Today's preaching was awesome. Somehow when pastor Jo preach, it always kept me at the edge of my seat and time seems to stand still. I am not exaggerating. I was really engrossed in today's sermon.
His style of unrivalling the truth of the Word of God to make it understandable, get the big picture and then help you make sense out of it - makes it easier to apply. It is sort of letting the Word speak for itself, instead of adding too many other things to make it "look cool". The Word is already good, we don't have to make it better, just explain it out.
Today's sermon was about Nehemiah 2:1-11
How Nehemiah turned his burden into action. He was burdened for the ruins of Jerusalem, he fasted and wept but that still bothered after months. Then he was sad in the King's presence and he took the right opportunity to act courageously. The fact was that he waited for the right opportunity to act instead of rush into things. This principle of waiting for God's right timing is very important.
People who wants to change things may have the impulse to act. They are acting with passion. But people who succeeded in bringing glory to God such as Queen Esther, Nehemiah, Paul and Jesus waited for the right opportunity.
Being rash is a sin and a foolish thing though there will be situations when we FEEL so much to act. Being able to hold up is wisdom. Pastor Jo gave the example of how Jesus maximised the glory unto God by delaying to go to Lazarus even when he was seriously ill. He waited till he was dead then he went! He knew what God had in mind (this is not to say that we delay helping people).
Esther too, waited for the right time to meet the King to give her request. She fasted and prayed and get people to pray with her (same as Nehemiah) and then made herself look probably cute and lovely and the King saw her and called to her.
There is just so much insight to the Word of God. When the Word is being expounded, its just like you just saw something that you didn't noticed it was there all along!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Friday, February 20, 2009
Believed some people have heard terrible news recently. But the vision of God stays strong and we are still in the business of serving God and His people. And I think we can still be obsessed about building strong and biblical churches! BSB Church.
So I am going to turn this blog into a church growth and discussion blog. tag boards are gonna be added. We are going to give some guiding principles here and heavily require your input too. We can discuss about methodologies being practiced and how to apply the truth in wisdom. But I do hope no trouble makers come and create controversies etc...
Let's have a new hope in whatever we are doing for the Kingdom. Thanks.
So I am going to turn this blog into a church growth and discussion blog. tag boards are gonna be added. We are going to give some guiding principles here and heavily require your input too. We can discuss about methodologies being practiced and how to apply the truth in wisdom. But I do hope no trouble makers come and create controversies etc...
Let's have a new hope in whatever we are doing for the Kingdom. Thanks.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A Cell group Church or a church with Cell group?
I went to Trumpet Praise to buy some stuffs and ended up buying some books two Saturdays ago. I bought a book which I’m quite proud of – the 50 years of Ministry by Cho Yonggi, the pastor of the largest church in the world.
This book tells alot about what he thinks/felt as he reflect upon his own ministry and what God has done through him. Though its only less than 170 pages, it contained many valuable lessons we can glean from.
Cho said that there was a point in time in ministry he was very sick. So sick he could not lead the church and work because he has been overworking for very long. At that time he was only in his late twenties. So he was thinking at home, fasting and praying how to grow the church even more and not have to overwork himself. Previously he was doing everything himself. He feels that he was anointed therefore he is the one that God has to use. But God spoke to him one day through the story of the Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses.
This is very interesting.
Exodus 18:13-27
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?"
15 Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws."
17 Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied."
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
This became a rhema word to Cho and he started to ponder about this. He needs to select leaders to train and empower them, but he is still the head of the them as he follows Christ the Head of the church. But how do to do this? To appoint leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens?
Then he read about the church in Acts. They have 3000 converts in one single day and it was obvious to him that they gathered in homes of the people and since there is no common place to gather all the disciples together in Scripture. Therefore there is definitely some leaders over each house meeting. This is where the Home group concept was birthed out. And he envision them to multiply like cells, a living organism, therefore coined the term “cell group”
So he chosen some people as leaders and commissioned them to lead the cell groups. In the early stage, there were no sophistication about cell groups. There was no open, pour, shake, no defined programs, Cho even felt that the cell group lacked details but he really felt it was from God. So they went ahead. He charged them to simply do what a servant of God should do – pray for people (the sick and everyone with needs); teach/counsel with the Word of God; meet the people’s needs; spread and share the Gospel.
amazingly, after the implementation of the cell groups by dividing them into take charge of different parts of the city, the Gospel spread even faster and many more people came to know Jesus through the cell groups. Members will witness together, gather together to eat and share lives, then leadership is also being trained. Instead of training new pastors last time, now each cell leader has to rise up new leaders when the cell group split because of growth. The growth quickly escalate from 6000-10000. There is one point, in three years’ time, it grew from 10,000 to 100,000 and then to 300, 000.
The motivation of each cell group and thus the arithmetic that is being derived is in fact, very simple. If they set goals per six-month for example, and the leadership/relationship is strong, he can motivate each cell group to witness and win for the Lord one household. One household may consists of 4 person. So the cell groups did this (pray for people (the sick and everyone with needs); teach/counsel with the Word of God; meet the people’s needs; spread and share the Gospel) to that one household. A 1000 people for a start will soon grow to 4000 people. The next year, they became even more bold, to witness to two households. They kept that focus clear and continued as usual. They grew exponentially.
Well, as we can see here. Cell group is like a strategy, more than a program that a church has. Its a strategy to win the unreached and engage members to group together for close relationships so they can serve in ministry together. In fact, when the momentum is up, leadership renewal is continuous, and the sight of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth is not lost, the dividing of cells cannot stop, ceteris peribus.
This is Biblical. It raises more leaders and therefore causes the church grow even stronger. When persecution comes, they have one another for support. Too often nowadays, we look at how much crowd we can gather at one place or how many people attends service. A cell group church looks at how many are committed to sharing the Gospel and Jesus in each cell. That is the statistic we should be looking at if we want to outgrow ourselves.
However I think there are some elements that need to be present so that it is a cell group church and not a church with a cell group program.
1. The vision of the church needs to be set on spreading the Gospel.
It is ideal the cell group is target-focused by each being concentrated to an area of a city to want to spread the Gospel to that part of the city. Each cell takes one part until the whole body has a Gospel cell in it.
2. The leadership of every cell needs to be strong to carry out the goals set by the top leadership.
Definition of ‘strong’ here means the leaders have relationship with each member and is helping each member fulfill their potential.
3. It requires district leaders to help the senior pastor oversee the growth and health of a number of cell goups. This will reinforce the proximity of doctrine and vision/goals from the church. District leaders also serves to tabulate the statistics when it is too large such as Cho’s church now has 25000 cells.
Many churches do not find the cell group concept powerfully acting in their locality in terms of growth may be because they do not have these elements or vision. That is why they have a cell group that meets every week to go through a program. The cell leaders needs to have a leader that has a clear goals for them, like a “brain” that motivates and sets the goals for them to carry out within a specified timeline. On the other hand, they need to empowered by the pastor and given certain autonomy.
20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. 21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
The vision of the whole city/country needs to be very clear as well. They are looking prospectively to Jesus 2nd coming.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Hope in ideal amidst the reality
I'm here at Elias Road to do my first new year visitation cum night cycling. I don't know should I go night cycling cause my cousin needs to go to church tomorrow morning. hmmm..
Wonder what to do when there is bad news? Give thanks.
Giving thanks is one of the or the best antidote to a sorrowful spirit. We give thanks to what God has blessed us in other areas and what His infinite wisdom has in every situation that we cannot comprehend. He is good.
When I arrived here just now, my aunt (ex Hope Chiangmai member) told me "quick... Rong En!!" I was thinking who is Rong En??? Then the innocence of little kids that can lift up the human spirit - Micah - He's on webcam!! I shall record it down here - I was greeted as "Uncle Leslie" for the first time in my life! Kids are wonderful people. If you set a good example and care for them properly as fathers and mothers, they will become useful and great people - living fulfilled lives and being responsible people who will in turn lead the next generation. Often, we judge the greatness of people by their qualifications in the academia or social standing or wealth. But God judges people who have the right hearts! People who will live and stand righteously for Him... That is what makes the society better, not just the economy. Using money as solutions is just oh so temporary. So, back to kids, I think parents are just such a great role model and playing a noble role. Most people will have the chance to take on this role as they mature. Unfortunately, we've seen beautiful kids with violent and irresponsible parents, that resulted in kids growing up and wrecking the society to a worse level.
