DAY 37: ENTERING THE KINGDOM

DAY 37: ENTERING THE KINGDOM

SCRIPTURE:

We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God Acts 14:22

Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! Luke 18:24

OBSERVATION:

The disciples in the early church knew that it was not easy to enter the kingdom of God. They knew they had to encounter many hardships for the kingdom. They knew they had to give up much and lead holy lives until the end and finish the race. Even the great Apostle Paul was careful to examine himself constantly to ensure that while he had preached to others, he himself would not be disqualified.

Like the seed that fell on shallow soil, some receive the word at once with gladness, but once trouble and hardship come, they fall away. It is not how well we start the race, but how well we finish that truly matters. The Christian life has always been one of perseverance, to continue fighting the good fight, to press on, to follow Christ to the end in spite of all trouble and hardship.

The fundamental truth of the gospel is that we are saved for a purpose, and that is to serve God and to serve others for His glory. We are not saved to continue living our lives as how we please. Just like the Israelites were first delivered from Egypt and then taught how to live right before God, we too have been delivered from sin and death for the purpose of living right before God and serving Him. Moreover, He even gives us the Holy Spirit to help us that the Israelites did not have, so we really have no excuse. We are to live in dependence on the Holy Spirit’s leading according to God’s Word, and keep our hearts open towards the Lord to do His will.

Nevertheless, we are still exposed to myriads of temptation and need to be constantly on guard lest the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth or desires for other things come in and choke the Word in us, making us unfruitful. The Lord already warned us that every branch that does not bear fruit will be cut off.

APPLICATION:

We need to remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is the fear of the Lord that will keep us safe on the narrow road that leads to the Kingdom. The moment we lose the fear of the Lord, we are already on very dangerous and shaky ground. In the story of Pilgrim’s Progress, there was a poignant scene where the pilgrim’s friend did not dare to cross the final river just before the gates of Heaven and turned away. Pilgrim then realized that there was a road that leads to Hell even at the gates of Heaven.

We are thus reminded that we need always to guard ourselves, and keep ourselves in the Lord, sincerely desiring to follow Him and avail ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. As long as we know in our hearts we are for the Lord and have set our hearts to please Him, we know that we are safe in Him, and have full assurance of His salvation. However, if we allow ourselves to be dragged away and let other things become our gods, we then move away from solid ground to murky waters. Hence, we should always do well to consider both the sternness and the love of God.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, we entrust ourselves and our families to you. Keep us safe we pray O Lord in Your purpose and Your plans. Lead us not to wander away, but give us the deep desire and hunger to press on in You, to grow in knowing You, in serving You, in loving You. Forgive our sinful inclinations we pray, but help us allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate our hearts to grow deeper in love with You, and allow the things of the world to fade away from our lives. May Your name be praised forever precious Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

DAY 36: THE REALM OF THE KINGDOM

DAY 36: THE REALM OF THE KINGDOM

SCRIPTURE:

The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. Romans 14:17-18

OBSERVATION:

Reflect. The kingdom of God within us. What is a kingdom after all? It is where a king rules. Therefore, it is the king that we submit to that determines which kingdom we belong to. On this earth, we are citizens of our respective countries, but spiritually, we know that this citizenship is only temporary. In fact, we are only aliens sojourning on this earth, and our true citizenship lies in a different kingdom, one where the Great King rules our hearts. Even now, His kingship is already established in the hearts of those who are absolutely loyal to him, even upon the pain of death. And who is this Great King? It can only be our Lord Jesus! It is to Jesus that we have our first and foremost allegiance. The rulers of this world come and go, but our loyalty is always first of all to our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to have His kingdom within us? It is to live our lives according to His ways. It is not outward or physical. It has nothing to do with eating and drinking. Instead, it is serving God in the righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit! Indeed, God is love, and how beautiful and majestic is God’s love. However, the primary characteristic of God that we see most emphasized again and again throughout the Scriptures is God’s righteousness! And how can we become righteous? The entire book of Romans is a careful explanation by the apostle Paul on this great Scriptural truth. At the core of it, we are justified by faith alone, and faith come by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Yet faith without deeds is dead. Faith that does not act out in service to Christ is not faith at all, and one must question whether he really has received the righteousness of Christ if he does not desire to serve and please Christ more and more.

What follows righteousness? Peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant is so much great than the Old because of the great work of the Holy Spirit in us – teaching us,  guiding us, leading us. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit will lead us to serve Christ, and as we seek to please Him, we become living sacrifices acceptable to God, and approved by men for God’s favor rests on us.

