Dear Fellow Reader

Hi Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If you've stumbled upon my blog, I would like you to invite you to check out my Facebook instead.
Just click on the facebook icon on the right and add me as a friend there.

I've been posting a lot on Facebook and not on Blogspot as it's kind of a double job to re-layout the HTML codes and all.

I hope you understand and may God continue to shower His love and mercy in your life.

Be at peace and be in Grace.
Amen,
Randy

3Fold Blessing At Jesus' Feet

Ask any Christian - where is the best place to be in the Lord?

Some say in His arms. Some say on His breast. Some say on His shoulders.

I say at His feet!
(I can hear see some of you scratching your head!)

It is not a common place for a Christian to want to be.
Most often we envision ourselves serving from positions of power.
Some feel inclined to move from nations and nations to preach.
Others feel more inclined to run the race.

There is nothing wrong with the above (if you're doing it by grace).
But I recently discovered an exciting blessing and anointing at Jesus' feet.

If ever there is a place a Christian ought to be, He should always begin at Jesus' feet.
Ever wonder why?

But what does Jesus' feet mean in present day 'up and going', 'non-stop' Christianity?
Being at 'Jesus' Feet' has so often been a common saying that it has perhaps lost its meaning today.

Read these References:
Luke 10:38-42
John 11:1-44
John 12:1-11

Jesus' Feet Is A Place Of Learning
Most Christians feel, they SHOULD SERVE, whether or not there is deep gospel/theological understanding. They are more concerned about ministry results instead of a believer's growth (in fact they measure the believer's growth by the growth of the ministry!).

These Church goers want Christians to serve.
Jesus begs to differ - He tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better. And it is better for her to remain there.
In Luke 10:39, the word used for Mary's act of sitting at Jesus' feet is -parakathizo¯
It means to sit very close.
The word listen in v39 isakouo¯
It means to hear in understanding. She did not just let words pass through her head, she comprehended what Jesus was teaching in the house.

Martha, on the other hand, was burdened - perispao¯
It shows a 'dragging' burden that follows you here and there.

The word serve here is - diakoneo¯, that is to attend to (as though in a ministry).
Martha was burning with zeal - she was committed and SERIOUS about doing what she did without knowing what she ought to know.

Rather than let Mary be dragging around a burden of service, Jesus PREFERS that Mary stay close by and listen with understanding.

A 'burdensome' service only pulls a believer AWAY from Jesus.
Does that mean we DON'T serve? Of course not. I will show you an even better way to serve as you continue reading.

Jesus' Feet Is A Place Of Refuge
Consider John 11 where Lazarus is dead, and the ONLY thing Mary could do was to run to Jesus and fell at His feet.

John 11:32
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

I used to think it was the crowd. I used to believe it was emotions accumulating and waiting to burst.

I now think that very act of a bawling believer at the feet of the Saviour is all that moved Him.

Jesus did not react in the same way when zealous Martha came. And having Mary at His feet, His heart reached for the purpose of His coming - to bring life and the resurrection. No theological class, no silent rebuke like the one Martha about Jesus being the resurrection and the life.

Just a saviour that was moved to the heart. And when His heart moved, his lips that commanded the creation of the world, commanded the resurrection of a man in a tomb.

Jesus' Feet Is An Anointed Place To Serve
John 12:3
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Mary did in one act, what Martha could NEVER achieve in one lifetime of cooking in the kitchen. That's the kind of noteworthy service one can achieve when serving at His feet.

It's not about the achievement. It's not about 'I did more than you'. It's not about having many ministries under your belt, or having utilised all the human talents God has given you.

It's about receiving and resting at His feet.
It's about letting Him give and overflow your cup.
It's about learning to relax in His presence, and letting Him lead.
It's about not letting service draw you far away from Himself.

At Jesus' feet, you have more to receive from Him - and hence, more to give.
Because when we are at His feet, it's NEVER about us.
It is never about our boasting, or our ministry, or our pride.
It's not about what we've done, or how we've obeyed.

It's all about being as close to Him as possible.
And having depart from that place should tear your heart apart, and not create a more burning desire to serve.

Be like Mary at Jesus' feet...

Are we playing Church?

Note: This article was written based on Thy Kingdom Come 3 Sermon on the All Souls Fellowship Nokia Podcast. It is irrelevant to the ongoing/current things happening in my life. The only relevance to me, is the application back to my own life...

