Hearts Aflame! began on 30 July at 2200 and lasted till 31 July, 0545. This was BC's first overnight prayer held in the Cathedral grounds with an initial gathering of about 160. It started off with praise and worship; moving on to prayers of thanksgiving, repentance and seeking of God's face. Each prayer segment was preceded by our very own ingenious self-made videos plus others that were produced elsewhere. I guess the intention was to capture our attention and to make it less monotonous. The entire session was interspersed with breaks in between, making it more easy to bear. Nonetheless, there were times when I almost dozed off into deep sleep, coming from a long day at work.
This reminds me of the words of Jesus when He chided His disciples for not being able to watch and pray (Mk 14:-40). Certainly the spirit of praying is there but the flesh is weak. When one is physically tired, the tendency is for our body to switch off (sleep) to recover. However, our Lord and Master showed us how despite the agony which was soon to follow, He could still spend time talking to the Father in travailing prayer (Mk 14:32), probably for about an hour.
Jesus prayed, "Abba Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt." (Mk 14:36). He committed His fears to God and ultimately submitted Himself to the Father's will. Jesus recognised the omnipotence of God to spare Him from the hour of agony, both physical and spiritual. Not only did He have to undergo the physical pain and humiliation but more importantly, the separation from God when the sins of the whole world was laid upon Him. God the Father did not spare His own Son but gave Him up freely for us all so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:32). Hallelujah, What a Saviour!
At the end of our prayer session, we still had about slightly less than a hundred prayer warriors in the Chapel. It will augur well for the church if the spirit of prayer and supplication continues because that's the only way to usher in the revival that we seek. God has certainly heard the prayers of His children as we cried out to Him for the fulfillment of all the prophecies He has given to BC.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Book of Revelation
Revelation means unveiling or revealing, and in this case the unveiling of Jesus Christ and the end of human history. History is linear (though there are cycles), moving towards a culmination of Christ's victory over the powers and establishment of darkness. Indeed, there's a special blessing pronounced on those who read and take heed to the words of this apocalyptic book (1:3).
John the apostle wrote this book around AD 95, while being exiled to the island of Patmos. As with the Gospel of John which he also wrote, where there were mentions of sevens ("signs" and "I ams"), likewise in Revelation the number seven features quite prominently. Seven represents perfection and completeness. The reason for the book was that John received a revelation from Jesus Christ, with a message each to the seven churches in Asia Minor. It was to encourage them in a time of persecution; challenging them not to be complacent nor to compromise with the things of the world.
During John's era, the believers were living under the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian who was an egomaniac, demanding worship from the people. Domitian wanted to succeed emperor Nero in his hatred and hostility towards God, by bringing persecution to God's people. No doubt there are people today who are still championing this cause. But praise be to God, we know how history would end. Those who are evil will continue in their evil ways, and those who are good will continue to be good (22:11). God will the ultimate judge of both the living and the dead.
Outline of Revelation
1. Vision of Jesus Christ (Ch 1)
2. The vision of the 7 churches (Ch 2-3)
3. The vision of the day of the Lord (Ch 4-22)
i. Three groups of judgments (Ch 6-18)
a. Seven seals
b. Seven trumpets
c. Seven bowls
ii. The marriage supper of the Lamb (19:1-10)
iii. The second coming of Jesus Christ (19:11-21)
iv.The millenium (20:1-10)
v. The Great White Throne judgment (20:11-15)
vi. The eternal state (21-22)
With God on our side, we're on the winning side. Good will ultimately triumph over evil. Hallelujah! For the Lord God the Almighty reigns! (19:6)
The book ends with a warning not to add or subtract from the prophecy of this book (22:18-19).
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
John the apostle wrote this book around AD 95, while being exiled to the island of Patmos. As with the Gospel of John which he also wrote, where there were mentions of sevens ("signs" and "I ams"), likewise in Revelation the number seven features quite prominently. Seven represents perfection and completeness. The reason for the book was that John received a revelation from Jesus Christ, with a message each to the seven churches in Asia Minor. It was to encourage them in a time of persecution; challenging them not to be complacent nor to compromise with the things of the world.
