Our Bible reading has moved into the Book of Colossians. The church at Colosse was started by Epaphras who received Christ through Paul (Ac 19:10; Col 1:7-8). We see the work of Paul being multiplied through this faithful servant of God. Also as a result of Epaphras and other converts of Paul, Christian churches were also established in nearby places like Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col 4:15; Phm 21). Pastor Tay in his message two Sundays ago also mentioned the faithfulness of our late Bro Seet Poon Soo in bringing him and his siblings to church when they were younger. The labour of love shown and seeds sown have definitely yielded fruit; a thriving church in Chai Chee ministering to the community around. We should therefore not underestimate the impact that we can make to the life of one soul when fully given unto the Lord.
The Colossian church was plagued with heresies. Paul attempted to address the four-fold heresy through proclaiming the supremacy and suffering of Christ (Col 1:15-22). The four-fold heresy are:
1) Humanistic Philosophy (2:1-10): false worldly, religious teachings.
2) Ritualism (2:11-17): strict rules abt kinds of permissible food and drink, religious festivals & circumcision.
3) Mysticism (2:18-19): secret knowledge of spiritual things - gnostics.
4) Asceticism (2:20-23): self-imposed harsh treatment of body.
Paul began his letter by detailing the sufficiency of Christ:
a) In creation (1:15-18)
b) In redemption (1:19-23)
c) In the church (1:24-29)
Christians are to submit to Christ (Ch 3-4)
a) Set our hearts and minds on things above (3:1-4)
b) Put off the old self and put on the new self (3:5-17)
c) Complete and submissive relationships (3:18-4:6)
d) Final greetings (4:7-18)
In our day and age, there're so many humanistic philosophies propagating through the printed and online media. If we are not careful, we can get caught and be ensared by lies and deceits. Hence, it is vital for us to read the Word and pray in the spirit to build up our most holy faith. We have to put on the whole armour of God inorder for us to counteract the schemes of the devil, enabling us to stand in the evil days (Eph 6:10-18).
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Greatly Blessed, Deeply Loved and Highly Favoured
The above was the theme of our recently concluded church camp at Holiday Villa, Subang M'sia. We were blessed to have Rev Raymond Mooi to teach us God's Word over the 4 days of camp. In addition, he shared with us faith-building stories that lifted up our spirits; that we should continue to lean and trust God even during times when things don't seem to go right. God is never too late in delivering what He has promised, He's always on time. We, on the other hand, are often too impatient to wait on God, resulting in problems which we cannot extricate. Abraham, at the urging of Sarah, brought forth Ishmael, which was not the one whom God had promised Abraham (Gen 16). Likewise, King Saul because of his impatience offered sacrifices which he shouldn't have as he was not a priest (1 Sam 13).
During camp, I shared a morning devotion on the Favour of God. We all like to be shown favour - assistance, goodwill, preferential treatment, promotion - and especially God's favour because it opens up to the favour of men. There are five characteristics of God's favour or grace, which I would like to share in brief over here:
Grow: reading Luke 2:52, we see that favour can increase in one's life, just as we can grow physically (stature), intellectually (wisdom) and socially (favour with men). In each of these, effort is required; so to grow spiritually and experience God's favour we have to put in effort to follow and obey God. In camp, we were encouraged to truly worship God in spirit and in truth, as that is one of the ways God's presence/favour can be seen and felt in our lives.
Righteous: reading Ps 5:12, the righteous man is blessed with favour as a shield. In the OT, righteousness has to do with the keeping of the Law and being blameless before God. That was indeed a hard act to follow. But praise God, those of us who put our faith in Christ, we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor 5:21). Shield speaks of protection. Know then, whether as an individual or as a church, God has been protecting us with His favour.
Assistance: reading Gen 39:21-22, Joseph experienced the favour of the jailer because God was with him. The favour of God prevented Joseph from being killed by his brothers; God's favour also elevated him in prison and later in the palace. I want you to note that God's favour will shine through for us despite the difficulties in life we may face from time to time.
Current: reading Luke 4:19, we see that we are living under the grace/favour of God. Jesus did not continue reading from the book of Isaiah regarding the vengence of God. There'll come a day when we would not experience God's grace anymore, only His wrath. So we are encouraged to seek the Lord while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near (Is 55:6).
