Sunday Re Cap (13th June 2010)

The Kingdom Of God

Mat 6:33 Jesus said "seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL things shall be added to you".

What are “ALL things”. Are they just blessings and prosperity? In fact, Jesus also said a man is not measured by the substance and riches that he possesses. Luke 12:15-23. There are many people in the world that are very rich and are miserable (Luke 18:24). Mark 19:24; and also Luke 8:14 (In fact this is considered one of the mysteries of the KOG); Mark 10:23;

So what is the Kingdom of God? And where is it?

The Bible says in Mt 16:19 and Lk 12:32 "It is the good pleasure of the Father to give us this Kingdom" and Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you". Lk 17:20-21

This is how Paul describes the Kingdom of God. He says that the Kingdom of God is RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST! Rom 14:17. Meaning a man or a woman who possesses these possesses the Kingdom of God!

So do we have the Kingdom of God? Let's take a closer look at the 3 elements of the KOG.

1. RIGHTEOUSNESS
So what is Righteousness? It is not right doing but right standing with the Father. Phil 3:9 (AMP). Rom 5:17 also says that righteousness is a gift. A gift cannot be earned nor can it be paid for; It needs to be received. 2 Cor 5:21 We are the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS!

2. PEACE
The first thing that Jesus did when He appeared to the disciples was he said "Peace be with you". Jesus also said "Peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, but MY peace I give unto you".
How do we allow that peace to guard our hearts? Be anxious for NOTHING! Phil 4:4-7

3. JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST
John 15:11 That MY JOY might remain in you and that your JOY might be FULL!"
Mt 28:8 One of the first emotions that filled the heart of the disciples when they departed from the tomb was GREAT JOY!
Neh 8:10 It is the JOY OF THE LORD that is our strength!
John 16:20 Your sorrow will be turned into JOY!
John 16:24 ASK! That your JOY may be full!
John 17:13 Joy fulfilled in us

Difference between Joy and happiness. Happiness is based on outward circumstances (What others do, what we do, what happens to us and others) but Joy is based on what Christ has DONE on the cross!

The Kingdom of God is where JESUS is KING. When we live under the LORDSHIP of Christ and HIS finished work, we allow Jesus to be KING and begin to enjoy ALL things. These are RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE AND JOY IN THE HOLY GHOST. Begin to focus on these gifts. Not our failures, weaknesses, our past life. As we do this we truly reign in LIFE as kings!

Samuel Hari @ GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (30th May 2010)

Breaking The Generational Curse

Exo 34:6-7

Have we ever wondered when certain things happen in a repetitive manner in our lives or if there is no breakthrough in a certain area of prayer if there is some kind of generational curse operating? i.e. accidents, divorces, marital unfaithfulness, death through a certain disease, financial failures, depression, addictions. Even lust, adultery and fornication have some basis in generational curse.

Generational curses are very real and Satan often uses this as a means to cause calamities to occur in cycles in the lives of people. Are generational curses operating in our lives and how do we break these cycles over our lives?

God's nature of lovingkindness cannot tolerate any form of iniquity. He is so Holy, Loving and Just that sin cannot be found in His presence even as far as to the third and even the fourth generation. However, His lovingkindness FAR outweighs His judgment as His lovingkindness goes to a thousand generations!

God is ever ready to forgive iniquity, transgressions and sin. He is slow to anger and ABOUNDING in LOVE. In other words, God is waiting to forgive us, that is the nature of God. He still has to point out that He will punish our iniquities and His mind towards sin is consistent and unchanging.

So when bad things consistently take place in our lives, is it because of a generational curse or because of sin in our lives? Why do we continue to experience these things? How far back are we to go to breaking these curses?

Many of us have even been taught this scripture that one way we can be free from that cycle of disease, poverty, failure is by going back a couple of generations and breaking the curses in our lives.

But can we do that? Even now, many of us are probably having some sinful thought. There are opportunities everyday to sin. What about our parents if they are alive? How do stop them from sinning? What about sins that our grandfathers committed that we don't know about?

On the one hand God says He forgives iniquities to a thousand generations and on the other hand He says He will visit our iniquities to the third and fourth generation. We can say, to break out of that cycle, repent! I fully agree. But this is not talking about your sins but the sins of your father and grandfather! How are we going to repent for them? What to repent???

It almost seems unfair and impossible to break out of generational curses!

Joh 1:12-13
When we receive Jesus and believe in His Name, we have the right to become the children of God! This verse tells us that we are no longer under our natural genealogy when we receive Christ and believe in His Name (His Nature and Finished Work). We have the RIGHT to BECOME the children of God. The word RIGHT is "exousia" in Greek which has legal connotations. We know from Rom 8:14 that we have received the spirit of Sonship and we are now able to call God, ABBA FATHER.

Friends, what this simply means is that WE ARE UNDER A NEW GENEOLOGY. This is another powerful benefit of the New Covenant! Don't live another day under the Old Covenant. Embracing the New Covenant means embracing a NEW GENEOLOGY. This is how we break the Generational Curse over our lives.

Therefore we are no longer visited by iniquity either through our own sins or the sins of our fathers but we are visited by the lovingkindness and tender mercies of God each and every day of our lives!

Let's stand on this word, we are children of God and we have the RIGHT and the POWER to be one! Don't live another day under the OC. Enter into REST. Enter into the NC and into a New Genealogy. We are IN CHRIST and A NEW CREATION! 2 Cor 5:17

Samuel Hari @ GROW BM

YOU TOOK MY PARKING SPACE AT CHURCH

This should wake us up.

One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, "I always park there!

You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place.."

Sunday Re Cap (9th May 2010)

Daughters Of Sarah

1 Pet 3:1-7 You are Daughters of Sarah

Sarah was the first woman mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Heb 11.

 ¹¹ It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed^[b] that God would keep his promise.

She was the wife of Abraham, the mother of Isaac who was the son of promise. She was obviously a very beautiful woman as kings desired her even at an old age and that obviously meant that she had youthfulness about her. In this portion of scripture however, it is mentioned that woman need not be overly concerned about their outward beauty but to focus on the beauty that comes from within.

3:1 When a man became a Christian, he normally brought his whole family into the church (Philippians Jailer Acts 16:29-34). By contrast when a woman came to church she normally came alone. Under Roman law, the husband and father had absolute authority over all members of his household, including his wife. Demanding her rights are a free woman in Christ could endanger her marriage if her husband disapproved. Peter assured Christian woman who were married to unbelievers that they did not need to preach to their husbands. Under the circumstances, the best approach would be one of godly behaviour; they should show their husbands the kind of self giving love that Christ showed the church. By being exemplary wives, they would please their husbands.

There is a saying that goes something like this: the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. There is some truth in that: it's not through preaching the good news by living it. Actions speak louder than words.

When we do this, at the very least, the husbands allowed them to continue their "strange" religion. At BEST, they join them and become Christians as well.

3:1-7 A changed life speaks louder and clearer and it is the most effective way to influence a family member.    

2 Timothy 1:5, "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." Pray!!!

Many a Christian mother has been used by the Lord to plant spiritual seeds that the Holy Spirit has used to bring many to Christ. Just what are some Biblical principles that can be lived out that can capture the spiritual heart of your children?

Susannah was John and Charles Wesley's Mom.

"…although she never preached a sermon or published a book or founded a church, (she) is known as the Mother of Methodism. Why? Because two of her sons, John Wesley and Charles Wesley, as children consciously or unconsciously will, applied the example and teachings and circumstances of their home life."^[1]

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,  But a woman who reveres the Lord will be praised. Proverbs 31:30.

