REAL WISDOM

Real Wisdom is looking life from God's perspective
(James 3:13-18)
We need to
1) Zoom Out - to see from God's view what really matters in life (i.e. life is about relationships; with God, with others and with ourselves)
2) Scan - to look at the relationships we have with others especially our loved ones (are these relationships what God desires them to be?)
3) Zoom In - to work in and work out these relationships till they are what God has designed them to be. (We need God to help us live well with others and ourselves)

The Lord our Banner

Jehovah Nissi - God our victory Ex 17:8ff
In Christ we have victory daily as we

1) Know our position
A banner means a pole, a sign, a standard, coat of arms
It is a symbol of God's deliverance
Moses represented the position of the believer in Christ (Isa 11:10)

2) Persevere in prayer
Hands up win, Hands down lose. (Heb 12:12)
Speak to your mountains be gone!
Victory means we do not quit praying until and unless God says so.

3) Enlist our partners
(we need Aarons and Hurs)
Note: the banana that leaves the bunch gets eaten first!

Intimacy, Interdependence and Integration

(Click on image below to see animation)Intimacy with the Lord together with interdependence with one another will result in integration in our lives and ministries (all these will happen at and in the Cross of Jesus Christ)

Worry Not!

Instead of worrying, do the following:

1) praise -singing in the Spirit (of our spirits)

2) pray - hope of our hearts

3) ponder - mastery of our minds

4) practice - working of our wills

In doing these disciplines, we will be able to live as Jesus' disciples

Beware Drivenness!

7 signs of drivenness

1) hassled by hurriedness (ok to be busy, not ok to be hurried)

Jesus walked from place to place, he did not run!)

2) addicted to accomplishment

3) symptoms of stress (depleted spiritually and emotionally)

4) married to money

5) pursuit of power (over-conscious of titles and office)

6) caught in compromise

7) ruled by restlessness

Work from God's perspective

1) work is a command (Gen 2)

work became toil because of sin

do it with right attitude

a) obedient and submissive (employee)

b) fair and just (employer)

2) work is a means to our transformation

we are tested, tried, transformed through our work stress and pressures

To love your boss, we need the Cross in our hearts

3) work is a platform for my ministry

- do you feel God's pleasure for what you are doing now?

- one common ministry (the ministry of reconciliation)

the real test is the focus of our hearts (do we seek first the kingdom of God?)

(are our hearts on things eternal or temporal?)

Is our work our calling?

one side of the pendulum - catholic distortion(exalted the sacred and sees the secular as support for the all impt sacred)

the other side - protestant distortion (exalted the secular by saying our work is our calling but cannot be true if your work is prostitution or selling illegal drugs)

Note: the call divorced from the caller is meaningless

If God is not our focus, our work is meaningless (no longer a calling but the work has replaced God)

Ultimate result of the call is the satisfaction of God

Purpose - our primary calling - a call to be (a call to Someone, to relationship, to fellowship, call to the Caller who is God)

Function - our secondary callings - calls to do (these may and can shift over time)

in order to know your calling, do what you are already doing and God will lead you to the next step.

The Delight of Discipline

There are 12 judges in the book of Judges
A OT judge is someone who brings people into a right relationship with God. Each judge is a picture of Jesus' deliverance ministry (the enemies then, are all enemies that are within us now)

The judge Shamgar (Judges 3:31) used an oxgoad to defeat the Philistines
(Philistines were iron makers who strove with Israel since the time of Isaac that is at the wells of strive and oppression - they depict the soulish emotions of the flesh)
An oxgoad is a farming instrument of discipline for the ox to keep it in line

2 Sources of Discipline
1. God's discipline (receive it) - pain brings obedience.
Holiness now, happiness later Heb 12:5ff

2. Self-discipline (reign over ourselves)
To have self-discipline is to get the grip of (take hold of) oneself

The bridge between potential and performance is discipline

How to have self-discipline
1. Be a Word-driven person (not driven by emotions)
Obey then feel good
Buffet the body not buffet it
Have mind over mattress
Practice makes permanent

2. Build a house of excellence (be the best you can be)

discipline -> decision -> desire
(Discipline helps us to make right decisions that will lead us to have right desires)

5-4-3-2-1

Five kind of fools
The unlearned
The unrestrained
The unabashed
The unrepentant
The ungodly

Four calls
Discouragement is a call to rise up (to get up)
Discontentment (a sin) is a call to change
Depression is a call to let go
Disappointment is a call to return to reality