APPLICATION:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Have a sense of the kingdom of God within us. Wherever our hearts are readily yielded to God, therein lies His kingdom already within us.  Yet our soul is like a city, with many streets and buildings. Many lie dormant or are uncommitted to God. As the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and cultivates His way within us, it is our part to work with Him to allow the necessary experiences to teach us and mold us more and more into the persons God wants us to be. Growing in righteousness, we know we please God, when we are open to Him to help us change towards His image.

PRAYER

We praise thee and worship thee, Heavenly Lord, for You are our Great King, and You are our ruler. We pray O Lord, that You will be the ruler of our entire lives. Search within us and show us, precious Holy Spirit, where we should change, and how we can learn to please God more and more. Lead us O Lord, to really grow in Your righteousness, which we seek from deep within us. Teach us to hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. Lead us in the way everlasting. We praise You and love You. Be the King of our lives now and forever. In Jesus name, Amen.                             

DAY 35: THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND PRAYER

DAY 35: THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND PRAYER

SCRIPTURE:

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Matthew 6:10

OBSERVATION:

In the Lord’s prayer, the first and foremost thing that our Lord Jesus asks us to pray is for God’s kingdom to come, and for His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. What does it mean to pray “Your kingdom come”? Firstly, it means to acknowledge God as king of our lives, and having God as king means entrusting ourselves to Him as His servants and to be subject to Him. Secondly, it means to look forward to His physical kingdom and rule. Jesus is coming back again, and will rule on earth for 1,000 years. Thereafter, God will make a new heaven and a new earth, and the New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven and God’s dwelling place will be with us. How wonderful to look forward to this! Thirdly, it means to look for the extension of God’s kingdom, looking for opportunities to help lead others towards God, so that they too may be added to the kingdom. Not all of us may be privileged to lead many souls to Christ, but we can pray for them, show them a good testimony, and plant seeds of the gospel where we can.

How about “Your will be done?” In Heaven, God’s will is done perfectly to the letter, as all the angels obey him totally and immediately all the time, and everything is perfect according to His will. On earth currently, it is quite the opposite. We have ruined His perfect world when we were supposed to take care of it. In Genesis, it is written how God’s heart was filled with pain when He looked upon the earth and saw that every inclination of man’s heart was evil and the earth was filled with violence. God regretted that He had made men and sent a great flood that wiped out the human race except for one family – Noah, his sons and his son’s wives for Noah was found righteous in that generation.

In today’s world, we see evil rife everywhere, and violence filling the earth not so unlike the days before the flood. Nevertheless, God has raised up sons and daughters all over the world who honor His name and believe in His Son unto salvation. It is thus for us who follow God to follow His ways, so that His will is done on earth as we obey Him. We are saved not for ourselves but for a special purpose – to serve God and to follow His will. How well we do that will determine our position in His service in the age to come.

It is not easy to follow God’s will when so many things pull at our heart, but every Christian needs to have that supreme objective hidden deep in our hearts. We must desire to shift from doing things our way to doing things God’s way. God wants all of us, every area, every pocket, every part. It is thus for us to work with God to allow Him to mould us and shape us into the creation He wants us to be.

APPLICATION:

Let us remember our primary calling, which is God’s kingdom, God’s will. When we walk in line with that calling, we are at peace with God.  It is an everyday struggle, as we are tempted to do our own things, pursue our own entertainments and pleasures in the limited time that we have. Day by day, moment by moment, we need to learn to submit our will to God. In time, we will begin to understand that it is in submitting to God’s will that we really begin to find true meaning and purpose in life.

PRAYER:

We praise thee Heavenly Father, for Your great patience and love in dealing with us. So move within our hearts, precious Lord, that You create in us a fervent desire to want to please You in everything that we do. Let this desire sink deep within us, that we will want to spend every waking moment only doing what pleases You. Help us to even come to the point Lord that we find we can do nothing until we see what You are doing. We praise You and worship You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

DAY 34: WHO BELONGS TO THE KINGDOM?

DAY 34: WHO BELONGS TO THE KINGDOM?

SCRIPTURE:

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away. James 1:9-10

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. Psalm 72:13

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Matthew 5:3

OBSERVATION:

“Remember that thou in thy lifetime received good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, we are given a chilling picture of the afterlife. The rich man is tormented in a terrible dry place of fire, his thirst so great, that even a single drop of water would be heavenly. Meanwhile, Lazarus, who was so poor and tortured in his life, is instead comforted by Father Abraham.  