Samuel Hari @ GROW BM

Sunday Re-Cap 02 May 2010

Jesus Christ: the Faithful and True Witness
By Pastor Abel Phillips

Revelation 2–3 reveals what Christ said to the seven churches, a select group in a circular loop. His message to them speaks across the centuries to us today.

• Ephesus, the careless church, left their first love. Christ said to them, “Come back to Me!”
• Smyrna, the crowned church, suffered persecution. Christ said to them, “Be
faithful to the end!”
• Pergamos, the compromising church, tolerated evil. Christ said to them, “Separate yourselves!”
• Thyatira, the corrupted church, joined the world. Christ said to them, “Divorce
yourself from the world!”
• Sardis, the feeble church, wasn’t on guard. Christ said to them, “Wake up before it is too late!”
• Philadelphia, the faithful church, was pleasing to God. Christ said to them, “Keep on keeping on!”
• Laodicea, the foolish church, needed nothing. Christ said to them, “Find what you need in Me!”

What He said to the seven churches also applies to individual Christians.
Therefore, I exhort you to ask the Lord Jesus to apply His letter to the seventh church to your own heart!

Rev 2:14“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
Faithful & True Witness = He is trust worthy/ in the totality of His life and words in His ways. He can be trusted & relied upon. Faithful means He is credible.

1. A Witness is an Observer
a) Jesus has seen the Glory and the Splendor of God.
b) Jesus has seen all the demonic and devilish intentions (Jn 10:10)
c) Jesus has seen all that is going on in the world.
d) Jesus has seen everything about us.

2. A Witness Speaks and Testifies
a). Jesus is a Trusted Speaker.
b). Jesus speaks what He has Observed from the Father.
c). Jesus speaks Clearly and Boldly.
d). Jesus’ testimony contains Spirit & life ( Jn 6:63)
e). Jesus’ words have penetrating power.

His speech is so powerful with this life giving source and so accurate with power of the spirit.
a) The Centurion – received the word and his servant was healed.
b) The Disciples saw even the storm obey his words and became calm.
c) Doubting Thomas – life was changed the moment he heard the Lord spoke to him.
d) The disciples- at his words let their net on the side of the boat and experienced a great catch.

WHEN HE SAYS Come unto me you who are weary & heavy laden and I give you rest, let the penetrating power transform absolutely unload the burden we have been carrying.

WHEN HE SAYS- Trust in me, or WHEN HE SAYS Cast all your cares on Me; and let the penetrating power of the LORD come upon us.

So, let’s TRUST IN THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE WITNESS and in His words/ promises today and experience the spirit led lives for His Glory! God Bless.

Sunday Re Cap (25th April 2010)

The Ministry of the Spirit Is Far More Glorious

Anything that is from God is Holy and Good. Rom 7:12

The Ten Commandments were given to show God's high moral standard for living. However, men were and are incapable of keeping the high moral standards of God. Are the Ten Commandments important? YES! Should we memorize them? BY ALL MEANS! WHY? Because they reveal God's HIGH MORAL STANDARS WHICH IN TURN REVEAL HIS NATURE. Heb 8:11. Are we able to keep them? We can't! Rom 3:23 

If they are God's moral standards, then how are we going to keep them? The Father points us to the ONE who has fulfilled every single one of them. He says, "Walk with my Son". How? The Holy Spirit will teach you. The whole basis of the 4 clauses of the New Covenant is, "as we walk with Jesus, the Holy Spirit will put the laws in our minds and write them on our hearts". We will experience the miraculous in God's perfect timing and in God's wonderful way and no one needs to teach us continually to obey the moral code of God! The Holy Spirit takes over that role of teaching us the High moral standards of God which reveals His nature.

We may ask ourselves; surely we can have a "balance" of the LAW and GRACE?

Romans 6:¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Luke 5:36-39. V39 (SPLB note)-Jesus sadly describes people who are satisfied with the old system of the LAW and the tradition of the elders and are reluctant to accept the gospel.

There is no place for a mixture of the LAW and grace. Why? Because Grace has fulfilled every LAW through Christ! The NC covenant does not set aside God's moral LAWS but allows the Holy Spirit to write them on our hearts as we walk with Jesus.

Why settle for rules when we can have relationship! Rules are for "servants" and "slaves". Jesus said we were no longer servants but friends in John 15:15. Friends and Family are in relationship.

How can we enter into a place of ever increasing glory? How do we give room to the ministry of the spirit? 2 Cor 3:3-18

1. By walking in the spirit. Take time to pray in the spirit every day. This gives time for the Holy Spirit to write on the tablets of our hearts.
   
2. Decide not to live in condemnation. Live believing that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
   
3. Most importantly, cultivate a daily loving relationship with Jesus every day. Remember His finished work.
   

Samuel Hari

Sunday Re Cap (18th April 2010)

Anointed to Preach the Good News Part 2

Each one of us is anointed to preach the good news. Lk 4:18-20

We are an epistle of Christ written by the Spirit of God. 2 Cor 3:3

2Co 3:5-6

Many of us feel inadequate/insufficient or are unaware of the anointing upon our lives. Why? Maybe because we feel that circumstances (financial, health, etc) are holding us back or failures in the past.

3 key words:

Sufficient-Hakanos-competent

Sufficiency-Hikanotes-enabling

Sufficient-Hikanoo-qualified

1. Sufficiency of ourselves- of ourselves we are incompetent. Ex 19:8, Ex 24:3,7
   
2. Sufficiency is from God-God enables us. He alone gives us the ability.
   

Matt 28:18-20

When we see God's sufficiency, we are seeing the vast resources made available to us through the finished work of Christ on the cross. We don't see our failures, our weakness, our past anymore. What we see is our destiny in Christ! His favour, His love, His supply, His healing, His faithfulness.

Luke 5:1-7; Num 13, 1 Sam 17, Mk 6:30- & Mk 8

1. Made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant,
   

Everyone is qualified through Christ to be a minister of the NEW COVENANT. God makes us. It is not based on our qualifications, abilities or our own righteous acts. He brings us to a place where we are at right standing with Him.

A Minister of the NC covenant focuses on God's ability and the Minister of the OC focuses on our abilities (which eventually fails).

This is the basis of Positive Thinking and all self help teaching. Relying on our own efforts to improve and function. Focussing on our weakness and need to perform. Somehow this has crept into the church and the Bible is used as a self help book when we try to follow the principles of the Bible as much as we can. ALL THAT YOU ASK US TO DO, WE WILL DO! WE WILL FAIL!

Does this mean that we don't change? We must change but we change by focussing on Him. Our sufficiency is from Him; not of ourselves!

Samuel Hari @ GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (11th April 2010)

The Anointing to Preach the Good News

Scripture:

Isa 61:1-3 THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to….

(2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,…

Jesus, the Living Word quotes this in

Luk 4: (19) To proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord [the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound]. [Isa. 61:1, 2.] …. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing.

Note: The day of the vengeance is missing, why? Because that day has come and gone! When God judged Jesus on the cross! What has been fulfilled? Jesus came to fulfil God's plan of redemption. Release of captives, etc…What is THAT DAY replaced by? The day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound! Hallelujah!

There's a tremendous anointing in speaking good. Jesus said so. How much more speaking God's word into and upon our family members? Even into our work situation. When we speak the good from God's heart, we are "anointed" and when we are "anointed" we will speak good. This is not something we can easily do. It comes from feeding on the word, believe and receive it.

