Resurrection Sunday - The Harvest is Plentiful

Rev Stephen Thomas

On Good Friday evening we shared about our faith and the prophesy of Isaiah. Jesus was wounded for us. And we are made whole by the blows he received. 

The reason he took the blows, the piercing of the thorns and the end of a spear is because it is all for us. He lead us on his pathway to our perfection. He carried the wounds so deep in us that no one but Jesus knows about the wounds. 

All this depends on our faith in Jesus as Lord. We all have stories on how our faith develops. 

On Friday, I shared about a man called Dr Fitts. I grew up as a baby with him and he read the bible to me in Mandarin. I would listen to him and hear stories about China. How he was driven out and stories about his faith. 

My faith began when I was 12 years old at a convention. A new believer sang an old old hymn called "Little is Much." That audience of 50,000 were in tears. Our faith is to hear the voice of God calling us. The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest. Our faith is to response to what God wants us to do. 

Jesus not a only healed diseases that are contagious but also brings healing to the mind. 

Matthew 9:35-38

The Workers Are Few

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus calls each of us by faith to be workers in his harvest field. 

Matthew 8:18-22

The Cost of Following Jesus

8:19- 22pp – Lk 9:57- 60

18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

20 Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

There is a price to pay to follow Jesus. 

Matthew 9:16-17

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17 Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Our faith is that Jesus put us in new wine skin so that our faith will mature. New wine of his personality and love so that we bubble before other people and they'll change. 

Matthew 22:14

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

So where is your faith in 2014? Our faith is to be absolute and complete. To transform our life and affect other lives for Jesus. It will cost you but it is worth it and you will be rewarded with eternal life. 

Jesus moved from village to village and from town to town and preached. And there was no place for him to rest. Have you slept on hard ground? I have.  I used to sleep like that in Afghanistan. Jesus kept moving on. 

Jesus sat down for a meal with 12 men on Thursday and on Friday he was crucified. Jesus died on the cross before the sabbath began. This is the end of the old era and a new era is established by God. On Sunday he arose. Saturday became an empty day. Jesus resurrection became a new time for all time. He took us out of the old and bring us into the new. What? His saving grace. 

He gives us a new beginning. He shelters and protects us and he guides us. In this new era Jesus calls on our faith to be workers in his harvest field. The Lord of the harvest. And being active workers is imperative. We do not know when he will come again. But we know each day is one day nearer. 

We need to gladly labor for his kingdom. With joy. We are called to demonstrate to a broken world, a broken people with broken hearts to the joy of being complete in Jesus. 

How does all I say apply to my life and WIN? The answer is faith. 

In 1977, I asked God what he wanted me to do. My response was that I love Thailand and have been there before and the Lord says do it. He understand us. He knows us. Since that date I have lived an active ministry for 36 years in Thailand and with Thai people in America. God puts a call in our lives and he opens the door. 

17 years ago I met a man named Hudson Lee. Your pastor's father. We were with him at a place called Nasi Thong which meant Face of Gold. And we prayed over that place. But God took Hudson home 12 years ago and that place was left dormant. But we are back and God has a new era for WIN. 

You have any wounds? Yes you do. We all do. Jesus is the marvellous healer that turns our wounds for his glory. We may find a rocky bed or a pillow of hay but it is better for us. The cost of discipleship is great but it brings substantial rewards. Sorrow is replaced with hope. Pain is replaced with joy. Tears are replaced with laughter. Little is much when God is in it. 

We started by tilling the land and seeded the ground. We planted Jerusalem artichoke and it is growing. 3 feet high now. 

We have individuals supporting us but we want to be self supporting. Harvest is coming soon. It takes time to grow. And we want to tithe back to you so that you can help others. 

The time has come to have no place to rest as you are reaching Jerusalem. To move from village to village. Harvest is here. We are to announce that the cross is our victory. The empty tomb is our witness. 

Paul when he met Jesus he became a prophet and priest of the word and brought thousands to the kingdom. We all have met our Dr Fitts. Where does your faith stand? Do you remain in the quicksand of a sinful world or have you given yourself to your redeemer. A victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 

Are you this day in tune with Jesus as your redeemer and friend? Are you out witnessing to people on this island? Our first memory of Penang was Georgetown. Now this island is one big enormous city and you are placed to touch the people on this island. You are called here for a purpose and a reason. Just like us in Thailand. 

