Earth, Wind and Fire

Rev Gideon Lee

Today is Pentecost Sunday so we want to talk about it. Let's turn to the book of Acts. You cannot talk about Pentecost without looking at the book of Acts.

Acts 2:1-21
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God- fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked:“Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. ’”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:“Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved. ’

Now let us turn to an earlier chapter.

Acts 1:4-8
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command:“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them:“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The title of my message is Earth, Wind and Fire. How many of you know where this title came from, if you are old enough.

Originally, Pentecost to the Jews in those days is when they celebrate the law, which Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. It happens 50 days after the Passover.

Today, Pentecost represents the birth of the church, or the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church.

You know the story, Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem. Jesus never told them to wait for how long. If it was me, I would have asked some questions. Like when and how? Jesus told them to wait, so they waited.

They were all in the upper room. And there was a rush of wind, a violent wind that filled the place. And like tongues of fire that fell on them. They were there in one accord, in unity and they were in prayer.

What I want to say is if you are looking for unity in the church it must start with prayer. Events, Programmes and even the pastor cannot bring unity to the church. We need to pray together. So I am going to hammer on our prayer meeting.

If you want the church to be united, we need to be a praying church. Guess what happened when they were together and praying? God sent the Holy Spirit. Something happens when we pray together. Remember, Jesus never told them when. They were just together praying. Something miraculous happened. The disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and praying with other tongues.

The people were wondering how come? They were praying in languages they didn't know. There is a reason why God sent the Holy Spirit. There are reasons.

First Reason

The Holy Spirit makes sense of our lives and its purpose.

Life can sometimes be so confusing right? You may be fine one moment and you get a tragic news and your life could be turned upside down in a moment. What do we do? We go into prayer right? Or we read His words. Right?

Sometimes we don't understand God's word but the Holy Spirit actually illuminated God's word. That's what the Holy Spirit does. Without Him we'll have a hard time understanding what He means and wants. He guides us in His words. Sometimes within the same passage we get different meanings because the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into His truth.

God's promises is made alive by the Holy Spirit. He makes it real to us.

Let me give you an illustration.

There was this guy, a great blues master named Jimmy Reed. During the 50's and 60', he would play his harmonica and guitar and had significant impact on such stars as Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones. You can often hear if you listened carefully, a woman's voice telling Jimmy the next lyric he has to sing. That voice was his wife. She would whisper to Jimmy the next line of the song.

For us, that's the task of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes in the business of life, we forget Him. He is there to remind and encourage us.

Second reason.

The Holy Spirit will give us the power to accomplish what God has called us to accomplish.

Let me ask you a question. What had God called us to do? What is the great commission?

Do you think that's a big task? Easy? How many of you have gone into the world to preach the gospel baptizing people. Is it a big task? I think it's an impossible task.

But here the bible says you will receive power to do what? Read your bible. Power
to be witnesses. The Holy Spirit empowers us to go out to be a witness, not to just sit comfortably here.

How many of you know what's this. Glove. It looks like a hand right. If I ask the glove to pick up this bottle do you think it's possible? It looks like a hand. No? But what if I do this. (Pastor puts on the glove.) Now can the glove pick up the bottle. Can?

It's the same like the Holy Spirit. We are like the glove. We can only do what we can do if the Holy Spirit is in our life. The Holy Spirit has to fill you up completely. Like the glove, our fingers must fill all of the glove. If not it will not function.

But we sometimes tell the Holy Spirit no entry to parts of our lives. The Holy Spirit works in us but if we don't surrender all to Him, it's near impossible to do what we are suppose to do.

Third reason.

The Holy Spirit helps us to become all God has created us to be.
One of the images used in the scripture is a refining fire. The Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood of the trinity. Sometimes we only relate to the Holy Spirit as fire and wind. But the refining fire can help us understand Him better. What does refining fire do? Refine.

How many of you know a silver smith? He will turn molten pieces of silver into jewelry. His job is to prepare the silver to make it into other things.

There were three women who was studying the bible but they could not understand the passage where the Holy Spirit was called a refining fire. So they went to a silver smith to see how it's done.

The silver smith with experience will build a fire and will know how hot based on the colour of the fire. The furnace has to be brought up to a certain temperature. When the fire is at the right temperature, he will quickly put the silver right in the centre of the furnace.

The women asked the silver smith, how do you know when the silver is ready? He said when I put the silver into the fire, it will burn up the impurities. He knows when because if the silver is there too long, it will spoil. He said when I look into the silver and see my reflection, it is ready.

God looks at us and and no longer sees our reflection because of sin. The Holy Spirit is here to work in our lives and get us purified so that God can see His image in us. We must be willing to be put into the refiner's fire.

