Our topic for this week is about restoring the altar. In the old testament, Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Noah, Gideon and David built an altar to the Lord for sacrificing burnt offerings so that the Lord will smell the pleasing aroma. 

The question is how to restore this kind of altar unto the Lord? Remember, we are a living sacrifice where HE wants us to be holy and pleasing into HIS eyes. Our hearts should be pure so that this will be an altar of worship and praise before HIM. We should have an intimate relationship with HIM through daily prayer and reading the word of God. 

Let us pray that we can restore the altar of worship and praise through an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

In HIS service,

Sister Liza

Last month of February, we learned how to practice love. Love towards God and our neighbors (Matt 22:37-40). It is a great commandment that we should practice. It is not an option to choose but it is a must for us as Christian. It seems that to love God is much easier for most Christians to do rather than to love their neighbors but by not loving our neighbors, we don’t love God either in other word (1John 4:20).

Therefore, loving God and our neighbors is one packet that cannot be separated. It says in 1John 4:20 that all the law and the Prophets hang on these TWO COMMANDMENTS, not only one commandment. So if we practice these two commandments then we have fulfilled the law and the prophets. It is obvious that the basic essence of Christian faith is TO LOVE.

Church, how do you love your God and neighbors today? Have you practiced in fulfilling the great commandment that Jesus gave us? Don’t you know that when we start loving one another, then the world will see Jesus lives among us as His disciples (John 13:35)?

Brethren, let us learn to love God and neighbors as a sign of obedience to the great commandment in order to save and transform the world for Christ. Don’t do anything else except LOVING ONE ANOTHER.

This month, we will learn more about how to impact the marketplace.

So be prepared to listen and function in your marketplace as marketplace ministers…

Blessings,

Ps. Hoatta

In this special Chinese New Year Sunday, on behalf of the Leaders of AMPM, I like to wish you a blessed Chinese New Year. 

Around the Chinese New Year, people often put up posters with “Foo” character. 

This is one of the most popular Chinese characters used in Chinese New Year. It is often posted upside down on the front door of a house or an apartment. The upside down Foo means good luck came since the character for upside down in Chinese sounds the same as the character for came.  The character Foo is also used in the word describing the Gospel (“Foo Ying”).  This word means The Good Message, or the Good News.  Some linguist dissected the character “Foo” and found 4 sub characters: God, one, man, garden.

It depicts the perfect condition in the garden of Eden, back when man and God had a perfect fellowship without sin coming between them.  When God + Man living in harmony in Eden, we have Foo – prosperity, happiness, blessings.  But man failed and fell into sin.  God knew that man cannot save himself.  That is why God sent Jesus, the perfect Lamb to save us.  He is our Righteousness.  The word Righteousness in Chinese character consist of Me + Lamb

During this Chinese New Year, let us remember the work that Christ did on the cross to redeem us from sin so that we can prosper in the Kingdom of God.

Blessings,

Barnabas.

Today’s Lord’s Supper reminds us of one thing: the submission of Jesus. He asked, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” The submission of Jesus is the most powerful thing that he did while here on earth.

The kingdom of this world will not be won by sheer military force or strength. It can only be won by one thing: submission to the Father’s will. It is a passion that can be ignited by prayer. Jesus prayed all night and he was able to conquer his self will. During the temptation on the mountain, Jesus rejected the offer of Satan of receiving the kingdoms of this world. He was able to do this because he knows to whom he must submit himself.

The disciples started to think and ask why Jesus was not using his power to defeat the existing.empire as the Messiah. Judas in his frustration betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus three times for fear of being caught as one of the followers of Jesus. They deserted and walked away from a distance when Jesus was brought to the Roman authorities. Jesus remained submissive to the Father even though he can command billions of angels to serve and defend him.

Let us take time in our communion meditation to think about Christ.

He came not to be served but to serve.

He came to die and offer himself as a sacrifice.

He came to fulfill the Father’s will.

For our Kingdom community to be effective representatives of heaven on earth, we should adopt the mind and heart of Christ. We should imitate Jesus in his humility, submission and servanthood. The world’s culture is about domination, lording over and selfishness. Adopting the mind of Christ is adopting the values of the kingdom which is contrary to the values of this world.

Let us ignite our passion for submission in our 21 days of fasting and prayer and be Kingdom overcomers!

Ps. Ramon Morante

Starting today, March 1st, 2009, we will begin our 21 days devotion campaign. What will we do during this coming 21 days?

1. Praying in agreement.

The only job that God loves to do is answering our prayer. Prayer accomplish a lot of thing. We will pray in enforcing things happened on this earth as it is in heaven according to His will. This time, we will develop a foundation of corporate prayer. God says “two are better than one because they have a good return for their.” We are alone is okay but it would be better if we are together with someone else. Therefore, we will pray two-by-two for 21 days along with our devotion. Who can be your prayer partner? If you are married then take your spouse as your partner. If you are single then take someone who is living nearby to ensure that you can pray together. If you hardly find someone who is nearby then find someone who can commit the prayer time together with you, he/she could be your flat-mate. So, pray for some points that you together agree to pray about and expect to see them fulfilled in faith and in full submission to our Lord Jesus Christ’s will.

2. Fast for at least one day of the week together.

Why do we need to fast? We hold fast to ask God’s mercy and grace upon our lives and prayer. We may live fully in His grace to see things happening as part of His plan. By fasting we will let our selves to be enlighten and discerning to His voice and will. Our spirit are strong yet our bodies are weak. Make a commitment with your prayer partner to fast on same day together. I am so sure to see many prayer will be answered according to His glory and riches during these 21 days.

Ps. Hoatta S

What a profound insight regarding the union of a man and a woman before God. When God sees a couple, He sees them as one because He made them one. What God has united let no man break that union. It is a defiance against God when an in-law or a third party contributes to the breakdown of marriage of a couple.

When Adam said Eve is his bone of his bone and the flesh of his flesh, he is actually saying no part of him is his alone, he is already a part of Eve. No part of Eve is hers alone. They belong to each other.

That is why there is trouble in marriage if there is no unity in decision making and intimacy in communication. Both should live, think and breathe as one. They maybe different but they can complement each others’ strengths and weaknesses.

Ideally, when “two become one” it means that each one is doubled, but not duplicated. One partner still retain one’s individual identity, but adds to one’s self the identity of the other, and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. A wise person once said: “A marriage consists of one master, one mistress, and two slaves; making, in total, one.” That may be strange arithmetic, but it is good theology.

Both man and woman loving faithfully to each other reflect God’s glory because it is the climax of his creation. That is why Satan is trying all his best to destroy marriage. The devil wants to destroy God’s masterpiece. Both of them have a divine calling to produce godly off springs to become a force of righteousness in this world.

What a divine mystery that will save a lot of marriages around us. A couple is no longer two but one. Both are called to a lifetime of love and fidelity.

Ps. Ramon M & Liza M