They do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds.

They do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds.

Scripture:- the sins of Ephraim are exposed and the crimes of Samaria revealed. They practice deceit, thieves break into houses, bandits rob in the streets; but they do not realize that I remember all their evil deeds. Their sins engulf them; they are always before me Hosea 7:1-2

Observation:- Ephraim and Samaria sinned before the Lord. Two sins mentioned in this passage are deceit (lying and falsehood) and theft. Actually, three of the ten commandments are broken here. “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” speaks against lying and deceit. “You shall not steal” is clear enough. “You shall not covet” is broken because the thief must have coveted the things they went to steal. When Jesus came, He gave an even higher expectation of the law. If we even look lustfully at a woman, we have already committed adultery with her in our hearts. If we are angry with our brother, we are already as good as killing him. Many of us do not have a strong conviction of sin. Though we call ourselves Christians, many of us treat sin flippantly. Why be so worried with an extra sin or two if it will be forgiven anyway? When we think like that, it shows our attitude to sin.

We feel we are saved when we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus to save us. However, do we really know what it means to repent of our sins? To repent means to change our mind, to turn around 180 degrees, to turn away from sinful ways. Without true repentance, there is no true meaning in our Christian lives. It is hypocrisy, and we know it. Being saved and sinning all we want? It doesn’t make sense. Those who are truly saved hate sin. In Romans 12:9, Paul says “hate what is evil, cling to what is good”. Remember how Jesus warned at judgment day, there will be those who come to him saying “Lord, Lord” and He will say to them “I never knew you. Away from me, you evil-doers”. If we say we are Christians but still live in sin, do we not fear that we will be counted among the goats and rejected by Jesus? Galatians 5:19-21 says “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This is Paul talking to Christians. Revelation 21:8 is even more terrifying. “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Are we liars? Do we continue to practice deceit without any guilt? Beware the fiery lake! God has made a way for us to escape, but we must get on the boat and do our best to stay there. Flirting with sin is like putting a hand or a leg in the water. Who knows when we might fall in and fail to find our boat again?  

Now as long as we are in this world, we are still not yet perfect, and in our weakness, we do fall, we do sin. However, this is not an excuse. The genuine converts in the early church, and even those today experience a radical change in their lives. Tax collectors paid back those they had cheated. Those who smoke and get drunk, do so no longer. Those who are prone to fits of rage become gentle. No one is perfect, but those in Christ we are getting better and better, moving on from glory to glory. The point is that we must never become desensitized to sin. A sinner trapped in an addiction may fall in again and again out of human weakness, but he hates the sin, he wants to get out, as he perseveres and calls on Jesus, he will be set free finally but he must not give up. The Pharisees thought they were well saved but lived in greed, pride and covetousness. Pride prevents us from repenting. We need to be humble and stay close to Jesus, to be open to Him and let the Holy Spirit work in us to make us more and more like Jesus.

Application: Search ourselves to see if there is any sin in us that we are still clinging on to. Surrender it to Jesus, ask for His help to cure us, and make us new. Be open to God, and desire to be more and more like Jesus. Constantly, we need to make an effort to turn away from the things of the world, and look towards Jesus and seek God’s face.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times when I have made sin so flippant, and not giving full reverence to Your precious death for me. Let sin never be desensitized in my heart. Let Your Holy Spirit convict me, and lead me to Your paths of righteousness. Open my eyes where I am deceived. Give me a new heart that I might seek You. Let Your presence be so real in my life I pray, O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

He will bind up our wounds

He will bind up our wounds

Scripture: “Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

Observation: At the beginning of this chapter, we see the prophet Hosea call the people to repentance, to return to the Lord, who will be faithful to heal and restore those who return to Him.

The word “repent” in the Greek means to change one’s mind, and in Hebrew, to “turn around”. When we return to the Lord, it involves firstly a change in one’s mind and then the firm outward action to turn away from a previous course and move towards God. We cannot have one leg in two boats. True repentance involves a concrete, sure commitment to follow Jesus as Master and Lord. Many try to get the best of both worlds, but to follow God is to turn away from sin. When Jesus forgave the sinful women, he instructed her to leave her life of sin.

Many times, when things go smoothly and there is much success in the world, we tend to forget God and rely on our own strength. It is not until the pressures of life get to us and there is no where else to turn to that we remember God, and turn back to Him. Still, in spite of our human weakness, God is kind and just. He brings healing to those who seek Him, and binds up their wounds both physical and emotional. Some of us have deep emotional wounds even from childhood but God is able to heal us completely. We need only believe that He will do it. The Psalmist says “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds”. God is interested in bringing us whole healing, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual. When Jesus healed the leper, He reached out and touched him. The physical contact was part of Jesus healing him emotionally. Jesus went on to ask him to show himself to the priest to validate his healing from leprosy. Jesus was concerned that the leper would be healed socially as well. The Lord watches over every area of our lives.

What is the purpose of the Lord reviving and restoring us? It is so that we may live in His presence. Our God is a God of fellowship. He created us to have fellowship with Him. He walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. That was His desire from the beginning. Our aim in life should always to draw closer in fellowship with the Lord. That is where we find true purpose and meaning in life.

Hosea goes further to ask us to acknowledge the Lord, to press on to acknowledge Him. Sometimes it is hard to constantly be aware of the Lord’s presence and principles throughout the day. We need to press on, to not give up, but push forward as we seek God and His reality in our lives day by day!

The last verse speaks of God’s amazing faithfulness. Every rising of the sun, every gentle rain is a reminder to us of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Let us never forget to praise Him.

