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Devotionals -- Recalling the Past
Week 1 (1984-89) - English / 中文
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A New “You” for our 25th Church Anniversary Rev. (Dr.) Po-Wing Tham “Thomas À Kempis said that, “If you seek the Lord Jesus in all things, you will truly find Him; but if you seek yourself, you will find yourself; and that will be your own great loss.” As we begin our 26th year together, as RCCC, we need to ask ourselves this important question: What are we seeking in 2010? What are we seeking for our next 25 years? There are many worthwhile and worthy goals out there. But not all of them are worthy of our time and attention. Often we get caught up in the rat-race and the pursuit of our own dreams and goals. Similarly, in the time of Haggai, the prophet, the people were caught up in their own affairs so much so that they neglected the most important task at hand. They have forgotten that they had come back from exile for the sole purpose of rebuilding the Temple of the LORD. God sent Haggai to remind them to do what He wanted: Haggai 1:9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.” There are repercussions when God’s people fail to heed the voice of the Lord. The LORD is concerned about His Temple. It bears His name. It is precious to Him. It must be honored. A disregard of the Temple is a disregard for God. Twice in a few verses, the Lord told the people to give careful thought to their ways. I believe our Lord is still concerned for His Temple. Members of RCCC are now, individually, temples where the Holy Spirit of God resides. Can we then say that collectively, RCCC is God’s Temple? At the beginning of our 26th year, it is good to give careful thought to our ways. Where have we come? Where are we going? What are we seeking? Are these things for self, for family or for God? Take heed to the words of another prophet: Jeremiah 45:5 “Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not.” Put the Lord first and He will surely bless and use you. RCCC must first and foremost seek God’s kingdom here on earth. Everything else is secondary. We know the following verse so well - Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Now, it is time to put that into practice. Jean and I have been in RCCC for slightly more than two years. We are excited about the heart-hunger of many, your diligence, your untiring service for our Lord and your love for people in general. Within four months of arriving in Cary, you had requested a seminar on the "Lost Art of Disciple-making." The turn-out at all three Saturday morning sessions, over three months, warm my heart. You showed to us that that is what you want. I firmly believe that unless we disciple the church, we will never reach the world. Many of you want to do just that. Discipling someone requires time and commitment. I am so excited that some of you are still spending time discipling others. This is my prayer for myself also - that I too will be a good discipler of men. New Day Ministry was launched two years’ ago. You should see the turn-out when we have the various training. This ministry should silence forever those who claim that our church only talks and never act. I believe when the right time came along, we obeyed and moved forward. Why do our church go to Arizona, Crossroads and a host of other worthwhile ventures that I have failed to name? Could it be that we hunger deep inside for the reality of God’s Kingdom in our midst? Jesus said something very enigmatic when he said in Luke 17:20, 21: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you." As believers, we instinctively hunger for that reality in our lives. How can we have the Kingdom of God with us (and the church)? The Kingdom of God will be ushered in on the shoulders of those who are obeying the Great Commission. Discipleship is the main key that opens the door to the Kingdom of God for many. I know that and have experienced that in my own life and I urge you to seriously consider your role in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I am encouraged that discipleship is going on in our church right now! I know folks who have been helped and are now growing in their walk with the Lord. My prayer is that we will seek to build up both the physical and the spiritual bodies of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we look ahead to the next twenty-five years, I would like to ask you a series of questions: 1. What will you do for the Lord in 2010 and beyond? 2. What will you do for RCCC in 2010 and beyond? Where will you serve? Who will you encourage? To what will you give of your time, talent and money? 3. Are you growing in your walk with the Lord? Are you actively discipling someone? If you are not, maybe now is the time to pray that the Lord will move your heart. 4. Will you consider your role as we seek to build Phase 2 of our Church Building Project? |
