Fullness of Time

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” 

Galatians 4:4-5 NKJV

Fullness of time.

The phrase surely packs a punch – as if time itself is forced to stand still momentarily before the unraveling event makes it flow again. And the perpetual waiting finally comes to an end. But who could discern the fullness of time except God? Who lives long enough and could see the beginning and the end? It takes one who lives longer than time itself to declare that it is the fullness of time. It shouldn’t surprise us to find scarce use of the phrase outside of the Bible. Only God could declare it is the fullness of time.

They waited and waited, the Jews who had been given inside information, for the coming of their Messiah. They were oppressed as a people, and longed to see God’s salvation. They needed deliverance. Their prophets often asked God how long they had to wait. So much so when the old prophet saw the baby Jesus show up in the temple he said he is finally free to die (Luke 2:25-32). What many of them didn’t know was that the Messiah didn’t come for a people, He came for all people.

God knows when it is the fullness of time, and that not only for the birth of Jesus.  When it concerns those that He loves, nothing is too big nothing is too small.

Bryan was taking the final exams at the end of his second year in college. Studied late the previous night he woke up one day at an odd time. He was wide awake suddenly and very fresh, nothing of the drowsiness that he usually feels in transition from deep sleep. The light the ambience the room temperature all felt odd. He looked at the clock – it was 2:00pm! And he was supposed to sit for the Literature paper at 2pm! Immediately he darted from his dorm and rushed to the exam hall – fortunately at a lower floor in the same building! He was in at 2:10pm while the rest were just settling down to the papers in front of them. He sat down, did his paper and scored an A for it.

When Bryan told me his story two weeks ago he was fresh from his exams. He was so eager to share with me his unforgettable experience of being wakened up by God I could see light shining from his eyes. His gratefulness towards the Lord oozed out of his being and soaked the realm around us. Life could not be hidden.

Is there anything you are concerned about? The Lord knows when it is the fullness of time for you. He will act when the fullness of time is come.

Photo Credit: Grant Cochrane at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com 

Choosing the Supernatural Life

The supernatural is for every child of God, everyone who believes.

Actually, to claim that we have a relationship with the living God presupposes that we can live in the supernatural realm because God is a supernatural being who cannot be seen with our natural eyes. Isn’t it odd to think that we can talk to God and hear Him but other areas of the miraculous are not reachable? If we can communicate with God it means that we have access to the supernatural realm.

Throughout the Bible men through faith in God performed “impossible feats”. They opened up the sea, stopped the sun going down, called down fire from heaven, walked on water, healed the sick and raised the dead. Many of them lived before Jesus under a lesser covenant. The New Testament recorded Jesus’ and His followers’ works of miracles in graphic details. Before Jesus left the world to go back to His Father He told His disciples that those who believe in Him will do even greater works (John 14:12).

Signs and wonders marked the ministry of Jesus. Signs and wonders marked the ministry of the early apostles. Signs and wonders must also mark the ministry of the church today. But why is it not so -mostly? Where are the greater works that Jesus said would be commonplace?

Most in the church today are concerned about one of two things: trying to do something for God or trying to be good for God. But the thing is that anyone can do these without God being involved at all. Although it gives us a sense of security doing things we know we can manage, a humanistic gospel is never the true gospel. The lack of power does not come without a cause. The more we try to do something we know to do without God the more we are estranged from His presence and His power.

Only when we attempt the impossible are we telling God that we need Him to show up! That is why Jesus placed so much emphasis on a ministry of signs and wonders. Those who have received supernatural blessings have no doubt that the very personal God has broken into their world. Those who administer the blessings have no doubt they have become a vessel through which the streams of living water flow (John 7:38). A life like this is worth living because God’s Life is being lived out through you (Gal 2:20). We are meant to live like this and only those who have Christ can live like this. Anything less simply cannot satisfy.

 
So choose to live the supernatural life. Start with this: go heal the sick. You will find the whole of heaven backing you up.

Photo Credit : Victor Habbick at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Scripture Link: Biblegateway.com 

When Grace Moves In

                                                 

Set up by God (1)

You have hedged me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. ...Ps 139:5

If you’ve ever had any interaction with God at all, you must have experienced being set up by Him.