Entreat: reading 2 Kg 13:4; Ps 119:58, we can entreat God's favour over our lives daily. Though King Jehoahaz did not follow God fully, when he sought the Lord's favour, God answered him. What more about us who are His righteous children through the blood of the Lamb! If you have not done so, learn how to declare God's favour over your lives daily. A good verse to pray through is Luke 2:52; that God would cause you to grow in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and men.
During camp, I shared a morning devotion on the Favour of God. We all like to be shown favour - assistance, goodwill, preferential treatment, promotion - and especially God's favour because it opens up to the favour of men. There are five characteristics of God's favour or grace, which I would like to share in brief over here:
Grow: reading Luke 2:52, we see that favour can increase in one's life, just as we can grow physically (stature), intellectually (wisdom) and socially (favour with men). In each of these, effort is required; so to grow spiritually and experience God's favour we have to put in effort to follow and obey God. In camp, we were encouraged to truly worship God in spirit and in truth, as that is one of the ways God's presence/favour can be seen and felt in our lives.
Righteous: reading Ps 5:12, the righteous man is blessed with favour as a shield. In the OT, righteousness has to do with the keeping of the Law and being blameless before God. That was indeed a hard act to follow. But praise God, those of us who put our faith in Christ, we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! (2 Cor 5:21). Shield speaks of protection. Know then, whether as an individual or as a church, God has been protecting us with His favour.
Assistance: reading Gen 39:21-22, Joseph experienced the favour of the jailer because God was with him. The favour of God prevented Joseph from being killed by his brothers; God's favour also elevated him in prison and later in the palace. I want you to note that God's favour will shine through for us despite the difficulties in life we may face from time to time.
Current: reading Luke 4:19, we see that we are living under the grace/favour of God. Jesus did not continue reading from the book of Isaiah regarding the vengence of God. There'll come a day when we would not experience God's grace anymore, only His wrath. So we are encouraged to seek the Lord while He may be found and to call upon Him while He is near (Is 55:6).
Entreat: reading 2 Kg 13:4; Ps 119:58, we can entreat God's favour over our lives daily. Though King Jehoahaz did not follow God fully, when he sought the Lord's favour, God answered him. What more about us who are His righteous children through the blood of the Lamb! If you have not done so, learn how to declare God's favour over your lives daily. A good verse to pray through is Luke 2:52; that God would cause you to grow in wisdom, stature and in favour with God and men.
Friday, June 18, 2010
GROW in the Lord
Spoke at the baptism service of our church last Saturday where 11 candidates were baptised. Here is the gist of what was delivered:
"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Col 2:6-7 (NLT)
I would like to share 4 ways (there are more of course) in which we can grow in our faith and walk with God, eventually becoming a mighty man or woman of God. To help you in your memory, I shall use the acronym, GROW.
Grace and knowledge of God (2 Pet 3:18); grace has to do with cultivating the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22) in which God wants us to grow into Christ-likeness. Knowledge here has to do with knowing God personally and not knowing about Him. This is accomplished through reading/listening to God's Word and praying to Him. As we get to know God and His expectations of us, we would be transformed to become more and more like Him.
Relationships - we grow in the company of the godly; that's where fellowship with God's people is vital. Where there're hurts and ill-feeling towards others, it has to be replaced with forgiveness and reconciliation. Where a wrong has been done to other people, we have to seek forgiveness and provide restitution, if necessary. As we relate to people, we grow to become like God in displaying unconditional love to one another.
Obedience - King Saul through disobedience forfeited the throne. David through obedience was know as a man after God's heart. Both men committed grievous sins before the Lord but what distinguishes David from Saul was his response to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Likewise, to grow in our faith, we need to learn obedience, just as Christ did at the cross (Heb 5:7-8). We'll fail many times in the tests of obedience, however, God expects us to repent and seek Him again.
Witness - we witness by our words and works. Words - telling others that we are Christians, how God has saved and transformed us. It may also mean a change of vocabulary where once 4-letter words were the norm. It may also mean an end to being part of a gossip chain or spouting lies and half-truths. Works - no longer participating in what is not acceptable eg. patronising pub, gambling den, visiting questionable websites, etc. It may also mean leaving a place of employment that promotes nicotine for instance. It may also mean parting company with people who would influence us in a negative way.
The ultimate goal of a Christian is to grow to become like Jesus Christ, reflecting God's glory on earth as it is found in heaven. Christians mean "little Christs". May we all increasingly reflect God's glory!
