Monday 21 September 2015

To Know Christ and to Make Him Known by Rev John Kok dated 20.9.15



To make some known you must first know the person



How do you make Christ know?




You must know the BIBLE.
The Bible points to Jesus
John 5:39 “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me…about Jesus Christ.”
The main message of the church is not about :
Politics
Science
History
No doubt the Bible talks about these subjects, but they are not our main concern as a believer.
The main theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2: 2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk.”  We need to grow in our spiritual walk like growing babies.”
When we carry the Bible, the devil gets a headache.
When we open the Bible, he collapses.
When he sees us reading it, he faints.
When he sees us living it, he flees.
That’s how powerful is the Bible.
Jesus is God (John 1:1)
Jesus is the Creator of all things (John 1:3)
Jesus is the originator of life (John 1:4)
Jesus is the light of the world
Jesus is God’s Son
He became truly human
He came and dwelt among us
He is full of grace and truth
He is eternal and has made know the Father to us.
Jesus said:
I am the bread of life
I am the light of the world
I am the door
I am the good shepherd
I am the resurrection and the life
I am the way, the truth and life
I am the true vine


These questions basically test our knowledge of the Bible:


How many books in the Old Testament? How many books in New Testament? Name the Pentateuch. Name the 4 Gospels. Who is the oldest man in the Bible? What is the longest chapter in the Bible? What is the shortest verse? Who was thrown into the lion’s den? Who betrayed Jesus? What is the last book of the Bible? How many of you can recite the 66 books of the Bible? Name the ten commandment. Can you recite the Lord’s Prayer?

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  
How do I know God loves me?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world”
How do I know I have eternal life?
John 3:16 “…that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
How do I know my sins are forgiven?
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”.
How do I know Jesus is the only way to heaven?
John 14:6 “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father                    except through me.”
THE SON OF GOD,  THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD & THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN,
                  DO WE KNOW HIM?


Matthew 28:18-19 
18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”
Mark 16:15
15” He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…”
Luke 24:48
48 You are witnesses of these things.
John 20:21
21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you!
As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
IF WE KNOW CHRIST & ACKNOWLEDGE HIS LORDSHIP we must make Him known.
2 Timothy 4:2 2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season”
Act 1:8 “You Shall be My Witnesses to Me ”
Act 10:14-15
14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? 15And how can they hear without someone
MAKING KNOWN JESUS to them?”
“God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.” “All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God.”  
HAVE WE COMPLETED THAT MISSION YET? To make Him known.
Firstly – to know Christ you must spent time deligently reading and studying the Bible.
Secondly –to make Him known you must point to the Saviour.
Conclusion
Know Christ and make Him known.



Thursday 17 September 2015

Effective Parenting by Dr. Phillip Koh dated 15.9.15



Introduction
Story of a British-Pakistani man who married a Malaysian wife and they had a daughter who went to Oxford University at age 13 years. Her father boasted of his parenting style. He banned her from TV, forced her to study with little heat during winter and inflicted physical and emotional abuses on her. His daughter dropped out from university, got married and divorced in two years and finally became a prostitute.  How tragic!
What went wrong in the father’s parenting style?
An authoritarian approach, too domineering, too harsh, marginalization of father daughter relationship, obsessive with academic results.
From Dr. Koh’s experiences in training, he found that a majority of problems children have broken parents.
Four major parenting styles:
                                                            High concern for relationship 
High Concern for Control   Low Concern                                                                                                                    for Control       
Low concern for relationship
Authoritative – a balanced person
Permissive – A spoilt brat
Authoritarian – an angry rebel
Neglectful – an attention seeker               
Dr. Koh explained the permissive style by using Eli’s case in 1 Samuel 2: 17, 22,23,24,27.28.29, 30, 31,34.  Basically Eli did not each his sons well, and he allowed them to do what they like.  E.g V.17    “This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.”  His sons were also in moral as they slept with the women at the entrace of the tent V.” Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.”   Eli rebuked his sons but they did not listen to him.  God asked Eli why he did not follow His instructions V 29 Why do you[a] scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’ God punished Eli and his family V.30, 31, 34. His relatives will die during prime of their lives.  His two sons died on the same day!
HOW DO WE CARRY OUT AN AUTHORITATIVE APPROACH TO PARENTING?               
Note that authoritative and authoritarian parenting styles are not the same.   In authoritative style, the parents are strict with their children and yet loving them.  In authoritarian style it is above strict discipline and do not care about the feelings of the children.
There are three fundamental components: 
     1.       Submission to parental authority
Ephesians 5 & 6 spelt out the various relationships between parties.
Husband and wife ( 5:21-33)
This is an equal relationship.
Parents and children ( 6:1-4)
Parents have authority over the children, so unequal here.
Master and slaves ( 6:5-9)
Master have authority over the slaves.
      2.       Parents to be role model
Only than they will command respect from the children.  Respect has to be earned and not imposed on the children.  What the parents do in private and in public must be the same.  Otherwise the children will be able to detect these behaviours if they are different. 
      3.       A proper discipline of children
Parents to use Biblical teaching – Ephesians 6:4 b.”Fathers,[a] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Meaning to teach the children Godly ways, and to instruct and teach them according to the Bible.
Conclusion
What is the most fundamental principle we can learn today?
KEY PRINCIPLE IN PARENTING
John 15:14-15
14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants,[a] for the servant[b] does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
HAVE YOU OBSERVED HOW PERSONAL AND RELATIONAL IS THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?
THROUGH JESUS, THE CREATOR GOD HAS CALLED US TO BE HIS FRIENDS!
PARENTS NEED TO REFLECT GOD’S RELATIONAL ATTRIBUTE IN PARENTING
   - a deep emotional bonding with 
     children is of paramount importance.
   *  A deep yearning for emotional intimacy exists in all human beings…

High control or discipline in parenting without relational closeness is a recipe for disaster!
APPLICATION:
For Christian parents, do you and I employ authoritative parenting to build a close relationship with our children, and also to institute a proper discipline at the same time?
A WIDER APPLICATION OF GOD’S RELATIONAL ATTRIBUTE
Hebrews 10:24-25:
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Do You And I Take The Initiative To Have More Fellowship With One Another?