In his book ‘Victory over the Darkness’, Neil T. Anderson conveys that we are not just up against the world system in which we were raised and the resultant flesh patterns we have chosen to adopt. We are also up against the devil who is scheming to fill our minds with thoughts that are opposed to God’s plan for us. Quite an overwhelming battle to win on our own. Thankfully, we have Almighty God on our side!

In order to daily win this battle, we need to give up the right to ourselves, our natural independence and our self-will. Colossians 3:15-16 encourages us to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and the Word of Christ dwell richly in us. Sometimes the things that look right and noble from the natural standpoint may be the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Therefore, we must evaluate our every thought, choose God’s truth and continuously do so until this practice becomes entrenched in our lives.

Even as we heed Paul’s call in Romans 12:2 and are renewed and transformed as Christians, we now need to proceed and put on the full armour of God (Eph. 6:11-13). Every single piece of the armour is essential to help us stand firm against the subtle drift towards the deceit of the devil and win the battle within.

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If we are new in Christ, why do we still struggle with the same issues before we became believers? Our previous experiences, cultural norms, and environmental influences shape our perceptions of reality. Many times those thoughts and behaviour contradict biblical values and standards. We are caught in a struggle, often ending up doing the evil we will not want to do but not doing the good that we ought to do (Rom. 7:19).

Paul’s call to the Christians in Rome is to ‘renew their minds and be transformed ’ (Rom. 12:2). Paul was a magnificent example of a Christian radically renewed. From being a notorious persecutor of Christians, he became an influential propagator of Christianity, whose teachings still impact lives today. Unless we heed Paul’s call to renew our minds and be transformed, we will remain in the grasp of the lies of our enemy, Satan.

Mistakes, traumatic experiences, dark secrets and old habits mar our past. The destroyer has crippled many Christians by misleading their thinking and belief system. What must believers do? We cannot deny the facts of our once darkened mind. Now that we have the mind of Christ (Eph. 4:17-19), we must come before God in total honesty and allow Him to bring about a transformation. We must resolve to substitute our world shaped perceptions with God’s perceptions based on the truth of His Word. As we continue patiently in faith, God will pour His grace into our hearts, displacing all that is displeasing to Him. We need to face our daily challenges with the authority of Christ, accepting God’s loving discipline as He exposes our weaknesses. We can then stand under the grace of God, come boldly into His presence and pray with confidence.

When we choose to take the radical perceptual shift where everything is viewed differently, we will realize that the renewed mind is just the beginning. God can ‘un-mess’ our mess when He is placed in charge.

Remember the familiar saying: Like father like son. . . or bapa borek anaknya rintik? We are the product of our upbringing, education and beliefs. Like it or not, we are in some way moulded by the influences of our education, culture and society. The first question that races across our mind when we choose that which is out of the norm is: What will people say? What will my peers think? Somehow that ensnares us, even Christians.

A place is out for rent at a very cheap rate because a former tenant committed suicide there. A house is going for a good price because the location contradicts ‘feng-shui’. What do we Christians think? All sorts of thoughts bombard us. Well, we are new creations in Christ. We are empowered by the spirit of the living God! We are children of light! Yet, we can also be subtly enslaved by such world view.

The challenge is for us to live our lives here on earth from a biblical world view. A Christian brother who rented the supposedly ‘haunted’ house quips, “When we shifted in, the devil committed suicide! Greater is Christ that is in me than he who is in the world!” Another sister who took residence in an ‘unpopular’ house rejoices because fengshui is under her feet!

What would the world be like if Christians care to reshape their world view based on the truths of God’s Word? Definitely we will have a more positive scenario. There will be a brake to our spiralling morality. . . a greater compassion to the crying needs of humanity . . . a fear of God that deters many of our actions at home, in the office or even in church.

The fact is: How can we who are children of light still live with similar world view as the children of darkness? It is either we influence the world or the world will snuff the light of us! Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16). The Word of God also encourages us, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him ... See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of man, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ (Col. 2:6-8).

