Faith and Patience

Message by Pastor Philip Joseph. Happy reading!

As we gather together in His name, I am once again reminded of how the whole Universe is made and kept by the word of God; and therefore, if our hearts are open, just one word from Him can bring about change that is unimaginable and at the same time life-changing.

And today, I want us to look at just two chapters from the book of Hebrews. We know from the background of the book, that it is primarily written to believers! Believers in Christ Jesus, who had found joyous freedom from religiosity and human traditions, were again in danger of back-sliding into a Old Covenant relationship with God and the religious pull of Judaism. The author of Hebrews repeatedly compares the Old and the New Covenant, and waxes eloquent on how much better is the New Covenant now, in Jesus Christ.

Most people know, that the book of Hebrews is peppered with writings on faith as the essential ingredient in the Christian walk (including the famous chapter 11 on faith); but, do you know that there is another equally important ingredient-patience?

In Hebrews 6:42, we find these words: …you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Let me now digress a little bit; think about the time when we first came to Christ… sins forgiven, joyous redemption in His blood, and the exhilarating new life. And we sing, “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longeth after you”. But as we continue to walk, the youthful exuberance might just wane a little and there is a danger of looking at the past with fondness and, dare I say, craving again. Much like the children of Judah, the author of Hebrews is addressing here. It is in those times, we must remember this verse from Hebrews 6:42 and Imitate those who through… faith… AND… patience… inherit the promises of God.

Christian walk, I would say, is a balance of both Faith and Patience.

We should not go into extremism on our ideals, like some do. There is a group of people who go on and on about God’s love, and think that God will accept whatever they are and whatever they do, because of His great love. This is not true-our loving God is also a Holy God. On the other hand, there are yet another group of puritans, who think that God is ready to only judge in His holiness, and forget that God is love. God, who is Holy, is a God of love.

And that is the kind of balance I’m talking about: Faith and Patience. Hebrews 11 is that chapter of faith; but in continuation one must not ignore chapter 12-the chapter of patience. We know that originally, the Bible was not segregated into chapters and so the first word “Therefore,…” in chapter-12 must prompt us to look at it as a continuation of Chapter-11 subject-Inheritance of God’s promises, through faith and patience.

Faith

Heb. 4:2 warns us that without faith the word of God cannot profit us one bit. And there are hundreds of God’s promises on the platter, waiting to be mixed with the ingredient of faith. For example, take this simple promise: God is good, and His love endures forever. I gather that many will have no problem in relating to the truth that God is good; but when it comes to asking someone whether God is good to you, then all those problems and pain crop up in their mind, and they look at us as if they are still waiting for God’s goodness to show up in their life! This is NOT faith! Faith is not some intellectual reasoning based on the hearsay hope stories of others; but faith is a matter of the heart grabbing hold of God’s faithfulness in your own personal life and experiences.

And the list of heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 were mere humans-ordinary men and women, who believed and trusted God for who He is, and did extraordinary things in their own life. Let me share a few heroes today: Hebrews 11:8 says, By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed…

Faith leads us into obedience, according to the calling of God. A complete obedience involves risks, because God usually does not give a roadmap of the entire journey. But Abraham knew only this: God was calling Him, and that He will be with him if he obeyed, and he took that faith risk. Do you know that Abraham’s father too started his journey from Ur of the Chaldeans to go on to Canaan, but settled comfortably half-way in a place called Haran. After Terah died, it was left to Abraham to decide whether to stay there or to obey the call of God, and he decided to go all the way to Canaan. And even in Canaan, he did not know where exactly he was supposed to go, and he went from place to place for quite some time, before God remarkably opened a door for Abraham.

And when Abraham’s faith was tested after Isaac was born, he came out to do what he was accustomed to do: just obey the voice of God, even to the point of giving up his future and a promise-In Isaac, your seed shall be called (Heb. 11:17). Faith sees the invisible; Abraham just knew that there is no hand safer than God’s, and committed himself into His hand!