He loves to take the initiative, and He only has good things in store for us. Much too often when something happen to us we attribute it to luck or coincidence. But when we look at them from the eyes of faith, we could often see His fingerprint all over the place.

Towards the end of February I was jobless. I had resigned from my last job in K.L. late last December to come back to Ipoh, having had a three-month stint there. Primarily it was because I didn’t want to be away from my wife and my daughter anymore; so again I took a step of faith. While working in K.L. I often thought how good it would be if the job was in Ipoh. However, there weren’t many openings for my position in Ipoh, and pay was also generally lower.  Well, I did have something that I could work on - some friends have entrusted me with a few plots of land to develop and sell, although I couldn’t expect any income in the short term. By the end of February I had done the ground work and had begun marketing work. 

I wanted very much for it to work out; I didn’t want to go back to K.L. to work. But it wasn’t easy. Property development takes time, and I had run out of reserve - having no income in four of the previous seven months. I tried to get some contract works but couldn’t. Finding myself in a tight spot financially, I grew increasingly frustrated. I even began to doubt if I had heard God correctly in the first place when in last July I resigned from the company that I had worked for seven years. Until and unless I clinched some sales, and it needed to be fast, my work was like grasping thin air. I told the Lord I needed something concrete to work on that provided income immediately.

One Sunday evening I listened to a message by Bill Johnson. He made a statement that caught my ear. He was concerned about people having no job, but his concern was far more than about the need for survival. This is the way he put it: if anyone is denied a job he’s denied a means to worship God. Our work is not only the means to an income, but in giving our life to it it’s also the means by which we expressed ourselves in what God made us to be. And that is worship. We cannot be denied our right to worship God. And God cannot be denied worship due to Him.

I pondered over it, and my desire to work on something concrete immediately took on a different dimension. The need for survival was still strong, but more importantly I decided that I cannot be denied the right to worship my Creator!

That was a Sunday evening. And on the following Tuesday, I received the phone call.

I had not heard from Yee for about three years, but I immediately recognized his voice. He is a good brother in Christ, and in the same line of work as I am. We have known each other for more than ten years but had no contact for the past three. He sounded real happy to connect up, and in no time told me why he did so: he was looking for someone to work with him! He thought I might fit the bill and asked me to go see him. To cut the story short, within a week I met him and his boss and was offered a job! And the offer was better than my previous employment in K.L.!

What is the chance that some friend you have not seen for three years call you up and offer you a job when you need it? I knew I had been set up by God.

Take heart, you could be next!

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Freedom from the Power of Sin

Dead Old Man (5)

When God created the world, there was no sin. Everything was very good, even in God’s eyes. Knowing God’s standard, when he says it’s good it must be good. Man had everything he needs and enjoyed all that God had created.   But when sin came into the world as a result of Adam’s disobedience, things changed. This verse sums up the practical side of things (God was speaking to man):

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return. (Gen 3:19, NKJV)

Because of sin, man got a curse instead of blessing. Man was created to live on God’s blessing and favour; that was his confident posture before God. It was as natural as breathing. But after sin, curse had become his lot.  

Because of sin, the ground was also cursed and man had to work hard for a living - this is the source of poverty on earth. Poverty is not only a sense of lack, but also a sense of difficulty in fulfilling need.

Because of sin, death came upon man to return him to dust. Sickness either became an agent to cause weakness in the body or sickness resulted due to weakening of the body. Either way, sin brought sickness into the world.

Sin is powerful and its effects far-reaching, the above are the effects it had on the Old Man. Not only was the Old Man a slave to sin, he was also a slave to curse poverty sickness and death. But since our Old Man is dead we are no longer under the power of sin. Our Old Man who was ravaged by, or susceptible to, the power of sin was crucified with Christ on the cross. We are no longer under the power and effects of sin. We have been freed from its power!