Application: Let us examine ourselves that we are in a state of repentance towards the Lord, having our minds and hearts turned towards God, and away from the worldly things of the earth. Some of us need healing! Believe that God is our Mighty God who heals the broken hearted and binds up our wounds. Declare and believe, and hope in our Lord. Know that we are created to have fellowship with God. Seek to have ever closer relationship with Him. Press on to acknowledge the Lord in every area of our lives, to let Him permeate our very being. Thank God for His amazing faithfulness and His mercies that are new every morning.

Prayer: Lord, may my heart and mind always be turned towards You. Keep me away from wayward things I pray. Heal me O Lord, for You are my Great Healer, who binds up my wounds and heals the brokenhearted. Let me grow ever closer in fellowship with You as I seek to know You more. Help me press on towards You. Let Your presence be so real in my life. Praise You, Lord for Your amazing love and faithfulness that is truly new every morning. In Jesus name, Amen.

Their deeds do not permit them

Their deeds do not permit them

Scripture: “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD. Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them. When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them. Hosea 5:4-6

Observation: In Hosea 5, the Lord continues his discourse against the people of Israel and even Ephraim. It is written that their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. The description of the deeds here show continuous sinful actions. If we continue to sin and stay stubbornly in sinful ways, how can we come to God? If we repent and come humbly to God, He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. However, we are saved not to continue in sinful ways, but to live new lives in obedience to God and in His ways. Jesus said “Remain in Me and I will remain in you.”. We have to remain in Jesus by obedience. We are not saved by works, we are totally saved by the great mercy and grace of God alone. Yet, we are saved unto good works. There is a purpose for our salvation, to become changed to become more and more like Jesus as we look forward to His coming again. Grace is not a license to sin, but a call to live holy lives for Jesus. We cannot be completely perfect in this sinful world, but our goal, our direction is always towards Jesus and His holiness. It can be a struggle, especially in sinful environments, but we are called to forget what is behind and press on, to persevere, to remain in Jesus and seek the final crown of salvation He has prepared for us.

The spirit of prostitution in the hearts of the Israelites is a lustful spirit. It led them to forsake the Lord and indulge in sexual immorality like the pagans around them. The Scriptures warns us of how very dangerous this is, and tells us to “flee from sexual immorality”. We cannot stay and hope to withstand this particular temptation. We have to get away quickly lest we fall.

The Israelites did not acknowledge the Lord. In Psalm 10:4, it is written, “In his pride, the wicked does not seek God. In all his thoughts, there is no room for God”. God is to be constantly in our minds throughout the day. What we think, what we do, what we say. God’s presence should always permeate us.

Moreover, the Israelites were arrogant. God hates arrogance. The arrogant cannot hope to seek God. His eyes are on the humble, the lowly, those who bow down before Him and hope in Him. Esau, the typical picture of the self-made, arrogant, powerful man could not please God. Jacob, despite his faults, humbled himself before God.

Application: We must not continue in deeds of sin. Where we are sinful, the Holy Spirit calls us to repent, and live life anew seeking to follow God’s ways. In all things, beware the spirit of prostitution and sexual immorality which cannot be underestimated. Flee from such circumstances of temptation.

In all our ways, acknowledge God. Keep the Lord in our minds throughout the day, seeking to please Him with our actions and words. Beware of arrogance and keep our hearts humble towards the Lord and to others.

Prayer: Lord, where I have sinned, forgive me. Lead me away from constant sin I pray. Let my heart always acknowledge you, let me be aware of Your presence throughout each day. Protect me from sin O Lord, especially from sexual immorality. Help me be humble and not think of myself more highly than I ought, but rather with good favor towards all I meet. Bless You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge

Scripture: My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

Observation: The passage today highlights one very important truth. People are destroyed from lack of knowledge. What is the main purpose of the Bible? It is to give knowledge to the people created by God so that they will know what is right and what they should do. Thus we are reminded again that we are to give close attention towards studying the Bible, and finding out what God requires of us and what is important to Him.

For years, men lived very short lives because of lack of knowledge about hygiene and lack of knowledge about medicine. Spiritually, there are so many with lack of knowledge of the truth, and therefore live in darkness. Jesus said that those who hold to His teaching will know the truth, and the truth will set them free. 

The Bible tells us that sin brings death and judgment and this is perpetuated through the Old Testament. In the New Testament, the remedy is clear - salvation from sin by believing in Jesus Christ. The Bible shows us what God is like, how great and faithful and loving He is. Yet it also shows us that those who continue to sin will perish amidst terrible judgment. The Bible even tells us what will happen in the last days, when great trouble will come upon the earth. Yet, those who are loyal to God and to His Son will receive a great inheritance after this time passes.

Application: Even we who think we are mature in Christ can be destroyed by lack of knowledge if we do not persevere in being grounded in the Word. In the last days, many will be easily swayed by wayward teachings, which have an appearance of godliness but are not of God. We need to search the Scriptures like the Bereans of old who looked to see if what the apostles said were true. Regular Bible Study in groups as well as personal quiet time is a fundamental cornerstone of growing strong and steady in the Lord. In all things let us pray to God for wisdom and knowledge, who gives generously to all without finding fault (James 1)

Prayer: Father God, there is so much I do not know, O how much I need Your wisdom. Open my eyes to learn more and more from Your Word, and give me a Spirit of Perseverance and Delight as I look to know You more and more. Protect us from wayward teachings and strengthen our fellowships in the Word where iron sharpens iron. May Your name be praised forever. In Jesus name, Amen.   

