Tackling drought and climate change increasingly dominates political agenda across the globe. Jesus promised that natural disasters would escalate prior to his return, as warning signs to turn to him. However, the good news is that we have all authority in heaven and earth through Christ to release reconciliation and healing in our land. In the spirit, I hear spiritual rains falling, souls saved, disciples made, droughts ending and fertility abounding in the natural. The whole of creation is in pains waiting for us, the sons, and daughters of God to be revealed! Read this blog to gain kingdom keys to transform your nation! Decades of drought has left many Australian farmers in a dire situation. With large numbers of Australian farmers and cattlemen on the brink of losing their livelihood after decades of drought the situation this year is more desperate than ever. And what is even more concerning for many is that weather experts say that relief is nowhere in sight. How long before substantial numbers of owners have to let go of their business and thus forfeit generations of expertise, and most heart breaking is, will the hopelessness and suicide rate among communities continue to rise? And of course, the economic flow on affects in cities across the nation will bite hard. Why is global warming a global warning? Jesus warned his disciples and believers that before he returns and establishes his kingdom that many disasters would occur. He also spoke of the effects of global warming albeit indirectly. Jesus warned his disciples and believers that before he returns and establishes his kingdom that many disasters would occur. In Matthew chapter 24 verses 6 - 8 it records our Messiah’s warning for the end times, “...There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.” Famine suggests drought, and also did Jesus make another explicit and startling reference to global warming? (see Luke 21:25-27.) But, take heart God longs to show His compassion and revive the hopes of those experiencing drought by bringing rain! It may seem incredible and defy all human rationale and science to say this but, it is absolutely consistent with God’s nature and his ways. God desires to lift and break every drought and hindrance to crops growing and cattle thriving. I do not take the view that God hates people and is waiting for judgment to fall like Jonah did; Jonah focussed on how bad people are, rather than on how good God is! We must understand that all of creation eagerly awaits the manifestation of the sons of God as it is in bondage and decay. (See Romans 8:19-20). Drought is a part of the curse on men through Adam, and a bondage that God wants to remove because he loves humanity despite the rebellion and indifference to God. God co-labours with His Sons and daughter to intercede for the peoples and drought-stricken areas. God co-labours with His Sons and daughter to intercede for the peoples and drought-stricken areas. In 1 Kings 18:41- 42 says, “Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!” 42 So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.” Elijah prayed for rain after several years of famine due to drought. This miracle shows God is in control of the heavens and of warming, and that God ceased further judgement and released his mercy and rain, as Elijah prayed. The law of entropy shows that things are naturally going from order to chaos, which began since the fall of man. And the judgement of God is landing on places ripe with sins as listed in Isaiah chapter 59. But, God in his love can remove the curse of sin and drought and show mercy. God in his love can remove the curse of sin and drought and show mercy. He looks for ones to stand in the gap; will it be you? Isaiah chapter 59 verse 15-16 God was appalled that there was no one to intervene, no intercessor. Jesus said: “Will he find faith on the earth?” However, hear me I am not saying people simply do nothing and pray alone. I am saying a wise farmer in drought, with faith would make preparations for rain to come, and seek the aid of neighbours and others as needed, while pressing into God as the highest priority! In faith Elijah said he heard the rain though he didn’t see it, so I say rains are coming for Australians and all places on earth with drought as his church rises up! I hear mighty, supernatural rains coming to your town! And not just physical rains of abundance, but the pouring forth of rains of revival and the spirit of God. Will we give up due to warming or rise up due to God’s warning? Take heart all our Father has ‘good plans not to harm, but to prosper people.’ I especially appeal to those in drought-stricken communities, and where famine is breaking out to turn to God. And I call for those sent among us to start interceding for rural communities and farmers. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16.” Those God sends must also make haste to preach the gospel of peace in these locations, as God opens his door of faith. I have not time to share my testimony, but the Lord is summoning myself and my church to enter a door. There shall not just be a harvest of crops, but also of righteousness and souls. Let us take heed of Jesus final words in his sermon for the end times. Be not insensitive and critical, but instead knowing that God desires mercy over judgment. As we seek him he desires we administer his grace and are also preserved from what is coming: “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36. (First published by Mark Rusic in Christian Today Australia) Copyright©️2021 by Mark Rusic. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Must women be silent in the church? What did Paul mean when he gave this instruction? Not permitted to speak One of the puzzling instructions Paul gave in the Bible was for women to keep silent in the churches. This can be found in His first epistle to the church in Corinth. 1 Cor 14:34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. Why did he say that? Does it apply universally to all women in all churches through all ages? One thing we need to understand is most of Pauline epistles were occasional. In other words, the apostle wrote those letters to tackle certain issues that arose in certain congregations. 1 Corinthians is no exception. Since Paul wrote this message primarily not for us but for the Corinthian Christians, in order to understand these verses correctly, we need to take into account their literary context. 