Kong Hee Podcast

One of the greatest challenges to our faith is when we go through suffering, yet our most urgent search for God happens when we are in pain.

This sermon will unpack the purpose of suffering, which is to transform us to be more like Jesus. Very few people in history suffered like Job: until the day he died, he never knew the reason he had to suffer, yet he loved God for who He was and not for His blessings. God’s purpose for us cannot be stopped (Job 42:1), and He has a purpose when we face hardship—He is working out something glorious in us. No matter how deep our pain is, God’s love for us goes even deeper. Jesus is with us daily in our suffering; nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.

If you are going through a hard time in life, let this sermon encourage and empower you to hold on to your faith and trust in the Lord, having eternity in your heart.

The twelfth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: I believe in the life everlasting. Amen.

Eternal life or "zoe" in Greek is a promise from God to His people who believe and have faith in Him. While the apostle John says that whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life now (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11, 13), the Bible also clearly teaches that eternal life is a gift in the future. Those who believe in Jesus experience a little measure today but the fullness of it is reserved for the future, at the return of Christ.

This is the whole purpose of our Christian faith – not merely to be forgiven of our sins and becoming successful in the this lifetime. The end purpose of our salvation is to come into a loving communion with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, sharing in the fullness of the divine life. This "zoe" is an ever-deepening intimacy with the LORD and the experiencing of ever-growing love, joy, and peace from now till all eternity. Hallelujah!

The eleventh statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: I believe in the resurrection of the body.

The Bible teaches that our hope is not fixed on the fact that we go to heaven when we die, but that God will raise us from the dead to be with Christ forever in our resurrected bodies (Rom. 8:23). It is a bodily resurrection where we will be given new spiritual bodies which are immortal, just like Jesus’ own body on Easter Sunday!

With our new resurrected bodies in the new heaven and new earth, we will be able to fully express ourselves and completely obey and fulfil God’s will and purpose for all eternity. Being swallowed up by the life of the Holy Spirit, we are at last fully baptised in the Spirit and have Him without measure (2 Cor. 5:4). Wow!

Until then, may we regularly confess this statement in the Apostle's Creed with our eyes fixed on that glorious day!

The tenth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: I believe in the forgiveness of sins. 

The word “forgiveness” in the Greek is 𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙢𝙞 which means to let go of a debt, to release it, and send the wrong or sin far, far away. Forgiveness is an expression of love. Because of His great love for us, in Christ we can find forgiveness (Col. 1:14). In fact, this is what Easter is all about. By dying on the cross, Jesus cancels out sin’s penalty. All the evils we have done, the right things we have failed to do, and the horrible attitudes we have expressed to God and to others have been erased and wiped off the record!

Likewise, we must learn to keep no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13:5). Jesus says we forgive as many times as necessary (Matt. 18:22). Because love and forgiveness are synonymous, to be a loving person is to live in a constant atmosphere and attitude of forgiveness. Every time we recite this statement in the Apostles’ Creed, let us renew our commitment to walk in a constant atmosphere of forgiveness!

The ninth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: I believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints.

The word “catholic” comes from the Greek word katholikos, which means “universal”. The Christian church is universal because it doesn’t belong to any one nation but to all nations of the world. The church is not a building of brick and mortar, or a religious organisation, it comprises us – the believers of Jesus Christ. We share in the “communion of the saints”, a sacred bond of love and fellowship by the Holy Spirit, uniting all true believers in Christ in His body.

The eighth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: I believe in the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son. When Jesus took on human flesh and lived on earth, the Spirit was absolutely central in Jesus’ life. Jesus lived completely dependent on the Holy Spirit from His conception to His ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus has set the “gold standard” (of a Spirit-filled life) for us to follow and imitate!

We need the Holy Spirit so much more each day. The next time you utter “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” let it be a genuine cry from your heart for more of His person, presence, and power in your life.

The seventh statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead.

Jesus will someday return to end world history, raise the dead, judge the living and the dead, and usher in a new heaven and a new earth. When that time comes, our salvation will finally be complete! In this video, learn about the two resurrections, two judgments, and the time of rewards.

Understanding the second coming of Jesus Christ will help us to live life circumspectly and wisely (Eph. 5:15-20). We should plan our lives as if we will live a full span of years, but we should be ready to leave at any time, to meet with the Lord in his actual presence (Matt. 24:44).

The sixth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus ascended into heaven, and He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Forty days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, He ascended into heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, as Man, departed physically and visibly from the earth and was immediately received into heaven, a place with no sickness, no sorrow, no pain, no depression — a place which we will one day dwell in with real spiritual bodies!

Here are seven reasons why the ascension of Jesus to heaven is so important, and what it means for us. May you long for that day when you, too, will stand before Jesus face to face. What a glorious day that will be!

The fifth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: [Jesus] descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again.

Between His death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday, Jesus’ soul was made alive by the Holy Spirit and brought to the realm of the departed dead (1 Pet. 3:18-20). In this video recording, I will share with you about what many church fathers believe concerning why Jesus descended to the dead. More importantly, because the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus form the central truth of the Christian faith, its importance can never be overemphasised – as such, we will also be looking at what the resurrection of Jesus proves and implies.

If Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile, and we are still in our sins (1 Cor. 15:17). But praise God, we worship a resurrected Saviour, and because He lives, we can face tomorrow!

The fourth statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea during the first century AD, was the one who presided over Jesus’ trial and gave the order for His crucifixion. Why must He die on the cross? Hebrews 9:22 says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Isaiah 53 says that the Saviour will have to suffer physically, psychologically, morally, and spiritually for the sins of all humankind. By being crucified, Jesus really died and was really buried. His work of salvation was completely finished on the cross once and for all. Everything that happened at Calvary authenticated all the claims of Christ. The next time you utter this statement in the Apostles’ Creed, you can do so with the utmost gratitude knowing that if everything Jesus claimed actually happened at Calvary, then you can also be certain that one day, He will return again in power and glory to receive you into His everlasting kingdom, just as He has promised!

The third statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary.

Jesus was conceived by the direct action of God. There was no physical consummation between Joseph and Mary. His was a supernatural conception! In order for Jesus to be our Saviour, three conditions must be fulfilled, and the supernatural virgin birth guaranteed that Jesus fulfilled all three conditions, which I will share with you in this video. 

Because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He is fully God. Because Jesus was born of Mary, He is fully human. Without the incarnation, Jesus Christ could not die for us, and the cross would become meaningless. The incarnation shows how much God loves us and has made a way for us to be redeemed through His Son. The next time we recite this statement in the Apostles' Creed, may we be immensely grateful for the great love that the Father has bestowed on us!

The second statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the second person of the Trinity. He is not a created being. On the contrary, He is the eternal, unchanging, all-powerful God. But if God did not create Jesus, why then is he called the “Son”, and specifically, the "only" Son? In this video, I will break down this second statement in the Apostles' Creed and explain it to you as succinctly as possible. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is crucial for your salvation, and I hope that the next time you profess "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord," you will be awestruck by the Saviour and Lord whom we love and believe in!

The first statement of the Apostles’ Creed is this: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." When we say “I believe,” it speaks of something that is deeply personal. Christianity is a personal faith between you and God. No one can believe in God on your behalf – you must personally believe in him! But who is this “God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth” that Christians believe in? I hope that after watching this short video snippet, every single time you recite this first line of the Apostles’ Creed, you will find yourself being strengthened in your faith as you reaffirm your belief in this one true God.

