Ablaze Conference is just around the corner. There has been so much preparation behind the scene. Lots of hours, thoughts and creativity are being put forth to make this conference possible.

God is building His church and God’s people are responding to His calling that would bring a great awakening to this generation and beyond. The church is on its rise and the future is bright! The Spirit of God is preparing the way for His people to step up and carry out His plan and purpose for this lost world.

‘Future’ wouldn’t be just another church event but life transforming experience when you encounter God who can and will reveal a glimpse of His future for your life. Let’s cowork with God by setting our hearts on Him and expecting to receive what He has in store for your personal life and life in Ablaze.

Well, just a few more sleeps to the conference – I pray that you will be physically, mentally and spiritually prepared and open to God and His Spirit who will turn your life upside down in this conference.

Expecting for more from God with you!

Wanna serve?

In ablaze, everyone is given an equal opportunity to serve. But what makes us qualify to serve God? Well, God doesn’t look for perfect people to do His work. After all, throughout the history only imperfect people were used as God’s instrument to carry out His plan and purpose in the world.

God uses the unqualified to do His work!

However, it is important to discover how we should approach God as we are His ministers. There are three key areas that we use as the benchmark when releasing people into ministry. 

Character

Godly character is everything we expect to see when people are in ministry. Gifting and ability will get you somewhere but ONLY character will keep you there. Character is what God is looking for in the heart of man.

In Genesis, God chose Noah to continue to His plan because he was right and blameless before God. God chose David to be His king and the origin of Jesus’ linage before of His heart for Him. Throughout the scriptures, it is evident that God did great things through many unqualified individuals with right heart before Him.

What are we looking for in people’s character? Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a servant. In Him, we found humility and sacrificial attitude. We serve God because of our gratitude towards what Christ did on the cross. Out of that attitude, we are humble to be used by Him for His plan and purpose. Unlike the world’s perspective, serving for is not about power, position and pride. It’s an act of love towards Him with a sense of appreciation and thankfulness.

Gifting and ability

We are all gifted by God to bring contributions to God’s Kingdom. While God expects us to use our God-given gift to serve, He desires more for our character to be built when we serve. Gifting and ability without character can lead us to a position of pride and self-serving attitude. We may end up gratifying our flesh through the use of our ability.

Having mentioned that, we desire to see each individual discover their God-given gift and bring it to the table for greater benefits of others. As we faithfully serve God (not only in big things, but also small things), God will help us discover what He has gifted us with more and more.

I am always reminded that before Stephen became one of the greatest preachers in the New Testament, he was once serving as a waiter in Acts 6.

Every great journey begins with the first step. We shouldn’t despise our small days.

Let us realise our God-given gift and abilities in the spirit of humility and servanthood.

Skills

Without seeking opportunity to enhance our gifting and abilities, we will never be effective in our ministry. Skill is something we need to acquire over time. Skill is the result of continually exercising our abilities and gift. The more we use our gift, the more skilful we become with the gift.

This means we should take our gift and ability seriously and be diligent to practise and sharpen them. Remember practice makes permanent.

To sum up our way of releasing individuals in ministry, the below diagram explains it all.

In Matthew 20, Jesus said “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” “Want to be great, then be the servant of all.”

Let us serve God with all our hearts. 

Romans 12:10 (NIV)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

As we are thriving to build an authentic community of devotion that God desires to see, we need to have the right ingredients required to make that work. One of the ingredients is the right culture we desire to see cultivated in our midst.

Undeniably, creating the right culture has to be intentional. It is my heart to see our service make all possible efforts to go after such culture that will be pleasing and glorifying God.

The author of Romans clearly indicated the kind of culture the church should pursue. It is a culture of honouring one another!

A very talented pianist name Brent Tallent tells this story.

When he was a young man, a very well-known soloist came to his church, and he had the privilege of serving as her accompanist. He was excited, seeing this as an opportunity to demonstrate his skills at the keyboard. During the rehearsal, he proceeded to run his fingers up and down the keyboard in Liberace style while she sang the first stanza of her song.

