Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don't forget to thank Him for His answers.

If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ. (The Living Bible)

Jesus is the true light

As I usually do - to come to the Lord's presence to ask Him, "Lord, what do you have for me tonight?" He leads me to John 1:9

"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."

It is not a statement. It is a promise and this promise was fulfilled by Christ Jesus who came into the world two thousand years ago. I think this is a good topic for sermon.

If I were to preach a sermon on this, what would I say and how should I say it? The title is long, but the promise of that true light gives hope to many - The true light that gives light to every man and woman was coming into the world.

I must admit that I am always fearful of not being capable of preaching a 'good' sermon in church when I am given the opportunity in the future. I am afraid of giving a 'lousy' sermon that discounts God's powerful word because of my inability and non-readiness.

Of-course, the Holy Spirit is the one who convicts the people's heart but we as God's servant must be accountable for what we say though not for the results of what people will response.

Right now, I only want to tell you don’t be afraid of darkness, my friends. Jesus the true light was in the world. It is a matter of whether you recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. To those who received Him, and to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

We are the children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, but born of God. Yes, we are born of God. What do we mean by born of God?

We are from God; we belong to God. We are no longer an orphan in the spiritual realm. We have a Father who loves us; a Father who would give His inheritance to us through Christ Jesus.

We need not wait to get to heaven to receive that inheritance. Jesus the true light of the world had come, who had ushered the kingdom of God into the world. All we need to do is to receive Him and to enter God’s kingdom by faith.

There is victory in God’s kingdom over the dominion of darkness, over the power of sin, over the principalities so long you let the reign of God rules in your mind and heart. In all things that you do, acknowledge Him Jesus is your savior, your true light in the world, and you will receive hope and direction from the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus Christ return in the eschatological 0r end time, we will receive His full inheritance in heaven. Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26

24 “The LORD bless you and keep you;

25 The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’ (NKJ)

Hebrews 13:20-21

20May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (NIV)

Is there other way to reach God?

Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going and how can we know the way?”

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 6:5-7)

You have heard of Jesus and the ONLY way for you to come to the Father is through Jesus Christ. I don’t know what the Universalists think. They seem to offer there is another way to salvation and everyone will be saved.

Although Jesus does not specifically talk about salvation here, He makes very clear statement that everyone would have to go through Him to the Father.

You may argue that there is sure another route to the Father for not every tribe or everyone on earth has had the opportunity to receive the gospel or to know of Jesus, it is not fair to exclude anyone.

Salvation is from God and personally I don’t want to view this matter from human’s perspective. We should listen heartily to what our Savior says to us, rather than elevating ourselves higher than God, extending His salvation to our fellow humankinds on God behalf.

Let’s us not attempt to earn or win the salvation by argument, but humbly beseech Jesus our Lord and respond to His calling by going into the harvest field to bring people to Jesus Christ. Once the people know who Jesus is, they would have known the Father and have seen Him. Amen.

John 14:1-3

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (NIV)

What is good news?

Come tomorrow Jan 20 (at noon to be exact), America will be receiving good news from her 44th President Barack Obama in his inaugural address.

The American people have been anxiously waiting in hope for their new president to deliver his promises made during the presidential campaign to turn the country’s economy around.

The present economy of the nation is in turmoil. Many financial giants have gone bankrupt and unemployment is rampant. Automobile and mass merchandising related companies are at the brim of going out of business. Millions of American men and women are counting on the President’s campaign for the CHANGE would bring them Good News!

The word good news ‘gospel’ or ‘euangelion’ (εὐαγγέλιον in Greek) is originally used in Greco-Roman time to propagate the birth or the appearance of a new emperor. Gospel means good tiding; it signifies a new emperor will usher in a new political era with good economic ideology, which will bring the empire to another milestone.

However, in the Gospel of Mark, according to the evangelist good news begin from the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth (Mark 1:1). It is not about the new emperor or the new political regime or the new economic ideology; it is about Jesus – the Son of God who ushered in the kingdom of God.

Political leaders come and go throughout the human history, thus the change or the good news brought by the new leaders is merely temporal, but the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ is eternal!

All of us, every citizen of the world and America, must receive this good news – gospel – for according to the Scripture (Roman 1:16) it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Amen.