You and I have been given the ministry of reconciliation

I heard and released these words from the Lord recently:
"Like a dove, let My Spirit fall upon you and receive My peace. I am the Prince of Peace, and I have given you the ministry of reconciliation, for the lives around you, even for your nation."

'Dove' in the Bible speaks of 'peace, gentleness, harmlessness'. John 1:32 says, 'John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him (Jesus)."' And in Matthew 10:16, Jesus Himself says, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says, 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation'.

The word 'reconcile' here brings the meaning of 'to restore relations, to bring into agreement, to bring into harmony', and in this context, between God and people. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." The word 'peacemakers' here is 'eirenopoios', from two words, 'eirene' meaning 'peace', and 'poieo' meaning 'to make, to bring (forth)'. Many people thought this verse is talking about making peace between two human beings who quarrel. But it's not just that. More essentially, this verse is talking about you and I making peace between God and people! Indeed, as God's people, we are all called to be salt and light here on earth! 'Salt' to 'stop the rot' in people's lives, and 'light' to 'shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven'! (Matthew 5:13-16).

The word 'ministry' here is 'diakonia' in Greek, and it simply means 'to serve, to aid, to attend to', and 2 Corinthians 5:18 says God Himself has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Notice the word 'us' here? In this context, it means 'all of us who are in Christ'! Notice the Bible never says 'some of us', but the Bible says 'all of us'! You and I included! A lot of Christians 'wait to be given a ministry, and only then they would do ministry'. They'd say, "No one give me ministry work to do, and I'm still waiting to be given one." But the truth is you and I have ALREADY been given a ministry! And it's called the ministry of reconciliation! To reconcile men to God! By preaching the gospel of His salvation wherever He puts us! And by 'standing in the gap' and praying for them!

Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Do you know whose name is also called 'dove' in the Bible? It's Jonah! Jonah 1:1-3 says, 'Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord'.

The name 'Jonah' is 'yownah' in Hebrew, meaning 'dove'! And God's divine assignment for him? To bring the wicked people of Nineveh back to God! In other words, to reconcile them to God! But as you can see here, Jonah ran away instead! 

Why? Maybe because he felt the people of Nineveh didn't deserve it! After all, they had severely oppressed Israel those days, and Jonah thought they shouldn't be given a chance to repent!

Long story short, after a great storm on the way to Tarshish, being thrown into the sea, and ended up in a fish's belly, Jonah finally answered God's call to go to Nineveh and preach to them. The people of Nineveh believed, turned away from their evil ways, and the Lord God relented from the disaster that He said He would bring upon them! Seeing this, Jonah was so angry he wanted to die!

It was then that the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head. But as morning dawned the next day, God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And Jonah answered, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" But the Lord God then said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left - and much livestock?" (Jonah 4:6-11)

What we see may not be what God sees, and what we think may not be what God thinks! Jonah might have thought it's impossible for the people of Nineveh to change and repent, but God saw it differently! Jonah might have thought the people of Nineveh didn't deserve to be given a second chance, but God saw it differently! In fact, God's willingness to forgive the repentant people of Nineveh illustrates the greatness of His love and compassion towards mankind, and exposed the narrowness of Jonah's heart. Indeed, God's will is that none should perish, but all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Knowing this is the heart of God towards mankind, we all have great hope. And as God's people, He can use you too as His vessels to bring hope and reconciliation to mankind. Amen!

A heart that is right before the Lord

Psalm 51:10 (KJV): Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

The word 'heart' here in Hebrew is 'leb', which simply means 'the centre of everything'. The Bible says each of us is "a spirit being that lives in a body and has a soul" (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23). In other words, you are made up of "spirit, soul, body", but 'the centre of everything is the spirit (or the heart)', and out of it springs forth every issue of life (Proverbs 4:23). 

As a matter of fact, everything that happens (in and around you) more often than not begins from the heart. When the heart is right, everything will be alright. On the other hand, when the heart is not right, everything (in and around you) will start to deteriorate. And that's exactly why it is so important to keep a heart that is right before the Lord!