Following the initial verse, she stopped, looked at Brent and said with a smile: ‘You know Brent, I really make a wonderful accompanist for you!’

And the light went on for Brent. He saw what he had done. He was to be the accompanist. He was to support a soloist – never overshadowing and calling attention to his own skills. In short, he was to do everything he could to make her ‘look and sound good.’

That is a very powerful metaphor of what is really means to honour others above ourselves. Every Christian is to be an accompanist, to every other Christian. We’re all to make one another ‘look and sound good.’

My responsibility as a Christian is to make others look and sound good, and when we do we’ll be honouring others above ourselves.

Over the next few weeks, I would like to ask us to join together in creating Ablaze a better place and more glorious house of God by choosing to honour one another in words and actions (in public and private).

Imagine the impact we together can make to our unchurched friends and family when they look inside our community and feel drawn towards God as we honour Him by truly honouring one another.

Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers

See you this Friday.

Torchie

The picture of the church that best illustrates the way that members relate to one another is that of the body. 

“You are the body of Christ,” Paul says, “and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27). 

Jesus Christ “is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18), and we are all members of the body. If we are united to Christ, we are united to one another, too, and we have responsibilities to one another. 

No one can say, “I don’t need you” (1 Corinthians 12:21), and no one can say, “I don’t belong in the church” (v. 18). God distributes our abilities so that we work together for the common good, helping one another and being helped by working together. 

“There should be no division in the body” (1 Corinthians 12:25). 

Paul frequently warned against the sin of divisiveness, even saying that a person who causes division should be put out of the church (Romans 16:17; Titus 3:10). Christ causes the church to grow “as each part does its work”—as the various members cooperate (Ephesians 4:16). 

Unfortunately, Christians from time to time (intentionally and unintentionally) stumble over one another by harsh word or unwelcoming action. Some sometimes squabble with one another. The church is not yet perfect, since none of its members is perfect. Nevertheless, Christ wants the church to be united. 

That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:21) 

This does not require a merger of organisations, but it does suggest a common purpose. 

True unity can be found only as we draw closer to Christ, preach His gospel, and live as He would. The goal is to promote Him, not ourselves. So let us stay humble and consider others more important than ourselves. Let our gentleness be evident to all. Treat others with respect and have sweet attitudes towards one another. 

Christ came to die for the sin of the world. By that I mean, He died for everyone who has ever been born in the world history.

Though He left the earth and departed to be seated at the right hand of God, the Father, He left behind His legacy and on-going assignment to save those who are yet to know Him with His followers, His Church!

We, His church are not only here to reveal His plan and purpose for the world, but also are to continue His task by being His hand and feet to complete the plan and purpose.

Ephesians 3:10-11 (NIV)

10His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And we are not alone in doing this. Jesus made sure that we had all that we need to do that by sending the Helper, the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. We are enabled and empowered to do all things by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

As Lisa said in her preaching, God’s dream is to see people to come into an eternal relationship with Him and participate in His eternal plan together as His Body where Jesus is the head leading and guiding us to accomplish that plan.

In His dream, God sees everybody taking part in this. His heart is to include everyone along the journey. Those who are in the faith have a responsibility to include any other person along the way. The church is not perfect because it is full of imperfect people. Yet God uses such people to do His work. So throughout the whole process, we can be changed, molded and shaped into His beautiful wife.

I love God’s church, not in a physical building sense but the people who are made up different of Christ’s body.

The past 15 years have been a great journey for me and I count every bit as a privilege in serving God and advancing His Kingdom. I believe that the best God has in mind for me is yet to come and I’m thriving to be there right at the centre of His will for my life.

As we are walking through this life, let us now walk with our closed spiritual eyes without taking time to seek God’s heart and the plan He has for our lives.

In light of God’s larger plan of the world, I pray that we are there at the centre stage of what God is up to in today’s world.

Praying for you.

At this Friday’s service, Lisa Toh will be sharing about a special subject that God has put upon her heart and it is really special to her. That is ‘the Church’. 

The Bible says that people who have faith in Christ become part of the “church”. Jesus died for the sin of the world but He is building His church. 

Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The church is important to Him—He loved it so much that He gave his life for it. 

Ephesians 5:25 (NIV)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 

If we have the mind of Christ, we will love the church, too, and give ourselves to it. 

The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia, which means an assembly. In Acts 19:39, 41, it is used for a large group of townspeople. But among Christians, the word ekklesia came to have a special meaning: all who believe in Jesus Christ. 

For example, the first time that Luke uses this word in Acts 5:11 which refers to all Christians, not just those who were present there during that time. “The church” means all disciples of Christ. It refers to people, not to a building. 

The church exists in several levels. At one level is the universal church, which includes everyone worldwide who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Local churches are a different level, including people who regularly meet together. Denominations are an intermediate level, containing groups of congregations that work more closely together because of shared history and beliefs. 

Why be a part of the church? 

Many people claim to believe in Jesus Christ but do not want to attend any of his churches. This is not what God has in mind. The New Testament shows that the normal pattern is for believers to meet together. 

Hebrews 10:25(NIV)Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. 

The Bible repeatedly exhorts the believers in Christ to be a part og a local church and grow spiritually through the fellowship and spiritual activities.  

A local congregation can give us a sense of belonging, of being involved with other believers. It can give us some spiritual safety, so that we are not blown around by strange ideas. A congregation can give us friendship, fellowship and encouragement. It can teach us things we would never learn on our own. A congregation can help train our children, help us work together for more effective ministry and give us opportunities to serve that help us grow in ways we did not expect. In general, the value that we get out of a local congregation is in proportion to the amount of involvement we give to it. 

But perhaps the most important reason for each believer to participate in a local congregation is that members need each other. God has given different abilities to different believers, and he wants us to work together “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). 

Our time, our abilities, our resources are needed to fulfill the work and mission of the church. The commitment of mission-focused people is essential in order for the church to effectively reflect Jesus and his love to the world. It is when our resources and lives are combined and sown into the church, we can fulfill what Jesus commands us to do which is to fulfill the Great Commission.

Oceania Convention is happening less than a week!

I believe that it will shake our world and revolutionize our perspectives in many ways.  God can do anything but He works better when we exercise our faith with Him! I also believe that vision will be given to many of us as He will pour out His Spirit on us. He is moving and rising up the generation that will change the world for His glory.

We will experience that only if we RAISE EXPECTATION!

Believe in GREAT Things…Expect GREAT Things…and Achieve GREAT Things…

For those who are back here in Brisbane, we will be celebrating Easter Service at UQ, Steele Bldg at 9:30 AM with 10:00 AM start.

Ps. Jeff William from Metro Central Christian Church is coming to bless us with the Word!

I pray that wherever we are this weekend, God will do GREAT things in and through our lives.

Happy Easter!

Torchie

We are celebrating Easter just less than two weeks. Easter is more than just a season and occasion for us to give chocolate eggs to our loved ones (though it is great to receive some J).

Why eggs or bunnies or hot cross buns?

Easter or Eastre (or “Ostara”), the Anglo-Saxon Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility was often accompanied by a hare when represented. The fertile nature of rabbits and hares is another symbol of new life and the rebirth that occurs during the spring season.

Also, German settlers in America are said to have brought over the tradition of a bunny named “Oschter Haws” who would visit houses on Easter eve, leaving colored eggs for children. Easter eggs were painted different colors to represent the sunlight of spring. Christians later used eggs to symbolize the rebirth of Christ.

Another Easter tradition is the eating of Hot Cross Buns. These cakes were marked by the Saxons to honor Eastre, the fertility goddess. The crosses on the buns are said to represent the moon’s quarters, while Christians see the cross as a reference to the crucifixion.

The Christian festival of Easter probably embodies a number of converging traditions; most scholars emphasize the original relation of Easter to the Jewish festival of Passover, or Pesach, from which is derived Pasch, another name for Easter. The early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish origin, were brought up in the Hebrew tradition and regarded Easter as a new feature of the Passover festival, a commemoration of the advent of the Messiah, Jesus as foretold by the prophets.