"And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Col 2:6-7 (NLT)
I would like to share 4 ways (there are more of course) in which we can grow in our faith and walk with God, eventually becoming a mighty man or woman of God. To help you in your memory, I shall use the acronym, GROW.
Grace and knowledge of God (2 Pet 3:18); grace has to do with cultivating the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Gal 5:22) in which God wants us to grow into Christ-likeness. Knowledge here has to do with knowing God personally and not knowing about Him. This is accomplished through reading/listening to God's Word and praying to Him. As we get to know God and His expectations of us, we would be transformed to become more and more like Him.
Relationships - we grow in the company of the godly; that's where fellowship with God's people is vital. Where there're hurts and ill-feeling towards others, it has to be replaced with forgiveness and reconciliation. Where a wrong has been done to other people, we have to seek forgiveness and provide restitution, if necessary. As we relate to people, we grow to become like God in displaying unconditional love to one another.
Witness - we witness by our words and works. Words - telling others that we are Christians, how God has saved and transformed us. It may also mean a change of vocabulary where once 4-letter words were the norm. It may also mean an end to being part of a gossip chain or spouting lies and half-truths. Works - no longer participating in what is not acceptable eg. patronising pub, gambling den, visiting questionable websites, etc. It may also mean leaving a place of employment that promotes nicotine for instance. It may also mean parting company with people who would influence us in a negative way.
The ultimate goal of a Christian is to grow to become like Jesus Christ, reflecting God's glory on earth as it is found in heaven. Christians mean "little Christs". May we all increasingly reflect God's glory!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Fears
Continuing with our Bible reading of the Book of Acts (Acs 21), we see the prophet Agabus giving Paul a personal prophecy - that he would be bound and handed over to the Gentiles in Jerusalem (Ac 21:10-11). What an unencouraging word! It definitely puts fear in the hearts of Paul's travelling companions and the people who were at Philip's house. They begged him not to go up to Jerusalem (v 12).
What would you do if you receive such a word? For one, we would certainly test the spirit of prophecy. If he/she is a fly by night prophet, we can certainly dismiss the word as coming from the flesh. But Agabus was a well-recognised prophet in those days having prophesied concerning a world-wide famine which came to pass (Acs 11:28). The fact of the matter is that God certainly knows the end from the beginning where our personal pilgrimage in life is concerned (Is 46:9-10). It is His prerogative to reveal certain aspects of our future if He wants to, by way of encouragement or warning.
In the case of the apostle Paul, God had already pre-warned him regarding how much he should suffer for Christ's sake (Acs 9:15-16). So, the word of the prophet Agabus did not take him by surprise as seen in his response, which was in contrast to the people around him. He accepted the word given saying that he was prepared to die in Jerusalem for the Lord's sake (v 13). In the book of Revelation, it tells us that this kind of response is one of the victories that overcome the devil (Rev 12:11); the other two being the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
The devil uses death as a weapon to put people under the bondage of fear (Heb 2:14-15). But praise God, Christ has rendered the devil powerless through His resurrection from the dead. We no longer need to fear death because it has been defeated by the life that God gives to Christ and to those who would believe in Him. Indeed, Christ is the first fruits of those who are dead (1 Cor 15:20). Jesus said to His disciples, "Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Mt 10:28 NASB).
Beyond the fear of death, there are many other fears that plague us in life. It could be the fear of animals, insects, people, unknown circumstances etc. "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord would be exalted." (Pr 29:25 NASB). This means that we can be paralysed by a phobia (in this case to man) that prevents us from being effective in doing things for the Lord. If Paul had listened to the people telling him not to go to Jerusalem, he would not have accomplished what was written of him; to be a witness to kings and those in authority like Festus and Agrippa.
Yesterday, I went to watch Karate Kid with my family. It was a very good show starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. One of the lessons imparted was overcoming our own fears - this was seen in Dre Parker (Jaden) who despite the injuries sustained wanted to carry on fighting in the competition, because if he does not face his own fears head on, he would still be afraid when he leaves. We challenged one of our daughters, who is afraid of the dark, to overcome this fear by trusting in God to watch over her. The movie also illustrated the power of mutual encouragement to enable one to rise from despair to victory.