A few sundays ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop and a bus stopped just right outside the coffeee shop. This is because gangsterism had just happened inside the bus and the driver made the decision to get them off the bus. Even after alighting, the two boys even tried to board the bus again to beat the other party.
Hey the world isn't in pretty good condition. The church isn't too. The church is made up of imperfect people. The ideal church and the glorious is only in my heart and mind so far. The reality is far from ideal. I still hope to give birth to a church/sheeps because a church has the covering of God and the possibility of true love and righteous ruling happening. (There are non-Christians that found true love too). Just like a parent knowing his/her child is not perfect, they will still wanna give birth. The instinctive basic human reason for that is to protect, to care, to nurture and see him/her do the same likewise. I see that happening similarly when we disciple others to be disciples not of myself, but disciples of Jesus Christ.
We must not give up hope in the institution God has founded no matter its being scorn by the world or being looked down upon. We need not be very gifted, but we need to be faithful til the end. The world has failed relationships, failed marriages, failed brought-ups and immorality... The church is like a hospital with a cure for all that is happening in the social arena.
Jesus likened His relationship with the church like that of marriage. So we should not lose hope in marriage or anything fundamentally good that is being instituted by God. Its not marriage at fault, its the people involved that is wrong. Its not the feelings alone but the commitment and character etc.. Its not the church that is wrong, its elements in the Bible missing or the leadership. These are human errors that the Faithful can help to prevent. The church is likened to a nation. A nation being ruled by God. All that is happening now seems to be "shedding skin" for what is to come. His Second coming and the New World.
Let's have hope, let's strive, let's desire to build ourselves and the people around us deep and rooted in the world. Be people who initiate to change the world!
Wonder what to do when there is bad news? Give thanks.
Giving thanks is one of the or the best antidote to a sorrowful spirit. We give thanks to what God has blessed us in other areas and what His infinite wisdom has in every situation that we cannot comprehend. He is good.
When I arrived here just now, my aunt (ex Hope Chiangmai member) told me "quick... Rong En!!" I was thinking who is Rong En??? Then the innocence of little kids that can lift up the human spirit - Micah - He's on webcam!! I shall record it down here - I was greeted as "Uncle Leslie" for the first time in my life! Kids are wonderful people. If you set a good example and care for them properly as fathers and mothers, they will become useful and great people - living fulfilled lives and being responsible people who will in turn lead the next generation. Often, we judge the greatness of people by their qualifications in the academia or social standing or wealth. But God judges people who have the right hearts! People who will live and stand righteously for Him... That is what makes the society better, not just the economy. Using money as solutions is just oh so temporary. So, back to kids, I think parents are just such a great role model and playing a noble role. Most people will have the chance to take on this role as they mature. Unfortunately, we've seen beautiful kids with violent and irresponsible parents, that resulted in kids growing up and wrecking the society to a worse level.
A few sundays ago, I was sitting in a coffee shop and a bus stopped just right outside the coffeee shop. This is because gangsterism had just happened inside the bus and the driver made the decision to get them off the bus. Even after alighting, the two boys even tried to board the bus again to beat the other party.
Hey the world isn't in pretty good condition. The church isn't too. The church is made up of imperfect people. The ideal church and the glorious is only in my heart and mind so far. The reality is far from ideal. I still hope to give birth to a church/sheeps because a church has the covering of God and the possibility of true love and righteous ruling happening. (There are non-Christians that found true love too). Just like a parent knowing his/her child is not perfect, they will still wanna give birth. The instinctive basic human reason for that is to protect, to care, to nurture and see him/her do the same likewise. I see that happening similarly when we disciple others to be disciples not of myself, but disciples of Jesus Christ.
We must not give up hope in the institution God has founded no matter its being scorn by the world or being looked down upon. We need not be very gifted, but we need to be faithful til the end. The world has failed relationships, failed marriages, failed brought-ups and immorality... The church is like a hospital with a cure for all that is happening in the social arena.