If the Old Man was a slave to sin curse poverty sickness and death, then the New Man’s nature must be one of righteousness, blessing, wealth, divine health and life. I am not saying that we will not die physically, but as long as we live here on earth we should live free from the power of sin and in the nature of the New Creation, which we are in Christ. Why call ourselves the New Creation if we see ourselves the same as the Old Man?

This is indeed good news. Do you see yourself as poor and sickly? It’s time to see the poor and sickly “you” crucified on the cross.  The new “you” is a different person: one who is rich healthy and strong. You are a New Man. Have the correct image of the new “you” and you will live out the life of the New Man.

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You Have Died

Reminder: your Old Man is dead!

Dead Old Man (4)

You have died!

I am not kidding you.  If you have scarcely given it a thought it’s high time you do so; it will change your life for good. Not just a thought, let this fact sink in and grab hold of you, and be absolutely sure about this: your Old Man is dead. You can live by it.

There can hardly be better news than this. Imagine one day Mr. Sin wakes up and wishes to dispatch his slave to run some errand – inevitably something bad: to steal; to worry; to get sick; to condemn a cell group member because she failed to turn up in cell group (mind you, all these and more the Old Man used to faithfully comply) – but alas, the slave is no more. He is dead! Mr. Sin has just lost the instrument to propagate darkness in your life and in the world around you.

What Jesus has done on the cross is not only to put your sins on Himself so that He could pay the penalty on behalf of you. More than that, He put you – your Old Man the sinner, Mr. Sin’s slave – in Himself so that you were crucified together with Him.

Do the following scriptures mean anything to you? These should do in convincing you that you have been crucified with Christ and died with Him.

… our old man was crucified with him… (Rom 6:6, NKJV)

 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… (Gal 2:20, NKJV)

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:3, NKJV)

How God managed to do so I don’t know, but the result is far-reaching. Mr. Sin used to have a legal right over you – your Old Man. But because your Old Man died, even if you are alive now Mr. Sin has no right over you. His relationship was with your Old Man. He knows that your Old Man is dead.

The problem is that many believers don’t know. Perhaps I should put it this way: many believers are not sure what it means that their Old Man is dead and they act as if he is still alive. They do things only meant for the Old Man. They pull out God’s Law and try to become righteous by trying to fulfill the Law. They get miserable when they cannot. They try to become righteous when they are already righteous. They try to become wealthy when they are already rich. They try to become healthy when they are no more sick.

It’s vitally important that you realize your Old Man is dead. Don’t try to do anything to him. Don’t try to resurrect him! Be very glad that he is dead.

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Get the Old Man Killed

Dead Old Man (3)

How God solved the sinner problem?

The sinner was the old “you” – called the “Old Man” - before you became a born again believer. The Old Man was a slave to sin, to the extent one might say he could be expected to sin. Anyway, being a slave meant he’s bound to heed the bidding of his master, to do what his master wanted even if he didn’t like it.

When you read Romans you cannot fail to notice that most times “sin” takes on personality. That is to say it is quite alright to regard “sin” as a “he”. This “Mr. Sin” was the master of the Old Man. Mr. Sin is a tyrant. He loves to dominate and wants things his ways. If he is a good man than it’s still okay, but the fact is that he is evil personified. His very nature is evil and he is not capable of good. All that he could think of and all that he could do are opposite to what’s good.

Now, imagine what it’s like to be a slave under Mr. Sin. That was the lot for the Old Man. Sad, isn’t it? How could our Old Man be freed from this miserable state? How could we be separated from Mr. Sin?

In the first century slavery was commonplace. Paul expected everyone to understand what it meant to be a slave. Bonded to his master, a slave could only be free when either of two conditions was met. First, a ransom was paid. Second, the slave died.  According to Paul, God did work by way of the second. He said that we must know this:

that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that  we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. (Rom 6:6-7, NKJV)

So that’s how God solved the problem for us: get the Old Man killed!

Somehow, when Christ was crucified our Old Man was crucified with him and we died with him. It’s only logical that once the slave has died his master has no more claims over him. He is now free. In the same manner, we are now free from our old master Mr. Sin. He can no longer command us to do this or do that. Sure he would still want to boss us about but we have the liberty to say no to him and he can’t do a thing.