Finally, the theme verse for our church as we have been reminded at last Sunday's service is about our all-encompassing God:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Is 41:10 NIV)
What would you do if you receive such a word? For one, we would certainly test the spirit of prophecy. If he/she is a fly by night prophet, we can certainly dismiss the word as coming from the flesh. But Agabus was a well-recognised prophet in those days having prophesied concerning a world-wide famine which came to pass (Acs 11:28). The fact of the matter is that God certainly knows the end from the beginning where our personal pilgrimage in life is concerned (Is 46:9-10). It is His prerogative to reveal certain aspects of our future if He wants to, by way of encouragement or warning.
In the case of the apostle Paul, God had already pre-warned him regarding how much he should suffer for Christ's sake (Acs 9:15-16). So, the word of the prophet Agabus did not take him by surprise as seen in his response, which was in contrast to the people around him. He accepted the word given saying that he was prepared to die in Jerusalem for the Lord's sake (v 13). In the book of Revelation, it tells us that this kind of response is one of the victories that overcome the devil (Rev 12:11); the other two being the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
The devil uses death as a weapon to put people under the bondage of fear (Heb 2:14-15). But praise God, Christ has rendered the devil powerless through His resurrection from the dead. We no longer need to fear death because it has been defeated by the life that God gives to Christ and to those who would believe in Him. Indeed, Christ is the first fruits of those who are dead (1 Cor 15:20). Jesus said to His disciples, "Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Mt 10:28 NASB).
Beyond the fear of death, there are many other fears that plague us in life. It could be the fear of animals, insects, people, unknown circumstances etc. "The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord would be exalted." (Pr 29:25 NASB). This means that we can be paralysed by a phobia (in this case to man) that prevents us from being effective in doing things for the Lord. If Paul had listened to the people telling him not to go to Jerusalem, he would not have accomplished what was written of him; to be a witness to kings and those in authority like Festus and Agrippa.
Yesterday, I went to watch Karate Kid with my family. It was a very good show starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. One of the lessons imparted was overcoming our own fears - this was seen in Dre Parker (Jaden) who despite the injuries sustained wanted to carry on fighting in the competition, because if he does not face his own fears head on, he would still be afraid when he leaves. We challenged one of our daughters, who is afraid of the dark, to overcome this fear by trusting in God to watch over her. The movie also illustrated the power of mutual encouragement to enable one to rise from despair to victory.
Finally, the theme verse for our church as we have been reminded at last Sunday's service is about our all-encompassing God:
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Is 41:10 NIV)
Friday, June 11, 2010
Change
I've changed my blog-skin; experimented with a few designs before settling for the current one. Hope it would be much easier to navigate.
The say that the only constant in life is change. Change is inevitable; something each one of us has to contend with in life. We all experience changes in the following areas at one point in our life:
1) Station in life: from singlehood to being married, with possible entry of children into one's life. As believers in the Christ, separation and divorce should not be an option. One could also possibly be happily unmarried and experience changes in other areas.
2) Employment status: from being a student to a working adult contributing to the economy; in working life, we could change employment a number of times or move within/across departments or up and down the organisational hierarchy.
3) Place of residence: again moving house can happen a number of times in a person's life or bolder still, moving to another country of residence. The place where we worship God can also be changed due to one reason or another.
4) Spiritual state: from a carnal and pagan mindset to embracing the Christian faith. When the Spirit of God works within our lives, the changes wrought in us can be accelerated. As the Scriptures say, "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor 5:17 (KJV)
5) Relationships: death brings about a permanent separation where relationships are concerned; it's indeed a major change where we have to learn how to cope with. On a less intense but equally heart-breaking level is the severance of relationships through break-up, separation or divorce.
Finally, we all age and grow old. The inevitable change that results from aging will show forth in our vision (presbyopia for those above 40) and slowness in motion (not so agile). However, we don't have to succumb to sickness and disease, if we take care of our own health by exercising and watching what we eat. We believe in a God who heals but often times He chooses not to. Even if we are not healed physically on this side of heaven, we know that Christ has already purchased redemption for us fully at Calvary's cross. Our physical bodies would be fully redeemed at the resurrection when we would be given glorified bodies. Though our outward man is decaying, our spirit man can be renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16) through cultivating the disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation and worship. As we do so, we grow strong in the spirit to enable us to do great exploits for God even in our old age, like Caleb. That's the change God would like to see in us taking place day by day.