Someone once said that if life is a journey, and the 800,000-word Bible is the exhaustive map with everything in it, then the 115-word Apostles’ Creed is its simplified road map. In the next few posts, I will be sharing about the Apostles’ Creed. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo, which means “I believe”. As such, the Apostles’ Creed comprises statements that affirm what a Christian believes. I pray that by the end of this series, you will have a revelation of what each statement of the Apostles’ Creed means, and henceforth, you will recite it during every holy communion with utmost faith and conviction!

What does the Bible say about women in church leadership? Can a woman be a preacher, a Bible teacher, a pastor or an ordained minister?

There is no denying that the Bible is filled with examples of women leaders. Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Esther had spiritual authority over God’s people. In the Early Church, Priscilla taught Apollos the Word of God. Phoebe was a deacon. Junia was considered an apostle. Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis were Paul's co-workers in his apostolic ministry. Lydia, Mary, Chloe, and Nymphas were house church leaders. Euodia and Syntyche were leaders in the Philippian church.

Church history is filled with many mighty women leaders, like Thecla, Ammia, Perpetua, Felicitas, Syncletica, Marcella, Proba, Paula, Melania, Hilda, Hildegard in Germany, Argula von Grumbach, Katharina Zell, and Teresa of Avila, etc. They were great leaders, Bible teachers, preachers, theologians, writers, disciple-makers, evangelists, miracle-workers, prophetesses, and church-planters.

Today, almost all major Protestant denominations recognise and ordain women pastors and ministers, like the Anglican, Assemblies of God, Church of God, Foursquare, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, The Salvation Army, and even some among the Reformed and Baptist. Many among them have women general superintendents, bishops, and archbishops.

This is the final instalment on why we (in CHC) are Pentecostals. One distinctive of Pentecostalism is its doctrine concerning the second coming of Christ.

In spite of the advancement of the gospel, this “present evil age” will get ever darker, and lawlessness will abound (Gal 1:4; Mt 24:12). Jesus, however, will come again to end world history, raise the dead, judge the wicked, and usher in a reconstructed universe. This second coming will be preceded by a rapture and a resurrection (1 Thess 4:13-18), and Christ will defeat Satan and his Antichrist, false prophet, and evil forces (Rev 19-20). At His return, Jesus will set up His 1,000-year reign here on earth (Rev 20:1-6). This interval is called the “millennium”. It will be a time when Jesus reigns in righteousness and peace. After that, He will usher in the eternal state of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 21-22). This is the clear and plain teaching of the Bible, as well as the Early Church, in the first five centuries.

Almost all Classical Pentecostals are premillennialists! We reject the theories of idealism and preterism because they don’t interpret the Book of Revelation literally, but only allegorically and symbolically. Preterism believes that all end-time prophecies have already been fulfilled by AD 70, with the fall of Jerusalem. It teaches that the second coming of Jesus has already “taken place” (symbolically), and there is no rapture or 1,000-year reign of Christ. This goes against the clear biblical witness and we can’t accept it.

A quick recap:

(1) As Protestants, we believe in salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

(2) As Evangelicals, we believe in the inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy of the Scripture. We reject liberal theology in all its forms.

(3) As Pentecostals, we believe in (a) the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a second blessing, with tongues as the initial, outward evidence; (b) the appropriateness of speaking in tongues corporately; (c) Arminianism, not Calvinism; and (d) premillennialism, not preterism.

Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Almost all Classical Pentecostals are Arminians; we are not Calvinists! We believe that Jesus died for all, and He wants us to share the gospel to all, so that faith will arise in people’s hearts to freely choose to receive Christ as their Saviour. We don’t accept Calvinism’s idea of a “limited” atonement, which believes that Jesus didn’t die for the whole world (He went to the cross only for some).

(1) As Arminians, we believe in the sovereignty of God. The crucial difference here is that God, in His love, chooses to be sovereign even over His own sovereignty. He limits His own power to permit humans to freely choose, even if it means that they might oppose His will. Nothing less than the genuine freedom of choice is required for this love to be real.

(2) As Arminians, we believe in predestination. The crucial difference here is that we don’t believe that God has “predetermined” who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. We stand firmly on Rom 8:29 that says, “For those God foreknew He also predestined”. The clear Bible evidence here is that God’s foreknowledge is the ground of His predestination. Those He foreknew, who will freely respond to His saving grace, He elected for salvation.

(3) As Arminians, we also believe in total depravity, in salvation by grace, and in the assurance of this salvation. We just cannot accept the Calvinist’s interpretation of them, which we feel is not consistent with biblical witness.

As Pentecostals, we at CHC and THN, are very serious about the Holy Scripture. We seek to contend for the gospel which has been entrusted to us (Jude 1:3). We desire to preach the gospel to the whole world (Mt 28:18-20), expressing a divine love which, unconditionally and genuinely, draws all people everywhere, allowing them to freely choose Him.

There are three reasons why Jesus wants to baptise us in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5, 8):

(1) Spirit baptism greatly impacts our personal relationship with God (Acts 2:4). At conversion, we have the indwelling of the Spirit. Now, we have the infilling of the Spirit. Jesus fully immerses us into the Spirit of God, until we are filled, thoroughly soaked, saturated, drenched, and overwhelmed by the Spirit.

(2) Spirit baptism greatly impacts our relationship with other believers (1 Cor 12:7-11). We are now empowered to minister and edify one another, especially in the nine supernatural charismatic gifts:
(a) Word of wisdom
(b) Word of knowledge
(c) Gift of faith
(d) Gifts of healings
(e) Workings of miracles
(f) Discerning of spirits
(g) Prophecy
(h) Speaking in tongues
(i) Interpretation of tongues

(3) Spirit baptism greatly impacts our witness of Christ to the world (Acts 1:8).

"Speaking in tongues is a major distinctive of New Testament Christianity. Jesus Himself says that speaking with new tongues is one of the signs that will mark His followers (Mk 16:17). As a Classical Pentecostal church, we have strong biblical basis to believe that the gift of tongues is for today; it has not ceased (1 Cor 13:8-12).

What’s more, tongues is often used for the spontaneous praise and worship of God at a public Christian gathering (Acts 2:11; 10:44-46; 19:6-7). When tongues is spoken to an audience of one – God Himself in heaven – it is appropriate for all to freely and spontaneously speak to Him in their Spirit-given utterances (Acts 2:4). We see this very clearly in the Book of Acts.

When the words, however, must be understood by others (for the instruction and spiritual strengthening of the congregation), then every tongue must be interpreted (1 Cor 14:26-28). This is because the words are no longer directed to God but to the people.

As such, the consideration must always be – What is appropriate at a given moment of a church meeting? Tongues meant for God or for the people? It cannot simply be a blanket ban of all utterances of tongues at a corporate worship.

The public use of tongues at a prayer meeting or worship service is beautiful. Most of all, it is biblical. Let us freely and boldly do the same in moments of spontaneous prayer and worship of God!

As a Classical Pentecostal church, CHC believes that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the second blessing after conversion, and speaking in tongues is the initial, outward evidence of the Spirit baptism.

There are seven wonderful benefits of praying in tongues.

(1) Tongues helps us in praising God (Acts 2:11).

(2) Tongues helps in spiritual edification (1 Cor 14:4-5; Jude 20).

(3) Tongues helps in prayer (1 Cor 14:2, 13-15; Rom 8:26-27).

(4) Tongues helps in spiritual warfare (Eph 6:18).

(5) Tongues, with interpretation, helps like prophecy (1 Cor 14:3, 5).

(6) Tongues helps as a sign for unbelievers (1 Cor 14:22).

(7) Tongues helps in spiritual rest and refreshing (Is 28:11-12).

