6 October 2013

Praise and Worship: Today we sang a song which was my first time hearing it. As the song goes for some time, I realised it's actually quite nice. So when I came home, I became glued to the clip below and now it becomes like a song I've heard before. Another amazing song from Hillsong. I'm sure you feel the same like me too!

1. In Jesus' Name - Darlene Zschech

Topic: Continuing the Series of The Power of Right Believing

Right believing is not about believing long enough. It's about believing in an object that is right. That object is our Lord Jesus Christ. We know it is true because our faith is in Christ. Our right believing has to be in the right person.

When World War 2 ended, there were refugees who hid in caves and assumed that the war is still on. Afterwards, someone went in and shared with them that the war has ended.
What we are doing now is telling people that the war has ended. God has reconciled with us. Satan has been defeated and the powers of darkness vanquished. The people were in the cave with the wrong believing. Sharing the gospel with your family and friends is telling them the reality. God is just telling us to come home to love and provisions. The world of God is big.

John 8:31-36
Verse 32: The truth cannot make you free if don't know the truth. You need to know the truth to be set free. So what is the truth Jesus brought? Look to John 1:1-3.

John 1:14-16
Verse 14: The word became flesh for us. The word is full of grace and truth.

John 1:17
Verse 17: Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. "Came" in Greek is singular verb. It means grace is the truth that sets us free.

John 8:31-36
You can serve God with a slave or son-like attitude. We serve with the spirit of the son. A servant cannot cry Abba Father. Many of us have the servant attitude at work. If today you are taking over your father's empire, you look long term. For example, you do your utmost in customer service.

The love of God is such that He loves us though we were enemies. Christ didn't die for the goody people. Look to Romans 5:5-11 to see the love of God. Keep on reading.
Verse 7: Would you die for someone good?
Verse 8: God demonstrated His love while we were sinners.

God is a judge and He cannot spare sin. But yet He is love, sins need to be punished. So he sent His son to die on our behalf for us to live.

Verse 9: We shall be saved from wrath through Him. We are delivered from His wrath and because of this, God will never be angry with us ever again.
Verse 10: We shall be saved by His life. It's not our life.
Verse 11: We have now received the reconciliation.

Back to John 1:14-16
When Jesus was born, He was born the King of the Jews. When Jesus was at the age of 12, He could answer questions that astounded the Rabbis.
Since young, the Jews were taught to ask questions and never be afraid to ask whereas Gentiles are taught never to be heard. That is the reason Jews grow up very intelligent.
Jesus came to be used and to serve you. You end up with something you never had before so that you can serve Him.
The Jewish has a beautiful word for Grace. It is 'hesed'.

Verse 16: "... grace for grace". The word "for" is defined as "in place of".

A good pastor points people to Jesus Christ. Pastors and leaders can never replace Jesus Christ.
On this verse, Pastor saw a picture of a fresh wave coming to shore to replace another wave. When Jesus cried "It is finished", a wave broke out. God's law is magnified and grace and love are manifested.

God has died for you so that He can declare you righteous and at the same time maintain His righteous. This is called right believing.

Some Christians are believing it wrong. They think that one day the rooster will come back to roost. They think that one day God will come back to punish them for the sin they committed 2 years ago.

Law demands from bankrupt men. Grace is all about supply. We live in a world of demand. Many of these demands are legitimate. Demands to complete your work, family or boss. You need to wake up everyday and be reminded of that wave-after-wave illustration. Be supply minded. Thank God for the supply of grace in that situation of yours.

Jesus is always making people whole. Holiness is a by-product of wholeness. We have holes on our body. Jesus' wave comes splashing on you to fill those holes. Just when you thought that wave has gone, another wave comes to fill you up again. The thing you shouldn't try to do is through your own works.

God's grace is greater than sin. If sin today can stop His grace, it means sin is greater than grace. God's supply of grace is far greater than sin. What stops God's grace is your self righteousness.

Many of us think we are 30% good. With that, you receive 70% grace. The 30% wave that comes is wasted. Do not trust your own flesh. Take the total grace of God.
Before God can give grace, grace has to be appreciated. Don't glory in the flesh. You think you're pretty, there's someone prettier. You think you're smart, there's someone smarter.

Grace is not empowerment. Grace produces empowerment.

To put it bluntly across:
If God wants to get the glory, let God do ALL the work.

The period of Mount Sinai was a period of pure grace. It was based on His holiness. Every fresh complaint brought forth new grace. During post Sinai times, the people were under the covenant of the law. Every complaint brought death.