The say that the only constant in life is change. Change is inevitable; something each one of us has to contend with in life. We all experience changes in the following areas at one point in our life:
1) Station in life: from singlehood to being married, with possible entry of children into one's life. As believers in the Christ, separation and divorce should not be an option. One could also possibly be happily unmarried and experience changes in other areas.
2) Employment status: from being a student to a working adult contributing to the economy; in working life, we could change employment a number of times or move within/across departments or up and down the organisational hierarchy.
3) Place of residence: again moving house can happen a number of times in a person's life or bolder still, moving to another country of residence. The place where we worship God can also be changed due to one reason or another.
4) Spiritual state: from a carnal and pagan mindset to embracing the Christian faith. When the Spirit of God works within our lives, the changes wrought in us can be accelerated. As the Scriptures say, "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor 5:17 (KJV)
5) Relationships: death brings about a permanent separation where relationships are concerned; it's indeed a major change where we have to learn how to cope with. On a less intense but equally heart-breaking level is the severance of relationships through break-up, separation or divorce.
Finally, we all age and grow old. The inevitable change that results from aging will show forth in our vision (presbyopia for those above 40) and slowness in motion (not so agile). However, we don't have to succumb to sickness and disease, if we take care of our own health by exercising and watching what we eat. We believe in a God who heals but often times He chooses not to. Even if we are not healed physically on this side of heaven, we know that Christ has already purchased redemption for us fully at Calvary's cross. Our physical bodies would be fully redeemed at the resurrection when we would be given glorified bodies. Though our outward man is decaying, our spirit man can be renewed day by day (2 Cor 4:16) through cultivating the disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, fasting, meditation and worship. As we do so, we grow strong in the spirit to enable us to do great exploits for God even in our old age, like Caleb. That's the change God would like to see in us taking place day by day.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
History Belongs to the Intercessors
The above statement is attributed to Walter Wink. When we look back in time and history, we can see that prayers played an instrumental role in changing the course of human history. God acts on behalf of His people who prayed. In the days of Esther the queen (about 480 BC), the call to prayer fasting resulted in the deliverance of Israel from total annihilation. During the birth of Christ, King Herod ordered the slaying of babies two years and below. God preserved the Christ child because there were people praying for the consolation of Israel to be fulfilled, one of whom was Anna the prophetess, who stayed day and night in the temple, worshipping God by praying and often fasting (Luke 2:36-37).
In the 20th century, the course of human history was changed when Israel was reconstituted in 1948 and the German iron curtain fell in July 1990. No doubt, the people of God had been praying for these events to take place. In the words of Paul Billheimer, "The church holds the balance of power in world affairs ... Even now, in this present throbbing moment, by means of her prayer power and the extent to which she uses it, the praying church is actually deciding the course of human events." Each one of us as a child of the living God, holds within ourselves the power of the Holy Spirit to effect transformation in the natural realm through prayers (Eph 3:20).
The history of our church Bethesda Cathedral is also a testament of the goodness of God displayed through prevailing prayers. In the early days, there were many things that militate against the existence of BC. From lack of resources to nay sayers and attacks from a worshipper of Satan, we have weathered the terrible storms that came our way. But praise God, BC has been built to the glory of God! And history will attest to the many lives that have been touched by the wonderful hand of God as a result of our move to Chai Chee.
You and I can be history makers in our own way. This can be accomplished through our prayers. The only way we can see the fulfillment of all the prophecies spoken over our church is through prevailing prayer. One of the early visions of our church was to have a prayer centre operating 24 hours; this is to be situated just underneath the steeple. Intercessors and prayer warriors can congregate there to pray and seek God's face. There would also be a hotline for people to phone in with their requests, which would be lifted up to God's throne room of grace. When a sister in our church told me of her desire to start an upper room ministry, I encouraged her to move in that direction. Indeed, when the watchmen and watchwomen of Bethesda Cathedral arise, things will begin to happen in the spiritual realm that would change the course of our church history, for the glory of His name.
May the will of God be done in Bethesda Cathedral as it is in heaven!
In the 20th century, the course of human history was changed when Israel was reconstituted in 1948 and the German iron curtain fell in July 1990. No doubt, the people of God had been praying for these events to take place. In the words of Paul Billheimer, "The church holds the balance of power in world affairs ... Even now, in this present throbbing moment, by means of her prayer power and the extent to which she uses it, the praying church is actually deciding the course of human events." Each one of us as a child of the living God, holds within ourselves the power of the Holy Spirit to effect transformation in the natural realm through prayers (Eph 3:20).
