WMCAS

The word Church (Grk = Ekklesia) means called out. Church never refers to a building. Church refers to a community of people who responded to the call of God and established a relationship with God.

Relationship with God

• submit to God as a living sacrifice – holy and pleasing
• submit to His Word/His Will – this is good, perfect and pleasing
• we have a loving heavenly Father (Matt 7:9-11 )
• God is Love. His will is always the best
• God is all-knowing and His directions are always right.
• God is all-powerful and He enables us to do His will.
• we should be fully dependent on God.

God not only calls us into a relationship with Him but also with one another.

Relationship with one another

• we are one body in Christ (Rom 12:5 )
• submit to one another (Rom 12:3 , Rom 12:10 , Rom 12:16 , Eph 5:21 )
• we have different functions but one body (Rom 12:4 )
• we have different gifts but one belonging (Rom 12:5 )
• we have different work but one purpose (Rom 6:8 )
• we are interdependent one another (Eph 4:12-13 )

We are to help one another to become more Christlike.

Then we can shine like stars and witness to the world (Phil 2:14-15 )

We are to love one another.(John 13:34-35 )

This not easy, so Jesus in His prayer prays not only for his disciples then but for us now as well (John 17:20-21 , John 17:23 )

Most of the time we think of personal evangelism as on a one-to-one basis. We forget the importance of body evangelism where EVERYONE is involved. For this to happen , we need to love one another ,be united in purpose, depend on and submit to one another.

How to submit to one another? (Rom 12:9-10 )

Concise Oxford Dictionary defines ‘love’ as an intense feeling of deep affection.

What is biblical love?

(1 Cor 13:4-7 ) names 7 characteristics of love.

Love as described in 1 Corinthians involves Action and Attitudes.

This love is self-giving

Someone said the measure of love is what one is willing to give up for it. The ultimate expression of love is found in Jesus’ example (1 John 3:16 ). Humanly speaking, this seems impossible. Indeed there is no way we can express / exhibit Christlike love except through His enablement. Therefore we need to pray to be filled with God’s love so that we can love others.

Pray Faithfully – How?

• Be dependent on God and His Spirit
• Have daily personal relationship with God (1 John 4:7 )
• Pray for ourselves
• Pray for one another (James 5:16 )
• Pray as a church
• Pray for all churches
• Pray for our nation (2 Chronicles 7:14 )

When we read God’s Word, we realize that nothing can happen without our praying for His enablement. Romans 12:12 encourages us to pray and not lose hope.

Come together to share and pray.

• Pray for things to happen. We desire certain things to happen but they will not happen via our own efforts. We need God’s enablement.
• Pray for rekindling and revival of God’s love for TRAC churches and all other churches in our country
• Pray for our nation.
• Pray for the transformation of our nation and revival of our churches and especially for TRAC churches at 12 noon on Fridays.
• Call to set up lighthouses in different parts of the country where 2 or 3 Christians gather weekly to pray for their neighbourhood. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Serve Fervently

‘serve’ comes from 2  Greek words:

• Douleo = to serve God and others in love
• Diakoneo = to care for one another’s material need

In Gal 5:13 Paul asks us to serve one another in love. This role is like that of a slave. Again, this seems humanly impossible.

• It is Jesus who sets us the example (Phil 2:6-7 ).
• It is Jesus who gives us an explanation of God’s Kingdom practices (Matt 20:25-28 )
• It is Jesus who empowers us to do what He has done (John 14:12-14 )              (p.s.When we read verse 14 the last thing we would ask from Jesus is to be a servant to others. We usually claim something monetary or material for ourselves.)

The barrier to serving is usually selfishness. The number one reason we do not use our time, talents  and temporal possessions to serve others is because we are preoccupied with our own dreams and pleasures even though we know that continuing to live this way will not bring true fulfillment (Matt 16:25 ). So the challenge to us is to use our time, talents and temporal possessions for the benefit of others (1 Peter 4:10 ). Start by responding  to  our own church various ministries or contributing devotional thoughts and testimonies in our church website.

Then Paul takes us even further, even more scary. He calls us to share freely with God’s people who are in need and practise hospitality .

Share Freely

• Example of the early church – Acts 2:44-45 , Acts 4:32-35 , Acts 2:47 . Although their communal arrangements are not meant for every Christian community, the underlying principle is that we are challenged to share with God’s people who are in need. We can see the powerful results …God add to their numbers daily those who were being saved.
• Exhortations from the Gospels and Epistles to share – Luke 3:10-11 , Eph 4:28 , Heb 13:16
• Sharing is Evidence of our faith – James 2:15-17
• Endowment from God to be shared with others in need – James 1:17 , 1 Tim 6:17-18

So we are challenged to share freely and practise hospitality. Besides money, it may involve things that we have- to give it away or to lend it.

The theme for our church this year is to PRAY FAITHFULLY ,SERVE FERVENTLY, SHARE FREELY. Meditate and see how we can put into practice our church vision and mission and make an impact (Rom 12:11-13 ).

We are also in line with TRAC Vision Statement :- Spreading Scriptural Holiness, Transforming the Nation  and the 4 Essentials:-

1. Lifelong Discipleship - There is a need to go back to the basics to be able to build on the foundations before we can take off.
2. Wholesome Families - There is need to build up the body of Christ and strengthen marriages
3. A Voice to our Nation - There is a need to revive ourselves and our churches before there can be a transformation of our nation through prayer and reaching out through the love of Christ.
4. A Vision for the World - There is a need to go out of our comfort zone to share the good news to people whom we usually do not come into contact with.