fight throughout our whole lives. We often struggle because we do not understand the issue of the prayer which deals with the heart. To pray is to die, to pray is to work. That's why prayer is so difficult.

The whole core and journey of prayer is a revelation of the true state of the heart, it is to come into a confrontation of the real situation of our heart.

No man ever came to prayer ever boast about his prayer life. He will not take glory of it. The more he prays, the more crushing / humbling the experience he gets. Prayer is like breathing. We don't have to teach people to pray / breath. When we need to teach people to pray, it is already a sign of decay / death. Prayer is an indication of our spiritual health. We are not conscious of our health. We only become conscious when we get sick. It is only then when we begin to appreciate health and cannot wait to become healthy again.

Now that we have 'flu', we desperately want to be well again. We go see doctors and try remedies. Anything we do in our natural lives, we do it in our spiritual lives too. We eventually find the right food, right way to cure the flu and we begin a crusade to tell others how to get well from flu. We latch on to this particular experience and it became everything. It was a genuine experience but God did not meant for it to be like that. It became a distraction. But we don't have to even get flu in the beginning. If we have been following the rules (resting enough, getting enough water, etc.) we do not even have to get sick.

In our time of spiritual sickness and weakness, we begin to seek remedies. We start to pray and get the influx of joy, things begin to move and we become ok. That's not healthy. Will we let the state of wellbeing continue? Will we hold the mode of prayer? Prayer is demanding. The normal has become abnormal. Why do spend so much time in abnormalcy trying to discover the normalcy when it should be normal in normalcy? The 'juice' that worked is not the reason for health. This has become trap for many.

In the first place, we should not have become abnormal. We should be praying to such a point that we do not realize we are praying. Why is prayer a focus? It is because we have not been praying. Things are not in their right places. The 'juice' or emphasis of prayers will not last. We will be back to our own state (with the lack of prayer) and wait for another crisis to arise before we emphasize prayers again.

We need to read the Psalms, which is the overflow of a life of normalcy. They are the cry of the people to YHWH. It's the whole spectrum of man's normal relationship with God. It is the expression of a nation to God. We need to draw the heritage from the Psalms. More than half of the Psalms are written by a man who understands the dynamics of relationship with God; this is King David, a man after God's own heart. When a man is after God's heart, the peace of God is shared with that man. Something of God's nature is imparted into him; something in this man has come into the communion with God. He understood the state of normalcy.

Every time when we are discouraged or hurt we go to Psalms because Psalms came from a relationship with God where prayer is normal. Sometimes we miss the boat because we miss the centrality of the matter. We are sidetracked.

We meet people who swear by their own brand of 'juice.' It's a book, a person or a particular experience. Intercessors should not be diagnosed with this kind of abnormalcy. It can be spiritual clairvoyance where he or she is more sensitive to certain things. He / she the spiritual thermometer (e.g. the ear turns red when something is wrong.) In our shallowness, we give in to such things. We want to put the sanity back into our lives.

If we talk about prayer life, it is as though it is not normal. Just like the sunshine and the wind, we appreciate them but we are not paying attention to them as thought they are not normal.

Abnormalcy can show in the way of the way we read the Bible, in the way we divide doctrine and church governance. That's why we are not on the living edge. We are not fully functional.

(Psa 19:14) Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

This is the proof of a man living in the normalcy. Our prayer cannot be greater that our heart. Everything our mouths declare must first be agreed by our hearts. What we say must be the same of who we are. The prayer and the life must be the same. If our prayers are greater that our lives we are lying or being forced. We are impressed by the prayers of others. The English, the length and the voice impress us. The Bible doesn't mention prayer warriors or prayer giants. The Bible only mentions people who pray because it is normal.

That is why the Jews still read the Psalms even though they don't have a Messiah.

Jesus is sitting on the right hand of God exercising his high priesthood to intercede for us. Melchizedek liveth and interceded.

Christian marriages failed. An entire generation of kids in British doesn't want to live it. During a Teen Challenge meeting, children are devastated because they didn't see their parents and churches living the way they should.

We can only pray the prayers if we are living the lives in the normalcy.

There was crisis in David's life but he came back quickly. (Ps 51)

There is a stream or a river being opened. Until this is attended to, the Lord will hold back.

Isa 6:1-5 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. (2) Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. (3) And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" (4) And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. (5) And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"

Who told Isaiah his lips were unclean? It was a prayer overflowing from a life of normalcy.

Realizing what is keeping us from prayer is not enough. It is not an indication of normalcy.

Jesus is abiding in this ministry of intercession. This is the mandate for the head of the church. How much more is it for the members of the body?

