Sunday, 5th February
Pastor Abraham Liu
In Exodus 40:1-3, God told Moses to build a Tabernacle in the wilderness. There was darkness and there was nothing. When we cannot see what’s ahead of us, when we cannot see the future, when we have not yet entered our promised land, God wants us to set up a tent and worship Him.
In Exodus 40:34-38, the Israelites were in the wilderness, and God was leading then with the pillars of cloud and pillar of fire. In darkness, can we continue to trust in God and follow Him? When we come across problems and difficulties, can we continue to worship God?
Apart from worship, we should also proclaim the Word of God. Let this year be the year full of the presence of God. When the Israelites built the Tabernacle, the light of God was shining above. When we are full of the presence of God, His light will be with us wherever we go. Deuteronomy 31:8 told us that God will lead before us, He will be with us and He will not forsake us. We don’t need to worry and fear when God is with us. I Samuel 3:19 also told us that when we have the presence of God, everything we say will come to pass.
SEEK THR PRESENCE OF GOD
The presence of God is with us, we will not be weak and we will not be weary. I Chronicles 4:10 is the prayer of Jabez. This is a powerful prayer, pray for the presence of God, and His strength will be with us. Psalm 23:4 also says that even though we walk through the death valley, God is with us and we don’t need to be afraid. Let the new year be the year full of God’s presence.
FIX YOUR EYES ON THR CLOUD
This is also a year we must fix our eyes on the cloud. Exodus 40:36-38 tells us that the Israelites were fixing their eyes on the pillar of cloud, which is the presence of God. We can’t change the cloud with our own ways, all we must do is to fix our eyes on the cloud, and God knows the best timing for us.
When we fix our eyes on the cloud, we will focus on God, and we will not leave a loophole for the devil. When we concentrate, focus, keep our eyes on the cloud, when it goes we will go, and when it stops we will stop.
OBEY GOD’S COMMAND
Number 9:17-22 gave the commandments to the Israelites. They were not difficult things to do, but they were the things God wanted His people to do. Many times what God wants us to is simple, but we tend to be rebellious and disobedient. It’s easy to carry on with what we want to do first and put God’s command last. What’s our decision today?
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Recently there has been flood, storm, earthquake… but God blessed us here in South Auckland. From last week we started the 40-day fast and pray, and God protected us. When we follow the flow of the Holy Spirit and the flow of the church, then God will make this year easy for us. Through fast and prayer, we show God how serious we are about following Him. We don’t do it for religious reason, but that we love Him. He is our Father, He loves us and we want to live Him back.
God knows what’s the best for us, therefore it’s never wrong to obey Him, to follow Him and to look up to Him.