The above verse is a familiar one. Yet we cannot deny that at times we do struggle with our faith in God. We can be especially pressed for a reality of the promises of God when situations in life leave us baffled.

Abraham our ‘Father of Faith’ sets the faith standard for us. Faith according to Abraham, is taking God at His Word despite the odds. Though God gave him a ‘crazy’ promise of a child in his old age, he believed it anyway. And God credited it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Being human like us, when the promise was slow in coming, he decided to ‘help’ God. He followed tradition and took a second wife who bore him Ishmael (Gen. 16). Later God called him to sacrifice his only son, ‘Isaac’, challenging the root of his hope. Again Abraham trusted God to ‘provide the lamb’ (Gen.22:8). Would we have acted likewise?

The object of Abraham’s faith was the unchanging God, creator of the whole universe. It was not some wishful thinking or telekinesis. Abraham relied on God to do what He says He would do. Likewise, our ultimate faith object must be Jesus the Son of God because ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Heb. 13:8). Our faith must not be on any other because all others are mere fallible human beings.

How can Abraham possess such a depth of faith? He knew God. He was a friend of God (2 Chron. 20:7). We too must know God so intimately. Only when we truly know the One whom we have believed, would we be able to trust His judgement rather than our pre-conceived expectations of answers to our prayers. Knowing God comes from knowing His word. It is His Word that stirs our faith and cause it to arise when we face dead ends!

We can choose to live by faith and please God. Abraham showed the way.

When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, we are given a new identity before God the Father in heaven. 2 Cor. 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creation...” It is an explicit rendition that we:
have an assurance of forgiveness for our sins, and are set free from the strongholds of our past (Rom. 10:9),
stop living for ourselves and start living for God (Eph.5:8),
are privileged to be called sons and daughters of God(1 Jhn.3:1),
are given the Holy Spirit, to be our helper and counselor (Jhn. 14:16),
can look forward to an eternal home in heaven with the Father (Heb.13:14).
As new creations in Christ, we carry the presence of God with us. As we mature as Christians, the Word of God unlocks the secrets of the abundant life that God promises (Jhn. 10:10).

God forms us. Sin deforms us. Christ transforms us. From the moment we believe, we have a new identity in Christ. We need not be victims held in the clutches of despair in this fallen world. We can instead take on each challenge that comes our way and emerge as victors in Christ. It is the Christ in us, our hope of glory that makes us new and victorious.

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Were there times when deep within, you feel like screaming,” I am not OK today! I feel rotten! I need help!” Yet, we struggle with our true feelings and adamantly put up a brave front; a mask to suit the occasion. Have we been brought up, groomed to be great pretenders, giving the impression that we are secure and unruffled? Are we trying to declare, “Confidence is my name and coolness is the game.” We try to keep the water calm and show that we are still in command. We give the impression that we need no one. Is that so? If we care to probe, we will recognize the truth beneath the masks that we wear – confusion, fear and aloneness.

Well, the good news is Jesus came to give us life! He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1Jn 5:12) So, we can cease trying to recapture what Adam and Eve had lost. We can be liberated to be who God created us to be. What the first Adam had lost, the second Adam restored (1Cor. 15:22).

We need to be restored to God, but it is not through our self-effort. Jesus has done it all. He paid the penalty for our sins and promised us abundant life now here on earth (Jn 10:10). When we have the life of God in us, we will know the reason for our existence. We can be safe in God’s presence as we commune with Him, basking in His love and acceptance and allowing Him to hold our hands as we walk with Him each moment of the day.

Have you embraced the Good News?

When I have the experience of being accepted genuinely and affectionately by Someone I look up to in awe and profound admiration, I also experience the emotional and mental state of health that Adam experienced prior to the Fall. Paradoxically, I recover my lost pride and learn authentic humility.