Prayer is not earth to heaven, it is heaven to earth. We are not born knowing how to pray. All our prayers are predicated on the premise of needs. Jesus' prayer in John 17 is about union. Until the union is in place, our prayer and our lives are abnormal.

Ps Wong Chew Mun, 22 Jun 2008, 1126

Joh 6:41-66 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."
(42) They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (43) Jesus answered them, "Do not grumble among yourselves.
(44)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
(45)
It is written in the Prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me--
(46)
not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.
(47)
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
(48)
I am the bread of life.
(49)
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
(50)
This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
(51)
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."
Joh 6:52-60 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
(54)
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
(55)
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
(56)
Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
(57)
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.
(58)
This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever."
(59) Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum. (60) When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" Joh 6:61-66 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this?
(62)
Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?
(63)
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
(64)
But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) (65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
(66) After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. Joh 6:67-71 So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?"
(68) Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, (69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." (70) Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil."
(71) He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

The seven miracles recorded in John point to a greater message than the miracles themselves.

By the time it was all through, Jesus went into the boat at the other side of the lake.

The people asked Jesus about his miracles (v30) but Jesus didn't answer them directly knowing they were more concerned in filling their stomach. God is not committed to answer all our answers. This is the issue of the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our life in our journey with Him.

"Who can listen to this" indicated the people were offended and uncomfortable. Many left. Jesus turned to the chosen twelve and asked them directly whether they wanted to leave. Reality confronted man at this point of time.

What was Jesus after? Jesus performed a miracle that was breathtaking, unprecedented and unparalleled.

There is a crisis in the Church today.

Sacramental = has intrinsic nature in our Christian life, something we require in our lives but we lack it or don't even possess it. To be sacramental mean the actual and real presence of God coming through in our everyday life. Even the material things become spiritual. Dichotomy is a problem in the lives of Christians. We departmentalize our lives. God is real when we come to church to worship Him on Sundays. But when we go back to our families or work places, God is not there. That is not sacramental. The life of a man and woman in God is to be a sacramental life. We must understand that as life and death hangs in the balance.

This explained the reason the people who just witnessed the miracle of feeding the thousands still did not get the message. This is the old ego and the centrality of man. They followed Jesus because they wanted something for themselves. Gradually and surely, Jesus turned to the crux of the matter.

The people even wanted to make Jesus a king after the miracle. Jesus knew what was in man and he didn't trust man. This is the same old trick that is being used today. Feed the bellies of a nation and you will be made a king. This is happening in Zimbabwe. When Jesus came to confront the matter, many are offended.

The entire Judaism teachings did not prepare the Jews for the teachings. They were given the Torah, the Talmuds, the Laws and the Psalms. But they were shocked. They found it barbaric for Jesus to suggest them to eat his flesh and drink his blood. It provoked moral convictions. The message wasn't neutral or mere informational. It did not just arouse intellectual engagements. It provoked anger even to the point of offending people.

The people received well the Sermon on the Mount (including the Beatitudes) but they were offended by this new teaching about eating his flesh and drink his blood. They turned around and refused to have anything to do with Jesus.

We have seen many miracles and enjoyed many blessings. Would we respond just like these people?

When we read this story after thousands of years we may be detached. We need the Holy Spirit to help us get connected.

While Jesus was dividing the bread and the fish He knew what He was doing.

The two (2) basic elements of life include eating and drinking. Take them out we cannot live. A machine can keep up alive without food and drinking but we are no longer in control and we are actually dead.

Jesus was not being literal. He didn't ask the people to kill one another and become cannibals. He was talking to Jews which was difficult. Israel has a history of God dwelling among them. The Jews had no problem with the idea that God living among them. They believe Jerusalem will one day become the capital city of their nation. Jesus came and took things one step further and this was where it hurt.

Christians today have no problem with Sunday morning religion. We dress up nicely and go to church and praise and worship. We are professional enough to tell whether a preacher is good or not.

Jesus came not only to dwell among the people but he wanted to manifest His presences in their everyday life including eating and drinking. Jesus wanted to be in our sacramental life. Jesus wanted to be in every area of our lives.

The church languishes in carnality for decades. The church members warm the church seats with their lives are not changed. This is a Christianity that is convenience to our own wish and desire. It is convenience and not obedience. We serve / pray / give according to our convenience. What if the reality of Christ goes into every area of our lives including our eating, drinking, pockets and our idiosyncrasies; it hurts.

When our prayer is greater than our lives, it promotes deceptions. Our prayer can only be in tandem from our lives. Our prayer comes out from our lives.

Paul confessed that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles. The entire superstructure of the universal church depends on this foundation. And yet, Jesus had no qualms asking them if the disciples were going to leave.