1 Cor 14:33-35 is nestled in the context of the operation in the gifts of prophesying and tongues. That Paul says in 1 Cor 14:33 that God is not a God of confusion but of peace gives us an implication that there was a confusion in the church, which was caused by 1) people speaking in tongues without interpretation (1 Cor 14:5, 13, 23) 2) more than one person delivering messages from God simultaneously (1 Cor 14:27-31). In this context, some women in the congregation engendered chaos by their speaking. When the word church is mentioned, many of us in the 21st century would think of a formal church service in a church building. However, in the first century church meetings were run in people’s houses (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15; Phm 2). In view of persecution from the authorities, it makes all sense that believers gathered in houses rather than public places. One of the main reasons believers gathered was for each individual to bring something, e.g., a song, a lesson, revelation, a tongue or an interpretation, to edify the congregation (1 Cor 14:16). When any revelation, or prophecy, was delivered, it must be weighed. Paul’s mention in verse 34 suggests that some women asked questions seemingly when a prophecy was evaluated, thus disrupting the meeting. In Ancient Greece, people visited a place called Delphi to seek advice from the oracle known as Pythia. Her mysterious words would be given in the form of answers to the seeker’s questions such as whether a war should be undertaken, whether some land should be purchased, or questions about one’s birth or origin, marriage. It is probable that some women in the Corinthian church, being familiar with the Delphi oracle, followed its way by asking questions to prophets in order to induce prophecy. However, to Paul Christian prophecies are prompted by the Holy Spirit and not pushed by humans. Actually the main point Paul is making here is not whether women could speak in the church in a generic sense but rather that they must not disrupt the meeting with their speech. He discouraged them from keeping questioning during the worship service, as that would disturb others. His prohibition is not universally on women’s public speech but particularly on the disruption of the meeting regardless of the perpetrator’s gender. In this case, the chaos was caused by some women and they should rather be submissive in silence to preserve the order of the meeting. His prohibition is not universally on women’s public speech but particularly on the disruption of the meeting regardless of the perpetrator’s gender. The Greek word for should be in submission in 1 Cor 14:34 means be subjected. The phrase silence and submission is used by people in the Near East to imply willingness to heed and obey instruction. Ask their husbands at home 1 Cor 14:35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. One of the objectives of prophecy was for the hearers to learn and be encouraged (1 Cor 14:31). The Greek word for learn in verse 31 means gain knowledge or be educated. However, some of the women did not fully grasp it and they noisily asked their husbands about it while the meeting was in progress. In the Jewish culture, formal education was for men and not women. Unless they were from a wealthy family, women on average would be less educated than men. Women were neither used to listening to lectures nor engaging in theological debate. In the ancient times, it was quite common that students interrupted the teachers with questions, be it to ask them to elaborate or challenge their teaching. This was also common among the Jews. However, only those who learned sufficiently were allowed to ask questions. The rest must remain quiet. Women’s outspokenness could also deem offensive to Roman and Greek men, especially in the house church setting of Corinth. In addition, it was socially unacceptable for a woman to have a conversation in public with any man other than her husband unless they gave a formal talk or a speech believed to be divinely inspired. Speaking to a male stranger would be considered immoral and therefore shameful. Paul did not stop women to speak, teach or preach. He simply stopped them from disturbing the meeting. And this was due to their insufficient education at home. In other words, they did not study enough before they came to the meeting and they asked questions they should not have asked. Conclusion In Paul’s time, believers gathered for worship and Bible studies at individual’s houses and not in public places due to the extensive persecution. In those meetings in Corinth, some women asked questions that disrupted the meetings. Some of them were influenced by pagan oracle at Delphi and questioned prophets, in order to induce prophecies. Some women who generally were not very educated asked simple questions as they wanted to learn something. Paul therefore stated that God is not a God of confusion but orderliness. As a consequence, he encouraged those women to ask their husbands at home, as their men would be able to educate them. Paul did not forbid women to speak at all in the congregation. He rather stopped them from disrupting the meeting by asking questions. Therefore one cannot use this scripture as a basis to prevent women from any public speaking in the church. Paul did not forbid women to speak at all in the congregation. He rather stopped them from disrupting the meeting by asking questions. Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version Copyright©️2021 by Prakich Treetasayuth. