by Pastor Lee Meng Cham
1 Corinthians 12:1-31
"As the Church is birthed of the Spirit, we must allow Him to work alongside us by using our God-given gifts in building up the Body to fulfil His purpose"
3 things we must know and be mindful of spiritual gifts :
(1) Acknowledge their purpose (v2,3)
To Exalt Jesus as Lord!
A. Through the gifts of the Spirit (v4)
- We are saved by grace through faith
B. Through the ministries in Christ (v5)
- Ordinary tools have extraordinary result
C. For the effects of God
- Power that emphasizes the final result (v6)
(2) Appreciate their diversity (v7,11)
Everyone has a Gift!
A. Different gifts are for different functions, purpose :
i. The Proclamation of the gospel (v8)
ii. The Power of the Resurrection (v9)
iii. The Presence of the Kingdom (v10)
B. We are not one but many, not many but one (v12,13)
# The value of Diversity (v14-16)
- There shouldn't be an attitude of inferiority
# The need for Unity (v20,21)
- Each gift complements the other
(3) Actualize their Potential
Excel in your Gifts! (v27)
A. Open your gift in faithfulness (v28,30)
- Embrace the person
- Enable the potential by exercising your gift faithfully
B. Operate your gift in love (v31)
Gift + Activated Love = Ministry
Unopened Gifts :
1. Every Gracian Has Been Entrusted With A Gift
2. Every Gift Is Unique (it is irreplacable but not indispensable)
3. Every Unopened Gift Is A Missed Opportunity
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
4 Paradigms that will set you free for your potential
Pastor David Lim
4 Paradigms that will set you free for your potential :
Romans 8:28
(1) Jesus is our soon coming King : We are the bride of Christ
Revelation 22:20
- Give Him all the glory
(2) Jesus is the great physician : We are the patients
Mark 2:17
- Trust Him
(3) Jesus is the head of the church : We are members of His body
Colossians 1:18
(4) Jesus is the Lord of the harvest : We are the servants
Luke 10:2
- We don't get to choose our struggles
- Even the best of intention sometimes leads to undesirable results
- God is the Lord of harvest, He's in charge of the result
"I am not responsible for the final results, I am only responsible to move forward"
"If you don't release it to God, you become part of the problem"
4 Paradigms that will set you free for your potential :
Romans 8:28
(1) Jesus is our soon coming King : We are the bride of Christ
Revelation 22:20
- Give Him all the glory
(2) Jesus is the great physician : We are the patients
Mark 2:17
- Trust Him
(3) Jesus is the head of the church : We are members of His body
Colossians 1:18
(4) Jesus is the Lord of the harvest : We are the servants
Luke 10:2
- We don't get to choose our struggles
- Even the best of intention sometimes leads to undesirable results
- God is the Lord of harvest, He's in charge of the result
"I am not responsible for the final results, I am only responsible to move forward"
"If you don't release it to God, you become part of the problem"
Rejection is a Good Thing!
by Lisa Laizure
The World : To be great, you need to climb to the top of the ladder where others will serve you.
The Bible : The greatest among you must be a servant (Matthew 23:11)
The World : You should never have to suffer.
The Bible : For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him (Philippians 1:29)
The World : You should aim to get rich and have lots of stuff.
The Bible : What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? (Matthew 16:26)
The World : Look out for me!
The Bible : Carry each others burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)
The World : You're in charge of your own fate!
The Bible : Father if you are willing take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done oh Lord (Luke 22:42)
The World : Hold on to life as long as you can.
The Bible : Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the Gospel will save it (Mark 8:35)
The World : Don't get made, get glad by getting even!
The Bible : Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, "I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
The World : Don't let others take advantage of you!
The Bible : If someone wants to sue you to take your tunic, give him your coat as well (Matthew 5:40)
The World : Don't let others disrespect you!
The Bible : If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39)
Questions.org :
Does this mean that we should never resist when somebody attacks us? Should we let everyone take advantage of us?
No - Jesus denounced the Pharisees who attacked Him in Matthew 23, and objected when He was struck by one of the officers of the high priest in John 18:22-23. Further, He advised His disciples to take measures to defend themselves in Matthew 10:16; Luke 22:36-38
Similarly, the apostle Paul aggressively defended himself against his enemies, asserting his rights as a Roman citizen, and making it clear to his attackers that there could be consequences if he were unlawfully harmed in Acts 23:1-3; 25:14-27
What Jesus asks of His followers is not passivity, but SURRENDER OF THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL REVENGE.
As illustrated above by both Jesus and Paul, there is a difference between confronting evil and seeking personal revenge. It is possible to confront evil with a desire for the redemption of its perpetrator.
If Matthew 5:38-48 were taken literally at all times, we would have to let everyone take advantage of us. Turning the other cheek would become an encouragement for evil. This isn't what Jesus had in mind. His vivid examples illustrate His disciples' need to give up any sense of entitlement to personal revenge, to be purged of the motivation of personal vengeance. By asking them to turn the other cheek, Jesus meant that His disciples should be motivated by love and a desire for the redemption and forgiveness of offenders - even when opposing their actions.