The Jews understood well human sacrifice. King Manasseh and his kingdom were judged for it.

The words from Jesus are life and spirit. The people didn't have the spirit yet. They didn't bother to wait and left. The spirit would come on Pentecost.

It tells us why our Christian youths are failing, Christian marriages are failing and our morality is failing. The God that we want is not the God that we want. We want a God in our image.

Jesus gave us a higher moral standard. No one is saved just by not taking another man's wife. Many people do not take another person's wife. But they think and have sexual fantasies. Many people do not steal. But we think and we are greedy. That hurts. Jesus says we are to eat his flesh and to drink his blood. He wants to be in our common lives, from habits to eating and drinking, from buying to selling. He said until we do that he knows us not.

The reason we cannot preach or share a message that is radical is because we do not know the Jesus that is radical. The Word is humanized. We know exactly where to put God. It's like floral arrangement. It's like the basic orders of life. That's how we are safe. There are Christians who are saved but not safe to live with. This is what perpetuated the departure of the thousands.

It was not accidental that Jesus chose the bread and the wine to represent his death. He told his closest disciples that when they eat the bread and drink the wine, they remember Him.

We have lost that. We come to church to gobble down a small piece of bread and a small cup of grape juice. The significance if lost to us.

It's surprising that Christians called themselves Christians for decades when the attitudes are not changed. They sit in their same seats for decades and yet their lives are not changed.

An estimated 850000 men and women died in died in the ethnic clash in Luanda in 1994. A mission worker went there for 6 months to help the rebuilding. She almost lost her faith and sanity. It took less than 4 months to have so many people killed. Time magazine said there were no more demons in hell because they went to Luanda. People who sought refuge in the churches were betrayed and turned over to the enemies. The Belgian missionaries pioneered mission works there. The churches were part of the massacre. They have a religion that didn't came across and a faith that is not apostolic.

We are stretching pastors beyond their capacity. Jesus didn't save us so He could give us what we want, to give us a comfortable live. He didn't come to give us bigger houses and more money. He came so he could turn our lives inside out and to be conform to the will of God.

There will be a Lordship of authority.

Some like it hot

I have heard many complaining about the hot weather these few days. I personally do not feel it is extraordinary hot. To me it's just like any normal day in Malaysia.

A friend is Thailand asked me via Skype if 'my country' is raining. I smiled and paused before I asked him which parts of the country he was referring to.

It's going to rain based on the rumbling I hear.

Do you ever have this person in your life that seems bend on trying your patience? It's like everything he / she says or does is an attempt to see at what point you will blow up. And then he / she will take out a clipboard and note the results. He / she will toss things on your tables (instead of putting them there like any other normal, courteous people well taught by their parents or teachers). He / she would tell others you are not a gentleman while you are holding the door for him / her. He / she doesn't show appreciation when you picked up after him / her to prevent him / her from landing in troubles. Well, I have. I will not spiritualize this. I will take it as well as I can. We want to be professional. If he / she doesn't cut it, I will make it clear to my boss.

So much for one person.

Let me continue with another bigger issues involving more people.

P.J. O'Rourke (American humourist, political commentator and journalist whose essays are collected in "Republican Party Reptile", "Parliament of Whores" and "Give War a Chance") said "There's a whiff of the lynch mob or the lemming migration about any overlarge concentration of like-thinking individuals, no matter how virtuous their cause."

A group is often judged based on its past records. Many may be willing to overlook some small issues because of its achievements.

When a large group of people known for their good deeds set forth on a questionable journey, will the followers lose their ability to discern? Will the followers choose to ignore the obvious alarm sounding like crazy in their mind? Surely they can do no wrong if they have come thus far?

While we accord a high place to character, we also need to be objective when it comes to such situations. To err is human. Christians are not exempted.

I for one, reject and refute ANY form of wrong teachings disguised as new revelations. When it comes to the Word and the truth, it's either yes or no. There is no in between. There is no such things as having some truth in it. Christians should be helping one another to draw near to God. They should not seek sensations. They should not chase Christian 'superstars' or celebrities, ESPECIALLY when the said celebrities display glaring errors in the message they present.

New age and many cultic practices are being recycled and making their ways into the welcome arms of the church. We should WATCH and pray. Open our eyes to see clearly what is really happening.

I have not been feeling well. I feel like I am on the verge of getting sick. But my body would not relent. Normally when we get such signals, we are already sick. This time the 'confirmation' is taking a long time to come. I wonder when and I wonder if it will come at all.

