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21 FEB 2010

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 26 Feb 2010    Power of prayer                                                

Jeremiah  33:3

3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

At times, going to church pleased our conscience, but to see God move in a powerful way, it is the secret moments of spending time with Him in the quietness that counts.  Those who walk in the flesh respond in the flesh- and are prone to mistakes. We must walk in the spirit and allow God to have his ways with us. We can do this through prayers to move the Hand of God. Why Prayer? It is about harnessing God’s power - prayer change things. In times of crisis, like present times, as a  church we can open our  homes to pray for intervention. God’s ways are different from our ways and what is God’s response ? Sometimes God sends an angel as in Peter’s case, at other times friends are delivered in intercessionary prayers, and others turn to Christ when we pray for salvation.

As prayer warriors, our expectation is to accept the impossibles to happen. We hear of Pastor Peter Chng ‘s testimony of God’s miraculous healing and  recovery. ( Also Pastor Jack Theva’s  turning point testimony of God’s healing of blood clog/ irregular heart rhythm and AED fibrillation treatment in 2003).  Prayer can be emotional  like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane- the agony and groaning and our cries  move the heartbeat of God and healing comes. When people sin- don’t ask why but exercise faith and pray for God to intervene for it is so that God will be glorified.

Prayer is warfare- and there is no fixed formulae, not a fixed set of words, may not be long or elaborate- it is the  urgency and the persistency, for our fight is against the forces of darkness in this world and in the supernatural realm .

In the last days there will be false prophets- that promise blessings and prosperity  ..etc.  We  must not be naïve to easily believe - we need to test it in the Spirit to see if they align with  God’s word, true prophet comes with the truth from God.

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The encounter of King Hezekiah   with the Prophet Isaiah teaches us the kind of response that will move God. When the Prophet pronounce his death. He faced the wall and prayed to God for mercy and grace , and wepted bitterly. for unmerited favors, and  we know with God- His mercies are new everyday. Many people  who are terminally ill and facing death face the same desperation and they need to cry out to the Lord. There are many  individual who have experienced real life cancer ( final stages) – and their souls have been saved as they turn their lives to Jesus on the operating table or death bed even when all else is lost, they still enjoy the final victory of being saved before going to be with the Lord.

Acts 2:21

 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

There are those who are under demonic forces, but when they see the vision of the cross and the bright lights, they can sense His presence and are delivered. In our desperation, He comes to us and saves us in our final walk, and we go to be with Him.  

We must believe in God for miracles for our  church members and our own family, and also as we walk a man through life’s trials and sufferings. Despite our  on/ off days , we must  remain faithful  and be a prayer warrior for Christ, and serve God faithfully as His mouthpiece- saying what He wants us to say and go where He wants us to go.

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Acts 12:1-16

Peter's Miraculous Escape From Prison

 1It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

 8Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him. 9Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

 11Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."

 12When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"

 15"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."

 16But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers about this," he said, and then he left for another place.

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2^nd Kings 20 : 1-7

Hezekiah's Illness

 1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

 2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

 4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.' "

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27 Feb 2010    Prayer of Faith  

The fear of God is an important quality  because we cannot come to God and live anyway we want. Sincerity comes from the heart and not our mouth. We must be faithful, and never  never give up and  God will come.

God already  knows what we go through, He even sees our tears. We must trust God even as we look at ways and remedies to cure our illness or pray for the surgeons doing surgery.

There are instances of healing from a switch in diet as it is often said that our human stomach and intestines are more suited to vegetables and fruits. God also can heal in miraculous ways.

John 9:6

6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

 For all the help that we can get for ourselves, we also need the prayer of faith- as we pray, day by day, we see improvements. It is so important that we pray and God can change His mind  just like in King Hezekiah’s case. So in the church, calling the elders to pray for the sick should be spontaneous and without delay.

James 5;13-14 The Prayer of Faith

 13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

 17Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Even clinical studies on healing  go to show  that groups of sick people  who are prayed for  has better success rate of healing compared with the other group without prayers where their conditions deteriorated.  

 Isaiah 53:5

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

       he was crushed for our iniquities;

       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

       and by his wounds we are healed.

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28 Feb2010    Faith and its rewards  

Faith and its rewards                                 28 Feb2010

If we pray correctly and effectively, the results will show for itself- we will see the power and reward of faith. Faith leads to  effective prayers. People can give us confidence, but only faith in the Lord will work in our lives. Effective prayers bring joy to the person prayed for and those who had prayed. It draws us closer to the reality of God’s promise. Faith can be developed and grow.