But the question is this. Going into the fire is painful. The Holy Spirit when working in your life will be painful.

My question is are you ready to let the Holy Spirit work in your life. There are areas in your life He want to work on. He wants to work on you so that you can be an overcomer.

We are Christians, little Christ, so He wants us to be in His image. He wants to work on us so that our life reflect Him. On Pentecost Sunday, when we talk about the Holy Spirit, we want Him to accomplish His purpose in our life and empower us to accomplish His purpose and to be who God intended us to be.

Mothers, is it well with you?

Rev Gideon Lee

Sunday School children singing for all mothers at TOP

Today is Mother's Day and I want to appreciate a few people here. I asked my wife how to appreciate mothers but my wife said in the past it has been boring, like the oldest mother, mothers with the most children etc. But this Mother's Day I want to appreciate Sis Joo Kim. I know today is for mothers but it is also brother Chew's birthday so I give him flowers la (laughs). Yesterday was also my son's birthday 

Josiah. Last but not least I want to appreciate the newest grandmother in church. First time grandmother? Anybody? Sis Melinda, last year? God bless you. Of course I want to appreciate my wife too. (Special bouquet of flowers from pastor Gideon).

Let's turn to our bibles 2 Kings. 

2 Kings 4:8-26

The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life

8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well- to- do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”

11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army? ’”

She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”

14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.

Gehazi said, “Well, she has no son and her husband is old.”

15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”

“No, my lord,” she objected. “Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!”

17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

18 The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. 19 “My head! My head!” he said to his father.

His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20 After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21 She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

22 She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”

23 “Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moon or the Sabbath.”

“It’s all right,” she said.

24 She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25 So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.

When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26 Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right? ’”

“Everything is all right,” she said.

I am going to read a quote to you – “A small child waits with impatience the arrival home of a parent. She wishes to relate some sandbox experience. She is excited to share the thrill that she has known that day. The time comes; the parent arrives. Beaten down by the stresses of the workplace the parent often replies: “Not now, honey, I’m busy, go watch television.” The most often spoken words in the American household today are the words: go watch television. If not now, when? Later. But later never comes for many and the parent fails to communicate at the very earliest of ages. We give her designer clothes and computer toys, but we do not give her what she wants the most, which is our time. Now, she is fifteen and has a glassy look in her eyes. Honey, do we need to sit down and talk? Too late. Love has passed by.


There are many ways to lose children. We can lose them by a tragic death. We can lose them by ignoring them. We can lose them due to broken relationships. And, we can lose them by failing to develop the strength of character in them that they will need to resist evil. In our Scripture reading, Elisha did not know what had happened but he guessed something was not right; otherwise, this mother, this Shunammite woman would not be traveling to find him. Elisha sent his servant out to greet this well-to-do-woman with three questions: Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?


On this Mother's Day 2013, these three questions are as relevant today as they were when they were first spoken almost 3000 years ago. Let us take a look at this story and the three questions it raises.



Elisha was a fearless prophet of the Lord. He spent much of his time wondering the land and proclaiming the Word of God. One place he visited repeatedly was Shunem. Since this small village was located in the center of the country it afforded him a kind of hub from which to conduct his ministry. He was by there so often that one of the couples in the village came to know him and would invite him to dinner. She grew so fond of him, in fact, that she entreated her husband to make a small room for him up on the roof. She even furnished it with a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp. Now listen, this is extravagant. She was really trying to make him feel welcome.



Now, I don’t know about you but if my wife was pushing me to build an extra room for some wondering evangelist so he could pop in unannounced I think I might have her head examined. This was no casual exercise in hospitality. This was going the second mile for a man, who obviously was a prophet of God, but for all intents and purposes was a stranger to them. So lavish was there hospitality that Elisha, moved with gratitude, calls her into his room. And, as she stands in the doorway Elisha says what every barren woman longs to hear: You will hold a son in your arms. You can almost detect the pain of her heart as she responds: Don't mislead your servant, O man of God!



One year passes, the bible says, and just as Elisha had said a boy is born and everyone lives happily ever after. Right? No. Life, unfortunately, is not that way. One day as the young boy is out in the fields with his father he suffers a heat stroke, is taken home to his mother, and there in her lap he dies. You can almost anticipate her words to Elisha: I told you so! I told you not to mislead me!



1. Is It Well With You?



Mothers. Let me ask you. Is it well with you? Considering the enormous task that is placed upon you and the expectations, is it well with you? I have said it often and let me say it here: So go the mothers in a society so goes the society. If the women of a land give in to temptation and let their morals and character slip then it will not be long after that the rest of the land goes with her. William Ross Wallace echoed this truth when he said, “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”



In other words kingdoms are not built by the man upon the throne but by the mother from the crib. Children will live out the life they see reflected in their mother’s eyes; they will live out the life they feel given in the touch of their mother’s hand; they will live out the life they hear described in the words of their mother’s lips.