(Luk 6:45) What is this good treasure? The treasure is the gospel, the good news! 2 Cor 4:5 Preach Christ, not ourselves!

It's very easy to see bad things in people, situations but it takes the anointing to see the good.

Notice how difficult it is to worship God when we hear "bad" news or have just gotten out of an argument with someone or gossiped and slandered someone. Try to worship as soon as you just got angry with your children or spouse?

On the other hand, notice how differently you feel when you have just had to apologize to someone or did something for someone (forgiving them, buying them a gift) who "especially" did not deserve it. Man! We feel so anointed and can go straight into worship! We were created for good. To say good things.

So what do we say when someone is sick. Let that anointing arise. Speak good. Pro 12:15-19; 16:13, 24, 32

What if we are persecuted? Now we know why we need the anointing! If we find that all that comes out of our mouth is grumbling, complain, murmuring and slander, then we need to go back and seek God for the anointing. One of the strongest sign of God's anointing over our lives is when we find bad news, gossip, slander repulsive!

Read The Message Bible Mat 5:44-48

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (4th April 2010)

We Are An Epistle Of Christ

Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday today, we look into the lives of the early believers who had such powerful convictions about the physical resurrection of Jesus. This powerful conviction led them to witness with great power and as a result received great grace. How can we witness with such conviction? Only by BEING an EPISTLE of CHRIST.

2 Corinthians 3

³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

1. The Spirit of God writes in our hearts AS we are aware that we are forgiven.
   

We are an epistle of Christ everywhere we go! How? When we allow the Holy Spirit to write on our hearts. The Holy Spirit writes our destiny and puts new desires in our hearts. When does that happen? When we receive God's complete forgiveness for our sins through Christ! Heb 8:10-12

4And we have such trust through Christ toward God.

1. Faith arises as we TRUST in a growing relationship with The Father.
   

How can we trust someone? Relationship. Who makes this relationship possible? Through Christ! Joh 14:6

We come to the Father through resting in the FINISHED work of the CROSS. Christ alone brought us to God. Jesus not only took away our sins, He opened the way to The Father.

⁵ Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency
is from God,

⁶ who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

1. When our SUFFICIENCY is of GOD.
   

Note 3 times the word sufficient, sufficiency. Sufficiency in ourselves or God. One is the LAW and the other is of the Spirit.

If there is a minister of the NEW COVENANT, then there is also a MINISTER OF THE OLD COVENANT. A minister of the OLD COVENANT ministers about our sufficiency being in ourselves.

We have been called MINISTERS of the NEW COVENANT when our sufficiency is of God!

When the LAW was given, 3000 people lost their lives (Ex 32:28); When the Holy Spirit was given 3000 lives were saved (Acts 2:41)!

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re-Cap 28th February 2010

ENJOYING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
By Bro. Richard Yeoh

WORSHIP IS ENJOYING THE PRESENCE OF GOD – IT IS THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S GLORY AND HIS TANGIBLE PRESENCE WITHIN US.

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING HIS PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE? EXODUS 33:1-3

1. DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE
EXODUS 32:7-8 - “AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES, GO DOWN,FOR YOUR PEOPLE, WHOM YOU BROUGHT UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, HAVE CORRUPTED THEMSELVES. THEY HAVE TURNED ASIDE QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY THAT I COMMANDED THEM. THEY HAVE MADE FOR THEMSELVES A GOLDEN CALF AND HAVE WORSHIPPED IT AND SACFRIFIED TO IT AND SAID ‘THESE ARE YOUR GODS, O ISRAEL, WHO BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT!’

WHEN WE WILLINGLY AND KNOWINGLY DISOBEY GOD, WE GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (EPH 4:30)
WHEN WE GRIEVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE THEN QUENCH THE SPIRIT (1 THESS. 5:19)

2. DIVIDED DEVOTION
AN IDOL IS ANYTHING WE LOVE MORE, FEAR MORE, SERVE MORE AND TRUST
MORE THAN GOD.
EXODUS 32:4- AND HE RECEIVED THE GOLD FROM THEIR HAND AND FASHIONED IT WITH A GRAVING TOOL AND MAKE A GOLDEN CALF. AND THEY SAID, “THESE ARE YOUR GODS, O ISRAEL WHO BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT!”

3. DISPLACED DEPENDENCE
EXODUS 32:8 “…. ‘THESE ARE YOUR GODS, O ISRAEL, WHO BROUGHT YOU UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.’
OTHER DEPENDENCE: MAN, MONEY, POWER, INTELLECT, ETC

4. DETERMINED DEFIANCE
EXODUS 32:9 AND THE LORD SAID TO MOSES,”I HAVE SEEN THIS PEOPLE AND BEHOLD, IT IS
A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE.”

STIFF-NECKED: OPPOSITE OF MEEK AND PLIABLE, HARDENED CLAY

CONCLUSION
MOSES DID NOT WANT TO GO WITHOUT THE LORD’S PRESENCE
EXODUS 33:15 AND HE SAID TO HIM,” IF YOUR PRESENCE WILL NOT GO WITH ME, DO
NOT BRING US UP FROM HERE.”

DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN GOD’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE.

Sunday Re-cap 21st February 2010

And I Know...
by Ps. Abel Phillips

John 11:42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”
-As Jesus knows the Father so well; Do I personally know my God, as my Saviour, Master, Lord, Shepherd etc…?

Psalm 23 is in reality a brief expounding of eight names of God in the first five verses. It brings to light:
Jehovah-Rohi—God our shepherd—Psalm 80:1.
Jehovah -Jireh—God our provider—Genesis 22:14.
Jehovah -Shalom—God our peace—Judges 6:24.
Jehovah -Nissi—God is my banner—Exodus 17:15.
Jehovah -Rapha—God our healer—Exodus 15:26.
Jehovah -Zidkenu—God our righteousness—Jeremiah 23:6.
Jehovah -Shammah—God is present—Ezekiel 48:35.
Jehovah -Mekaddish—God who sanctifies—Exodus 31:13.

- Each of these names provides us with building blocks of knowledge to strengthen and encourage us in the use of faith.
1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (no lack)
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; (Word of God, Bible Study and Prayer)
He leads me beside the still waters. (Christ is with us – Holy Spirit) - Presence
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness (holy & pleasing life)
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (Discipline & guidance).
5 You prepare a table (fellowship) before me in the presence of my enemies; (holiness/ righteous life); You anoint my head with oil; (above your head), My cup runs over. - God promises to bless us even though enemies may surround us. Not only will He supply our needs, but He will supply "exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). Jesus says God will give to us "pressed down, shaken together, and running over" if we follow His way of give (Luke 6:38).
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me (Christ is walking in front- blessing behind us). All the days of my life; And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD Forever. “Because of following God's way of life and living in the care of the Good Shepherd, David looks forward to a full physical life, and after that, abundant, eternal life in God's Kingdom.
Ps 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
Eze 38:7 7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.

Salvation does not depend on what we do - it depends on accepting what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. However, if salvation is real, the new relationship with Jesus should result in a new desire to do what pleases the Lord. (Eph 2:10 - For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them).

Conclusion: Do I really have a daily personal and intimate relationship and fellowship with my God, that I may say like Jesus I know my Father hears me.

Sunday Re Cap (14th Feb 2010)

Have The Faith of God Pt 2

Mar 11:20-24

Last week we saw how Jesus cursed the fig tree before he went into the temple and the fig tree was dried up from its roots the next day. We saw how Jesus was

1. Symbolically cursing the religious system of the day which was based on the law and of external religious acts. Jesus then replaced that system which something much better which is something based on our relationship with God rather than our performance (full of leaves but NO FRUIT).
   