The law was given in Exodus 20. Exodus 19 tells us the reason for the law. Men told God to bring it on, confidently think they can keep the law. Notice right after men said that, God changed His tone and took a step back. God never had this tone before this. Before this, they were under the covenant of grace. It was based on His goodness.
After 1500 years of being under the law, Jesus came.

The strength of sin is the law. Before we can be good givers, we need to be good receivers.

Study the following chapters for better understanding:

On the parable of the kingdom: Before Matthew 13, there was something that happened in Chapter 12. In that chapter, Jesus talked about rejection. Jesus left Israel and went to the sea, to address the Gentiles. In Matthew 14, the head of John the Baptist was severed.

Matthew 14:12-17 talked about Jesus hearing the news. Knowing that, He could have killed them in one word. But He did not because His first coming was for grace, not a coming for judgement. In the second coming, God will come to judge only the non-believers.
Verse 13: Jesus went to a deserted place upon hearing the new of John. So why did He want to go there? He went there to grief. You need to know Jesus was fully man and had feelings. Notice multitudes followed Him.
Verse 14: Jesus healed those who followed Him from their sick. It seems that every man's wickedness brought forth waves of grace. God's grace is greater than your weakness.
Verse 15: Jesus told the disciples that the multitude can stay, just give them food to eat.
Verse 16: But the disciples said they only have 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Hallelujah. Do we need to read on?

Pastor then illustrates riding on the waves onstage. Imitates Michael Jackson and amused the audience.
Learn to ride the other wave. Don't keep staying on one wave. Otherwise you'll be beached.

Whether its healing for your body, financial lack, He multiplies your lack.

In Matthew 14, it is grace upon grace.
Verse 36: Those who touched His garment were made perfectly well. It seems like after those verses of rejection, there were more grace for His people.

In closing,

John 1:10-12
All of us are in verse 12. In verse 11, "He came to His own (neuter), and His own (masculine) did not receive Him."
He came to His own 'things' (referring to His creation), and His own (referring to 'men') did not receive Him. That was the rebellion of men.

Your past mistakes cannot overrule your tomorrow. His grace always supplies.

Jesus is grace and truth coming your way. One thing that stops that is your own efforts and pride.

29 September 2013

Topic: The Super-abounding Grace

When the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want.

The day draws near where Pastor will be going to USA for a preaching tour. Pastor shares that the sermon preached over there will be broadcasted in church.

Romans 6:1-2
Believers are suffering not because the provision is not there but rather we do not have the right belief.

Faith is not more than right believing. We know we don't have to suffer or do good works to heaven. We know we will go to heaven without strive.
Verse 2: Here it says are you saying we sin for grace to abound? Paul never said that but he must have preached radically on this truth.

Dr Martin once asked why today no one is accusing preachers on this same context. He concluded that we are not preaching what Paul once preached. If you preach the same gospel Paul preached, you will be accused.

Romans 5:20-6:1
Verse 20: Where sin abounded, grace much more abounded. In Greek, these two Greek words are different.
The first word "abounded" is pleonazo which means increased. The second word "abounded" is huperperisseuo which means superabounded.

In the translation by Kenneth Wuest, he translates this verse to:
"Where sin existed in abundance, grace was in superabundance, and then some more added on top of that."

God hates sin more than anyone one of us. Righteousness and mercy kissed at the cross. His Son never sin and knew no sin. God spared us but not His own Son. God loves you. If God did not spare His own Son, how would He not freely give us all things? The one God loves the most, He gave it to you. Do you think God will withhold His healing if He already gave you His best?
God punished all our sins on the body of Jesus Christ. That's how much He loves us.

There was a man called Peter. We see Peter as a leader. In the bible, he cursed and swore he never knew Jesus three times. Despite that, Jesus told him He still loves him.

Mark 16:7
Verse 7: Of all the disciples, Peter's name was singled out. Jesus was reaching out to him. Why is that so? Where sin abounded, grace superabounded. Imagine just a few days ago, he denied Jesus three times. But yet Jesus told him to feed and tend His sheep and lamb. Peter was given the honour above all other disciples. We see the superaboundeding grace showered on Peter.

In the book of Matthew, it starts with the line of Abraham to Jesus Christ. In those verses, nothing was mentioned about woman. It starts with Abraham brought forth Isaac, Isaac brought forth Jacob and so on and so forth. In the whole bible, only 5 women were mentioned. If you study them, you will notice they all had a shady background.