Ask yourself these questions: What does loving God means to you? What do you define as loving God?

If I tried to visualise responses from a crowd, the usual definitions are:

• Worshipping God


• Serving God


• Reading Your Scriptures


• Preach your faith


• Pray


• Trusting Him


• Obey His Commandments


• Study Theology


• Tithe


• Submit to leadership


• and much more!

You know what's the problem with this?
It's man's definition!

Don't believe me?
Go ahead - ask ANY Pharisee or Saducee, an you will get probably the SAME answer.

Ask ANY NON-Christians and you'll PROBABLY get a same answer.
Ask ANY cults, you'll also get a similar answer.
Ask ANY Atheists, and you'll get answers minus God, with philosophy added in.

If you ask most Christians regarding this list of definitions, them might be tempted themselves to define all these acts as proof of loving God. Hence, it results in a chicken and egg process.

Eg - do you love God first, and then serve? Or serve and then show that you love God? It's an endless loop that so many are trapped in their definitions.

The root of the problem?
Man and his definitions of 'loving God'.
(they may not have perfectly done it, but if you ask them, they would have agree that they have loved God to a certain extent)

Let's be honest. Let's not play the religion button or our definitions here.
Let's ask what the Bible says and test it according to the Spirit.

1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

(Here John shows the result of loving God is loving your brother)

Matthew 22:37-39 (Jesus said:)

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.

(Jesus shows that loving your neighbour is very much like loving God)

Pharisees and Saducees can claim their love for God. But failed at loving their neighbour or their brother. Their claims are based on what they do - that defines their love for God.

But Jesus defined the Pharisees' neighbour as an enemy - the Samaritans!
[Jews consider Samaritans as their sworn enemy] Luke 10:37

***

A year back, I was in another Church. We had this fellow brother (which was very much alienated) who wasn't mentally stable and kept poor hygiene. (he rarely bathe and had a change of clothing only once in a few days). Often he would walk around with his fly down, and would hound & scare the girls in Church. Hence, people often sidelined him - drawing near only to feed him. Once, we were at this fellowship and we were planning to go out for some noodles outside the Church. And when I arrive, I saw this mentally unstable brother walking away down the street - away from the noodle shop. I asked those who are already there, and a leader told me that it wasn't appropriate for this brother to join us and that it would have been uncomfortable for everyone present. Other times, Christian brothers would make fun of him and mimic his antics. It was mocking him, but the only thing was that this brother didn't know it was a mockery - he was not intellectually capable of understanding what is happening.

That noodle outing incident disturbed me for weeks. I felt that I could have done something. I could have invited this brother to dine with me on a separate table. (besides, it isn't his choice to act this way, he was born like that).

***

Jesus considered loving your fellow man as great as loving God. Jesus said loving your neighbour is 'like it' (referring to the first commandment). Which is what made John wrote in 1 John 4 - that if you cannot love a person you can see, you cannot love a God you cannot see.

Not only to love those who love you - but also people who do not love you or are unable to love you. Even love those who are against you. Love those who persecute you. [That said - I have been made a mockery for a lot of things I've 'preached' on facebook and my blog]

Instead, of love - what we would find rampant in MANY Churches today is a 'Christian Standard' of conformity - that is, if you are not like us, you are not part of us. [Does it also surprise you such groupies existed even in Jesus' time? - the Pharisees vs Saducees?]

Think about it...

Going back to the list of 'Loving God'. We can say we have done all these things -by our own definition.

Some might even be tempted to shut out people from a "Deserving love" category by disqualifying those who do not have similar convictions as them.

Judging the tree by it's fruit has become - judge other trees by your own fruit.

Other good fruitful trees are condemned just because they do not have the same fruit of the person who judges. (you see, they judge by what they see - that is their own worth and what they themselves do).

Have we all made our definitions (and definition of fruits) into a religion?

Do we shut out people who don't attend the same Church, serve like ourselves, or do not possess the same Godly knowledge like ourselves? Do we kill & hate those who agree not to the same theological beliefs we hold? Some 'ex-communicate' those who do not possess 'sound doctrine' - the very doctrine ONLY their church/denomination possess.

Are we playing God by our own definitions of fruits and love and faith and sound doctrine?

Rather than rejoicing about their brother's fruit, they mock the abundance of it. But they forget one thing - it is God who grows the fruit - that is why it's called the FRUIT OF THE (HOLY) SPIRIT.