Three sayings
(to move out of depression)
Say I believe
I belong
I bless

Two kinds of people
Some people are like rechargeable batteries
every so often (once a week) they need a charge

Some people are like car batteries
They charge up as they minister and serve
(Be in this category)

One thing
Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever

Word for the Weary

1. Comfort means " to breathe again "

2. To rise up from depression:
Say I believe
I belong
I bless.

3. God is great -
He has Unchanging Promises
Unlimited Power
Unchallenged Plans

4. Wait on the Lord:
1) Rely on God's Strength
2) Rest on God's Sovereignty
don't flap your wings like the crow
soar on the wind of the Spirit like the eagle
3) Relinquish your Shoes (rights) to God

Of Faith, Faithfulness and Freedom

Faith = Revelation (rhema) + Personal Conviction + Action
The Holy Spirit takes the rhema and convicts us so that we rise up acting in faith.

We can only be faithful in keeping what we know.
We need to have faith in moving to what we do not know.

Freedom from Fear (root cause of sickness) -
God's perfect will is not to heal you but that you don't get sick (Ex 15:26 Deut 28:1)
Fear is sin. Perfect love cast out fear (1Pet 4:8, 1 John 4:18)
Faith at communion - the body for healing and the blood for forgiveness (1Pet 2:24, 2 Tim 1:7)
Antidote to fear is to trust in the Godhead - power (Holy Spirit), love (Father), sound mind (Jesus the Word)
Condemnation is of the devil; Conviction is of God (Rev 12:10)

39 roots of disease (eg anxiety, fear, self-hatred, self-rejection, guilt)
anxiety often the root cause of hyperthyroidism
Healing - do you want to be healed? Then believe and rise up in faith.

The Seven Churches

1.The loveless church Rev 2:1-7
*2.The persecuted church Rev 2:8-11
3.The compromising church Rev 2:12-17
4.The corrupt church Rev 2:18-29
5.The dead church Rev 3:1-6
*6.The faithful church Rev 3:7-13
7.The lukewarm church Rev 3:14-22

The Need To Meet

Heb 10:19-25

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, ²¹ and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ²³ Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵ Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Matt 18:15-22

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶ But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that `every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

^{MT 18:18} "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

^{MT 18:19} "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

^{MT 18:21} Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

^{MT 18:22} Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

The verses above show us the need for us to meet each other (in a small group manner) though we may not want to. It is a matter of the will to decide even if my body, mind or emotions do not want to.

I have found out that 9 out of 10 times when I willed myself to go to a small group (cell) meeting, I am blessed with renewed strength, faith, commitment and a joyful hope. The 10% is often due to my own walk – I have not yielded an area, or I was in a bad attitude that day.

I also found that my presence at a meeting often makes others stronger, gives them hope and increases their faith. This is the encouragement that God desires one of another.

We can easily make the excuse that we need to do this or that or whatever (too busy due to work, family etc) BUT if we are WILLING, God will make a way. Let us decide that we will commit to help one another on this journey of faith.

Remember the example of Jesus our Lord. He met his disciples in a small group. This model from the Lord is clear enough to show the vital importance of cell life. The cell allows God to minister to each individual as well as allow each person to minister one to another. Let us not deprive ourselves of such a blessing. Let us pray and encourage all whom we know need to be involved in cell life.

The habit of regular cell and celebration life is critical in our growth in the Lord – to know Him and to make Him known.

TOUCH your workplace

TOUCH =(Transforming Others Under Christ’s Hand)

10 Christian values every workplace need

1. Love – kindness at work
2. Encouragement – Impulsive and Intentional Encourager
3. Forgiveness
1. See others from God’s perspective Matt 9:36, Matt 5:44
2. Leave the offence at the Cross Eph 4:32
3. Operate out of will and reason Isa 1:18
4. Rebuild and Restore Isa 58:12
4. Balance
1. Vertical God-ward relationship
2. Horizontal people-ward relationship
5. Accountability
1. Recognize the lines of accountability (top-down, bottom-up and lateral)
2. Recognize your need to become vulnerable
3. Replace tolerance with loving accountability (speak the truth in love)
4. Respond appropriately
6. Excellence – excellent work leads to credible witness
1. Prepare
2. Persevere
3. Practise at every opportunity
7. Communication – relevant message meets needs and challenges growth

(message is what we communicate, style is how we communicate)