During John's era, the believers were living under the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian who was an egomaniac, demanding worship from the people. Domitian wanted to succeed emperor Nero in his hatred and hostility towards God, by bringing persecution to God's people. No doubt there are people today who are still championing this cause. But praise be to God, we know how history would end. Those who are evil will continue in their evil ways, and those who are good will continue to be good (22:11). God will the ultimate judge of both the living and the dead.
Outline of Revelation
1. Vision of Jesus Christ (Ch 1)
2. The vision of the 7 churches (Ch 2-3)
3. The vision of the day of the Lord (Ch 4-22)
i. Three groups of judgments (Ch 6-18)
a. Seven seals
b. Seven trumpets
c. Seven bowls
ii. The marriage supper of the Lamb (19:1-10)
iii. The second coming of Jesus Christ (19:11-21)
iv.The millenium (20:1-10)
v. The Great White Throne judgment (20:11-15)
vi. The eternal state (21-22)
With God on our side, we're on the winning side. Good will ultimately triumph over evil. Hallelujah! For the Lord God the Almighty reigns! (19:6)
The book ends with a warning not to add or subtract from the prophecy of this book (22:18-19).
Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Philemon
This was a letter written by Paul to a slave owner by the name of Philemon; requesting him in a very tactful manner to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus. The slave had apparently stolen something from his master (v 18) and under Roman law, was punishable by death. But somehow by divine appointment, Onesimus landed in Roman prison and met the apostle Paul, who led him to Christ. Paul must have convinced Onesimus to return back to his master to seek forgiveness with this letter he had written.
Notice the way Paul organised his appeal in this short letter. He started off by building rapport, affirming Philemon of his love to all saints, and certainly Onesimus is one of them now (v4 - 10). Next, he appealed to his mind (v11 -19) and then to his heart (v20-21). We can learn from Paul how to handle difficult human inter-personal relationship issues. Often times, it is good to give positive strokes first before moving on to reason and then appealing to the heart to be more gracious and forgiving. Church history tells us that Philemon responded with grace by receiving Onesimus back, who later became a bishop!
This letter also gives us a primer on how masters ought to treat their slaves. Or in our day and context, how employers ought to treat their household helpers or maids. Just as Paul wanted Philemon to forgive Onesimus for the wrong done to him, so likewise, we ought to forgive our helpers for whatever slowness of action they are so accustomed to back in their homeland. Granted that some of our maids may not be so quick in their thinking or agile on their feet, these are no excuses to ill-treat them; for they are also human beings like us. I often cannot help but think that maids who do harm to the people they're helping is because they've been ill-treated in the first place. However, the law has been put in place to take care of situations whereby maids attempted or succeeded to physically harm family members. In this case, justice will be served.
One of the beautiful things that can be seen from the story of Onesimus is that there's hope for those who are given a second chance. Slaves and maids are also people in need of a Saviour. It took Paul to save Onesimus; however, one wonders whether Philemon has tried to reach out to Onesimus. Praise God for employers who encourage their maids to go to church on Sundays.
Notice the way Paul organised his appeal in this short letter. He started off by building rapport, affirming Philemon of his love to all saints, and certainly Onesimus is one of them now (v4 - 10). Next, he appealed to his mind (v11 -19) and then to his heart (v20-21). We can learn from Paul how to handle difficult human inter-personal relationship issues. Often times, it is good to give positive strokes first before moving on to reason and then appealing to the heart to be more gracious and forgiving. Church history tells us that Philemon responded with grace by receiving Onesimus back, who later became a bishop!
