Advent week 1 - waiting in expectation

Hi everyone, as you know we're entering an advent season for the next 4 weeks, and I thought it'd be good to discuss the topics here. If you don't have the booklet, you can get it from the ushers next week.

The 1st week reading is taken from Isaiah 52:7-10

From the passage, it talks about how God has delivered His people and apparently they've been waiting for a long time! Pastor Sonny gave a little bit of background in his sermon last week, the history of the Israelites, and the pressure, the oppression, and how they all lost God's favor.. Thus, when the God's word came forward through the prophet about God's salvation and deliverance, His promises to restore Jerusalem and redeem them.. nothing except bursting shouts of joy!

I don't know about you, but waiting is not something that we like to do, especially in this world of instantaneous! Everything feels like in the palm of your hand and it makes us anxious, impatient, and we go through our life just like that, ignoring what God has in store for us, ignoring His words. No wonder we don't feel God's presence, we don't experience His miracles and healing..

It also mentioned in that passage:

How beautiful on the mountains
    are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
    who bring good tidings,
    who proclaim salvation,

How beautiful are those who bring good news! why? because our message brings deliverance! our testimony brings salvation! We proclaim good news to those who are broken-hearted, lost, poor..

Revelation 3:17 said: You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Yes it may contradict to what we see in our daily live, especially in here in Vancouver.. people are happy, they're fine, they don't need God, they are wealthy and very healthy.. but of course they are from the outside! overall, they need to look good in front of other people right?
No, I was talking their deep down inside needs.. do you know how many depressed people out there.. how many suicide cases, fighting, broken family, marriage, relationship.. they all need God, they all need what Jesus has come and die for.. they need God.

It's a calling for all of us. Think about those lives that you could've touched, could've changed.. and they are not, because we don't obey.

Will you bring the good news to your friends and family? Will you accept and receive what God has called and commanded you to do?

Through it all - Hillsong (G)

Intro: G-D/F#-Emsus--C9--D (2x)

Verse: 

 1     5/7      6 

You are forever in my life 

 4              5 

You see me through the season 

 1          5/4           6
Cover me with Your hands 

 4                     5
And Lead me in Your righteousness 

 3            4 

And I look to You 

 3           4 - 5
And I wait on You 

 Chorus: 

 1                   4 

 I'll sing to You, Lord a hymn of love

 5         6         4         5

 For Your faithfulness to me 

 1               4

 I'm carried in everlasting arms

 3          6            2 

You'll never let me go

 5           1

 Through It all 

 Exit:

 1  6    4      5

 Hallelujah....(4x)

How's your prayer life ?

Yesterday's discussion was about prayer life.

Prayers are the core being of our Christian life. It's the communication part in a relationship. Imagine a relationship without communications.. that'd be living a Christian life without prayers.
I'm talking about those that have received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. If you have not, have someone to talk to :)

Undoubtedly it's expressed many ways in the bible, from Abraham, David, Job, Daniel, Nehemiah, all the prophets ever written, and even Jesus Himself prays! They all have their own traits and personalities when it comes to prayer. I love how David danced as his acts of praying (2 Sam 6:13-14)
Matthew 6 pictured how we should pray. I'm not going to talk about that here, but it's good to read and learn that again and again.   

It's amazing sometimes we forgot to pray or delayed or don't have time because of our tiny little own business, or busyness.. without realizing how it hugely impacted our life!   We focused so much on our own stuff and forgetting that God cares for you and He wants to help you.. overall He loves you! Probably He was thinking, oh my son, why did you do that, why didn't you consult with me, and sometimes He just so loving of a father, he let us wander ourself, out of His care and protection, let us far enough, fall on our own maybe... and all that just to know that there is a God, a Father that cares for us, and always open His arms to welcome us back.

Think about what if.. What if I talk to God first.. what if I let Him in be in control.. what if we don't have to wander around? Think about God's plan that He has for you, and what if God has a bigger and better purposes for us? Might not what we want or like, but He has a purpose for you!

In the music prayer yesterday I shared about how sometimes my prayer doesn't always get answered, at least in the way I want, or when I want.. but one thing I do find true, that God always listen, and every time I finish praying, I always feel that my burden is so light and peace just rest in me.. man, it's awesome. And when He answers.. wow, you just stand in awe, giving back all the glory.. when He answered, Job became speechless.. when He spoke, raging storm calmed down.. when He spoke, fire came down...  
man, who said Christian life is boring?  You're being backed up by a living God, the creator of heaven and earth.. God that created you and yet we can't comprehend His greatness in our little brain (we tried to)... but I just know that I'm on His side! If God is for us then who can be against! You witness His glory and His work everyday...  It's a life that filled with purpose, full of God's grace and empowerment! Walking everyday with faith, seeing God's work in every person you meet, life-changing experience.. it's just amazing. Don't you want that? 

So, how's your prayer life? 

You alone can rescue - Matt Redman

Key B - Capo 4

Verse 1:
G                     C       G
Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
  C        G         D
Their own sin could heal?
    Em         G      C       G
Our shame was deeper than the sea
      C       D      G
Your love is deeper still

Chorus:
                C      D           Em
You alone can rescue, You alone can save
               C       D        Em7
You alone can lift us from the grave
                  C        D             Em
You came down to find us, led us out of death
                C         D       G       C  G  C
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Verse 2:
G                   C      G
You, oh Lord, have made a way
     C       G        D
The great divide You heal
     Em       G           C   G
For when our hearts were far away
      C         D       G
Your love went further still
            C        D       G
Yes, your love goes further still

Chorus:
                C      D           Em
You alone can rescue, You alone can save
               C       D        Em7
You alone can lift us from the grave
                  C        D             Em
You came down to find us, led us out of death
                C         D       Em
To You alone belongs the highest praise
                C         D       Em
To You alone belongs the highest praise
                C         D       G
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Tag:
     G
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
             C
You’re the Giver of Life
    Em
We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
            C
You’re the Giver of Life

God's authority & plan

Psalm 33:4-5:

For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.

When I read that passage, I was wondering how it could be true in spite of the tragedy that happened around the world? Maybe David has never seen a typhoon as big as what happened recently was the typhoon Haiyan in Philippines?

How could we find Him faithful in all He does? Is this hurricane/typhoon/disaster is part of what He does? 

Is this part of His acts as a just judge and righteousness? 

Is the earth full of his unfailing love?

Well, as humanly as this might not make sense to all of us, the best answer that we could get is from the Bible itself! 

>> We must acknowledge and understand who our God is <<

1 Tim 6:15-16 says: 

...which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever...

He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The creator and ender of all things. He is an almighty God that way above all created things, for everything is created by and for Him.  David was fully grasped that, Job was fully understand that, Paul totally grasped that.. along with other disciples,  and everyone else..  Do we?

We human always tried to be our own God but forgetting who we actually are and who owns our life!  

As my friend Daniel said, behind all that, we can learn that destroying/annihilation isn't really God's 'end-game' (the best way I can put it :p) , but restoration is! If we see in the old testament, Noah, Job, Sodom and Gomorrah, Elijah, Israelites.. and even the death of Jesus Christ! there's always a restoration that follows through, and it's always for His glory.

So the question is, my friend Greg once asked, on which side of authority do you want to be in?

James 4:12

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy

Offering

Roma 12: 1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

What's the purpose of your work/study/self-improvement? Who are you doing it for?

- love God better, or love yourself better?

- love others better, or love yourself better?

How to have a Kingdom mindset?

Breaking Bad TV shows

Source: Sunday Service sermon Nov 3, 2013