The history of our church Bethesda Cathedral is also a testament of the goodness of God displayed through prevailing prayers. In the early days, there were many things that militate against the existence of BC. From lack of resources to nay sayers and attacks from a worshipper of Satan, we have weathered the terrible storms that came our way. But praise God, BC has been built to the glory of God! And history will attest to the many lives that have been touched by the wonderful hand of God as a result of our move to Chai Chee.
You and I can be history makers in our own way. This can be accomplished through our prayers. The only way we can see the fulfillment of all the prophecies spoken over our church is through prevailing prayer. One of the early visions of our church was to have a prayer centre operating 24 hours; this is to be situated just underneath the steeple. Intercessors and prayer warriors can congregate there to pray and seek God's face. There would also be a hotline for people to phone in with their requests, which would be lifted up to God's throne room of grace. When a sister in our church told me of her desire to start an upper room ministry, I encouraged her to move in that direction. Indeed, when the watchmen and watchwomen of Bethesda Cathedral arise, things will begin to happen in the spiritual realm that would change the course of our church history, for the glory of His name.
May the will of God be done in Bethesda Cathedral as it is in heaven!
Monday, June 7, 2010
The Prophetic Ministry
Reading the book of Acts, one cannot help but notice prophets coming into the scene at certain times to bring a word in season. For example, the prophet Agabus prophesied in Antioch concering a world-wide famine which resulted in relief work being done in Judea (Ac 11:27-30). Later in the same place, the Holy Spirit spoke (presumbly through a prophet) concerning Barnabas and Saul; to set them aside for the work which He has called them to do (Ac 13:1-3). This, of course, resulted in the first missionary journey of Saul who became known as Paul.
Forward to our day and age, we still have prophets in our midst proclaiming God's mind to us. We thank God for restoring the prophetic office in the late 1980s during a conference held in a large Vineyard church in Denver, where more than 3000 pastors and leaders from all over the world watched and listened as (the late) John Wimber showcased the prophets. They are placed in the body of Christ to bring encouragement, exhortation and comfort to the people of God (1 Cor 14:3). God knows that we can be down and out as a result of the devil coming to steal, kill and destroy our zeal and joy for the Master. Hence, the work and ministry of the prophets.
Among the gifts, prophecy is to be most desired (1Cor 14:1). Prophets prophesy in part and know in part (1 Cor 13:13), which means that the revelation may not be complete. The Bible tells us that we can all prohesy (1 Cor 14:31) but we have to recognise that there degrees of prophetic gifting in each person:
I. Simple prophetic: believers speaking something God has brought to mind; usually within the scope of encouragement, comfort and exhortation (1Cor 14:3), and doesn’t include correction, new direction or predictive elements.
II. Prophetic gifting: believers receiving impressions, dreams, visions or other types of revelation. These are usually symbolic, being in the form of parables and riddles. This group receives more regular prophetic information than those operating under simple prophetic, yet lacks clarity in understanding what they receive.
III. Prophetic ministry: believers whose gifting has been recognized, nurtured and commissioned for regular ministry in the local church, There is still a strong symbolic element in what they receive, but through the process of team ministry, it is possible to discern much of the interpretation and application of their revelation.
IV. Prophetic office: believers who minister in signs and wonders and are known to speak very accurately the words of God. This doesn’t mean they are infallible but their words are to be taken seriously. Their credibility is established by their proven track record of accurate prophecies. Have supernatural giftedness, godly character and matured wisdom.
Over at our church recently where the Global Prophetic Summit was held, Bishop Bill Hamon came and spoke a word to our nation (at last Friday's evening session in particular). He is a prophet and the father of the modern day prophetic movement. The long and short of what was prophesied is that God is going to revive this land through the church coming together to seek His face. He is going to pour out the Joseph anointing upon the church so that she can be influential among those in positions of authority in our land. Just as Joseph influenced Pharoah in his day, so likewise, we can influence the government of our land in our day. This is a good word of encouragement for the church in Singapore. May God watch over His word to perform it in our day.
Now a final word concerning judging prophecy.
1. Does it edify, exhort and console? (1 Cor 14:3). The true purpose of prophecy is to build up, admonish and stir up, encourage and release from pain and discomfort, and enable people to know and understand the heartbeat of God for themselves. If the effect of prophecy is confusion, condemnation or discouragement, then the prophecy cannot be accepted, and in some cases, they need to be forcefully rejected, lest a curse take root. There is a negative aspect of prophecy that is right and proper in the economy of God. Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry (Jer 1:5-10) was to “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” It ends with the positives.