Look at another hero of faith-Moses. Now Moses-a prince in the palaces of Pharaoh, was a notably influential person in the entire land of Egypt, where his own people were slaves. All the treasures and wisdom of Egypt were at his disposal… but Moses knew that he had to lift his eyes higher, and there he saw himself choose suffering and affliction with the people of God over pleasures of Egypt; he saw far greater riches in the reproach for Christ than all the treasures of Egypt. (Heb. 11: 25, 26)

Patience

Therefore… seeing all these heroes of faith and in view of all that they underwent, we too must have patience (or perseverance).

·         Let us lay aside every weight and the ensnaring sin (Heb. 12:1), for the race requires pace and focus

·         Let us run with endurance (Heb. 12:1), for there are many times when there are no instant solutions.

·         Let us resist and strive against sin, even to the point of bloodshed (Heb. 12:4)

·         Let us not despise His chastening-His discipline; for He loves us as His own children and corrects us for our own good (Heb. 12: 5-7)

·         Let us strengthen our hands that hang down, for our healing is near (Heb. 12:13)

·         Let us pursue peace, with all people, and pursue holiness; for we must one day see the Lord (Heb. 12:14)

·         Let us have grace, for we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28)

Now I do not know about you, but I see a lot of chicken soup for the soul, here in these verses of Hebrews Chapter-12.  Endure, persevere, strengthen, pursue, resist… the people who were originally addressed to were indeed experiencing a lot of hardships. But it is time to give God the first place, and seek first His kingdom. God is good, and He is good to me-this is our testimony.

May God help us to draw near to Him, having faith and practicing patience! Amen.

Integrity of God’s Word

Message by Bro. Vijay Awale. Happy scattering! 

The time you spend meditating on God’s word is a reflection of the joy in you and it gives meaning to what we experience in ourselves. You will find that God’s word is pure, true, dependable and perfect. Let me continue with a parable of Jesus from Mark 4:26-29 (also given in Matt. 13 and Luke 8). Jesus is talking about the growth of His kingdom, and about sowing the seed. It is clear that Jesus is dwelling on the theme of God’s word as seed, as we see in Mark 4:14 “The sower sows the word.” So, the parable prompts us to learn spiritual truths from natural things.

And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

No know how

“…the seed should sprout and grow-he himself does not know how” – these words are significant, I believe. We have been meditating on change verses in the Bible in this year 2012. Change is so linked to the seed-the word of God. If you ask me how the word of God (or the Bible) can change any person, I’ll answer I do not know. (he himself does not know how). But if you ask me, whether the word of God can bring change in any person, I’ll say it does-100 %. Just like the seed producing fruit. Yes, the word of God brings about change; It works-that is all I know.

As we dwell on God’s word, we find, our perceptions, attitudes and our entire character taking shape in a new way. I do not know how, but I know IT WORKS.

No fleshly role

“…for the earth yields crops by itself.” – again look at these words. Think about the change in you, since you became a follower of Jesus Christ. What role have you played in shaping your own character? Nothing. Just as the earth is designed to connect with seed and make it grow, the word of God is designed to connect with your heart, and make you grow spiritually. Just as the seed sprout and grow in the earth, the word of God grows inside of you, bringing about changes in your very soul. You may do nothing to your soul, but IT WORKS.

Know the right place

The right place to receive God’s word is your heart; just as the earth yields crop for the seed. If we receive God’s word only in our ears, is it any wonder spiritual growth becomes stunted? And I have also come across those who keep Bible in their living room book-shelves, and think that it will bring some change to the house. And those ones crazy and scared-to-death of ghosts, keeping the Bible under the pillow! I tell you, this is not the right place; and it hardly helps your faith.

But, put the word of God in your heart and it WORKS.

Know that there are stages of growth

“first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head…”

Why should anyone imagine the moment they are born-again, that they will have a huge and grand ministry like Benny Hinn or Joyce Meyer? They watch on TV the miracles and signs and wonders, and the huge crowds, and then think it is just one step to that kind of ministry. I tell you, this is to do with your own fleshly thoughts more than anything else. I sure believe there is a calling for each one of us, and each one’s calling is unique and important in the body of Christ. But, to attain to spiritual maturity, God has designed stages of growth, just as in the case of the seed. First the blade, then the head and then the grain…

To run the spiritual race, first start the race (as children of God), then add hope (of things to come), then faith (through triumph in trials) and then you will have the crown (of glory)-the harvest has come!

