‘Pastor's Heart’

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

1Thes 4:7

According to the Scriptures, the believers in Christ are supposed to be the salt and light of the world. Unfortunately, scandals do hit the Church from time to time. The shocking thing is that many of those misdeeds are perpetuated not by sinners from without but by those within the church who profess to be born-again, baptized believers of Jesus Christ. The scandals have served as a stumbling block and have further contributed to the unbelieving world’s mockery of the Christian faith. “The church is full of hypocrites” is a common excuse for people not to attend church or trust Christians in general

In light of the above, we are committed to live the Higher Life, a phrase that refers to the sanctification work of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. Higher Life promotes the idea that Christians should move on from their initial conversion experience to experience a second work of God by which we can live a more holy, less sinful or even a sinless life.

Living the Higher Life begins with the realization that salvation is a product of His grace alone. There is nothing we can do to earn it, to deserve it, to obligate God to give it to us, to buy it from Him, or to bribe Him into giving it to us. Salvation and eternal life are free gifts. However some believers stop there. They mistakenly assumed that since they live under grace, they are under no obligation to live under the Law. They claim that God’s law was abolished by Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. They think that mankind is no longer burdened by the stringent requirements of that “harsh law” that stands in their way of freedom—of “having a good time.” Essentially they turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness (Jude1:4). Lasciviousness means “license to sin.” It could also be defined as “unrestrained liberty” or “abuse of privilege.” In essence, this meant license to do what seems right in one’s own eyes, according to one’s own conscience. But that is not what the Scriptures teach. The truth of the matter is the Christian calling (Rom. 8:29-30) is based on grace—unmerited pardon of past sins and forgiveness upon genuine repentance. Christians understand that the very salvation offered to them is a gift, and that they must continue to live a lifetime of obedience/submission to His will (Acts 5:32, John 14:15) and overcoming.

To live the Higher Life is not an exception but a norm to the Christian life. “For it is GOD which works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). God provides Christians with the WILLPOWER, FAITH OF CHRIST and MOTIVATION to do His good pleasure. God the Father and Jesus Christ have gone to great lengths to provide the grace—favor and divine mercy—to help Christians succeed in their calling. But God expects results! That is the message of Ephesians 2: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (vs. 10). “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16) Let’s pursue the Higher Life and we will discover the grace of God to experience the abundant life that our Lord promises to all who surrender to his will.

Blessings,
Pastor Chris Chan

“One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” (Pro. 11:24-25)

Giving of tithes and offerings is a misunderstood topic among many believers. Some are reluctant to give because they felt they could not afford to give since they are living from paycheck to paycheck. Others do not give generously because of their lack of proper understanding regarding the topic. But the truth of the matter is – giving is the key that the Lord has designed to unlock the abundance of blessings for those who respond positively.

Our God is a generous God. All good things are from Him. The whole of creation is a gift from God for us to enjoy. He gives us light, air, food, water and clothes. And beyond this He gives us Himself. He gives us Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit. He gives us forgiveness and He gives us love. He gives us the gift of eternal life and He is preparing a place for us in heaven. His generosity is unquestionable and He wants us to live in abundance. In His economy, He has designed the key to abundance is through generosity – giving with a cheerful heart. That’s why the Lord Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

There are numerous accounts of people whose generosity, even when they were extremely low themselves on the very basic necessities, lifted them into a place of true spiritual and natural abundance. One such example is the church in Macedonia (2 Corinthians8). The Scripture describes them as people of “extreme poverty” (materially speaking) but they were rich in generosity. They experienced the grace of giving and had overflowing joy. Their generous giving had brought about a level of existence that transcended their material poverty. They were a thriving church living in the abundant grace of God tough they did not have much finances.

Our giving to the Lord and the reciprocal blessings that come with it can be likened to the great rivers of the world. They are flow into the oceans. The oceans never overflow nor do the rivers run dry. Oceans and rivers are all water, and water, whether it is on the ground in the form of a liquid as a river or lake, or in the heavens in the form of vapor as clouds - is still water. This miracle of water always returning to its previous state is one of the great cycles in nature that make life on the planet earth possible. That unending cycle of water flow symbolizes the nature of our Father the Creator of the universe. He has never stopped giving and has never exhausted His supplies. We are all part of Him and He is our unending source. Everything comes from Him and everything returns unto Him. He is like that Great River that continues to flow and empty itself into the ocean while never running dry. (Romans 11:36). So when we give (not just money but) of ourselves, we are connected to the never ending flow of life and resources that find its source in Him. That’s the key to an abundant life!