Leadership Challenge in the Local Church

Check out www.God.tv & www.freshfire.ca

16 Jun 2008 – DUMC will have renewal and revival meeting daily for 1 week.

Keeping the Vision Clear (Acts 26:19)

Act 26:19 Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision

 

Paul declared the good news to the gentiles. He pressed on and refused to be stopped by whatever problems he faced.

It's so easy to be distracted by the many things we are doing. We can also be discouraged when things are hard are difficult, when the demands are great and when things are not going as we want. We can get frustrated and angry and start mumbling. We get tired. We get upset about small little things.

The way to guard ourselves from such situations is to focus on God's vision. This will prevent us from losing sight. We must know exactly what God wants us to do in the local church.

Look up, refocus.

Keeping Our Passion High

After a while, our passion can go low or even die. We begin to serve God with our own strength. If we want to keep our passion high, hang around people who are passionate, who has high energy, it will rub off. If we want to be like the eagle, don't hang around chicken.

Attend leadership conference so we can be built up, inspired and be passionate again. Renew our vision to move on to fulfill God's vision.

Recognizing That We Are All In For The Long Haul (Heb 12:1-3)

Heb 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

 

We are running a marathon, a long distance race. The original word from marathon, athon means agony. Our life is a race. Everyone is involved in a race of life. We are not just to run it and finish it. We should run it well and finish it well.

We must be physically fit. We need to exercise to keep fit. If we want to serve God for the long haul, it's incumbent for us to be fit. Do not let our physical health hinder our service. We are also to be spiritually healthy.

Three secrets to keep healthy

1. Looking to Jesus (v2) – Let there be no wasted years, months or weeks in our lives.
   
2. Joy of the LORD (v2) – Jesus suffered scorning, suffering and even death. But for the joy set before Him, he endured it all. We need to keep the joy of the LORD in us. We influence others. If we have no joy in us, the joylessness will be passed on and that is not a fruit of the spirit.
   
3. Think about Jesus (v2) – Do we think no one has gone through our situation and our problems? Jesus has gone through all.
   

Raising Two Generation Leaders

As leaders, we must always remember to raise leaders. Not just the next generation leaders to take over from us but also the 2^nd generation to take over the next generation who takes over from us. We must think long term. We are thinking ahead of 40 to 50 years of the ministry. While we build up leaders / pastors of 30 to 40, we need to also think about those in the 20s.

Leadership Challenge Facing the Church

Ethnic Polarization

People won't interact with those from other ethnic groups or cultural background. The church must increasingly reflect the multi-ethnic society. In Malaysia, we are hit with ethnic polarization. As people of God, we should not take part in this. We must love everybody and anybody. We must be the alternative voice in the world. We are the new race that will bring hope and healing to the world.

Economic Disparity

The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. Greater disparity may take place as prices of many things will go up. How the Church of Jesus Christ can bring justice to such situations? If we believe the church is the answer to the world, is our behaviour reflecting it?

Political Divisiveness

This will continue to challenge us. Politics are so clearly demarcated along ethnical lines. Races pulling apart to jealously guard their own interests while ignoring the rights of others, it is NOT the design of God. When we begin to believe and think like that, it's frightening what can happen to our country. We cannot sit back and do nothing. We must raise our concerns. We must pray for God to give us wisdom. We must pray for God to raise up Daniels.

Relevance to Society

Are we a church whereby we have no connection to the society (city and nation)? Does the society see the church as salt and light? Is it relevant to the society? The place that needs the church the most is not within the four walls of the church, it is outside. We need to reengineer our church so it can connect to the society and be relevant to them. Christian leaders in social organizations do not know how to carry themselves. We must learn to ease in and be there for the society.

There are common issues we face together in Malaysia, e.g. education, burial places, etc. We must come together to talk.

What is Needed for national transformation?

Need for Commitment to the nation (Acts 17:26)

Act 17:26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place

 

God has made us Malaysian not by accident. There is a reason why God put us here. Unless and until we are clear what God wants us to do, we should not move to another country. Otherwise it may not work for us. There are things that happened that become a concern for us. But as a people of God, we need to look to God and see with our spiritual eyes what God's plan is for us.

Engagement with the Community

We need to get involved in the lives of the community. We need to invest. If we don't sow we don't reap. DUMC rented the 1^st floor of the Klang Bus Station to do street ministry. The church must get out to serve and be a blessing. It can be the business world, the political scene, the media, etc. We go and win for Jesus Christ.

Church-planting

The best way to evangelize a country is to plant churches. Let these churches be the light in the countries.

Faith to Believe God for Influence & Impact

Believe that God can use us to make a difference in our land. The church is the media to bring healing and restoration.

Revitalization of God's People & Revival of the Church

Isa 64:1,4-5 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence …
(4) From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. (5) You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?