Could our relationship with God be more than we think?

Is there more with God?

This preaching is from Church of God Makati by Pastor Jonathan Heppner during the 5pm service.

Ignorance is bliss 'till it kills you.

The passage comes from Genesis 26:12-24

Genesis 26:12-24

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹² Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. ¹³ The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.¹⁴ He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.
 ¹⁶ Then Abimelek said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”
 ¹⁷ So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar, where he settled. ¹⁸ Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
 ¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek,^[a]because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.^[b] 22 He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth,^[c] saying, “Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
 ²³ From there he went up to Beersheba. ²⁴ That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”

Footnotes:

1. Genesis 26:20 Esek means dispute.
2. Genesis 26:21 Sitnah means opposition.
3. Genesis 26:22 Rehoboth means room.

Wells represent experiences, traditions or those who have gone in faith.

Are there things we inherit that we don't know its there?

Are there in our history that has been filled with?

What is your inheritance?

What is your spiritual heritage?

Who has laid a foundation for you?

Tangible inheritance that God is waiting for us to claim:

1. Cane Ridge Revival

2. Charles Finney

3. Welsh Revival Evan Roberts

Have we been deceived? Part of our spiritual DNA is really special.

We have no idea what God has done in the beginning of churches or revivals here in the Philippines or relatives. We have been really busy that we have become complacent with our Christian life.

Isaac realized 2 things:

1. For him to lay claim, he had to sink his own wells.

The old wells were not enough for who he has become.

We do not know what God can do for one submitted soul.

4 kinds of people in the world:

1. No knowledge of God - Lost

2. Some knowledge with God - Christians by name

3. Whom God know - Christians by passion

4. Those who know God - Societal Change Agents - these are people by choice and not called 

God waits for people who want to be this. People who are not called to pray or change the world or to preach it we should have been natural as part of our nature as a Christians. People who do what they ought to because of reasons that is not a calling. Problem is we do not want to be used. 

Esek - contention, quarreling, disputing 

Sitnah - Enmity, accusation, opposition, attack

Rehoboth - Room, broad place for everybody

WE ARE SLEEPING IN THE PURPOSE OF GOD

Matthew 13:15-16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ For this people’s heart has become calloused;
   they hardly hear with their ears,
   and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
   hear with their ears,
   understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’^[a]
   16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Proverbs 29:18

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
   but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

SEE THE WORD OF THE LORD!

Jeremiah 2:31

New International Version (NIV)

 ³¹ “You of this generation, consider the word of the LORD:
   “Have I been a desert to Israel
   or a land of great darkness?
Why do my people say, ‘We are free to roam;
   we will come to you no more’?

WAKE UP!

Romans 13:11

New International Version (NIV)

The Day Is Near

 ¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

FREE YOURSELF

Isaiah 52:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

Isaiah 52

 ¹ Awake, awake, Zion,
   clothe yourself with strength!
Put on your garments of splendor,
   Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
   will not enter you again.
² Shake off your dust;
   rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
   Daughter Zion, now a captive.

BE ON GUARD

Mark 13:35-36

New International Version (NIV)

   ³⁵ “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶ If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.

Mark 14:37-38

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

WHAT IS THE HERITAGE YOU LEAVE FOR YOUR CHILDREN?


You have been informed!

Revelation 16:15

New International Version (NIV)

   ¹⁵ “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Joel 2:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Joel 2

An Army of Locusts

 ¹ Blow the trumpet in Zion;
   sound the alarm on my holy hill.   Let all who live in the land tremble,
   for the day of the LORD is coming.
It is close at hand—
 ² a day of darkness and gloom,
   a day of clouds and blackness.
Like dawn spreading across the mountains
   a large and mighty army comes,
such as never was in ancient times
   nor ever will be in ages to come.
 ³ Before them fire devours,
   behind them a flame blazes.
Before them the land is like the garden of Eden,
   behind them, a desert waste—
   nothing escapes them.

Wells of imagination: we need to believe and pray; revivals around the world have left a heritage for us. Remarkable stories of change.