2. Test the spirit (1 Jn 4:1-3). We need to discern the spirit behind the prophecy before we discern the words. Prophecy communicates spirit-to-spirit, as well as speaking into our minds and our intellects. Prophecy must line up with Scripture and also the Spirit, because there is a spirit to prophecy. It must not be used to establish new doctrine or practices. Any word or ministry that exalts man at the expense of Jesus Christ must be considered unworthy. Usurping the will of others can occur very easily in connection with prophecy. This is where accountability needs to be put in place. An outside perspective is often needed where directional prophecies are concerned.
3. The fruit in the prophet’s life (Gal 5:22-26). Jesus said that we are to judge people by the fruits they produce and not the works they can perform (Mt 7:20-23). Being always precede doing in the area of Christian ministry.
Forward to our day and age, we still have prophets in our midst proclaiming God's mind to us. We thank God for restoring the prophetic office in the late 1980s during a conference held in a large Vineyard church in Denver, where more than 3000 pastors and leaders from all over the world watched and listened as (the late) John Wimber showcased the prophets. They are placed in the body of Christ to bring encouragement, exhortation and comfort to the people of God (1 Cor 14:3). God knows that we can be down and out as a result of the devil coming to steal, kill and destroy our zeal and joy for the Master. Hence, the work and ministry of the prophets.
Among the gifts, prophecy is to be most desired (1Cor 14:1). Prophets prophesy in part and know in part (1 Cor 13:13), which means that the revelation may not be complete. The Bible tells us that we can all prohesy (1 Cor 14:31) but we have to recognise that there degrees of prophetic gifting in each person:
I. Simple prophetic: believers speaking something God has brought to mind; usually within the scope of encouragement, comfort and exhortation (1Cor 14:3), and doesn’t include correction, new direction or predictive elements.
II. Prophetic gifting: believers receiving impressions, dreams, visions or other types of revelation. These are usually symbolic, being in the form of parables and riddles. This group receives more regular prophetic information than those operating under simple prophetic, yet lacks clarity in understanding what they receive.
III. Prophetic ministry: believers whose gifting has been recognized, nurtured and commissioned for regular ministry in the local church, There is still a strong symbolic element in what they receive, but through the process of team ministry, it is possible to discern much of the interpretation and application of their revelation.
IV. Prophetic office: believers who minister in signs and wonders and are known to speak very accurately the words of God. This doesn’t mean they are infallible but their words are to be taken seriously. Their credibility is established by their proven track record of accurate prophecies. Have supernatural giftedness, godly character and matured wisdom.
Over at our church recently where the Global Prophetic Summit was held, Bishop Bill Hamon came and spoke a word to our nation (at last Friday's evening session in particular). He is a prophet and the father of the modern day prophetic movement. The long and short of what was prophesied is that God is going to revive this land through the church coming together to seek His face. He is going to pour out the Joseph anointing upon the church so that she can be influential among those in positions of authority in our land. Just as Joseph influenced Pharoah in his day, so likewise, we can influence the government of our land in our day. This is a good word of encouragement for the church in Singapore. May God watch over His word to perform it in our day.
Now a final word concerning judging prophecy.
1. Does it edify, exhort and console? (1 Cor 14:3). The true purpose of prophecy is to build up, admonish and stir up, encourage and release from pain and discomfort, and enable people to know and understand the heartbeat of God for themselves. If the effect of prophecy is confusion, condemnation or discouragement, then the prophecy cannot be accepted, and in some cases, they need to be forcefully rejected, lest a curse take root. There is a negative aspect of prophecy that is right and proper in the economy of God. Jeremiah’s prophetic ministry (Jer 1:5-10) was to “pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.” It ends with the positives.
2. Test the spirit (1 Jn 4:1-3). We need to discern the spirit behind the prophecy before we discern the words. Prophecy communicates spirit-to-spirit, as well as speaking into our minds and our intellects. Prophecy must line up with Scripture and also the Spirit, because there is a spirit to prophecy. It must not be used to establish new doctrine or practices. Any word or ministry that exalts man at the expense of Jesus Christ must be considered unworthy. Usurping the will of others can occur very easily in connection with prophecy. This is where accountability needs to be put in place. An outside perspective is often needed where directional prophecies are concerned.