The main distinctive of us, Classical Pentecostals, is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is the promise of the Father, that Jesus will baptise believers in the Holy Spirit, and this is separate and subsequent to regeneration. This is a second blessing or second reception of the Spirit for supernatural empowerment (Acts 1:4-5, 8). So, there are two receptions of the Spirit – one at conversion (for the new birth), the other at Spirit baptism (for empowerment as Jesus’ witnesses). We have very strong and sound biblical basis to believe in this.

To Classical Pentecostals, the initial, outward evidence of the Spirit baptism is speaking in tongues. This explains why the 120 stopped tarrying in the upper room after the Day of Pentecost. The moment they spoke in tongues, they knew that they had received the promise of the Father (Acts 2:1-4). It must be the same for us.

Happy Ascension Day! Today, all around the world, Christians celebrate Jesus’ bodily departure from earth to heaven, 40 days after His resurrection. Many give attention to His death, burial, and resurrection, but when it comes His ascension, we don’t think much about it. Yet, it plays a very important part in the redemption work of Christ. These are the five ways Jesus’ bodily departure to heaven is an important blessing to us:

(1) The ascension gives us a new position of authority (Eph 1:17-18; 2:6).

(2) The ascension gives us a new confidence in Christ (Heb 4:14, 16).

(3) The ascension gives us a new life in the Spirit (Jn 14:16-17; 16:7).

(4) The ascension gives us a new mindset for living (Col 3:1-2).

(5) The ascension gives us a new pursuit of eternity (Heb 12:1-2).

Meditate on the truth of these blessings! Once again … Happy Ascension Day!

1 in 4 Christians in the world embraces Pentecostalism. By 2025, over 30% of all Christians will be Pentecostal-Charismatics. Some critics scoff Pentecostals as being theologically shallow, and that we are “a mile wide but one-inch thick”. I totally disagree. We embrace the best and soundest of Protestant and Evangelical doctrines–and in much deeper depths–with greater power, experience, illumination, and active obedience, as we live and walk in the Spirit.

The seven distinctives of Classical Pentecostalism are as follows:
(1) Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
(2) Speaking in tongues.
(3) Continuationism.
(4) Worship.
(5) Evangelism and missions.
(6) Arminianism.
(7) Second coming of Christ.

Liberal theology is any doctrine or hermeneutics that seeks to redefine or modify traditional doctrines and practices of Christianity, especially those espoused by the earliest believers and the Early Church. The spirit of liberal theology is Gen 3:1 where the serpent said to the woman, “Has God indeed said …?” The heart of it is unbelief and an outright rejection of sound scriptural truths.

Liberal theology has opened the door for many Christians, even the “faithful” ones, to question or reject the most basic Christian doctrines. It is dangerous, and will shipwreck our faith. As biblical Christians, we must be vigilant and watchful, and not allow liberal theology to make inroads into our lives, churches, and cell groups.

John Stott, once ranked by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world (2005), argues that “Evangelical Christianity" is the real Christianity. It is authentic, true, original, and pure. Because the Church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), our calling is to hold it firm so that it is not moved, and hold it high so that all may see it. However hostile the spirit of this present evil age (Gal 1:4) may be (towards an outspoken statement of biblical truth), the Church has no freedom to reject its God-given task.

Why do we call ourselves “Evangelicals”? Here are the reasons …

Paul told young Timothy that he must guard the gospel faithfully, spread it actively, and suffer for it bravely (2 Tim 1). Jude, the brother of our Lord, says that we must earnestly contend for the faith, the body of truth concerning Jesus Christ and His teachings, which has been entrusted to us (Jude 3). In a postmodern age when many believe there are no fixed, transcendent moral absolutes, it is especially important for us to know WHAT we believe and WHY we believe. Here in CHC and THN, we are first Protestants, Evangelicals, then Pentecostals, and in this particular order.

Why do we call ourselves “Protestants”? Here are the reasons …

This is the final instalment to our series on prayer. Jesus teaches that we must saturate our prayers with adoration.

What does it mean to adore God?

How does adoration bring us to a place of inner peace and heavenly joy?

Let me share with you some practical steps of how I spend time in adoring prayers ...

In prayer, Jesus wants us to learn how to ask (Jn 16:24). We mustn’t think that there is no need to ask anything from God because He already knows what we need.

When we pray …

(1) We must ask God according to His will (Jas 4:3; 1 Jn 5:14-15).

(2) We must ask in faith (Mt 21:22).

(3) We must ask persistently (Lk 11:9; Lk 18:1).

However, if we pray for a supernatural miracle, are we resisting the sovereignty of God?

Here is my response …

Jesus is the totally sinless Lamb of God (1 Pet 1:19). While we are legally and positionally righteous in Christ, yet in this lifetime, we will still sin. Therefore, Jesus teaches us that repentance must be a daily lifestyle. When we pray, we must regularly confess our sins to God, who will freely “forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us” (Lk 11:4, NIV). This is where the Ten Commandments are very useful (Ex 20:3-17; Deut 5:7-21). While they can’t defeat sin, they are very good in detecting them. I often use the Ten Commandments as a “spiritual MRI” to check my heart.

This is how I do it in my prayer life …

A conversation is a chat between two people. Prayer must be exactly like this – a conversation between a believer and God! He loves to fellowship and commune with us. In prayer, we are sharing our hearts with Him, and He is sharing His heart with us. Only when there is a conversation is there a full spiritual encounter.

This is how conversation usually happens in prayer …

Jesus was an expert in Bible meditation. He meditated so much on Scripture that He quoted it automatically and instinctively in almost every situation, especially during the critical moments of His life and ministry. Over the years, I have learned that this is the secret to a powerful prayer life. Christian meditation, however, is very different from other forms of meditation. It is, first and foremost, not a breathing exercise.

This is how you do it …

In the Gospels, Jesus was constantly in a prayer mode. Why? Because prayer is how we fellowship and unite with God. Prayer tunes us to God.

How did Jesus pray? This is what I have learned …

Why pray early in the morning, especially when so many of us are night owls? Besides, isn’t any time of the day always a good time to pray? Of course, it is! We shouldn’t be rigid and legalistic about the right timing for us to seek God. Yet, many saints of the Bible, including our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, loved waking up early in the morning to pray (e.g., Mk 1:35; Ps 5:3). The Holy Spirit also fell upon the apostles and the earliest Christians in the upper room during an early morning prayer meeting (Acts 2:1-4).

What is so special about praying in the morning? There are some very practical benefits that I have found. Please allow me to share them with you …

The cross is the focus of the gospel. No matter what your needs or problems may be, God has an answer for you. It is, however, only through the cross alone that you may receive provision for your needs and answers to your problems. In the last post, I talked about the first four aspects of the great exchange. Here are the rest:

(5) Jesus tasted death so that we might have eternal life.

(6) Jesus was wounded so that we might be healed.

(7) Jesus endured poverty so that we might share His abundance.

(8) Jesus was made a curse so that we might enter into the blessing.

The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross is the focus of the entire gospel (the good news). Something truly amazing happened during Easter. Martin Luther called it “the wonderful exchange”.

No matter what your need or problem may be, God has an answer for you. But there is only one place that you can find the answer at: the cross on which Jesus died. It is only through the cross (and the cross alone) that you can receive provision for all your needs, and answers to your problems.

Eight powerful things happened in the great exchange.
Let us look at the first four:

(1) Jesus was punished so that we might be forgiven.

(2) Jesus was treated as guilty so that we might be declared righteous.

(3) Jesus bore our shame so that we might share His glory.

(4) Jesus endured rejection so that we might have acceptance with the Father.

Every Easter, we remember the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection.

