Come Boldly To The Throne Of Grace!

Hi folks

How many of you remember that worldly Christmas song "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"? I have been listening to it since I was a kid and the part that stuck most in mind is "He's making a list and checking it twice, going to find out who's naughty or nice... he knows if you been good or bad so be good for goodness sake"  If you are nice you'll get a present, if you are naughty you'll get nothing.

Thank God our Heavenly Father is NOT like that!

While we are still naughty He gave His one and only Son that we may receive the ultimate present from Him: our salvation!! (John 3:16,17, Rom 5:8)
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."  (Joh 3:16,17 NASB)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  (Rom 5:8 NASB)
So if God "who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"  (Rom 8:32 NASB)

Is there anything in heaven more precious than Jesus?  I don't think so right?  So if God has given us Jesus, who is more precious than anything else in the whole universe, would He not also give us all good things?
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!  (Mat 7:11 NASB)
So my brothers and sisters, you receiving a miracle has NOTHING to do with your PERFORMANCE! It has everything to do with Jesus' performance (ie His finished work on the cross) and your FAITH in that finished work.

Do you believe that you stand righteous before God because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross?  By His one sacrifice on the cross we have been made holy you know? (Heb 10:10)  In fact our righteous is God's own righteous! (2 Cor 5:21) You can't get more righteous than that!  :-) 

When God looks at you, He does not make a list and check it twice, going to find out if you are naughty or nice.  In fact, He does NOT REMEMBER ANY of THEM!
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." (Heb 10:17 NASB)
Hallelujah!!

So my friends, do not think that because you blew it yesterday, you do not deserve to ask God to help you in your need today.  Repent (ie change your mind & turn to back to God), thank Him for the forgiveness already bought for you by the blood of Christ on the cross and confess that you are the righteousness of God in Christ!

So have faith.  Have faith not in your own strength to perform for His blessings but have faith in the blood of Christ, that one perfect sacrifice that cleansed you from all your sins (past, present and future), made you holy and clothed you with God's righteousness, and qualified you for all the promises of God in Christ!

"For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." (2Co 1:20 NASB)

Now, if you are THAT right with God, what is stopping you from going to God for His help? And there is NOTHING to stop God from helping you in Jesus Name!
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  (Heb 4:16 NKJV)
Hallelujah!!

For His Glory!

Being An Overcomer!

Hi folks

Yes, it is tough being a Christian in the workplace.  Sometimes I think about quiting and seek the shelter of my church or some other Christian ministry so that I can work among Christians and not have to face the evil in the world.  But we are all called to be ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20).  Are ambassadors stationed in their own country or in a foreign country?  Right, you get my point.

Our workplace is our foreign country.  We are representatives of Christ in that country.  We are placed there to meet the needs of the people through Christ.  As ambassadors our message is the message of reconciliation, that God is not holding their sins against them anymore in Christ (2Cor 5:19).  But it is not just with words that we proclaim this but also in the way we conduct our lives.

When Jesus ministered, yes, He taught in the temples, but He spent much time outside the temples in the marketplace, with the common folks like the fishermen and tax collectors, meeting people going about their business.

He was not a Sabbath rabbi (equivalent of a modern day Sunday Cell Grp Leader).  He did not hole himself up in the temple just to debate with the Pharisees and other teachers of the law.  He was out in the world, meeting the needs of people, showing them the way, teaching them, healing them, forgiving them, saving them.

So it is really not about what we do (whether full time in church or as a foreign missionary or in our workplace) but about being ambassadors for Christ wherever He placed us.  Even the Apostle Paul worked as a tent maker for a time while evangelising and planting churches.

Ultimately we are to fulfill the Great Commission to go make disciples of all nations, yes, even in our workplace, not just in our CG.

So how do we do it in our workplace full of non-believers?

Remember Jesus said we are the salt of the earth (Mt 5:13) and light of the world (Mt 5:14)?

So why salt?

During Jesus' time, they had no refridgerators.  They used salt to preserve food like fish, to prevent them from getting corrupted and spoilt.

Similarly, we are to preserve the good in our workplace, to prevent our workplace from degenerating into a den of thieves.  Look at what is happening in some of the world's largest companies like Enron.  When a company falls like that, it causes hardship and suffering to many thousands of innocent people, employees, customers and shareholders, and don't forget their families too!

Also, salt needs to be spread all over the fish to preserve the whole fish.  What if all the salt congregates in one corner?  It will become quite useless right?  :-)   So we need to be IN the world to be effective, not getting cozy and comfortable in church or CG or just among Christians.

So how are we to be effective?  Simply by being the light
[Jesus said] "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." (John 3:19-20 NIV)
So what does it mean to be the light?  By living by the truth
"...whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."  (John 3:21 NIV)

[Jesus encourages us to] "let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Mt 5:16 NASB)
Hey, it is not going to be easy.  But let us look to Jesus who has overcome the world!
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. (Jn 16:33 NASB)

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.  Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?  (1Jn 5:4,5 NASB)
And we who believes that Jesus is the Son of God are overcomers! Hallelujah!!

For His Glory!

Be Supernatural God's Way

Hi folks

If you are like me years ago, you will shy away from trying to do the supernatural.  I have always believed that God is almighty, able to do anything and everything.  But I have never believed that I would be able to perform those miracles that Jesus and the apostles did.

If you re-read my last sentence carefully, you will realise as I do now my erroneous understanding.  It is NOT me performing the miracles but God who performs the miracle.... through MY obedience!

Say what?  Yes, by being obedient to the Word. For example Jesus says in Mark 16:15,17-18
"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.... And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mk 16:15,17-18)
Then what happened when the disciples went out to preach?
"Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." (Mk 16:20)
The Lord worked with them and confirmed His own word!  It is the Lord that performs the miracles!

So my part is to lay hands... and the Lord will heal. My part is to preach the gospel, plant that seed into my friend's heart... and the Holy Spirit will convict him.

Easier said then done right?  I know how you feel... many times when I am with my friends (especially non-Christians) and they say they are ill or not feeling well, I am prompted in my spirit to stretch out my hand and say to them "Would you like me to pray for you?" but I did NOTHING! Cold sweat will break out and my hands will freeze and I'll stuff them deeper into my pocket!  What if they don't recover??!!  What if I can't heal them?!  Ah ha!! Still my old erroneous thinking!  It is NOT me!  I got to TRUST the Lord to be able to do it
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." (Rom 10:11)
Hey, by God's grace I am working on it!

Some time ago, my 2nd daughter Grace was diagnosed to have a high level of protein in her urine.  My wife saw the results of the test strip with her own eyes and she was very concerned as it was almost at the top of the scale. The doctor asked her to collect a bottle of urine first thing the next morning to send to the lab for further tests.  That night, after doing devotion with my 2 girls, my eldest daughter Rachel and I laid our hands on Grace and prayed.  We prayed a prayer of faith and Grace received her healing by thanking God for healing her in Jesus' name.

The next morning, we collected the urine and sent it to the doctor.  3 days later, the doctor called, sounding surprised that there was not a single trace of protein in her urine!  Praise the Lord!

Hey, I don't do the supernatural, but it is great to be a part of it!

So let us be obedient to the Word so that God can do His miracles!

For His Glory!