By New Testament standards, most of us are considered rich, living in comfort and having abundant food and clothing. And the apostle James warns us that we should not proud, but humble, heeding the warning of the rich man who ignored the poor man at his gate.

Throughout the Bible, God is always seen to be concerned with the poor, with the helpless and destitute, who suffer on the streets, and are barely able to get by in their abject poverty. No one may seem to care, but God does. His eye is upon them, and it is they who are usually most open to the Gospel, and receive with gratitude the gift of salvation that God gives through His Son.

In an age where the popular gospel is the one of Prosperity, little focus is being given to those the Lord is most concerned for – the poor and needy among us. It is true that we are saved by grace, through faith alone, not by works but true faith is actively expressed in deed. So then, how could we profess to know the Lord, yet have so little regard for those He is concerned about?

APPLICATION:

We need to remember the lesson of Lazarus and the rich man - how in this life, although the poor are marginalized, most often, they are in fact first into the kingdom while many who are have material abundance do not get in. Hence, where we have more than we need, we should take the opportunity to bless the poor where we can, learning to love them because the Lord loves them.

Practically, there are opportunities for us to get involved all around us, but it is up to us to take the initiative to find out where we can help. One ministry greatly admired is Kenosis Home who are active not only in Street Feeding programs to feed the poor and homeless but actively doing their best to bring in drug addicts off the streets to their rehab homes to cure them and reinstate them back to society. Also, SHELTER too has long been doing a great job in bringing up children who needed to leave homes where their parents had abused them. There are also many orphanages and old folk’s homes doing their best to help poor children or neglected old folk, and they too deserve our support and attention.

PRAYER:

We praise You and thank You, Lord, that You love the poor, and Your heart is always for them. Help us O Lord, to learn to love them like You love them, and to focus less on only our own individual lives but also to expand our horizons to look at the needs around us, and to become involved in helping the poor and needy, in what ways we can. Forgive us O Lord, where we have turned a blind eye. Help us and open doors we pray, so that we can become involved too in blessing those who need our help. We bless You and thank You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

DAY 33: THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

DAY 33: THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

SCRIPTURE:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

OBSERVATION:

In the course of the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus stops at one point to tell His disciples not to worry about their lives - what they would eat or what they would wear. Instead, he asks them to observe the birds of the air that the Father feeds, and the lilies of the field that are clothed more beautifully than Solomon in all his splendor. And at this point, He teaches them one of the great truths of abundant life – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When someone tells us “Don’t worry”, we are comforted, and of course, we like “all these things will be given to you as well”. However, Jesus did not say “Don’t worry and do nothing”. He said don’t worry about yourself but seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness. The word “seek” as translated from Greek actually means “to keep on seeking”. It is a continuous, active word that is not just a onetime action, but a constant way of life, expressed out in action.  

What is God’s kingdom? Our initial reaction is to think of beautiful Heaven, where the streets are made of gold, and where there is no suffering or pain or sadness, and that is true, for that is the place where God reigns. However, from another perspective, God’s kingdom also consists of all who worship God as King, or all of us who are citizens of God’s country. Therefore, to seek first God’s kingdom is to seek for her extension through spreading of the gospel and bringing sinners to forgiveness and admission to God’s country. This is the foremost mission and calling of each believer and the church.

What is God’s righteousness? It is the perfect righteousness that no human can attain to, but is freely given as a gift to all who believe in Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins, was buried, and was resurrected back to life on the third day. No one can earn this righteousness, it can only be received gratefully from God by believing in His Son.

What then, after receiving this righteousness? Did God just give us this righteousness for us to then go out and live any how we want? Of course not! He means us to learn to start training to live in righteousness by cooperating with His Holy Spirit to change us - to stop living in our old sinful ways and instead learning to live God’s way as He leads us. Hence, to seek God’s righteousness is to seek to live God’s right way more and more. And this we can do not by our own strength, but by opening ourselves to be guided by God’s Holy Spirit day by day. If we turn back and refuse to follow God’s ways, we are worse off than if we had never known God’s grace at all, as warned by the apostle Peter.

How do we know we are correctly being guided by the Holy Spirit? Here’s where it is important for us to get to know the Bible more and more, studying it carefully, reading it often, and also learning from trusted pastors and Bible teachers. The Bible will certainly teach us how to live righteously God’s way. Guided by God’s Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we thus know we are on the right track.  

APPLICATION:

We need to remember the Lord’s twofold calling to us here – to extend God’s kingdom, and to live righteous lives that glorify God. And He promises that if we do this, we will never lack anything for we have a great Creator God who is able to supply all our needs

.

