23 September 2014 by Jason Law CM –
Seremban Life Assembly located in Oakland Industrial Park, Seremban, has a distinctive identity and structure as a church without walls. This identity is encapsulated in the concept that the local church is primarily a spiritual home for God’s children, but it is in the spiritual kingdoms where most battles are fought and influences are spread.
Seremban Life Assembly is an interdependent church, where many homes network together, and an emphasis is placed on unity among the children of God, to create a strong Kingdom of God. The church have faith that while the homes have children, the army comes from the Kingdom, and thus for revival to take place, Christians must take up the Kingdom concept.
‘Seremban Life believes that every Christian has a part to play in God’s Kingdom, and it is the role of the church to train them up as disciples so that they are able to minister to others one day. We place an emphasis on our church members rather than inordinately on pastors. The leaders act as a guiding light to the other members of the church, not as a top-down manager,’ sis Tan Lee Leng, the church administrator shared.
Under the Kingdom Concept, there are three pillars (Jesus as model; Bible as the Standard; Holy Spirit as Guide). ‘The Kingdom concept was discussed and prayed over by 30 pastors at a meeting, and Full Gospel Church in Johor is practicing it at present. The three pillars of the Kingdom Church stresses on the primacy of Jesus, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians. That means that the focus is not on the pastor, but in people’s relationship with God.
‘Our goal is to shift the mindset of our church members from looking at the Church as organizational structures to looking at themselves as being a part of it. The two central thoughts we aim to develop in them are:
1. LET JESUS RECEIVES ALL THE GLORY
2. LET JESUS BE THE KING OF ALL
Ultimately, our hope is that this will all come together in forming a Godly system, not just in the church, but also in personal lives, workplaces, and families,’ sis Lee Leng shared.
Reverend Jai Kumar was a guest speaker in Seremban Life on the 14th of September, and he shared about what the Kingdom mindset is. He shared that the crucial time of the End Days is drawing near, and that there is an urgent need for the Gospel of the Kingdom to be preached. ‘Jesus preached the Kingdom message. His primary concern was for the Kingdom of God,’ Reverend Jai imparted.
Paul also had feelings of honour about the Gospel; he did not feel ashamed about it, and he held the Gospel in the highest sense. In Romans 1:16, he writes to the Romans about the power of God that comes through the Gospel.
‘Our God is an awesome God, full of compassion and mercy, and there is nothing like the Word of God. It is not just mere head knowledge; God’s Word comes with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God is revealed in 2 ways; through the Holy Spirit and through His teachings. The lives of Christians hinges on the combination of these two. Christ cannot be separated from His teaching, and when we have this type of awareness and mentality about the Gospel, we have the power to change the culture and atmosphere of the world around us,’ Reverend Jai communicated.
The Kingdom Mindset
In a kingdom, there is a king. Christ is our King but we have too often boxed Him in our mentality. We need to develop God’s mindset and be passionate about the Church, which has a role as a pillar and foundation of the Truth. But while the church is the headquarters of God on earth, its members cannot be confined within its four walls. They must be trained and equipped so that they can go out and penetrate the society, influencing and impacting the culture of the entire community in the process.
God’s Kingdom, the Church, cannot be birthed without God, and it is the Christian’s mandate to uphold the integrity of the Church, and ensure it stays connected to God. Reverend Jai exhorted that we need to take the Kingdom message seriously and do justice to God. The values, principles, and ethics on Earth must reflect that of Heaven’s.
The Correlation Between God’s Commandments and the Human Condition
God’s commandments are made expressly for the best way the earth functions, and when the values and atmosphere of Heaven is reflected on Earth, we solve most of man’s problems. Like the mustard seed that is tiny by itself, but when released it conquers the forest, we must not underestimate ourselves when we are connected to God. We are precious in His eyes and the glory of God brings power for transformation.
Christians cannot be separated from God, nor can they exist in isolation from the rest of the world. Reverend Jai shared that the salt and light is never to function by themselves, they are supposed to infuse and penetrate its surroundings. But first we must catch the principle Jesus taught in Mark 10:42-45; that everyone who wants to be great must first be a servant.
Mark 10:42-45New International Version (NIV)
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Role of the Church as a Kingdom Advancer
Reverend Jai also shared that as the Church, we must not just talk about spiritual stuff until we have lost our relevance. As long as we are on Earth, there are certain practical issues we have to address in the fabric of life. Unbalanced and lopsided theology has adverse effects. God’s commands and counsel are active, directed for action, and we must act on them. We must be both spiritual and enlightening, spiritual and also relevant.
As agents of change, we must be concerned about what is going on around us and address the everyday needs of the world. Christians must take their responsibilities as stewards of the earth seriously, in environmental concerns, in social justice, in education, in economic empowerment, and other such matters. God is preeminent in all things and we need to learn to listen to God’s voice. The Kingdom Mentality is all about transforming both the physical and spiritual climate and environment of the world.
Reverend Jai shared that we cannot fulfill our calling as a people of God if we are only stuck behind our pulpits and church walls. We are not cosmic accidents. Everyone is important and invested with an important responsibility. We are supposed to go out and be the light of the world. We need to develop grateful hearts and we need to go out and tell the world of God’s message. In the Last Days, churches with a Kingdom mindset such as Seremban Life Assembly has an extremely important role to play.
Seremban Life Assembly started its services in October 2013, and is located at Lot No. 3983/2, Jalan Haruan 1, Oakland Industrial Park, 70300 Seremban. You can find out more about them on FaceBook at /serembanlifeassembly/info or their website at www.serembanlifeassembly.com and their services at www.serembanlifeassembly.com/services/
NOTE: Some pictures kindly contributed by Reverend Jai.
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