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have you ever wondered what sort of difference the church should be making in our communities, our nations? What would God like the Church to do? In Feb 2013, there occurred a spectacular meteor explosion over Central Russia. Russian scientists estimate that it was about 10,000 tonnes and entered the earth’s atmosphere at over 54,000 km/h (50 times the speed of sound) and exploded at least 30 km above land. Scientist estimated that the explosion was equivalent to 20 times the Hiroshima atomic bomb! The sonic shockwave shattered thousands of windows and collapsed some roofs and doors in over 3000 buildings in 6 cities. Over 1000 people were reported injured by shattered glass. All because of an explosive impact of a meteor in our atmosphere. An impact can be explosive and have a ripple effect that changes the status quo. God’s mission for His Church is to impact this world with His Good News and redeem the world back to Himself. The Church is meant to multiply across every locality, every people groups, every nation of the world. The challenge for us, is to be and do as God intended. To resonate God’s heartbeat and to make God’s mission our own. To allow God to work in us and through us. Because we are sons and daughters of God. Because we are simply faithfully living our Father’s way. When we do so as a people and as a church, we can make an impact that is explosive. That was the intent expressed by Jesus that is summarised in Acts 1:1-8 Acts 1:1 - 8 (NIV84) 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 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 challenge for us, is to be and do as God intended. To resonate God’s heartbeat and to make God’s mission our own. The same intent that Jesus gave His disciples are intended to carry forward until today. We are supposed to make the same kind of explosive impact upon our world as the Early Church. It is not enough to reach our local communities; we must always have in mind the global communities. After all, Jesus’ command has not changed. The Holy Spirit is still with us. Let us dive in and look at this passage and begin to see what it means to us today. SOURCE OF IMPACT: THE RISEN CHRIST (v1-3) At the very beginning of this book, Luke started with the key person to the establishment and growth of the church – Jesus Christ Himself. He reminded Theophilus that he recorded about what Jesus did and taught. How Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead and for 40 days instructed His disciples about the Kingdom of God. It all begins with Jesus; He is the key to explosive impact. Jesus is the reason for the explosive impact. Without Jesus there would be no explosive impact. Without Jesus there would be no “Good News”. Without Jesus there would be no “lives transformed”. Without Jesus there would be no “supernatural encounters with God”. Jesus is the source, the epicentre. Jesus is the source, the epicentre. It all begins with Jesus; He is the key to explosive impact. I harp on this to make it clear that the very impact that we, the Church, are to make upon this world hinges totally upon Christ. If ever, we take God out of the equation and imagine that we could transform this world, we will fail miserably. Some liberal churches have tried that, and they all eventually decline and go backwards. If we are ever to make a significant difference, it is all because of Christ. However, it is important for us to recognize that knowing about and relying upon the source of impact is not sufficient. It is crucial that we appreciate our role. THE PLACE OF PERSONAL IMPACT (v4-5) Acts 1:4-5 (NIV84) “4 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.”” God desires the explosive impact to occur through you and I, the instruments of His grace. But we cannot be such instruments unless we too have been impacted by God. The greater the extent that we have been impacted by God, the greater the extent we can be used by God to impact others. In these verses, we note 2 keys that help us be impacted by God. The greater the extent that we have been impacted by God, the greater the extent we can be used by God to impact others. Respond with obedience and faith When Jesus commanded His disciples “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait…” What did His disciples do? Did they gripe about it or doubted His instructions? Did they say, “Jesus did not say when the Holy Spirit will actually come. After all, one day is as a thousand years to God!” They obeyed, they believed in faith. As a result, they received what was promised. Obedience and faith are keys to experiencing God’s impact in our own lives. As I looked back, I realised that when I walked in faith and obedience to God, it puts me on the journey to be impacted deeply by God. When I disobey, I am pulling myself off track. If I may put it this way, if I obediently follow God’s GPS, it will get me to the right place. But if I disobey, it gets me off the correct road. I start wandering around, missing the right place. Let us choose to obey God, obey His Word. Then God will bring us through that journey of faith to mature us, so that we can better impact others. Imagine when a potter seeks to mould a piece of clay to make a beautiful vase, but the clay protests and refuse to be moulded. It keeps resisting and will not maintain the shape the potter seeks. What will be the outcome? Our obedience and faith will allow God to mould us much easier and shape us into the noble instruments of God to impact this world. Our obedience and faith will allow God to mould us much easier and shape us into the noble instruments of God to impact this world. Empowerment by the Holy Spirit Jesus instructed His disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The reason for the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to give us power (v8). The baptism of the Holy Spirit opens the door into a realm of supernatural power in God. It was critical that the disciples be baptised in the Holy Spirit, because without being empowered by God that way – it would not be possible to have the kind of explosive impact that God intended His Church to have. It would be like soldiers going to the frontline without appropriate weapons. How much more impact can we make if we are to tap into supernatural gifts from God? What if we were just like the Early Church believers with signs, wonders and miracles? Many Christians live mundane, natural lives because they fail to enter into the supernatural element of the Christian life that God intended. What a boring, limited existence. Take that step of faith and come with us into the supernatural realm. I trust that this year many amongst us will take that big step into the supernatural power of God. Many Christians live mundane, natural lives because they fail to enter into the supernatural element of the Christian life that God intended. EXPANDING KINGDOM IMPACT (v6-8) Acts 2:6-8 (NIV84) “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.” At that time, the disciples still had expectations that the Messiah would come to liberate them from the Roman Empire and establish an Israelite Empire. However, it was not God’s plan to restore national Israel but to establish the Kingdom of God. Jesus revealed