5 Sept 2013 by Adeline Lum CM-
Charis Christian Center tracked its origins back to Pr Dorcas Wong Lai Meng who started to preach to illiterate Chinese villagers in Kampung Cochrane in 1971. Despite her unfruitful outreach, Pr Dorcas still pressed on. And by the end of 1977, after passing the baton to Pr Michael Liau, the church grew to having 45 faithful members.
Fast-forward 35 years now, the church has now grown under Sr Pr Lawrence Yap to include more than 1500 members gathering every Sunday in five services, including English, Cantonese, Chinese, Mandarin, and Bahasa Malaysia.
In 1995, the church purchased a row of five four-storey building in Taman Billion Cheras, housing a robust ministry of a counseling centre, the Charis-NKF dialysis centre, and a home for underprivileged children.
On Sept 1, Pr Victoria Faith Munthe from one of the most influential churches in Indonesia—Gereja Kemenangan Iman Indonesia (GKII)—was the guest speaker that morning. GKII has more than 1000 services held all over Indonesia, making regular appearances in the TV and radio stations as well.
A young pastor whom we should see more in our generation, Pr Victoria preached on the four ‘F’s to fulfill God’s calling in our life.
“When I was studying in the school, I didn’t want to get a ‘F.’ I want to study hard to get an ‘A’, even an ‘A-plus,’” said Pr Victoria. “But the four ‘F’s I will be talking about today will be different!”
Firm Foundation in God
1 Cor 3:11
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
“After we are born again, it is not enough to just accept Jesus but we must make Jesus as our Lord and King in life.”
“Day by day, we want to know him more not because we want something but because we love Him, enjoy worshiping Him, and also fellowshipping with Him,” said Victoria explaining that our relationship with God should be a prerequisite in building a foundation in Him.
How do we build our foundation in Christ? We hear the Word, which is God Himself, and put what we hear into practice (John 1:1). That means turning away from sinful habits and practices in our lives.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 Tim 2:19
Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
And when we practice the Word of God, we will be like a wise man who builds his house on the rock.
Matt 7:24-25
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Focus with no distraction
“We have goals or calling that God have in our lives, and we need to focus on that,” said Victoria.
Phil 3:14-15
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
She shared a story of how a pastor was witnessing to a cab driver on how wonderful Heaven is. Reaching his destination, the driver said to the pastor, “If heaven is so wonderful, then why don’t you just kill yourself and go to heaven?”
“Why is it that we don’t die right away after we receive Christ and go to Heaven right away? This is because all of us have a purpose and calling to fulfill in life,” said Victoria.
Every one of us in the body of Christ is important. For example, our eyebrows appear to have little use but they help to direct sweat away from our eyes. Also, our earwax served a purpose of keeping insects out as well. Hence, even what appears to be minute in our body is very important. In other words, everyone of us, even though you view yourself as small is important in the body of Christ.
“So, don’t go shave your eyebrows. They are very important,” joked Victoria. “You are too very important in the body of Christ. Pray to God what He wants us to do in our lives.”
But we have many distractions around us that stop us from maturing in our faith, i.e. life’s worries, riches, and pleasures.
Luke 8:14
The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
“There’re many voices in our heard; it can be the voice of the devil or the people around you who can distract the goal that God has for your lives. We must know the voice of the Holy Spirit,” said Victoria.
She shared a story of a group of young men who went to a telegram company for an interview. The secretary asked them to wait in the hallway while she went into a room. Hence, while waiting, the group started talking to one another. Suddenly, one of the men left and walked into another room. The group was perplexed but continued their conversation. Shortly after, the secretary came out and said, “You may now leave.” The group was furious; how can they be dismissed without an interview? The secretary answered them, “Why not? We announced through the speaker aMorse code for the applicants to come in. But since one man came, he is the only one who gets the job!”
“Children of God, don't get distracted. If we are focused, we must prioritize and decide not between good and bad but good and good,” said Victoria.
For example, which would you choose between going to church or going to a birthday party? Both are good options but which one has a more eternal consequence?
Faith in God
“After we have faith for salvation, we must have faith for the rest of our lives with God as well,” said Victoria.
Heb 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
What is faith? Victoria shared an illustration of how faith must work despite our senses.
For example, if there is a perfume in a dark room, the eyes will say ‘I don’t see anything,’ the mouth will say ‘I don’t taste anything,’ the skin will say ‘I don’t feel anything,’ and the ear will say ‘I don’t hear anything.’ But the nose will say ‘I smell something.’
“So, that’s one against four. We got our senses and we believe in what we experience. But if the word of God said you’re healed in the stripes of Jesus, do you choose to believe in your five senses or choose to trust God?” said Victoria believing that we should have faith in God no matter what we feel or see.
Sharing a story about her late father, he was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease when he started ministering. The doctor told him that he had to go for surgery within two months, but Victoria’s mother asked for time to pray within that period.
“He was so weak after his visit to the hospital that my mother had to hold his arm when he walked. While they were passing the stadium in Jakarta, he pointed at it and said, ‘One day, God will have me preach there!’ And this happened when he was still sick,” said Victoria.
So, her father returned to his church healing the multitude of sick but he neither experienced healing nor did he ask for healing. In fact, he got so busy that he completely forgot about the surgery.
Six months passed after the diagnosis until one day her father and mother decided to return to the hospital. The doctor was angry because her father would have died for missing the appointment. But when the test results were out, the doctor saw that there were no signs of the disease! Her father was completely healed!
And in 1993, 18 years after the prophecy, God used her father to preach in that stadium with 100,000 attendants. Victoria recalled how it was raining during the preaching. The people were on wheelchairs but they jumped up to praise the Lord.
“Even I am a miracle because I am a very shy person who cannot speak in front of many people. But nothing is impossible to God if we believe.”
“Having this faith, you must have joy all the time. The Israelites grumbled all the time. That’s why they cannot enter the Promised Land. Happiness is not at the end of the road but along the road. Sure, there are struggles but we can trust God,” said Victoria.
Is 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
2 Cor 6:10
…sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Fruitful in Him
Psalm 1:1-3
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
“We must never do anything that the Lord forbid us to do, but we must obey the Lord,” said Victoria.
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
By keeping ourselves in the Lord through communicating with Him and learning His Word, we can reap the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
“Our lives have purposes. Your life is not living day by day but the Lord has divine purposes for your life and my life and we must let the Lord fulfill this purposes,” said Sr Pr Lawrence Yap drawing the service to a close with prayer and worship.
Leave a Reply