Blessings,

Pastor Chris Chan

“Happy New Year!” What a blessing it is to acknowledge the end of one year, and embrace the possibilities of another. For many, 2009 proved to be a challenging year. The state of the economy is still on everyone’s mind. The recession in this country has triggered massive layoffs, home foreclosures and widespread failures of financial institutions and businesses. News of political turmoil, terrorists attacks and natural disasters occurring all across the globe further added to the bleakness. Believing that the recession has not bottomed out yet, the world at large does not anticipate a great year in 2010. But the people of God have a different view regarding the future.


Having a sense of security in our God, we believe He, the maker of heaven and earth, is in complete control. Nothing takes Him by surprise. We may face yet another challenging year ahead. But when faced with difficulties or problems, the people of God are encouraged to seek Him for help. In Psalms 42:1-2, the Psalmist boldly declared “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” Our focus should be on the Lord, not our circumstances. He will surely help and deliver us when we call upon His name.


During this month, we are calling a time of fasting and prayer from the 11th to the 31st. We are seeking the Lord not only for our personal needs to be met, though we will be doing that. More importantly let’s unite our hearts to pray for a great harvest of souls in our church and our city throughout the year. This is a beginning of a new decade. Let’s this be a decade of unprecedented work of the Holy Spirit in bringing repentance of lost souls and sanctification in the lives of believers. The second coming of Christ is drawing closer and God is accelerating His work. John 9:4 says , “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent us. Night is coming, when no one can work.” Let’s get a sense of urgency and be active in the harvest field while we it is still day. The world has gathered in our backyard in Seattle. We trust that the prophecy found in Isaiah 2:2-3 (nations gathering in the House of the God of Jacob) that was given to us years ago will be fulfilled in 2010.


Having a heart that seeks wholly after God is the one sure way for living and fulfilling the Christian life to its full potential. But it is also a difficult endeavor, not because it is complicated but because human nature gets in the way. By nature, we seek our own good and we seek our ways first. Even when we seek to do good our motivations are usually self-centered. We do good because it makes us feel good; we seek God because we see the benefit His goodness has in our lives. While it is true that we cannot separate the benefits God gives from the relationship we have with Him, the benefits should not be our sole motivation. We are human and it is not possible to be completely selfless; however, it is possible to seek God for the purpose of knowing Him and not merely seeking the rewards in His hand. God told Abraham, “I am your exceedingly great reward”. Knowing Him is our greatest reward and nothing in this life can truly be enjoyed as it was intended outside of Christ. That’s why we are setting aside time, effort and attention to focus on Him in the beginning of the year to build a closer relationship with Him. That way we start the year on the right footing. We will have a better chance of ending the year right. Let’s seek the Lord together and expect a great and fruitful year in 2010.

Blessings,

Ps. Chris

What is the true meaning of Christmas? It is a perennial question. It is a question heard often during the Christmas season year after year, from pulpits, TV personalities, newspaper writers, and just ordinary people bewildered by the hectic pace of the season. It seems a little strange that as popular as this season seems to be, we should continually have to ask that question. The meaning of Christmas seems to be forever in danger of being obscured by all the commotion and promotion of the season. So, the search for the true meaning of Christmas is a recurring one. And yet, too often the answers we hear are more sentimentality, comfortable traditions, or “warm fuzzies” than they are any deep reflection on the significance of the Son of God becoming human (Incarnation). As much as those things are a part of the season, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” is not the meaning of the season. It is not about the “spirit of giving” or the quest for global peace, or the importance of family, or the beauty of a snow-decorated “silent night.”

Certainly we can immediately say that Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. But exactly why is that fact so significant beyond the affirmation of a historical fact or a creedal confession? How does, or how should, the meaning of Christmas impact our lives on a daily basis as the people of God?

Christmas, at its best and purest state, is a promise of something that no holiday or experience or earthly thing can satisfy. Galatians 4:4-5 says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” At the heart of the nativity narratives in both Matthew and Luke, is a simple fact: amid the struggle of a people who had longed for 500 years for God to act in the world in new ways, God came to be with them in a way that totally identified Himself with us, as human beings. Amid the most unlikely of circumstances, to the most unlikely of people, God became a human being to reconcile all peoples to himself (2 Cor. 5:18-19).