Origins and the Future of SIB

Origins and the Future of SIB

SIB, Pastor Chew/Elder Koon Tat 22/10/11,

Goshen, Elder Koon Tat 21/10/11

In 1977, Pastor Chew and Lee Choo went to Sabah and served there as doctors and in SIB for 14 years, and watched the church of SIB there grow tremendously and saw Pastor Dr Philip Lyn join the team. In 1991, both Pastors took a step of faith to pursue their theological studies in Vancouver, and in 1994, started off SIB KL as a small group of 15. In just 17 years, SIBKL has now grown into a church of 3,000, including children. Still, Pastor Chew highlighted that it is not about the numbers. Small is not strong, big is not strong, strong is strong. It is always about a church being strong in God, whether small or big. In those early years, the first major challenge facing SIB was time. Pastor Chew himself was still working as a gynecologist and Pastor Lee Choo was pediatrician. There was no full time pastor, and the members quickly found themselves working double time, serving God in the ministry as well as in their current jobs. Next, SIB experienced rapid growth when it shifted to Uptown in Damansara Utama from 1994-1997, increasing to 80 in just 6 months with some youth of the best quality, including Pastor Daniel, Pastor Andy and Pastor Linde. SIB were indeed blessed with very passionate and committed youths, from the start. SIB then moved on to CP Tower in 1998 and to her current building in 2006. Two early prophecies given to SIB in her early years was that a youth movement would come out of them, and that SIB would not just be a church, but a movement.

Elder Koon Tat shared how as a young Christian, he was on fire for the Lord, and went to conferences and heard speakers, growing very quickly as a result. While SIB was in uptown, Elder Koon Tat remembered one overnight prayer meeting where he suddenly had a tremendous prompting from God to say these words to the intercessors “this church is not brick and mortars”. What Elder Koon Tat did not realize was that the prophetic words uttered through him was a confirmation of something very important that the Pastor Chew and Pastor Lee Choo had been praying about. Just the next Friday at cell group, Elder Koon Tat found out to his great shock that based on the words he said, the leadership had taken it as confirmation to give away a whole building that someone had given SIBKL. Historically, SIB started as a church without walls, with sermons preached under a tree.

At that time, when the church leadership was looking for a bigger place for the church, they found an ideal location in Section 19, PJ which was just the right size. However, they were disappointed when they found out it was already sold but they continued to pray. And then in one prayer meeting, a man walked in and introduced himself as the buyer. He said he could feel no peace and had to let the church have it. It was a miracle! Still the building cost RM1.3 Million, which was a lot of money, and they had to settle the balance in 3 months. Earlier, someone had offered to help, and when the leadership approached him again, he surprisingly told them that his deal just went through a few days ago, and 10% of the deal was RM1.3 Million. It was a supernatural provision from God. What the leadership did not realize was that this gift of the building would become a critical test for them. Somehow, they began to feel that they should give the church to SIB Bahasa who were sharing the same premises with them at Uptown. It did not seem to make sense, but when Elder Koon Tat inadvertently uttered those words, Pastor Lee Choo took it as confirmation that it was the Lord’s will for them to do that. The Lord was dealing with the generosity of their spirit and their trust in Him.

After that, Elder Koon Tat became very cautious about what he said, and in the next 3 months, whenever Pastor Chew spoke to him, he mainly answered yes or no. When SIB decided to look for a new building, Elder Koon Tat worked extremely hard, perhaps due to a guilty conscience. It so happened that he found out that the top floor of CP Tower was available for rent and he was friends with the owner at that time, a very careful and prudent man. The market rental was about RM450 to RM550 per square feet at that time, which far exceeded what the church could afford. The congregation had grown to about 60 people, and they could only afford RM10,000 per month which was only a fourth of the market rental. Amazingly, the owner agreed to rent to SIB at that amount. Immediately, SIB received pledges to help pay the rental for the next 2 years. Amazingly, CP Tower was also greatly blessed as a result of helping the church. Siemens, who had been on the verge of signing a tenancy with the Luxor building chose CP Tower instead, taking 7 floors. Soon, the whole building was filled up with choice tenants.

Now CP also owned Eastin hotel. At that time, while still waiting for the Certificate of Fitness, Pastor Lee Choo had requested for a space to have a ladies’ conference. As the CF was not even out, SIB was allowed to use it for free. Still, with the conference due on Saturday, the CF was still not out by Wednesday. The church prayed and amazingly, all the approvals came on Thursday evening and the conference went ahead. Eastin Hotel went on to become one of the most profitable hotels in KL, having almost always a full house. Later, CP sold CP Tower but kept Eastin. CP also saw God’s hand by enabling him to purchase a partially constructed Queensbay Mall for only RM60m, and later sold it off for more than a billion. It was a testimony to CP that God blessed him when he blessed the church.

Every step of SIB’s journey, God hand was with her. The leadership always had a policy not to borrow. They trusted in God’s timing and would build brick by brick if they had to. The principle is that if God wants it, He will make the resources available. In good time, everything came. God’s work done God’s way will never lack resources.

After just 5 years in CP Tower, SIB was forced to move to a bigger premise. In one prayer meeting, a man who had never prophesied before began to prophesy. He said that SIB would be like Joshua and Caleb and God would lead SIB to the promised land if we were faithful. Otherwise we would become a monument. We were reminded again that SIB is God’s church. And so building began in Bangunan Yin.

In his time as a developer, Elder Koon Tat had seen approvals take months but for the new SIB building, he saw all the approvals given within a record 7 days. At the dedication of the new building, there was a power failure, and being the project manager, Elder Koon Tat was very concerned. However, the electrical contractors were fortunately there and brought everything back to working order in a short time.