1. Listening style
2. Voice style (someone shouts, you speak softer)
3. Words style (choice of words need to be ‘salty’)
7. Promise Keeping (trustworthiness) - promise only that which:
1. Is consistent with God, His word and will
2. Is in the best interest of the recipient (meet the real need, not the request) eg. give food rather than cash to the poor who ask for food
3. You know you can deliver

9. Stewardship – God gives us opportunities, abilities, resources & relationships to do His will
1. Time (opportunities)

i. Make time for God and to be with God

ii. Let God teach you how to measure every situation by eternity

iii. Use every circumstance to build the Kingdom of God

2. Abilities

i. Accept your responsibility to develop your God-given gift

ii. Use your talents to build His Kingdom

3. Resources

i. Acknowledge that God owns it all

ii. Invest your resources in godly investments

4. Relationships

i. Look at others through the eyes of Jesus

ii. Invest yourself in building relationships

10. Integrity – blameless with no compromise to worldly ways

5 Steps to TOUCH@workplace

1. Pray
2. See the needs
3. See the workforce – the 4 soils
4. Use your resources (email, screen savers, bulletin boards etc)
5. Take your stand
1. Assemble
2. Establish a regular meeting
3. Develop a written plan (mission, program, review)
4. Act on your plan

Drawing Near to God

James 4:8 “draw near to God and HE WILL draw near to you”

Key ingredients for drawing near

1. Submission – surrender to God’s will [FAITH]
2. Humility – daily walking in this surrendered attitude [OBEDIENCE]

Seek God for who He is and not for what He does only. (compare Moses vs Israelites)

Jesus esteems us highly for He paid the ultimate price for us.

We will hunger for what we feed on.

- let us guard/protect our hunger for God by feeding on more of the things of God such as reading and obeying the Word of God, praying in the Spirit, listening to songs of praise and worship etc.

Two presences of God

- His omnipresence

- His manifest presence (we need to seek God so that His manifest presence is evident) Note: His manifest presence can be His still small voice

Hindrances to true intimacy

- Wrong view of God

- No fear of God

- A religious spirit (one who uses God’s Word to execute his own will)

- Being used of God in service does not guarantee knowing Him intimately (Luke 13:25-27, Matt 7:21-23)

True Worship

- Is to obey God

- Worship is a life of obedience every day to His heart’s desires

True Humility requires

- Obedience to God

- Total dependence on Him

- Proper view of ourselves

Intimacy with the Holy Spirit (Communion means)

- Fellowship (companionship)

- Sharing together thoughts and feelings

- Partnership

- Close Mutual Association

- Spiritual intimacy (the deepest level of relationship)

Tongues – language of intimacy for

- Personal edification

- Intercessory prayer

Building our inner man through

- the Written Word (logos)

- obedience to His Spoken Word (rhema)

- praying in tongues

God does not respond to our need, He responds to our faith!

How to get FAITH

- Faith comes by hearing (& obeying) the Word

How to grow FAITH

- Faith like a seed, sown and expected to yield a harvest, grows from faithful obedience

Intimacy with God is directly proportional to our faith which in turn is directly proportional to our obedience.

Hope is a blueprint ( a vision) or a divine picture given by God and needs to be seen supernaturally. (eg. The stars of Abraham)

Faith gives substance to the hope (promises) of God (Heb 10:22-23, 6:19)

(eg. we see a chair, a blueprint (hope), but we need to sit on the chair, substance (faith))

Conclusion: the 2-sided key to draw near to God is Faith and Obedience (Trust & Obey)

LET US DRAW NEAR TO GOD DAILY.

Spiritual Growth

To grow in the Lord
we need:
1) to have faith
Faith is like the anchor for a mountain climber to have a foothold.

2) to hunger for the Lord
Hunger for the Lord is like the hook which is thrown upwards and forwards so that the climber can move up.

Light in the Bible

Light (noun) is phos (Greek) from which we have the word phosphorus - which means 'light bearing'

Light is useless when the eye is absent or impaired

We are sons of light (Luke 16:8) because of the new birth as we have received the spiritual capacity for God's revelation