Know that there is Testing for every Teaching

In continuation of Jesus teaching, we must also read Mark 4:35-40. Jesus had taught these things to His disciples, all day speaking in parables. He spoke about 10 parables in a single day, relating them to the kingdom of God and His ways. And He explained all these parables to His disciples (v34).

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

This was God’s word to the disciples: we will cross over to the other side. And it was left to them to take it into their hearts or to hear and just go on.

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

I can easily imagine myself, in that boat with Jesus and His disciples. And I can also identify with their question: “Do you not care, God?” How many times have we asked the same question to God, in the windstorms of our own life? I can also imagine Jesus get up, and hearing Him speak to the storm: “Peace, be still!” Oh, yes, my heart is thrilled. But then, I cringe somewhat, when He turns and say, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

But deep in my heart, I know He is the Truth; and that He is speaking the truth. I know, many don’t like it when the truth is spoken-and especially when it hurts. Others may say, it is the truth, but the timing is wrong. But God’s word encourages us to always speak the truth (Eph. 4:25). The disciples got it all wrong when they questioned Jesus, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” Probably they expected Him, as their Leader, to help them somehow, and also give an explanation why He was asleep! But, you don’t expect Jesus to say, “ah! Sorry, fellas. It was just that the preaching all day got to me and I was tired; I went to sleep. I’ll take better care of you, next time!” – NO!

Jesus had done all that He had to, perfectly. His part was to TEACH; and theirs-to PRACTICE. My friends, I tell you, God has already done all that is needed, and He has given to you all that you’ve ever needed-all His wonderful promises, and His own presence. But the things that He has taught you all along, is in the SEED-FORM: it is for you to take it, and scatter those seed in your heart, allow it to WORK DEEP-and then IT WORKS. You can be sure of that-it works!

Heaven and earth will pass away, but the words of Jesus, by no means shall pass away. The word of God, scattered, will move the mountains. The word of God, in your heart, will sprout and grow: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain on the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come! Happy graining!

Holy Communion

(Message by Pastor Joseph. Here's wishing you a meaningful sacrament participation.)

Personal Front

We-Florence and I, greet you and are so glad to be talking to you today. This year 2012 is special for us... and I also look back in a ministry that started in March 1957, spanning 55 years...and through trials and fruitfulness see God’s faithfulness (I can speak volumes on that); and I will be completing 80 years of age, this year... as I go on I know it is by His grace alone (you do realise this at 80!); and Florence and I will be completing 50 years of married life this November... and I promise you, He who has seen us through will see you through health, wealth, career, ministry, marriage and anything you have ever desired. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way... to be happy in Jesus...

If you are married, I ask you to put Jesus first in your life-the foundation of your marriage will be strengthened so... and the mess- in your marriage, will become a message. God is able to do anything... He can bring just one man and woman together, and let them see just one son, and yet go on and create a whole nation through them! Don’t we know the story of Abraham?

Today, I would want us to concentrate on the Communion-a divinely instituted doing of the believers. And in this land of so many religions, some consider it, a ‘prasad’ given by the church and others consider it, simply a waste of time. But people perish from lack of knowledge. We believers must know: who we are, where have we come from, where are we going and what are we doing here! And for this what better portion to choose than John 1; here we find our identity.

Position in Christ

And these three things we must bear in mind:-

(i)               We have the power in God, according to John 1:12 (KJV). But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become children of God... and we are born of God (v13). Therefore, we are not just dwellers in the kingdom of God, but rightful citizens; and not just citizens, but Royal citizens, because God our King is our Father. And from Rev. 1:5 we know that God Himself has washed us in His own blood, and Rev. 5: 9, 10 goes further and says that He has made us kingdom priests unto God AND WE SHALL REIGN...