The next day, during his devotion, Elder Koon Tat thanked God for what He had done. He continue to pray and thank God and then a revelation came on Thursday. “Why do you think I gave you this building?” God said. “It’s not how good you are. The raising of the RM21Million was easy, everything went smoothly. I am no man’s debtor.” Elder Koon Tat realized that the building was God’s way of showing us His faithfulness for giving their building to Him those few years ago. God is faithful when we are obedient. As he continued to ponder this, Elder Koon Tat was wondering if he really had received the revelation. Then the Lord led him to consider the day of revelation, the fourth day. On the fourth day, the Lord created the lights in the sky. That how brother Koon Tat knew that it was from the Lord, for on the fourth day, the Lord brought light to him.

God continued to move SIB to a higher purpose, to love the lost and to influence the nation. As the verse says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him. All God needs is our faithfulness to follow Him one step at a time.

It is one of the dynamics of church growth that when you reach 70% of your capacity, you should begin to look for a new building, and when you are 80-90% full, you should move out of the building. Hence, the church leadership began to look actively for an additional satellite building. However, every new building was costing RM10-60 million. The leadership thus turned to God to being them to a building they could afford. Of all surprises, during the 2008 recession, a promising building in Sunway Mas became open for sale. Although it was up in the market, no one bid for it, and the asking price was only RM8 million, which was basically the cost of the land and the building. In early 2009, the market crashed, and SIB was able to purchase it for only a remarkable RM3.2 million.  

In 2008, when Pastor Chew and Pastor Lee Choo went up to the mountain to pray, they asked “Why is it, Lord, you have raised SIB to where it is today?” The Lord answered that it was for such a time as this in the history of Malaysia, and God showed Pastor Chew certain things in the nation, that in years to come, God would raise up SIB to help face the challenges of the nation. God needs the church to be strong. The church has influence when it is strong.

For SIB, there are 3 main fronts for which God has opened the door. Firstly, God has opened a door in Sabah and Sarawak. For SIB, ministry in East Malaysia is so distinctive. Take it away and SIB’s history is gone. SIBKL has been raised up to plow back and influence the church there. If they are strong, therein lies the future of Malaysia. Where they are weak, SIBKL will lend them strength. In recent years, SIBKL has worked extensively to train more pastors and evangelists who will go into deep into the rural areas. SIBKL has built a school of evangelism and also physical churches as well as preschools and kindergartens. The training, influence and resources has lifted up the whole mood and spirit of the bumi churches.

The second major front is to impact Malaysia’s generations through Generasi Gemilang. The aim is to impact youth across the nation to become principled, strong leaders fro the nation. GG has extensive programs to build up youth in schools, cyber-wellness and community centres, partnering with various corporate and government bodies. Great emphasis is placed on character building of the young. Young people love God. There are wonderful young people under Pastor Daniel in GG. The church’s role is to lend them our strength, to be the wind underneath their wings.

Thirdly, SIBKL’s efforts will be on the Sunway Mas Community Center. The purpose statement of the SMCC is to be an extension of SIBKL to influence and impact the community. There is 1 church, 2 locations, with the same sermon in both places.

The renovation led by Elder Koon Tat is well on schedule and the first service is expected to kick off there in July 2012. From Day 1, everything has been under-girded in prayer.  Through the many prayer meetings, we received precious Scripture from God. One of them was Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Though men work, the Lord is the one who builds His House. Another important revelation was based on the Lord’s response to David when he voiced his intention to build a temple for the Lord. In 1 Chronicles 22:9 The Lord explained to David that a man of peace and rest would build His temple. The revelation for the church was that the building of SMCC would have to be done with an attitude of peace. Our God is a God of peace and Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Therefore, Elder Koon Tat has been mindful to ensure that the testimony shown to the people there even during the building must always be that we are people of peace as we come into the community. The caveat for the contractors is that nobody argues with the neighbors. If there is any problem, it is to be resolved amicably. The builders have been tested in this. Winds brought scaffolding onto some people’s homes and cars. There were objections from neighbors but Elder Koon Tat went to see them peaceably and they withdrew by God’s grace.

1 Chronicles 22:15 was also especially meaningful: “You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work” meaning that God would provide people with ability to help with all types of work. We were called to begin to work and trust that the Lord would be with us.

Another key verse was John 3:14 which says that the Son of Man is to be lifted up. In all that we do, we must always remember that Jesus must be supreme.

During the 40 days prayer and fasting, the Lord released through Elder Gilbert Joshua 12, signifying that SIB would have victory over 31 kings. Initially, thinking that 31 days signifies every day of the month, we thought that it means victory in God every day. However, as Elder Koon Tat studied the meanings of the names of the kings, the realization came that SIB would have victory over particular spirits and areas. God would give SIB victory over the spirit of terror and domination, over earthly exaggeration and people pleasing, over addiction and laziness, over a spirit that seeks enjoyment and playing, over those who suppress authority in Jesus, over the moon god, over rain, over fear and death, over destruction, over crookedness, over legalities, over alliances, over winds, over division, over those who use astrology, over deception, over those who push people down, over those who rely on their own spirit.

As SIB goes into Sunway Mas, Pastor Chew focuses on three vital ingredients. Firstly, is God’s presence. Before the temple was built, the ark of the tabernacle was brought back first. Unless God goes ahead, we will not go. The presence of God must be ushered into Sunway Mas. That is why different cell groups have been going into the area to pray every weekend.Secondly, our posture must be correct. There will be unequal giving but equal sacrifice. Everyone is to give willingly from his own heart, according to his own ability. Finally, God’s people must be willing, to really believe in the vision. Don’t be a spectator, be a participator.  

Show your love again

Show your love again

Scripture:- The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. Hosea 3:1-5

Observation:- In this beautiful chapter of Hosea, we see Hosea being commanded to take back his wayward wife again, even spending great expense to bring her back. This picture foreshadows the promise of God to Israel that He will one day bring them back again when they return to seek Him in the last days and they will be blessed under the rule of the Son of David, Jesus Christ.

