I just got back from a 3 day conference held at Sarang Church in Anaheim. It was a pastor's conference themed: "Evangelism and the Gospel Centered Church." The conference was a great time of renewal and conviction for me.
It has now been a month since we started a corporate prayer & fast. Where should this lead toward and how should it affect the people of Hillside Ministry? The answer is living in the gospel and living for the gospel and living out the gospel.
God's word in Colossians 1:27 says, "...to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians uses the term mystery on several occasions. The mystery of the gospel was being revealed through the ministry of Paul to the Gentiles. It was a mystery b/c Jesus had not yet come. The gospel was still veiled to most of the Jews during the time of Jesus. But this gospel has been disclosed to the saints (the believers). The church possesses intimate knowledge of this gospel hence bears the awesome responsibility to disseminate effectively and powerfully the message of this mystery.
The intentionality of our witness as Christians in revealing this mystery must be questioned - have we really experienced the gospel the Bible talks about? If we are truly experiencing the gospel then the work of salvation should continue its effect of bringing people to the Cross and reconciling them to God through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We share not b/c we are not living by the gospel. Is the gospel the power of God unto salvation or are you still trying to figure out the mystery of the gospel?
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Day 25
I received a call today from our sister Sophia Lee who was taken to the ER for a severe headache. Fortunately, her CAT scan did not find anything wrong but they recommended she see a neurologist. We need to pray for Sophia and her well being.
In the book of James 5:14-15 it records:
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
We see in this passage that we are encouraged to pray for the sick. In fact the leaders of the church are called together to pray for the sick and anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer we offer for the sick must be in faith as any other prayer offered but it is up to the Lord how He will restore the sick. Somehow even sickness causes us to draw closer to God and bring family and friends closer.
I pray that God will be with Sophia tonight so that she would rest and that God's healing touch and peace be upon her.
In the book of James 5:14-15 it records:
14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.
We see in this passage that we are encouraged to pray for the sick. In fact the leaders of the church are called together to pray for the sick and anoint the sick with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer we offer for the sick must be in faith as any other prayer offered but it is up to the Lord how He will restore the sick. Somehow even sickness causes us to draw closer to God and bring family and friends closer.
I pray that God will be with Sophia tonight so that she would rest and that God's healing touch and peace be upon her.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Day 24
When we think of today's families what comes to mind is "broken." The gay agenda is to redefine marry altogether and include same sex marriages as equal to man/woman marriages. Even without the push for the redefining of marriage, families are already in crisis. Divorce, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and misguided parenting are only some of the problems all too many families face. The result of these problems create a generation of wounded children who in turn act out what was done to them and the vicious cycle of the family in crisis is repeated more than not.
Joseph in the Bible came from a complex family - a dysfunctional family at best. He had eleven brothers and one sister. All of them except for one brother came from different mothers. To make problems worse, Joseph was daddy's favorite. He wore a multi-colored coat that made him stand out and he would tell of his dreams of one day ruling over all of his brothers and even his parents. His brothers had murderous thoughts and planned to kill him but sold him instead to a caravan going down to Egypt. After many years of trial and testing, Joseph arises as prime minister of Egypt and second in command of the empire. What his brothers intended for bad was used by the Lord for the salvation of not only Joseph's family but all the neighboring people during the seven year famine.
We don't know why God allows such pain to be inflicted on us through members of our family but what we do know is that God has a plan of working through the pain and sorrow to comfort and soothe a hurting world. The path of God's healing is through serving in personal ministry affecting the lives of others. God uses everything we've been through to further glorify His name and prove only He is the true and loving God.
Joseph in the Bible came from a complex family - a dysfunctional family at best. He had eleven brothers and one sister. All of them except for one brother came from different mothers. To make problems worse, Joseph was daddy's favorite. He wore a multi-colored coat that made him stand out and he would tell of his dreams of one day ruling over all of his brothers and even his parents. His brothers had murderous thoughts and planned to kill him but sold him instead to a caravan going down to Egypt. After many years of trial and testing, Joseph arises as prime minister of Egypt and second in command of the empire. What his brothers intended for bad was used by the Lord for the salvation of not only Joseph's family but all the neighboring people during the seven year famine.