PRAYER:

We praise You and love You Father in Heaven for You created all things and hold all things in their place, providing for all the creatures and plants of the earth. Incline our hearts to serve You, we pray, and cause us to always have that strong desire to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness in our daily lives. Open doors for us that we may bear good testimony of Your grace, and strengthen us O Lord to say no to the temptations of the world but prioritize living righteous lives before You. We praise You and worship You, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

  

DAY 32: DISCIPLING THE NATIONS TO THE END OF THE EARTH

DAY 32: DISCIPLING THE NATIONS TO THE END OF THE EARTH

SCRIPTURE:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

OBSERVATION:

When the commission was first given to the disciples, they were instructed to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then Judea and Samaria, and then to the ends of the earth. Over the last 2,000 years, the gospel has indeed traveled far and wide, reaching every continent and almost every country of the earth. And in this age of globalization where improvements in travel and connectivity has brought the world closer than ever before.

In Malaysia, we have also seen globalization, and like most other countries, there is also an influx of foreign labor from different places coming to find work and income. Some come in illegally while others have authorized permits, but whichever country they come from, they are also men and women created by God, made in His image, and loved by God as His children. It is thus also God’s will that we seek for opportunities to witness to and help the aliens and foreigners among us where we can.

Upon His ascension, the Lord did not ask his disciples to go out and witness immediately but to wait until they received power when the Holy Spirit would come upon them. The purpose of that power was so that they could become the Lord’s witnesses. Today, the pattern is the same. Instead of going out and trying to witness in our own strength, we should wait for the leading of the Holy Spirit.

At Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit actually came upon the disciples, there was a great wind, and tongues of fire came to rest on each of them, and they began to speak in tongues, praising God in diverse languages to the surprise of the dispersed Jews who had come back from various places. Then Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, stood up and gave a great sermon that saw 3,000 saved on the day.

John the Baptist declared that although he baptized with water, the Lord Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. The Greek Word “baptizo” actually means “to dip” or “to be immersed”. In baptism of water, people are baptized by going down under the water completely to symbolize death of the old self, and rise up completely to declare the new life in Christ Jesus. A second way a person can be immersed is to stand under a waterfall. This is how the baptism of the Holy Spirit works, Jesus in Heaven sending out His Spirit down like a waterfall from Heaven to immerse us, filling our hearts completely till overflowing and coming out of our mouths in tongues praising God.

Primarily, to witness means to testify to others what Jesus has done for us, and it is the Holy Spirit that gives us boldness to proclaim this testimony.

APPLICATION:-

We all need continuous infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is not just a once off experience. A practical way we can do this, is regularly pray to our Lord Jesus to pour out His Holy Spirit upon us, envisioning the Spirit coming down into our hearts like a waterfall, overflowing and causing us to speak out in praises and tongues.

As we learn to bring that atmosphere of praising God with us, we will find it easier to find opportunities to bear testimony to others. Most time, it is not fluency in preaching or great knowledge but rather genuine love and gratitude to Christ that attracts pre-believers to the gospel.

We also would do well to remember the principles of depending on the Holy Spirit to give us “at that time what we should say”, keeping that prayerful attitude to ask God for help to say the right things at any given situation.

PRAYER:-

We praise thee, Heavenly Father, for Your precious Holy Spirit which You give us generously through our Lord Jesus Christ. Fill us more and more with Your Spirit, Lord, and empower us that we may be witnesses for You wherever You have placed us. Grant us Your courage and Your power, and continue to fill our hearts with Your precious grace and thanksgiving for all You have done for us. We praise You and worship You, precious Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

How to hear the voice of God

Last Friday, we were privileged at FGB to have Dr.Lee Soo Ann share with us. Based on the topic “How to hear the voice of God”, Dr.Lee shared important Scriptural principles as well as his personal experiences on how hearing God’s voice helped him and his family face various challenges.

In the bible, the term “Word” as translated from Greek actually comes in two forms – Logos or Rhema. Logos refers to the whole of God’s counsel, which is essentially the whole Bible. It is important for every Christian to know the Logos as a whole so that any time, a familiar verse or concept from the Bible can come to our attention at any given moment to help in a given situation. Dr.Lee shared here how his readings from the book of Proverbs in particular gave him the wisdom to deal with tough situations during his working life. At meetings, other department heads would sometimes accuse him or his department, but Dr Lee prudently did not defend himself or counterattack. Instead, he would seek out the department head after the meeting to sort out the matter. This peace-loving approach enabled him to gain respect among his peers, and also was a great testimony to others in an otherwise dog-eat-dog culture.