that with the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christians were to be witnesses at the local level, at Jerusalem. And at a regional level in Judea and Samaria and globally, to the ends of the world. They were thinking Israel, but Jesus said the world! This was far broader than the disciples had ever imagined. They were thinking Israel, but Jesus said the world! God wants to broaden our perspective and help us realize that with God, we can have an impact way beyond our local scene. That is why in all our churches, we have to focus on these 3 levels as well. Our local community, our nation and globally. Our local community, our nation and globally. Local front On our local front we should be involved in God’s mission. That is, to make a difference by choosing to live God’s mission every day. Acts 8:4 (NIV) Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Wherever we go, whether the hairdresser, the local takeaway, down our neighbourhood street, we can be God’s missionaries. In other words, be willing to be a witness to others about Christ, sharing with others about God’s goodness to you. If you are just willing to walk across the room, across your office, across the neighbourhood and touch someone’s life. One lady shared her testimony that she was depressed with problems with her husband. Her co-worker could see her unhappiness and invited her to church and talked to her about Jesus. She kept refusing until finally she relented. When she went, she was touched by the warmth and spiritual atmosphere. She kept going until she accepted Christ. What she needed was a Christian to take notice and be a friend at a crucial moment. Someone who just walked across the room with an offer of hope. That could be you. National front Beyond our local front we must consider our national front as well. Can we be involved in local missions to help establish another locality in our nation? Can we pray for, support even perhaps join a team to establish another church in our nation? In Thailand alone our churches aim to reach all 77 provinces in the nation over the next few years. National church planting and missions is much easier as we do not need a visa and the language and culture is usually the same. Perhaps some of us make business trips to another city or state regularly or visit family and friends. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to reach out to them. Global front HIM is a Great Commission movement of churches. Faithfully carrying out Jesus ' commission. Our movement has been spreading to many different localities and now have people and conventional churches in over 400 locations around the world. When we include our house churches as well, we are now in almost 70 countries. There are incredible opportunities for us to be involved in missions worldwide. Even in the existing countries with churches, there far more churches that are needed. Then there are over 130 nations where we are yet to have churches in. In Europe, our house church teams regularly visit other nations as part of their efforts to seek new opportunities to start new churches across Europe and beyond. Sometimes with just the leading of the Holy Spirit. Amazing stories emerge of divinely appointed meetings and souls saved! Our Australian churches now oversee churches in 15 countries, especially in Africa, and are continuing to press into more nations. The Kingdom of God continues to expand, and we have a key role to play! God has called us to the world. We must start to think and act locally with a global goal. CONCLUSION God will fully establish His Kingdom one day. Jesus is at the epicentre of this explosive impact. We, the Church is the key to an explosive impact. The question is what role would we have in it? Will we choose to respond with faith and obedience? Would we have helped touch 10s of lives? 100s, 1000s? 10,000s? It starts by being missional. Making God’s mission our mission. We can reach locally, nationally and globally. Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Is anger sin? Can you be angry without sinning? Why do people get angry? How to deal with our anger? We will find out in this article. Mechanism of anger Anger is a burning feeling that is triggered when a person is frustrated, hurt, or feels treated unfairly. When someone is angry, they can turn into a different person and their behaviour becomes erratic. No one likes to be near angry people. It destroys relationships. It is one of the leading causes of divorce. It splits a team. It can even lead to murder. Anger does not only affect other people; it also affects the person who is angry. It can cause adverse physical conditions including high blood pressure, headaches, stomach ulcers and more. People who are angry find it hard to think clearly and objectively. They can easily end up making foolish decisions or doing something stupid they never imagined they were capable of. Anger is often associated with violence. Although anger is just a feeling, it can lead to sinful behaviour. However, if you are aware that you are angry and deal with it instantly, your anger will not culminate in ungodly action. The longer you dwell on your anger, the higher the chances you will engage in sinful behaviour. The longer you dwell on your anger, the higher the chances you will engage in sinful behaviour. Cain and Abel were the sons of the first two humans, Adam and Eve. One day, they brought offerings to God. Cain offered fruit, while Abel offered the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. God was pleased with Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. Cain was not only unhappy, he was furious. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen 4:6-7) God urged Cain to subdue his anger, or it would lead to destruction. The fact that the Lord advised him to deal with his anger and the potential sin implies that he had a choice over his actions. Sin could not rule over him without his permission. Sadly, Cain chose to do what was wrong. He gave in to his infuriated urge and killed his brother, making him the first murderer on earth. Holy anger People tend to categorise anger as sin because of the many sinful acts that arise from it. But anger is not necessarily a sin. While it can lead to sinful behaviour, anger in itself is not a sin. While it can lead to sinful behaviour, anger in itself is not a sin. The Old Testament clearly depicts God as a Holy God who was angry when His righteous principles were compromised. He was indignant when His people turned away from Him to worship idols. To Him, they were committing spiritual adultery as they lusted after false gods. In wrath, He disciplined His people again and again. God’s holy nation was repeatedly attacked by their pagan neighbours. Israel was eventually destroyed by the Assyrians; Judah was crushed by the Babylonians and her people taken into exile. Jesus is always portrayed as a kind, gentle man. Yet, in reality He was not without a temper. In Jerusalem He entered the Temple and drove out all who used the premises as a marketplace (Matt 21:12-13; Mk 11:15-18; Jn 2:13-22). Though the Bible does not specify that the Son of God acted out of anger, one could hardly imagine that He chased the people away gently and turned over tables without fury. In fact, John said the disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (Jn 2:17). It is clear that Jesus was consumed with emotion at that moment. Once, upon entering a synagogue, Jesus found a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees watched carefully to see if He would violate their manmade Sabbatical law. To them, the rules took precedence over people’s welfare. But for Jesus, the law should be created to bless people. Knowing their evil hearts, Jesus looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. (Mk 3:1-6) In these events Jesus was angry, yet He did not sin. His anger or subsequent actions were not regarded as sins. Self-centredness What was the difference between Cain’s and Jesus’ anger? Why was Cain’s anger ungodly while Jesus’ was holy? It is the reason for anger that determines whether it is holy or sinful. Cain was angry because he was jealous. His anger was kindled by self-centredness. In contrast, Jesus was angry when the Father in heaven was dishonoured and the disabled man was not cared for. Anger that is rooted in self-centredness is wrong and may lead to sin. Righteous anger stems from the fact that a godly principle is violated and a person mistreated. Anger that is rooted in self-centredness is wrong and may lead to sin. Righteous anger stems from the fact that a godly principle is violated and a person mistreated. In fact, in certain situations, staying calm and not being angry could be considered a sin. If you witness a woman being harassed and you are indifferent to it, there is something wrong within you. If you see a person being treated with injustice and you are not bothered, there is something not right in your heart. A righteous person will be irritated and try to do something when someone is mistreated. Self-control Though anger is not intrinsically a sin, controlling your temper is the best way to go. When you get angry, do everything you can to control yourself. This requires self-discipline, as with any temptations that arise in our lives. Though anger is not intrinsically a sin, controlling your temper is the best way to go. Anger is an emotional reaction to something that irritates you. You may not have a button you can push to freeze or kill that feeling. But what you can do is resist the urge to react when you are fuming. It is difficult but doable, because it is a biblical instruction. If you keep practising self-control, you will find it easier to manage your anger. Paul says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” (Eph 4:26-27). You can be angry. But you must not sin. More importantly, when you are angry, settle it as soon as possible, or you may fall prey to the enemy who would incite you to sin. Anger is not always wrong. As a feeling you may not be able to kill it, but you can manage it. It is not a sin in itself. Rather, how you respond to it determines whether you will sin. Bible quotations are from the English Standard Version Copyright©️2021 by Prakich Treetasayuth. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Fear can grip our hearts and steal peace from our hearts. Yet as believers we need not fear anymore because God is the Good Shepherd who leads us to safety. In Part 1 [click] we started examining Ps 23:1-4 to discover why we should fear no more. The first key we discover is because God is there for us, He guides us through even the valley of death. In Part 2 we discover more key reasons from the psalms why we need not be gripped by fear any longer. 2. GOD JOURNEYS WITH ME (v4b) "for you are with me". In biblical times, the good shepherd always journeys with his sheep to ensure their safety. Another reason why we should not fear is because God assures us that He journeys with us. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. God journeys with us and will be there to help us, to strengthen us, to uphold us. God does not give us a roadmap and leave us to our own devices. He actually is with us. Though the entire journey. Imagine travelling through a jungle full of dangerous animals. The tour guide says, “Here, I will draw you a map. Now you can go through it yourself!” How much more assuring when the guide says he will take us through it as well as fend off the animals. What is the extent that God travels with us? God does not give us a roadmap and leave us to our own devices. He actually is with us One night I dreamed a dream. As I was walking along the beach with my Lord. Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, One belonging to me and one to my Lord. After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints. This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. "Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me." He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you Never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you." Poem “Footprints” Once, I was very sick with Legionnaire’s disease. My temperature was persistently very high. When I was admitted to the hospital the doctor told me he had never seen such a bad case of pneumonia as my lungs were half full of fluid. When a medical friend visited, he helpfully informed me that people die from this disease. Thanks very much. Yet I was not afraid because deep in my heart, I knew God was with me. The peace of God guarded my heart. God journeys with us all the way. 3. GOD COVERS OVER ME (v4c) “… your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” As God journeys with us, He spreads His wings over us to cover over us. We need not be fearful because of several things that God provides as the good shepherd. God’s protection “your rod”. The rod is a tool that a shepherd uses for protecting the sheep. The rod is a club that is often thrown at intruders. A good shepherd can throw his club with accuracy and force. In the same way, God protect us against enemies with His rod, to strike them. The psalmist was declaring about the fact that God is our protector against our enemies. Isaiah 35:4 (NIV) say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." God can protect us with His holy angels. At one time, King of Aram wanted to capture the prophet Elisha. So he sent an army to Dothan and surrounded the city. Elisha’s servant panicked when he saw the army surrounding the city. But Elisha knew God had provided protection. 