Embracing Change to Experience Life

As I was listening to a sermon by my hometown’s church pastor; Rev. Christopher Mun with the topic of Embracing Change to Experience Life, I was prompted and convicted by the Holy Spirit to share what I’ve heard and learnt. As we stepping from the year of 2011 into the second week of the year 2012, probably there are 3 questions that you should ask yourself in this New Year.
a)    How different you were when in the second week of the year 2011, compared to 2012? Are there any changes in areas of your life?
b)    How much of you are new when the year 2011 passed and come into 2012?
c)    How different are you by the end of the year of 2012?

Indeed, everyone has new resolutions and desires to change to be better in the areas you probably weak in; ministry, academic, career, finances, and etc…Sometimes we as believer struggle upon the abundant lives that God given to us. In John 3: 16, God promises an eternal life. The word eternal life is the same word as abundant life! How come in the Lord we supposed to have abundant life, eternal life yet we are still we not living at the stage of our lives where God has promised for you and I? What is abundant life? Abundant life is a life full of blessing, provision, healing, protection, inheritance, His presences, peace, joy and excitement. Each of us should enjoy the abundant life in Christ while we are on earth before returning to our Heavenly Father. Christian life is not boring, in fact should be full of excitement because we still can rejoice and having peace in the Lord no matter what happen in the world or react.

One of the basic purposes of the Church of Jesus’ Christ today is to be a positive transforming agent in the lives of people. People experience a change, development, growth, excitement and full of God’s Kingdom has for you and me when we invited the Lord as the personal savior in our lives as they visited the House of God. People of God today need a change so that we can grow closer to Jesus. We cannot grow closer to Jesus unless we are in “motion” where we make the decision to grow closer to the Lord.

In 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 says But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. I believe the Lord ask us to “unveil our faces” or not to hide or cover the part of our lives that we needed God to change.  We should open ourselves; in the areas of our lives to let God to change. The spirit of God will not forcefully change us because God has given us the “freedom” to choose. Unless we “ move” together and cooperate together, nothing is changed because we have refuse/stopped God to let Him touch us by hardening our heart! Some of us sometimes insisted to change the “failure areas” with our own strength, but I can tell you that man made changes without heart conviction does not last. In verse 18, And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. As the areas of our lives changed, where we are in the process of becoming Christ-like, it reflects God’s glory; that glory that never fades in our lives. People will be able to see God’s glory through us and it will reflect God’s characters as well as we are being transformed into His image.

Therefore, brothers and sisters it is never too late to do what is right. Ask of God to change you into a vessel that can be used by Him; a living sacrifice that has a lifestyle pleasing in His eyes. Make a prayer and ask God to change you into someone He wants you to be today~

The Parable of Ten Virgins

Parable of Ten Virgins [Matt 25 1: 13]

Background:

The weddings in the ancient east were almost always at night, involving ten maidens. The bridegroom would go to the house of the bride to escort her with pomp and gladness either to his home or another place for a period of feasting. The ten virgins would have their lamps burning awaiting the wedding party at some point along the way, and they would then join the procession to the feast. Many times the bridegroom would tarry at the home of the bride, and it would be late before he went to the place of celebration. The virgins were to remain alert with their lamps burning, no matter what time or how late the bridegroom and his company came by. If the virgins went to sleep, or did not have sufficient oil in their lamps to keep them burning, or if they were gone for some reason when the bridegroom came, they would miss out on the festivities, and would bring embarrassment to themselves.

Introduction:

The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. The both wise and foolish virgins in the parable symbolize us, the Christians. In it, we also see a warning and some information that urge us to be prepared for the greatest event; the second coming of Christ as He has come to redeem us. As we look deeper into the story and survey the poetic imagery we observe that all of the ten virgins carried lamps, waiting for the bride at the same time, and fire to light the “path”. What makes the 5 wise virgins different from the 5 foolish virgins?

What do the lamps in the scriptures represent?

·         The lamp is often pictured in scripture and in our literature as a symbol of the spirit of a person as mentioned in book of Proverbs 20: 27; The human spirit is the lamp of the LORD  that sheds light on one’s inmost being. The flame of the lamp shows life and watchful [awake] in one’s life. Before we accept Christ, we are labeled as spiritually dead because of the absence of Christ. As mentioned in the bible [John 10:10], Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”. The candle of our spirit was originally designed to be lit and fueled by the Holy Spirit. Will the lamp be lit up without oil?