Humanly speaking, it seems almost impossible to take back a partner who has willingly gone into prostitution or committed adultery again and again. Moreover, Hosea was to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites. This passage speaks of a love and forgiveness so deep we simply cannot comprehend it. However, this truly shows us how great is the love of our God, who forgives our sins, even when we have hurt Him by turning away from Him. We love because God first loved us 1 John 4:19. Many marriages break down today all over the world, and there is a lot of hurt and bitterness. However, through Hosea, God is also showing us, if Hosea can still love his wife again, we too can still love our spouse, no matter how much we have been hurt, no matter how much we feel we have been betrayed. Our love is not from human effort, but from the great love of God that He lavishes upon us, and allows to overflow out of us for others.

“Loving her as the Lord loves the Israelites” is very similar to Paul’s command later on for husbands to love their wives as the Lord loves His church. It is a very high standard of love that we are called to. It is not a selfish love, but a deep love hoping for the very best for the other in spite of the circumstances.

In spite of this, we see here too that there is a purpose and a goal for the restoration of Gomer. She is bought back and forgiven for a reason – to turn from her wicked ways and be with her husband for many days, in fellowship and love. We too are saved not to go back to our own ways and continue sinning. We are saved to walk in close fellowship with God and to serve and honor Him.

The prophecy for Israel has come true in that they were without a national leader for almost 2,000 years, having been scattered all over the world for much of modern history. Still in recent times, since 1948, they have returned and established themselves once again as a nation, and at the coming of our Lord Jesus, they will be greatly blessed again.

Application:- We need to continually realize that we have a very high calling to love, just like God loves us. In every marriage, this call to love is even greater, for marriage itself is instituted by God as a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, His people. Sometimes it may take great humility, great forgiveness, great patience, but ultimately we are called to keep hoping, keep persevering and never give up on love.

At the same time, we need to remember that love has a purpose. It is not a blind, purposeless love, but a deep, meaningful love that hopes for the other to come back to close relationship and unity again.

Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are the God of love. All that You do, All You have given us, speak of Your great love through all generations. May I learn to love too, not with my strength but from Your love that flows through me. May our loved ones know You more O Lord, help us ever hope for them. Lead us in the way everlasting we pray. In Jesus name, Amen.

Thornbushes

Thornbushes

Scripture:- Therefore I will block her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.’ Hosea 2:6-7

“In that day I will respond,” declares the LORD— “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and the olive oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’
I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” Hosea 2:21-23

Observation: With the image of Hosea and his adulterous wife, God continues to liken Israel to such a woman, betraying her faithful God to run after the idols of the nations, even giving up her fine things for them. In spite of this, the Lord promises that one day, He will bring Israel back to Him again, and she will once again enjoy His choice blessing and precious fellowship.

The first passage speaks of God sending thornbushes to block Israel so that she cannot continue her adulterous ways. For us too, when we have turned away from the Lord or become too engrossed in the things of the world, sometimes He brings trouble or a problem to remind us that we need Him. It is said that one of the worst things that can happen is for God to let us have our own way as described in Romans 1 where the Lord “gave them over to the sinful desires of their hearts”. Whenever we face an obstacle or hindrance, we need to remember that it is time to stop and turn to the Lord humbly. He may be stopping us from a course of action for our own good, just like the Lord used a speaking donkey to stop Balaam from going to his death.

The second passage speaks of the Lord’s promise to restore the skies and the earth, to being blessings in food, wine and oil. Israel will be planted securely in the land and enjoy close fellowship with the Lord as His people. This promise is for us also, and though we may endure suffering for a little while now, we must always look forward to the new earth that the Lord will bring – an abundant time of pleasant provision, blessing and fellowship with our Lord.

Application:- Remember that if we face any trouble or hardship, it is a call for us to remember the Lord and to humbly seek Him for help. Thornbushes can be a time of learning for us as we realize more and more how much we need to depend on God. In all things, look forward to the restoration of the earth in the future when Jesus comes again and makes everything new. Even now, the Lord gives us His provision, His blessing and His fellowship. Let us treasure it as we wait for the fullness of His promise to come.

Prayer: Lord we thank You and praise You for all that You have given us. Indeed you have blessed us with more than what we need. Let Your presence always be with us and Your provision and blessing follow us. We will ever trust in You. In the day of trouble, we will call to You, for You O Lord will answer us. Praise You, O Lord. In Jesus name, Amen

Trust in God rather than men

Trust in God rather than men

Goshen/Study led by brother David/ 14/10/11

Our study was focused on the incident where King David sinned by ordering a census to be taken of all the fighting men in Israel, resulting in God’s wrath being poured upon Israel. Even though Joab and the generals protested to the king against this plan, King David overruled them, and brought great trouble in Israel. God gave King David a choice whether to accept as judgment, 3 years of famine, 3 months of being overrun by enemies or 3 days of plague. David chose the 3 days of plague and 70,000 died in Israel before God withheld further punishment because of His mercy, and David built an altar and sacrificed a burnt offering to the Lord. It is amazing that the Lord sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice! Eventually, the threshing floor which David purchased to worship the Lord became the site of the future temple built by King Solomon.