We did not plan to be in Nasi Thong. It's just that when we got there God told us this is the open door. He calls you in your mind, in your heart, in your soul. Know that he is the Lord of your life. 

Rev Stephen Thomas introducing his wife Linda who presented a slide show of work progress at WIN.

Wonderful presentation by TOP's young adults.

Some of our Baptism Candidates getting ready for baptism at the 3rd Floor.

Good Friday, a day of Glorious Faith

Rev Stephen Thomas

This is the most important day in earth's history. This day Jesus allowed his life to come to an end. And by so doing he finalised his claim to hold all power and all authority over the earth. 

That day the power of satan ceased. Satan never heard Jesus' words. Satan thought he won. What did Jesus say? I will rise again. And that is the victory. The end of the old and the beginning of the new. 

These words accentuated the faith he holds in our life. This is the faith, the same life that he provides for us. Paul says from glory to glory he changes me, from earthly to the heavenly. 

So today is the day for us to be certain of our faith. Through Jesus' life, through death and the resurrection our life is made everlasting. 

It is by faith that Jesus took hold of all our problems. Jesus heals all of our unrighteous thoughts. He gave his life to pave our way. And he generously heals us of all our ruins. 

He does heal our wounds. I've had 32 surgeries. And I'm still walking and talking and singing and dancing. He will heal our wounds. He will take the mars of our soul and give us life. 

I'll tell you about a man that thought me faith. He understood the good value of Good Friday. His name is doctor Fitts. He knew me when I was a baby. I sat on his lap when he read the bible to me Mandarin. 

The last time I met him he was 96 years old. He was pastoring a country church. He was a man of faith. As a young doctor he came to Shanghai to practise medicine. During World War Two the Japanese made him go home. In 1946 he went back to China again. But he was forced out under Mao Tze Tung's regime. But this did not alter his faith. All through his life, I would see him read his bible in Mandarin. I love music. Here is a good hymn. It is of value to my life and doctor Fitts life. 

We celebrate Good Friday as a day of glorious faith. Let me ask you. On this day of victory how do we connect with our Heavenly Father? How do we stand firm that Jesus is the only Son of God? How are we sure that he saved us? How are we positive that he leads us on this pathway to perfection? How do we relate our faith to Good Friday?

Isaiah 53:1-5

Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

Like one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 9:4-7

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

6 For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.

There are two major thoughts to recall. 

Jesus was wounded for our sins. 

This is his act of faith towards us. 

Each who are called by his name are healed by the stripes that hit him. 

This is the truth of the authenticity of our faith. 

Our faith had found a resting place in Jesus as the Lord of our lives. We have faith and he thought us how to believe in a gracious and loving Father. He demonstrate this through the miracle of salvation. Faith is the key to victorious spiritual living. Faith which is believing on the wounded one is the pathway to the joy of salvation. Faith is accepting that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact he is the son of the great physician. 

Another good friend is my earthly father. He preached his first sermon when he was 15. On March 30th, he will be 97 years. He has preached God's words for 82 years. And he says I'm the plodding one. 

He is a man of faith. I used to listen to him. And I'll watch him sing. We walked every Sunday morning two and a half miles to church. And he'll sing. Dad would sing this with tears running down his face and his eyes is full of joy. So dad is now older than doctor Fitts. He just like dad proclaims his faith and love for Jesus. And Jesus is indeed our physical and spiritual doctor. 

On this Good Friday, how does this relate to what we are doing in Thailand? I would like to testify that God has been merciful to my life. Twice I faced death. The first time was in Afghanistan. The other time is in Thailand. In fact, the Thailand accident which God saved me by faith, was so real that an American government called America to ask my mother "where do we send your sons body when he dies." That was 42 years ago and I am not dead yet. 32 surgeries. I had to deal with epilepsy. And it's easy to get tired. And when your are over 60 like I am it is even easier to get tired. 