Christmas is celebrating God’s greatest gift to humanity that came in the simplest and humblest of wrappings. The gift came in the form of a baby, born not in a palace of gold but in a stable, clothed with rags and laid in a feeding trough. Yet this baby, because He is Immanuel, God with us, will forever change the world and all humanity. It is this same God who has promised to be with us, with His people, with the church and with us individually, as we live as His people in the world. Our calling is to be the light of the world, pointing them to the Savior. In light of this gift, we should live a life worthy of the calling you have received (Eph 4:1). This gift, like no others on earth, has the transforming power to make us become like Him if we yield ourselves to Him (2Co 5:17).

Christmas isn’t about those gifts that you have under your tree during this season. All of those “gifts” will be gone one day. All that will be left after this life is the human soul, and that will live forever. We put so much stock in what we have, but this is all going to pass away. Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive. Let’s celebrate God’s gift with great joy and thankfulness!

Wishing you a very Blessed Christmas,

Pastor Chris Chan

The weather patterns in Seattle – frosty mornings, rainy days, colorful leaves, getting-dark-early - remind us that autumn is here and so is the month of November. We will be celebrating Thanksgiving before the month is over. There is much to give thanks for and we don’t have to wait till Thanksgiving Day to do that. This month we are thanking the Lord for the redemptive work of salvation He secured for us.

It is against human nature to be thankful. In fact, we are better at complaining than appreciating. We’re good at telling the Lord what we want him to do for us than thanking Him for all He has done for us. In order to wash out that complaining spirit and replace it with a heart of gratitude to the Lord, David wrote in Psalms 103 a prayer in which he talked to his own soul and reminded himself to “bless the Lord” and “forget not all his benefits.” Three benefits we are to remember according to this Psalms.

Pardon
“Who forgives all your iniquity.” David begun by reminding us that God forgives all our iniquity. He started here because this is the foundation for everything else. Our greatest problem is the guilt we feel because of our sin, and our greatest need is to know forgiveness from the Lord. Note that David said that God forgives “all” our iniquity. That’s good news, isn’t it? Some of us have really blown it big time, and we have messed up over and over and over again. And we’ve done the same dumb things repeatedly even after promising never to do them again. The word “all” is included because it means that God intends to forgive our future sins.

Most of us secretly imagine that when we come to Christ, all our past sins are forgiven, but then it’s a footrace race with the devil until the end of life. But when Christ died, all our sins were in the future. And when we come to Christ, all our sins are forgiven, even the yet-to-be-committed sins, ones that would shock us if we knew about them right now. What a God we serve! What grace! He forgives all our sins—past, present and future. That’s a huge insight because it touches how we see God. He’s more willing to forgive than we are to be forgiven. He is eager to forgive. He is ready to forgive. He wants to forgive you and me.


Healing
“Who heals all your diseases.” After doctors and nurses have done all they can do, and after we have used all the latest technology and taken the newest drugs, healing must come from the Lord. That’s why we pray for the sick. They may be healed by medicine or by surgery or by some other course of treatment or they may find healing through prayer or by a miracle from the Lord. All of those things are possible, and they are not mutually exclusive. If you were sick and are now healthy, give thanks to the Lord. If your cancer is in remission, give thanks to the Lord. If you nearly died after an accident but somehow survived, give thanks to the Lord. And remember that any healing in this life is limited and temporary. Our ultimate healing comes when we are raised immortal and incorruptible. In that happy resurrection day, when Jesus comes and the “dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:16), then at last we will be totally, completely, and finally healed once and for all. Between now and then give thanks to the Lord for every bit of healing you experience.

Deliverance
“Who redeems your life from the pit.” To redeem means to rescue from danger in the time of trouble. The “pit” refers to death itself. We are not to fear death as death is our passage to heaven. The Apostle Paul said that to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor 5:8). We have been delivered from “hell,” a place of judgment and torment for those who died without Christ.