How about the oil? What does the oil represent?

·         The oil typically represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit in many times. The scriptures tell of the oil anointing of God's Presence. The Old Testament scriptures, we often read oil is used to anoint priests and kings. 

·         The Bible we also see the oil for the lamps which brings the Light of God's illumination. Poetically the Word and Light of God is there as "a lamp unto our feet" to help guide us along the pathway when the hours of darkness come. The hours of darkness can meant the crisis, emoness time, persecution, and the down times in our lives. This divine guidance will lead to provision in many areas in our lives, as we can live a life that follow God’s heartbeat or His will.

·         With the Holy spirit with us, we are also able to strive harder for God, where we rely on the strength given by the spirit not on our own’s.

The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. [v3-4]

·         These 5 foolish  virgins show to us that we don’t cherish, we don’t invest in; relationship between us and God. They refused to spend time to make preparation like the 5 wise virgins. The foolish virgins began at the right place like the other 5 virgins, but they became lazy, that’s the part that no one sees. Eventually that laziness has led them away from the bridegroom

·         Sometimes we allow ourselves to submit to the circumstances where we compromise them. Compromises begin small, but it can take us further away than we expected and cost us far more than we ever intended to pay.

The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’  “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ [v8-9]

·         Whether you are from an established spiritual heritage or starts from zero, you and I must choose to keep our relationship with the Lord. It doesn’t matter how close your friends or family are to the Lord, it matters how close you are. This is because none of us can borrow another Christian’s relationship with God.

·         Intimacy with the Lord is not something we can buy or obtained through works, family and friends as the 5 foolish virgins hoped to. You can’t buy love; you can only maintain the love already extended to you.

 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. [v11-13]

·         The door being shut implies that the other virgins are excluded from the Kingdom of God and are no longer considered the elect of God. Once the elect are gathered from the earth, there will no longer be a person alive on earth who has the spirit of God within them. This is why Jesus says to the foolish virgins, “I don't know you.“

·         Similar to the phrases The “Lord, lord” and “I do not know you” of verses 11 and 12 both are similar with Jesus’ condemnation of the false believers of Matthew 7: 21-23.

·         Sometimes it is a little too late to regret

~Ways to Increase our oil~

·         Spending quality time with God

·         Having a genuine relationship with God

·         Reading and understanding His words .

CONCLUSION

This parable teaches that when the second Christ is coming today, you will find two different groups of people:

   a. Those who prepared themselves and faithfully watched for His coming

   b. Those who were not prepared, to whom they will hear the Lord say:

               "I tell you the truth, I do not know you." [v 12]

Dear brother or sister in Christ, if the Lord were to come today ask ourselves 2 questions:

   a. Are we awake and being watchful?

   b. Are we prepared?

JOY of Christmas--

What does the word joy means to you? Joy is a emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation. But I'm here to share a new definition of the word joy.  Joy is like love, as it is not merely emotion but rather a decision. Have you ever felt the drain of a negative pessimistic attitude on your energies? You don't feel like doing anything and bored. When you are excited and happy about doing what needs to be done, we will be all charge up with motivations to do the work. It is the joy that makes the difference. There is a great strength in joy . . . especially God's joy. "The joy of the Lord is your strength." [Nehemiah 8:10].

Three areas for us to focus or emphasize on if you want to experience joy. We will use the pneumonic of "JOY" also.
Jesus 
Others
Yourself

For the alphabet "J" the letter symbolizes Jesus, where we should focus/put our eyes on Jesus. As bible says You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:1.

