It's finally great to be back to church after being away from home for so long!
I was so excited to hear the first message of the year that I bought the CD. The New Year Message will be on my blog next! For now, I shall blog on the second message of the year.
Praise and Worship: The great songs sang today.
Forever Reign:
You Have Won the Victor's Crown:
Year of 2014. The year of greater glory. Pastor says whatever has transpired will not be able to transpire what God has for us this year. The old covenant demands righteousness but new covenant grants righteousness. If the ministry of condemnation has glory, the ministry of righteousness exceed much more in glory.
Despite our short comings, God still fulfills His promise.
The bible says in the book of Isaiah that all the nations in the world is like a drop in the bucket.
The world is still expanding even as Pastor speaks and it is just a part of God's universe.
God says in the gospel of John that the beginning was the word. The reason we have families so that we can understand a little bit of our mighty God. Long before God created seasons and time, God already existed before time was created. We beheld His glory, full of grace and truth.
In the old testament, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. God says, you shall know the truth and it shall set you free. It is not the truth of the law but the truth of grace. True grace sets you free. The law shows us that we fall short but Grace saves the best of us.
God in essence has no sinful blood. But in order to save us from our sins, Jesus died for all mankind with His innocent blood. The innocent dies for the guilty. One sinless man dies for one guilty man. But there is none who is sinless except Jesus. Because His blood is sinless, and He is God, He became an overpayment for all mankind.
Where sin increases, grace superabounds! His grace is overflowing. Where there is sin, God is glorified through Jesus' death.
People watch the news today and see only bad news. God has nothing but good news for His people. The good news is that Jesus died for you, shed His holy blood to wipe away the sins of sinful men. Jesus was on the cross to become sin. He does not have sin but He chose to carry your sins. Jesus didn't deserve to become sin. You have become righteous before His eyes. God treat us like the best thing on earth today.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
Verse 3: If our good news is veiled, it is veiled to those who are vanishing.
Verse 4: The "god of this age" is referring to the devil. Notice his age is coming to an end. The devil is so afraid that this light of the good news will shine on the people.
Let's think, if our good news is so boring, then why would the devil needs to blind the people with a veil? The truth is so glorious that he has to blind you. God operates in the light. God says lights always swallow darkness.
Verse 3: If our good news is veiled, it is veiled to those who are vanishing.
Verse 4: The "god of this age" is referring to the devil. Notice his age is coming to an end. The devil is so afraid that this light of the good news will shine on the people.
Let's think, if our good news is so boring, then why would the devil needs to blind the people with a veil? The truth is so glorious that he has to blind you. God operates in the light. God says lights always swallow darkness.
The word "glory" from the phrase "the gospel of the glory of Christ" in this verse is defined as: (Thayer's definition)
a) In the New Testament always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour and glory
a) In the New Testament always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour and glory
b) Splendour, brightness of the moon, stars and sun
c) Magnificent, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace
d) Majesty, the kingly majesty which belongs to God as supreme ruler
Romans 5:1-3
Verse 1: We have been justified righteousness by faith, we have peace with God. The moment we have peace with God, we find peace with others. True peace is in the heart. That comes from having peace with God.
Verse 2: Now we have access into this grace, unearned, undeserved favour with God. We are always standing on favoured ground. We have the password to God permanently.
Verse 1: We have been justified righteousness by faith, we have peace with God. The moment we have peace with God, we find peace with others. True peace is in the heart. That comes from having peace with God.
Verse 2: Now we have access into this grace, unearned, undeserved favour with God. We are always standing on favoured ground. We have the password to God permanently.
You have God's favour walking with you.
Ephesians 1:3-7
Verse 6: We are accepted (charitoo - highly favoured) in the Beloved. We are all charitoo.
"Beloved" is Jesus. Jesus used that word to tell you what you are before God.
Verse 6: We are accepted (charitoo - highly favoured) in the Beloved. We are all charitoo.
"Beloved" is Jesus. Jesus used that word to tell you what you are before God.
Back to Romans 5:1-3,
".. in hope of the glory of God." It means having a confident expectation of God's opinion.
".. in hope of the glory of God." It means having a confident expectation of God's opinion.
The bible tells us we are highly favoured in the Beloved. In our state, it changes everyday. Our standing before God is settled. God's view of you is righteous and eternal. Sometimes you feel up, sometimes you feel low. Your state is temporal but your standing before God is eternal.
Always measure yourself by your standing. But always judge your state by your standing.
If one day you feel very angry, it does not add to your standing. Your state cannot touch your standing. Always judge your state by your standing. In God's eyes, your state cannot be altered. You deal with your state by your standing. Because I have influence with God, I can ask God to help me with this temper. But if you do not know this truth, you think God is far from you on a bad day.
