Hello Readers!
It has been quite a while since I last blogged. I hope all of you are experiencing Greater Glory!
Just returned from reservist last week and when I returned back to office, I was loaded with tons of stuffs to follow-up. I'm sure you face this too when you return from a vacation. But thank God for His abundance of grace that is ever overflowing in our lives.
Actually, I have another two sermons waiting to be published. Let me upload the first one while I prepare the subsequent ones for you.
Stay blessed.
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Topic: Paranomic View of God's Purpose Today
We are living in a world where honour is forgotten. It used to be a time where honour was the culture. Jesus said, "A phophet is without honour unless in his own country". As a result, he could not do any miracles in his country. Culture of honour is something that will benefit you automatically. It shows that you are some of good breathing. Let's not be conform like the world. Do you know why stones and pebbles are cheap? Be a diamond, where it is rare. Dare to be different. Don't let anything stop you fr being different. It is not for ego sake but for Jesus.
Let this come into our family as well. Today it is important to bring back "Please" and "Thank you".
Today, Pastor is showing a panoramic view of the focus on the Middle East from the bible. So what is God doing today and how does the church fit in to all these? The bible gives you a specific word for the present. God has words of wisdom in the bible.
We will see why God chose Abraham. Abraham came as a Jew. Today we know that Hilter exterminated 6 million Jews. So why such extreme hatred?
For 2000 years, the Jews do not have a land. They are all scattered around the world. In May 15, 1948, Israel came back. God's purpose to set Israel apart is to make Israel a speciment to show the world He can give you all that you need.
From the first to the sixth day of creation, Jesus said it was good. On the seventh day when God made man, He said it was very good. Why is it very good? We were made in the image of God.
Adam sinned by eating from the wrong tree and since then, death came in. Men is adverse to disease, sickness. So why God didn't stop Adam from sinning? God could not do it because he gave men free choice. If he stopped him, there will not be free choice today. The world is not what God ordained it to be. Men destroyed what God created. That is why when Jesus came, He said if you see Me, you see the Father. Jesus came to heal the sick.
Today if you can find an old ancient map, you will notice that Isarael connects three continents. Israel is like a land bridge to the world.
God's purpose is to bless us so that we will be a testament to the non-gentiles.
The other day Pastor read the story of Jonah. Jonah didn't want to go to preach to them. He ran away to present day Spain. He went down to present day Jafar. Notice when you leave God, you are always going down. On the boat, they threw him down and the whale swallowed him. The captain and the crew all panicked when there was a very fierce storm. Jonah told the captain that the storm was because of him. He told them that if they threw him off the ship, the storm will cease. Right after that, all the people on-board became believers.
Some people make fun of Jonah's story. Jesus authenticated the story of Jonah. Jonah was in the whale's stomach for 3 days, a representation of the death of Jesus for 3 days.
Actually God wanted to bless Israel. But the people of Israel boasted on their own strength on Mount Sinai which they have none.
The law demands righteousness whereas grace in parts righteousness.
When God first gave the law, 3000 people died on Mount Sinai. When God gave grace, 3000 people lived on Mount Zion. Grace empowers you to go and sin no more.
We have been under grace for 2000 years. For 1500 years, Israel was under the law. But God still dealt with them until Israel exchanged gods for the true God.
In Daniel's story, the bible shared about the dream which cannot be interpreted. The four animals represents the four empires. We are now at the last empire. The first is Babylonion empire. The second is Persian empire. The third is Greece empire and fourth is the Roman empire.
Everything revolves around Israel today. Whatever is happening is happening Israel. The devil hates Israel because God chose Israel to bear true testimony to God.
Matthew 13 is the first parable shared. It talks about He leaving the house - representing Israel. He went yo the seaside - representing the nation of the world.
Jesus Christ who is a prophet, priest and king, is rejected by Israel. Jesus went around preaching the kingdom of heaven.