2. Replacing our dependence on anything else other than Himself. The Fig tree symbolizes the peace and security of Israel. Many of us depend on religion, health, finances, and relationships for our FAITH. When things are going right our faith is strong but when things are not, then our faith is weakened. Everything that is not of God will be shaken.
   
3. Did not want us to depend on the facts for our faith but it's the truth which is unchanging that keeps our faith strong. Circumstances will always change but Jesus is unchanging. Everything will change but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Not like the FIG Tree which had no fruit because it was not in season).
   

Jesus replaced all of that by saying "HAVE THE FAITH OF GOD".

How do we have the FAITH OF GOD? What do we need to do? And the answer came back NOTHING! It's all been done, 2 thousand years ago. His Faith is available. There is no performance on our part that is needed to have MORE FAITH like they were doing in the temple. Jesus coming offered us something far better!

His Faith is available to us because as He is so are we in this world. 1 Jn 4:13-19. His Faith is available because if anyone is in Christ, He is a NEW Creation; old things have passed away and all things are new. The KEY here is RECEIVING. There is no problem as far as heaven is concerned. The only thing we need to do as a NEW CREATION is BELIEVE AND RECEIVE. How?

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (7th February 2010)

Have the Faith of God-SAYING IS BELIEVING!

Text: Mark 11:12-24

Mark 11:22-2 Many times this has been taught as a "stand alone" teaching rather than as a whole context. Mark 11:22 was actually a continuation of a same scene and part of the same conversation. Starting from V11. What was Jesus trying to teach in the first place? He was not just teaching faith but he was trying to teach a much bigger lesson here.

We begin by noticing that Jesus was hungry. This natural hunger was symbolic of another hunger that was within Jesus; otherwise, the whole account of the temple would not have been there. We as Christians are looking for something to eat.

What did the leafy Fig tree represent? A Fig tree is symbolic of Israel's peace and security. Israel's peace and security up to that point had been religion. Jesus cursed that Fig Tree and it withered from its roots and died. Jesus said "May no one ever eat fruit from you ever again". Jesus Himself cursed all external forms of religion.

What is our peace and security based upon? Our religion, carrier. Finances, health?

However, He did not leave them without a hope for a better foundation.

V22-Have the Faith of God.

How do we have this kind of faith? Faith on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Jesus was punished, scourged, whipped till His appearance was beyond recognition. Faith that "it is finished". It's all been done for us on the cross. Faith not on things that we can see; facts which change but faith on the truth! When we are sick, that's only a fact and facts change but the truth never changes. It's no longer looking at things and hope they change but it's learning to look at the cross and see that it's been DONE! Instead of praying and asking God to intervene in a situation, we look at the cross and rejoice at the victory that we have.

How do you and I cultivate that faith? Believe is important but sometimes when we are in a tough situation, sometimes it's hard to even believe. It's easy to tell other people in situations to believe but when we are in it, where do we start? How do we start believing? How can we become a Fig tree full of fruit in season and especially like the fig tree above, out of season?

The key is not "Doing" but "Saying". Notice how many times Jesus said in this passage to "Say" and how many times, He told us to believe. Sometimes, we just have to start "Saying". Everyone has been dealt a measure of faith in our hearts to BELIEVE. However when we see circumstances and are overwhelmed, we find it hard to SAY. It is in this very situation that we must SAY for SAYING releases our FAITH into the miraculous.

Pro 18:20-21

It starts with saying the "right thing". The reason many are not seeing fruitfulness is because of what is coming out of our mouth. The devil does not know what is going on until we open our mouth. Sometimes, the whole atmosphere in a situation changes when we open our mouth. Best thing to do is pray; atmosphere changes.

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re-Cap 24th January 2010

The Benefits of Knowing Jesus Christ
Ps. Abel Phillips

A). Rev 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”[a] says the Lord,[b] “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Alpha is the first letter if the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last. So our Lord is the First and Last, He is the Source of all things. He is the source of all truth, of all the promises given in the WOG, of all the prophecies, of all commands and of all penalties. How great is our Lord, who is and who was and who is to come; – The all-inclusive One! Everything is involved in the two words, beginning and ending.
Jesus is the Lord of the Beginning and He is the Lord of the End. He is the end of completeness of our lives.

John 1:1 -In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God
Col 1:16 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him
Col 1:17 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

B). Rev 1:18
I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.
Hades :– is the unseen world we don’t understand. The souls of people who pass away go into; until Jesus’ time… all souls were controlled by the adversary of the souls and were limited
Death (Two aspects)
i. Physiological death – our body weak / limitation of the human body
ii. Second death - our soul being separated from God

Jesus dies and comes back in the glorious resurrection, and ascends to the Father’s Right hand.
We see the unification once again and the healing power and he has the key over everything that separates, ruins, rejects and isolates us. He holds that Key! He is the healer of all relationship, restorer of the fullness of relationship we hope for.

C). Rev 2:12
“…,‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
Eph 6:17 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Rev 2:16 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

ü People say I don’t like the correcting of the Lord, well of you don’t like the correcting of the L, then you don’t know how much He loves you; because he loves you way too much to leave you in that limited stage.
ü He wants to take out of your life that which diminishes and corrupts you and bring about the whole completeness. That’s why He uses the sharp two-edged sword.
ü Don’t avoid the correcting of the L, because it ultimately produces fruitfulness, and fruitfulness of righteousness.
ü The sharp two-edged sword is a counseling sword that guides and teaches thru WOG.
ü It has the absolute ability to deal with any situation, job, argument, finances, health, relationship etc… you don’t way but the WOG has power. The Word of God is quick and powerful and it gets the job done!
ü You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. Rom2:4 -4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

So, let’s reap the benefits of the things in stored for us by knowing and receiving JESUS into our lives!

Sunday Re-Cap 17th December 2010

Experiencing Real Peace
by. Ps. Abel Phillips

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Peace I leave with you… are the legal terms that has to do with an inheritance; that is a will & testament and what’s the moral of that: You have the right to the inheritance of Peace.
What Jesus’ words teach us:
 1. Our Inheritance is God’s Peace
 2. Jesus Christ’s own Peace
 3. The World’s Peace is Limited
 4. Our Peace is a Gift

So how does a person get on the pathway to receiving this REAL PEACE?
 1. Establish a True Relationship with Jesus Christ. (Is 9:6 - Jesus the Prince of Peace)
The real peace only starts by our relationship with Jesus

 2. Obey and Receive the Ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Rom 8:5-6
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (see also Gal 5:22-23)

 3. Depend on the Word of God.
The Word of God is quick, sharp and power to lead us to His transcending peace.

 4. Focus our Attention on God.
Isa 26:3 -3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

 5. Let the Lord Carry our Burdens
1 Pet 5:7 - casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you
Matt 11:28 - Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 6. Care about Others
1 Tim 2:1-2
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men (and women), 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Sunday Re Cap (10th Jan 2010)

New Covenant Life-a LIFE that is FREE

Jesus did not come to teach evil people to become good (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the LAW could have taken care of that) but to make dead people live (tree of LIFE)!

We need to get it out of our minds that all that God is interested in is SIN. We need a complete change of mindset of God's character and nature.

Eph 2:4-7

How many of us believe that being a child of God is the most favored thing in all of life? Sadly, many of God's people are not living in that environment of favor.

The more we read the word of God and the more we understand His grace, the more we realize that God has specifically 2 agendas over our lives that are intertwined.

Isa 61:1 Jesus quoted it in Luke 4:18-19 as well.