Jesus likened His relationship with the church like that of marriage. So we should not lose hope in marriage or anything fundamentally good that is being instituted by God. Its not marriage at fault, its the people involved that is wrong. Its not the feelings alone but the commitment and character etc.. Its not the church that is wrong, its elements in the Bible missing or the leadership. These are human errors that the Faithful can help to prevent. The church is likened to a nation. A nation being ruled by God. All that is happening now seems to be "shedding skin" for what is to come. His Second coming and the New World.
Let's have hope, let's strive, let's desire to build ourselves and the people around us deep and rooted in the world. Be people who initiate to change the world!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Come to the Father..
This morning this song was on my mind. And I thought it really apt since this year's Christmas theme is "The Gift"
Before the world began, You were on His mind.
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son
Everything was done, So you would come.
Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Nothing you can do could make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done could make Him close the door.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.
Come to the Father though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Everyone is spreading the message of love this Christmas. I am always amazed how God arranges things and events so people would come to Him. Yesterday my mum shared to me a testimony of how she met someone a few times and then decided to invite her to church. She didn't intend to as she wasn't very close to her but decided to anyway. And didn't expect that her son was actually the pastor of her church! My mum's (direct)pastor is the fellow student of that person's son, who is also a pastor. Hope I didn't get you confused... And the woman then reckoned God's will in her life that it was just so "coincidental" to come to the church even though she didn't accept her son's previous invitations...
Even my mum is evangelizing!
From the morning of monday onwards, my feet was really painful. I couldn't walk properly at all. It seemed like at the balls of my feet, there is a muscular pain within. Everytime I walk a step, I have to limp because if I walked normally, its really painful. I'm wondering why am I getting this when I've to go to a prayer meet later on and people were like telling me that when they see a foot reflexologist it might take a few days to weeks to heal.
Before the world began, You were on His mind.
And every tear you cry is precious in His eyes.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son
Everything was done, So you would come.
Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Nothing you can do could make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done could make Him close the door.
Because of His great love, He gave His only Son.
Everything was done so you would come.
Come to the Father though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives, He will take them all.
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come.
Everyone is spreading the message of love this Christmas. I am always amazed how God arranges things and events so people would come to Him. Yesterday my mum shared to me a testimony of how she met someone a few times and then decided to invite her to church. She didn't intend to as she wasn't very close to her but decided to anyway. And didn't expect that her son was actually the pastor of her church! My mum's (direct)pastor is the fellow student of that person's son, who is also a pastor. Hope I didn't get you confused... And the woman then reckoned God's will in her life that it was just so "coincidental" to come to the church even though she didn't accept her son's previous invitations...
Even my mum is evangelizing!
From the morning of monday onwards, my feet was really painful. I couldn't walk properly at all. It seemed like at the balls of my feet, there is a muscular pain within. Everytime I walk a step, I have to limp because if I walked normally, its really painful. I'm wondering why am I getting this when I've to go to a prayer meet later on and people were like telling me that when they see a foot reflexologist it might take a few days to weeks to heal.
But I was glad I still went to pray. Some Christians in the villages walked miles and they never complain. How can such a small thing stop us from going to church?
On the way back from prayer meet, Wendy was telling me she even went to church when her leg was in cast before! That's real commitment :)
The next day I went out with Karshun to get some gifts at Orchard and I am still limping haha and then someone handed me a sample of this cream "Dr Joint-Pain". I tried it before I slept and the next day it really felt so much better and by the time I was fetching my visitor, I could walk normally again! Thank God so much and thank God for the cream. Its just within 2 days!
Those with sports injuries, sisters who walk long distances and wear bad shoes, brothers who who overly exert themselves when playing sports and old folks who have joint problems may discover more about it. Free ad. The price of a 35g tube of it though, is S$22.90 at 7-11s.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
This week, there's much to thank God for...
Firstly on sunday, while in camp, Andrew gave a surprising call. He was in Jobb's birthday party and he said he has someone I would love to speak to! And indeed it was true! He got my ex-shepherd on the phone and I'm still grateful to this person (my ex shepherd) for the care and discipleship he has poured upon me while I was in NYP... What brother Andrew did was really glucose-like!