Regardless of choc eggs, bunnies or hot cross buns, let us be reminded that it is a season that we can remember the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He died and rose again on the third day. That’s the reason of this celebration.

MATTHEW 28:2-7 (NKJ) 


2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. 
3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 
4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. 
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 
6 “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 
7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 

Jesus is ALIVE!

Since we have just started our new sermon series on one of the books in the New Testament written by Paul the Apostle, 1 Timothy, I thought it would be great for us to have some background knowledge of the book.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus wrote this letter his beloved disciple, Timothy. Paul considered Timothy as his true son in the faith.

Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother, who had become a Christian believer, and of a Greek father. Timothy’s home was in Lystra in the Roman province of Galatia in what is now Turkey (cf. Acts 16:1). He was well spoken of by the Christians in Lystra and the neighbouring city of Iconium (cf. Acts 16:2). When Paul revisited the church in Lystra on his second missionary journey, he wanted this young man of sincere faith to accompany him on his mission travels as his co-worker (cf. Acts 16:3). Paul circumcised Timothy as a matter of Christian liberty to avoid offending the Jews in that area where they would be doing mission work, for the Jews there knew Timothy’s father was a Greek.

In his letters Paul wrote of Timothy with love and respect. He called him his son whom he loved and who was faithful in the Lord (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:17). Paul said Timothy had a genuine spirit like his own. He said Timothy was a co-worker who was concerned about the welfare of the Christians and their churches, who sought the interests of Christ Jesus, and who was of proven worth in furthering the gospel like a child serving his father (cf. Philippians 2:19-22). Paul called Timothy his true son in the faith (cf. 1 Timothy 1:2). In instructing Timothy for his pastoral ministry Paul addressed him as “my son” (cf. 1 Timothy 1:18).

Timothy became a close associate of Paul. He was with Paul during much of Paul’s second and third missionary journey’s. Six of Paul’s letters bear Timothy’s name with Paul’s in the opening greeting–2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon.

Timothy joined Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey and traveled with him through the cities in which Paul had established congregations on his first missionary journey. Paul’s purpose in revisiting those churches was to deliver the decrees of the apostolic council in Jerusalem that assured the Jewish and Gentile Christians that they were saved by the grace of Jesus and faith alone without following the laws of Moses (cf. Acts 16:1-5). Timothy then traveled with Paul through Asia Minor to Troas, where Paul was given the vision of a man in Macedonia who called him to cross over the Aegean Sea to do mission work there in Europe. From Troas Timothy traveled with Paul, Silas, and Luke to Macedonia and the city of Philippi. There he assisted Paul and the others in establishing the church of the Philippians. Either Timothy remained with Luke in Philippi for a short time, or he journeyed with Paul and Silas over the Egnatian Way to Thessalonica. In any case, after Paul left Thessalonica and went to Berea, when Paul pressed on from Berea to Athens Timothy was left with Silas to continue the ministry in Berea (cf. Acts 17:14). Following Paul’s instructions to rejoin him (cf. Acts 17:5), Timothy did join Paul in Corinth (cf. Acts 18:1,5). There he assisted Paul in the gospel ministry to establish the church of Corinth. From Corinth Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica as his personal agent to strengthen and encourage the Thessalonian Christians who were being severely persecuted (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5). Afterwards Timothy returned to Corinth to report the good news of the Thessalonians’ faith and love (cf. 1 Thessalonians 3:6). At the conclusion of Paul’s second missionary journey, Timothy may have remained with Silas in Corinth to continue the work there while Paul returned to the church of Antioch in Syria to report on his mission efforts.

Timothy was with Paul on his third missionary journey, most of which was spent in the city of Ephesus on the west coast of Asia Minor. This is clear from Acts 19:22. When trouble arose in the church of Corinth, Paul sent Timothy from Ephesus to Corinth as his agent to address the problems there (1 Corinthians 4:17). Near the end of the third mission journey Paul again sent Timothy as his agent from Ephesus back to the churches in Macedonia–Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea–before Paul himself returned to those churches and then proceeded to Corinth where he spent three months (cf. Acts 20:1,2). It is thought that from Corinth Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. Timothy was with Paul when Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. This is certain because Paul included in that letter a greeting from Timothy (cf. Romans 16:21).