When did the Spirit of the Lord God come upon us?

Joh 16:7; Act 2:33

The Holy Spirit would not be given until Jesus finished His work here on earth and returned to the Father. The work is finished. Sin has been completely dealt with on the cross!

Where is the Holy Spirit now?

Upon us! We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Living breathing walking temple of the Living God! The Church!

What is our mission?

Act 10:38; Is 61.1 gives us a clear picture.

HS anoints us to proclaim LIBERTY and FREEDOM! His main agenda is not to expose SIN as SIN has already been dealt with. His main AGENDA now is LIFE.

Why was the Holy Spirit given to us?

Isa 61:2-3 To proclaim the favourable year of the LORD….So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

When is the Favorable year of the LORD? The more we focus on everything that Christ has already done, the more we are able to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Then FAVOUR HAPPENS! People are set free.

Joh 14:13 Jesus did not only come to heal us, deliver us, cleanse us from our sins. JESUS came to set us FREE! FREEDOM is God's main agenda.

Joh 8:32 Joh 8:36 Rom 8:1-2

Why does God want to set us FREE? Joh 10:10

So that we can LIFE and HAVE IT IN ABUNDANCE!

He wants to set us FREE and He wants us to become more and more ALIVE! Many may say, "it is for us to do missions or pray or give". If we are not FREE and ALIVE, we cannot freely give (freely receive, freely give), do missions or pray effectively!

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (3rd Jan 2010)

Lessons from the Tower of Babel-Resting and Not Striving

How do we ensure that our plans and God's plans are the same?

Gen 11:1-9

There are some powerful lessons that we can learn from this passage. Even though it seems negative, we believe the Holy Spirit put it in the Bible for very positive reasons. This passage gives us an idea of what happens when we push and strive with our own works and what happens when we rest and follow God's plans for our lives.

When the people attempted to build the tower that speaks of our goals, plan our focus. However, there can only be ONE TOWER in our lives. The NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER! Psa_18:2; Psa_61:3; Psa_144:2; Pro_18:10;

Instead of trying to build a tower, let us focus on the TOWER that has already been built! Run to the tower and REST in that tower. The effect will be completely the opposite of what was experienced by the people who tried to build the tower of Babel.

Let's look at this example and see what happens when we REST in the FINISHED TOWER of the NAME of the LORD instead of striving to BUILD THE TOWER with our own works.

When they followed their own plans:

1. Their language was confused. They could not understand each other.
   
   1. When we try to push our plans and strive, we will find confusion.
      
   2. God reversed this in the book of Acts. They were of the same mind, in one accord. Acts 2:1. The spoke the language of heaven, the language of the Father, TONGUES!
      
2. They were scattered. There was no longer any unity.
   
   1. When we are not speaking the same language that happens. In Ps 133 it says that when we are in unity, God commands a blessing. What is it that brings about this unity? In Ps 133:2. It was the precious oil, the Holy Spirit, as was in the book of Acts.
      
   2. The bible also says we are to "Endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace". This means that only the Holy Spirit has already given us unity. We are to NOW endeavour to KEEP IT! Anytime there is strive between us, we reset our relationship to default mode; that is UNITY! This is what the Holy Communion is all about; a reminder that we are united in Christ in His finished work.
      
3. They could not reach their goal.
   
   1. We find ourselves frustrated and unable to achieve our goal. Whether it be healing, finances, salvation for our family members.
      
   2. When we REST in the FINISHED TOWER, the finished work of Jesus on the cross, we are able to receive our inheritance. We need not strive any longer!
      

Conclusion

When we focus on the right tower, which is the NAME of the LORD, which speaks of everything that was accomplished on the CROSS through the Name of Jesus then there no longer be confusion as the Holy Spirit will UNITE our hearts and help us RECEIVE our inheritance through that finished work. Let us not strive to build our own tower but instead rest in the "finished" tower of the CROSS.

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re-Cap 27 December , 2009

God’s Presence our Daily Bread
by Ps. Abel Phillips

Luke 2:10–11
10Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord

Jesus is the mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid — the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!

Presents Or Presence?
In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. —Psalm 16:11
“It is not God’s promises we need, it is [God] Himself.” Presents may make us happy for a time; earthly gifts from God may make us happy temporarily, but fullness of joy comes only when we remain in a right relationship with God.

We experience God’s daily presence by abiding in the Word of God, abiding in the anointed Holy Spirit and in His Son, Jesus Christ) – 1 John 2:24-29 Word of God – (Written word reveals the Living word- Jesus)

It is no wonder that Proverbs 4:22 tells us that God’s words are “life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh”. So if you are under the weather or if symptoms are attacking your body, double up on God’s medicine. Simply feed more on God’s Word, and you will find life and health flowing through your body again.

1 John 2:28-29 - And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Abiding in Christ means that a person continues in the Word of Christ and knows the truth, that a person lets the Word of God abide in his life, that a person experiences the indwelling presence and witness of the Spirit, and that a person has power to live like he should. Abiding in Christ means that a person dwells in love and in unity and fellowship with all other believers, and it means that a person bears fruit and lives a very fruitful life. Abiding in Christ means that a person loves others, that he lives and walks in love toward others.

- God’s presence with us is one of His greatest presents /gifts to us. Matthew 1:23 “… and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
God has promised you His constant presence (Hebrews 13:5- “I will never leave you nor forsake you. When we are conscious of His presence every day, we will experience a peace that gives us rest, joy inexpressible in our spirit and a power that nothing in this world can offer. In fact, we will begin to be peaceful and powerful like Jesus. we will speak and behave like Him. This is because we cannot be in God’s presence without His beauty, love, peace, power and glory rubbing off on you.

So, we can enter this New Year with a sense of God’s presence if we look to Him in each of these directions. He is there to help us through every trial, temptation and task no matter what it is. He is all-sufficient for us for the coming year. So let each of us resolve to “run with patience the race that is set before us,” looking to Jesus to find the way. He’s there to meet us each and every step of the way.

Sunday Re Cap (13th Dec 2009)

Health and Wholeness Through the Holy Communion (Part II)

What is the basis of Christ as our Passover Lamb? Is 53:7; 1 Cor 5:7-8; Jn 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18-25, John 19:32 & Exodus 12:46 (No bone broken).

Exodus Chap 12:

V8- Why the roasted lamb? Fire speaks of the wrath of God; and this was the picture of God's fire of wrath upon Jesus on the cross. Rom 5:9; 1 Thess 5:9.

V9-why not raw? Eating the roasted lamb signifies feeding on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Not half baked or half cooked gospel. Half of our own efforts and half Jesus' finished work on the cross. Accepting that the full fury of God's judgment went upon Jesus. That is the only way to partake the HC.

V10-sorrow for only the night but joy comes in the morning! Psa 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. God's anger burned for a moment in time upon Jesus so that we can enjoy His favour for life! Here we are, thinking God is still angry for every sin against us. The HC is to remember that HIS FAVOUR IS FOR LIFE! Is 54:7-8, Ps 103:8-9. That moment has come and gone through the cross! God is no longer angry or will He ever be angry with us. Rom 5:8-9; 1 Thess 1:10. To say that God is angry with us is to say that the cross was insufficient!

If God had exercised and exhausted His fury and wrath upon Jesus on the cross; then what about Ananias & Sapphira? Acts 5:1-14.

The writer of Acts who was Luke was a very detailed man (physician). He uses certain terms to describe a believer or an unbeliever. Ananias was described as "a certain man" in Acts 5:1.