I no longer need to play games, wear masks, or lean upon cultural crutches to try to prop up a faltering and feeble ego. Instead, my sense of human dignity is profoundly and authentically satisfied in a wonderful new relationship with the God who is my ultimate source.

As a Christian, I am walking a new road. I no longer see myself as a doormat. I’m not letting society make my decisions for me. I’m not going to be just a member of a commune. Instead, I’m going to be a solitary, single, thinking, praying, soul-searching person. And in this process I acquire integrity.

I can now make decisions. I do not need to be manipulated, nor do I need to surrender to intimidation. I can be a unique person making my own choices, coming to my own decisions under God. That’s leadership. And it is possible only when I know that I have value, that I am related and connected to a sovereign God who will sustain me.

Becoming a Christian means becoming a decisive, choice-making, choice selecting creature. It means becoming a leader, and it means achieving real freedom.

(Adapted from Robert Schuller in Practical Christianity)

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." CT Studd

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength." Corrie Ten Boom

"God does not have to come and tell me what I must do for Him, He brings me into a relationship with Himself where I hear His call and understand what He wants me to do, and I do it out of sheer love to Him... When people say they have had a call to foreign service, or to any particular sphere of work, they mean that their relationship to God has enabled them to realize what they can do for God." Oswald Chambers

“The word of God well-understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favourite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian” AW Tozer

We know that Christ wills to continue His work in this world through us (Jn. 14:12). That is why the Spirit who is also our Counsellor and Helper is given (Jn. 14:16-17). However, more often than not, we seldom give Him our full cooperation and submission. Our carnal self-will hangs on tightly to stereotyped mind-sets and our own recalcitrance refuses to be dethroned.

It is said that the greater bondage is not to sin but to an uncleansed self, turned upon itself. We are caught up with self – our comfort zones, familiar agendas, expectations coupled with inhibitions and perceptions. As such, we lack the freedom to surrender wholly to Christ. That freedom comes only when the divine Spirit blows in cleansing, freeing power upon us as He did upon the 120 disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4). May the words of this old hymn spur us on to allow the Spirit to blow in cleansing, freeing power.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure.
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.

Only as the Spirit breathes on us, will we be ‘empty possibilities’ through whom God can work.

These verses enshrine the essence of the Christian faith. They contain the essential message of Easter, the most important event in the church year. Three great truths are emphasized. On Friday Jesus died on the cross. On Saturday He lay in Joseph’s tomb. On Sunday He rose from the dead. Deny these fundamental facts and you negate Christianity.

Two other very important things about Christ emerge from these verses. First, He was truly man because He died. Death is characteristic of mankind. In this fact lay the necessity for the incarnation. He was also really God because He rose from the dead. Because Jesus was infinite, His death was of infinite value and made expiation for the sins of the whole world.

Exactly in the manner and for the purposes revealed in the Scriptures, He died for our sins. He was buried, not in the common grave, but in a new tomb. He rose again on the third day under the circumstances recorded in Scripture. It was a bodily resurrection. When the women and Peter and John looked into the tomb, it was empty except for the graveclothes, still lying in the folds that had encased Him. The butterfly had flown, leaving an empty chrysalis.

But how can the resurrection be explained? Christ’s body must have been removed either by human or by superhuman hands. If by human hands, it must have been by the hands of friends or foes. His foes would not, because that would look as if He really had risen. His friends could not remove the body for the tomb was sealed, and a guard of sixty soldiers watched to ensure that it was not rifled. The only alternative is that “God the Father . . . raised him from the dead” (Gal. 1:1).

If Christ did not rise from the dead as His disciples claimed, we cannot account for the complete transformation of these men who had been cowering behind closed doors for fear of the Jews. Their radiant joy and fearless witness is testimony of His transformation.