God has preserved us to this very moment and has protected us every step of our journey. If God willed it to be so, we would die today—and we might die today—but it cannot happen without God’s permission. Satan himself cannot touch us with God’s permission. We ought to live life with no care for how or when we are going to die. Every day the Lord rescues us in a million ways that we don’t see. His angels encamp around us to deliver us from trouble. Think of the things that could have happened to you but didn’t. No one robbed you. No one shot you. You weren’t fired. A truck didn’t hit you. You weren’t rear-ended. No one scammed you on the Internet (though some people tried). Your identity wasn’t stolen (as far as you know. You don’t have cancer—or if you do, you’re not dead yet. You’ve got your health (what there is of it), your friends (most of them, anyway), your money (maybe not as much as a three months ago but you’re not broke), your job (if you don’t get let go tomorrow), and on and on it goes. Think of all the bad things that could have happened to you today that didn’t. So let’s be thankful


Blessings,
Pastor Chris Chan

For those who were away for Summer vacation, we welcome you back to Seattle. For those of us who remained in Seattle all this while, we too welcome you - to the fall season where the days get darker earlier, wetter and colder. For the past two months we have been emphasizing on topics that pertains to God’s presence and we are thankful that His felt presence are more evident in our corporate gatherings, especially on Sundays.

With the dawning of the fall season comes opportunities. Every year, fall is a time of harvest for our church. Hundreds of new students arrive in Seattle from all over the world to pursue their higher education, thus presenting us many open doors to share Christ with them. Besides sharing the good news with others, we too must reestablish our faith in Him for after a busy Summer. Now that vacation is over, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We dedicate this month to be a time of Knowing Him (in a deeper dimension) and Making Him Known.

KNOWING GOD
Our greatest responsibility as Jesus’ church on earth is both to know Him and to make Him known. Knowing Him will be unfulfilled fully unless we develop the following virtues that results from being in right standing with God and attainments received only through obedience.

LOVE.
Though faith is what’s required to please God (Heb 11:6), it is love that remains the greatest of all virtues (Cor. 13). Love never fails. Love never fails. It is perfect, totally unselfish to the point of the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus loved the world so much that He gave His life to save it. Faith, on the other hand, should work through love. So these two virtues remain the two absolutes that mark someone to be a true believer. We must grow in love and faith.

PURITY.
Christianity has been shaken by scandals committed by prominent ministers. Purity must be emphasized again if the church of Christ wants to win the respect of the world and make our voices heard. We can never hope to see God move in our midst without holiness (Heb 12:14). Holiness is the absolute evidence of the Gospel’s effect on a believer’s life. Without it, our good intentions collapse under the weight of God’s purposes. God shakes whatever that has faulty foundations.

Power.
It is difficult to represent God without power. Jesus is not an idea, a philosophy or creed. He is all-powerful God. And we have been selected as agents of His powers, to confront and destroy the works of darkness in the same way Jesus did. He promised that we will do greater works. So as we develop a closer walk with Him, let His power work through us even to a greater measure.

MAKING GOD KNOWN
In order to make Jesus known to a world crying out for Him, we must allow Him to be known and seen through each of us. Releasing Jesus’ presence, and thus the kingdom of God itself, is done through power evangelism. It is often effected through the laying on of hands – an intentional act for healing, blessing or impartation (Mark 16:18). We can make Him know also by making sharing our testimonies as to how Christ has changed our lives for the better. And finally do not forget to invite our friends and colleagues to church services or Care Group meetings. During those meetings, the presence of Jesus is heightened and many could get touched. Friendship evangelism has proven to be the most effective way to bring people to Christ.

Blessings,
Ps. Chris Chan

We talked about pursuing His presence last month. For this month, we are going to explore what happens when people encounter His presence. As we search the Scripture, we discover that there are many instances whereby people do encounter God’s presence, resulting in their lives deeply impacted. Take for instance, Abraham. An encounter with God and he was called the friend of God. The encounter changed Abraham’s life and he received a son. Moses’ face shone for 40 days after he encountered God. Jacob limped for the rest of his life after encountering God. Jacob’s physical limp was an outward reminder of his seeing God face-to-face and an inward reminder to walk humbly before God. Something died when Paul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. After his encounter with Christ, Paul faced death so many times: beatings, shipwrecks, stoning and robbery. He lived as though he didn’t fear death because the old Paul had died when he encountered Christ. A new Paul unselfishly served the Lord after that experience.

We may think that only people in the past encountered God and that God met people in the Bible but He doesn’t do it today. But Jesus told John on the Isle of Patmos, “I am the One who was, who is and who is to come.” (Rev. 1:8). This means that the Lord will live in the future, and He lives today. He still encounters people today as He did yesteryears.

An encounter with God is available to all people –that means you and me. The young encountered God – Gideon and Jeremiah – as well as the old: Moses on Sinai and John on Patmos. Therefore, no matter your age, you can encounter God. People had an encounter with God for many purposes. Some unsaved were converted, such as Saul, who later became the great Apostle Paul. Some godly people encountered Christ to worship Him. Others encountered for a call to vocational service, for a new task, to encourage them, to break their break or to restore them from backsliding. So no matter what problems you have in life, you can encounter God to solve your problems.