Lately there were some personnels who ORD-ed. And some of them I have built friendship bonds with through the weekend stay-ins and various times together. Initially I thought I couldn't fit in but gradually relationships were formed. Met two Christian friends and I guessed we impacted each other in some ways or another. One of them wrote to me that one of our conversations actually pulled him back from backsliding. It was a morning conversation, after breakfast, i remember. And it wasn't the kind of conversation you would like to have after breakfast and yet you were being thrusted into it ya know.. But thank God good has come out of it. Another Christian friend was from FCBC, he shared his struggles openly and we encouraged one another on. I once told him honestly before that bitterness and negativity has gotten into him. At that time, he dismiss it and didn't thought much about it but after one sunday svc, he texted every Christian in our bunk that God has spoken to me about that issue and he cried and repented. I was just so overwhelmed by his courage to do that and the desire to do what is right before the Lord. We know we will still keep one in touch...
There were other friends too who were non Christians and we hope to bring them into the sheep pen haha to meet the Shepherd. Not the butcher, lol. Some of them went teary though just weeks before they will tell you they can't wait to leave. Although, we will still look forward to a better future outside. However the friends made; I never regret to made them here. The people I know, the experiences I get, the things I've learnt etc are valuable too. When I share my share my experiences and happenings, they said its just good to experience it once. However, some things you will experience many times and at the times you dislike the most, you have the go through it... One of it is camouflaging your face. No one enjoys it. I think we'd rather put on female make-up than that cream all over our faces! The feeling, its just... indescribable.
On tuesday, I just slept on my bed with a smile..
I got gold for my IPPT earlier in the morning. Its been a while since I last ran and I wasn't confident for a gold. I just ran and by the first 50m or so, I already feel my legs becoming weak. But I just prayed to God to sustain me and thank God I was sustained throughout the run. After the run, I got cramps in my right leg.
Standing broad jump - 250cm
Shuttle run - 9.6 sec
Pull ups - 12
Sit ups - 41
2.4km - 9.40sec (5 sec to miss the gold)
On tuesday, it was also the 2nd time I prayed with a brother. He is younger than me by 2 years, a sincere and simply guy... I treat him like my sheep in camp. haha We always start by sharing what we've learnt about the Word... And each time, there's something we can learn and give to one another. This is the 2nd time and God never fail to add upon us. A freethinker was curious and came over to ask a few questions. Thereafter at 9pm, he went to watch "Xiao Niang Re" on channel 8 haha. Then a Catholic came and he shared his best friend died just last week. I got shocked because he seemed normal to me for the past week. Spiritual questions popped up and we tried to answer as best and as true to the Bible as we could. We prayed for one another. Really sense and enjoy the unity in the air - protestant and catholic.
Though the way we end off the prayer is different ya know but I think God is pleased we can gather in such a manner. As we all mature together in the Word, we all become more and more united. Whether, same church, same denomination or same division of Christianity... all will come closer to the Truth though now experientially there are still differences.
Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Firstly on sunday, while in camp, Andrew gave a surprising call. He was in Jobb's birthday party and he said he has someone I would love to speak to! And indeed it was true! He got my ex-shepherd on the phone and I'm still grateful to this person (my ex shepherd) for the care and discipleship he has poured upon me while I was in NYP... What brother Andrew did was really glucose-like!
Lately there were some personnels who ORD-ed. And some of them I have built friendship bonds with through the weekend stay-ins and various times together. Initially I thought I couldn't fit in but gradually relationships were formed. Met two Christian friends and I guessed we impacted each other in some ways or another. One of them wrote to me that one of our conversations actually pulled him back from backsliding. It was a morning conversation, after breakfast, i remember. And it wasn't the kind of conversation you would like to have after breakfast and yet you were being thrusted into it ya know.. But thank God good has come out of it. Another Christian friend was from FCBC, he shared his struggles openly and we encouraged one another on. I once told him honestly before that bitterness and negativity has gotten into him. At that time, he dismiss it and didn't thought much about it but after one sunday svc, he texted every Christian in our bunk that God has spoken to me about that issue and he cried and repented. I was just so overwhelmed by his courage to do that and the desire to do what is right before the Lord. We know we will still keep one in touch...