To them, if any Christian that comes along the way, and does not fit into their 'profile' they are rejected as believers - and given labels and stereotypes. (Is this God's way?)

We must begin to understand. Church is not a building. It's not something that happens within 4 walls. It's not a collection of theological beliefs. It's not a collection of ministries under one roof. It's not ministries that you serve and do things in. It's not the bible you read and the quiet time that you do.

If you make any of this 'Church', then you are merely making a set of intangible intellectual concept of definitions as an idol. In fact, challenge any of these intellectual concepts, and these people will burn you on the stake (verbally or for real) - whether you prove them right or wrong - doesn't matter.

As a consequence, labels and stereotypes are used without self-examination - myself, I have been called a BUM, wolf in sheep skin, prodigal son, hypocrite, fruitless tree, pharisees and more. Yet, are there anyone who can charge me of mocking anyone? Name callings?

Church is the body of Christ. The Bride of Christ. It does not define itself. It lets Christ defines her. It begins with Him and ends with Him. The Church submits herself to Christ.

It's all about the person of Jesus, and

NOTHING

about our definition of things.
(but please do it by faith through grace, and be established in righteousness). In fact, if you look at the Gospels - ONLY THE PHARISEES loved the definition of things - their countless 'are you the messiah?', 'who is my neighbour?', 'on whose authority do you do these things?', 'what MUST I DO to have eternal life?', 'teacher, should we stone her?' and much much more!

In fact, tear away the definitions, and these are the people who are left naked. Their righteousness and faith is based on definitions, not the real Christ.

At the end of the day, ALL OF US can play the definition card. All of us can play Church. All of us can play theologian. All of us can play servants. All of us can play righteous. All of us can play mockers.

But we can only become Christlike through the renewing of the mind.
And true, selfless love can only begin once we know we are loved by God. Our love is defined by His own love for us - for we love because He first loved us.

Law Vs. Grace Pt.2 - Cain and Abel

This is part 2 of Law and Grace. Enjoy.

Genesis 4:3-7
In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

What do you notice in these passages?
a) BOTH wanted to offer to God
b) Cain brought some fruits of the soil
c) Abel brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flock
d) God had favour on Abel and his offering but not on Cain and Cain’s offering
f) Cain became angry and his face was downcast
g) God rebukes Cain that what Cain did was wrong
h) God says ONLY to Cain that sin is crouching at his door

These are 2 brothers. Both with clear-cut motives. Good motives to make an offering to God. Whether for righteousness or just a mere offering, we do not know. Neither is there any record that God clothed Abel with garments of skin.

But what is clear is this – both men offered to God.

Cain’s Fruit Of Self Effort Cannot Please God
Please remember at this point of time, the Law of Moses has not come in yet. This may have taken place 20-30 years after the fall in Eden. The curse on the ground is still in effect. Man had to worked the ground to feed his mouth. Notice Cain offered what was curse: The ground. The ground was cursed because God has curse man that it is with his sweat that he works the ground. “Sweat” is synonym with stress and hard labour. This means Cain tried to please God with his works.

Here Cain offers his fruits to God. He worked the ground. Waters it. Puts manure on it. He sweats. He might even have injured himself a few times in the process, as there are no tools. No cangkul, no irrigation, no best known way to bear fruits.

Yet somehow he produces them and offers them to God.

His offering speaks of what he does. The effort he puts in. It describes all the pain and toil that he went through. It was his ‘ministry’ if you can call it that. It was his calling. It was his duty. It was not only his effort, but his self-worth. His work defines him.

Abel’s Fat Portions Speak Of God’s Mediator For Man
Abel offers the fat portions from his flock.
Abel was born with sin. He needed a mediator. A perfect and unblemished lamb. And as much as the Bible doesn’t say lambs, I think we all know it was fat portions from his flock of lambs.

One here must appreciate that God had to clothe Adam and Eve when they had sin in order that they could overcome their nakedness and shame. God clothed them with skin of an animal. An animal had to die in a substitution death for Adam and Eve so that Adam and Eve will have covering over what they did. God provided this death as a means of his grace. That animal we all know from what Abel offered was a lamb. This point to fact that Abel wanted to please God by telling God he was gracious!