It appears that God encounters His people during deep times of need to bring relief and restoration. Elijah met God during a backslidden and discouraged state. And out of Elijah’s deep discouragement came a new spirit of service. Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel encountered God when they saw their nation collapsing around them. And out of Isaiah’s broken dreams came a new purpose in life. Out of Ezekiel’s ordinary dull life, came a new level of power. Out of John’s captivity came freedom of worship. When Jacob was afraid to face a vengeful brother, he encountered God. These problems motivated these men to search for God. But some others were encountered by God, even though they were in rebellion to Him. Saul hated Christ when he met Him on the Damascus road. And out of Saul’s rebellion came an obedient will. Peter had denied Christ three times and Christ came back to restore him. And out of that brokenness, came a new commissioning for ministry that set Peter as the Chief Apostle.

The answer to your problems is not in an experience, nor is your focus on an encounter the most important thing. It is not a “fix,” nor is it a feeling. You must meet God; it is Him that you need. He has the ability to help you through your problem when you hurt or when you yearn for some glue to hold your life together. God is your answer. But almost no one recognizes his or her need of God. Yet St. Augustine, an Early Church father, correctly analyzed the problem when he said, “Thou hast formed is for Thyself and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

Let me conclude by quoting something what Dwight Moody had written long ago to admonish you in your quest to seek God and obtain an encounter with Him, “Do not expect the same experience you had two or twenty years ago. You will have a fresh experience. And God will deal with you in His own way.”

Blessings,

Pastor Chris Chan

Every Sunday many people go to church while others sleep or engage in other weekend activities. For those who show up for worship services, what are their motivations? While many go to church to fulfill an obligation through some ritual, some consider church attendance as an insurance policy to going to heaven in the event they pass away unexpectedly. There are a number of church goers who use Sunday mornings at church a time to make new friends and renew old ones. Then there are those who attend simply out of habit but their worship experience is anything but exciting. What should our focus be when we attend worship services?

Isaiah 2:3 gives us a clue as to what the nations long for when they come to church. It says, “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Notice that they called the church as “House of God of Jacob.” Why did they call the Almighty God as “God of Jacob” and not “God of Abraham” or other patriarchs? Because the revelation of the house of God was given to Jacob at Bethel (Gen 28:10-22). In other words, the nations wanted to experience what Jacob experienced in the House of God. At Bethel, Jacob encountered the manifested presence of God. No wonder Jacob said, “How awesome is this place!” (Gen 28:17). The presence of God is awesome indeed.

For the next several months, we would like to concentrate on pursuing the presence of God not only in our corporate gatherings like Thursday night prayer meetings and Sunday worship services but also in our daily lives whether we are in college, at work or simply at home. When God shows up in our house, wonderful things happen. Among other things, miracles and healings can be experienced in His presence. David claimed that there is fullness of joy in His presence (Psalms 16:11). No wonder only thing he desired and that he would seek after and that was to dwell in His presence in the House of God. Whenever God’s presence is evident in a worship service, people’s response can vary. But there’s one thing for sure – no one will say the gathering is boring!

It was in the presence of the Lord that Jacob (a liar or deceiver) was transformed to being Israel (a prince or an overcomer) after wrestling with Him all night (Gen 32:28). We can expect many lives to be transformed in God’s presence. Our mission is to see lives being transformed so that they will become committed Disciples of Christ. When God’s presence is consistently felt in our midst, people will be convicted of their sins, lives will be restored, fear of God will increase among our people. And many more wonderful things will start to happen. The nations will start showing up in our midst.

Moses realized that living with God’s presence continually is not a mere luxury but an absolute necessity. He told the Lord that if His presence did not accompany Israel, the Lord should not send them anyway (Exo. 33:15) but stay put where they were and risked death. In other words, Moses would rather die than to live without God’s presence. If God’s presence was so essential to Moses, can we afford less? Let’s pursue God’s presence passionately. God always respond to hearts that are hungry for Him.

Blessings,

Pastor Chris Chan

Living a balanced life has almost become a fashionable thing to do. Between our career, fitness, intellectual stimulation, entertainment, planned relaxation and healthy eating it seems that we have identified all the right ingredients for a healthy and balanced life. And yet the perfect balanced life eludes us? Pursuing the balanced life can be very challenging as it leads us to constantly wonder whether if we’ve achieved the right mix of the activities and responsibilities in our lives. After all, how much is too much? At a practical level, it tends to focus on the externals of what we’re doing instead of the state of our hearts. So what does it mean to live a balanced life?