The World : To be great, you need to climb to the top of the ladder where others will serve you.
The Bible : The greatest among you must be a servant (Matthew 23:11)
The World : You should never have to suffer.
The Bible : For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him (Philippians 1:29)
The World : You should aim to get rich and have lots of stuff.
The Bible : What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? (Matthew 16:26)
The World : Look out for me!
The Bible : Carry each others burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2)
The World : You're in charge of your own fate!
The Bible : Father if you are willing take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done oh Lord (Luke 22:42)
The World : Hold on to life as long as you can.
The Bible : Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the Gospel will save it (Mark 8:35)
The World : Don't get made, get glad by getting even!
The Bible : Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, "I tell you not seven times, but seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
The World : Don't let others take advantage of you!
The Bible : If someone wants to sue you to take your tunic, give him your coat as well (Matthew 5:40)
The World : Don't let others disrespect you!
The Bible : If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:39)
Questions.org :
Does this mean that we should never resist when somebody attacks us? Should we let everyone take advantage of us?
No - Jesus denounced the Pharisees who attacked Him in Matthew 23, and objected when He was struck by one of the officers of the high priest in John 18:22-23. Further, He advised His disciples to take measures to defend themselves in Matthew 10:16; Luke 22:36-38
Similarly, the apostle Paul aggressively defended himself against his enemies, asserting his rights as a Roman citizen, and making it clear to his attackers that there could be consequences if he were unlawfully harmed in Acts 23:1-3; 25:14-27
What Jesus asks of His followers is not passivity, but SURRENDER OF THE RIGHT TO PERSONAL REVENGE.
As illustrated above by both Jesus and Paul, there is a difference between confronting evil and seeking personal revenge. It is possible to confront evil with a desire for the redemption of its perpetrator.
If Matthew 5:38-48 were taken literally at all times, we would have to let everyone take advantage of us. Turning the other cheek would become an encouragement for evil. This isn't what Jesus had in mind. His vivid examples illustrate His disciples' need to give up any sense of entitlement to personal revenge, to be purged of the motivation of personal vengeance. By asking them to turn the other cheek, Jesus meant that His disciples should be motivated by love and a desire for the redemption and forgiveness of offenders - even when opposing their actions.
Monday, June 12, 2017
King Jehoshaphat
by Pastor Lim Bee Ngor
2 Chronicles 20:1-30
This paragraph tells how King Jehoshaphat handle crisis
2 Chronicles 20:1-4
Christians are not spared from crisis
John 16:33
In this life you will have troubles....
How King Jehoshaphat responded to the crisis :
1. He sought the Lord
- seeking God's face
- it's a deliberate act from the King to turn his eyes away from the crisis and focus his eyes on God instead
- when we come into the presence, we receive something
- how you respond during a crisis reveal how often you seek God
Jeremiah 29:13
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart"
Psalm 20:7
"Some trust in chariots and ...."
2. He called for a fast
- fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose. It must accompany with prayer otherwise it becomes dieting. Fasting has a way of breaking satan's grip in our lives
Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen :
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"
Matthew 6:16-18
- v16 "when you fast"
- v17 "when you fast"
Fasting push away the power of darkness out from our nation, our lives, others lives, a situation, a crisis
Isaiah 59:19
"From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along."
3. He prayed to the lord
2 Chronicles 20:5-12
focusing on v12
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
3 things we observe about King Jehoshaphat prayer :
1. God-centered prayer
2. It's a desperate prayer
3. It's a humble prayer
Psalm 51:17
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."
2 Chronicles 20:14-19
A. God's victory was assured
"do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's"
v20-v30
B. God's battle was fought
"As they began to sing and praise, the lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."
"And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side."
2 Chronicles 20:1-30
This paragraph tells how King Jehoshaphat handle crisis
2 Chronicles 20:1-4
Christians are not spared from crisis
John 16:33
In this life you will have troubles....
How King Jehoshaphat responded to the crisis :
1. He sought the Lord
- seeking God's face
- it's a deliberate act from the King to turn his eyes away from the crisis and focus his eyes on God instead
- when we come into the presence, we receive something
- how you respond during a crisis reveal how often you seek God
Jeremiah 29:13
"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart"
Psalm 20:7
"Some trust in chariots and ...."
2. He called for a fast
- fasting is abstaining from food for a spiritual purpose. It must accompany with prayer otherwise it becomes dieting. Fasting has a way of breaking satan's grip in our lives
Isaiah 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen :
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"
Matthew 6:16-18
- v16 "when you fast"
- v17 "when you fast"
Fasting push away the power of darkness out from our nation, our lives, others lives, a situation, a crisis
Isaiah 59:19
"From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along."
3. He prayed to the lord
2 Chronicles 20:5-12
focusing on v12
"O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on you."
3 things we observe about King Jehoshaphat prayer :
1. God-centered prayer
2. It's a desperate prayer
3. It's a humble prayer
Psalm 51:17
"My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise."
2 Chronicles 20:14-19
A. God's victory was assured
"do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's"
v20-v30
B. God's battle was fought
"As they began to sing and praise, the lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated."