Lessons from the study:-

·       “Why was David’s action of counting his fighting men considered a sin?” Both the passages in 1 Chronicles 21 and 2 Samuel 24 do not explain why he sinned, although the sin was already obvious to Joab and the commanders. Our main conclusion here was that in ordering the census, David was showing that he trusted more in man than in God. The pagan kingdoms of the world prided themselves in their vast armies, but compared to the mighty, living God, it was no comparison at all. In his younger years, when David came up against the mighty giant Goliath, he declared bravely, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”2 Samuel 17:45-47. The key point is in the last verse: for the battle is the LORD’s. It is not great armies or technology or weapons that can save us, but the Lord Himself, who is far greater than any of these things. In recent times, we are reminded of man’s vulnerability in the tragic sinking of the Titanic, the greatest ship of the time ever built of which man boasted “even God Himself could not sink this ship”.

·      What is the significance of the three choices? Which would we choose? The first option was a three-year famine, which could mean a slow and lingering death from hunger for many. The second option was three months of being overrun by the enemy. David of all people, being a man of war,  knew how cruel invading armies could be. The third option was plague, death by disease. David’s choice was probably the most merciful for the people, as a quick death meant less prolonged suffering and also no violence.

·      Was there any significance in the number of Israelites who died i.e. 70,000? In a way, it seems to be God’s way of telling David. Don’t trust in numbers. No matter how great an army, God can easily take it away. Many years later, the Assyrian army found this out when God went into their camp during a siege against Jerusalem and 185,000 of them died. 

·      “Why was it that David’s sin with Bathsheba was judged personally (on him and his household” while David’s sin of the census was judged nationally (on all the people of Israel)? This incident reminds us that the sin of a nation’s leaders can result in terrible judgment for the whole nation. It is said that the terrible bonfires in Australia known as Black Saturday occurred in the year that abortion was legalized. In America, where abortion is rampant and prayers have been taken out of schools, floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes have begun to abound more and more. On the other hand, when a country’s leader repents and turns to God for help, great miracles have happened. England experienced this in both World War I and II. When the head of the church, the king of England called for a national day of prayer, things changed miraculously in the battlefield, and England, from a losing position succeeded to incredibly overturn the odds and vanquish the enemy.

·      “Why the threshing floor?” The author of the Chronicles took great trouble to record in detail the facts concerning the threshing floor and the purchase of it by King David. During the time of Nehemiah, when the Chronicles were probably written, there were Arabs who challenged the validity of the Jews’ ownership of the temple grounds. Hence, some theologians believe that it was important to show how the threshing floor was acquired in the historical records as a testimony to validate the ownership of the temple location by the Jews. In his sermon, Pastor Daniel also went into great length to explain the spiritual significance of the threshing floor, of judgment (burning up of the unwanted chaff), of separation (separating the chaff from the wheat), and blessing (the finished process would bring food and revenue).

Heartbeat for China

Heartbeat for China

SIB/Pastor Dennis Balcombe/15-10-11

Pastor Dennis grew up in a religious family, praying the Lord’s prayer and Psalm 23 from a young age. However, at the age of 15, he began to doubt his faith. His church was a liberal church which did not believe in signs and wonders. Then he visited a Spirit-filled church, witnessed healing and realized that the Bible is true. From the time he was saved in 1961, Pastor Dennis already felt God had called him to be a preacher. In 1967, he went to the Vietnam war but never fired a gun. His role was to reach out to fellow soldiers. Though the war was likened to hell on earth, to Pastor Dennis, it was heaven on earth, for he led many to Christ. Now Pastor Dennis always felt a strong calling to China, and in 1969, his small church managed to raise enough money for a one-way ticket to Hong Kong. In only 8 months, he amazingly learnt how to speak Cantonese and even started his church. In his home, the family only speaks Cantonese. English isn’t allowed.

During the cultural revolution in China, people were escaping to Hong Kong, Bibles were burned and all churches were closed. In those days, Pastor Dennis would take his church to the border to fast and pray for China that she would open her doors. This happened in 1978, when God opened China, and the first missionary was allowed in. Quite soon, he found a place where there were 40,000 Christians. He sold everything and bought bibles for China, bringing millions over the years. In China, bibles are so scarce but there are 6 million converts every year. In the China house churches, Pastor Dennis was called to preach the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He prays in tongues everyday. From 1985-1986, Pastor Dennis preached the Word of God everyday to the Christian leaders. Then for 7 years, Pastor Dennis was blacklisted and not allowed in. He realized that they wanted him to pay a bribe. However, he realized that to do so would not work as they would want another one in a few months, and also hinder other missionaries from coming in.

Today, there is a great harvest, and he speaks to hundreds of thousands of people. As soon as he preaches the gospel, people believe in China. Each message is at least 2-3 hours, and they expect even more. John 4:35 says Lift up your eyes and look on the fields. It is ripe for harvest! The field is the world.

Christianity is not so much about me, my blessing, my prophecy, my anointing. It is about them. Go means go.

Isaiah 52:7 says “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” We are to proclaim good things. Evangelism is the key to unity. Whatever our theology, the priority is bringing in the harvest. Malaysia is a great mission field. Many village people in Malaysia have not been reached.

Genesis 12:2-3 says “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,   and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The bottom lime of the Abrahamic blessing is that we are to be a blessing to all other nations. Unfortunately, there are very few people in history involved in the bottom line. We are called to get out of our comfort zone. We should be sharing Christ many times a week. The Chinese church prays and shares the gospel everyday. There are 30,000 new converts every day.

Galatians 16:29 says “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Genesis 22:17-18 says “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” Genesis 15:5-6 says ^“He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”” We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.

Pastor Dennis wants to be where there is darkness, the lost. There are 1.34 billion people in China and 6%, 80.4 million are the non-Han minority. Most of them have not heard the gospel. We need to lift up our eyes and look. The back to Jerusalem vision is so real in China, with China even sending missionaries to evangelize the lost all the way back to Jerusalem. Matthew 24:14 tells us that Christ will only come back once the gospel is preached to all nations.