God called us to South Thailand. I have been living there for 45 years now. And he is assisting me to show them the pathway to salvation. Jesus says that he can take our wounds on himself shows his great love. No greater love has any man than this, that he lays down his life for a friend. This is the act of God in faith. 

Jesus' faith was foretold in Isaiah. By his stripes we are healed. His greatness makes our faith great. If Jesus have faith in me should I not have faith in him? If God can put up with me, he can put up with anybody. I must admit sometimes I think of quitting. But God says not yet. 

I said two things. He bears the weight of our sin. And he leads us to the pathway of life. 

17 years ago we were in Thailand and we met Hudson Lee. He asked us to help at WIN. And we intended to by faith. But back then we had a daughter and needed to take her back to America. I also met a young man called Kitty. We came back to Thailand and met this Kitty who had no idea we were coming. And he said "I thought I'll never see you again". He asked if I remembered WIN and pastor Hudson and he said I have a job to do. 

The miracle of Good Friday has become a gateway of what we are doing at WIN. WIN is now redeemed because of Hudson's faith. Because of Kitty's faith. Because of doctor Fitts' faith. Because of my father's faith. 

WIN is now healthy. We now sell fish. It's a beginning. All this because we live in the faith that he was wounded for our transgression and by his stripes we are healed. 

Jesus is the one whose government will never end. He brings peace that surpasses all understanding. This began at Easter. When Jesus did what he told Satan what he will do. That he will rise again. And Jesus rose again. 

I like this word in the bible called zeal. In Thailand we have work to do for the kingdom. In Penang you have work to do for the kingdom. All over the world we believers needs to get the job done. Let's announce his saving grace. Let those who have ears hear. 

The words of my father sang the works of the physician draws near. He is the sweetest name that was ever known. Jesus is the source of our faith. He was wounded for us to prove his faith. And he is the blessed one that heals. Jesus makes us strong in a world so devastated by sin. Jesus gives us faith. Good Friday is the last day of an old era. And Easter is the first day of a new era. Jesus' government has begun. The government rest on his shoulders. His judgement is sound. I guarantee it. We even with all the confusion created by Satan knows that Easter is real. The battle is done. The victory is won. 

Jesus is a wonderful saviour. The world may be on fire but from the flames Jesus will remove us and keep us in the rock of ages protected. 

Jesus carries us through. Each day is a saved day. His presence in our life is a resurrected life. And it began Easter morning. 

May I ask you? Do you have faith? Are you living in faith? Is your foundation in faith? He accepted the wounds so that you could be healed. Without a doubt know that God has faith in you. 

I am going to make a quick ending. As we left Hatyai and was standing in line for our visa, there stood a man and his daughter. I spoke to him with greetings. We asked where we were each from. He asked are you a Christian. My respond was the Koran says that Jesus is higher than Mohammed. And he said I am a Muslim Christian. Your faith makes the Penang church grow. And our faith will make WIN in Thailand grow. 

Two things. Do you have faith? And will you pray for WIN in Thailand? We are very tired as there is much to do. When your team comes we have much for you to do. Thank you for you coming by faith. Thank you pastor Gideon for having faith in us. 

Rev Stephen Thomas

Rev Gideon praying for Kelvin Voon who is leaving for the Philippines.

Easter presentation by TOP's young adults.

Good Friday presentation video

Defeating Giants

Rev Gideon Lee

When we talk about giants the first story that comes to mind is David and Goliath. We all face giants in our lives. It could be a problem that is bigger than us and we cannot face it on our own. It could be your finance or heath.  We all have giants in our life. But the bible tells us we are more than overcomers. We are giant slayers. 

We can learn from this chapter. Due to time constraint, I won't be reading the whole chapter but I will briefly tell you what in this famous passage. Go read chapter 17 when you go back. 

1 Samuel 17

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side:and there was a valley between them.

4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron:and one bearing a shield went before him. 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants:but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons:and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul. 13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle:and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest:and the three eldest followed Saul. 15 But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17 And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; 18 And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words:and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up:and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel. 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.

28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?

30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner:and the people answered him again after the former manner. 31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul:and he sent for him.

