Monday, June 1, 2009

Grace does not make you a bum!

Yesterday, on Pentecost Sunday I worshipped at this Church called Praise Sanctuary near Taman Cheras Perdana. The only reason I attended the Church was because of Victor King. He's one of the many Pastors who had their ministries blossomed by God through the preaching of grace(as per Pastor Joseph Prince from New Creation Church). I enjoyed my time worshipping there and 2 Significant things happened.

i) somewhere in the middle of the sermon, I heard chimes... TWICE... It was awesome, especially when it was on the part when He was preaching about the forgiveness of sins. AMAZING...

ii) I learnt something that I could relate back to a brother who turned bad recently. The statement is - Those under grace is not lazy.

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Grace Does Not Make A Person Lazy
Now, that's really contrary to logic. (or sort of)
Think about it, grace gives you, while work says you've earned it.
How can we then say our salaries are a form of God's grace when we've earned it?

This is where we must understand.
Grace is there when the curse of work is removed.
God cursed the ground that man will eat from the sweat of the brow.
And that same God came near and sweat blood in Gethsemane to remove that same curse.
***
I was at Simon Yap's house watching the Planet Earth documentary when we saw the bamboo shrimp.
Against the flow of the raging river, that tiny shrimp extended it's frills and EASILY caught food for itself. All it had to do was stretch out it's hands/frills and receive particles of food that was trapped in its frills.

SOME PEOPLE might get the wrong idea about God on this.
They think they don't need to work. And as Paul said, these people shall not eat.
But that is not how God's provision is.
And just like the shrimp, we need to stand against the raging tide of the river, and be rooted on the rock. Then we can stretch out our hands and receive.
Does it come from the sweat of our brow? NO! It comes by being rooted on the rock.
The cross did more than just forgive and forget our sins. It removed in total, every curse humanity had to bear and threw it in the grave. And when Jesus rose again, we rose with him, but our sins and penalties remained in the GRAVE! HALLELUJAH!!!

There is a dear brother I know that might need to read this.
He's having issues at work, not attending work, and at the same time, with HUGE debts around his waist. His debts in extensive - from old bosses, to friends, to church members to exes, etc...

Recently, a few of us, encouraged him and helped him get back on his feet by giving him a job, etc.
And after not attending work for a few days on grounds of no money for transport, I believe his boss advanced money to him. Then he disappeared from work.
I often have gaming sessions at cybercafes with him, and he always had money to pay. But somewhat, he has no money for the transport to office. (weird isn't it?)

And when a few of us confronted him, we were removed from his Facebook listing.
Plus, he even send me a poisoned pen sms .

Brother, If you're reading this - Grace DOES NOT make a person lazy.
You cannot go on living on handouts and keep borrowing money.
One day it will end, then what?
God has been so GRACIOUS to restore to you the YEARS THE LOCUST HAS EATEN.
It has saddened many that you've been unwilling to change.
Come on! take responsibility, s*ck your guts it, carry your b*lls and be the man God meant you to be!

A man who understands Grace, makes sure he works for that living. And God takes that man's work and pours back ABUNDANT grace..

You might be DREAMING for 1-2 million to drop on your lap, so dream on. God will not do that unless there is superabundant divine intervention. But if you CANNOT be faithful with little, who is going to give you more?

No one is judging you. No one is condemning you. We just want you to get back the right path and stick there. We have nothing to gain by that! Only you gain you know... what is it you have to lose?

1 comment:

ruth tan said...

Big bro thanks for posting this up. It is a great reminder. So often in life we just want more and more stuff in life and later on realised that we went off track.
As human we so often want to fulfil the needs of our flesh and worry bout the consequences later. But sin (chimes :P) will catch up with u sonner or later.

the line
"if you CANNOT be faithful with little, who is going to give you more?"

really reminder in my own life. As said God's GRACE is abundant but there is a point in time he can remove it too. so yea.

Have a great month of JUNE !
BE JOYFUL AND ENJOY JUNE !