Series of “Church”
“Cracked Jars of Clay” (2 Corinthians 4:6-12) 1. Jars of Clay 2. Carrying His Suffering 3. Revealing His Life 4. Shining the Light Through the Cracks Read more… For Lifenet groups and personal reflection 1. Is there anything in your life that you're suffering from? Have you ever asked God, “Why did you let this happen to me?” “Why do you leave me here?” 2. What was your idealistic descriptions of victory in Jesus? Read 2 Cor 4:8-9. How does this scripture describe a Christian life? 3. The value of a jar is found in what is inside it. What does this speak to you? Where do you try to find your value usually? What did God place in you (2 Cor 4:7)? 4. Did you make someone rejoice or encourage someone recently? Did someone make you rejoice or encourage you recently? How did it happen? 5. Take 5 minutes every day this week, be still and imagine that you are a jar of clay, and there are many cracks on it. God has placed the life of Jesus in you, and the light shines to others through the cracks. NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service. Series “Church”
“Ordinary People for God’s Extraordinary Works” (Acts 4:1-22) (MP4) 1. The Religious Leaders 2. The Power for Salvation 3. Ordinary People 4. The Power of the Name of Jesus Read more… For Lifenet groups and personal reflection 1. Have you ever experienced the power of Jesus’ name? 2. Have you ever noticed that a non-Christian sensed the power of his name? 3. What does God want you to use his name for? (e.g. Is there any sin God is pointing out for you in order that you can experience his grace? Is there anyone he wants you to pray for healing, deliverance, or salvation? Is there anyone he wants you to forgive? Is there any relationship in your life he wants to restore?) 4. What hinders you from responding to it? How would you overcome the hindrance? NLIF is an international church in Yangon. Come and join our English Sunday worship service. (MP4) Recording
What do you think of when you hear the word, "confession"? How does it make you feel? Prayer has these parts of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. And we focus on Confession this time. Why is confession so important? (Psalm 32:5; 38:18; James 1:5; 1 John 1:9; Rom. 8:2) Confession has to do with forgiveness, remorse, repentance, healing, cleaning from sins, freedom from the power of sin, and requires humility. Spiritual life is about getting in sync with the flow of the Holy Spirit in us. We may often block that source of life by refusing to confess in our powerlessness. Overcoming our resistance to confession (and to repentance): Reading the Bible has been a traditional approach in Christian life experiences. Prayer, in a sincere and humble heart, is also personally the key to breakthrough. A helpful prayer: "Lord, help me to see whatever I need to see. Give me courage to face the truth. Then give me wisdom and strength to act on whatever you reveal." This prayer helps us more move from our dark situation toward the light of God's presence. Imagine the time when Jesus said, "One of you is going to betray me," and put yourself in the shoes of Judas who, along with the other disciples, said to Jesus, "Surely, not I, Lord?" (Matt. 26) The truth is the only hope that can soften our hardened heart. We have a powerful biblical example of David confronted by Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-7a), in which King David could sin against God by committing adultery and murder and yet failed to demand the same justice that he would from someone else. We can easily get so right and demand justice for someone's sin. Do we also get the same serious and demand the same just reaction about our own sins? The biblical admonition is - "Do not harden your hearts!" under any circumstance (Hebrews 4:6-7). Or else, it leads only to spiritual death. Responding seriously to our sin, in our lives on an ongoing basis: David left a great example for us: "I have sinned against the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:13). His is a model generic prayer of confession, coupled with his confirmation of faith and hope in God (Psalm 51). God is waiting for you, calling you. He is still the source of joy and hope. Create your own prayer, with confession of sin and faith. How is the Holy Spirit calling you to repent and confess your sin today? Jot down a few things you want to include in your daily prayer of confession? It will help to keep your heart soft before God. "Turn to me and have mercy on me, as You always do to those who love Your name." (Psalm 119:132) Come join our English service of this International congregation in Yangon. Luke 10:25-37 (MP4)
The expert in the Law (of the Jewish Scripture) asks Jesus, "What must I do to inherit the eternal life?" Jesus directs him to the Greatest Commandment to love (God and one's neighbor) and says to him, "Go and do likewise" (not just believe but DO). Our faith and our life must have consistency. The story of the Good Samaritan: A priest and a Levite (the religious leaders) failed to DO it (what it means to love their neighbor). The Jews hated the Samaritans for their difference in some belief and culture). Yet, that hated Samaritan showed the love and compassion on his neighbor. Jesus purposefully chose a man of different background, thought by the Jews as unlikely to love a Jew. This love for the neighbor is not just to be our obedience to the command but a response to an amazing love (undeserved kindness) we have received. In our desperate helpless, unexpected time, we have received grace, the undeserved compassion. We can't pay it back out of gratitude but receive it and get transformed. We need to get touched by grace and be changed. Christian gospel is not a set of rules but rather a demonstration of undeserved love, compassion, mercy. The Samaritan points us to Jesus himself, to his sacrificial love that reaches us in our really helpless situations. So, we show our love for God and respond Christ's love for us by loving others through compassion in our life and community around. Come join our English service of this International Congregation in Yangon! |
NLIFWe are an evangelical congregation emphasizing Bible centered and Spirit-empowered living. We hope to be a blessing to you. Archives
January 2021
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