Author: IGGC

Communication with God

Communication with God.

conversations-with-god

Introduction

– God too busy for you?

Mark 8:1-3 (Jesus show care physical needs/hunger/feeding crowd although he is probably tired with teaching & traveling 3days)

– Too busy for God?

Matthew 6:25-33 (Worry eat/drink/wear… Do not worry – God knows you need them)

– We need to spend time daily with God. When we are busy, stressed out & have no time, that’s when we need to spend DOUBLE THE TIME with God.

 

Learn about spending quality time communicating with God.

 

Why God – Why does God want you to communicate with Him?

– God of relationships

– God talks directly with Abraham, Moses, etc

– He is our Father

– To love God & be loved

God wants you to love Him, honor Him & have regular communication with Him

Illustration (I): Dating tackle bf/gf or marriage keep relationship on fire. Gifts. Show love. Spend time. Most important to talk & communicate. To really know each other.

Application (A): How would you describe your personal relationship with God? Do you desire to know God a little bit better every day?

 

How God – How does God communicate with you?

– As the Father speaking to His child

– As the Word of God (the Bible) speaking to your heart

– As the Holy Spirit’s small soft voice guiding your thoughts & actions

God communicates with believers through His Word, prayer & people

I: Hungry? Feel like eating McD can eat in restaurant, drive thru, call delivery or order online. Likewise we have a gracious & accessible God.

A: How often do you spend time reading His Word? Do you worship, thank & talk with God throughout the day?

 

By God – What is God’s plan for you?

– (Genesis 1:28) Be fruitful & multiply

Not have a dozen children & ask your children to have dozen children (forming your own football team…)

Fruitful in showing & sharing fruits of the spirit

Multiply in sharing the gospel & being used by God to plant seeds in others

God created us to love God, obey God & enjoy His presence

– Come after Jesus – deny self, take up cross & follow Jesus (Mark 8:34)

Christian life not one of wealth & prosperity. Involves hard work, painful lessons & even persecution.

God’s plan is perfect

A: Will you stop trying to control own destiny? Will you seek to know His will & purpose for you? Only way is to know God & communicate with Him.

 

Conclusion

We have an amazing God!

– Only religion we call our God Abba Father

– Where He is omnipresently everywhere – even within you

– Where His Word speaks directly to us

– Your father is knocking the door. Won’t you speak with God more?

Mission Evening, CMCT

Missions Evening at BRGH. Sharing on Christian Missions Charitable Trust Work in India, Chennai by founder Dr Colleen Redit, Aaron Moses & Ezekiel.
 
cmct-kids
 
dr-colleen-redit-1
Dr Colleen M Redit on self & CMCT Background
  • Called at age 24 young girl followed an elderly missionary
  • Started teaching 1 girl crafts & God’s Word in a garage
  • Today 27 ministries, over 366 staff including 30 full time social workers who all meet together at chapel service every morning to worship God & study Bible together as one family
  • Went by faith. Trust Him & see if it’s His will.
  • Prayed for more space. Given 3 gifts equal exactly 10% down payment.
  • Run primary & secondary school free for slum students; hospitals; 6 soup kitchens; leprosy rehabilitation program; wheelchair ministry (part of social ministry); street children ministry; orphanage; screen printing unit; industrial training institute; boys & girls rally (Young Christians brigade similar to guides/scouts)
  • All ministries emphasis on teaching the Bible
  • Haven of Hope handicraft center with crafts made by 95 girls/ladies (slums, abusive husbands, etc)
  • Today, India facing challenge of churches persecuted; churches burnt down; Christian organisations persecuted
aaron
Aaron on Rainbow Ministry of Hope (HIV/AIDS ministry)
  • 3m people in India with HIV (a major concern)
  • People with HIV/AIDS have stigma, ostracized from society & even family rejection
  • 300+ participants being helped in HIV/AIDS ministry
  • CMCT provides food & nutrition as many live in poverty