There are a number of terms used every Easter season, and it is useful that we clearly understand what they actually mean.

We have looked at the definitions of (1) Lent, (2) the Fall, (3) guilt, (4) sin, (5) original sin, (6) total depravity, (7) atonement, (8) propitiation, (9) expiation, (10) penal substitution, and (11) the blood of Jesus.

In this final installment, let us understand the meaning of (12) justification, (13) righteousness, (14) salvation, (15) redemption, (16) passion of Christ, and (17) resurrection.

During the Easter season, we often hear some words being mentioned. Clarity is the foundation of purpose. Let us be clear about their biblical meanings …

Atonement, propitiation, expiation, penal substitution, and the blood of Jesus!

Easter is the time we commemorate the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the reality of His resurrection. In the days leading up to it, we remember His passion (or suffering). On Good Friday, Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. But because He is risen on Easter Sunday, it means that His punishment for our sins was accepted by God our Father. The price for our redemption is paid in full. Our sins can now be forgiven and we can have a brand new life as children of God.

There are a number of words that Christians around the world use during every Easter, and it is good for us to clearly understand what they mean. Here are the first few words …

Does Jesus teach a doctrine on the rejection of success and wealth?

Here is my response ...

Can Luke 6:38 be quoted to encourage the giving of offerings? Did Jesus teach on the sowing and reaping of finances?

Here is my response ...

This is my final instalment for this series on eternal rewards in heaven. Some people asked: "What about those who receive lesser rewards in heaven, or worse still, a loss of rewards? Wouldn’t they be eternally unhappy? How can we be fully happy when we see others better or greater than us, or when we have 'lost out' to others? Doesn’t such a reward system in heaven stir up a lot of envy, strife, and rivalry among the saints?"

Here is my response ...

A few people asked me these questions: "Doesn’t the existence of heavenly rewards suggest inequality among believers in heaven? Shouldn’t all of God’s blessings be equally distributed and shared among all? Think about it: If there are different rewards, doesn’t that mean that those with lesser rewards will have sorrow and regret – for all eternity?"

Here are my answers ...

Someone asked me a question recently: "Why is there a need for rewards in heaven? When we get there, shouldn’t we all be equally blessed?"

Here is my response ...

We are saved by faith, but rewarded for our works. One day, we will all stand glorified before Christ, without our old sin nature anymore. We will be without guilt because we have been declared righteous. Knowing all these, we must live in such a way we will receive a “full reward” for our lives and service (2 Jn 1:8). We should all long to hear those precious words from Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:21).

Under what conditions does God reward us? According to the Bible, God will reward us for these …

Some have asked me questions concerning the eternal judgment of believers at the end of time. Since we are already righteous in Christ, why must we Christians still appear before the judgment seat of Christ? If we are already righteous, why are we still “judged”?

Here is my response …

What does Jesus mean by “receiving a hundredfold now in this time” (Mk 10:29-30)? Is He promoting greed and materialism? What does it mean to have a hundredfold blessing? Does it mean that God will mathematically multiply our seed 100 times? As biblical Christians, if we truly believe that the Bible is inerrant and infallible, then it is our duty to get the correct view of this subject, lest we be guilty of ignoring God’s Word or distorting it.

Here is my response …

The Bible refers to "seed" as an embryonic plant, or as life, or tears. Jesus says that the Word of God is like a seed. The kingdom of God and faith are like mustard seeds. Our actions and behaviour, whether in the Spirit or in the flesh, are also like seeds. We will reap what we sow. But does the principle of sowing and reaping extend to our finances as well? If it does, then won’t it promote materialism and greed, making us treat our relationship with God as a transactional one? How do we properly handle this topic?

Here is my response ….

What does it mean to be “wholehearted” in the things of God? What does it mean to live and walk in the Spirit wholeheartedly? What does it mean to pray and believe with all your heart?

Here is my answer …

When the Scripture talks about the “heart”, what does it mean? Does it refer to our soul? Or is it our mind? Is it the seat of our emotions? What exactly is it?

Here is my answer …

Is Revelation really a prediction of future events, or is it a postdiction of what had already happened in history? Is it a vaticinium ex eventu, a historical record of what had already happened in AD 70, framed as a yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy? Is it about the future return of Christ to establish the kingdom of God on earth, or is it actually a series of teachings to teach us moral values and social activism?

Here is my response …

Recently, someone asked me about the apocalyptic writings of the Bible, specifically those prophetic texts concerning the end times, like the Book of Revelation. The question is whether these passages are really predictive of the future, or are they merely a record of the past, say AD 70? This theory is called vaticinium ex eventu. Are the prophecies of the Book of Daniel and the visions of Jesus to John in Revelation a prediction of future events, or a postdiction of past historical events? Here is my response ...

Like most biblical truths, the principle of sowing and reaping has been subjected to much discussion. One, however, cannot dismiss a biblical truth simply because others have abused it. Neither can we ignore clear Bible passages that are incontrovertible. We cannot disregard what the Word of God has explicitly said, that “while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest … shall not cease” (Gen 8:22). In the Gospel, even Jesus Himself reiterates this in the very important parable of the sower (Mt 13:18-23). Jesus teaches the need to sow seed on good ground in order to reap a bountiful harvest.

What, however, constitutes a seed? Here are the 9 things the Bible speaks of as seeds.

Is the principle of sowing and reaping biblical? Isn’t it just a means of fund-raising and manipulating people to give? Doesn’t it promote greed and materialism, leading to an unhealthy focus on earthly wealth? Doesn’t it promote a “transactional” relationship with God?
 
Here is the first of my series of responses …

Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Is 9:6), and He has come to give us an inner peace that will enable us not to be tormented by anxiety, fear or conflict.

This is how I have learned to cultivate inner peace …

In the past few years, I have learned to the secret of tapping into joy through heavenly meditation.

I believe this is the key to finding true happiness …

Survey after survey shows that happiness is possibly the most important thing people are seeking today. Yet, why is it increasingly elusive? Why are we increasingly feeling stressed, anxious and panicky? How can we live in the state of happiness?

This is my spiritual journey on the pursuit of happiness …

Some Christians wonder if reading translations like the Message Bible and the Passion Translation is dangerous and detrimental to our spiritual growth.

Here is my reply …

There is a need to understand verses and passages of the Bible contextually. A verse taken out of context can be distorted until it means something completely different from its original meaning. You can make the Bible say anything you want if you ignore the context, and that is certainly wrong. Context is very important but it is not always king. If we rigidly insist that context is king, then the apostles, and even Jesus Himself, had wrongfully misquoted Scriptures too.

For example, did the apostle Matthew misquote Hos 11:1 and taken it out of context?

Did Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers in the 19th century, regularly take Scriptures out of context?

What do you do when someone you know (and maybe even respect) quotes a verse out of context, and it disturbs you?

Understanding the context of a Scripture is the most basic rule of biblical hermeneutics (or Bible interpretation). Before we quote a verse, we must study the verses and chapters immediately before and after that verse. We must understand the context or we can end up with very wrong ideas and messages about our Christian faith. We must, however, not be bound so rigidly to every contextual detail that it makes any relevant interpretation and application of that text impossible.

What about Mt 18:18, 20?

Did Jesus himself misquote Scripture by taking Deut 15:11 out of context?

What happens when preachers and Christians quote Scriptures out of context? Can Bible promises be personalised?

One of the most basic rules of biblical hermeneutics (or Bible interpretation) is to understand a Scripture contextually. This is important because using a Bible passage out of context can lead to error and misunderstanding.

However, did the apostles and Jesus Himself quote verses out of context?