Light used to describe
1) glory of God's dwelling place (1Tim 6:16)
2) nature of God (1 John 1:5)
3) impartiality of God (unchanging nature - James 1:17)
4) the favour of God (Ps 4:6)
5) God as the illuminator (Is 60:19,20)
Jesus as the illuminator John 1:4-5,9
6) illuminating power of the scriptures (Ps 119:105)
7) guidance of God (John 29:3)
8) salvation (1Pet 2:9)
9) righteousness (Rom 13:12)
10) witness for God (Matt 5:14,16)
11) prosperity/well-being (Is 58:8-10)

phoster (Phil 2:14-15) means 'light-giver'
light enters the eye - we need to look to Jesus as our master with singlemindedness of the eye which acts as the lamp of the body

urim and thummin ('lights' and 'perfections')
- for perfect guidance from God

lampo (candle-light) in Matt 5:15

Purpose Driven Life in a nutshell

4 'ships' on a Mission (evangelism)
Worship
Fellowship
Lordship - discipleship
Stewardship - service

Prayer for the local church

Heavenly Father, we ask You to bless our church _____, that we may all grow in faith and love for one another.
Help us to walk in unity one with another in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.
Enable us to avoid the bait of the evil one in luring us to break that unity through taking offense and harboring a critical and complaining spirit.
Remind us to remain under cover of the leadership which You have appointed over our lives.
Please build strong disciples in all of us that will in turn help others to grow.
In Jesus' Precious Name we pray. Amen

The Psalms and the Pentateuch

The Psalms are classified into 5 books:
Book 1: Psalm 1 - 41 The Sovereignty of God (cf Genesis)
Book 2: Psalm 42 - 72 The Redemption of God (cf Exodus)
Book 3: Psalm 73 - 89 The Sanctuary of God (cf Leviticus)
Book 4: Psalm 90 - 106 The History of God (cf Numbers)
Book 5: Psalm 107 - 150 The Word of God (cf Deuteronomy)

Developing a lifestyle with passion for the presence of God

Psalm 90
1. Prioritize worship - acknowledge His Lordship

2. Pursue reconciliation - appreciate His discipline

3. Persist in prayer - appropriate His promises

Practise the Presence of God

Practising the Presence of God so that you can sense His Presence daily.

1. Purposeful inclusion of God in all daily activities -
deliberate act of conversing and acknowledging God in all your activities each day e.g. "Lord as I read this book/watch this movie/play this game, keep my mind clean from any unholy influence."; "Lord thanks for helping me in this task/assignment/work that I had completed" etc.

2. Praying in the Spirit using tongues daily -
deliberate act of choosing to converse with God in tongues, growing and feeding the inner spirit man.

3. Prayerfully listening to God daily - deliberate act of stopping to be quiet and listening to God's reply to your prayers or to your praise.

Muses from the Word

Lust of the flesh = passion
Lust of the eyes = possession
Pride of life = position

F ace your struggles
A dmit your failures
I n the spiritual realm, pray and move
T rust the Holy Spirit
H old on to the Holy Spirit

The first 3 commandments of God:
1st commandment deals with disbelief
2nd commandment deals with distortion
3rd commandment deals with disrespect

The natural man is analogous to a dead TV (not plugged in, no power)
The born-again man is analogous to a live TV (plugged in with power but antenna not tuned)
The spiritual man is analogous to a live TV with the antenna tuned to God's frequency

God's History in the Bible:
Gen 1&2 - God creates and establishes His authority over all and a special relationship with man
Gen 3 - Man rebels against God's authority and rejects this special relationship
Gen 4 to Rev 22 - God moves through history to reestablish His authority and relationship with man

With God's help;
we can change our behaviour - (what we do) - our actions
we can change our character - (how we think) - our attitudes
we can accept our personality - (who we are)

Beware the Christian 'mask' - the veil that fakes our faith
1. Righteousness without godliness ( acts without attitudes)
2. Knowledge without application (describing without doing)
3. Relationship without fellowship ( position without practice)

To declare the gospel, we need
1. courage
2. clarity
3. confidence

Christ-consciousness vs self-consciousness

Gen 1: 26-28
In the garden before the fall, man was NOT self-conscious but once Adam and Eve sinned, self-conscious came in (bringing fear, self-doubt, insecurity, embarrassment and shame)
We need NOT be self-conscious now as through the Cross, Jesus has defeated sin and set us free to be Christ-conscious.