You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart. (A.H. Ackley)

J.Oswald Sanders in ‘Consider Him’

Jesus sees the evil in this world as a lack of trust in God’s love. He makes us see that we persistently fall back on ourselves, rely more on ourselves than on God, and are inclined more to love of self than to love of God. So we remain in the darkness. If we walk in the light, then we are enabled to acknowledge in joy and gratitude that everything good, beautiful and true comes from God and is offered to us in love.

Jesus shows us that true love, the love that comes from God, makes no distinction between friends and foes, between people who are for us and people who are against us, people who do us a favour and people who do us ill. God makes no such distinction. He loves all human beings, good or bad, with the same unconditional love. This all-embracing love Jesus offers to us, and he invites us to make this love visible in our lives.

If our love, like God’s love, embraces foe as well as friend, we have become children of God and are no longer children of suspicion, jealousy, violence, war and death. Our love for our enemies shows to whom we really belong. It shows our true home. Jesus states it so clearly: “Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”

There you have it: the love of God is an unconditional love, and only that love can empower us to live together without violence. When we know that God loves us deeply and will always go on loving us, whoever we are and whatever we do, it becomes possible to expect no more of our fellow men and women than they are able to give, to forgive them generously when they have offended us, and always to respond to their hostility with love. By doing so we make visible a new way of being human and a new way of responding to our world problems.

Adapted from Letters to Marc About Jesus by Henri J. M. Nouwen

Communication technologies break new grounds each day making information accessible at the snap of the fingers. Marketing brilliance pushes new concepts to people at break-neck speeds. These days, people are more well-informed and have a myriad of choices at unprecedented levels. Civilization has moved from the "tell-me" to the "show-me" mentality. Shareholders are no longer satisfied with company blueprints, but the translated shareholder value. Consumers want demonstrated value of their purchases. Citizens demand tangible results from the elected government.

The "show-me" mentality applies in the spiritual sphere too. Rattling off bible verses and vocally proclaiming in the streets "Jesus loves you" is no longer the cutting edge. Dangerously enough, the surge of New Age teachings with demonstrative results have appealing effects. What is our response?

While we may argue that most of us are no Billy Grahams, the fact remains that Jesus has called us to proclaim the gospel. Hence, the responsibility does not lie with full-time workers to be front-runners of the gospel. For the Christian, the powerhouse for evangelism lies within us: the lifestyle that we lead and the life message that we bring. These hinge heavily on our loving God with all our heart, all our soul and all our mind; and loving others as we love ourselves. When these basics are spot-on, the gospel will radiate through our lives: in our mannerisms, habits, stewardship, relational skills, and the choices that we make. Our lifestyle is to speak louder than mere words. Our lifestyle is to compel people.

Our life message is to give hope to people. In the words of Eugene Peterson: Your lives are echoing the Master's Word. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore - you're the message! (The Message, 1Th 1:18) By righteous living, we render ourselves as polished mirrors that reflect the glory of Christ. It is a foolproof method of evangelism that defeats the "no-action-talk-only" hypocrisy. It is reflective evangelism.

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Matthew 28:18-20 records the Great Commission that Jesus gave His disciples. This very familiar verse is still valid in our present world with its large numbers of unreached peoples. Yet several inevitable questions arise within us as we read this passage.

Isn’t the Great Commission applicable only to selected individuals with ‘special calling’?

The bible states that Jesus gave this mission to all His eleven disciples. He did not limit it to a few chosen individuals in the group. Therefore God expects every believer who considers himself/herself a disciple of Christ to tell others the Good News and make them disciples for the kingdom.

But I have my studies / work / family commitments! How can I put all these aside to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’?

Jesus calls every believer to live a life that shows forth the love of God and is a beacon of the truth that Jesus is the only hope for a dying world (Mt. 5:13 -16). Not everyone is called to go off to faraway lands. God wants us to be His witnesses to the unsaved relative, college friend, office colleague and street hawker we constantly come into contact with.

If that is so, does that mean we need not think about fulfilling the Great Commission in far-flung places? After all, there are just as many needs locally.