Can we personalise Rom 8:28 or Phil 4:13 for ourselves, if we are not suffering hardships in prison like Paul?

Can we personalise the following Bible passages as promises for our lives?
Jer 29:11? 
Jer 33:3? 
Josh 1:9?
Psalm 23?
Num 6:22-2?

For those who want to understand or teach the Bible well, we need to learn how to be skilful in biblical hermeneutics, or the art of Bible interpretation. The three basic laws of hermeneutics are:

Law #1: As much as possible, Scriptures should be interpreted literally.

Law #2: Scriptures must be interpreted historically, grammatically, and contextually.

Law #3: Scripture is always the best interpreter of Scripture.

Some Christians avoid good hermeneutics because they mistakenly believe that it will prevent them from receiving fresh illumination or prophetic insight from the Holy Spirit. This cannot be so, because the source of every revelation, illumination, and prophecy is the same Spirit of God, and He is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). The purpose of hermeneutics is to protect us from misapplying or distorting Scripture. Because God is truth and His Word is truth (Deut 32:4; Jn 17:17), we want to know the truth and live in the truth, to the best that we can. This is why biblical hermeneutics is vital.

In the study of God (theology), what is the difference between a contradiction, a paradox, and a mystery? Why is the Trinity a mystery and not a contradiction?

The doctrine of the Trinity is a crucial ingredient in our Christian faith because it explains who God is, what He is like, how He works, and how He is to be approached. Its truth has profound practical implications for the Christian life:

(1) In the completion of our salvation.
(2) In our worship.
(3) In our prayer.
(4) In our understanding of love and unity.

We must guard against four wrong concepts concerning the Trinity:

(1) Jesus only became divine at His baptism or resurrection.
(2) God only exists as one person at any given time – water analogy.
(3) The Trinity is really three different Gods – egg analogy.
(4) The Holy Spirit is inferior in essence to Jesus, who in turn is inferior in essence to the Father.

Our Christian faith is the belief in the Triune God. In Latin, we say, “one ousia, three hupostaseis” – one “ousia” (essence or substance), yet three “hupostaseis” (persons).

The Father is totally God, the Son is totally God, and the Holy Spirit is totally God. All three are exactly identical in being, but they are separate and distinct persons. This is the glorious mystery of our God Almighty.

The victory of Jesus Christ was total and complete on the cross. Satan is a defeated foe, although he has yet to concede defeat. How do we overcome the devil in our daily lives?

This is how we do it …

Does faith always guarantee a miracle? Is our faith faulty when we believe in God, confess His Word, and yet there are no results? Should we still continue to exercise faith? If we persevere in prayer for a miracle, are we coming against the sovereignty of God?

A short while back, a Christian leader said to me, “I have stopped teaching faith because if the healing, blessing, and deliverance doesn’t come, then people may start doubting God. So it’s better if they don’t believe in miracles in the first place, then there is no danger that they will ever experience doubt. I just don’t want to set them up for disappointments.” Is this person’s reasoning biblically correct?

Here is my reply …

When it comes to the penal substitution of Christ, are Jesus’ six hours on the cross commensurate with the eternal punishment of a sinner? Is it enough? Isn’t it way too short? How can it be fair when Jesus only needed to be punished for six hours, while a sinner must be punished for eternity?

This is my answer …

Isn’t it immoral for God to punish an innocent person, namely Jesus Christ, for our sins? Isn’t the atonement of the cross a form of cosmic child abuse – God the Father violently abusing His Son for something He didn’t do? Doesn’t it violate God’s own rules of justice that He has set up in the universe?

Here is my answer …

As Christians, are we still sinners? Or are we already saints? This is the answer …

Are all human beings God’s children? What does the Bible say, especially Jn 1:12? This is a short but fascinating subject. Enjoy …

Jesus always showed honour to the down-and-outers. Even when there was nothing to celebrate in their lives and they achieved nothing of worth, 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗱. Even when He was superior over them morally, socially, spiritually, and intellectually, Jesus was always honouring.

We can learn so much through Jesus’s example in honouring Zacchaeus, the Jewish tax collector (Lk 19:1-10). 𝗛𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲. Like us, Zacchaeus had a deep need and strong desire for recognition, and Jesus met that need. Jesus bothered to ask around and find out more about Zacchaeus. He wasn’t only interested in His own ministry and vision, He also showed interest in this sinful chief tax collector. He was preferring him over Himself (Phil 2:3; Rom 12:10).

Jesus was very friendly with Zacchaeus. Learn to smile when you meet people. It takes fewer facial muscles to smile than to frown. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺 (Num 6:25). We live in a world that is already so stressed and unhappy, so let our smiles communicate the love, joy and peace of God; and they go straight into people’s hearts.

It is always easy to honour people who are already honourable. But God wants us to prefer the weaker, the slower, the less attractive, those less capable and less accomplished than us, as well as those under our leadership and care. 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀. Let us learn to honor those under our care – our subordinates, CG or church members, and domestic helpers. Will you decide to be like Jesus in showing honour today?

Jesus is always honouring, especially towards those who have fallen from grace. He will not condone their sins or unrighteousness, but He is always patient and kind to sinners. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀.

Like Jesus, we honour others when we choose not to listen to gossips about them, and when we choose not to engage in gossip. We honour people when we move in the power of forgiveness, and by openly identifying with them in their shame and humiliation. Don’t cut off your ties with people. Don’t become a “stranger” when a relationship feels like a liability. By “stooping down” to be with people in their seasons of humiliation, we ease their embarrassment.

When we need to speak the truth, as much as possible, we should speak it privately, out of the earshot of others, with a lot of love, sensitivity and tact. Help those who have fallen to confront their sins and encourage them to repent. Very often, it may be a long journey to recovery and restoration. However, keep giving them hope, just like God always thinks the best about us and is always hopeful about our future (Jer 29:11).

Jesus carries a strong spirit of honour (Is 11:2). Honour gives us access to the power of God – to His blessing and favour. Jesus says that honour is the key to experiencing miracles in our lives. When there was a lack of honour, He couldn’t work miracles (Mk 6:4-6). 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼u𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Everyone is a person of value and worth to God.

Jesus shows honour by being a very encouraging person. Make it a point to encourage the people you meet every day. The word “encourage” means to “put in courage”. When we believe in people, telling them that they can do whatever God has put in their hearts, we put faith into them. Then, they will start believing in God and in themselves, and ordinary people are transformed into extraordinary ones.

Learn to think the best of others. Remember that God is always thinking the best about us (Jer 29:11). He is a very encouraging Father, and He wants us to do the same. The spirit of honour is the spirit of encouragement!

We have always believed that God is almighty, all-powerful, and that He is totally sovereign. When it comes to the doctrine of predestination, however, we believe that the God of holy love wants a relationship with us that is real and genuine. As such, in His predestination, He allows the following 5 things:

(1) Universal free will
(2) Conditional election
(3) Unlimited atonement
(4) Resistible grace
(5) Conditional perseverance

Here is the explanation why …

We believe in the sovereignty and glory of God. We believe that in our total depravity (fallen nature), we cannot save ourselves apart from grace. However, when it comes to the doctrine of predestination, we must be clear. We don’t accept predestination to mean that before we were born, or even before the world was created, God had already predetermined, solely and unilaterally, who will go to heaven and who will go to hell. (And that He doesn’t give us a real, free choice in this matter!)