This is a most liberating truth: we don’t have to listen to Mr. Sin any more. He could yell or holler all he like, but the man who was bound to obey him is dead. The Old Man is no more.

Have you ever said no to Mr. Sin? Of course, if you didn’t know that the Old Man was dead and thought that you were him you would obey Mr. Sin. But now you know. If Mr. Sin comes around and ask you to do this or to do that, tell him off like this:

You got the wrong man, the Old Man is dead!

Paul Scholes, Football and Kingdom Living

Have a most blessed Lunar New Year! I want to wish all my Chinese readers a happy time at family reunions and may the Lord prosper you much more all the year round. I also pray that you have a good rest in the midst of all the festivity.

In the last few days I found some time to read. I managed to get hold of a copy of Paul Scholes’ autobiography at the Borders. Finally, on the fourth attempt! I have been on the look-out for it since its release late last year. It certainly does not disappoint me. It is truly enlightening - not only on his life, but life in general.

Probably you would not have heard of his name without you being an ardent football (soccer) fan. Paul Scholes is my all-time favorite player playing for my all-time favorite football team Manchester United.  A low-profile guy and a man of few words, you seldom hear any news about him although he has played for United for some twenty years. He retired from football at the end of last season but came out of retirement recently when his team needed him.  Click Here if you want to find out what world-famous footballers have to say about him.

But what Scholes has to say about himself and about his life?

The following words are as defining as any you can get from his book:

The God-given ability to make a football do more or less what I want it to – though not always, obviously! – has given me a standard of living that I could never have dreamed of had I left school to take up any other job accessible to me. What might that have been?  I haven’t got the faintest idea because it never entered my head that I would be anything else but a footballer. That said, I didn’t even dwell on a future in the game. The truth is that I didn’t agonise over anything as a kid; I just got on with life and, incredibly fortunately for me, it led me to Manchester United.

This is how a footballer assessed his own life after living it out to the full. Not just any footballer, but the distinguished Paul Scholes, for not every well-paid footballer lives like he does. There are some important truths our young people – no, actually everyone young or old – could learn from these words about life, and about Kingdom living: 

We don’t have to worry about life (Matthew 6:25), just as Scholes “didn’t agonise over anything as a kid” - he “just got on with life”. Needs could be legitimate, but to worry about them is not God’s way of getting them met.   We also don’t have to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34), just as Scholes “didn’t even dwell on a future in the game”. Our business is to live today, and let God take care of tomorrow.

God has given each of us unique ability. He will lead us to the right place at the right time where and when our ability is needed. A rival manager, Jose Mourinho, said that Manchester United are lucky  to have Scholes; Scholes said that he was “incredibly fortunate” to be led to United. This is Grace - it’s all God’s doing.

Any time we look at our circumstances and try to make the best out of them ourselves, we unwittingly steered away from what God is doing for us. Give your entire attention to what God is doing and don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met (Matthew 6:33-34). Scholes said that “it never entered my head that I would be anything else but a footballer” and what he got as a result? “A standard of living that I could never have dreamed of had I left school to take up any other job accessible to me.”

You might think that it is too much to equate playing football with seeking God’s Kingdom. You might think that it’s because I idolize Scholes that I see the parallel in all these. No, certainly not. Mind you, this is Kingdom living at its best - whatever people would have you believe about Matt 6:33.

What Made You a Sinner?

Dead Old Man (2)

The fact that Jesus has wrought for us much more than the forgiveness of sins is clear from this verse: For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom 5:10, NKJV). Through His death we have forgiveness from our sins, so that we are reconciled to God – restored to fellowship. But the verse clearly states that that’s not all. After this His life also saves us. Saves us from what? It is like this:

His death saves us from our sins. His life saves us from ourselves – the sinner.

How one is constituted a sinner? Is it because of anything he does? Actually, we are not accorded the “honour” by the Bible.  The Bible says it’s because of Adam’s disobedience that we become sinners. So, we were made sinners quite apart from anything we did: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners… (Rom 5:19, NKJV). Contrary to popular opinion, we don’t become sinners because we sin, not according to the definition in the New Testament. “It’s not my fault!” - Probably there’s more truth in this statement than we realise.

