WWW.CROSSWALK.COM has the best christian materials around.. there is a part which you can subscribe to their daily devotion.. there is this particular one that i really like.. it is called Today God Is First(TGIF) it's very very good.. i tink i mentioned in the earlier posts about some articles they have.. yesterday i read one more very good one again! here u go:
Being a Person Under Authority Matthew 8:10
..."I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith."
The centurion came to Jesus and told Him of his servant who was paralyzed and in terrible suffering. He came to Jesus because he believed He could heal him. He told Jesus of the matter, and Jesus was willing to come with the centurion. But the centurion would not have it. He knew that Jesus, being under the authority of Heaven itself, did not have to see the servant to help him. The centurion understood authority. He understood that he himself had certain rights that his position granted him to have power over situations and people. He also was a man under authority. The centurion understood Jesus' position and what power that position held in Heaven-the power to heal his servant if He chose to exercise that authority.
When Jesus saw that the centurion understood this principle of authority and that He did not have to visit the servant to heal him, He acknowledged the centurion's faith. Jesus knew it took great faith to understand authority and whether He had the authority to do what was being asked.
God has placed a system of authority in our world that requires faith to operate under its boundaries: fathers over sons and daughters, employers over employees, government leaders over the people, church leaders over church members. These are authority structures God has placed in our lives to protect and guide us to His will. Some confuse position with worthiness or qualifications of that position. It is the position that God works through. The fact that an authority may not be a Christian may have no bearing on whether God can work through him as your authority. It is only when that authority counsels against a biblical mandate that we should not follow that person's guidance. The hand of the king is in the hand of God.
Today, we find few who understand this system of authority God has ordained. It requires great faith to operate in this realm. Yet Jesus said that when we understand this, we demonstrate the kind of faith that He rarely sees. Be a person of rare faith. See the authorities placed in your life as those God is using to protect you.
Authority??? was just debating with sheila about something like this the other day.. most of the time people come into church and just get so confused.. the worst thing is they dont know they are confused and they just get into this vicious cycle of chasing after positions and leadership roles in church.. positions is so often misunderstood as authority in church.. the only lasting and eternal authority comes from heaven.. only through the name of Jesus we have true authority.. so many times we see people coming in and work so hard and after being a leader suddenly feel so disillusioned about life in church and leave without a word.. i was like that i must admit.. after coming to CHC for 3 months and joined usher ministry and i got into the race for positions.. i wasnt exactly sure what i was doing and i just knew that holding the coms set is so seh.. i was so proud the first day i held that, walking around in the stage area.. it come to a point that for a period of 6-9 months there was not a time i was serving and not holding the set.. i became a "stage" specialist and i could do stage duty for big days! man i was so proud.. but there was a day i was doing stage 3 as pastor's runner and i was just waiting for him to come out of guest room.. i was standing there and asking myself WHAT AM I DOING ALL THESE FOR??? something is not right here.. i am definitely not doing for God and God only.. serve God serve God.. we always say it every wk.. just saying without really meaning it.. i am not serving God.. i am serving myself.. my own desire to rise up and be a leader.. same for cell group.. who dont wan to lead praise and worship.. everybody wants to sit in front.. to preach to talk and to be at the top.. but what is the motive in the heart??
when i begin to tink back that day i really tink it is so silly.. it is just like another CCA.. going to the top like last time i use to work so hard for in photographic society in AHS.. then when i become vice chairman i just suddenly drop the baton and become so slack that my teacher in charge have to make me write a letter to convince her not to sack me as vice chairman.. it is the same..
working for position not for passion..that day when God spoke to me about this issue, and when i read this edition of TGIF, i decided that the next time i play guitar for Cg, lead P&W, give offering msg, i am going to have the right attitude.. through having the right attitude you will have the right authority.. the only rightful authority comes from heaven and can only be given by the Holy Spirit.. when u know who and what is backing you up, you will be confident and you will be able to lead in all circumstances, even without the com set hung on your belt, without the name tag of a CGL, without sitting in the first row,even when u dont feel that you are doing fine.. with the authority of God, you can speak to mountains and command angels..
why waste the legions of angels.. they are all employed by God to help you but most of the time we are the ones who make them unemployed..i remember bro bob told me a story before.. in the world war 2, there is a commander from US that is caught captive by the enemies in the woods of malaysia.. he was tortured, beaten up and treated like shit so much so he wished he died.. everyday he wished that God will bring him back to heaven.. bcoz they are so deep into the forest, they are cut off from the world that they actually did not know that the Japs have surrendered.. even though the war is won, the US commander continued to suffer everyday, beating, humiliation and all the torturing.. he thought there was no way he would survive this as he grew thinner and more frail as the days go by.. there was one day he heard something from afar which made he rise to his feet.. there were US troops approaching and they are announcing something..
"surrender your weapons.. your country have surrendered.. the war is over.."
as the commander look towards the direction from which the sound come from, there was a soldier holding on to a piece of document.. as they approached, it was a copy of the document that the Japs signed on they surrender.. at this moment, the commander gathered all the remaining strength that he has and stood up saying
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS, THE WAR IS OVER AND MY COUNTRY HAS WON THE WAR!"it is not the piece of document that gave him the strength and courage to stand up and proclaim his victory.. it is the knowledge, the revelation that the war is already won..
similarly.. it is not the document God gave us, which is the bible that will give us the strength to proclaim our victory, but it is the revelation that JESUS IS VICTORIOUS that will give us the strength and authority to proclaim to the stupid devil that he is defeated.. we must always know who is backing the bible up..
woo~ how true.. bro bob told it in such a good way that my hair stood on ends when i heard the story.. the bible is a normal book until we know who is backing up the bible.. the surrender document is a piece of 大便纸 until you know the authority behind the piece of document..
so dont seek for promotions, position.. know the true authority behind all these and seek for that.. it is where we find true victory!
true victory= i will not be emo on vday! it is a my personal decision! :)