There were other friends too who were non Christians and we hope to bring them into the sheep pen haha to meet the Shepherd. Not the butcher, lol. Some of them went teary though just weeks before they will tell you they can't wait to leave. Although, we will still look forward to a better future outside. However the friends made; I never regret to made them here. The people I know, the experiences I get, the things I've learnt etc are valuable too. When I share my share my experiences and happenings, they said its just good to experience it once. However, some things you will experience many times and at the times you dislike the most, you have the go through it... One of it is camouflaging your face. No one enjoys it. I think we'd rather put on female make-up than that cream all over our faces! The feeling, its just... indescribable.
On tuesday, I just slept on my bed with a smile..
I got gold for my IPPT earlier in the morning. Its been a while since I last ran and I wasn't confident for a gold. I just ran and by the first 50m or so, I already feel my legs becoming weak. But I just prayed to God to sustain me and thank God I was sustained throughout the run. After the run, I got cramps in my right leg.
Standing broad jump - 250cm
Shuttle run - 9.6 sec
Pull ups - 12
Sit ups - 41
2.4km - 9.40sec (5 sec to miss the gold)
On tuesday, it was also the 2nd time I prayed with a brother. He is younger than me by 2 years, a sincere and simply guy... I treat him like my sheep in camp. haha We always start by sharing what we've learnt about the Word... And each time, there's something we can learn and give to one another. This is the 2nd time and God never fail to add upon us. A freethinker was curious and came over to ask a few questions. Thereafter at 9pm, he went to watch "Xiao Niang Re" on channel 8 haha. Then a Catholic came and he shared his best friend died just last week. I got shocked because he seemed normal to me for the past week. Spiritual questions popped up and we tried to answer as best and as true to the Bible as we could. We prayed for one another. Really sense and enjoy the unity in the air - protestant and catholic.
Though the way we end off the prayer is different ya know but I think God is pleased we can gather in such a manner. As we all mature together in the Word, we all become more and more united. Whether, same church, same denomination or same division of Christianity... all will come closer to the Truth though now experientially there are still differences.
Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Is it true that the songs that we hear when we were a new believer brought especially fond memories? I just bought a CD from online "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" first volume. It was a CD I remembered first bought by Daniel and Kar Shun at Life bookshop. At that time, I didn't know Life Bookshop was a Christian bookshop with many chain stores. Then KS and I were intrigued that "Christian also have bookshop ah". Now the book shop has closed down.
Then when they were buying this CD, the chicken that Daniel and KS bought from Cold Storage dropped outside Parkway Parade! But they hurriedly pick it up and continue eating haha. Then, we were as young as 13, lol.
When KS lent me the CD, then I started to appreciate the lyrics and grown a desire to worship God! The songs here are the first songs I heard from a Christian album!
I wonder does new believers today also remember in such detail their new experiences with the Lord and church friends together? I bet they will!
There are many intimate things that tie us closer to one another and to God. We are going to help all our new bros and sis to experience that too!
Then when they were buying this CD, the chicken that Daniel and KS bought from Cold Storage dropped outside Parkway Parade! But they hurriedly pick it up and continue eating haha. Then, we were as young as 13, lol.
When KS lent me the CD, then I started to appreciate the lyrics and grown a desire to worship God! The songs here are the first songs I heard from a Christian album!
I wonder does new believers today also remember in such detail their new experiences with the Lord and church friends together? I bet they will!
There are many intimate things that tie us closer to one another and to God. We are going to help all our new bros and sis to experience that too!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Vision
I am thinking about this thing called 'Vision' recently. I honestly feel a little inadequate or misfitted when I share about vision few saturdays ago. Is it because the vision have diluted?
As I survey the Bible and some real life examples of people who have vision, I think what I have now doesn't yet amount to a vision. Its probably a desire, probably something that it'll be fantastic to have but a vision is something you can see with your eyes, see it with your faith(Abraham believed his descendants will be numerous like the stars) and you will pour out your heart and life into it. A vision is really something more than just wanting to enlarge your group.
A vision should be something that we will be willing to pour our life into! Abraham believed God when God called him and he left his hometown immediately with his family, relatives and all his possessions!
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. "
Our vision should be God's vision, like Hope of God vision, which came from God and indeed the person believed. Now we have more churches than we ever thought we could have. But if our vision is really world vision, really God's vision, we will not stop here. We will not wanna compare with other churches or envy churches... We wanna run our own race! We should run to what God has been telling us all along - to build the church His way! Not just any standard will do.
