20th Jan 2013, Sunday
On the 20th of Jan, Geenu and I attended the City Harvest Church service at Singapore Expo Hall 1 for the 10 am service. We took the MRT from Marymount and reached the venue at right time. The service started with beautiful Praise and Worship. The anointing was powerful during the Worship song “You are Good” led by Sun Ho. It hit like a sparkle of fire works every time during the chorus “Every day, I will wake upon you……You’re good…”. Pastor Kong was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and the song was sung again and again. Every body were deep in worship. I felt like an eagle soaring in the air.
After the worship, Pastor Kong shared the sermon on Righteousness in Christ by quoting 2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
“Guilt and shame are the drive force for all addictions” said Pastor Kong. “Shame and Guilt do not solve problems but they perpetuate the problem. Jesus Christ came to break the power of sin in your life.”
1 Corinthians 15:34
34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
Righteousness gives us grace to reign in life. In Romans 5:17, we read,
17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
“God sees us completely righteous in Christ – Righteousness by Faith and Righteousness by nature.” said Pastor Kong
“But how do we see ourselves? Do we see ourselves as God does?” asked Pastor Kong
Apostle Paul has given 2 priceless truth in the Bible 1. Who are we in Jesus Christ 2. Righteousness in Christ.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Born again believers are new specie that never existed before. Blood of Jesus Christ is powerful, it washes our sins such that there is no remembrance of our sins. When you’re born again, you have no past. God does not remember our past sins and neither should we. God doesn’t see us as forgiven sinner but as if we never sinned. Divine nature of God is sustained by eternal life. You have the same power in you that raised Jesus Christ from dead. When you’re filled with the Word and the Holy Spirit, you have the eternal life.
In 2 Corinthians 12:2, we read
2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
Man in Christ have tremendous privilege and authority. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, we read
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
“In Christ” means ingrafted. Pastor Kong shared an example of ingrafting a mango tree.
In Isaiah 53:4-5,
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. We are ingrafted into Jesus Christ and so His eternal life flows in us, so we can bear the fruit and righteousness of Christ. That means we share the same blessing, same victory, and the triumph. We can boldly say Galatians 2:20 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Since we are ingrafted in Christ, in Him we move, we have our being. In Exodus 33:18-20, we read
8 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Pastor Kong mentioned that Jesus Christ is the Rock. When you’re in the Rock, you will see God’s glory, you will find healing, deliverance, provision, peace and success. Jesus is the hiding place, the secret place, the viewing place of God’s glory and goodness.
Ephesians 1:20 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
The right hand is the place authority. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has given Him all the authority which Christ has delegated to us. In Ephesians 2:6, we read 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
When Jesus was raised, we are also raised. When Christ sat down on the throne, we are also seated at the right hand. We share the same authority. When God sees Jesus Christ, He sees us.
The question is how do we see ourselves? You have the identical standing with Christ as in Ephesians 2:6. We can only exercise this authority when we abide in Christ.
Pastor Kong mentioned, your location will give you the direction in life, will give you wisdom. You got to know your location. You must know where you’re located in Christ.
Colossians 2:9-10
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
2 Corinthians 2:14
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 8:37-39
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Matthew 13:20-21
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Pastor Kong highlighted that the reason some trees stay strong is because their roots grow deep and cling to the rock. Similarly, when we cling to Jesus, our Rock, we will be able to endure all the storms and tribulations that will come in our life.
Finally, Pastor Kong shared Psalms 112-1-4 which highlights the Prosperity of the Righteous
112 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
He encouraged everyone to step out in Faith and give cheerfully for God’s kingdom.
After the offering, Pastor Kong led the people into the Presence of God through worship. The anointing was awesome. He prayed for the healing, deliverance and prosperity. People held hands and prayed for one another.
We enjoyed every moment. Finally the service ended with beautiful praise. After the service we had our lunch at Texas Chicken. After lunch, we went to an Exhibition and later headed off for another powerful service at Malayalam Fellowship.
Praise God for an awesome time 🙂