This is because when we talk about God’s sovereignty, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 (Col 1:13). God is love (1 Jn 4:8). He is not only full of grace to save, He is also full of mercy, compassion and lovingkindness (Ex 34:6). 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 (Jn 3:16). Therefore, although He is almighty, 𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆. He is a God who limits His own power to permit human beings to freely choose, even if it means we oppose His will. He gives each one the freedom to decide whether to have a personal relationship with Him or not (Josh 24:15; Mk 1:15; Acts 2:38; 16:31 17:30). God wants His relationship with us to be genuine (Jer 29:11-14a; Mt 22:37), and only with free will can it be real. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹.

Sometimes, people ask, “Why do we teach faith and not the sovereignty of God? When we are sick, why do we keep praying for healing? Why can’t we just accept that God sovereignly wants us to be sick? And if people have serious illnesses, we should be preparing them for death. Their dying (from sickness) is also a sovereign act of God’s power meant for His glory!”

Here is my reply …

In Lk 7, John the Baptist was languishing in prison. He was very discouraged and began to doubt if Jesus was truly the Messiah. He sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was indeed the Saviour. To be perfectly honest, it was quite an offensive question. Jesus then had a conversation in 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 with the two disciples. He gave a gentle word of correction for them to pass on to John the Baptist. However, not for a moment was Jesus angry or condemning. He had to speak the truth, but He did so with a lot of love, care, tact, and sensitivity.

𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, Jesus had a gentle word of correction for John the Baptist, but 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆, he was full of honour for John. He praised John for being a man who was strong in his conviction of God’s Word. He honoured him for his life of self-denial and obedience. He praised him for being so specially appointed and anointed by God to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, but 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆.

This is the general rule of thumb in dealing with a difficult relationship situation: W𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰. Jesus was full of honour for His cousin, as imperfect as he may be. Part of maturity in Christlikeness is learning to be loving, forgiving and honouring, just like Jesus is!

Part of growing in Christlikeness is learning to be an honouring person. It is, however, hard to be honouring when we are fed up with people, especially when we find them irritating.

Over the years, I have learned to remove “𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀” and “𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿” from my relationship vocabulary. “Always” and “never” are rarely factual. When you use phrases that include “always” or “never,” you are telling others that they cannot do anything right, and that you don’t believe they can ever change! This will only discourage them and make them feel condemned.

Keep the focus on the present situation, and be specific and factual. Learn to 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. When we do that, we are using the situation as an opportunity to help someone become smarter and wiser, and to be more effective and efficient the next time. But if we get into personal attacks, the plot is lost, the problem is not solved and our relationship sours.

Jesus carries a strong anointing of God because He carries a spirit of honour. We must do the same! By the grace of God, let’s learn to be honouring towards people around us.

Righteousness (Gr. dikaiosune) is a very major subject in the Bible, and it intersects with the doctrines of justification and sanctification.

In justification, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗱. He declares us righteous, not guilty, and forgiven. We are no longer condemned to be eternally punished in hell. This right standing before God is through the 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁, and is completely ours by faith. His righteousness, which is like a pure, clean robe that is put on us, is now legally ours. God sees us as sinless in Christ.

In sanctification, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘄. The Holy Spirit transforms us so that our behaviour reflects God’s nature (His love, His truth, His holiness), and we live a life which is in line with God’s will and His moral law (the Ten Commandments). This moral transformation is the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁. We actually sin less and less in life.

As a child of God, we need both kinds of righteousness!

For a marriage to be healthy and happy, every couple must take the “multivitamins of love”. They are the 𝟯 𝗔’𝘀–𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. These feed a relationship from day to day, so we need them daily. This 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 between the husband and wife is a really powerful way to affair-proof your relationship.

Righteousness is a gift from God received by grace only, through faith only, in Christ only. Righteousness becomes ours through two means – 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – the former an 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, the latter a 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀.

In our Protestant faith, justification is a 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 or 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. It is the instantaneous legal act of God, in which He forgives our sins and declares us to be righteous in His sight, on account of Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection. This is the event of conversion when a sinner puts his faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross. Justification is a legal declaration, not a moral transformation.

Sanctification is God’s 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 of a believer’s whole being, through the work of the Holy Spirit. Every part of the person is changed – his thoughts, values, attitudes, affections, words, behaviour, and actions. The ultimate goal of the Holy Spirit (who dwells in us), is to transform the legally righteous convert into a morally virtuous person.

Sanctification is a lifelong process through which we die daily to sin and learn to live more and more for righteousness. This is how we grow in Christlikeness or holiness. To be holy is to be Christlike, and the Protestants call this “growing in grace” (2 Pet 3:18).

Someone asked me a question about the revival we had in the late 1980s, when our church was full of young people. He asked, “Pastor Kong, with so many youths, their different cliques, and their many different opinions, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗹𝗹? Were you very fierce and strict, and did you control the young people tightly with an iron fist?” I thought about it, and this was my answer to him.

How do we prevent our love for God (and for people) from becoming cold and mechanical, especially as we serve in our CG and church ministries?

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. It is the foundation and motivation of our devotion, ethics, and ministry (1 Cor 13:1-3). We need to daily remind ourselves of God’s love for us and meditate on it. At the same time, we need to remove any sin that stands in the way of our relationship with God. The more we receive divine forgiveness, the more we experience the love of God.

If we are feeling dry in our souls, we should slow down and re-examine our personal relationship with God. We should take time to 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. Sometimes, we may even need to withdraw from leadership for a season to realign ourselves to the Lord and be renewed in His presence. Even Jesus and His disciples needed moments of rest.

Practically, the way to ensure that our love for others is neither cold nor mechanical is to 𝗯𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 about 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝟮𝟴𝟰” 𝗼𝗳 𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟯. As we act in obedience to Jesus’ commandment (Jn 13:34-35; 2 Jn 4-6) to honour and serve others, often, the loving feelings will soon follow.

Many have asked me questions concerning 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴s and 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴s. Aren’t they mutually exclusive? We can only have one or the other? I have always believed that God is a good God who blesses. At the same time, I also believe that a godly life is a life of suffering.
 
Many Christians can’t handle blessings and sufferings happening at the same time, much like how they struggle with balancing truth and love, faith and the sovereignty of God, or the “already” and “not yet”. They either imagine a life of endless blessings and favour that has no trials, testings or tribulation, or a life of endless sufferings in which there are no supernatural healings, deliverances or provision.
 
As long as we live in this present age, blessings and sufferings will always go together. If we can’t accept this, we will end up embracing either 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 (only blessing, no suffering) or 𝗵𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝘀𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘁𝘆 (only suffering, no blessing). Both extremes are wrong! In times of blessings, we must not be afraid of hardships; and in times of hardships, we must continually believe God for inner peace, good health, financial breakthroughs, and kingdom revival.

It is not enough to be 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱, we must also be 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱. Without God’s anointing, at best, all we have are mere words and good intentions. We must fervently seek after God’s anointing. I love meditating on Is 11:2 because it teaches us the 7 anointings of the Holy Spirit that are upon Jesus:
 
 (1) The Spirit of the Lord.
 (2) The Spirit of wisdom.
 (3) The Spirit of understanding.
 (4) The Spirit of counsel.
 (5) The Spirit of might.
 (6) The Spirit of knowledge.
 (7) The Spirit of the fear of the Lord.
 
The benefits of these 7 anointings are 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹, and 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Without the anointing, our ministry will be dry and dull. There is no demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor 2:4). There is no touch of God in all that we do.
 
To seek after the anointing, we need a genuine spiritual hunger. We need to dig deeper into the Bible concerning what the anointing is. How does it work? How does it flow? How do we become the vessels that can contain it, and more importantly, sustain it? We have to invest time to meditate on the Word, and fervently pray for the anointing.
 