 

ezekiel
Ezekiel on Bridge Gospel Church
  • Started 4 years ago; At 2 locations; Bible-focused Ministry
  • Reach local believers through medical ministry
  • Recently 37 believers baptized & 4th baptism held
  • Please pray for church & work
 cmct-logo
How can you help?
  • Being a faith partner praying for God’s daily provision
  • Sponsor a child/family (1600+ children)
  • Support a soup kitchen
  • Support a free Medical camp
  • Support General needs of this ministry
  • Short Term Mission to India (4-15 members; typically 10-15 days)
  • More info: CMCT Website
Q&A
  • Q: Inquiry on Dr Colleen’s health?
    A: Thank you for praying. Spinal surgery successful. Knee operation went well.
  • Q: What opposition is faced?
    A: The Lord’s covering has been on CMCT ministry. Have the trust of people. Especially tsunami village but able to share gospel. Difficult for foreign funding. Income tax very detailed questioning. A need to be very careful with forms & how staff goes out speak to people. Praise God no problems despite opposition.
  • Q: How is the succession planning for CMCT?
    A: Very good structure. 5 people on executive members working alongside & taking responsibility. All projects have heads & assistant heads. Board members around the world. Praying for successor.
  • Q: HIV/AIDS medical cost very expensive especially drugs. How does CMCT cope?
    A: Yes costs very expensive but actually India government providing free treatment. Patient must go to hospital monthly else medical staff will visit. CMCT provides free general medical treatment & helps support specialist doctors.
  • Q: How is HIV transmitted in India?
    A: 94% sexually transmitted. CMCT focuses on women & children as more vulnerable & high suicide rate. Often men away for ling & contract HIV sexually. Often don’t realize until woman is pregnant & test scans reveals.
  • Q: Challenges & advice growing missions & ministries?
    A: Keep eyes on the Lord. People will disappoint. Trust by faith. Must have very strong relationship with God. Seek His will. By faith.

Our Father in Heaven

Adapted from Sun Mar 1 message by Mr Cheah
our-father
Introduction
  • “The Lord’s Prayer” (or should be named “Disciples Prayer”?)
  • Actual Lord’s Prayer is in John 17
  • Prayer involves worshipping & approaching God with due reverence
Our Father in Heaven
  • Faith requirement; acknowledge God as our Father
  • Limitation of earthly fathers but we have a perfect Father who loves, cares & guides us
  • Through faith in Christ we have privilege access to God’s presence
  • Father has authority to withhold & to give
  • Knowing all this allows us to deepen our relationship with God
Honor: Hallowed be your name
  • Our greatest concern is to bring concern to God
  • Hallowed = sacred & holy
  • Requires us demonstrate holiness, separation from evil & devotion to God’s purposes
Expectation: Your kingdom come
  • God’s power, authority & will is forever
  • Are we looking forward & praying for Jesus’ return? We pray for Jesus’ return for the establishment of His eternal kingdom
  • Pray for his purposes & plans to be accomplished on earth even at this time
  • Every one of us in our corner let our light shine as a beacon for God’s word as truth to save
Your will be done
  • God’s purpose is still on the right track even with the sins of men
  • A call for us to pray sincerely to see His plan, purpose & desires to be fulfilled
  • What is His plan? It is in His Word & trusting the Holy Spirit’s guidance
  • Pray, attentive to God’s will & do!
Petition: Give us today our daily bread
  • Right attitude request God to provide for out daily needs
  • Acknowledge & conscious that it’s God who provides
  • We are actually very dependent on God our provider
  • God is loving & provides for His people

    “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬ NIV)

    1. Make request according to God’s plan with the purpose of honouring Him
    2. Allow God to demonstrate his Fatherly love for us
    3. Supply our basic needs & to serve God more effectively
  • Be content with what you have as what you have is more than enough – you have God!
  • When asking for what you want, ensure that you are right by God & what God gives you blessed others
Forgive us our sins
  • We are sinners; anyone who says otherwise is a liar
  • Prayer is a time to be forgiven of our sins
  • Have compassion on others; forgive others
Dependence: Lead us not into temptation; Deliver us from evil
  • By ourselves we will never win the battle of yielding to temptation – need to rely on our God
  • Pray to get our feet out of the path falling into temptation
  • Deliver us from evil one who is full of schemes attacking God’s plan
  • How? Watch & pray
For yours is the kingdom & the power & the glory forever
  • Acknowledgement of the sovereignty of God
  • One day, every knee will bow

PASF Gathering at CCC

2015 Feb 28: 1st PASF gathering for 2015 at CCC

pasf-2015-02

The 1st Penang Assemblies Seniors Fellowship [PASF] gathering of the year held at the Christian Convention Centre in Batu Ferringghi. An overwhelming response as about 110 in attendance. The hall there has been air-conditioned, thus we could all enjoy the gathering in comfort & without outside noise!

In a nutshell:

ukelele

Some of the 1st timers were given the opportunity to introduce themselves. Pastor Paul Thian Seong Lee, from California where he is serving shared a short Gospel message and a song. Chuah Tong Ik with his members from Georgetown Baptist Church rendered a song item “One Day At A Time” with ukulele accompaniment followed by a message from him.

How Can I Hope? – The New Birth

HOPE is Heaven-Oriented Positive Expectation. It makes our faith in Christ unique & unequaled when compared with other religions. (Message & notes by Mr Sinnappan Nadason)

hope-clouds

1 Peter 1:3-4

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

Begotten Unto the Hope (v3-4)

  1. Bestowal of Mercy
  2. Born in the Spirit
  3. Blessings of Hope
  4. Bequeathal of Inheritance
  5. Bonus of Power (from God)

hope-hands

1 Peter 1:22-25

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[a] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

Behavior out of Hope (Vv22)

  1. Purifying of the Soul
  2. Practicing the Truth
  3. Proving by Love

The Character of Love

  • Earnest. Fervent; intense;
  • Unpretentious (unfeigned = not acting).
  • Out of  a pure heart (genuine, true, wholehearted);
  • Out of a Godly & holy attitude (as God exemplifies).

The Conduct of Love

  • By giving liberally (2 Cor 8:8)
  • By sincerity. Without dissimulation or pretense (Rom 12:9; 1 John 3:18-19)
  • By serving (Gal 5:13; Heb 6:10)
  • By forbearing & Forgiving (Eph 4:2)
  • By walking (living) in love (Eph 5:2)
  • By obeying (John 14:15)

hope-painting

Basis of Our Hope (23-25)

  1. Incorruptible Seed (v23). Not subject to decay nor death (Vv 14, 18, 19, 23)
  2. Inadequate Lifetime. Brevity of lifetime (v24)
  3. Indwelling Word – forever (v25, 2 Cor 4:6)

The Year of the Sheep

Happy Chinese New Year! Sharing on the Year of the Sheep by KC Ung.

sheep

Goodbye to the Year of the Horse and Welcome to the Year of the Sheep.

A Study Outline on God’s Redemption Programme:

  1. The Year of the Sheep – The Strayed Sinner
  2. The Year of the Goat – The Substitute’s Sacrifice.
  3. The Year of the Ram – The Saint’s Surrender
  4. The Year of the Lamb – The Saviour Sovereign

Links

Silencing the Critics

criticism

Scripture: 1 Peter 2:11-20

There are 3 identities of Godly living:

  1. Aliens
  2. Citizens
  3. Servants

Yet in whatever identity, we  are to abstain from fleshly lusts.
We are to keep our behavior excellent to glorify God.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (‭Acts‬ ‭7‬:‭59-60‬ NIV)

As Aliens

Christians throughout the ages & until today are accused of many things.
Some is because we do not follow the norm. Others because of falsehood or misinterpretation.