• [Philippians 4: 12 -13]  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Paul undergo shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, Paul had seen the down side of life. From Paul’s story, Paul has discovered a secret for contentment in all situations: his deeply personal sense of living in Christ. In this he found strength to handle anything. Sometimes, we failed to see the joy and the contentment because the results of things done do not meet up to our expectation or not the results we want. At many times we come before the Lord, to inquire the Lord regarding a matter. Deep down in our hearts we have prepared the answer, we expect the Lord to answer our prayers in our way, not His way and will. Furthermore, we failed to draw strength from God because we did not surrender our problems completely to God to handle it. Some may confess through our lips that “Lord I surrender everything to you, but in our heart we are reluctant to trust God and giving God everything”. Some of us may say “God will not handle small petty things”. I’m here to tell you today that God cares everything we go through, God will be happy for you to involve Him in every little thing that we do. Focus in God~God will help you.
• [John 15: 9-11] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. God is asking us to have a lovely relationship with Him, remaining in His love that endures forever and at the same time obeying His commands. . it is revealed that the relationship between Christians and Christ is the same as that between Christ and the Father.  Having a True  relationship with Him and obeying the commandments of Christ able to  impart joy in us.

As for the letter "O" it represents Others. The second area that we should pay attention to is "Others".

• When we talk about others many times we forgot about the Golden Rule that Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:12 ; So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. This golden rule covers all aspects of our life of [ethics,behavior, righteousness, and godliness]. The Law they mention is one of the Jesus’ greatest commandment; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. At times when lost our conscience where anger has consumed it, we failed to see grace, love, and forgiveness. As a result we pay an eye for an eye and we sin against God and our enemies. So, love your enemies and repay evil   with  good deeds [Luke 6:27].One way to practice the golden rule is to ask the simple question:"How would I want to be treated?" Then treat the other person that way.

• The bible also mention that ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” [Acts 20:35]. Therefore, in this coming Christmas, you can bless other as well [Examples]. All people on earth will be blessed through you. [Genesis 12:3]. God will use us to bless people as well. We can obtain joy by "giving ourselves to others". It means it is not about what we get and what can we get in return, but what we can give to others.

The final area that we are focusing in is Yourself from the letter "Y". It's rather more into attitude itself.

• We should always have a positive/optimistic mindset. As commands/movements of flesh will be controlled by our mind. Having a right attitude to follow Jesus is very important too as it keeps us continue to follow Him closely and Faithfully. Always remember this point that "no one/nothing can rob anything from us except of ourselves!"
• Parable of tenants also teach us to have the right attitudes, God will share the joy of His with us.

• Why putting Jesus/ourselves/people last rather than first?
  
  Conclusion
  1) Always remember that Christmas is all about Jesus and Joy.
  3) Joy does not obtain trough worldly materials, but through Jesus.
  4) Nothing can rob anything from us except ourselves.
  5) Give ourselves to others.

Intimidation (27/12/12)

Intimidation can come from two source, it can come from

1. circumstances
2. people

circumstances is like when Peter looks at the waves when walking on water, intimidated, he started to sink. People is when we are intimidated by words of others.

Intimidation will caused the gifts of God in us to go dormant (ineffective)
Intimidation can cause us to be unable to hear God

Peter, when he walked on waves was intimidated by the waves and the gift of God in him to walk on water went dormant, he begun to sink.
Elijah, when he was intimidated by Jezebel, ran away and never heard God spoke to him until after 40 days and 40 nights.

Symptoms of intimidation are confusion, depression, hopelessness, lost of vision or in short melancholic and pessimistic attitude. The root of these is fear. Deal with the root.

Intimidation --> fear -->paralyze faith-->gift of God empowered by grace to go dormant --> inability to fulfill God's will effectively --> not fruitful life --> Devil succeeded

For God had not give us a spirit of timidity(intimidation), but of power, love and a sound mind.-- 2 timothy 1:7

power+love+sound mind = boldness = 100% effectiveness of functioning in God's gifts

Managing Misunderstanding

In this world, misunderstanding is everywhere, anywhere, big scale, small scale, anytime, dangerous, deadly..destroying friendship, sparking wars, frustrating plans, destroying unity..in the church, the last thing we want to see is a bitterness between brother and sister, although it may start small, the effect can be disastrous as a foothold for the Devil to crumble the church. So it's important we learn how to manage misunderstanding.