32 And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him:for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth:and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear:and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. 39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. 40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand:and he drew near to the Philistine. 41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him:for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield:but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear:for the battle is the Lord 's, and he will give you into our hands. 48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. 53 And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Jerusalem; but he put his armour in his tent.

55 And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell. 56 And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is. 57 And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

This is a common Sunday school story. We all know what happened. The Philistines would send their challenger, Goliath. And they would say to the Israelites to send their best warrior to fight Goliath. 

Israel's best was Saul at that time. They chose him because he was head and shoulders above the rest. Like the shampoo. He was tall, well built and probably good looking. He was someone impressive. But Saul was in his tent. Goliath was 9 feet tall. You would probably be afraid of him. He was also a seasoned warrior. He was a soldier since his youth. He was a hardened battle trained soldier. It talked about his shield and spear. The spearhead was about 16 pounds. It would probably kill you if it dropped on your head. That was his armoury. He challenged the best of Israel and the best of Israel was quaking in his boots. 

Then came David. He was a shepherd boy. Still young, probably 14 or 15 years old. If you looked at them you would put your money on Goliath. 

We all face giants. Even pastors face giants. We can learn some principles from this passage.  

1. You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 

The passage before this, God said no to all the brothers as King when Jesse brought the brothers one by one. And God said man looks at the outwards but God looks at the inward. God asked if there was another and finally Jesse remembered David and said there is one more. When David came in God says anoint him and the bible says he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

As Christians God has already given us the Holy Spirit but are we trusting and dependent on the Holy Spirit? It is not by might or by power but by the Holy Spirit saith the Lord. 

Nothing is impossible to God. If you face your problems on your own you will not see God at work. You won't see how God move. 

David was someone filled with the Holy Spirit and he faced his giant and the giant came tumbling down. 

2. You need to use what you have. 

What did David have? Just a sling. Saul wanted to give David armour but David just needed his sling. 

What you have in your hands no matter how small it is when we place it in God's hands miracles happens. 

Remember the feeding of the 5,000? The disciples just saw that they don't have enough. That's our problem. We only see what we don't have. 

But then came a boy with just 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Remember this is the boy's meal so it's probably 5 small loaves and 2 small fishes. Put that in God's hands and they were all fed full and there were left overs. 

God is asking what you have in your hands. 

3. You need to invite God into your situation. 

God is a gentleman. God didn't force his will on our lives when we accepted him into our life. David placed what he has in God's hands. 

He just had a sling where he put a stone in it and sling it. A sling is kind of hard to aim. As David in faith used what he has and as he swung and let it go, God took that stone and hit Goliath right smack in the centre of his head. It's not easy to aim for the head. That was probably the only gap in his armour. 

When we invite God into our situation, miracles happens. 

It was an insult that they sent David. Goliath was ranting that he was not a worthy opponent but David said he came in the name of the Lord God almighty. 

Most of the time we wait until it was a last resort to call on God. David said he came in the name of God. He invited God into his battle. 

How many of you wants to see your problems come tumbling down. Have you invited God into your situation? Pray without ceasing. Do your part but let God take over. 

Rely on God to remove some of those giants. Sometimes we need God to remind us through those giants that come our way. Have you invited God into your situation?

You need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You need to use what you have now in your hands, just place it in God's hands. Have you invited God into your situation or is he just a spectator. 

Arise! Shine!

Rev Christopher Kee

I left Penang in '87, '88. Before I left to bible school I was a very troubled person. Nobody can believe I can become a pastor. Bro Allan know me from young. I'm one of the naughty ones. 

I am now in Melbourne. The last 10 years of ministry I was one of the founder of Rumah Charis. Today it has grown. In one of them we started with only a few but now has 150 Indian children. We want to give them a life. In KL the Indians were seen as gangsters. We have to give them a life and start them young. 

We have to be serious with God to serve. The bible says deny yourself. 

I am going to be talking about Isaiah 60. Arise, you have to do something. Arise is an action. Then what? Arise then shine. When you arise something will happen. You will shine. God is asking us to shine. 

The worship leader sang God is able and it's true. God is able. In Indonesia during a service, first day nothing happened. Second day, a lot of things happened. A lady prophesied in Mandarin and then another in Hokkien. And they said the same thing. Coincidence? No, it was God. The Chinese there are 4th or 5th generation so they don't speak a word of Mandarin or Hokkien. I also prophesied in Bahasa Indonesia. I am a Malaysian and even my Malay is not too good so it was God. 

