Guilt

Guilt

Hi all,

I don't know how your walk with God has been recently. But if it hasn't been good, if you feel like you've been sinning, if you feel so ashamed and guilty, I just want to encourage you to go back to God in repentance. God's love for you is not dependent on how you behave. If you are a child of God, there is no sin so big that Jesus' blood cannot wash away.

I was recently thinking about the idea of guilt. You know that since we are children of God, every time we sin, the Holy Spirit in us will convict us of sin and this can sometimes make us feel guilty. Satan can try to use this guilt to make us hide away from God. But the right way is that this guilt should drive us to stop that sin and turn to God in repentance and look for His forgiveness. Don't let this guilt drive you away from God. Seek His help in removing this sin from your life.

Germs

The Gospel of Salvation

What is the importance of understanding the full gospel?

The gospel is the message of salvation (the work of Jesus Christ) and our understanding of it affects our salvation. If we accept a false gospel, we are NOT SAVED, no matter how much we believe in it.

This year, God has been placing this burden on me: Do you know how many people believe they are saved and yet are not? They live any way they like and think that just because they said the sinner's prayer that they will be guaranteed a spot in heaven. This is not how it works. The sinner's prayer is not a password into heaven.

What is saving faith?

There are 3 elements to faith. Intellectual - We need to understand the message of the gospel intellectually and be convicted of it, that is, to believe it in. Emotional - We need to have a personal heart surrender to God. Lifestyle - A real understanding and belief in the precious salvation of Jesus Christ will cause a change in the way we live our lives. We fully repent of our old lives and with the Holy Spirit's help, we start to live our new lives in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:5-9
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Is it possible to be a true Christian and behave like the world?

No. Read the above verse, Romans 8:5-9. What determines if we belong to Christ is whether or not we have the Holy Spirit in us. (God will not send someone with Holy Spirit in him to Hell) If we have the Holy Spirit in us, we will slowly be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit and be made into Christ's likeness. If anyone claims to be a Christian yet does not learn to submit himself to God's law, he should really think twice about whether or not he has really received the Holy Spirit.

Examine yourselves!

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are truly Christians. Ask yourself this: Do you see the Holy Spirit's work in transforming you more and more like Christ? Are you always focused on the sinful things of this world or is your mind set on spiritual things like pleasing God. Do you see the fruit of the spirit in you? Are you any different from the world?!

These are questions I certainly cannot answer for you. Yet these are life-defining questions that pertain to salvation. Dear members, I certainly pray for you. I pray hard. I'm afraid many of us are not living lives of repentance yet. Before we receive Christ in our lives, we truly need to repent of ALL our sinful acts and commit to stop doing them. Every time we fall into them again, we need to confess and repent. This is why repentance is not something that happens once at the point of conversion but it's something we should be doing everyday.

How many sins did it take to condemn the world? One sin. Yet we commit so many sins a day and think nothing of it. Let's stop living by our sinful natures and start living by the Spirit. Repent and ask God to change you today. If any of you feel unsure of your salvation and would like to commit to Jesus Christ again and be assured of your salvation, please come to me. I would really like to help.

In His love,
Germs

This is the 1st open sunday we'll be having in quite a while. Hope to see all of you do. I'm actually planning it so please pray for me if you see this! - Germs

Hi,

Hope everyone has been doing ok. I'm sure most of you are just really busy right now, seeing that your 4-day break just ended and your teachers are probably laying tons of homework on you now. I was reading the book of James and it was just another reminder that when we face trials, not only do we have to persevere through them, we actually have to do it joyfully!

I'm still praying for you all. Feel free to let me know if you have any prayer requests!

Love,
Germs

Prosperity Gospel?

Is the Prosperity Gospel the REAL gospel?




The prosperity gospel does not prepare us to endure for Christ

This 2nd video is longer than the 1st one. Watch it to understand what is so dangerous about the prosperity gospel, the same gospel that's being preached in churches like New Creation. The problem with the prosperity gospel is that it does not prepare us to suffer for Christ. Instead it teaches us to expect riches and blessings in this life. We should be wary of it

A pleasing offering

Mark 12:41-44
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

I've always like this story since I first heard it as a little girl in Sunday school. To the rest of the world, the money that the rich people threw into the treasury would seem like such a HUGE sacrifice. Yet Jesus' attention went to a poor widow who threw such a small amount - 2 copper coins. Jesus later explained that it was her attitude that made her offering so special. Yes, the rich people seemed to have given a lot, but it was only a fraction of their money. The widow, however, had given God her all... her best.

Even in my service for God, I sometimes forget this story. For example, designing is something that comes quite naturally for me. So when I design things for church, I don't give it my best since I can accomplish without much effort. Then when I see that the product looks quite nice, I get really proud of myself. But that's not how God measures our service and offering is it? God sees the heart behind it. I'm obliged to give Him my best because every skill I have came from Him.

Yalpha

I'm glad that many of us are now serving in Yalpha. However, I want to remind everyone that whenever we offer our service to God, we have to give our BEST, no matter how small our roles may seem. Don't you believe that God deserves our best?

The youth leaders have agreed... There is something seriously lacking in Yalpha, and it has something to do with the hearts of those who are serving. Search deep within your heart and ask yourself if you have truly given God your best. Sadly, even I'm ashamed to say that I haven't. I was talking to Marcus today, and he just seemed so... disappointed. He thinks he wasn't good enough as a leader. And it made me feel really sad. How much more do you think we've disappointed God?

I'm repenting to God for my lack of commitment and enthusiasm towards Yalpha. If you think you haven't been giving God your best, I hope you will do the same as well. Effervescence, let's present an offering of sacrifice that will truly please God, not one that God looks at with disappointment. From now onwards, let's give our best to God.