Rhema on the other hands, refers to the spoken Word of God, which is a specific, personal Word given by God to a person for a particular situation. In Romans 10:17 which says “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”, the “Word” here is Rhema. Jesus Christ said in John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice. And they follow Me”. It is so important for every Christian to learn to be attuned to the voice of our Lord.

Now, the way God speaks to us can come in many forms, but very often it comes through a particular verse in the Bible that jumps out at us, and is so relevant for our particular situation. That’s why it is so important for us to read the Bible regularly. In the late 80’s, a lump on the mid-thigh region appeared on Dr.Lee’s thigh and started to grow bigger and bigger. Having a wife with two young kids at that time, Dr.Lee feared for his life but God spoke to him through Psalm 50:15 which greatly comforted him “Call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me”. Later, by God’s mercy, the lump was removed surgically and proved to be non-cancerous.  

In 1984, Dr.Lee’s elder brother had a medical condition known as NPC which required treatment by radiation and in 1991, a small cancerous lump appeared below his chin. The doctor recommended chemotherapy which was devastating especially in those days, and warned him that death could follow soon. The whole family group gathered together to pray and the Lord gave them Psalm 66:12 We went through fire and through water but You brought us out to rich fulfillment. Water here was the chemotherapy, and confirmation that he should go through with the chemo. The elder Lee thus proceeded to go for the chemo, and lived on for another 6 years (13 years in total from the initial diagnosis).

The great preacher Derek Prince also once shared how as a young Christian, he was stricken with a skin disease that no doctor was able to cure. With nothing to do on the hospital bed, he proceeded to read the Bible through, and Proverbs 4:20-22 sprung out to him “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” He proceeded to take the verse to heart, deciding to read the Bible three times a day like taking medicine, really trying to study the Scriptures closely and listen to what God would teach him. And after some time, Derek Prince was healed completely as God’s Word came true, healing him as he read and studied the Word.

For major decisions, it is also good to seek the help of matured fellow brothers and sisters in looking to hear God’s voice and know His will. Many years ago, Dr. Lee was offered a

dream job involving overseas travel to Switzerland, which he had always wished for. Nevertheless, the submitted the offer to fellow church members to pray together about it. In the midst of this prayer, Proverbs 8:10-11 spoke to him “Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold”. Reluctantly, Dr.Lee took it as a warning from God not to take up this job.

In a short time, Dr.Lee found out why. Just a few weeks later, his 3 year old son’s actopic eczema flared up dramatically, and it took a few very tough months to care for him. Despite medication and diet restriction, everything seemed to be of no avail and it caused his heart pain to see his son’s broken skin leading to swelling of the lymph nodes. One night, after desperate prayer to God, Dr.Lee received comfort from God through Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” Henceforth, his son recovered slowly over the 3 months. Looking back, Dr.Lee realized that it was absolutely essential that he had been around during that difficult period instead of being far away from his beloved family who so needed him during that time. God had known this was to happen in advance, and prevented Dr.Lee from making the wrong decision.

Quite often too, God may speak to us through a still, small voice, like when He spoke to Elijah in the cave when he was discouraged. Brother A.C Ho, a good friend of Dr.Lee was on mission trip overseas when he met a baby with pus on the head. He shared “I felt inside me that God was going to heal him. I just held the child’s hand and prayed and on the following night, the mother came to the evangelistic rally and I could see the baby’s head had totally healed.

Now, a good question many of us may ask is “How do I know it is God speaking to me?” This is where confirmation is very important. In general, whatever we think God tells us must be in line with the Logos, the general Word of God in the Bible. This also means we need to know our Bible well. God’s Rhema will also bring us peace in our heart when we decide to follow it. If we feel disturbed, it is a warning sign we need to pray more and perhaps seek further counsel and prayer from matured brothers and sisters we trust.

As we follow through on God’s Rhema, we will also know its genuineness if it leads to good things like bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, good works, salvation, discipleship and unity in the church. When Ananias received a vision from God to go and minister to Saul of Tarsus, he was afraid because of the reports of the evil Saul had done to the Christians. Nevertheless, he obeyed God, and as a result, Saul was delivered and baptized, eventually changing his name to Paul, and becoming the great apostle to the Gentiles, from whom God used to give us much of the New Testament.

All of us who call on Christ are God’s sons and daughters, and it is a blessing and privilege to listen to our Abba Father. It is not God’s will for us to be directionless. His wisdom and compassionate advice is a great blessing to all of us, and it also has a multiplying effect, touching other lives.