Managing Misunderstanding

(Joshua 22:9-34)

1. Assess the seriousness of the matter (v 10-12)

                1.1 Do not ignore or turn away from the problem (v11)

                1.2 Act as soon as possible (v12)

                1.3 Have the correct biblical response

2. Send the right people (v13-15)

                2.1 Choose the appropriate people (v13-v14)

                2.2 Set the right atmosphere

·         With love

·         With friendliness

·         Acceptance

·         Reconciliation

·         Clarification

3. Focus On The Issue (v16-18, 20-27)

                3.1 Be objective, not subjective

                3.2 Gather the facts

                3.3 Ask, not accuse

                3.4 Guard your emotion

4. Offer Solutions or Alternatives (v 19)

                4.1 Offer help, Give Solutions or Alternatives

5. Maintain an Open Mind (v 21-29, 30-32)

                5.1 Not to have wrong or narrow preconceived Idea

                5.2 Not to win at all cost

                5.3 Not to have closed mind or stubbornness

The Potter's Clay

•    Why do you think God uses clay and not other materials?
-->  Clay is a kind of soil; we humans are created from dust of the ground [Gen 2: 7]

•    What does the clay symbolizes?
-->Life, character, heart and basically almost everything!

•    But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. [verse 4]
--> When comes into shaping and molding, there is none expert other than our God. God created us, the ultimate being to reign over life forms [Gen 1: 26].--> the potter [God] has to work patiently and carefully with his clay so that He will be able to make vessels of many designs [character] and for many uses [His purposes]. However, sometimes the clay became marred as it took shape in the potter’s hand. When that happened, the potter reworked the clay and starts to mold it again.

•    He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. [verse 6]
-->  God is trying to remind us that our clay [lives, characters, careers] in His hands. God is asking us to entrust the “clays” into His hands.
-->Sometimes we are stubborn where we refuse to let God to change our live. We refused to be molded instead trying to use our own strength to mold ourselves when the potter tries to shape us into a useful vessel. If he is unable to mold us into the person He desire, we will be as useless as a lump of clay.

•    If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed,  and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned [verse 7 & 8]

-->When you repent from the evil, wicked and sinful ways, God will hold His punishment. If allow God to change us, God will slowly mold you over time [verse 3]…Do you see the love and patience of God?

•    “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the LORD says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ [verse 11]

--> we harden our hearts to the 'molding' of God, we will become too hard to even change, that's when God will have no choice but to need to step in and break us by setting trials for us,so that we can become soft again. It’s a painful process and we often question God why such disaster befall us, but it is because God wants to shape us in a better character and the old one is too stubborn and insensitive. So have a submissive heart only then God will be able to start to work on us to make us more like Him. Not to cry over mistakes and sins done, but let those bumps and cracks in a piece of pottery to be worked by our potter to smoothen the lumps and bumps. Don’t see trials as problems, but another opportunity for God to make us a strong and durable vessel.

Conclusion
•    Our life is like a clay in the hands of a potter and many times we fail to realize that God is shaping us to have a better character, the lesson is to help people to be submissive and sensitive to the workings of God in our lives.
•    Analogy of forming clay products.
•    so always be sensitive to God and allow Him to shape our lives, let God bring us through in this process of molding and do not resist Him.

Extraordinary Attitudes

Introduction

 When we talk about Christians no doubt that we are ordinary people who walk among the prebelievers, but what makes us special are the extraordinary beginning and our extraordinary attitudes. For us to make an impact or to be the salt and the light of the world, we do need extraordinary attitudes. And yes, YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST ORDINARY by having these attitudes! This book of Ruth teaches us some extraordinary attitudes as well:

1. Loyalty Beyond Duty  (Ruth 1: 14-18)

How do you define the words duty and loyalty when they come across your mind? According to the dictionary, the word duty defines as an act comes from a sense of moral obligation while the word loyalty defines abut an allegiance to a person or something. In an easier way of understanding, duty says “ought to” but loyalty says “want to”. In verse 16-17, we are able to observe Ruth’s extraordinary loyalty whereby she continued and persist to stay with Naomi until the end. In the old testament, a deceased man’s wife will be inherit by the kinsman redeemer, but if there’s no kinsman redeemer to inherit them, they will be” released” for fulfilling their responsibilities. Ruth would have left her mother-in-law like Orpah [her sister-in-law] did, but she did not. Instead, she even begged Naomi not to urge her to leave Naomi and said “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Therefore, in application of this verse in our relationship with God, God appreciates a person’s sense of duty but He prefers a deep loyalty over duty. An example to illustrate this point is a relationship of a husband and wife, do you get married just because to fulfill the sense duty of a boyfriend or because you are deep in love and loyal to your spouse? Brothers and sisters, duty [serving ministry] alone won’t go far and cause you to worn out even faster in life, BUT loyalty will get you further. Through loyalty, we will stick with God and able to have a genuine relationship with God. God will reveal His heartbeat to His people whom He closes with.