Look at this woman in 2 Kings. She is a well-to-do woman. She obviously has a nurturing disposition. You can see it in the way she treated Elisha. She respected her husband and sought his advice and help on projects around the home. She was faithful to her husband despite their lack of children. She obviously would make a good mother but she had no children. Now I ask you. What is required of a woman to make her a good mother?


A panel of experts was asked to complete some sentences about their moms. What made them experts was the one thing they all had in common. They were all kindergarteners. Even though these are the words of 6 year olds I think the qualities they recognized in their moms are they qualities needed in all mom. Here are the sentences and the answers:



My mom is best at: "feeding the dog," "making my bed," "driving," "cleaning," "running," "riding a two-wheeler," "watering the garden."



If I had enough money, I'd buy her: "flowers," "a car," "a necklace," "a brand-new fan," "a kitten," "a diamond ring," "a big pack of bubble gum."



It makes me feel good inside when Mom says: "I love you," "good job," "dinnertime!" "You look handsome," "I'll buy you something."



My mom is as pretty as a "butterfly," "ballerina," "mouse," "princess," "my brothers," "goose," "gold ring," "a clean horse."



By the way, one of the most memorable comments from the children on Father's Day was: Daddy gets tired out from: "chasing mommy."

There is one word in that list that stands out to me as one of the glaring issues of our time. The child who said it makes me feel good inside when mom says, “Dinnertime!” This child was on to something. I recently saw statistics that showed that a family that eats together at least three times a week, and that can include McDonalds and other fast food places, it doesn’t always have to be at home, but a family that does that has a 45% greater chance that their children will not use drugs. Now don’t miss the point. It is not that there is something mystical that occurs while we eat; it simply suggest that as we eat together we participate in a basic support group. Here is the key. We need to feel secure, a part of a family where there is acceptance.



Moms, you well know, there are no manuals that come with parenting, but it does seem to make common sense that we need to get back to some basics like listening and being there for one another. I don’t care what experience all our 4 children goes through, whether it is a tennis game, spelling B, or church play, they will grow up remembering that Mom and Dad were there and that will make all the difference.



Mother’s is it well with you? I ran across a job description for a mother this week. It was written by Erma Bombeck. Here it is: "Wanted: Woman to raise, educate and entertain child for minimum of 20 years. Be prepared to eat egg if the yolk breaks, receive anything in hand child spits out, and take knots out of wet shoestrings with teeth. Must be expert in making costume for 'bad tooth' in the dental play and picking bathroom locks with shish kebab skewer. Hours: Seven days a week, 24 hours a day, including holidays. Comprehensive dental plan, vacation, medical benefits and company car negotiable.”



Moms, the hours are endless, the talents you must have are many, the patience endless, and the financial pay is awful. Is it well with you?



2. Is It Well With Your Husband?



Let me ask you also. Is it well with your husbands? Is your husband living up to his family responsibilities. I make no bones that the Father is the head of the family and must answer one day for his attentiveness to that responsibility but often times it is the mother which must prod the man to take his title seriously.



Did you notice what the father did in this story. Let me read it again. Look at verse 18: The child grew and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers. “My head! My head!” The boy said to his father. The father said to a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”



The father said to a servant? A servant!? Why is he telling a servant to do what obviously is his job? It looks as though the boy had fainted. Verse 20 says the servant had to lift him up. The boy wasn’t simply complaining the boy was seriously ill. Probably a heat stroke and the father keeps right on working harvesting the field while the servant carries the limp body of his son back to his mother. What in God’s name is this man doing?


I can hear so many boys crying out and so many girls calling out for their dads. “Dad, my head! my head! Father, my heart! my heart! Dad, my soul! my soul! And what do the father’s do? They keep right on working. There is a true story about a young man who was to be sentenced to the penitentiary. The judge had known him from childhood. He was well acquainted with his father a famous legal scholar and the author of an exhaustive study entitled, "The Law of Trusts." The judge asked the young man, "Do you remember your father?""I remember him well, your honor," came the reply.

Then trying to probe the offender's conscience, the judge said, "As you are about to be sentenced and as you think of your wonderful dad, what do you remember most clearly about him?" There was a pause. Then the judge received an answer he had not expected. "I remember when I went to him for advice. He looked up at me from the book he was writing and said, 'Run along, boy; I'm busy!' When I went to him for companionship, he turned me away, saying "Run along, son; this book must be finished!' Your honor, you remember him as a great lawyer. I remember him as a lost friend." The magistrate muttered to himself, "Alas! Finished the book, but lost the boy!" I ask you Mom. Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? And lastly I ask you is it well with your child?