People of God, this is a month to make your heart right before the Lord, and allow Him to turn your heart the way He turns a river. Proverbs 21:1-2 says, 'The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts'. 

I heard and released these words from the Lord last Sunday:

"This is a time to make right your heart, for I am looking into the heart and every intention of the heart. Allow Me to clear every issue of your heart and create in you a clean heart. What it takes is a heart that is willing. For I am preparing you for My manifestations."

You see, the Lord has in mind to manifest Himself in very real and practical ways. I believe this second half of the year 2015 is as such - a time when God's people shall see the manifestations of God's Spirit and power in very real and practical ways! There is a time for His visitations (and He will still be), but there is also a time for His manifestations. 

Let's go all the way to Genesis 14:18-23 now. Here, you see how Abram's heart was aligned to God, and not to man's hands. The Scripture reads, 'Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him (Abram) and said: "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." And he (Abram) gave him a tithe of all'.

The name 'Melchizedek' comes from two Hebrew words, namely 'malkiy' (which means 'king') and 'tsedeq' (which means 'right, righteous, clear, clean'). So, 'Melchizedek' means 'the King who is right, righteous, clear and clean', a 'picture' of Jesus Christ our Lord, whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for us on the cross! 'Bread' here in Genesis 14:18 speaks of 'His body', whereas 'wine' here speaks of 'His blood'. 

And watch now Abram's response: 'And he (Abram) gave a tithe of all'. 

Some of you may be asking, "But what does 'giving of tithe' have to do with a right heart?" 

It has everything to do with the heart! Because 'giving of tithe' is a form of worship and alignment to God! Jesus Himself said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). In other words, to give tithe to the Lord is to proclaim that He is your Treasure, your unending Source, and your unlimited Supply! And every time you give a tithe to the Lord, you are reminding yourself that He is alive, and that He is the Possessor of heaven and earth, the 'Blessor' of your life! And it is He whom you are aligning to! 

Have you noticed what comes right after Abram's heart was aligned to God? In Genesis 15:1, the word of the Lord came to him in a vision, saying, "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward." The word 'shield' here speaks of 'the Lord being your protector and defense', whereas the word 'reward' here symbolizes 'the Lord who is your (exceedingly great) supply and salary'. 

You see, when your heart is right (before the Lord), you need not fear! In fact, there's absolutely no reason to fear, no matter what happens around you in this world! Simply because you have  'aligned' yourself to the Lord God who is very much alive today, the Possessor of heaven and earth, and not to any dead 'god' (as what is dead cannot give anything good to you or bless you). Genesis 15:6 later says, 'And he (Abram) believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness'.

Back to Psalm 51:10 where we first started in this article. David penned this whole Psalm 51 with a heart of returning and repentance, after the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to rebuke and correct him (read the background in 2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12). Indeed, whom the Lord loves, He will also rebuke and chasten (Hebrews 12:6, Revelation 3:19). 'To chasten' here in Greek is the word 'paideuo', which means 'to train up (or discipline) a child by educating them'. Therefore, never despise such 'chastening' of your Father in heaven, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him (Hebrews 12:5), because when He does this, it is because He loves you, and He has greater things in mind for you.

What is 'a heart that is right before the Lord'?

- A heart that is humble (willing to admit mistakes) before the Lord;

- A heart that fears (trembles before) the Lord;

- A heart that is yielded (surrendered) to the Lord;

- A heart that takes rebuke (and correction) from the Lord;

- A heart that is willing to be trained (and taught) by the Lord.

Beloved of God, know the heart of God for you, that He loves you. Whatever mistake (or mistakes) you have made in your life, surrender all these to the Lord and learn to forgive yourself. His grace is sufficient for you to start anew, and He will help you. He is also here to restore you the way He did for David, if your heart is turned to Him today. Amen.

The Lord hasn't forgotten you

Isaiah 49:14-16 (NKJV): But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me."

The word 'inscribed' here is 'chaqaq' (pronounced 'khaw-kak') in Hebrew, which means 'prescribed, appointed, imprinted, decreed, or written (your name)'. Therefore, the expression 'I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands' can mean 'He has written your name on the palms of His hands'. You can also say 'He holds your future (or your 'world') on the palms of His hands'.