Luke 11:1

1One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

Psalms 50:15

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;

       I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Abraham respond to God at a time when there is no written word – just by hearing God’s voice- walking by faith to become the father of Israel. So if God ask you to serve Him- are you prepare to take that leap of faith because faith is a personal relationship and the ability to trust Him fully – only believe. All things are possible to them that believe. When you face crisis and crisis you will face- what will be your response – can you be so confident in Christ that you obey and based your actions on what you believe in. Are you fully convinced of the truthfulness and reliability what you believe in- especially from the reading of God’s word.

Heb 11:1 By Faith

 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Heb 11:6

6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

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Genesis 12:14 The Call of Abram

 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

 2 "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.

  3 I will bless those who bless you,

       and whoever curses you I will curse;

       and all peoples on earth

       will be blessed through you."

  4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

Faith comes by hearing. God will prepare us for what is to come. Be sensitive and  ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. God rewards faith- God is a rewarder. Through Abraham’s faith – Israel was blessed. Satan come to steal  but Jesus come to give. It must start with us, we must want something that we can ask God to give, just like Blind Bartimaeus who just want to see.

Roman 10 :17

17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

 John 10:10

10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full

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 Mark 10:46

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

 46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

 49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

 51"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him.

      The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see."

 52"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

If we look at the life of Job, he was one of the richest man in the East until he lost everything- his family, his wealth and his health. Imagine all your 10 children  and all your wealth gone in 1 stroke.  The lost of a even single child would have been unbearable for any family let alone 10 children. There are also lessons for husband and wives. When Job lost everything, his wife turned negative towards God but Job reminded her of God blessings and encouraged his wife.

28 Feb 2010    Qualities of a good leader

Qualities of a good leader                         28 Feb 2010

We must start with customer service and customer is King. Government officers are also known as government servants- but they behave more like bosses, but hopefully in the kingdom of God, we remain truly as God’ servants. As God servants, we must also delivered high quality service and selling the Gospel of  Jesus to anyone that comes. Every church also have good members and  bad members- but all must humble themselves and  work together. For every soul saved – every department has a part in it- all members are stakeholders to deliver quality service. 

1. Serve with gladness/ joyfully

Psalms 100:2

2 Worship the LORD with gladness;

       come before him with joyful songs.

Psalms 14:16

 2. Serve God willingly

God help me to smile and serve the master not people.

 1^st Peter 5:2

2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve

Exodus 21:1-6 Hebrew Servants

 2 "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. 3 If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

 5 "But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' 6 then his master must take him before the judges. [a] He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.

3. Serve God wholeheartedly

The administrative work in the office will never end. Sometimes try to save your energy for the things of God. If you have to cheat – cheat on the world ‘s time and not on God’s time and use your wisdom.

2^nd Chronicles 31:20-21

 20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.

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4. Undivided loyalty

We cannot serve the Lord and Money. Serve the Lord alone and  we shall have enough.

 Luke 16:1

1Jesus told his disciples: "There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.

Joshua 24:14-15

14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

 5. Enthusiastic and zealous

It is tough to deal with people within the church. It is true that sometimes Pastors do not want to go to church because they cannot stand their members. Zeal must be balanced with competence. It is also about competent people and leadership succession.  Sometimes members must be willing to step aside to give others a chance to serve.

 Rm 12:11

11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

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 6. Faithful servant

The church is about talents- how you nurture them and mentor them whereby they pass it on to the next generation- it is a mentoring process- training others to take over. One should not dominate the stage at the expense of the church.

 Heb3:2-3

2He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God's house. 3Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

 Luke 19:11

The Parable of the Ten Minas

 11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

 14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

 15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

 16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'

 17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

 18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'

 19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'

 20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'

  22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'

 24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'

 25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'

 26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."

 7. Godly man/ person

Let the righteousness of Jesus flow out of you, more so you  need to shine for Jesus , and touch other members in the church. Paul says, I die for Christ daily – dying to self-desire and own selfish ways.            

Sometimes familiarity breeds contempt- so in a family context, we scream at our children and also pray for them- sometimes children may not feel the Godly presence- hence we have to balance the need for discipline  with God’s love in teaching them.

 John 12:24

24I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

We need to have these 7 qualities to  do well  and also contribute to any church that one chooses to serve.

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