The Lord specifically mentioned the need for the gospel to be proclaimed to the ‘ends of the earth’ (Mt. 24:14, Acts 13:47). Indeed the Malaysian church owes her existence to foreign missionaries who obeyed this command. So some are to go while others are to stay.

What then is our role? We can pray for unreached peoples in foreign lands and the outreach work among them. We can give our finances towards missions work. According to availability, some of us can join short-term trips or even go on a long-term basis.

Therefore, all of us have a specific role to play. Let us be encouraged that God, who calls all of us to be involved, also equips and empowers us for this task (Mt. 28:18, 20; Acts 1:8).

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In a few moments the day will arrive and I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. So I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE . . . No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY . . . I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE . . . I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE . . . I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS . . . I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS . . . I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS . . . Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS . . . Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL . . . I am a spiritual being . . . After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Max Lucado in When God Whispers Your Name

On Wednesday nights my family piled into the car and drove dutifully to church for prayer meeting. Even in grade school, I would sit among the adults, listening quietly, sometimes even praying. Prayer was formal. In those heads bowed-eyes-closed moments I heard a basketful of thees, thous, and shouldests, and I concluded that prayers were said with a certain language. (We certainly didn’t talk that way at home).

Another misconception of prayer, but related to the first, is that it only takes place in church or some other “holy” spot. I knew this wasn’t totally true because we prayed a lot at home, but for many people this is a real issue.

The Bible provides two “bookend” concepts of prayer. On one end we read that prayer is communication with a holy God, an infinite, eternal Being, the Sovereign of the universe (Col. 1:15-18) against whom we have sinned. Our response, therefore, should be reverence (2Cor. 7:1), honouring and praising God for who he is and what he does.

At the other end is the truth that because of what Christ has done, we may come boldly into God’s presence (Heb.4:16), asking him for anything in Christ’s name (Jn. 14:13,14).

In the middle of these two biblical truths lies the practical reality. Because God is sovereign and holy, we must come to him with reverence and respect, rejecting casualness and flippancy. He is not our “big buddy in the sky”. At the same time, however, we need not fear him if we are his children through faith in Jesus Christ. We can indeed talk to God about anything, at any time, in any place. And, because we have an intimate relationship with him, we can discuss matters as with our closest friend, using our own words.

There is another application from this tension between “holiness” and “familiarity”. We should build into our lives times of deep communication and worship. This is s necessary part of being Christ’s disciple, and church building or other “holy” place may set the atmosphere where this can take place. Sometimes it just means sitting there, listening and meditating on God’s goodness and love.

The Bible also tells us, however, to “pray continually” (1Th. 5:17). This implies a constant chattering, talking to him about everything, all day long. God wants us to be totally honest with him, telling him about our deepest needs and committing every decision to his control. These prayers can be aloud or silent, with head bowed or with eyes wide open, at home or at work.

The fact is that we need to understand both ends to live in the middle. God wants us to know that he is holy and in control; but he also wants us to be confident in our love relationship with him.

Don’t reserve your prayers for church. Prayer must be central in our lives ? it is our lifeline, our vital communication link with God.

Dave Veerman in Practical Christianity

When we talk about church, we’re not talking just about our cultural understanding of the word— a building and a programme. There is a wide gap between the popular Christian understanding of what the church is and the biblical understanding of the word. The New Testament word for church, ecclesia, means “to be called out” or “to call together” a certain kind of people to be a fellowship. In the New Testament, church is not associated with a building or with a lot of organisational structure. It’s associated with people.

To determine what a church should be like, it is good to look for principles and patterns in the New Testament. There we find that the life of the Christian church was organised around 3 basic functions: worship, community, and witness. There are many things we do in the life of the church – prayer, Bible study, education – but all these activities fit together under the 3 basic functions.

These 3 functions are organised around the vital centre of the glory of God. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). We are to be the people of God who live “to the praise of his glorious grace” (Eph. 1:6). We do that through worship, community and witness.