Allow me to share three principles as revealed in the Scriptures that can help to keep our life in balance :

1. Commitment - The critical first step to living a life of balance is deciding that it is more important than other measures of “success.” If the pursuits of power, prestige, position, possessions, or even pleasure are our primary goal, then these will dominate our life. If having these things are more important to us than balance, then they will win.” The Scripture admonishes us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all (that we need in life) will be added to us. So in order to live out the balanced life, we must be committed to loving God and fulfilling God’s will for our lives. At the very beginning, we must understand that the goal is not to organize our lives so as to achieve some abstract state of “balance”. The goal is to bring every area of life into harmony with God’s will. The goal is to follow and obey Him with every area of our lives. If we do that, then the “balance” will take care of itself, because God will never ask us to do more than we are able.
2. Sabbath – “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exo. 20:8). While the command to observe the Sabbath is stated in the Old Testament, it does not mean it is obsolete. It was given as a means to obtain rest and recover perspective in our lives. Many of us live in the fast lane of life, speeding in overdrive, leaving us overwhelmed by our daily responsibilities. We spread ourselves too thin, we burned out, lost our enthusiasm, and had no time for the things we truly enjoy. We need to take time to rest and to reflect. Concerning the contemplative life, the Lord has this to say, “but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42).
3. Passion - The creative force behind all great art, all great drama, all great music, all great architecture, all great writing is passion. Nothing great is ever accomplished in life without passion. Nothing great is ever sustained in life without passion. Passion is what energizes life. Passion makes the impossible possible. Passion gives you a reason to get up in the morning and go, “I’m going to do something with my life today.” Without passion, life becomes boring. It becomes monotonous, routine, and dull. God wants us to love Him passionately. The most important commandment in the Bible according to the Lord Jesus is, “so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.” (MSG-Mar 12:30). We must ensure that our passion for God is at the all-time high or we will be out of “balance” in our lives.
   
   Blessings,
   Pastor Chris Chan

Several years ago, a Barna survey showed 61% of US residents surveyed agreed with the statement the Holy Spirit is “a symbol of God’s presence or power, but is not a living entity.” What is even more shocking is that a majority or near-majority of those in most every Christian denominational family, including mainline Protestants and evangelical Christians held that view. No wonder the work of the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood and many Christians are not experiencing the power of the Spirit in their daily walk. Thus we are dedicating this whole month of June to get to know the Holy Spirit better so that He is allowed to do a greater work in and through us.

Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit is a person, the third member of the Godhead, co-equal with the Father and the Son, the One who enables a believer to live victorious daily lives. The Lord Jesus called us to “receive the Holy Spirit” whom He called The Comforter (John 14:16). Comfort generally implies someone taking us into their arms when we are bereaved, weary, or beaten by circumstances. The Holy Spirit does that, but the primary idea of the Comforter is that He is God who comes beside us to work in us in ways that will bring through us things that never could be otherwise.

First of all, the Holy Spirit wants to empower us to have victory over the enemy – “I have given you authority, so that you can walk on snakes and scorpions and overcome all the power of the Enemy, and nothing will hurt you” (Luke 10:19). Apart from the Holy Spirit, our spiritual capacities are empty; we don’t have what it takes to deal with the crush of evil, taunting, or temptation. We are living in tough times in a real world where hell would like to break us down. But the Lord will defend, protect, deliver and bring you through with mightiness. There’s a reservoir in Heaven with enough for every person forever, but we need to tap in and keep on being filled with the Spirit.

Second, we need Sprit-filled and empowered witness. Before Christ was taken up to heaven, He commissioned His disciples to carry on the mission He had started. “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well (Mark 16:15-18). Therefore, the church of Jesus Christ is called to be agents of God’s powerful healing and deliverance in and for the world. In order to carry out the Great Commission effectively we must be fully empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Third, the Holy Spirit desires to fill and empower the individual believers so that they can be successful in their walk with God, The Lord Jesus commands His disciples to receive the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) that He might replicate His life in each of us by this means. He called us to receive the Holy Spirit that we might have the same power source for everyday life and service that animated Him in His ministry. Let’s continually be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Blessings,
Pastor Chris Chan