Only 3 things necessary for us to be conscious of everyday:
1. Conscious of our relationship with God
2. Conscious of our relationship with others
3. Conscious of our purpose and function
(our purpose is to be fruitful and multiply – ie to win others and disciple them) –Purpose is common to all of us
(our function is different and temporal – each of us have different functions in the Kingdom of God – our jobs and ministries will differ so as the Body of Christ will be built up as each function is working in harmony)

How to be Christ-conscious and not self-conscious
1. Remember we are in Christ – our identity (who we are) is because of who Christ is. We need not feel inferior or act superior as we are what we are in Christ and in Christ alone.
2. Use the Word of God – know it, confess it and share it
3. Meet with God daily – in the garden, God met with Adam twice a day – in the cool of the day (morning and evening) – praise and pray

We are set free from the lie, deceit and bondage of self-consciousness to a life of liberty in Christ-consciousness. Let us press on and not listen to the enemy but claim and proclaim this truth daily.

The 10 Expressions of God's Name in Psalm 23

YHWH - Yahweh – “I am” = The LORD -- Jehovah

^{PS 23:1} The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

^{PS 23:2} He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,

^{PS 23:3} he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

^{PS 23:4} Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

^{PS 23:5} You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

^{PS 23:6} Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

(KJV) The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1. Jehovah Ra’ah (the Lord my Shepherd) v1 – action: FOLLOW HIM

The shepherd is concerned for the sheep and cares for them.

a. Sheep needs to eat grass themselves – the shepherd does not feed them!

b. Sheep needs to follow and keep in the path of the shepherd (staff – to keep in line, rod – to protect)

(difference between goats and sheep – goats are driven but sheep are led)

c. Sheep needs to submit – for shearing and for sacrifice

d. Sheep begets sheep

2. Jehovah Jireh (the Lord my Provider) v2a – action: TRUST HIM

the shepherd knows where the best pasture is and where there are poisonous weeds

3. Jehovah Shalom (the Lord my Peace) v2b – action: REST IN HIM

we have peace with God through Christ and now daily we can have peace of God

4. Jehovah Rapha (the Lord my Healer) v3a – action: ASK HIM IN FAITH

disease starts from dis-ease in our soul(mind, emotions) – healing comes from the Holy Spirit through our spirits to our souls and bodies

5. Jehovah Tsidkenu (the Lord my Righteousness) v3b – action: WALK WITH HIM

We have nothing good in ourselves (beware of self-righteous attitude). Let us live in His righteousness (our position in Christ) and live by His righteousness (our practical outworking of our position)

6. Jehovah Shammah (the Lord my Present Help) v4 – action: BE BOLD IN HIM

Do not fear, His Presence is near! Let us practise living in the present in His presence.

(talk to him wherever, whenever; praise him often; keep short a/cs with God)

7. Jehovah Nissi (the Lord my Banner) v5a – action: ENJOY HIM

I feast with God as the enemy looks on. His Banner over me is LOVE.

8. Jehovah Meqadashkem (the Lord my Sanctifier) v5b– action: BE HOLY LIKE HIM

To anoint one’s head and pour wine in a cup are signs of hospitality and friendship.

the oil and wine speaks of the Holy Spirit given to us to have overflowing joy, setting us apart for holy living. We are sanctified to serve.

9. Jehovah Cha’nan (kawnan=favours) (the Lord my Grace) v6a – action: LIVE IN HIS GRACE

Goodness = getting from God what we do not deserve – LIFE

Mercy = NOT getting from God what we do deserve – DEATH

will follow me = we are saved by grace through faith and we live by grace through faith

10. Jehovah Adonai (the LORD my Lord) v6b – action: SURRENDER TO HIM

He is the Master of the house and I will serve Him as a servant (bond slave – willingly having my ear pierced (Ex 21:6) to be a servant for life)

He is also my Father and I willingly serve Him as a son out of love and gratitude (cf. the prodigal son’s elder brother)

What is our response to all these 10 expressions of God’s character?

God is our ALL-Sufficiency

The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath - this speaks of the fact that God created this holy day that we may set time and space for Him to realise that He is sufficient for all things in our lives.
Let us be careful where we go, what we do and what we say on the Sabbath.
Our KPI (Kingdom Progressive Index) for Sabbath-keeping is to know that it is a time to:
1. Draw near to Him and rest in His sufficiency so that our devotional life will move from duty to delight
2. Get right with Him and return to His saving grace so that our relational life will move from community to family
3. Stand up for Him and recognise His sovereignty so that our vocational life will move from work to calling

Miktam Psalm

Recently I have been reading Psalm 16 which is classified as a miktam. A miktam is an inscription or engraving and there are only 6 of these miktam psalms.
This 'golden' psalm is to be 'worn' as an engraving on our hearts that we may not forget to trust in the Lord in whose presence we have fullness of joy.
This presence we will know if we set the Lord continually to be in front of us as we follow Him.