Having this kind of involvement in the life of the church should do 3 things for us. It should help us to “worship in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). It should help build us up into a responsible community where we really care for and equip one another. It should provide ministry opportunities, equipping and guiding others.

If our involvement in the church does not stimulate these things, if it does not “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24), if being involved in a Christian community is just a matter of our receiving but does not equip us to minister in an area that is uniquely ours, related to our own particular gifts and personalities, then the church has not really become the church that God intends. Now all of us fall short in this area to some degree, but we should be striving for the kind of vital Christian community where we are worshipping, where we are being built up in the community, and where we are equipping one another for the ministry of all believers.

The Bible says we are all priests before God (Rev. 1:6; 5:10). It doesn’t distinguish between those who are ministers and those who are not. The church should be a community that is in the process, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, of equipping every believer to be in the ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that all things are done “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Eph. 4:12).

Howard Snyder in Practical Christianity

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God has created a great diversity in nature and no two things are exactly alike. So also within the church there is a healthy diversity - not diversity of truth or doctrine, but a diversity of giftings.

Through the grace of God, each of us is gifted. Our God is a great God – He has made each of us unique and blessed us with many talents. The bible tells of the gift of teaching, preaching, serving, giving, leadership and the like. Knowing our giftings will help us put our focus, energy, and time into serving Him meaningfully and effectively.

There are no insignificant gifts in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. God made us such that we need one another to function optimally. 1 Corinthians 12:12 emphasises, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” This means we are all members of the body, united in Christ. In this body there are various members, and one member cannot perform exactly the same function as another. So let us concentrate on what God has gifted us with and be always ready to give our very best so that the church is edified even as God is glorified.

In our serving, we will realise that in spite of this broad diversity regarding our spiritual gifts, there is one Spirit who empowers all, and He is the basis for the unity we all should expect and experience. Just look for an opportunity of service which you are capable of filling effectively.

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Pastor Ray C. Stedman, author of the book Waiting for the Second Coming states that leadership is a responsibility which is shared by all. Every believer is in the ministry and must learn how to touch and change people.

God’s transforming power marks Christian leadership in three ways: courage, a loving spirit and faithfulness as exemplified in 1 Thess. 2:1-12.

In verses 1-6, Paul states that he was mistreated and suffered in Philippi. Yet he gloried in the fact that God had called him to deliver a message that people needed to hear so desperately. He boldly went on to Thessalonica fully aware that the same fate could happen there. His courage was found in his desire to please God from a loving heart.

The second mark is revealed in verses 7-9. Paul illustrated gentle love, one that deeply desired to bless others. He tenderly expressed concern and nurturing love, one that longed to help people, teach and lead them. His leadership was one of labouring love, one that reflected and was no stranger to self-sacrificing labour which, in turn, mirrored a loving heart.

The third mark is found in verses 10-12: faithfulness. Another word that accurately expresses this is integrity. Paul made it a practice to confess his sin and receive the forgiveness of God, rather than cover it up. From that base of a faithful personal life, he regularly exhorted, encouraged and challenged the Thessalonians, effectively ministering to their needs. He rebuked them when they headed in the wrong direction. He pointed out the positive values of their efforts and stressed that God who called them into His own kingdom and glory had great possibilities for them.

It is a challenge to live as Paul lived and ministered. May those whom we come into contact with witness the transforming power of God as we boldly share the responsibility of leadership and be a blessing in our time.

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Am I my brother’s keeper? That was Cain’s answer when the Lord asked him about his brother, Abel. Many times we are also like Cain. In this fast paced society, there is a widely felt sense of alienation because we settle for cheap generalization about each other. We are not prepared to get to know each other because handling our own problems and burdens seem to be more than enough. Yet, the call of our Lord Jesus to care and reach out remains the same.