2. Courageous Proactiveness (Ruth 2:2-7)

Proactiveness brought a definition of acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty; anticipatory where courage (also bravery, boldness, fearlessness, mettle, fortitude, or intrepidity) is the ability to confront, fear, danger, pain,uncertainty, or intimidation. Courage will mostly function or work when there’s a situation prompt us to be, but proactiveness is based on our own initiative. Ruth has shown her courage and proactiveness in verse 2- 7. She was proactive in seeking for food for Naomi and herself despite being a stranger in the land and depending on other people for survival. Do remember always that a person can be courageous and not to be proactiveness and vice-versa. For this, we need to have the conviction in our own and the holy spirit to change our heart, because through His spirit and His strength (power) we are able to change our character [2 Timothy 1:7]. Brothers and sisters, does this strikes you that you need to have both; courage and proactiveness simultaneously in our life?

3.  Postured in Humility (Ruth 2: 10-13)

Ruth showed her humility in verse 10, where she bowed down with her face to the ground greeting Boaz the owner of the land she is gleaning. Besides, in verse 13 she said “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” In this verse we realized that she knows her identity as foreigner who came from Moab; she acknowledges and respects the owner of the land (Boaz). Through  verse 13 we also know that humility is the key of finding favour in people’s eye. Pastor Wilson shared the three types of humility. The first type of humility is called the “poor humility” where an individual felt a sense of inadequacy and inferiority. Normally this humility will be shown by an individual where he/she is in the disadvantage situation. For example, Gideon in the book of Judges; “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” [Judges 6:15]. The second type of humility is called “rich humility” is demonstrated by Abraham whereby a proper sense of who we actually are before God. And finally, the last type of humility is called the “fabulous humility” where we maintain a humble attitude with determination and discipline in order to submit to God. In conclusion to this point, God will find favour in us and all of our deeds for Him when we postured in humility. I know sometimes is difficult to be humble especially you are someone in the society either big or small, it is always easy to humble when you are nobody.

4. Untiring Diligence (Ruth 2: 7, 17-18)

In these verses, the bible is trying to portray Ruth harvested diligently from morning to night. She not only harvested the barley, but she also went the extra mile to process it until was in a usable form. I believe God is trying to speak to us through the bible that we have to work diligently and He is looking for diligence in each individual. And I also believe that He is looking for people who are willing to be used by Him as a vessel and being sent into the harvest field. Though sometimes we are being rejected by the people/the community when spreading the gospel, it is God they are rejecting not you. Furthermore, do not be discouraged by those circumstances because you have not FAILED , BUT YOU HAVE FOUND WAYS THAT ARE NOT WORKING! So never give up in any course, as treat them as a process to grow~

5.Trusting & Principled Obedience (Ruth 3: 1-9)

When is the last time you ever said “I will do whatever you say” with full of faith and without questioning God in whatever God is asking you to do? In the bible; the book of Ruth 3: 5-6, Ruth obediently trust Naomi with full of faith and without questioning Naomi in the tasks she is asked to do. She said “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.  So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.” Ruth entrusted her future into Naomi’s hands, trusting and following everything as Naomi instructed. We too, can respond to these two verses by obediently trust God’s decision, obeying and carry out everything God has asked us to do. During the service, Pastor Wilson shared about the ways obedience can be imparted in an individual. Obedience can be forced externally, out of duty, principled and can flow out of trust.

Conclusion

God looks for loyalty, courage, proactiveness, humility, diligent and obedient sons and daughters. Brothers and sisters, our God is an extraordinary God where He is able to do extraordinary things through ordinary people that willing to submit and follow Him fully.