There are a few Chinese idioms Pastor Dennis likes. You are learner all your life. Throw out a brick to get jade. Study the old to learn new things. When three of us walk together, one is my teacher. These idioms teach us to be humble and willing to learn new things.

Now is a new generation. Yet, we must receive the anointing and vision of servants of God who established the church in previous generations. In China, there are no professional clergy. Very few people are even called Pastor. Mainly, they introduce themselves as a servant of God. Every Christian preaches the gospel. They have their daily jobs, but they preach the gospel. From 5 years old, Pastor Dennis already had a love for the Chinese people.

In 1963, Pastor Dennis received a prophecy from one of the most accurate prophets of the 20^th century that he would spend his life evangelizing in China. At that time, China was completely closed and the prophet did not know him at all. In history, there have been more missionaries going to China than any other nation. Since Hudson Taylor first went, there have been so many heroes of faith who have followed in his footsteps. Today’s emphasis is so much about church buildings. Luke 18:29-30 reads “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.” Some may have to leave their families. Some may say they are too young or have other excuses but Jeremiah 1:4-7 says “ ⁴ The word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you” Whatever happens, we must be faithful to the call on our lives.

In the 1900 Boxer rebellion, 45,000 Christians were beheaded. Since, 250,000 missionaries and Chinese Christians have been martyred for their Christian faith. The blood of martyrs are the seed of the church. Thousands of messengers came and endured great humiliation, even death. Why did they do this? Because Jesus came and died in this way.

In China, people pray in the morning from 4am for 2 hours, 1 hour in tongues and 1 hour in short sentences, with the mind. They dance for 2 hours to praise the Lord. There is healing and people are raised from the dead. The most copied book from the Bible is Acts. Why? They know the gospels well, but in Acts, it documents what happened to the apostles when in prison, and also how they preached the gospel.

May God bless abundantly the work and ministry of Pastor Dennis Balcombe, a true legend for the Lord in China.

God of the Chinese, and Answered Prayer

God of the Chinese, and Answered Prayer

This Friday, we were privileged at FGB to have Datuk Tee share with us. Now Datuk Tee came to the Lord about 5 years ago and is very happy to be a Christian.  He was married to a Christian wife for many years and has two boys. These days, he finds he has more time to have a balanced life, going to church, the FGB Chapter in Klang and participating in FGB prayer writing.

First, he shared with us some of his extensive knowledge about the Chinese, which he was very passionate about. Looking at Chinese history, religious scholars have identified 3 main reasons why the Chinese were so far away from god for thousands of years. Firstly was because of the feudalistic society and the Emperor. Secondly, the Chinese have always been very energized to search for economic wealth. Somehow, there has always been an inverse relationship between material wealth and spiritualism. Thirdly, the Chinese pride themselves in their very fine culture. They are so proud of their civilization that everything foreign is difficult to accept. Thousands of years ago, the kingship was passed down through election. Once, an official very good at solving flood problems was elected Emperor. Perhaps democracy actually originated from China! Only later did China become feudalistic.

5,000 years ago, people prayed to the God of Heaven. Whenever there was a war, natural disaster or problem, the Emperor would go to the highest mountain to pray to the God of Heaven to seek wisdom. The Emperor was seen as having authority from Heaven. They only allowed themselves to be called children of God. The oracles of old, Chinese writings engraved on turtle shells confirm this. After praying to Heaven, the time and guidance would be written down as very obvious evidence. Because the Emperor only allowed themselves to be called a child of God, other religions came in to influence the people.

Then Communism came, with China emulating Russia. In the 1940s-50s, communism spread like wildfire. One of its main doctrines was repression of entertainment and religion. However, in the last 200 years, many Chinese went overseas and Christianity was suddenly available to Chinese people. There was a burst of missionary work and many overseas Chinese Christians went back, leading to exponential growth of Christians in China. The President of Taiwan today is a Christian as is the president of Korea. It is incredible, that many Chinese Christian stock are in very high positions in the prime of their time. The “pen” in the Chinese word for Japan has 2 crosses. The “Han” in the Chinese word for Korea has 4 crosses. The word for boat in Chinese “chuan”, has the letter 8 referring to the eight saved in Noah’s day. The Chinese word for righteousness has “lamb” and “me” in it, indicating that Jesus Christ as the sacrificial lamb bringing righteousness. The Chinese word for the Chinese people “Hua Ren” has 1 cross now in it abbreviated form but originally, it actually had 7 crosses. Therefore, in a way, each Chinese has actually seven crosses ingrained in our identity.

Now moving on to Datuk Tee’s testimony, he shared that he was in politics almost his whole career after graduating from the UM. It was not his intention but his kampung folk forced him into politics from young. Starting out as a branch secretariat, he became busy both with political and corporate work, and also the accompanying social requirements. In the mean time, his family, his wife and two boys prayed that he might know Christ. Looking back, Datuk Tee felt he had walked a dangerous path, flirting with Satan and sin. In his corporate life, his accountant once came to complain to him that someone had poured curry on his car. Datuk Tee, seeking to comfort him, suggested that he buy the 4D number of his car number plate. Amazingly, the number came out as first prize, and Datuk Tee asked him to buy the number of his wife’s car. Again, the number came out as first prize. Around that time, Datuk Tee had a Honda Accord which met a lot of accidents somehow. One day, when he ran completely out of engine oil, he wanted to buy big into his 4D number. However, his schedule was such that he did not have time to buy, and he was shocked when his number really came out as first prize. People he knew thought he had hit a big jackpot but he actually had not gone in. It was like God was protecting him from entering a sinful road.