We need to be around anointed people (those who are already moving strongly and regularly in the power of God) – to learn from them, and flow with them. When we are with prophets, we will become prophetic. When we are with evangelists, we will become evangelistic. When we are with those who move in healing and deliverance, signs and wonders will become a normal part of our lives and ministries. Their anointing will rub on us. Ultimately, however, the anointing is a result of God’s grace upon us.
 
May we become anointed Christians who live for Christ and the gospel. May our cell groups (and connect groups) become powerful meetings, and not just social gatherings. Amen!

As Christians, God considers us righteous in Christ. It doesn’t mean that we’re sinlessly perfect. In and of ourselves, we are still sinners. But by our faith in Jesus, His righteousness is now imputed (or transferred) into our account. This is the heart of the gospel. The Protestant Reformers used the Latin phrase, 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙡 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧, which literally means “simultaneously righteous and sinner”. We are both a saint and a sinner at the same time. The good news is that whenever we sin, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). For this reason, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to regularly confess our sins to God, who will freely “𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Mt 6:12 NLT). 𝗧𝗼 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 – not just repenting once at conversion, but daily, we’re to purify ourselves, just as He is pure (1 Jn 3:3). This is how we grow in holiness – to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet 1:16). This is not being sin-conscious or condemnation-minded. We'd never consider our daily showering as dirt-consciousness. We shower simply because it is necessary hygiene. Similarly, every time we seek God’s forgiveness in prayer, we’re taking a spiritual “shower”, and we’ll always be refreshed, renewed and recharged after that. I’ve learned to use the 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 in my daily prayer (Ex 20:3-17; Deut 5:7-21). For sure, the Ten Commandments can’t save us. We’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But they are the 10 expressions of God’s personal and eternal morality. So they’re very useful for showing us if and where we’ve sinned. For the next few minutes, I want to invite you to pray them together with me. Praying this kind of prayer regularly will change our lives. I know this for a fact because it has certainly changed mine. 

Someone once said to me, “Love and unity are most important in a church. I don’t care about beliefs”. This really set me thinking. This statement presupposes that having love alone will lead to unity. However, love doesn’t automatically lead to unity, and vice versa. A marriage can be loving, yet have no godly unity because of a difference in belief (2 Cor 6:14). Conversely, the church in Ephesus had (a semblance of) unity but was loveless towards one another (Rev 2:1-7). In short, you can have a form of unity without love, or love without unity.

Love is unconditional. We must love everyone – even our enemies (Mt 5:44). Love is strengthened by unity in beliefs. When we can genuinely agree on our spiritual convictions, our love for one another will greatly increase. On the other hand, 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗛 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲. Just because we love one another, that does not guarantee biblical, Christian unity. If there is serious disagreement in doctrine, the unity among us is superficial and tenuous at best. It is in the place of agreement that there is power (Mt 18:19). This is evident in the Early Church when believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine, among other things (Acts 2:42). They were of 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 (𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿) and 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 (𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲), resulting in members adopting similar attitudes and engaging in similar actions. Our aim, therefore, must be to grow in love for one another (1 Thess 3:12) and hold fast to sound, common doctrine (Tit 2:1). So, yes, love and unity are most important in a church, but for them to truly exist, 𝘄𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 our 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀!

Doctrine is a set of beliefs and instructions that the senior leadership and theologians of every church or denomination formulate, based on their best understanding of the Scripture (2 Tim 3:16; cf. Acts 2:42; 15:6-29). Unless they belong to the same denomination or network of churches, the doctrine of one church may not be exactly the same as the doctrine of another church. This is really the reason why there are different denominations in the first place. Although we all read the same Bible, we understand the truths of Scripture differently. While the differences are not about the absolute core essentials (or the first-order doctrines), yet they are significant enough to result in the distinctiveness among different churches and denominations. What we present as truths must be done with special care and wisdom because they will eventually form the worldview through which we govern our lives (1 Tim 4:16). Doctrines are very important for many reasons. In this video, I just want to share with you four of them: 
(1) 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀. 
(2) 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. 
(3) 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆. 
(4) 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. 

There are 7 waves of revival in the Book of Acts, and we can identify them by their summary statements (Acts 2:42-47; 6:3-7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:4-5; 19:20; 28:30-31). One constant in all these revivals was the believers’ focus on the 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗚𝗢𝗗. The earliest Christians gave themselves to the apostles’ 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘. The spread of God’s Word resulted in the number of disciples greatly multiplying. In spite of the many hardships and crises, wave after wave of revival broke forth. It came to a point in Acts when the writer Luke stops using the word “church” and instead, substitutes it by “word of God”. This is because the Christians were living by the Scripture so much so that the two entities had become synonymous. The Word had become flesh in them. Daily, they were applying their best understanding as the Holy Spirit illuminated the Scripture to them. This is the importance and power of having 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 in the church. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. As much as possible, biblical truths must not be vague, but wisely and carefully written out and articulated to the members. Only when this is done will the congregation be “strengthened in the faith” and “prevail” in every crisis and difficulty.

Doctrine is a set of beliefs and instructions, that the senior leadership and theologians of every church or denomination formulate, based on their best understanding of the Scripture. In Christian theology, there are 3 levels of doctrines.
 
(1) 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 are 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 that we must believe in because our salvation hinges on them. A denial of them is to deny Christianity itself. They are 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 which define the core beliefs of the Christian faith. You are not a Christian if you don’t believe them.
 
(2) 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 are beliefs that Christians may disagree on. This is why there are different churches and denominations. But they are 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 which significantly impact the overall character and ministry style of a church. They form the “𝗗𝗡𝗔” of a congregation. For us in CHC, our doctrine is Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal in essence and emphasis.
 
(3) 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 are beliefs that Christians may have disagreement on, but we can still remain in close fellowship within a local church. They are usually 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 or 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 concerning less-clear issues in the Bible, that are not worth dividing a congregation over. We can worship and serve God together in the same church, even if we disagree on them.
 
The ability to correctly discern the differences between core essentials, spiritual convictions, and legitimately disputable matters, will keep a church from compromising on important truths, or having factions resulting from disagreement over peripheral issues. Let us not have factions in our spiritual family. Let’s have a 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, birthed through a real conviction of the truths that the Holy Spirit has illuminated to us from the Bible, according to our best understanding.

As Christians, there are 4 terms which we often hear about, but we may not be too clear about their meanings:

The first is “𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗜𝗣𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘”, which means “that which is written”. For Christians, the Scripture is synonymous to the Holy Bible – the Word of God.
 
The second is “𝗚𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗟”, which means “good news”. When it is spelled with a capital “G”, it refers to the 4 Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When spelled with a small “g”, it refers to the New Testament in its entirety.
 
The third is “𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗬”, which means the “study of God”. Theologians are those whose occupation is to study God.
 
The fourth is “𝗗𝗢𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗘”, which is the 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 (cf. 2 Tim 3:16). This is the reason why there are different churches and denominations because our best understanding of the Bible may vary from each other. While we all agree in the absolute essentials of Scripture, we have different spiritual convictions, and different focus and different emphases on spiritual realities. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗗𝗡𝗔". Every church’s doctrine is the foundation of its vision and mission – it determines the way we (a) think about God, (b) worship Him, and (c) do church.
 
After 31 years as a church, CHC has been in the season of clarifying our doctrine – so that CHC is not driven by personality and religious trends, but by the eternal truths which we believe the Holy Spirit has illuminated to us from the Holy Scripture, and our best understanding of them.