This letter also gives us a primer on how masters ought to treat their slaves. Or in our day and context, how employers ought to treat their household helpers or maids. Just as Paul wanted Philemon to forgive Onesimus for the wrong done to him, so likewise, we ought to forgive our helpers for whatever slowness of action they are so accustomed to back in their homeland. Granted that some of our maids may not be so quick in their thinking or agile on their feet, these are no excuses to ill-treat them; for they are also human beings like us. I often cannot help but think that maids who do harm to the people they're helping is because they've been ill-treated in the first place. However, the law has been put in place to take care of situations whereby maids attempted or succeeded to physically harm family members. In this case, justice will be served.
One of the beautiful things that can be seen from the story of Onesimus is that there's hope for those who are given a second chance. Slaves and maids are also people in need of a Saviour. It took Paul to save Onesimus; however, one wonders whether Philemon has tried to reach out to Onesimus. Praise God for employers who encourage their maids to go to church on Sundays.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Epistle of 2 Peter
Whereas 1 Peter is a response by Peter to attacks from without, resulting in persecution and suffering, 2 Peter is in response to infiltration from within the ranks. In particular, false teachers and false prophets arising to deceive the very elect of God (2:1). Peter instructed the saints to reject these false ministers of God and to live righteously in view of God's coming judgment. They are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (3:18).
The authorship of this letter can be attributed by both external and internal testimony. It was not ascribed to Peter until Origen's time (AD 185-253) and he himself started the letter with his salutation (1:1). It was written between AD 64-67.
The outline of the letter can be summarised as follows:
Ch 1: Cultivation of holiness
Ch 2: Condemnation of heresy
Ch 3: Confident hope
One of the key passages of this book is 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God's time frame is different from man's. We live in finite time and space; while God inhabits eternity - a place without space-time constraints. That's why Peter said that a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. So to the God, it's been like 2 days since Christ ascended to heaven. And God is currently very patient with all men (and women); desiring that they repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
But the time will come when the patience of God will run out and He would unleash his judgment on mankind (3:10). The fire of God's wrath would destroy the earth completely which would bring about the hope of a new heaven and a new earth (3:13). During the time of Peter, it's unthinkable how earth could be completely destroyed. In our day, it's not impossible due to nuclear warheads. The exhortation for believers then is to live spotless, blameless lives and to be at peace with God (3:14). Jesus will deliver His saints from the wrath of God to come (1 Thes 1:10).
Dear friends, are you at peace with God? If not, why not allow Him to come into your life today by opening the door of your heart. Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of our hearts to allow Christ, the Prince of Peace to enter in. This is a simple prayer that can be said, "Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner in need of your grace and mercy. Forgive me of all my sins. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for paying the price of my redemption. I open the door of my heart and ask you to come in. Come and take control of my life and be my Lord and Saviour. Amen."
The authorship of this letter can be attributed by both external and internal testimony. It was not ascribed to Peter until Origen's time (AD 185-253) and he himself started the letter with his salutation (1:1). It was written between AD 64-67.
The outline of the letter can be summarised as follows:
Ch 1: Cultivation of holiness
Ch 2: Condemnation of heresy
Ch 3: Confident hope
One of the key passages of this book is 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God's time frame is different from man's. We live in finite time and space; while God inhabits eternity - a place without space-time constraints. That's why Peter said that a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. So to the God, it's been like 2 days since Christ ascended to heaven. And God is currently very patient with all men (and women); desiring that they repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
But the time will come when the patience of God will run out and He would unleash his judgment on mankind (3:10). The fire of God's wrath would destroy the earth completely which would bring about the hope of a new heaven and a new earth (3:13). During the time of Peter, it's unthinkable how earth could be completely destroyed. In our day, it's not impossible due to nuclear warheads. The exhortation for believers then is to live spotless, blameless lives and to be at peace with God (3:14). Jesus will deliver His saints from the wrath of God to come (1 Thes 1:10).
Dear friends, are you at peace with God? If not, why not allow Him to come into your life today by opening the door of your heart. Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of our hearts to allow Christ, the Prince of Peace to enter in. This is a simple prayer that can be said, "Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner in need of your grace and mercy. Forgive me of all my sins. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for paying the price of my redemption. I open the door of my heart and ask you to come in. Come and take control of my life and be my Lord and Saviour. Amen."