Other times, when he danced with an entertainer on stage, or when a lady tried to get to close to him, people warned him to remember he was a public figure. He knew that his wife prayed for him a lot, and God saved him from a lot of trouble. In spite of how smart you think you are, be grateful to God for opening the eyes of people around you, especially your wife or husband.

In younger days, when Datuk Tee followed his grandfather, a Christian, to the farm, he was told how it was almost impossible to worship Jesus in China. Christians could only do it in secret, at night.

Then one day, he saw his father burst out laughing because of a lady, a medium who stayed near their house. It was said that those whom she blessed were really blessed. Not an educated man, his father exclaimed that if she was as good as she claimed, she would not be living in her current circumstances. Indirectly, Datuk Tee felt his father was telling him to forget about that kind of belief.

Some time later, Datuk Tee met an old classmate whom he considered very unlikely to ever become a Christian. Trained as an engineer, his classmate was now a Senior Pastor of a major church in PJ. He trusted his good friend and came to see him in Glad Tidings to have chats. After 1-2 years, Datuk Tee said the sinner’s prayer and began attending the church. Looking back, he regrets his past life as being highly imbalanced and wished he came to know God much earlier. His son had given a mini-bible to him but he only opened it when his son was 25.

In becoming a Christian, he sort of dragged his feet, not because of doubt but because of his busy schedule. He always told people he was in the process of going to God’s house. Datuk Tee thanks God that he did not accept Christ JIT-Just in Time i.e. just before he passed away, and also that he did not accept Christ as a contingency plan, when there was no where else for him to turn.

Answered prayer always was part of his life because of his mighty praying life. His wife placed a picture of 2 boys next to a cross in the home, and he indeed had 2 boys. Once, after studying an MBA, and his company was taken over, he decided to quit and invest in cocoa land, which seemed like a good idea at that time. However, the cocoa prices tanked, even below cost of production, and he was financially in trouble. His wife asked him to call his friend who always consulted him. When he finally decided to, it just so happened that his friend was also looking for him, and asked him to be his consultant for a listing. Soon, Datuk Tee was on his payroll and he had a stable income again.

Now his children intended to pursue medical degrees but because of the failed investments, he did not have enough money. However, as his wife prayed, he had the opportunity to solve a major property problem for an army man. The man was so grateful that he gave him a fifth share of the property which was amazing. On another occasion, there was an old Chinese man who placed a company with him for 15 years but only spent him on cheap meals. One day, someone bid a couple of million for it, and he was given a sizeable share. He was then able to send his children overseas. God had answered his wife’s prayer using his hands.

Another time, while planning to move, he bought a new house before selling his old one. There was trouble selling his old house, and he and his wife really prayed. A buyer suddenly emerged and bought the place and even wanted to move in urgently. Very quickly, all his financial problems were sorted out.

Basically, Datuk Tee impressed upon us that God is a God who answers prayer. Therefore it is for us to cry out to Him.

 

Like the sand on the seashore

Like the sand on the seashore

Scripture: Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the LORD their God, will save them.” Hosea 1:7

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. Hosea 1:10-11

Observation: The book of Hosea tells us of the curious story of Hosea being called by God to marry a prostitute to be a living example to Israel who had turned away from their God. In the first chapter, the name of Hosea’s three children are called Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi, meaning scattered, no mercy and not my people. Not many years later, this came true when the vicious Assyrian army came and defeated Israel, bringing the people into exile without mercy. In spite of this judgment that would take place, God nevertheless gives His children a picture of hope in latter times.

The first passage today looks at the Lord showing love to Judah and saving them. Indeed, Judah was saved from Assyria through a miraculous deliverance  when the Lord put to death 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. The king of Judah at that time, King Hezekiah was a very godly king, and cried out to God for help at that time. Throughout her history, Judah was blessed with a few godly kings like King Asa, King Josiah, King Uzziah and King Jehoshaphat while Israel did not have any godly kings. The Psalmist says “But the Lord’s eyes are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love”. Psalm 33:18. Judah hoped in the Lord’s love and the Lord delivered them. Bow, sword, battle, horses and horsemen speak of men’s effort and physical might. Compared to the Lord’s great power, all these are nothing. He can flatten a mountain with an earthquake, or wipe out a whole army with a flood. Our job is to trust in God to save us. How he does it - let us leave to Him.

The second passage is a prophecy that the Israelites will be like the sand of the seashore. In Genesis 22:17, God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be like the sands of the seashore. God’s promises are irrevocable, and here, though Israel would suffer for a time in foreign lands, they would be exceedingly fruitful. Moreover, they would be called children of the living God again, and both Israel and Judah would be reunited under one leader, our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s in His faithfulness will fulfill every promise He has made. We also see here God’s mercy and redemption of His people, and His desire for unity among His people. Where His people were once scattered, shown no mercy and not called His, they would one day be reunited, enjoy God’s mercy and favor, and be called His own again!

Application: In all things, we are to hope in God’s unfailing love, like Judah did in a time of crisis. We do not know how God will work us, but we are to trust Him, and wait for His deliverance in due time. Praise God that His promises never fail, but He fulfills every one. Thank God for His great mercy and forgiveness for all who turn to Him. Pray for unity in Israel and in the church. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.

Prayer: Father God, I praise You that You are unchanging, unfailing, and Your love endures forever. I will ever hope in You O Lord. Deliver Me I pray, in the day of trouble. Your promises never fail, You fulfill every one. I thank You for Your great mercy, for Your loving forgiveness. Let unity prevail O Lord in Israel, even in Your church, Lord Jesus. May we live in unity, in love, in hope, as Your coming draws near. Praise Your Holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.