Not only that, the Lord also assures continuous protection if you give your future (or your 'world') to Him and leave it on the palms of His hands. 'Walls' speaks of 'protection', and Isaiah 49:16 says 'your walls are continually before Me'.

During a prayer meeting on a recent Sunday morning, my wife Sharon received these reassuring words from the Lord as she was praying for the congregation: "In gentleness, I will touch My people." Indeed, His hands are gentle towards you, His children. He is both the Lion and the Lamb. He may be 'fierce' towards the 'enemy', but He is also gentle towards you, His own beloved children.

In cross reference, Mark 10:13-16 says, 'Then they brought little children to Him (Jesus), that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands (palms) on them and blessed them.

‘Children’ usually implies 'naivety'. According to the Oxford Dictionary, 'being naive' means 'showing lack of experience, wisdom or judgment; being too ready to believe what is being told'.

People of God, if you have made a mistake in life recently (and still feeling bad about it), condemn yourself no more. Look to Him, and return to Him. Come back to His safe and loving hands. He is here to receive you and touch you today, as He did the little children. Is there anyone who has never made a mistake in life before? No one. Simply because we are all just humans, and not God. 

A mistake may be a sin (or a wrongdoing) committed, or a wrong decision made (that leads to some repercussions). More often than not, mistakes happen when one does not heed Proverbs 3:5-8 that says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones." 

But God is saying to you today that He is not here to condemn you. Instead, He is here to restore you and give you another chance, if you would return to His way (see Psalm 51). David did exactly that (i.e. returning to His way) after Nathan the prophet came to him (see 2 Samuel 11 and 12). To repent is to change one's way back to God's way. Psalm 51:17 says, "A broken spirit and a contrite heart, these, O God, You will not despise." A contrite heart is a repentant heart (a sincere heart that returns to God's way when one realizes his/her wrong).

Repentance leads to restoration and even renewal. In Psalm 51:12, David prayed, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation ('Yeshuwah'), and uphold me by Your generous (merciful) Spirit." No doubt he did face some immediate consequences due to the mistakes he had committed, but he was eventually restored and renewed in his walk with God.

And just as He saw David (literally meaning 'beloved') as His beloved, God sees you as His beloved too, in spite of your mistakes. He is indeed rich in His mercy towards us, and no matter what had happened, I believe it's never too late to return to Him and let Him become central in your life again.

Indeed, the palms of His hands have been nailed on the cross, so that you can be set free today. These very same gentle hands that touch you and bless you (as He did with the children those days) have also carried all your sins, your shame, your guilt, your condemnation, your bondages, even your addictions, when He died for you on the cross some 2,000 years ago.

Isaiah 49:17-18 then says, "Your sons (fruits, offspring) shall make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste shall go away from you. Lift up your eyes, look around and see; all these gather together and come to you. As I live, you shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament (of beauty), and bind them on you as a bride does." 

In returning and in rest (on the palms of His hands), the Lord promises that your fruits (and all that you put your hands on) shall grow, flourish, and be gathered unto you. You shall also be like a beautiful 'bride' who is clothed with the glory of the Lord as you continue to look to Him, till the day when you see the glorious coming of the Bridegroom. Amen.

In Christ, you have the forgiveness of sins

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV): In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Are you feeling like your hope has gone up in smoke because of something that you've done wrong, or a sin you've recently committed?

Maybe it is something that you promised God you won't commit it ever again, but yet you found yourself committing it all over again! And now, you are really feeling bad about it and wish you could turn back time. You may even be feeling that God is really angry with you right now, and is all-out to punish and suffer you from now on!

Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) says, 'In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace'. It says here 'we have'. It doesn't say 'we try to get' the forgiveness of sins!