2 Kings 6:16-18 (NIV) 16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, "Strike these people with blindness." So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked. God can also strike down our enemies, as in Elisha’s case. Bill Bright shared a story that occurred in 1960, when the Mau Mau uprising gripped Kenya. During that time, missionaries Matt and Lora Higgens had to drive through hostile territory on their way to Nairobi, well aware that many had met violent deaths at the hands of Mau Mau terrorists in that area. After dark, about 17 miles from Nairobi, the Land Rover they were driving failed. Matt tried in vain to repair the vehicle. The couple was forced to lock the doors and pray for safety. They awoke safely, repaired the car, and traveled on to Nairobi. Some days later, they heard an interesting story from an individual who was in contact with terrorist groups: As Matt and Lora had slept that night; three terrorists had come upon them and intended to kill them. Suddenly, though, the terrorists had seen 16 strongmen surrounding the car, and fled in fear! Matt and Lora were puzzled about the identity of the 16 men. Until they returned to America several weeks later and heard the thrilling testimony of a friend: “On March 23, God burdened my heart for you. I called the men at our church, and 16 of us met together for emergency prayer on your behalf!” There have probably been many situations where our angels had protected us. One day when we see them in heaven, we might discover some of them were probably badly bruised. So if we can trust in God’s protection, we will not overcome by fear. God’s discipline “your staff”. The staff was the instrument the shepherd used to deal with his sheep. It was not a weapon but a tool. Most staffs had a hooked end that the shepherd used to catch a sheep’s leg or neck to pull it out of a hole or back into the fold. The shepherd would nudge a sheep with his staff when it began to stray or when it was hesitant to move along with the flock. Sometimes we are a danger to ourselves. So God covers us by prodding us out of danger. Sometimes due to our foolishness, ignorance or stubbornness, we get ourselves into trouble. God is there to help us through it. I am not saying God will wave a wand and the problem disappears. But God is there to help us out of it. If we would turn to Him in humility. If God simply removes the trouble, we would not learn the lesson from it. Sometimes we need a few scars to remind us of our foolishness. At times God disciplines us when necessary so that we may grow up. Hebrews 12:10-11 (NIV) 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. So we can trust in God’s discipline, it is meant to protect us. That is why we need not be fearful. We can trust in God’s discipline, it is meant to protect us. That is why we need not be fearful. God’s comfort “…they comfort me”. David was fearless in the valley because he knew his Shepherd would protect him from all deadly threats, including his own waywardness. His Shepherd would keep him close to His side in the darkness and would be with him through every step until he passed safely through to the light on the other side. One great comfort to us is surely in knowing that our Shepherd's hand covers over us. To bring us through even the darkest hours of our life into the light at the other end. One great comfort to us is surely in knowing that our Shepherd's hand covers over us. To bring us through even the darkest hours of our life into the light at the other end. CONCLUSION Are you struggling with fears in your life? Perhaps it is time to go to the Great Shepherd. To allow Him to guide us rather than to do things our way. Let Him guide us to paths of righteousness. Let Him protect and even discipline us. That we may experience a deep comfort in our hearts and not be gripped by fears. Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

Have we had to deal with fearful situations in our lives? Maybe because we have come to a totally new place and we do not know if we can cope? Maybe new responsibilities stirred up fears that we will fail? Maybe we are having relationship problems and we fear it will break up? Or maybe health issues cropped up and we are fearful of what might happen? There are so many things in life that cause fear to grip us. How do we come to grips with such fears? To the believer, the Bible provides us great assurances that we need not live in fear. Psalm 23:1-4 (NIV) 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. King David who wrote this psalm was expressing the fact that he feared no more because of God the Good Shepherd. When David wrote this, it was not out of some naïve, idealistic romantic feelings that he had of God who would somehow help him not to be fearful. Rather, it was a song written out of a depth of experience. For David and his man has had to face many life and death situations. David knew what it was like to be a man hunted, with a bounty on his head. For years he had to run for his life. David knew what it was like to be fighting in the heat of battles and wars against enemies. Where a single arrow or sword could spell the end of his life. David knew what it was like to be threatened, betrayed, at the mercy of others. This psalm expressed the sentiments of someone who learnt how he could fear no more when he was in the Good Shepherd’s hands. Here are 3 key thoughts on why we should fear no more. 1. GOD GUIDES ME (v3b-4a) We need not fear because God is available to guide us. The fact that God is available to guide us should be reassuring, because He does so…. For His name sake (v3c) “…for his name's sake.” What it means is that God has staked His