3. Is It Well With Your Child?



Notice the devotion of this mother. She was not about to let this little boy of hers die without a fight. He had died in her arms and she refused to let him go. I know that some moms can be pretty shrewd when it comes to their children. Children need to be protected and this becomes so engrained in us that we tend to keep protecting them even when they are grown men and women. But at some point we need to let them fend for themselves.



Former president Jimmy Carter spoke at Southern Methodist University and related an incident that occurred after he left the Whitehouse. A woman reporter came to Plains, Georgia, to interview his mother in relation to an article about Mr. Carter and his family. His mother really didn't want to be interviewed, but was being gracious. So when the reporter knocked at her door, Mrs. Carter invited her in. The reporter asked some hard questions and actually was rather aggressive and rude.
"I want to ask you a question," she said. "Your son ran for the presidency on the premise that he would always tell the truth. Has he ever lied?"



Mrs. Carter said, "I think he's truthful; I think you can depend on his word."



The reporter again asked if he had ever lied in his entire life.

His mother said, "Well, I guess maybe he's told a little white lie."



"Ah, see there!" the reporter exclaimed. "He's lied! If he told a white lie, he has lied."



The reporter was still not satisfied and asked, "What is a white lie?" And then Lillian Carter said, "It's like a moment ago when you knocked on the door and I went to the door and said I was glad to see you."



I love that! Mrs. Carter still trying to protect her boy and he was the former president of the United States. Now Mrs. Carter should have said what do you mean has he ever told a lie? He was a boy wasn’t he? Of course, he has told a lie. Mom’s you’ve got to let your children go and let them learn on their own. On the other hand, we all know they never outgrow their need for a mother. It’s an art isn’t it? Deciding when to let them go. How far to let them venture away from you and when to draw them in, hold them, and protect them from danger.



Notice that this mother let her young son go out in the field with his dad. She let him be a big boy. There is risk in that. But there is also risk in coddling them. 



Now, contrast the devotion of this mother with the devotion of this father. In the end I don’t think there was very little devotion on the part of this father. The child is near death and the dad doesn’t even pick the boy up. The servant is told to do it. It’s as if the task is beneath him. And here it is. This is the evil of our age—father’s who believe fatherhood is beneath them. That they have more important thing to do with their lives.

Listen to how the story ends (Read verses 26b-37). I thank God that these two mothers were devoted to their two sons. But more than this, they were both devoted to God. Mothers! There are so many things in this life that cause stress and I know that the demands are great. But remember— Children will live out the life they see reflected in their mother’s eyes; they will live out the life they feel given in the touch of their mother’s hand; they will live out the life they hear described in the words of their mother’s lips.



It’s a pretty tall order isn’t it? Teaching children their heritage. Teaching them the love of God in Christ and helping them grow in that knowledge. It’s, as Erma Bombeck said, a 20 year job and sometimes longer than that but keep telling them about the love of God in Christ. That’s your number one devotion. Mom, is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with your child?

TOP mothers and wives gathers after service

Pastor Gideon praying for all mothers

Youth and Young Adults getting ready to give out Mother's Day gifts

A token of appreciation to all mothers and wives. Getting their gifts from the youths inTOP.

Many thanks to Rev Gideon for passing me his notes so only the beginning was transcribed.

The Peace of God

Rev Gideon Lee

Saturday Night Service at TOP

We are so glad that you can join us at our ceramah (laughs). All the money collected will go to the church.

Before we start I would like to invite auntie Fong to come share her testimony.

Auntie Fong's testimony:

"God healed my grand nephew, who had infection his kidney and the scan showed that he had only one kidney which was frightening. The kidney was swollen and his urethra is also blocked either by a stone or tissue. The blockage caused the infection. So I told Pastor and Bro Vive and SMSs was sent out for our church to pray for him. We prayed that the blockage would go.

I believed that the Lord can disintegrate the stone and clear the blockage. When the scope was done, the doctor couldn't find anything and both passageway was clear and clean. My niece asked where did it go? The doctor said he saw specks of white dots in his bladder and I believe it has disintegrated and was passed out to the bladder.

Our God is great. So I encourage you to seek the Lord if you have any problems. The Lord is good."