1. Certain man usually used for non believers in Acts. Acts 3:2, 5:1, 8:9, 9:33, 14:8, 19:24; Except Acts 18:7 and 25:14. In these cases, Justus was given a description (as one who worshipped God and the status of Paul was not Dr.Luke's words but the words of another non-believer.
   
2. Certain disciple usually used for Christians. Acts 9:10, 9:36, 16:1
   
3. This situation is not a norm in the New Testament church but a single event. A whole doctrine of judgment cannot be based on a single event.
   
4. God may have used this event to establish apostolic authority in the early church.
   
5. As Ananias and his wife were non believers, this outcome serves to remind the church that the Holy Spirit will avenge anyone in the church who was being taken advantage of.
   

Continued next week…

 

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (6th Dec 2009)

Receiving Forgiveness of Sins Enables Us to Receive Our Father's Love

Rom 8:38

³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2Ti 2:13
       ¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

"God does not need our love; in order to love us". We are not the initiators of that love but God is! He first loved us! Even when we don't feel like loving God; we can be assured that He loves us. His love is constant.

Do you and I need to love God? Same answer as, "Does God need our money"? He owns the cattle over a thousand hills. God IS LOVE! There is no shortage of LOVE in heaven. The Bible says God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son who is a manifestation of love. God IS LOVE No shortage of love in heaven! Our need is not to love God but to FIRST receive His unconditional LOVE.

1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The key to receiving God's love is by receiving forgiveness of sins through the finished work of Jesus on the cross!

The purpose of the Cross was love. God the Father Himself initiated the cross. HE DID! He put to rest the matter of love through the cross and said He would love us forever because of what Jesus had done on the cross. We don't need to do anything to earn that love.

Up to the cross, God's love for His people was subject to their obedience and how they failed and again and again! However, after the cross, God's love for His people was based on Christ ultimate sacrifice and obedience on the cross! It's not your obedience that saved you or will ever save you; it's Christ obedience!

Does that want us to go out and sin? NO! Let's see what Jesus had to say about that. How many will believe if Jesus said something?

Luk 7:40-43 These verses clearly show that when we are forgiven, we do not go out and sin more BUT we LOVE more!

Then someone might say what about the unforgiving servant? Let's read what happened to him when he received forgiveness and then went out and used that as a license to sin against his brother? Matt 18:23-35

Mat 18:34-35 He remain tortured as he received GRACE for himself but applied the LAW on others. Always remember as recipients of GRACE, we show that same GRACE to others as well.

What is the purpose of God forgiving us? Love! We don't need to love Him but when we come back to the realization of His forgiveness of sins, we cannot but LOVE! The issue is not how much we love God because that will change with circumstances; but the real issue here is receiving the forgiveness of sins!

1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

When we feel unloved, a failure, do you feel like going around saying "I love you" or "I love God" to anyone? Honestly? We feel dry, discouraged. Then when we turn and look at the cross and God's great love for us, what happens? We are overwhelmed and now, we can love again!

When we are touched by that LOVE, we give, we love naturally. Don't try to love God. Allow Him to love you and watch your own response!

 

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re-Cap 22 November 2009

Confidence in the Last Days (1 John 2:18-29)
by Ps. Abel Phillips

We believe that, according to Scripture, we are living in the last days.
The Bible says that perilous times are coming, and we need to be prepared.
We need to be ready because of:
i. The intercession factor – we need to be praying for people.
ii. The soul-winning factor – we need to be telling folks about Jesus Christ.
iii. The family preparation factor – as parents and grandparents, we need to be teaching and training our children in the ways and truth of God.
iv. The comfort factor – when we know what the Bible says about coming events, then we don’t have to worry; we understand that Jesus is coming again.

I) THE TIME IS THE LAST DAYS – BE AWAKE (1 John 2:18)
- Be prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ. After the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus, we entered into a period of time called the last time.
- The rapture of the church is imminent; we’re not waiting for the fulfillment of a sign or prophecy. The rapture may occur at any moment.
- We are to be expecting the coming of the Lord Jesus at any moment: Thessalonians 1:10 ; Philippians 3:20; 1 Corinthians 1:7; Hebrews 9:28 & Titus 2:13
- We are not to look for a sign; we’re to be looking for our Lord Jesus.

II) THE TYRANNT IS THE COMING ANTICHRIST – BE AWARE (1 John 2:18-26)
A. The antichrist has many aliases, including the son of perdition, the man of sin, the wicked one, the man of lawlessness, and the beast, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 & Revelation 13:1.
The prefix “anti” has two meanings: “against” and “instead of”. The antichrist will come against Christ by substituting himself for Christ (instead of Christ).

B. Attributes of the antichrist:
1. Devilish - 2 Thessalonians 2:4
2. Divisive –
1 John 2:19 – speaks of other antichrists that have entered the world, many of whom were once a part of the church. This Scripture says that “they were not all of us,” meaning that they were never saved.
1 Timothy 4:1
3. Deceptive
His primary objective is to deceive men about who Jesus is.
1 John 2:20-23; 1 John 2:26; 1 John 4:1-3 & 2 John 7-11
4. Destructive
His objective in deceiving men about Jesus has an ultimate goal of condemning the souls of men.
1 John 2:24-25

III) THE TRUIMPH IS THAT JESUS IS COMING – BE ABIDING (1 John 2:24-29)
We need to abide in the Word of God.
-1 John 2:24
We need to abide in the Spirit of God.
- 1 John 2:20;1 John 2:27;Ephesians 4:11-12;2 Timothy 2:15;John 14:26
We need to abide in the Son of God.
- 1 John 2:28-29

So be abiding that when He appears you will have the confidence and will not be ashamed or alarmed before Him at His coming.

Sunday Re Cap (15th Nov 2009)

Forgiveness

Text: 1 Cor 1-10; James 1:2-4

Quote: Bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to drop dead.

It's a matter of ATTITUDE!

Daniel 12:10 "Those who are wise will understand".

Rev 22:11 "and those right with God keep on being right with God".

Holy- AWESOME, BEYOND BELIEF.

Salvation- PRESERVATION FROM DESTRUCTION.

1 Cor 13:13 Above all, LOVE!

Rom 5:1-5 Never give up/live with great expectation.

Paul says-In the future we will BECOME, until then, we OVERCOME! GROW!

James 1:2-4

Time for CHANGE; Time to POSTURE ourselves.

How?

1. Establish the right atmosphere. Mark 6:3,5,6 "Is that the carpenter?"-They took offense.
   
   1. At the cross Jesus took ACTION; NOT OFFENSE.
      
   2. Jesus saw the BIGGER picture.
      
   3. Taking OFFENSE leads to BITTERNESS.
      
   4. Holding on to OFFENSES impedes life's posture for action. Blocks the atmosphere for the INCREDIBLE.
      
   5. Jesus gave up the RIGHT to be RIGHT at the CROSS.
      
2. Posture for the EXTRAORDINARY. Dan 10:12.
   
   1. "I have come because of your WORDS". Why 21 days? Needed to overcome spiritual challenges.
      
3. SERVE only God's Purposes.
   
   1. Extraordinary comes with much prayer.
      
   2. Greatest ministry in the waiting period.
      
   3. Take positive action; NOT OFFENSE!
      
   4. Let LOVE flow through us.
      

Re Connect

Faith to LIVE.

Hope for the LIVING.

Love for the LOST

Grace to our LIVES.

Peace to all.

James 2:14

Are we Citizens or Sojourners? Are we Potted or Planted? Are we Ambassadors or Terrorists?