We don't know why God allows such pain to be inflicted on us through members of our family but what we do know is that God has a plan of working through the pain and sorrow to comfort and soothe a hurting world. The path of God's healing is through serving in personal ministry affecting the lives of others. God uses everything we've been through to further glorify His name and prove only He is the true and loving God.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Day 23
After reading half way through Genesis, I am reminded again of God's grace in calling Abram into the redemptive history of humankind. Before Abram was the father of many nations (the meaning of Abraham), before receiving the promise of having a son through his barren wife Sarai, before he became rich and powerful, before he had his own army and before he attempted to offer up Isaac as a human sacrifice to God, Abram receives the promise from God. What did he do to warrant such a blessing?
Gen 12:1-3 records, "Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Is this not God's grace at work in the life of Abram? It is the same grace that found you and me lost and wandering through life not knowing why we exist. This grace of the gospel is a grace that will not leave us the same as it found us. Our identity and disposition will change through the grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. It is a grace that blesses and touches the lives of others. God blessed Abram so that he may be a blessing. In the same way every believer has been saved and given life so that we become the channel of blessing to a dying world. Abraham lived a life that demonstrated God is faithful in fulfilling everything he said he would do. Every Christian is living under the same Abrahamic blessing.
Gen 12:1-3 records, "Now the Lord had said to Abram: Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curse you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Is this not God's grace at work in the life of Abram? It is the same grace that found you and me lost and wandering through life not knowing why we exist. This grace of the gospel is a grace that will not leave us the same as it found us. Our identity and disposition will change through the grace offered to us in Jesus Christ. It is a grace that blesses and touches the lives of others. God blessed Abram so that he may be a blessing. In the same way every believer has been saved and given life so that we become the channel of blessing to a dying world. Abraham lived a life that demonstrated God is faithful in fulfilling everything he said he would do. Every Christian is living under the same Abrahamic blessing.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Day 21
Reflecting on today's message delivered by Pastor Sean on the "Heart of God," I was refreshed through God's word that the track record for His revelation of love to his chosen people and the rest of humanity continues today. God's love demonstrated in the ultimate sacrifice of his only Son Jesus Christ is an undeniable fact. It is a difficult issue to resolve why some accept this love and others do not - this should not be our primary pursuit. Our purpose in the plan of God is to reflect as much of his glory in and through our lives to a dying and dark world who seeks Truth. The means God uses to show His love is through his church. What the church should never lack is the love of God surging among its people and permeating every thought and action. What love is this? It is the love of Christ we experience through the Cross of Calvary. There is no greater demonstration of heavenly/Godly love than God-man dying a sacrificial death on behalf of sinners. Our interactions with the world should be saturated in and motivated by love. Who are you loving with the love of Christ today?
Friday, January 19, 2007
Day 19
John C Maxwell says, "Leadership is influence, no more no less." If this is a principle of leadership, then every single Christian is a leader because we influence the world around us for the sake of Christ. Jesus’ use of the term "servant" was synonymous with greatness and Christian leadership. We may think that we are effective leaders, but in fact we are not. Greatness comes by serving and leadership comes by being slave of all. If you aspire to be a person of influence or in other words to be a Christian leader, then you should be asking the question, "How effectively and lovingly am I serving others around me?"
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Day 18
In our Bible study tonight Part II of John Murray's Redemption Accomplished and Applied was presented. The order of salvation was presented as follows:
Calling
Regeneration
Faith/Repentance
Justification
Adoption
Sanctification
Perseverance
Glorification
When was the last time you thought about the depth and mystery of God's grace in His work of salvation in you? Every believer must wrestle with scriptural texts relating to our salvation and the salvation of others. Here are some points on calling, regeneration and faith/repentance:
Calling
- It is God the Father who calls his people and ushers us into fellowship with Christ.