Jesus demonstrated to us how to reach out to many around us. Regardless of their social status, education background or abilities, there seemed to be a void that only He, as the Son of God could fill. Similarly, today, there is a need in each individual’s heart that only God can fill. As Max Lucado succinctly expressed in his book, ‘When God Whispers Your Name’, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Saviour”.

Ever since then, the onus of relating the good news of salvation has been on us, who called ourselves Christians. In a way, God made us our brothers’ keepers. We are the keepers of their souls. As such, we must imitate Christ in the ways He genuinely cared for those around Him. Christ spoke the word and healed those who are in need of healing. To those who are hungry for the truth, He spoke and taught the word of God. To those who were alienated and despised by society, He showed acceptance and unmerited favour. As such His faith made Him likeable, not detestable. Would ours do the same?

Let us allow God to cause us see through His eyes, feel with His heart and love with His love. Many hearts are hungry. God has made us our brothers’ keepers.

The identity of family is in God. God is a relational Being. God is Father - the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Himself, God is a “divine family”. The trinity shows that God is a community of three persons. Broughton Knox in his book, ‘The Everlasting Father’, says, “Within the Trinity itself there is a concern by each member for one another”. As such we can say that right from the beginning, God’s idea is family in perfect harmony, not an organization nor a corporation. Because dysfunctional families are so common nowadays, we need to review what a family is supposed to be.

We cannot deny that the world we live in is harsh and cruel. The prince of this world is ever ready to rob, steal and destroy whatever joy or stability that we have (Jhn. 10:10a). The evidence is seen in broken marriages and homes and dysfunctional families. As such as Christians, new creation in Christ, we must determine to guard our blessings in Christ so jealously. Building strong families can be equated to strong churches.

In a family, we see characteristics like love, care, concern, correction and discipline. The church is the Christian’s extended family. As such all the elements of a family should be evident. If we treat the church and have it function as anything other than what it is intended to be, then we destroy everything that it is intended to be.

Will we determine to see beyond our past hurts and disappointments which cause love to grow cold? As an extended family, we must go beyond our own comfort zone, dare to be vulnerable and let God use us to show love, care, concern and even rebuke where necessary.

That is the family God has in mind and we are family.

When Christians choose the way of the cross and resolve to commit themselves to the teachings of Christ wholeheartedly, we can be sure of a definite impact on the people we meet everyday.

The apostle Peter reminded the Jewish believers struggling in the midst of persecution, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). Right from the beginning of time, our Creator and Father God marked out a special people to be called His own. The purpose is that these people proclaim His praises. We Christians are that special people, chosen by God, not merely to taste heaven, but to proclaim His praises.

How do we do that? I believe when Christians are committed to the way of Christ and live uncompromising lives, there would be more ‘Bobs’ around. Our lifestyle will cause questions to arise within their world. Our sincere fellowship would add salt to many insipid and meaningless lives and cause them to hunger for more of the flavour they have tasted. We would then be the light that refuses to be hidden.

Do we choose to be that chosen generation, that royal priesthood, that holy nation, God’s own special people?

The apostle John explained that true children of God have a new nature that does not express itself in a sinful life (1Jhn 3:4-9). Throughout the bible, there is a consistent emphasis God expects His children to live in a manner that expresses the character qualities God wants to develop in every person, to possess qualities of godliness, spiritual maturity and a consistency of character that reflects a proper self-image.

Godly character is produced by:
Self-confidence which comes from being at peace with God and knowing who we are in Christ (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 1 & 2)
Continuous implementation of God’s truth (Phil. 2:12, 3:12-14; 1 Tim. 4:7)
Right priorities (Matt. 6:33)
Following the right example (1 Cor. 11:1; Heb. 12:1-3; 1 Pet. 2:21)
Consistent study of God’s Word (1 Pet. 2:2)
Obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:5-6)
Relying on the strength of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 5:18)
Living out the Christian faith (Jas. 2:14-26)
Trusting and depending on God (Prov. 3:5-6)
Learning from other godly people (Eph. 4:7-16)

The men and women of Scripture can teach us what God does and does not value in people. Some biblical models of godly character are Esther and Joseph. Esther made the right choice and placed her life on the line to save her people when Haman devised a plot to destroy the Jews(Est. 4:10-7:10). Joseph fled temptation when he was in Potiphar’s household and showed forgiveness, compassion and love to his brothers when they went to Egypt (Gen. 39, 42-45).