And because His work on the cross is complete and perfect (Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 9:12), your forgiveness is also therefore complete and perfect! Make no mistake about it. Complete forgiveness means all the penalties for your sins can no longer fall on you, because they have already fallen on Jesus' body at the cross. Isaiah 53:5 says 'the chastisement (punishment) for your peace (well-being) was upon Him'. So, you see, not only are you forgiven, Jesus has also carried your punishment as well! The Word of God says so.

"Pastor, in that case, does it mean that as a believer in the New Covenant, I don't need to repent?"

God has definitely not gone soft with sin under the New Covenant. A sin is a sin, and a sin still has to be punished. Just that Jesus in all His grace has carried upon Himself your punishment (Isaiah 53:5). So, of course there is a place for repentance. 'Repentance' is 'metanoia' in Greek, which actually means 'change the way of thinking'. When a believer who is under grace realizes he has done wrong, he then 'repents', i.e. acknowledge it with God, and then 'change his ways', yet also knowing that he has already been forgiven, through the blood of Jesus Christ.

So, my point here is it's not about you don't acknowledge or repent (i.e. change your ways). What I'm saying is 'you don't have to beg and keep begging Him for forgiveness', because under grace, you are already forgiven, whether it's your past, present, or even future sins!

I know of many believers who are still struggling and begging God for forgiveness, and even after crying and pleading Him hard, they still aren't sure if they really have been forgiven or not! That's the problem. This in turn causes 'guilt' within, which then leads to 'fear' (that something bad's going to happen to them due to those sins they've committed), and eventually this 'fear' leads to stress, depression, and even sicknesses. See how one leads to another?

So, in conclusion, all is not lost and hopeless yet for you. What you need to do now is to settle it in your heart once for all, that as a believer, you already have the forgiveness of sins, because God sees you in Christ, not by what you do, but by what He has already done for you on the cross. Amen.

The goodness of God leads to true repentance

1 John 4:19: We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 says, ‘we love Him because He first loved us.’ It doesn’t say, ‘He love us because we first loved Him.’ Now who loved who first? Obviously the answer is God loved us first. God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). That’s how good God is to us.

In Luke 5:3-10, you can see God’s love and goodness demonstrated in Simon Peter’s life. This led him to true repentance, and he finally became a disciple of Jesus. In Luke 5:3, Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat at the time he was washing his fishing nets after a frustrating night of toiling, with no results (Luke 5:5). In other words, Simon Peter was feeling such a failure that day. And that was the time Jesus came into his life. Little did he know it was the turning point of his life. Friends, when Jesus comes with all His love and goodness into your life, your life will definitely be changed too!

In Luke 5:4, Jesus asked Simon Peter to launch out into the deep again, and let down his nets for a catch. Simon was a little apprehensive at first as he had toiled whole night without results, and who is this ‘man’ asking him to go back to the sea again. Nevertheless, he obliged. Guess what? This time, he caught a great number of fish, and the net was about to break! Simon even had to ask his partners in the other boat to come and help. Now when Simon Peter saw this goodness of God, he was astonished and fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!’ But Jesus answered, ‘Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.’ Simon found and experienced God’s love, goodness, grace, and even destiny in life. He forsook all, and followed Jesus from then on.

So, from an uneducated, rough and probably foul-mouthed fisherman who was a failure, God’s goodness changed his life that day. It led him to true repentance. He confessed being a sinner (Luke 5:8). There was a change in his heart and mind. He suddenly realized how much God loved him, and how good God has been to him. He probably might have thought otherwise before that. But now he has experienced the goodness of God that changed his life forever. This is true repentance, my friend.

Simon Peter went on to become a key disciple of Jesus, and later in Acts 2:14, he preached a sermon under the power of the Holy Spirit where 3,000 souls were saved that day, and the church was birthed forth.

Friends, it is God’s love and goodness that really leads to true repentance, not judgmental preaching and message that is based on fear, or religious law that tries to change us in the outside. We are talking about true repentance from the heart, the inner change. God is not an angry God looking around and hunting for your sins, waiting to punish you. In fact, your sins have already been punished when Jesus died on the cross, once and for all (Romans 6:10). Your sins have already been judged on the cross. So now, believers, rest assured that you are not punished anymore. Believe He is always good to you. Receive His goodness today!