Do we need to judge our state? Yes. Our state can touch our testimony before men. It can touch your peace of mind. It can touch your spiritual enjoyment. It can touch the glory of God in your life.
Self-judgement is not condemnation. But judging your actions is good because it improves you all the time.
But Pastor, I thought you said our actions is always holy? Yes, but that doesn't mean He does not correct you. He corrects your state but not your standing.
God does not put you through an accident to correct you. God corrects us because He loves us.
But Pastor, I thought you said our actions is always holy? Yes, but that doesn't mean He does not correct you. He corrects your state but not your standing.
God does not put you through an accident to correct you. God corrects us because He loves us.
Numbers 23:19-23
While the children of Israel were going through Moab, the king of Moab engaged a professional wizard to curse the children of Israel. The king took the wizard to three high places on the mountain. With a great view from the top, he saw that His people were camped in a position of the cross. So instead of cursing them, he blessed them. This year you are blessed, no one can reverse His blessings. No black magic can reverse it.
Verse 21: God does not see iniquity. God's eyes cannot see sin on you. Because God's judicial eyes saw your sins on the cross. You can sin in your state but God sees your standing, not your state. The shout of the King is among them.
Verse 23: In the phrase, "For there is no sorcery against Jacob.." God is saying there is no sorcery against you this year.
While the children of Israel were going through Moab, the king of Moab engaged a professional wizard to curse the children of Israel. The king took the wizard to three high places on the mountain. With a great view from the top, he saw that His people were camped in a position of the cross. So instead of cursing them, he blessed them. This year you are blessed, no one can reverse His blessings. No black magic can reverse it.
Verse 21: God does not see iniquity. God's eyes cannot see sin on you. Because God's judicial eyes saw your sins on the cross. You can sin in your state but God sees your standing, not your state. The shout of the King is among them.
Verse 23: In the phrase, "For there is no sorcery against Jacob.." God is saying there is no sorcery against you this year.
Never be ashamed of the name Jesus. When you say "In the name of God", nothing happens. But when you say "In the name of Jesus", things happen. God has placed glory on Jesus and that is why it is so powerful.
Abraham is strong in faith and had a good opinion of God. It means to give recognition to God. People always have a poor opinion of God. If God tells you to give up you life to go full time, men will think "Scarly God play me out how?" If you fathers can give good things to your child, how much more our heavenly father will give good things to us?
In New Testament, God will never never correct you with accidents. Sometimes in the midst of a conversation, God corrects you and tells you to give him a chance to talk.
The Lord did not say I am the vine and you try to be a branch. He says you are the branch. The more you rest, the more grapes will grow. If you struggle, you find it hard. It is not about praying hard of soft, it is about who you pray to. John says the word became flesh and dwelt amongst us.
First two miracles of John:
There are 8 miracles mentioned. They are miracles but are called signs. In the gospel of John, these miracles are noted to tell us that it's signs.
There are 8 miracles mentioned. They are miracles but are called signs. In the gospel of John, these miracles are noted to tell us that it's signs.
John 2:11
In the miracle, God turned water into wine. He manifested His glory. He didn't come as a King. But there's one glory He cannot hide. And that is His moral glory. He cannot hide His compassion for the sick.
In the miracle, God turned water into wine. He manifested His glory. He didn't come as a King. But there's one glory He cannot hide. And that is His moral glory. He cannot hide His compassion for the sick.
Pastor shares about the study of the vine. It takes 2-3 years for the grapes to come. In order for wine to be created, grapes need to be stepped and crushed. That was how Jesus was treated on the cross.
In the second miracle, Jesus healed a servant through sending His word.
Pastor shares a prolific truth to everyone:
Jesus is going to exposed all of you where it's not pleasant this year. You may say "Jesus why not you put me in areas where I'm good in?" In times where you are not comfortable, you will see yourself grow. Don't struggle in your own strength. Allow Jesus to take over. It's going to happen, don't worry.
Jesus is going to exposed all of you where it's not pleasant this year. You may say "Jesus why not you put me in areas where I'm good in?" In times where you are not comfortable, you will see yourself grow. Don't struggle in your own strength. Allow Jesus to take over. It's going to happen, don't worry.
First miracle was He transcends time. And the second miracle was He transcends space. Genesis 1:1 shows us that He transcends space and time.
Luke 7:20-29
Verse 22: God said to them to share with John.
Verse 23: It was a message of correction for John. Jesus did not correct John in public.
Verse 26: Jesus only praise John in public. Jesus is the same to day yesterday and forever, He always praises you in public.
Verse 22: God said to them to share with John.
Verse 23: It was a message of correction for John. Jesus did not correct John in public.
Verse 26: Jesus only praise John in public. Jesus is the same to day yesterday and forever, He always praises you in public.
In closing,
Never never judge your state with your standing. Always judge your standing by your state.