"And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side."
Monday, June 5, 2017
Jesus 12 disciples
Andrew (son of Jonas, brother of Simon Peter, a fisherman)
Simon Peter (son of Jonas, a fisherman)
Philip
James (son of Zebedee, brother of John, a fisherman)
John (son of Zebedee, brother of James, called "Beloved Disciple", a fisherman)
Bartholomew (aka Nathanael)
Matthew Levi (son of Alpheus, a tax collector)
Thomas (known as "Doubting Thomas")
James (son of Alpheus, brother of Judas)
Judas, Thaddeus, or Lebbeus (son of Alpheus, brother of James)
Simon the zealot
Matthias (replace Judas Iscariot the traitor)
Simon Peter (son of Jonas, a fisherman)
Philip
James (son of Zebedee, brother of John, a fisherman)
John (son of Zebedee, brother of James, called "Beloved Disciple", a fisherman)
Bartholomew (aka Nathanael)
Matthew Levi (son of Alpheus, a tax collector)
Thomas (known as "Doubting Thomas")
James (son of Alpheus, brother of Judas)
Judas, Thaddeus, or Lebbeus (son of Alpheus, brother of James)
Simon the zealot
Matthias (replace Judas Iscariot the traitor)
Burning Coals
Pastor Calvin Lee
Isaiah 6:1-8
King Uzziah had a long reign over Judah for 53 yearsd (2 Chronicles 26)
4 words to describe King Uzziah :
(1) Piety
(2) Prosperity
He rebuilt towns, make machines etc
(3) Popularity
He won many military battles and his fame spread far and wide. His fame spread over Judah
(4) Pride
He died tragically. Pride led to his downfall. It all happened one day he walked into the house of God. It was not his job to burn incense on the altar of the Lord, it was the responsibility of the priest. Not 1 but 80 priests said to him that it was not right for him to burn incense. However, King Uzziah did not listen to them. As a result, he was strickened with leprosy and he died. His death matter a great deal to the nation because it meant the end of stability and prosperity era to Judah.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
- Winston Churchill -
Isaiah Vision :
(1) An Upward encounter (Isaiah 6:1-4)
"I saw the lord"
- In a given area, you cannot have 2 strong personalities, leaders, masters at the same time
- Oftentimes, something has to die in our lives then will we begin to see God in our lives
"high and exalted, seated on a throne"
- Although King Uzziah died, our king of kings is alive!
- Although the throne of Judah is empty, the throne in heaven was occupied!
- Ask God to open your eyes in every situation of your life; good and bad
"train of his robe filled the temple"
"holy, holy, holy"
- Beyond the ultimate, set apart from creation, set apart from his people. God is without equal, no one else like Him. (Revelation 4:8)
(2) An Inward experience (Isaiah 6:5-7)
"Woe confession"
"Woe to me"
- Isaiah see his sinfulness, unclean lips (reflect the heart)
"Wow cleansing"
"a live coal touched my mouth"
"Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for"
Psalm 139:23-24
(3) An Outward expression (Isaiah 6:8)
"Whom shall I send"
"Here am I, send me"
- Because Isaiah saw the lost world, he cannot do nothing. That's why we need to have a personal encounter...
Isaiah 6:1-8
King Uzziah had a long reign over Judah for 53 yearsd (2 Chronicles 26)
4 words to describe King Uzziah :
(1) Piety
(2) Prosperity
He rebuilt towns, make machines etc
(3) Popularity
He won many military battles and his fame spread far and wide. His fame spread over Judah
(4) Pride
He died tragically. Pride led to his downfall. It all happened one day he walked into the house of God. It was not his job to burn incense on the altar of the Lord, it was the responsibility of the priest. Not 1 but 80 priests said to him that it was not right for him to burn incense. However, King Uzziah did not listen to them. As a result, he was strickened with leprosy and he died. His death matter a great deal to the nation because it meant the end of stability and prosperity era to Judah.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
- Winston Churchill -
Isaiah Vision :
(1) An Upward encounter (Isaiah 6:1-4)
"I saw the lord"
- In a given area, you cannot have 2 strong personalities, leaders, masters at the same time
- Oftentimes, something has to die in our lives then will we begin to see God in our lives
"high and exalted, seated on a throne"
- Although King Uzziah died, our king of kings is alive!
- Although the throne of Judah is empty, the throne in heaven was occupied!
- Ask God to open your eyes in every situation of your life; good and bad
"train of his robe filled the temple"
"holy, holy, holy"
- Beyond the ultimate, set apart from creation, set apart from his people. God is without equal, no one else like Him. (Revelation 4:8)
(2) An Inward experience (Isaiah 6:5-7)
"Woe confession"
"Woe to me"
- Isaiah see his sinfulness, unclean lips (reflect the heart)
"Wow cleansing"
"a live coal touched my mouth"
"Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for"
Psalm 139:23-24
(3) An Outward expression (Isaiah 6:8)
"Whom shall I send"
"Here am I, send me"
- Because Isaiah saw the lost world, he cannot do nothing. That's why we need to have a personal encounter...
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