Angelina Boots

Sunday Re Cap (8th Nov 2009)

Holy Communion (Part I)

The Holy Communion was instituted for the purpose of wholeness and healing. This will be a study that will help God's people to understand the full significance of the HC. To start our study, we need to go back to the Old Testament where it all began. To understand HC we need to fully appreciate the Passover.

Ex 12:1-13; 22-24 The Passover instituted.

V2-The Beginning of months-New Beginnings (The Passover signifies a new year).

V3-a lamb for himself and for his household-the lamb is not just for you but Jesus is for the whole household. When God sent Jesus, he did not only see you but your household. Your household is blessed because of you.

V4-Household too small! The Lamb is not too small. God's provision always exceeds our needs! Jesus is more than enough. God's blessings over our lives are meant to overflow to others. Not just kept for ourselves. JESUS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH. Twelve baskets full! Net breaking boat sinking load of fish. Wonderful to call for help when we are too BLESSED! How many would like to experience such a day? God is extravagant with His love! Don't be jealous with others. Don't be stingy as that doesn't reflect the heart of God.

V5-Lamb without blemish; first year, very sweet and adorable. Purposely not 2 or 3^rd year lamb. It represents Jesus, the one without blemish. "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!".

V6-14^th day, meaning lamb kept for 5 days to bond with the family. Also to see if in the midst of the household if it has any blemishes. To fully appreciate that a sinless animal died on their behalf. Jesus came and dwelt among us, became one of us. Jesus was examined for 5 days faults-John's baptism, paying tax,

V7-the cross! The blood applied outside. Judgment on the outside but mercy on the inside!

V13-The Lord sees the blood and not what's in the heart of the people; not their goodness, charity, contributions. People were also conscious of the blood and not their sins. Even if they were, God's protection was still upon their lives as God only sees the blood. However, they would not be able to enjoy the time while awaiting their deliverance because of they did not receive! The blood on the doors of the Israelites differentiated them from the Egyptians' homes. As we said the last 2 weeks, the Egyptians represent sin. What separates us from the Egyptians? Sin? It's the blood!

Even in the OT the Passover was a picture of God's mercy. Why then do God's people treat the Holy Communion as a place of judgment for their sins? Even in the original Passover God did not judge sin but provided the blood of a lamb without blemish. Who needs to be without blemish? The lamb or the one that is sacrificing the lamb?
To be continued…

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (1st November 2009)

What REALLY Happened At Baptism/The Cross? Part III

There are 2 significant events in the life of a believer which we saw the parallel in Ex 12 and Ex 14.

The Passover (Exo 12:24-27) is a "type" of The Holy Communion (1Co 11:23-25)

Red Sea Crossing (Exo 14:26-30) is a "type" of The Baptism (Rom 6:6-7 & Rom 6:9-10)

Both events point the believer to the victory of Christ on the cross on behalf of us.

• The Baptism is identification with the cross and the Holy Communion is a remembrance of the cross.
  
• The differences between these 2 events are the identification only occurs once and remembrance is celebrated as often as we can in remembrance of Jesus.
  
• Baptism is also most of all a powerful declaration of the end of the observance of the law and the beginning of the walk of grace. (Rom 6:14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace).
  
• Holy Communion is a continual reminder that we are under grace.
  

What is REPENTANCE?

Acts 2:37. 38.Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

What is this Repentance that Peter was talking about? Not a repentance of sin; otherwise Peter would have said REPENT FROM SIN!

We get another clue about the true meaning of repentance from Peter's next statement "you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". When did Jesus mention this and under what conditions? John 14:16;26 When Jesus returned to the Father having fulfilled all the requirements of the LAW on our behalf! The Holy Spirit could only be given IN FULL MEASURE when Jesus finished His work on the cross and having fully dealt with sin. The fact that we have the Holy Spirit is a proof that sin has been totally dealt with on the cross! The Father no longer sees us as sinners but fully redeemed by grace! We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. IT IS FINISHED!

So what REPENTANCE is Peter speaking about in Acts 2:38?

Heb 6:1-not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,

In Acts 2, Peter was laying a foundation of repentance. What is that foundation? Not repentance of sin but repentance from dead works! Dead works speak about the LAW.

Heb 9:11-15 ¹¹  cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵ 

We are NOT against repentance. However we need properly understand repentance. There is a difference between Old Covenant and New Covenant REPENTANCE. Repentance that unveils sin is of the LAW! NEW COVENANT repentance unveils CHRIST! The curtain of the law of our hearts is torn and we see Jesus and His finished works on the cross! Notice what Peter what doing right up to the point where they were cut to the heart. Acts 2:36 summarizes everything he was saying, he unveiled Christ to them! Their eyes were opened! Then Peter said "REPENT!" Open your eyes and see JESUS instead of the LAW (DEAD WORKS).

REPENTANCE is allowing the blood of Christ the continuously cleanse our conscience from DEAD WORKS to serve the living God. That is why Judas died (Matt 27:3-4) and Peter lived (JOHN 21:7 It is the LORD!). When it's a repentance that unveils sin, it leads to condemnation and death! When it's a repentance that unveils Christ, it leads to LIFE and LIFE more abundantly!

Let us go unto perfection (Heb 6:1) by not going back to "dead works" to serve the living GOD! This is Bible Repentance.

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (25th Oct 2009)

What REALLY Happened At Baptism? Part II

What is really Baptism? To which act of Jesus is it pointing to? These verses themselves are so pregnant with so much of truth concerning Jesus. Baptism points to the CROSS!

Rom 6:1-11

The parallel for this scripture is found in Ex 12-14

• Ex 12: The LORD instituted the Passover. The Passover is a shadow of the Holy Communion. Jesus on the same night that He was betrayed shared the Passover meal where He instituted the Holy Communion and spoke of the New Covenant. The Passover is celebrated by the Jewish people annually to this day. It is a continual reminder of the victory over Egypt. Ex 12:27. This is why we repeat the Holy Communion "as often as we partake of it".
  
• However what happened after that? The Crossover. What happened at the Red Sea? Ex 14:13-31. They crossed over the Red Sea. How many times? Once. Why? Because Jesus went only once to the cross! Heb 10:12-14
  
• As far as the children of Israel were concerned, they were no longer slaves to the Egyptians. The parallel is we are no longer slaves to SIN! Sin has lost its power over us. We are no longer slaves but we are sons The Baptism is a picture of Cross which is a picture of the Red Sea Crossing. We have crossed over!
  
• Now will sin still be there? Yes. The children of Israel had the Amalakites, Jebusites, etc…but we are no longer slaves to them but we have mastery of them! They went back to The LORD and found direction, strength and triumphed over their enemies (sin). We go back to the Holy Communion! Sin is still there but we don't face sin as slaves but we overcome it as sons!
  
• NOTE: Even in the NT Jesus celebrated the Passover before He went to the Cross (Over).
  

Let's read Rom 6:1-10 again. Do you see the parallel? Let's allow the Holy Spirit to unveil Christ! Let the truth set us FREE!

1. V3: What is baptism? It is a powerful picture of the cross shown to the world and the devil hates it! It reminds him of his failure and it is a reminder of our victory once and for all over sin. (v9-10).
   
2. V4: We were buried just as Christ was buried in a tomb. But the tomb could not hold him. A new life under the new covenant!
   
3. V5: Likeness of His death. Likeness of His resurrection. What does the baptism unveil of Christ? He is resurrected in a new body, glorious, healed, whole, complete! As He is so are we.
   
4. V6: Sin has no more body; virus needs a host to latch onto. However if there's no body, it cannot land! We are no longer sinners.
   