(ii)             We have a position from God: Not only has he made us kings and priests, but He has also seated us together with Christ, according to Eph. 2:6. That is why repentance from sin and water-baptism are SO SIGNIFICANT in a believer’s life; it is more than just dead to sins, buried with Christ and raised again to newness of life, here on earth!

(iii)           We have the provision of God, in the New Covenant- a far better Covenant than the shadow of Old Covenant with sacrifices and offerings; an intimate relationship in the body and blood of Jesus. A type portrayed in the Old Covenant when Melchizedek, the king of Salem, when he offered bread and wine to Abraham-the first Communion service in the Bible. These are not just emblems, as the Protestant church would have us believe; nor are they literal body and blood of Christ, as the Catholic church believes (I remember being told by my parish priest, to use only my tongue to receive the bread, and not to put my teeth, because blood may ooze out!)

Sacrament of the Holy Communion

The subject is dealt by Paul in 1 Cor. 11: 23-34. Paul, a latecomer to the discipleship of Christ, reveals to us that there is so much meaning to the institution of the Lord’s Supper and the necessity for believers to keep it. It is by revelation that Paul received these meaning, because he was not part of those disciples when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, in that Upper Room in Jerusalem, just before Gethsemane (the night He was betrayed).

Paul compels us to ponder when he starts with a sentence like this: I am passing on to you, what I received from the Lord…Therefore it is important to each one of us, as believers, to know Jesus more and more, by keeping this sacrament, instituted by the Lord Himself.

You can know Him by the breaking of bread (read Luke 24: 30, 31). Therefore take time to know Him, when the sacraments are given to you. I remember during the starting of New Life Fellowship, some 40 years back, when we used to sit in a circle, around a table carrying these emblems of bread and wine-this really helped us to focus on the Person and Provision of God.

A)    What we do:

a.       We Remember a Unique Person – Jesus Christ(1 Cor. 11:24)
b.      We Proclaim a wonderful death - the Lord's death (1 Cor. 11:26)
c.       We Celebrate a notable victory - raised up according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:4)
d.      We Express a worldwide fellowship - one body in Christ (1 Cor. 10: 16, 17)

e.       We Anticipate a glorious event - until He comes (1 Cor. 11:26)

B)    Why we do what we do:

a.       Because of its Divine Institution: Luke 22: 19, 20

Remember, it is called as the Lord’s Supper. We partake of His table in the Father’s counsel, by the Son’s command and through the Spirit’s confirmation.

b.      Because of its Historic Inauguration – that same night He was betrayed (1 Cor. 11:23)

c.       Because of its Apostolic Interpretation – One body in Christ (1 Cor. 10: 16, 17 and 1 Cor. 11:26)

    C)    How we do what we do:

a.       Mental comprehension – discerning the Lord’s body (1 Cor. 11:29)

b.      Moral conformity – worthy manner (1 Cor. 11:28)

c.       Mutual consideration – wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33)

Therefore abstain from taking part in the Holy Communion in an unworthy manner. Paul clearly warns us, that for ‘this reason’, some of you (believers) are sick, some are weak and others die! (1 Cor. 11: 29, 30). Do you want to know that there is a death sentence for believers here (and here only)! It is included in the Holy Communion. Are you surprised? Maybe yes, but it is true… there is life in that cup and there is death. Examine yourselves. For the Bible says, if we judge ourselves, we will not be judged! Stay away from idolatry-You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and the table of demons (1 Cor. 10: 21).

You know, in this Holy Communion, all Christian denominations merge somehow, and there is indeed a worldwide fellowship. I have participated in mass worship and ecumenical gatherings, where the Catholic priest handed out bread and the Protestant priest, the wine... We can grow to be mature believers, loving people- no matter which church they are from, and what denomination they belong to-because people are people and we must love them, just as God loves them. And as we celebrate a notable victory, we can have mutual consideration as we join in a worldwide fellowship.

“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” [1 Cor. 10:16] Therefore, let us receive the Holy Communion with full comprehension of the better Covenant extended to us... and do it as often as you will.