Tag Jesus Christ

This day, choose Christ

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My friends, Jesus came to draw us into a RELATIONSHIP and to destroy RELIGION which cannot save us from the dark influence of sin. Only through CHRIST, do we have the power to overcome sin in our helplessness.

So how do we know we are in a religion called Christianity and not in a relationship with Christ?

One word- FEAR.

1 John 4:17-18
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

Are you living or practicing your Christianity out of fear or out of love? For ie. do you feel fearful or guilty when you do not pray / read the bible / evangelise / attend your church service / tithe?

I’m not saying we should not have these practices in our walk with God. But the question is “why do we do what we do?”. We are saved by grace to do good works. We do not do good works to receive grace to be saved.

The good works that we do ought to flow from the grace of God in our lives. And that produces faith and TRUE obedience that has power and not just the form.

How do you and I keep our relationship with God strong? 

Seek to know the truth (through the bible) as it reveals the character, thoughts and plans of God. With the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of the saints, He puts the truth into an encounter to experience His tangible love and know His GRACE. This takes place from glory to glory.

As you grow deeper in His love, what you do won’t be determined (or coerced) by rules or law as you understand the principle and flow with His spirit. What you do will be driven or compelled by His love for you.

Religion is cold. It’s about following rules and presents a false sense of salvation and righteousness. What you do (including the good works or church work) is driven by fear. There is no life in religion but death. More importantly, you won’t find LOVE in religion. And certainly, you won’t experience GRACE in religion.

This day, choose CHRIST. Experience His love and know His grace for you.

Galatians 2:19-21
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!

Consecration in the New Covenant

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Biblical understanding of “Consecration” from Ezekiel 43:18-27…

Prayer

Old Covenant

There can be NO consecration without sacrifice. In the Old Covenant, blood was required to be shed in order for someone or something to be consecrated to be used by God.

A sacrifice is always REQUIRED to be consecrated- cleansed and fit for use as an instrument for God. And now in the New Testament, the good news is Jesus Christ is that sacrifice. He is the Lamb and His blood alone cleanses and consecrates you and I as His people.

But even in modern day Christianity, when we hear or speak of consecration we think the sacrifice is about us… “I must do more”…. “I must give more”…. “I must serve more”. This is not the truth.

Consecration is NOT about you and I doing good works. It is also NOT based on our performance. And trying to be worthy or to achieve spirituality. Consecration is not trying to be perfect cos we are not.

New Covenant

Consecration is about Jesus and Him as a sacrifice that makes us perfect and He alone qualifies us to be worthy to be used. You and I only need to believe wholeheartedly and be willing to follow Him unreservedly.

Today as a New Covenant follower, you ARE worthy and you ARE spiritual IN CHRIST even if you do not do any good works. It is entirely based on Jesus and His righteousness in you. It is He through the power of the Holy Spirit that will work in you to bear His fruits resulting in good works.

So when we speak about consecration, it is a life of rejoicing and living out of gratefulness of God’s grace of His sacrificial gift in Christ. Now, we do good works because we WANT TO, and not because we have to… c.f. 1 Peter 2:9-10

Living a consecrated life

Finally, consecration is about the BEING, not the doing. It is not to do more for Him and to be successful (defined by the world) for Him. It is simply to know Him and make Him be known with your life.

You and I need to always remain focus on following (study His life and teachings) and becoming like Jesus (living out His life in us).

Being at a Place of Rest

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This morning I was at an “all churches in Singapore” gathering to worship our Father as one. I left the place moved and changed! There had been 2-3 testimonies, but I will just share one encounter…

Most of you might know I became one year older recently. I had my usual chat with God just reflecting and thanking Him for the journey this far. And at where I am today with God, I have arrived to a position and place of REST.

That REST is that of being secured of His love for me; that He will never forsake me or fail me. After all the trials and past experiences with Him, I am confident of His everlasting and unconditional love.

That REST is also founded on His grace; that I’m saved and fully accepted in Christ. There’s nothing more or less that I could do which would affect my position in Him. That’s the truth. It’s the cross and His precious blood.

So I was pleasant surprised but encouraged when a brother gave me a prophetic word of encouragement. Nothing bombastic but simply these words: “God takes great pleasure in you. He is pleased with you.”

Wow… Those words were like God Himself talking to me and finishing off the conversation or chat I had with Him 2-3 days ago! Simply amazing!

I hope my less-than-spectacular testimony would encourage you to find your place of REST in Christ; to know how much He truly loves you and the richness of His grace lavished on you.

If you have found that place, guard it tightly. Don’t allow the enemy to deceive you out of it no matter what. Amen.

Awesome 30 + Five!

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ImageNo, I’m not celebrating my 68th birthday. The numbers represent by birth date! Haha…

I’m now 30 + FIVE years old. And I feel awesome crossing my 35th year on planet earth as a child of God. Why?

These are the reasons…

Fruitful
Grateful for all the relationships that God has place in my life especially the new friends I have made in Vietnam.

In particular, I’m blessed by those whom I consider my spiritual family. These bunch of fabulous people in Vietnam have so much potential in Christ.

I only pray that they know and experience the love of Christ more and more with each new day! I love them with the love of Christ.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” ~ Galatians 6:9-10

Interesting
Since being saved by Christ, my life has been exceptionally interesting. From a life lived aimlessly, and to one that is now lived purposefully!

