Bishop Emeritus Dr Hwa Yung
03-03-2019
Psalm 94:19-23 English Standard Version (ESV)
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you,
those who frame[a] injustice by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.[b]
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will bring back on them their iniquity
and wipe them out for their wickedness;
the Lord our God will wipe them out.
God's Hand is on our nation in a very special way.
It is possible to win an election and then to lose everything else worth fighting for. And history has a funny habit of repeating itself.
Unless we are watchful, the promised new dawn can quickly turn into the dark knight of power abuse and corruption.
What is God saying to you and me as members of His church in this nation?
1) Learn to speak the truth to power
Hold the government responsible now.
The church is not the prayer arm of the government.
The church is not serving one party or the other.
Demand a high level of integrity and transparency.
We cannot trust any human person entirely.
2) Prayer
1 Timothy 2:1-2 English Standard Version (ESV)
Pray for All People
2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all
who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly
and dignified in every way.
If Malaysia is to see the fullness of God's blessing, we must maintain the level of prayer.
Ephesians 6:10-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Whole Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over
this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand
therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the
breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the
readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the
shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the
evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all
prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making
supplication for all the saints,
Paul is saying that we are battling against demonic powers all the time. The real big battle is fought at the level of prayer.
Tremendous spiritual powers are at work in order to blind the eyes of Malaysian public.
As we draw near to God, His light comes into this nation and powers of darkness are cast out.
Nobody else but the church can do it.
You and I are called to pray for the nation.
3) Salt and light
Matthew 5:13-16 English Standard Version (ESV)
Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste,
how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except
to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Salt prevents food from getting rotten. Salt gives taste to food.
The Christian prevents the nation from rotting and also gives taste to society.
The Church is the light of the world. Why is the light not shining?
The Christians are in the thick of corruption. Are you?
Church leaders abuse power, struggle for power, say lies and slanders.
We worry about Malaysia. Could it be that God is more worried about the church?
4) Because God's primary concern is the Malaysian Church, we need deep-seated repentance and revival through discipleship.
The renewal that God brought brought signs and wonders. Pride then came into the picture. Many churches were caught up in the gospel of prosperity.
When the Spirit grieves, He leaves.
Because of unresolved problems, the churches are all stagnating.
We need to emphasise the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.
We also need to emphasise on repentance, holiness and submission to God. The Bible also talks about sacrificial living.
Holy living and genuine discipleship is costly business.
This is what Jesus told us.
Matthew 16:24 English Standard Version (ESV)
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Leviticus 3:16a English Standard Version (ESV)
16 And the priest shall burn them on the altar as a food offering
with a pleasing aroma.
In the OT, every time a person brings a sacrifice to God, many sacrifices are burned up and arises as a sweet aroma all the way to heaven.
Romans 12:1 English Standard Version (ESV)
A Living Sacrifice
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which
is your spiritual worship.[b]
Are we willing to pay the cost of faithfulness and genuineness and put aside earthly ambitions?
God is calling for a holy and sacrificial generation to be a tremendous blessing to the nation.
Just as God called Abraham, He is calling the church to be a blessing.
If you are faithful, God will use the church in a way that you can never imagine.
If we fail, God will push us aside. And our children and grandchildren will be under tremendous pressure.
May you and I remain faithful to the call.
May we serve Him in this time. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment