Faith~Successful Ministry~Ordination Service 2008

Glad to have attended AG Msia's Ordination Service on 7 Sept 2008 at GTPJ.

Was invited by now Rev Bernard Ong; otherwise would have missed this. Worship was great, the preaching was even greater; greatly refreshed!

Rev. Ong SL preached on faith and successful ministry from Hebrews 9:-

1. that faith sometimes changes things
2. that faith sometimes doesn't change things, it changes yourself.
3. that faith always induces decision inspite of the lack of details
4. that faith always has the expectation of future triumph
   

I'm determined to pursue this direction for God, in a deeper way with Him.

The Battle Belongs to the LORD!?

Just returned from prayer meet at the church....

A sister testified about some results after doing prayer-walk the past months in the neighborhood... how things began to change, how atmosphere has changed etc....

I thought of this, that 'the battle belongs to the LORD.' And a very personal encounter with God with regards to this truth... it was some 13-15 years ago, when i was just a couple years old Christian......

As the only Christian at home, I always wanted to get rid of the idols my parents put up but had no idea how to do it... outnumbered at home, fears, ignorant etc.

One day, I read in OT Samuel about the power of God when the Philistines took the Ark of Covenant as a plunder of war back into their temple, and how God dealt with those false gods in their own turf.... Aha! I began to pray that God's presence fill my home by simply the virtue I being the only believer of God here! Months passed without any result.

One fine afternoon, I was upstairs in the room doing don't know what I can't remember but I heard hacking sound just beside the staircase below..... it was my father dismantling the altar! I ran back to my room, giving thanks to Him who worked mysteriously. I didn't know why would my dad want to get rid of his gods obviously. I could only ask Him who moved in my dad's heart, and He answered me a few days later.

"One day out of nowhere came a stranger, right outside the gate of the house, stood there for a while and told me that the spirit which resided in the idol was no god but devil (ghost as he called it)," my dad told me without me asking... So upset was my dad that he immediately chased him off! "Of course I don't believe what he said!"

Days passed.

"The more I recalled that incident, the more uncomfortable I became... and if such is the case, there's no peace in my heart I might as well throw them all away... so I dismantled the built-in altar and removed them!" Praise our Almighty God!

How did that happen? The battle belongs to the LORD, my friend.

God's presence is manifest when we honor Him in our lives, inwardly and outwardly. If God could defeat the enemy even when the Israelites disobeyed Him and lost the war eventually, how much more when we honor Him and exalt Him with our acts of everyday life.

The battle truly belongs to the LORD; we are just called to obey Him.

Could this be real in Sulawesi?

Check out this 8-year old preacher-

http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=vSlKKHoBXf4&rel=1&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//i.ytimg.com/vi/vSlKKHoBXf4/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskKAVjvrbMc6HDQ0So-MnlGU&

The Religion of the Crowd

Matt 21:1-11, 21:11-26

SIGNS OF TRUE FAITH
in reflection of Palm Sunday and Good Friday

Challenges to live right-

ONE: The Winds of Crowd
No one is saved by following majority

TWO: The False Accusations
No one is left alone by the enemy

THREE: The Personal Responsibility
No one is acquitted before God by pushing blame

3 Signs of True Faith:-

1. A contrite heart that cries out to God
2. An attitude that lets God take control
3. An action that submits to God trusting

Conclusions:-
27:51-52 The blessings of yielding to God in faith-

1. God's no longer veiled from you
2. Your life's false foundations changed and renewed
3. Your life's stubborn hindrance broken
4. You're a walking new man!

The Way of Christian Redemption- God prepares both us and the way before us

Luke 1:67-80

The Power of God's Redemption (v68-71)

• gives us hope- God spoke, He remembered, and honored His Word (v70).
• provides us the power to rise above our enemies and those who hate us (v71).

The Purpose of God's Redemption (v72-75)

• magnifies His mercy (v72) in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
• provides us the setting in which we could serve Him without fear-in holiness and righteousness-for God's glory (v74-75).

The People Redeemed (v76-80)

• often times the tough life in desert is the preparatory stage for His work in future (v80) - the need for encouragement
  
• seems to be alone in serving the Lord at times (v76b) - the need for encouragement
  
• but as surely as the sun rises every morning the Lord does work His way into the heart of man- in ours to be able to do His work (v77), and the heart of those who sit in darkness (v79 NASB).
• God's work can wait because He's more interested in working in me (v80); He'll unleash you when ready.
• God has made in us the ability to grow and be strong!

All these were planned out before we were even born (v66): I'm known by my Father, and nurtured by His Spirit for all His work which has only 1 objective- that all may know God is merciful (v72 & 78).