The lamb speaks of a relationship – a shepherd and the lamb. It talks about how God (as a shepherd) deals with his people. That lamb talks about Jesus’ perfection and goodness. How unblemished and perfect it is.

It speaks of the quality of the mediator and not the offerer. It speaks of sacrificial love and not human effort. And God showed favour on the unblemished flock. Abel’s acceptance was based upon the lamb, not his own merit.

The Works Of Flesh Is Prideful
Cain was obviously not too happy about being rejected.
After all he had good intentions. He worked hard to please God.
Imagine having grown up as a boy, and having your mom and dad talk about Eden and how at the fall, God made garments of skin for them. Adam and Eve might have even shown Cain the garments.

Yet Cain had the strange idea to offer fruits. To offer self-effort. To offer his best is filthy rag. And when his filthy rag were rejected, instead of realising why he failed, he was angry at God and with Abel.

God Rebukes Cain And Not Abel
God said to Cain - If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

When I was younger I always thought that it was Cain that withheld the best from God. I was always previously taught that Abel gave his best, but Cain offered some. But now I realise that that could not be.

Cain was not able to offer his best because he offered himself – his effort, his results, his fruit – the focus was always on himself. And God said it straight to Cain’s face that Cain would have been accepted if he offered the right sacrifice. The fruit of self-effort CANNOT please God.

Even Hebrews testify about Abel’s offering: Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Earlier we established that there was no clear understanding why the offerings were made, but despite that, IT WAS STILL COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS to Abel!

Sin Crouches At The Door Of Self-Effort
What many Christians do not know is this:
Your self-effort arouses your sinful nature.

1 Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

At the time of Cain and Abel, the Law of Moses have not been given.
But you must realise what sin does.
Romans 7:11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.

Sin seizes the commandments (Law of Moses) and condemns you to death.
Hence if a person is offering self-effort, the more:-
i) unrighteous he would become
ii) realise the more sinful he is
iii) more powerless to turn from sin
iv) basically give up changing

But if you offer like Abel, you get the opposite:-
i) righteousness apart from the law & self-effort!
ii) focuses on the Perfection of Jesus
iii) gain power to overcome sin – for you are not under law, but under grace
iv) you are transformed by beholding His face

You see, God is more concerned about the perfection of your offering, than the amount of trouble, sleepless nights and effort you put in.
He is more concerned about you having Christ than you having deeds.

There is a place for deeds – but only in the way God approves.
There is no room for law and self effort.

Law & Grace Pt.1 - Deception of Eden

Over the last few weeks, I've been really busy. Even as I'm typing this out, I've got tonnes of work on my hands that I'm not sure how to even start. May I have abundant Grace to finish them.

But this topic i'm sharing now has been on my mind quite some time.
I guess, I need to get it out.
Maybe God willing, in a form of a book in the future.
May you be blessed!

-------------------

I don't know if you've noticed. But EVERYTHING in the Bible is separated between Law and Grace. And I've come to realise that the greatest deception of Satan was not that he does not exist, but that - you can gain through your effort, what you already have through the cross. 1

Think about it:

Law - Grace
Law of Moses - Walking in the Spirit
Righteousness through works - Righteousness through faith
Keeping the Commandments - Christ kept the Commandments
Knowledge of good and evil - Tree of life
Sinner - Saint
Cain - Abel
Ishmael - Isaac
Esau - Jacob
King Saul - King David
Moses, the OT guide - Holy Spirit, the NT guide
Circumcision of flesh - Circumcision of heart


Let's begin from Eden.
God made Adam and Eve and God gave them free will to choose.
That is why the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life is there.
It was placed there so that God honours the free will of men to choose.
And God made men in HIS IMAGE. Adam was NOT GOD, but he WAS LIKE GOD. (Genesis 1:26)

Then came the Serpent.
People say the greatest deception of the serpent is the he does not exist.
What nonsense! Here he is in the open! Showing himself existing!

He said:
Genesis 3:5 - "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Now, let us consider the statement above.
Are Adam and Eve already like God? YES! (they were made in His likeness!)

Where is the deception then?
It was when they sought to attain that likeness by their own effort, when they already received it by grace...

You see, law is not only a written code, but it is also SELF-EFFORT

Everything you need for salvation and life is already found in Jesus Christ.
It's either you accept it, or you go about it through your own efforts.