honour on it. Isaiah 48:9 (NIV) For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. When God puts His Name unto something, He is basically staking His honour, His glory on keeping His promise. The Bible declares that God is a good, loving and faithful God. God is a faithful God, whose faithfulness is everlasting. It is who He is. Because God is faithful, He cannot be unfaithful to us. Hence, God is guaranteeing that he will guide us into good paths. Paths that are right before God. God will never lead us into bad or sinful paths. It will be… God is guaranteeing that he will guide us into good paths. Paths that are right before God. In paths of righteousness (v3b) “He guides me in paths of righteousness". What could these paths of righteousness mean? I believe these mean paths of righteous living. It is about our daily living. These paths of righteousness are not referring to imputed righteousness, or right standing before God. Let me explain the difference between imputed righteousness and righteous living. Now this is what imputed righteousness is. In a legal sense, God places the righteousness of Christ on our account. He stamps the file of our life as “righteous in Christ”. Because now God looks at the righteousness of Jesus Christ and places it upon us. Let’s say I adopted a child from overseas legally into Australia. It means this child becomes a Lim and an Australian because the Lim family are Australians. This child is not an illegal immigrant. Hence, this child has a right standing in the eyes of the Australian government. Similarly, when we accept Jesus as our personal Saviour, we gain a legal right standing before God. Now this child may not behave like a Lim. He may misbehave. He may even do wrong things and commit crimes. But he will always be a Lim and an Australian in the eyes of the law. But he will break our hearts. In the same way, as a follower of Christ, we may have right standing before God legally as a child of God and as a citizen of heaven. Yet we can break the heart of God when we live unrighteously. Because righteous living is about our day-to-day living. That is the difference between imputed righteousness and righteous living. When we come to Christ, we do not immediately live righteously. We have a journey of spiritually growth to make. We need to walk along the paths that develop our righteousness. God’s intent is to guide us into paths of righteous living. That we may live rightly before God. Psalm 32:8 (NIV) I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Further, I believe that these paths are also intended to develop righteousness in our lives. The more we choose to walk in righteous living, it develops our convictions for righteousness. For we see more the benefits, the joy, the peace, the blessings that comes with righteous living. Did you realise that there are paths of righteousness? It is in the plural? There is not just one path, but many. There are many ways of doing the right thing normally in all kinds of situations. It is not some kind of rigid, legalistic way of living at all. So, we need not fear about the nature of the paths God will guide us to. It is always paths of righteousness. Paths of right living designed to develop our righteousness. In other words, if we trust God and keep to the principles of God’s Word in the way we live, we can be assured to be on the right paths. For God will guide us unto it and along it. We need not fear about the nature of the paths God will guide us to. It is always paths of righteousness. Paths of right living designed to develop our righteousness. Even through the valley of death (v4a) “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” What is this valley of the shadow of death? Its deeply troubling situations, maybe even potentially dangerous to our lives. The psalmist is speaking of all kinds of trouble, even to the point of facing death. As I mentioned earlier, David faced many life-threatening situations. There can be several reasons why we end up in the valley of death. We could wander into the valley of death. Perhaps our poor decisions cause us to end up in a valley of death. Yet we need not fear. For God is available to help us find a righteous path through it. No matter how bad, how close to death we may find ourselves, there is always a way of righteousness that God will lead us to. As long as we are willing to listen to God. He will lead us back to paths of righteousness. Others could push us into the valley of death. We could find ourselves in the valley of death because of the actions of others. Ps. Mapya, our key pastor in the Democratic Republic of Congo was once threatened by a soldier with a gun. As the soldier wanted their money and phones. Unfortunately, it is very much like the wild, wild west in DRC. Instead of giving in to fear, he preached the Gospel to the soldier instead. God moved upon the soldier’s heart and he repented. God can lead us unto paths of righteousness and leads us out of such valleys. God is saying to us, “Look here is the path of righteousness, walk in it and I will take care of you.” If we trust God and do what is right! Lastly, God Himself may lead us through the valley of death. Is that too hard to accept? Consider the journey of Jesus on earth, it required Him to go through the cross. To face persecution and finally crucifixion. Jesus went into the valley of death. It was the chosen path that Jesus had to walk. Apostle Paul also had to walk in the valley of death at certain points of his ministry too. If God leads us through the valley of death, it is always for a greater good. It is intended to produce godly character in us. If God leads us through the valley of death, it is always for a greater good. It is intended to produce godly character in us. Romans 5:3-5 (NIV) 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us…” Consider shepherds bringing sheep to another green pasture but must go through the valley of death to get there. The last thing any sheep should do is panic in the valley and run from shepherd. They will surely be exposed to the dangers there. But if the sheep followed the shepherd, they will be kept safe. The key assurance is that God is always there to guide us along paths of righteousness even through the valley of death. The key perspective is that we need not fear. There is always a way out, God's way, a righteous path. The key assurance is that God is always there to guide us along paths of righteousness even through the valley of death. Continued in Part 2 [click] Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.