A Christian is a follower and lover of truth. After all, Jesus is the truth (Jn 14:6). Truth is very important because it determines the outcome of our lives. Truth determines our growth. But the evidence of our spiritual maturity is 𝗡𝗢𝗧 how much truth we know, but 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 (Eph 4:15). This is the pinnacle of maturity – the climax and highest expression of maturity. This is also how we measure the fullness of Christ in us. When we can be Christlike and speaking the truth in love, we are growing in spiritual maturity.

Jesus says that the way the world will know that we are His disciples is by seeing our loving actions and attitudes. 1 Cor 13:4-7 gives us very clear, observable evidence. Whenever we are having a serious conversation, discussion, or even a debate, do it with as much patience, kindness, humility, politeness, forgiveness, and empathy as we can muster. 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲; always hope for the best in them. Don’t talk down on others. Even if we have all the truth, without love, all our knowledge and facts mean nothing (1 Cor 13:2)!

Jesus teaches us that when we need to have a serious conversation with anyone, we should do so with the person 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 and 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 (Mt 18:15). If need be, widen the circle to 1 to 2 others. Only when the issue cannot be resolved should we bring it to the attention of the church leadership (v16-17). The goal of sharing the truth is not to win arguments, but to win people. Loving people means thinking very carefully about 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 we say 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 we say it, or before we 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 or 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 it. Especially if what we are saying or texting may sting, then we need to be even more careful and prayerful, to ensure that we are moved by genuine love and not by our own ego, pride or frustration.

The Bible says that we must learn how to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15). In a serious discussion, it is not just 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 you say that is important, but 𝗛𝗢𝗪 you say it – meaning that your attitude, disposition, motive, tone, and choice of words, are just as important as the content of your words. You can say something aggressively or graciously. You can say it with a pinch of self-righteousness or with genuine humility. Whether it is sharing the truth of the gospel, discussing a theological doctrine, addressing a wrong (or even a sin), we must all learn to be as loving as we can in the way we speak.

The 4 Ps we need to have (before engaging in a serious conversation) are: a 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡, the 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗢𝗙, clear 𝗣𝗨𝗥𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗘, and we must be 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗗 for the truth.

In any discussion that is uncomfortable, remember the “𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲” or “𝗢𝗿𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵”. You start with the positive, then get to the “filling” (which is the main issue of the conversation), and you end with the positive again. Always seek to speak the truth, but do it with as much love of God as you can muster in your heart. It is by your love that the world will know you are Jesus’ disciple.

There is a huge difference between liking and loving someone.

𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 means seeing the 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 of a person and being attracted to him or her. For example, I like the way you look and talk. I like your style and mannerism. I like being around you. It is always easy to be drawn and attracted to the people we like.

On the other hand, 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 means seeing the 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 of a person and still wanting to serve, benefit, and bless him or her. God’s agape love is totally unconditional. Jesus commands us to love those we dislike, or even detest! We are to pray for them, forgive them, and even bless (or speak well of) them. This is never easy, and without the power of the Holy Spirit, it is virtually impossible! Love, however, is the hallmark of the Christian life – it is the clearest evidence that Jesus Christ is living in our hearts. God is love, and the greatest thing in life is love!

In this episode, Dr A.R. Bernard joins me as we talk about the creativity of God. For 600 years, the world’s economy rested on the whaling industry. Whale oil or blubber was the main source of energy for lighting and heating homes. By the mid-1800s, more than 10,000 whales were killed in the North Atlantic, causing a worldwide shortage in whale products. During the same time, experts also predicted that coal supply would be used up by the year 1900, which would signal the end of the industrial revolution. The whole world was gripped with fear: Would this be the end of human civilisation? Then on 27 Aug 1859, Colonel Edwin Drake drilled the world’s first oil well in Pennsylvania, USA, and the petroleum age was started. Because man is made in the image of God, whenever society goes through a crisis, we creatively come up with new ideas and solve problems. Since 1750, world population has increased 8 times, while gross world product has grown exponentially by more than 1,750 times! Each year, there are more products being invented than ever before. In 1960, almost half of all workers in the U.S. were involved in the manufacturing industry. By 1980, 80% of American workers were retrenched because of better technology. What happened to all the manufacturing workers who lost their jobs? Most of them moved over into the food service industry, and the restaurant business increased tenfold! God is our Creator and Redeemer. As Spirit-filled believers in Christ, we are created to overcome, and be inspired by His unlimited creativity and redemptive purpose. Although we are going through this COVID-19 pandemic, we mustn’t let fear grip our hearts. We must remember that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. We must allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with new dreams and visions, and open our hearts to innovative ideas and doors of opportunity that He will show us.

Whenever there is a loss of a job, a dream, a career, an investment, or someone we love dearly (through death, divorce or breakup), we experience grief. There are five stages of grief which are universal, and are experienced by people from all walks of life. We may not experience them all, or go through the stages in the same precise order. Everyone grieves differently – some may express their emotions and grief more outwardly, while others may experience their grief more inwardly. We also spend different lengths of time working through them. Coping with loss is a deeply personal experience. While others can be there for you and help comfort you through this process, the best thing you can do is to allow yourself to feel the grief as it comes. Resisting it will only prolong the process of healing. Let the love and intimate presence of God fill the brokenness and void in your heart and soul. In this podcast, join Dr ARB and I, as we discuss on this topic of coping with grief.

Jesus says that the kingdom of God is vastly different from the kingdom of this world (Jn 18:36). It is a kingdom filled with the righteous character and dominion of the King (5:20; 6:33; Rom 14:17; cf. Mt 13:47-50). It is a kingdom in which God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit freely rule in their goodness and greatness (Mt 6:9-13). It is a kingdom of tremendous power that heals the terminally ill and sets the physio-psychologically tormented ones free (Mt 12:28; Lk 10:9). It is, however, a kingdom that is reserved only for the repentant and humble (Mt 4:17; 5:3). Only those who are born-again or regenerated by the Holy Spirit can enter in (Jn 3:3, 5). It begins like a tiny mustard seed in the heart of the believer (Mt 13:31; Lk 17:21), and grows and grows until God completely lives, and reigns in his/her life. Seeking to live in and experience more of this spiritual kingdom must be the top priority of every follower of Christ (Mt 6:33). Join Pastor Bill Johnson and I as we discuss on the kingdom and supernatural power of God.

Not only did Jesus come to offer salvation to the lost, He also healed every sick person that came to Him for healing. Everywhere He went, Jesus was “healing 𝗔𝗟𝗟 kinds of sickness and 𝗔𝗟𝗟 kinds of disease among the people”, and when “they brought to Him 𝗔𝗟𝗟 sick people … He healed them” (Mt 4:23-24). On another occasion, the Gospel says that He “healed 𝗔𝗟𝗟 who were sick” (Mt 8:16, see also Mt 9:35). For sure, Jesus didn’t heal every sick person in Israel, but all who came to Him for healing were healed – 𝗔𝗟𝗟! This is the “gold standard” of all Christian ministry – preaching the good news for the inner transformation of the spirit and soul, while healing the body so that we can continue to live as healthily, effectively, and energetically as we can for Christ, and for the gospel. In this podcast, Pastor Bill Johnson joins me to discuss on this topic of healing.

If healing is God’s will, why aren’t all sick people healed? If we ourselves are not cured of a chronic illness, should we still believe in healing and pray for others who are sick? What about those teachers of healing who themselves are suffering from chronic or terminal diseases – isn’t that a contradiction? If healing is God’s will and is found in the atoning work of Christ, why doesn’t healing happen every single time we pray? If healing is not always guaranteed, should we still pray for it? By persistently praying for the sick, are we coming against God’s sovereignty? Is there any good that comes out of sicknesses and disabilities? How do we properly balance prayer, reality, and the sovereignty of God?