At the end of Paul’s third missionary journey Timothy accompanied Paul and others when they carried the collection from the Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 20:3,4). It would appear, then, that Timothy was there in Jerusalem when Paul was taken into Roman custody. Timothy was also with Paul during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome and when Paul wrote from there his prison epistles to the Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and to Philemon. After Paul was released from his imprisonment in Rome, Paul left Timothy in charge of the church of Ephesus (cf. 1 Timothy 1:3). Paul wrote his First Letter to Timothy in the fall of A.D. 63 from Philippi to Timothy who was in Ephesus.

Paul was martyred in Rome around A.D. 67 to 68. In his Second Letter to Timothy shortly before his martyrdom Paul asked Timothy to come to him in Rome, for he longed to see Timothy yet once more (cf. 2 Timothy 1:4; 4:9,21).

The Scriptures tell us nothing more about Timothy and his ministerial activities. The only bit of information given about Timothy is in Hebrews 13:23. The writer stated Timothy had been released. Where, when, or why Timothy was imprisoned is not stated. In any case, the writer of the Book of Hebrews was waiting for Timothy to join him, so together they could visit the Jewish Christians to whom he had written.

Paul wrote this letter with a few purposes in mind as follow.

1. To instruct Timothy in writing to oppose the false doctrines that Paul had personally urged him to oppose while they were together in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3).

2. To give Timothy the instructions needed to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 1:18,19).

3. To instruct Timothy in how God’s New Israel of believers should conduct themselves in the church (1 Timothy 3:14,15).

4. To instruct Timothy on how to conduct his pastoral ministry (1 Timothy 4:1-6:19)

We are continuing the sermon on 1 Timothy this week at our service. I will be preaching on God’s Grace: Highway to Heaven. Come and hear God’s heart on one of the greatest subjects in the Bible, the Grace of God!

Phil 3:17-21 (NIV)

¹⁷Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. ¹⁸For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. ²⁰But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Life with God begins with faith and will end with faith.

Jesus warned His disciples to take into heart the cost of following Him in this life. Believing in Jesus isn’t a difficult thing to do. Following Him is! Jesus also explained about the different types of soils, which represent different types of people who have come to believe in Him (Luke 8:4-21).

The parable of the soils describes what becomes of seed that is sown in four different types of soil. The first type of soil is the hardened soil of the pathway. This seed does not penetrate the soil at all, but is quickly snatched up by the birds of the air. The second type of soil is the rocky soil, a shallow layer of earth, barely covering to rock below. The seed which falls upon this type of soil quickly germinates, aided by the warmth retained by the rock, but hindered by a lack of depth and by a lack of moisture. The seed which germinates quickly also terminates quickly. The third soil is the thorny soil, a soil populated with thorns. The seed falling into this soil germinates and begins to grow, but is eventually crowded out by the hardier thorns. The fourth soil is the fruitful soil, that soil which produces a bountiful crop. Having told the story, Jesus put an exclamation point after it by adding these words: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (v. 8).

This parable is a good lesson for all of us to learn and remember. Sad by true, there are so many believers who fall into the third category of the soils in the parable. On their journey with God, He has dropped so many good seeds in their lives so they could learn and experience Him. However, there are doubts, lack of diligence and lethargy hindering them from moving forward in God. God said we could experience Him when we seek Him with all our hearts (Jeremiah 29:12). And without faith, its impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

God is near and always reaches out to us! When looking around in the creation, they all cry out that God is real and there is something greater than religions, philosophies, theories, sciences and ourselves! Psalm 41:1 says “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good.”

God loves us and wants to draw us even closer to Him everyday. Therefore, let us continue to strive to seek God and put all our hearts and souls to seek Him. Do not let doubts, anything and anyone affect the faith we have in Him. If you think you are the first, the second or the third type of soil, the good news is that if God created everything, He can also make you become the forth soil which bears fruit and prospers! 

So Stand Firm and cling on to HIM who loves you!