God is not looking for perfection but He does require a willingness to obey and trust Him and yield to His workings in our lives. Only then can He conform us to the character of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom.8:28-29).

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The prayer of Ps. 119:18 should always be in our hearts when we approach the Scriptures: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law”. This prayer says that God shows us wonderful things, but we are not totally passive in the process. We must look into the law (the Bible). God has spoken to us in the Bible, and we must read His words carefully to understand what they mean. If we don’t do this, we may get a message He did not intend.

How does God speak to us from the Bible? Let me suggest 3 ways.

The first is through guidelines for a situation we face. Here God is like a guide giving us instructions on what we should do. For example, if we are facing trouble from a person who opposes us, we may read that Christians must love their enemies (Mt. 5:43-46). To discover the guidelines God desires to give us, we can ask: Is there a promise for me to claim? A command for me to obey? A sin for me to avoid? Or an example for me to follow?

A second way God speaks to us is by giving us biblical principles. These are truths about topics such as what God is like and how He acts, or the nature of man, the world, heaven, hell, or the Christian life. Here God is like a teacher who presents important facts in a classroom. These facts may not have an immediate application to our lives, but we still need to take them and hide them in our hearts (Ps. 119:11). In this way we fill up a reservoir of truth in our hearts that can be tapped when the need arises.

A third way God speaks to us is through what we may call special messages. God always desires to speak to us, but often we are so out of tune with Him that we cannot hear His voice. When we read the Bible we often automatically get into a listening mood, so God can break through what we are reading with a message for us. God’s special messages do not come only in the area of guidance. He may also send messages of comfort, encouragement, warning and rebuke.

God speaks through the Bible . . . . It is up to us to spend time with the Scriptures to give Him a chance to speak.

Ajith Fernando, Practical Christianity

As a church, a people of God we are to be consecrated for the Antioch Vision. The church in Antioch made a great impact on their community and sent waves across their region. How did they do that?

As we persevere to start on the right note, it is worthwhile to reflect on some of their attributes. After salvation and baptism:

- they continued steadily in the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42).
- they continued steadily in fellowship and in prayer (Acts 2:42).
- there was a sense of awe and signs and wonders were evident (Acts 2:43).
- there was sharing and caring with joy (Acts 2:45-46).
- they praised God continually (Acts 2:47).
- all the people respected them (Acts 2:47).

Undoubtedly being a young church and with new members being added daily, they would have faced many problems. Yet they were steadfast to continue in their journey of discipleship. As they persevered in the Word of God, fellowship and prayer, signs and miracles became a norm in their gatherings. As a result, EVERY soul was filled with awe. Their sharing and caring for one another was with joy and not mere obligation. This lifestyle resulted in continual praise for God. Such genuine fervour for God and His Word, such care and concern for one another impacted the people around them. Consequently, ALL the people respected them.

As we emulate the church in Antioch, we can expect an expansion in our individual lives, our vision and ministry.

Like Paul, who was spurred on by the knowledge that Christ had changed his whole life, we too can determine to keep going on, longing to know and experience Christ more and the power of His resurrection. Let us be so focussed, so single-minded that nothing will be able to distract us from becoming the effective Christians that we are meant to be. Let us go straight for the goal — our reward the honour of our high calling by God in Christ Jesus.

Let us thank God for every single goodness that we have experienced for 2005. Then, let us look forward to new beginnings for 2006 asking God for His grace and mercy for our shortcomings and failures. Truly God is “able to do infinitely more than we ever dare to ask or imagine”.