When our vision is short of what God wants us to do, it will get stuck somewhere, some time. Some people's vision is only to get big numerically but they don't get the kind of picture that has the kind of quality, the kind that will erect and multiply into so many more. The kind that people love to go, not have to go, the kind that everyone is so committed to walking with God. When we hear of things such as people going to church because of programs that are fun, for girls, for friends... it just feels that they are missing out something so much more bigger! Wouldn't it be different to have a vision for your life that you can pour your whole life into it, like the man who sold everything to pursue God's Kingdom. Matthew 13:45-46
It will get stuck somewhere if people are not released and have the liberty to get into God's vision for the world! The question we have to ask is not how many we have now, we have to ask how many is going to stand with us on the last days! We should not focus on short term methods to grow and neglect the long term vision.
People must be growing spiritually and growing to walk with God. Only a community that is fully committed to God can change the world. The world sometimes scoff at the idea of church because they probably don't see any real value of the church or its because Christians are not setting the example to build the biblical church. That's why people's idea of church get distorted. We can't blame people.
If we are to seriously walk with God; simple humble and people who love one another and love God deeply, the kingdom of darkness will be afraid. We wanna obey Him fully. We are gentle yet aggressive. We wanna be a church that has a world vision worth giving your life for. I think that's just the ideal. Missions is a means. Going to missions trip is good and fantastic thing to see what God is doing. But if we don't have that vision, we are just looking at what God is doing in the world and peering at His exciting plan through a periscope.
Now what I'm describing is a dream, its a desire. We haven't reached the point where we give our lives to a vision. Some people may think this is fanatic but I think man has always been ideal. We can be as fanatic as the Bible allows us. People never think we can fly but the Wright brothers invented the airplane! If Jesus is real and He indeed gave us the Great Commission, why should we be acting like He is less. Jesus is worth living your life at the edge.
Now what I'm saying is a picture. Its probably cos there is the theoretical part and the exciting part in action. I am just like smelling what God is brewing but I'd really long for a specific vision that I can live for. As for all of us, let us continue to walk with God and love Him so much. Walk with Him faithfully and serve Him and you will find God reveal to you part by part and He will send you to fulfill that part of the vision that will change so many lives. God's world vision is too big for any one man to fulfill. Every one has a part to play. The stupid thing is to think we can do it without Him. God must be in the picture and it shouldn't be like just you doing your own thing, working your human way and try to by "brute force" trying to be fruitful. God should be real and alive in everything we do. Let us patiently and faithfully walk with Him, pray earnestly, learn the principles to serve Him and apply them. Amen.
As I survey the Bible and some real life examples of people who have vision, I think what I have now doesn't yet amount to a vision. Its probably a desire, probably something that it'll be fantastic to have but a vision is something you can see with your eyes, see it with your faith(Abraham believed his descendants will be numerous like the stars) and you will pour out your heart and life into it. A vision is really something more than just wanting to enlarge your group.
A vision should be something that we will be willing to pour our life into! Abraham believed God when God called him and he left his hometown immediately with his family, relatives and all his possessions!
Hebrews 11:8
"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. "
Our vision should be God's vision, like Hope of God vision, which came from God and indeed the person believed. Now we have more churches than we ever thought we could have. But if our vision is really world vision, really God's vision, we will not stop here. We will not wanna compare with other churches or envy churches... We wanna run our own race! We should run to what God has been telling us all along - to build the church His way! Not just any standard will do.
When our vision is short of what God wants us to do, it will get stuck somewhere, some time. Some people's vision is only to get big numerically but they don't get the kind of picture that has the kind of quality, the kind that will erect and multiply into so many more. The kind that people love to go, not have to go, the kind that everyone is so committed to walking with God. When we hear of things such as people going to church because of programs that are fun, for girls, for friends... it just feels that they are missing out something so much more bigger! Wouldn't it be different to have a vision for your life that you can pour your whole life into it, like the man who sold everything to pursue God's Kingdom. Matthew 13:45-46
It will get stuck somewhere if people are not released and have the liberty to get into God's vision for the world! The question we have to ask is not how many we have now, we have to ask how many is going to stand with us on the last days! We should not focus on short term methods to grow and neglect the long term vision.
