Reuel is in Malaysia right now for his business trip so I am left alone with the 3 kids at home. Since today is Sunday and I’m not able to personally attend our church worship service, I rather let myself watch the live streaming (http://www.lighthousebbc.org/) worship service from the main congregation in Tatalon, Quezon City. The message of Pastor Reuben is entitled, RAISING OUR LEVEL HIGH IN 2011. With his message, he asked all the members to post the preaching notes to each and everyone’s Facebook account and so I did. Below are the different levels that should be raised this year.
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1. Raising the Level of our Spiritual Awareness------
According to Pastor Reuben, everything done for God is opportunity. We just need to be aware of the opportunities around us and the danger that comes our way because sometimes we do not know that it has come our way and we just let it passed. We ought to do something for the opportunities to come. And for us to discern the spiritual opportunities, we should set our affections above and not of those in this earth. Pastor RA also mentioned that we need to have the sense for excellent things to raise our spiritual awareness.
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Let us read some verses in the Bible:
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Philippians 1:10 (KJV):
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;”
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1 Thessalonians 5:6-8 (KJV):
“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.”
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Ephesians 5:14-17 (KJV):
“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
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In the last verse, it mentions that the Lord gives us illumination when we are spiritually sensitive (we should be awake first then arise) for us to receive the lights that our Lord Jesus Christ is giving.
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2. Raising the Level of our Spiritual Endurance
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This means increasing the threshold of our spiritual endurance. Pastor RA cites that some Christians is being on and off in serving the Lord which greatly affects their spiritual growth. We should not be affected or persuaded by those people that have wrong attitudes, by those who are fond of criticizing other people, etc. We all need to be strong for us to be able to endure things that can help us grow. Please read the following verses from the Bible which was written by Apostle Paul to Timothy that speaks of endurance.
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2 Timothy 3:10-12 (KJV):
“But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
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1 Timothy 4:6 (KJV):
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”
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Ephesians 6:10-19 (KJV):
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,”
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3. Raising the Level of our Saving Endeavors
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Contrary to what most of us know, the Church’ business is not just to save the soul of a man but the saving of a whole man which is the spirit, soul and the body. There are people who clamor to save souls but did not care about fellowshipping with other. Every part of the church’ ministries are in the saving business. We need to save people from stubbornness, from wrong directions, from wrong influence, from wrong minds so let all our church’ ministries be a saving ministry of the whole man. Let us read the Bible:
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Philippians 2:12 (KJV):
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
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4. Raising the Level of our Ministry Quality
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We at LBBC want to have a fool-proof ministry. Every ministry of the church should care for the work of GOD. Pastor RA said that we cannot demonstrate the love of God without loving the work of God. We should be willing to fulfill our ministry against all odds. Let us read what the Bible said about this:
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Colossians 4:17 (KJV):
“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.”
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2 Corinthians 6:3-12 (KJV):
“Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.”
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Pastor Reuben ends his morning preaching asking the members to raise our levels high this year. God Bless us all!
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