- The call of God is efficacious unto salvation.
- God is the author and it is act of God alone.
- God planned it and he does the calling.
- The call ensures perseverance b/c its grounded in security of God’s purpose and grace.
- Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Romans 8:30 "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Regeneration
- renewing of heart/mind – a radical transformation
- God the father calls we must answer the call
- No one who is dead in sin can answer the call
- Ezekiel 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
- We do not choose to be born but was begotten.
- Holy Spirit bears or begets when and where he pleases.
- We are passive in regeneration
- Regeneration is the beginning of all saving grace in us and all saving grace in exercise on our part
- Only the regenerate can claim JC as Lord – this is one way the Holy Spirit glorifies JC.
Faith/Repentance
- faith in the Christ is the 1st evidence of regeneration
- faith is not the act of God – it is the sinner who believes in Christ
- God’s grace enables us to believe but faith is an activity on the part of the person and of him alone
- God alone regenerates – we alone believe
- We believe in Christ alone for salvation
- Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"
- faith is a whole-souled movement of self commitment to Christ for salvation from sin and its consequences
- universally all are called to repent
- Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’"
- Ezekiel 18:23,32 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”
- we don’t entrust ourselves to Christ b/c we believe we have been saved but as lost sinners we have faith in Christ so that we may be saved
- faith and repentance are interdependent
- if faith is directed to salvation from sin, there must be a hatred of sin and desire to be saved from it
- hatred of sin involved repentance (turning from sin to God)
- repentance consists essentially in change of heart, mind and will of God, ourselves, sin and righteousness
- repentance is the response of turning from sin to God
- through faith we receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation
Calling
Regeneration
Faith/Repentance
Justification
Adoption
Sanctification
Perseverance
Glorification
When was the last time you thought about the depth and mystery of God's grace in His work of salvation in you? Every believer must wrestle with scriptural texts relating to our salvation and the salvation of others. Here are some points on calling, regeneration and faith/repentance:
Calling
- It is God the Father who calls his people and ushers us into fellowship with Christ.
- The call of God is efficacious unto salvation.
- God is the author and it is act of God alone.
- God planned it and he does the calling.
- The call ensures perseverance b/c its grounded in security of God’s purpose and grace.
- Matthew 22:14 "For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Romans 8:30 "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Regeneration
- renewing of heart/mind – a radical transformation
- God the father calls we must answer the call
- No one who is dead in sin can answer the call
- Ezekiel 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."
- We do not choose to be born but was begotten.
- Holy Spirit bears or begets when and where he pleases.
- We are passive in regeneration
- Regeneration is the beginning of all saving grace in us and all saving grace in exercise on our part
- Only the regenerate can claim JC as Lord – this is one way the Holy Spirit glorifies JC.
Faith/Repentance
- faith in the Christ is the 1st evidence of regeneration
- faith is not the act of God – it is the sinner who believes in Christ
- God’s grace enables us to believe but faith is an activity on the part of the person and of him alone
- God alone regenerates – we alone believe
- We believe in Christ alone for salvation
- Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God"
- faith is a whole-souled movement of self commitment to Christ for salvation from sin and its consequences
- universally all are called to repent
- Ezekiel 33:11 "Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’"
- Ezekiel 18:23,32 "Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live. For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”
- we don’t entrust ourselves to Christ b/c we believe we have been saved but as lost sinners we have faith in Christ so that we may be saved
- faith and repentance are interdependent
- if faith is directed to salvation from sin, there must be a hatred of sin and desire to be saved from it
- hatred of sin involved repentance (turning from sin to God)
- repentance consists essentially in change of heart, mind and will of God, ourselves, sin and righteousness
- repentance is the response of turning from sin to God
- through faith we receive and rest upon Christ alone for salvation
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