A simple Penang boy used by God. 

Isaiah 60:1-4

The Glory of Zion

1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

2 See, darkness covers the earth

and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you

and his glory appears over you.

3 Nations will come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:

All assemble and come to you;

your sons come from afar,

and your daughters are carried on the arm.

Who is the light? You are the light. Even kings would come to the light. You are the salt. You are the flavour. Even the Gentiles will come to the light. You have to shine. You have to influence the little children. 

The light will draw and attract. We are the light. So they will come and we can minster to them. 

In Melbourne one of the ministry we have is social ministry. We have a coffee machine with the phrase "Have a cuppa with us". The people there will know we have a church there. When they come we just chat with them. No preaching. Then we can minster to them. 

We also have a "Help Yourself" day. Where our members donate items for people to take. Washing machine, ovens, books etc. Unlike here, all the items are usable and in good condition. We also have a book where you can write down what you need. And they can come on Sunday to sign and take what they need. We don't force them to attend church. But many came and stayed for the service. 

We also give therapy at no charge. In Australia, 45 mins counselling I charge 100.00. But they listen and they don't have to pay. 

When people see you and how you live and act, they will be drawn to you. You are a light. Are you behaving like a Christian and not just be a Christian?

We need worship leaders, we need musicians, we need cell leaders, where are you? You are here to serve and minister. You are the light. 

In Charis Home, we had a Buddhist lady who gave food. She asked me why are you doing this? I have to clean an old man who had sores and ribs with open wounds. When he shit I have to clean him. It's not a pleasant work. Are you willing to do it? Some don't even do it for their parents. Shame on you. She cried and accepted the Lord. 

I just met her recently at Rumah Charis and she said she accepted Jesus not because I forced her but because I showed her. From "omi thor hoot" to hallelujah. 

When you become the light, kings will come to you. We have a prayer breakfast and the chief of Conga islands attend. You need to arise and shine. Are you ready to shine? Are you ready to arise?

A prince of the current Agong always calls me when in Melbourne. I will take him out to eat. When in KL I'll call him and we meet to eat. He knows I'm a pastor. When we shine, even kings will come. I am not boasting. There is nothing to boast about. We are the light. 

What kind of christian are you? How do you treat your wife? How do you treat your maid? If you drink, your children will probably be an alcoholic. If you hit your wife, your children will pick it up. It's call behaviour conditioning. 

Arise and shine is an action word, to shine. We shall be radiant. God wants you to glow. What kind of fragrance are you? Why do we put perfume or cologne? To smell nice?

How do we smell before God? Does it stink? That's like the drain where rats are. Or do we smell fragrant before God. 

Isaiah 60:5

Then you will look and be radiant,

your heart will throb and swell with joy;

the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,

to you the riches of the nations will come.

God is saying clearly that we shall become radiant and our heart will swell. And abundance will come to you. That is God's promise. 

When I was in Australia, houses was given to me for many years. It was in a luxurious location. And I got cars. Never had to ask. God is good. Someone also gave A$200 every month. That's my pay. We started in a garage like Steve Jobs. God provided. I even got a blank cheque given to me to handle rentals. First time. 

When you arise and shine, you will have God's abundance. You have to work with your Pastor Gideon. He didn't pay me to say this. 

We are not here to warm the pews. We need to arise. 

Isaiah 60:11-12

Your gates will always stand open,

they will never be shut, day or night,

so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations –

their kings led in triumphal procession.

12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish;

it will be utterly ruined.

The blessings of God will come. You need to arise. And to shine. Get involve in ministry. Be an influence. 

I deal with university students. And many who don't have strong Christian influence are influenced by the culture in Australia. Influence the young now. 

Make a difference by serving. And there is no retirement or time out in ministry. I still want to serve God at 90. There is no break in the kingdom of God. No rest stop. No toilet break. No stopping. We are called to serve him. We are called to arise. We are called to shine. 

Rev Christopher Kee delivering his fiery sermon.