So, what about the condition we inherited from Adam our forefather? What have we become as a result? What kind of nature did we inherit from him?

The sinner is one prone to sins. He cannot help it. To sin is his nature. Before one comes to Christ, he carries this nature. There is one verse that never fails to amaze me, it is astounding:

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. (Rom 6:20, NKJV)

Let me give you some orientation. Paul was speaking in term of conversion. He calls those who have not come to Christ “slaves of sin”. We were all once slaves of sin because of Adam’s disobedience. Because of Jesus’ work we are no more. But we really need to take in the full impact of the above verse to begin to understand the condition we were in.

According to Paul, we were “free in regard to righteousness”. I don’t know about you, I find his language rather peculiar. Normally we use the word “free” to denote exemption from bad things. Free from debt, free from sickness etc. But “free in regard to righteousness”? Paul really wanted our attention! He was essentially saying that we were excluded from the state or position of righteousness and thereby exempted from the acts of righteousness. In a sense, we were imprisoned in sin. When we were in such a state, we were not expected to be good or to do good. In fact, we were expected to sin! Slaves of sin can only sin! The following verse (Rom 6:21) states that only bad fruit can come forth from such a state: a sinner can only sin.

There you have it: the problem of the sinner. Now you know what made you a sinner, and a sinner cannot help but sin, do you know how God solve the sinner problem for you?

Stay tuned …


Scripture Link: BibleGateway.com

Sins and the Sinner

Dead Old Man (1)

Overheard somebody evangelizing his friend:

“You will agree with me that everyone has sinned,” said the evangelist.

“No. I don’t steal or kill; I don’t drink or womanize. I have done nothing that will put me in jail. I am a good man, not a sinner,” replied the non-believer.

“But you do lose your temper on your wife; and you couldn’t quit smoking though you wanted too,” the evangelist pressed.

“Well… I admit to that, but who could be perfect?”

“Jesus said you must be perfect like God. His standard is very high. Elsewhere – in Rom 3:23 – the Bible says all have sinned and fall short of God’s standard. That’s why you need Jesus; He can wash away all your sins."

…                             …                             …                             …                             …                         ...

Can you see through the simple technique? Most people like to think of themselves as being good, no matter if they believe in God or not.  You agree with them that they are no big sinner but press them to admit to their “little” sins. Play with their conscience, it is always more than happy to back you up. When they say no one can be perfect, you go along with them but stress that God has a different standard that He requires of us. There you have them cold. If they are still with you, bring out Rom 3:23 – memorize it if you need to. What about Matthew 5 where Jesus claimed that so much as you gaze at a sexy girl you committed adultery? Nudge them in that direction and before long you’ll have them confessing.    Since the non-believer admitted he has sinned, and that makes him a sinner, it follows that he needs a savior - here comes Jesus. Job done; give yourself a pat at the back.

Before, I would be elated if I manage to pull this off. I reckoned even Jesus would have been proud of me. I don’t mind telling you I’ve tried this many times over. But now I know better.

The problem with the above presentation is that it speaks only half the truth. And if we are not careful, we could find ourselves propagating a lie. What is true is this: Jesus could wash away all your sins – all the wrongs you’ve committed. What is not true is this: because you sin – commit wrongs - that constitutes you as a sinner. The truth is that because you are a sinner you sin; it’s not because you sin that you become a sinner.

Hold your fire if you feel like shooting me, I can prove to you what I say rather easily. But just think for a moment the implication of my proposition. If it’s true that because one is a sinner thereby he sins, then it’s not enough that Jesus only takes away his sins. The sinner will still sin. There are essentially two problems: the problem of sins (related to our actions and behavior) and the problem of the sinner (related to our nature and identity).

The question to ask is this: Does Jesus’ finished work provides for the forgiveness of sins only, or does it also deal with the problem of the sinner?

Make no mistake about it; I think the forgiveness of sins is most important. If we only have this it is still fantastic. It is still very good news. But if Jesus has also dealt with the problem of the sinner, then many have only heard half the truth. There is much more.

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