People must be growing spiritually and growing to walk with God. Only a community that is fully committed to God can change the world. The world sometimes scoff at the idea of church because they probably don't see any real value of the church or its because Christians are not setting the example to build the biblical church. That's why people's idea of church get distorted. We can't blame people.
If we are to seriously walk with God; simple humble and people who love one another and love God deeply, the kingdom of darkness will be afraid. We wanna obey Him fully. We are gentle yet aggressive. We wanna be a church that has a world vision worth giving your life for. I think that's just the ideal. Missions is a means. Going to missions trip is good and fantastic thing to see what God is doing. But if we don't have that vision, we are just looking at what God is doing in the world and peering at His exciting plan through a periscope.
Now what I'm describing is a dream, its a desire. We haven't reached the point where we give our lives to a vision. Some people may think this is fanatic but I think man has always been ideal. We can be as fanatic as the Bible allows us. People never think we can fly but the Wright brothers invented the airplane! If Jesus is real and He indeed gave us the Great Commission, why should we be acting like He is less. Jesus is worth living your life at the edge.
Now what I'm saying is a picture. Its probably cos there is the theoretical part and the exciting part in action. I am just like smelling what God is brewing but I'd really long for a specific vision that I can live for. As for all of us, let us continue to walk with God and love Him so much. Walk with Him faithfully and serve Him and you will find God reveal to you part by part and He will send you to fulfill that part of the vision that will change so many lives. God's world vision is too big for any one man to fulfill. Every one has a part to play. The stupid thing is to think we can do it without Him. God must be in the picture and it shouldn't be like just you doing your own thing, working your human way and try to by "brute force" trying to be fruitful. God should be real and alive in everything we do. Let us patiently and faithfully walk with Him, pray earnestly, learn the principles to serve Him and apply them. Amen.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Good Shepherd, Bad Shepherd
Am currently listening to "A Pastoral Church" mp3 which I bought in Thailand. Learnt loads about being a good shepherd and bad shepherd. At one end, is Jesus the Good shepherd and the other, bad shepherds can become like the "devil" which destroys other people. There's such a great mantle in being a good shepherd because we love God and we love His flock.
We may not be like Jesus, nor are we like some bad shepherds in the Bible who lie, deceive and leads the sheep astray by taking advantage of them. But we may be somewhere in the middle and has many weaknesses that needs to be changed so that we will not lead our sheeps astray unintentionally!
Having a shepherding system in the church posesses some risks but also many benefits. We need to screen people so that there will not have bad shepherds that destroys God's flock. I realise that if we are too used to just tell people the things to do but by not telling from the Word of God, it is easy to lead people astray. We are also to not lead them our way, but God's way. People who lead their sheeps just their own way is prone to just meet their own agenda, for own benefit and self glory. There is so much to learn from the Great Shepherd - God our shepherd!
In Psalm 23, how King David soaks himself in the arms of His shepherd..
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Let us desire to be a great example to our flocks. It may seem we fall really short of God's idea of a Good Shepherd, but with dilligence and spirit of a shepherd, I believe the shepherd's heart will flow down.
We may not be like Jesus, nor are we like some bad shepherds in the Bible who lie, deceive and leads the sheep astray by taking advantage of them. But we may be somewhere in the middle and has many weaknesses that needs to be changed so that we will not lead our sheeps astray unintentionally!
Having a shepherding system in the church posesses some risks but also many benefits. We need to screen people so that there will not have bad shepherds that destroys God's flock. I realise that if we are too used to just tell people the things to do but by not telling from the Word of God, it is easy to lead people astray. We are also to not lead them our way, but God's way. People who lead their sheeps just their own way is prone to just meet their own agenda, for own benefit and self glory. There is so much to learn from the Great Shepherd - God our shepherd!
In Psalm 23, how King David soaks himself in the arms of His shepherd..
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Let us desire to be a great example to our flocks. It may seem we fall really short of God's idea of a Good Shepherd, but with dilligence and spirit of a shepherd, I believe the shepherd's heart will flow down.
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