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Epistle of 1 Peter
This letter was written by the apostle Peter with the help of Silas (1 Pet 5:12), which probably accounts for the polished Greek used in the letter. Where John is known as the apostle of love; Paul, the apostle of faith; Peter is known as the apostle of hope. And he began his letter by telling us that God has given us a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1:3). That despite the terrible persecution and suffering taking place, he encouraged the believers to respond based on their salvation, characterized by humble submission and godly conduct.
The outline of his letter is as follows:
1. Salvation for the believer (1 - 2:12)
2. Submission of the believer (2:13 - 3:12)
3. Persecution of the believer (3:13 - 5:14)
The theme of submission extends from the state to the home.
State: kings, governors, etc. (2:13)
Workplace: masters, employers, etc. (2:18)
Home: Wives to husbands, who should love their wives (3:1,7; Eph 5:25); chidren are to submit to parents (Eph 6:1-3).
Peter made the point that we should submit to authority even if they're harsh in their treatment towards us (2:18-19). This is not an easy thing to do because human nature tends towards self-preservation; and the natural consequence is to retaliate to preserve our pride and dignity. However, he held up Christ as our role model of suffering who though innocent, endured insults and beatings thrown at him without retaliating (2:21-23). Ultimately, God would be the judge and vindicator of all things (2:24). So when we have done good and yet have to suffer for it, count it a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake.
On the other hand, if we have done evil then the natural consequence of punishment and suffering that ensued is our just deserts (2:20). Those in authority have been placed there by God for a purpose. Their job is to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right (2:14). In this way, law and order would prevent any society from degenerating into anarchy. It is imperative therefore, as believers, we pray for our government leaders as exhorted by Paul (1 Tim 2:1-2). In this way, we may live in peace and harmony, doing the Lord's work unhindered.
Submission is a key test for leadership in the church. If we're unable to submit to earthly authority, we would not be able to submit to divine authority. Jesus mentioned that those who have been faithful with a few things would be put in charge of many things later (Mt 25:21,23). The only exception to submission is when the authority prohibit us from worshipping God or proclaiming Him name (Ac 5:27-29).
The outline of his letter is as follows:
1. Salvation for the believer (1 - 2:12)
2. Submission of the believer (2:13 - 3:12)
3. Persecution of the believer (3:13 - 5:14)
The theme of submission extends from the state to the home.
State: kings, governors, etc. (2:13)
Workplace: masters, employers, etc. (2:18)
Home: Wives to husbands, who should love their wives (3:1,7; Eph 5:25); chidren are to submit to parents (Eph 6:1-3).
Peter made the point that we should submit to authority even if they're harsh in their treatment towards us (2:18-19). This is not an easy thing to do because human nature tends towards self-preservation; and the natural consequence is to retaliate to preserve our pride and dignity. However, he held up Christ as our role model of suffering who though innocent, endured insults and beatings thrown at him without retaliating (2:21-23). Ultimately, God would be the judge and vindicator of all things (2:24). So when we have done good and yet have to suffer for it, count it a privilege to suffer for Christ's sake.
On the other hand, if we have done evil then the natural consequence of punishment and suffering that ensued is our just deserts (2:20). Those in authority have been placed there by God for a purpose. Their job is to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right (2:14). In this way, law and order would prevent any society from degenerating into anarchy. It is imperative therefore, as believers, we pray for our government leaders as exhorted by Paul (1 Tim 2:1-2). In this way, we may live in peace and harmony, doing the Lord's work unhindered.
Submission is a key test for leadership in the church. If we're unable to submit to earthly authority, we would not be able to submit to divine authority. Jesus mentioned that those who have been faithful with a few things would be put in charge of many things later (Mt 25:21,23). The only exception to submission is when the authority prohibit us from worshipping God or proclaiming Him name (Ac 5:27-29).
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