5. V7: God cannot punish sin again and again. When His Son took our place, it was as if we were there. And because Jesus paid the price in full, it is as if we have paid the price and punished. It is finished; God cannot punish it again! We are now FREE!
   
6. It is a reminder of the finished work of the cross. It does not need to be repeated. What is the significance of that? We don't need to repeat our sins again and again to God. It has been paid in full! That is why baptism is only once in a lifetime!
   
7. The more we bring ourselves under grace, Sin can no longer bully us into believing that we are under the law.
   
8. V11: Reckon yourself: The key to breaking the power of sin. Consider, (esteem, judge) yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our LORD.
   

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Sunday Re Cap (18th Oct 2009)

What REALLY Happened At Baptism? Part 1

Text: Acts 2:38, Acts 8, Is 53-54

Definition of Baptism

The word baptism itself comes from the greek root word "Bapto" which means immerse, dip (Liddel and Scott Lexicon) as opposed to pour or sprinkle.

Thayer Definition:

1) to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge, to wash, to overwhelm

Act 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent
(not just from sin BUT change your mind about the law (righteousness through works), about rejecting Jesus as the way to salvation, the Son of God), and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8: 13: Simon (spiritual senses sensitized, he was amazed)

Acts 8:26-39

• Philip preached beginning from that scripture (Is 53), Jesus (righteousness by faith, unveiling of Jesus).
  
• Condition for Baptism; "if you believe with all your heart you may"
  
• The water was a reminder from Is 54:9 (which is after Is 53) of God's covenant to Noah of peace and mercy upon a coming generation of people of the NEW COVENANT! We are that people. No wonder the eunuch wanted to get baptised so quickly!
  
• They went INTO the water and came up OUT of the water.
  
• The Eunuch went away rejoicing (a fresh consciousness of Jesus and righteousness by faith).
  

Where did Jesus die to sin? NOT AT BAPTISM. It was at the CROSS. That is why He gave us the baptism. It is a typology of the CROSS! Just like Holy Communion, it is not a new event every week but a reminder of one significant event that points to the FINISHED WORKS of JESUS on the CROSS!

It does not only mean death to our old life, it means death to the law, self consciousness, sin consciousness and its consequences; and alive to GRACE, Alive to Christ, Alive to RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Mat 3:15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him.

Gen 1:26: when God made man in His own image, He said, "Let US make man in our own image". Who is us? It's the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Notice that at the baptism, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present as a firstborn among many brethren. At baptism, man was restored to the original design; in the image of God! Clothed with glory and honour again, back at the 2^nd creation of man; man came back into a full cycle and relationship with God!

In Summary:

1. Is Baptism important? It was important to Jesus, to the early church and even to the devil. Matt 10:32
   
2. When do I get baptized? In general, when we have an awareness of our sinful condition, that we cannot overcome sin in our own strengths.
   
3. Is Baptism the guarantee of going to heaven? Am I a Christian only when I get water baptized? NO! It is the profession of faith that saves us. Rom 10 especially verses 9-10; John 5:24, 3:36
   
4. Do I need to get water baptized before I'm allowed to take Holy Communion? The Bible places no such restrictions. It is not in the heart of our heavenly Father to place restrictions on coming to Him. Everything He does, He does to remove barriers because His whole objective is to love us and to make himself known to us.
   
5. Do we need to get baptized often? It's up to our own personal convictions. Jesus never did it, neither did any of the disciples and unlike the Holy Communion, Jesus never used the phrase "do this often". Having said that, we can understand if anyone wants to get baptized again as it is such a beautiful sense of identification with our LORD JESUS. Declaring to the world, "I am a child of God".
   

Samuel Hari © GROW BM

Lord, I Cannot, But You Can!

Philippians 2:13
13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Have you ever tried to break a bad habit on your own? You probably found that when you tried to stop it by sheer willpower, you saw improvement for a while, and then bounced back to square one. Worse, you found yourself binging on the very thing that you were trying not to do. And your condition is worse than before you started your "I'm going to quit" program!

The changes were temporary because it was you doing it.

A church member who had been a chain-smoker used to believe that with willpower, he could quit smoking. He would tell himself, "If there is a will, there is a way!" But he discovered that with willpower, he could stop smoking for a week or two, and then he would succumb to the pull of nicotine again.

When he turned his life over to God and learnt about God's grace, he told God, "I realize that I cannot stop smoking. I cannot, but You can break my habit, Lord." And every time he lit up, he would say, "Lord, I am trying to stop smoking, but I cannot. I am trusting You." He would even say, "I am still righteous because of Jesus' blood."

Well, in the very same year, all his cravings to smoke vanished! When asked how he succeeded, he would say, "It is entirely God and none of me! It is all by His grace." This man lost all the desire to smoke. That is true transformation.

When you receive the grace of God to do for you what you cannot do, you will experience effortless and permanent change on the inside, which in turn changes your actions on the outside. The Bible tells us that God works in us to give us both the will and ability to perform what He desires. It is God who removes the old want to's and gives us new ones. And He even gives us the power to carry them out!

Beloved, look to His grace to do what you cannot do. Say, "Lord, I cannot, but You can!" Then, what you experience will not merely be behaviour modification, but true and lasting inward transformation!

Pastor Joseph Prince @ New Creation Church, Singapore

Sunday Re Cap (27th September 2009)

The Year Of Great Favour

Is 60:1-4

Even though darkness is covering the earth and deep darkness the people, we are reminded to arise and shine for our light (Jesus) has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon us. We do not need to strive to shine; these verses declare that the Lord will arise upon us and His glory will be seen upon us. He WILL do it! There is no effort on our part that can increase that; we only need to receive. This speaks of God's great favour upon us as sons of the New Covenant. Only slaves need to strive for favour; sons simply receive!

What is this New Covenant? Was it spoken about in the Old Testament?

Heb 8:10-12 is actually quoting from Jer 31:33-34

The New Covenant was long prophesied in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is truth concealed and the New Testament is the truth revealed. The Old is the shadow and the New is the substance. So what is seen in the New Testament is nothing new but a revelation of what has already been foretold in the Old Testament.

How do we appropriate the New Covenant?

1. LET GO. Is 43:18-19
1. Let go of the former things and receive the new things. Let go of strive, self effort, worry, fear anxiety and receive God's rest and promises and provision for us.
2. Let go of the LAW mentality and receive the Grace mentality. The Law tries to make evil men good and fails miserably; but Grace makes dead men LIVE and succeeds wonderfully!
2. RECEIVE. 2 Cor 5:17
1. Receive the fact that we are no longer the old creation but a new creation.
2. Receive the atoning work of Christ on the cross and enjoy his blessings of healing, health, protection and provision.
3. PRACTICE. Ps103:1-5
1. Our Heavenly Father is eager to load us with benefits daily! As we receive, He is BLESSED!
2. Each time we take The Holy Communion, we are reminded that God has forgiven our sins and healed all our diseases through the atoning work of Christ on the cross. V3
3. We can then receive all the other benefits that are listed in V 4-5 which are:
1. Our life is redeemed from destruction. Jesus body was broken that ours might be made WHOLE.
2. We are crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Jesus' was given the crown of thorns that we might have the crown of LIFE!
3. Our mouth is satisfied with good things. Jesus held back his words before the crucifixion that we could open it wide and receive "good things".
4. Our youth is renewed like the eagle's. Jesus' gave up His youth that we could have ours renewed.

LET GO, RECEIVE AND PRACTICE to enjoy the GREAT FAVOUR of GOD for 2009!

Samuel Hari © GROW BM