For certain, I never for once thought that I would be working in Vietnam. Let alone imagine that it would be possible. Moreover with my wife in tow!

However, God is always full of awesome surprises and promises for His children. And I’m grateful that I now not only have a destiny, but also have the ability to live out that destiny in God.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” ~ Ephesians 3:20

Victorious
It is God who has given me the victories in overcoming all the obstacles and challenges in my life to be where I am today! I’m grateful that He is with me in all my valleys and mountain-tops experiences; from a delinquent who others say got no hope to a person who can now inspire others with hope.

Although it can be said that we can also be overcomers without God, but we would not be able to truly emerge stronger or fully realized our potential towards our true destiny without God.

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” ~ Romans 8:37

Exciting
I’m excited about the next couple of years that God is leading me towards! Actually I’m more of a laidback and not so ambitious kind of person. But it is Jesus in me that motivates me to do great things for Him by instilling a fiery passion to live for others.

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:19

Lately, He gave me a new faith goal. And that is to be a business owner. Seriously, I do not know how this will happen. But I will just obey and follow since He has already taken me this far.

I’m confident in His grace that is able to stretch me further in becoming a greater positive impact to as many people as possible!

Loving one another as Christ commands

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“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.

For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

~ 1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)

I’ve learnt over the years as a Christ-follower that God’s love is redemptive in nature. He never tears down or condemns even if we’re wrong. This revelation is from my own fair share of personal failings toward others and experiencing His grace.

When we are wrong or even sometimes not, He chides and disciplines as He loves us. However, His ways are always with the intent to draw us closer to Him, never to chase us away from His presence. 

Hence, the approach may seem harsh or cold from our perspective, but the intent is redemptive, not judgmental or condemning. And I guess that is where we as the Church are confused. How do we love?

It is clear that appropriating His love in our lives or situations is never easy since we are still more flesh and His love is not easily comprehended unless encountered from glory to greater glory. However, loving each other remains the key command and action we need to uphold regardless of any situation. 

Apart from the above scripture, the apostle John also penned the new command from Jesus in the gospel of John in 13:34-35- Love one another so that everyone will know that you’re my disciples. From this, we can conclude that it is not theology or doctrines or righteousness that will lead people to recognize Christ and the Church. It is firstly His love. 

Although the truth- theology, doctrines and righteousness are also building blocks to our faith, but they need to be built upon LOVE and expressed from LOVE. For example, righteousness without love becomes self-righteousness. 

So brothers and sisters, let’s obey the call like never before in this end of days where the world is looking to the Church for answers and solutions to an evil and corrupt world. 

Let’s arise and demonstrate true love that is OF the Father, not for the Father. Loving the GOD of the word over the word of God. Our world needs to know WHO we know rather than what we know. And this begins with us, the Church. Amen.

The Divide Between the Church and the Marketplace

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In my humble opinion, I think many churches in this present age function with a dualism that divides life and ministry into sacred and secular compartments.

Because of this, many of us followers of Christ unknowingly or knowingly grow up adopting a “only work in church and church-related ministries are spiritual” attitude.

This also forms a perception that   church-related ministries  or activities are of greater interest or importance to God when compared to secular activities.

The great divide

If we seriously take a quick glance across churches, we will find that majority are spending most of their time and money in equipping members to do church ministries.

Not that there’s anything wrong in doing so, but I think we have sincerely overlooked the fact that most of us followers of Christ are actually spending most of our time outside the church.

But the real pressing need is for us believers to be equipped for the marketplace.

Jesus in the marketplace

Re-visiting and studying  the life of Jesus Christ and His ministry while He was on earth should help us understand the essence of Christianity.

When we follow Jesus, we have a higher chance of  living out the faith out and walking in His will as originally designed for our relationship with God.

Statistics show that out of 132 public appearances made by Jesus, 122 of them were in the marketplace. Out of the 52 parables He had told, 45 had a marketplace context. Out of the 33-plus years He lived, most of His adult life was a carpenter.

He demonstrated for us a living faith that bridged the so-called spiritual and secular seamlessly.

Christians in the marketplace

I think it is clear that it is not enough to equip the clergy for the church. We need to equip all of God’s people for all of life. We need to equip Christians for the marketplace.

In this context, marketplace refers to anywhere outside the four walls of the church. And that’s the place where our faith needs to be lived out as everyday, that’s where we need to cope with the opportunies and temptations in our workplace and in our home.

Hence, if we are spending most of our time living only in the so-called spiritual world, what earthly use will we have to His cause?

Our work in the office or at home is as much God’s work as evangelism and praying for the sick.

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

1 Corinthians 10:31

If we desire to see the universal Church fully embracing and living out God’s original mandate for humankind to manage His creation, then churches need to teach, model, pray and provide relational support towards a balanced theology towards of life and work.

Every Blessing is Found in the Person of Jesus

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Wow! This is mind-blowing stuff! You got to watch this message of hope.

Listen to Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church as he sheds some light with biblical insights that will indefinitely change the way you relate with Jesus.

*Click over the image (below) to view clip

Do watch the other parts of this clip if you can. Be blessed =)