Just to let you know I just flew in from KL. I drove down to Klang to do my duty for the election and flew back up for the service. I am reminded I am like Joseph and Mary. Except I didn't come on a donkey and my wife is not pregnant (laughs). My wife said my son Jayden is so popular now. Everyone line up to hug and hold him. That gave me an idea. So I told my wife, here's an idea. Everyone who wants to carry him for five minutes pays RM50.00 and 10 minutes RM100.00 to go to our renovation fund. Since our renovation fund have not been active for the past couple of weeks. Just joking ya.

I am glad you are here and not at a ceramah. Tonight you will hear my ceramah but it is going to be from the word of God.

John 14:23-29
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you. ’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.

Verse 27 says "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

As I was preparing this message I felt that this is what the Lord wants to say to us. In the last few weeks we have heard so much of the political news. And tomorrow we are going to vote. And maybe some things we read and heard is troubling us.

But I want to say that God says my peace I give to you. He says so not let your heart be troubled. Jesus was talking to His disciples. He was telling them He is going away. And of course His disciples would be kind of afraid. They probably was thinking what is going to happen to them when He goes?

And Jesus sensed their anxiety and told them my peace I give to you. And a peace not as the world gives. And He goes on to talk about the Holy Spirit and where He is going where the Heavenly Father is and that He was coming back for them.

So tonight I want to encourage you. Tomorrow as we do our duty to vote, many of us may feel a little bit troubled. Which government is going to be next? We may have many questions on our mind.

But I want to shift your attention to what is happening. I want to shift your attention to what's in God's word. Our peace is not dependent on the government we have. Or any political party. Our peace is dependent on the prince of peace. Then nothing can change you and you have nothing to worry about.

I sometimes wish I have a magic wand and just wave at you and you can have God's peace. But I don't. I can just point you to the person that has peace everlasting.

Here we see Jesus making a very important statement in verse 27.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

What is the defining word here. It is "not as the world gives". The world can give you a kind of peace. A peace that comes with political stability or a strong economy. But I can say that it is only temporary. It will not last. I know a general who said we will go to war to find peace. It is temporary. Jesus understood that. The disciples understood that. Just look at the history of Israel. One fight after another to find peace. Even here, they are under the Roman Empire.

Sad to say a lot of us place our hope in what we see in this world. He was trying to shift the focus of the disciples and that is what I am doing tonight. Peace not as the world give. Look to Christ.

I am not saying the peace that we have is not good. But at best it is only temporary and we should not depend on it for real peace.

Do you know what kind of peace Jesus gives? It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. A peace that comes with surrender and not strength.

How many of you remember when you gave your life to God? A peace that filled that void in you. Worldly peace, whether it is political or otherwise is only temporary.

I remember when I first gave my life to God, I had the peace of God in my heart even though there was so much trouble out there. The peace can only come when we surrender to Him. God has been so good to me. I look at my life and I see his mercy in my life.

I remember how God led my family to Penang. That kind of peace can only come from surrendering to Him. When I say surrender, I mean obedience. It will only come when you are I have total obedience to him.

I was thinking how I was going to shift from Klang to Penang. Don't know how many lorries. I had extended families, all my fish and tortoises (laughs). It was a big lorry and I didn't even thought whether the 19 footer may not be able to come into my housing area. I had to help the driver reverse in so that he don't bang my neighbour's car.

And to load the stuff was no joke. I lived in Klang all my life so I accumulated lots of rubbish. It took so long to load up. I had so many fishes. I had a 8' x 8' cement tank in my house. So I was wondering how I am going to ship them all up.

But God is so good. Came to Penang and Bro Wilbur's cell came to help us. When I first saw Bro Wilbur, this small Chinese man with his shirt nicely tucked in his shorts, before I knew it, he was up on the lorry moving things and shouting instructions (laughs).

Then another second trip to take my two 5' aquarium and many other smaller tanks. If you look at my circumstances, I'm sure your heart will be troubled. But the difference is when you have the peace of God, you will know all things will work out fine.

Tonight, are you troubled? Many people have a lot of fears. Fear of tomorrow. Fear of death. Fear of the dark. All of us have fears. But the difference is that we have Jesus in our heart. The bible did not say no fear. But it says fear not.

We need the peace of God more and more. And the peace of God can only come when we are in total surrender to God. The bible says "if you obey me."

In one of my sermons, I said you can know how well a person is by how well he follows God. You cannot follow God of you don't obey Him. Is God calling you to do something for Him? Until you obey or surrender to Him, it will be "gangu" you.

He gives you a peace not as the world gives. Whatever happens tomorrow, I pray your peace will be centered on Him. And nothing will shake you. Tomorrow do your duty and go vote. Pray before you go to vote. Tonight we want to spend some time to pray for Malaysia. Before everything happens tomorrow, let us soak our country in prayer.