In Part 1 we noted the increasingly higher-pressure cooker we seem to live in today. It seems like our world is determined to grill us alive. We began to examine how select men of God handled such pressure in their lives. The first key was to pursue the higher promises of God for our lives. We continue the topic here. SOAR ABOVE OUR SITUATIONS (v9-11) Stephen recounted Joseph’s story. Acts 7:9-10 (NIV) “9“Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.” Here we find a teenager who was so despised by his own brothers that they kidnapped him and sold him as a slave into a foreign land. Most would have acquired a rejection syndrome. Imagine the trauma of a favoured son who suddenly was forced into slavery in a foreign land, utterly alone. Then as a foreign slave, his master’s wife tried to seduce him and because he tried to avoid adultery, was wrongly accused and thrown into prison. Imagine the stress of being accused of a crime you never committed and thrown into prison, a rotting hell-hole. As a foreign slave turned criminal, he would have been literally treated as a non-person. How would you have responded to devastating situations like that? Yet in each and every case, Joseph soared above his situation. As a foreign slave, he became the best and most trusted chief slave in his master’s house. Even as prisoner, he became the most trusted prisoner – given opportunity to manage the insides of the entire prison. Eventually, he was vindicated and appointed by pharaoh to be the Prime Minister. The foreign slave and prisoner rose to be Prime Minister! He made it a habit to turn life’s lemons into lemonade. He soared above his situations. God did not abandon Joseph even when his family did. God saw that Joseph had the qualities that enabled him to soar high. For Joseph was a man who responded out of who he was in God instead of giving in to the pressure of the situation. Gen 39:9 (NIV) No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” He did not allow situations to become his excuses. Don’t allow your challenges to become excuses. This reflected Stephen’s attitude as well. He did not bow to the pressure but focussed on who he was in God. All of us face personal challenges. But will we choose to be like Joseph and turn life’s lemons into lemonades? People can say unkind or critical things about you or about your group or even about church. Do we let that unsettle us? Or do we challenge ourselves to improve instead? As a church leader, I had to face criticisms of various kinds, some very unfair. Some rather personally directed at me. But instead of getting hurt and wounded or giving up, I chose each time to improve, to learn from it. I stand upon who I am in God and press on. Your lecturer may inform you that you failed your assignment or test. Your boss may inform you that your project failed. Do you sink through the floor and quietly die, give up? Or do you resolve to soar above the situation, looking to God for His grace? God promises to be there for us. Isa 43:2 (NLT) 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Psa 34:9 - 10 (NLT) 9 Let the LORD’S people show him reverence, for those who honor him will have all they need. 10 Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will never lack any good thing. So look to God for strength and determine to soar! RESPOND RATHER THAN REACT (v23-29) Stephen then recounted about Moses. Acts 7:23-29 (NIV) “23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian…” How on the spur of the moment Moses killed a slave master out of anger. How he reacted instead of responding to the situation. What is the difference between responding and reacting? To respond is to rationally reflect through a situation before taking action. This reflection can take 5 seconds, an hour. A day or longer. It is not the timeframe but the fact that there was a weighing up of the situation to find the best possible solution. Responding is guided more by objectivity than by emotion. To react is a spontaneous action usually based upon emotion rather than intellect. Usually, we react when we are unprepared or overwhelmed in feelings such as anger, frustration, lust, etc. Moses had a bit of history of reacting in anger. Ex 32:19 - 20 (NIV) 19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it. Num 20:10 - 12 (NLT) 10 Then he and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock. “Listen, you rebels!” he shouted. “Must we bring you water from this rock?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So all the people and their livestock drank their fill. 12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!” Moses sometimes made the mistake of reacting rather than responding. Reacting under pressure often makes matters worse. I heard there was once an argument that developed between a husband and wife. The husband came home after a tough day at work. As a result, he was less than attentive to his wife. Upset, the wife accused him, “You never give me the same attention anymore!” Frustrated, the husband reacted, “Well, you are not the same girl I married.” You can imagine more fireworks after such a statement. Often, we react the most to those closest to us. This often hurts the relationship and cause even more stress to the people closest to us. A few simple tips to move from reacting to responding: Know when to shut your mouth. Better to say nothing than to regret it. Better to have a bit of thought about how to have something constructive to say. Know when to walk away and come back when you have cooled down and have had some time to think things over. Know when not to make decisions. When your blood is boiling. When your frustration level is too high. When your emotions are running hot. Those are not good times for decision-making. CONCLUSION We all face pressure of different kinds. Let’s learn to deal with pressures by God’s grace. Learn to pursue higher promises from God in the face of our challenges. To soar above your situations by choosing to turn life’s lemons into lemonade. To respond rather than to react during times of pressure. Copyright©️2021 by Wilson Lim & Lai Ling Lim. All rights reserved. Materials are free to be distributed in whole or part as long as proper acknowledgement is given to the author and not sold for profit.