Nobody can take Jesus' life away. He said it Himself that he lays down His life. When soldiers came looking for Jesus, He said "I am" and they all fell. Imagine tall strong soldiers falling down, no man can take away His life.
In Him there is no sin, took our sins so that when God punished His sins based on His knowledge, we are forgiven from all sins.
We cannot confess our sins based on our knowledge because they are many many small sins that we never confess. It is not based on our knowledge but His knowledge.
Our forgiveness is an overpayment. Today, we can look at the debtor and see that he has been enriched because of us.
In the book of Leviticus, the five offerings are the holiest offerings. Jesus took our sins as a sin offering. As the clouds cleared, Jesus looked up and said, "It is finished". God honored Jesus and laid Him in a tomb where no one has used before. We are forgiven righteously and on a foundation that no one can dispute. That is why when you sin today, you look to the cross and said that my sin has been paid by Jesus. Do you think you can take advantage of Jesus death to live a life of sin? You will not be able to take advantage of someone who treats you as His beloved.
There is no need to be so surprised to look at a man (sinner) who sins. Likewise, we don't look at a drunkard and say, "So terrible, he acts like he's drunk." In reality he is drunk yo.
Today, if God punishes you today for your sin which was paid on the cross, that would make God unholy. God can never punish your sins a second time.
In Hebrews 10, Paul wrote that if you turn your back on Jesus, you are sinning willfully. It does not mean that you will lose your salvation. It is referring to someone who came so close to receiving Jesus, rejects Jesus at the last hour.
Think about of the love of God. Jesus did no sin, knew no sin and went around doing good. The cross became a lightning rod so that lightning will not hit you today. Men put Jesus on the cross, akin to saying, God, this is what we think of your perfect love, fullness. God threw all his anger on the cross so that He does not need to punish men.
Jesus died and on the third day, God rose Jesus from the dead. People are afraid of death, not the fear of flying. God hates death and calls it an enemy in the bible. But Pastor, then why does death still happen? Didn't we just talk about death has been paid on the cross? So Pastor, is it possible to sin and not die? Is it possible to put your finger in the fire and not be burned?
When we meditate on the word again, you can say I heard it before. But we don't just eat chicken rice once right. The word is meant to be mediated again and again.
But Pastor, I just went to a funeral for a fellow Christian. No, he did not die, he just slept. He was just given a new body that transcends time and speed.
God goes by leadership. How the country is performing reflects on our government. So many people want so much to migrate to Singapore. Yes, we don't agree with everything but who agrees with everything? We complain but when we are overseas, we got more things to complain about. No doubt we got a very good government. That's the truth.
Jesus said whoever believes in Me will not die. For a Christian who is involved in an accident will not experience death. Even before it hits, his soul is already snatched back to heaven. He is in heaven happier than you are on heaven.
In closing,
Ephesians 1:22-23
When Jesus was raised from the dead, He is above all principalities, sickness, power, might and dominion in this world and the world to come.
Verse 22: God has made Christ head over all things for the benefit of the church. This is equivalent to a blank cheque for you. When you pray, curse the sickness and use your power of attorney. Use your power in His name. It is very clear that if you have a condition, speak to your mountain (problem), "don't go" to God because he is not your problem. God says if you speak to the mountain, it will move. Use the name. It is who is behind you and not how old, young, male or woman. It is like a traffic police raising his hand and the whole police force is behind this policeman. It is whose you are. Dare to use the name.
Ephesians 5:30-33
Verse 30: we are members of His flesh and bones. The church is not a building. The church is made up of living organisms that God has redeemed. The church of Christ is the richest organization in the whole world because Jesus paid for it.
When you are sick, find someone in the church to pray for u. The church is God's idea and dreams. The church is where His goodness resides. The world can only dream for man with red underwater on the outside. It is just a fantasy. Keep on coming to church. The work of the demon is to bring people away from the church. Whenever you have thoughts coming telling you to leave the church, know that this is a demonic voice. Use your power.
Do you know that Jesus name is Hero. Jesus is the Mighty Giver. In Greek, it means hero.
