Church, Do It In the Name of Jesus!

The humble beginning of our satellite church here in Point Cook started from a simple bible study meeting. We opened our place for this kind of gathering and later decided to open for the home church service. Is our church real? It looks like a fancy little group of people who simply gathers together with the appointed pastor leading the group in every services and activities.

We need to be careful of what our church bears and does that recognize us as a genuine Christians. Paul shared in Colossians 3:16-17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Primarily, our church must dwell in God's words. We need to soak ourselves with the Words of God; we must read the Bible that records the word spoken by God and Jesus. If any Christian faith-claiming organizations prohibit at least a single member from reading the Bible, they are a big hoax. If school courses require many books for references to study, we are not the exception to this with our Bible, which also survives time while preserving its content and the wisdom that strengthens our faith.

Secondly, our church must be attending services that enjoy the spiritual fellowship. The church is God's people and we are called to gather to exhort one another, learn and be inspired from everyone's wisdom and be in unity in praising and worshiping the Almighty God.

Thirdly, our church must be known as Church that bears the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as the author of our salvation, the giver of Grace and Mercy, and the Son of the Living God. If a church exist less of Jesus or not acknowledging Jesus as God, that church is simply a big cult.

Lastly, our church must always be grateful to God - The Father - through His only Son Jesus in everything. It must be the core of our existence to live in harmony, in unity, in victory, and most especially in eternity with Jesus. 

God bless everyone!

True Freedom Through Spirit-filled Lifestyle

Looking back to my earlier days, I feel chained by poverty that seems too impossible for me to get out of it. I still remember that as I age more and understand what my true situation was, I feel even harder for everyday that ends. It was a difficult situation for me, indeed; but I thank God for He did a great job to put everything in my life in order under His careful instruction and supervision.

God made us and breathed us to life, and so His spirit was shared in us too. Only if we learn to believe that God does exist in our lives, then we can make use the power behind it to the most possible way. God is too willing to free us from any form of bondage like pain, sufferings, inequities, and sins. He wants to restore not only the broken relationship between us and Him but also to restore us as His precious creation. We are the only creation of God that He breathed to live, and that makes us the apple of His eye.

Paul, in His letter to the Corinth churches, reminded them the presence of God's Spirit and the privilege that it brought to those who acknowledge it. It was stated in 2 Corinthians 3:17 --- "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom." God wants us to experience true freedom that can't be influenced by anything the world can offer, but only if we learned it through His divine presence in our lives.

Jesus in His ministry on earth promised us to send The Father's advocate and that is the Holy Spirit. It should be the our utmost desire to acknowledge Him in every moment we live because He gave us more than freedom and these are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23). I encourage everyone to enjoy true freedom by living a spirit-filled lifestyle.

God bless everyone!

Shared Responsibility: Do Not Be A Stumble Block

During my advanced military training way back on my university days, we were thought of the very common principle “Obey first, before you complain.” This discipline has embedded to me and I allow myself to submit to any person that has authority over me, most especially to our God. In the same way, I am sharing the same principle to others if there are opportunities and with shared responsibility.

Before, my idea of being obedient to this principle is simply following any orders given by my superior. And when it came a time for me to impart this to others, I feel the burden while sharing it to them. I have learnt that there is hidden joint responsibility to it which is to be a role model to my subordinates. The moment I told them about the value of full obedience without any hesitations, then the burden of bearing the influential authority and its responsibility felt heavier. Thereafter, everything I am about to say, to act, and to think must be carefully presented to avoid them copying anything that is wrong both to them and to the organization.

In the same way to our Christian Community, every believer has responsibility to carefully examine their ways in dealing with people of different beliefs, moreover, to weaker people of the same belief. Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 8:9, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

Weaker people are mostly new members of our church who are starting to know our God and Jesus but also extended to those who have already been with us for longer time and remains child in their spiritual lives. They believe in God but also they look at us as an authority over their faith. Bearing this right is dangerous as it may lead them to stumble if we committed things which are against God’s authority and influence. Though we have the responsibility to behave well imitating Jesus as the best role model for Christian living, we also need them to understand who they should look up to and that is our dear Lord Jesus only.

We must lead them towards Jesus and focus their eyes only to Him, following His instructions, commandments, and teachings; so that even if we fail to the human standard, we will avoid contributing to their own stumble if there will be any.

God bless everyone!

The Price Of Your Soul

The legality of same-sex marriage in America has finally declared legal throughout its whole nation and is a trending topic in the whole world, indeed. Different Groups, Communities and even Christian Believers have their different views of this worldwide historical event of humanity. A dangerous question is --- what is our view about it?

In my personal view only and as per my Christian background, I strongly disagree of its legality. Not that I don’t want these people to be happy but I firmly believe that if this becomes the law of the land, the whole nation will be opened up to participate in vulnerabilities of its acts. Moreover, this does not differ to legalizing divorces, prostitution, gambling, adult pornography and the like. We all know how these legalities affects the people getting involve to it, enjoying it, and later on abusing it are ending their lives in miseries (but not everyone, of course, those who find their way out of it). I would like to remind myself about Jesus question to us in Mark 8:36-37 that asked us, “­­­­36­ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”  

It seems to be that there are people who are looking for opportunities to win the world and yet losing their soul. Our soul is our very essence, the God’s design as part of His universal creation, which acts for a greater purpose in our lifetime to do His good will. And although we cannot control the world as we do not own it, WE CAN control ourselves. Even if we live in this world now where people are willing to lose their soul, we can still choose to keep our soul and avoiding what the world offers (1 John 2:16 - For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.)

Again, let me ask you the same question --- what can you give in exchange for your soul? 

God bless everyone!