Luke 24:47
Verse 47: "... beginning at Jerusalem." Then being the most guilty place.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
These verses talk about how the messenger of the devil was following Paul throughout. Paul pleaded to the Lord three times but Jesus told him "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."

In Greek:
Sufficient : strength to defend or ward off

Greater is He that is in you than the one in the world. Today you are a temple of God and a Christian will never be possessed.

Strength: miracle-working power
Perfect: show itself most effective

We are negative and God's grace is positive. Most of us try to be positive and pretend to have it but nothing comes out from it. Jesus does not like us to pretend to be someone we are not. When we do that, we thought we are being loved but in reality we will never feel God's love. You need to feel God's love to be become what God wants you to become.

In closing,

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Verse 10: Jesus tells us to take pleasure in infirmities. When someone insults you, that's where you are in a position of weakness. This is when God comes into action. Thank God for your weaknesses. Paul sang praises to God during bad times. Grace is God's undeserving favour for you to receive.

Today maybe you are afraid to have a baby because of a tragedy in the past. Due to that, you are looking at the "what happened".  The devil always brings you to the "what happened". In fact, when that tragedy happened, you have already been given more grace and entitled to more grace in the next baby. Many of times, the next baby comes out a champion or it is becomes a easy delivery.

Genesis 17:1
All these years Abraham knew God as an almighty God. In Greek, almighty God is El Shaddai.

22 September 2013

Praise and Worship: Awesome song we sang during worship today.

Hillsong - Believe:

Topic: Are we under the law?

Pastor shared that our songs are so recognised by the world that the song "I see Grace" is now translated to Japanese.

He also talked about the upcoming 1 month tour in US and the favour of God in our church.

Hesed Publishers, a non-christian publisher has approached JPM to have him publish a book titled "Right Believing". In fact, there were 3 who approached him but he chose one. Hesed Publishing were chosen for Joe Olsten's books too.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is Salvation. The gospel is our strength and all that we dreamt for.

When Christ died on the cross, all sinners were in Him. When Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised from the dead too. When we were raised to heavenly places, we too.                      

God tells us that ladies who are princely, they are not affected by negativity. Princes and princesses are generous.

Are we under the law? People in the world call it the morale law, making it pleasant to the ears.
Romans 7:1-13
Verse 1: The law has control over someone as long as he lives. But the law has no power over someone who is dead. It's only for people who lives.
Verse 2: A woman is bound by the law as long as he lives. Until the day the husband dies, she is released from the law.

The law came through Moses but grace came from Christ. Moses is depicted as the servant while Christ is depicted by the Son. In the bible, it says the servant does not abide in the house forever but the Son abides in the house forever.
The law is holy but it can never make you holy. The law is like a mirror to manifest what you really are.
All our holiness is in Jesus. The moment we take our eyes off Him, we are back to our own self.
The next verse tells us why Jesus died.
Verse 3: We were once married to the law. The woman here is referring to us.
Verse 4: Once reason Jesus died is to allow the woman to marry another.

There are believers who still believe they are under the law. Pastor points out that whoever believes that are cursed. Today only God can keep the law. There's none who can keep the law. Whoever breaks one breaks everything. Turn to the next verse and see.

Galatians 3:9-10
It says cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things written in the book of the law.

Back to Romans,
Verse 4: You bear fruit when you are married to Christ.

Pastor talks about the story of Ruth. Ruth met Boaz, a picture of Jesus. When Boaz married to Ruth, she bore forth Obed (means service) and Jessie. Then came David and the line of Jesus Christ.

Verse 5: "aroused by the law". The law stirs your sinful passions.

1 Corinthians 15:56
The verse says that the strength of sin is the law.

The way you bring about success is not about focusing on success. Work is a result of labour.

Focus on the process and not the result.

Make your company you are working for successful and you will be successful.

Don't wait for your boss to make you successful then make the company successful. It doesn't work this way. Don't try to put the cart before the horse. Rather, make the company successful and the Lord will make you successful.

Romans 8:3-4
Verse 4: The righteous requirement is fulfilled in me (not 'by'). Don't misquote this verse.

In closing,

 

Back to Romans 7:1-13
Verse 8: For apart from the law sin was dead. What it actually means that when we put our eyes on Christ, 

sin dies.

That is the very reason why Satan is bringing the law back. Let's not fall into the thinking that we are under the law for Jesus has already conquered sin and death.