3. The fruit in the prophet’s life (Gal 5:22-26). Jesus said that we are to judge people by the fruits they produce and not the works they can perform (Mt 7:20-23). Being always precede doing in the area of Christian ministry.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The power of corporate prayer (Acts 12)
Acts 12 begins and ends with death; one a saint of God, James brother of John, and the other a cruel villain, Herod Agrippa I, whose grandfather ordered the killing of babies during the time of Jesus. In between the two deaths are the senseless deaths of the soldiers and a lovely story of God's intervention through the prayers of the house church held at Mary's place (v 12). Simon Peter (by the way Peter was his surname) was arrested by Herod to make a sport of him after Passover (v 4). When the church heard the news of his arrest they prayed for him. How did the church pray that led to the miraculous escape of Peter?
They prayed
Intensely: this means constant earnest prayers (v 5) were being made; this was not unlike what Elijah did when he prayed for no rain and rain on the land of Israel (James 5:17-18). Elijah prayed seven times before a small speck of rain cloud was seen in the horizon (1 Kg 18:44-45). Do we pray constantly and earnestly for the requests we desire from God?
Intently: the church was praying specifically for Peter, probably for his safety and release, so much so that when the answer to prayers came, they were not able to recognise it (v 13-15). It is good to be specific in our requests to the Lord, just like what Jesus asked the blind men what He could do for them (Mt 20:32-33). Have we been specific in our requests or are we beating around the bush?
Interactively: when the people who prayed for Peter saw him they were amazed (v 16). No doubt, they have been praying together in one accord just like the days prior to and after Pentecost (Ac 1:14; 4:24). God answered the disciples then with a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire, and later a great earth shaking confirmation (Ac 4:31). The Holy Spirit came and filled them, enabling them to speak in tongues and to declare God's word boldly. Of course, in Peter's case, we again see the manifestation of the supernatural through an angelic intervention. When we pray corporately, whether two or three or hundred, expect God to answer from heaven - that is the power of corporate prayer.
Jesus said, "If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (Mt 18:19 NASB).
There you have it - none other than our Lord confiming the power that lies in corporate praying. As such, I would urge you to join the church in our corporate prayer meeting on Wednesdays. Pray also with your friend, spouse, children, sibling, oikos member or anyone who can agree with you in prayer. This agreement is not merely intellectual assent but one that comes about through Spirit inspired travailing prayers. When two people come together to pray, being led and directed by the Spirit, they can accomplish much in the purposes of God. May you be likewise led by the Spirit to pray.
They prayed
Intensely: this means constant earnest prayers (v 5) were being made; this was not unlike what Elijah did when he prayed for no rain and rain on the land of Israel (James 5:17-18). Elijah prayed seven times before a small speck of rain cloud was seen in the horizon (1 Kg 18:44-45). Do we pray constantly and earnestly for the requests we desire from God?
Intently: the church was praying specifically for Peter, probably for his safety and release, so much so that when the answer to prayers came, they were not able to recognise it (v 13-15). It is good to be specific in our requests to the Lord, just like what Jesus asked the blind men what He could do for them (Mt 20:32-33). Have we been specific in our requests or are we beating around the bush?
Interactively: when the people who prayed for Peter saw him they were amazed (v 16). No doubt, they have been praying together in one accord just like the days prior to and after Pentecost (Ac 1:14; 4:24). God answered the disciples then with a mighty rushing wind and tongues of fire, and later a great earth shaking confirmation (Ac 4:31). The Holy Spirit came and filled them, enabling them to speak in tongues and to declare God's word boldly. Of course, in Peter's case, we again see the manifestation of the supernatural through an angelic intervention. When we pray corporately, whether two or three or hundred, expect God to answer from heaven - that is the power of corporate prayer.
Jesus said, "If two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (Mt 18:19 NASB).
There you have it - none other than our Lord confiming the power that lies in corporate praying. As such, I would urge you to join the church in our corporate prayer meeting on Wednesdays. Pray also with your friend, spouse, children, sibling, oikos member or anyone who can agree with you in prayer. This agreement is not merely intellectual assent but one that comes about through Spirit inspired travailing prayers. When two people come together to pray, being led and directed by the Spirit, they can accomplish much in the purposes of God. May you be likewise led by the Spirit to pray.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