It is this deception that is STILL HAPPENING in Churches all over the world.
Preachers preach that you need to work out your salvation in fear and trembling - which is in fact a misquotation that is not based on the context.
How can God who gave you not a spirit of fear, but of Sonship, encourage you to go back under a system of fear? Yet it is preached!

Preachers say that you need to repent from the acts of sin. But the Bible is clear that we repent (metanoia - change our minds) from unbelief and dead works -> to believing Jesus Christ who is the Son of God who came and died for our sins and was raised again 3 days later. We are transformed from glory and glory from beholding Jesus, not from our discipline or 'acts of repentance'.

Preachers preach that you need to obey the law of Moses (or at least the 10 commandments) as a guide to living. Paul writes that we have died to the law - and we now serve in the new ways of the Spirit. (Romans 7:6)

Don't you know those who goes back under the Law are called the 'lawless'?
After all, Colossians 2:14 - having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

The law was nailed to the cross! No more law of Moses!
Now, that the law is gone, we live by the Spirit!
In the same way a 'homeless' man desires to have a home but does not have one, so is:-
a 'lawless' man who desires to follow the law of moses, when it is already fulfilled in Christ!

But what does Hebrews 8:10 mean - when God said He will write His Laws in our hearts?
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.

You Pharisees insist that because of this quotation, there is a need to obey the written code.
But don't you know the Law of Moses were given through angels?

Acts 7:53 [stephen before the sanhedrin]
you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." (NIV)
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. (KJV)

or
Galatians 3:19b
The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. (NIV)
and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. (KJV)

The Law of Moses were given through an angel!
Shocking? It is.

Hence, the law that God writes in their minds are not the Law of Moses!
It is the law of Christ!
1 Corinthians 9:21
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

Brethren, you are not required to obey the Law of Moses!
May the truth set you free!
Walk in the Spirit and unleash his Fruits! The law of Moses will only bring out the 'workings of your flesh'!

Today Satan wants your life stunted. He wants you to go back under law.
He wants you to work with your bare hands what has already been attained through the Cross...
What is your choice?

Be blessed!

Next article:- Law Vs. Grace Pt.2 - Cain & Abel
Copyright @ randykhoo.blogspot.com
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All You Need Is Jesus

I love this song. Not because of the lyrics.
Not because of the music.
But because every time I hear it, I wanna sit down, sing along and worship.

There is great beauty in simplicity.
The same Jesus who made the world, also made the simplest of atoms.
From the biggest galaxies, to the littles of nano-particles of atoms.

Please stay, listen, enjoy it. And maybe you'll sing along to as well.
God Bless you. And God grants you His peace.





Lyrics - How Great Is Our God - Chris Tomlin

VERSE(1):
The splendor of a King,
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice,
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at his voice,
And trembles at his voice

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

VERSE(2):
Age to age he stands
And time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,
Beginning and the End
The Godhead, Three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
The Lion and the Lamb,
The Lion and the Lamb

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

CHORUS(2)
Name above all names
You are Worthy of all praise
and My heart will sing how great
Is our God
(x2)

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

CHORUS(1):
How great is our God,
Sing with me
How great is our God,
and all will see
How great, How great
Is our God

The Greatest Deception

People have often said - the greatest deception of the Devil is that he wants you to believe he does not exist.

You know what? I don't think he cares about that.

The real deception is that he wants you to work with your own effort for what you already have through Jesus Christ at the Cross.

Think about it.

2 trees in Eden, law vs faith righteousness, work vs rest, etc...
Everything that is attacked, has already been given through Jesus Christ.

Eden - Adam already possessed God's glory. The Jews call it the Shekhainah glory. He was already in the state of Glorification (if you can call it that). The serpent came and offered Adam a lesser thing through the law, that is the forbidden tree.

Job - satan's charge against God was that Job was already in a state of immunity and blessing. He says that if that is lifted from Job, Job will in fact curse God for the removal. And turn away from God to human effort. [Naturally, with human effort meeting failure, one would be bitter with God]

Jesus - the serpent told Jesus to turn these bread into stones in Matt 4 - which in fact means taking your nourishment from the 10 commandments - that is the law! Satan tries to turn Jesus' ministry back to Moses'!

Present time - Churches are feeding fear of failure to people - so much so, they doubt their salvation when they sin, or that they are not rooted in righteousness, or that they are taught to obey some parts of the law and mix it with grace.

Lord Jesus, help us all to see your light.