But more important then the accusations, or even our words are our actions.
We are the Bible the world is reading through the testimony of our lives.

 

As Citizens

We are to submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake.
We are to be subject to governing authorities as from God.
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior but for those bent on evil.
If we are subject to laws that contradict the Word of God, we can respond with our truth, yet know that will need to bear the consequences.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭3-4‬ NIV)

We have 2 spiritual weapons:

  1. Word of God
  2. Prayer

As Servants

We are to be submissive & for the sake of conscience towards God.
If you suffer for righteousness, you are blessed.
If you are reviled for Christ’s name, you are blessed.

For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Follow Christ’s example in our daily living.

Download slides: Silencing the Critics (1MB)

Prayer for Missions

prayer

We are pleased to announce that every 1st Thursday of the month from 8:00PM-8:15PM we will be having Prayer for Missions. This will be prior to the regular weekly Thursday Prayer Meeting starting at 8:00PM.

A New Humanity

Globe and Silhouettes of People with Hands Raised

Introduction:
The Bible (and the world) begins with the unity of mankind (Adam & Eve) but division when mankind sinned. Likewise Jews & Gentiles are separated. In fact, Gentiles have double alienation – from God & God’s people.

Gentiles barred from entering
Gentiles barred from entering further then the Gentiles Courtyard
Theme: Christ had destroyed both enmities & has created A New Humanity
  • From Alienation to Reconciliation
  • From Hostility to Peace
3 Stages of God’s Plan

Stage 1. What we once were (v11-12)

  • Separated from Christ
  • Alienated from Israel & strangers of the covenant of promise
  • We had no hope & without God in the world

Stage 2. What Christ has done (v13-18)
What did He achieve when He died on the cross?

  • The abolition if the law of commandments (15a)
    Law has 2 aspects (moral law: 10 commandments & ceremonial law: circumcision, sacrifice, washing, etc). Ceremonial law set aside when Christ died on the cross. Yet moral law cannot save us as we cannot follow it perfectly.
  • The creation of a single new humanity (15b).
    “There is neither Jew not Greek…”
    New identity & new unity in Jesus Christ
  • The reconciliation of Jew & Gentile to God (v16)
    Not just one people but reconcile both Jews & Gentiles. God forgives us through Jesus’ death on the cross.

Does this mean the entire world is united & reconciled?
No! Not yet. Every time we share the Gospel & proclaim the peace of God in our heart, it is The Lord speaking through us.

What have we now become?
  • God’s kingdom (v19a)
    God ruling His people
  • God’s family (v19b)
    Closeness & intimacy with God. Children in God’s family. Brethren = brothers & sisters in Christ expressing close affection & care supporting one another irrespective of colour, race & position.
    Do you profess to love Christ but cannot stand someone in your church? If you love God, you cannot be hating God’s children!
  • God’s temple (v20-22)
    Jesus as cornerstone. A dwelling place of God in the spirit.
    Jews have Jerusalem
    Muslims have Mecca
    Roman Catholics have Rome

Do we Christians need a temple?
No, do not need a temple, land or place to call holy land. But yes we have one (v20) which is built on the foundation of the apostles & prophets with Christ as the cornerstone.

Previously, cornerstone very important to support entire building. Even today’s apartment construction, there will be a large stone placed after clearing.

We are living stone = part of the temple
Every time new believer = add new stone

What is the purpose of the New Temple?
In principle had the same purpose as old temple. It is the dwelling place of God.

The entire universe cannot contain God as He is infinite. The New Temple is a spiritual building where God lives in – in His people, individually & corporately.

“Behold, the dwelling of God is within men.” (Rev 21:1-5)

The church today is what the temple was in the Old Testament. The place where God & His glory are manifested. A New Community
Concern in today’s church: divisions, unforgiving spirit. This prevents the world from seeing the church.
It is important that the church should be what God has purposed – a family reconciled in Christ loving the Father & each other.

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭23‬ NIV)

Download slides (1MB): United in Christ