Wouldn't we all want the world to say that here in the Philippines: "the Lord is there!"

Ezekiel 48:35

New International Version (NIV)

 ³⁵ “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.^[a]

   “And the name of the city from that time on will be:

   THE LORD IS THERE.”

So what should we do now!

1. Deal with sin radically
2. Prioritize your life
3. Commit yourself to pray

God bless everyone!

Envy, Jealousy: attitudes destroying families

A preaching on envy and jealousy was the topic one Sunday afternoon in CCF. I'd like to share what I have taken down from that preaching.


The passage comes from Psalm 73:1-3; 12-28:

Psalm 73:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 73

   A psalm of Asaph. ¹ Surely God is good to Israel,
   to those who are pure in heart.
 ² But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
   I had nearly lost my foothold.
³ For I envied the arrogant
   when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

Psalm 73:12-28

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹² This is what the wicked are like—
   always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
 ¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
   and have washed my hands in innocence.
¹⁴ All day long I have been afflicted,
   and every morning brings new punishments.
 ¹⁵ If I had spoken out like that,
   I would have betrayed your children.
¹⁶ When I tried to understand all this,
   it troubled me deeply
¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;
   then I understood their final destiny.
 ¹⁸ Surely you place them on slippery ground;
   you cast them down to ruin.
¹⁹ How suddenly are they destroyed,
   completely swept away by terrors!
²⁰ They are like a dream when one awakes;
   when you arise, Lord,
   you will despise them as fantasies.
 ²¹ When my heart was grieved
   and my spirit embittered,
²² I was senseless and ignorant;
   I was a brute beast before you.
 ²³ Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
²⁴ You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
²⁵ Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.
 ²⁷ Those who are far from you will perish;
   you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
²⁸ But as for me, it is good to be near God.
   I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
   I will tell of all your deeds.

The title of the message was: "Overcoming the green eyed monster by delighting in the Lord"

This was in reference to Shakespeare's character in one of his stories which refers to an envious monster. Who in the Bible can be compared to Asaph who is found in Psalms. 

 it is seen in this passage how it is not a healthy attitude because  it affects your ministry, your family, your relationships, and to the rest of the world. 

As you can even see, it is one of the 7 deadly sins and is colored green which really says a lot about this attitude.

Asaph was confused about the prosperity of sinners:

• Peace of the sinner
• Pleasure of the sinner
• Pride of the sinner

DO NOT VIEW LIFE IN A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE


Paul's warning is given in Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

It is important that we define both terms.


Envy: burning desire to have; coveting what another has.
Envy is always wrong


Jealousy: burning desire to keep.
Jealousy is not always wrong - natural or normal feeling to surface when meaningful covenant relationships are threatened by unfaithfulness. 

2 Corinthians 11:2-3

New International Version (NIV)

² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. ³ But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Exodus 34:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

so we see the difference of these two terms which we mistakenly use interchangeably, let us check ourselves with these two attitudes.

The preacher gave out a list of deeds that are caused by our flesh, it is incomplete though: boastful, critical, resentful, begrudging, competitive, greedy, demanding, performance based acceptance, not allowing outside relationship, threat of losing relationships, etc...
I believe our society is filled with these deeds that causes broken relationships and our work attitude is affected because of these things. It all starts with envy and jealousy which is an attitude that shouldn't be in our hearts.

James 3:16

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

So what should we do? Run to the Lord!
Asaph saw:
Future of sinner, and himself. (v. 17b - 20)
Foolishness of self (v. 21-22)

We have been guilty! It says in Psalm 75:4-7

Psalm 75:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
   and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.^[a]
5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
   do not speak so defiantly.’”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

New International Version (NIV)

 ²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

To end, we see that we are to delight in the Lord if we want to remove this attitude of envy and jealousy in our workplace, in our homes, or in any institution that we are in.

Psalm 37:4-7

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
   trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
   your vindication like the noonday sun.

 ⁷ Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.

1. Rest in God's Love
2. Resist comparing ourselves with others
3. Maintain healthy competition

God Bless everyone!