We are the temple, the house, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are bought with a price, which is the precious shed blood of Christ. We are to glorify God in our body and spirit. Not just the spirit, but the body and spirit.

As Christians, we face temptations and there are times we fall into sin. We need to ask the Lord to forgive and cleanse us. Sin must never be taken lightly. Those who continue to practise sin, habitually and repeatedly, are bound for eternal separation from God.

Christianity is not a religion. We do not follow a list of rules and regulations, or a system of dos and don’ts. Rather, it is relationship with Jesus Christ who transforms our heart and life. His grace does not give us a licence to sin, but liberty to live a holy life. Christ has won the victory and we are more than conquerors through Him. We are overcomers through faith in Him, according to first John, chapter 5, verse 4, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Do we realize that there is no greater joy and honor than to have the Holy Spirit dwelling and residing within us?

On the other hand, do we tremble at the solemn warning on the destructive power of the sins of the flesh?

Idolatry, adultery and fornication are physical acts, but they start from the heart. We cannot live a victorious and holy life by our own strength or willpower, but only by surrendering and yielding to the Holy Spirit. This is the source of spiritual power and grace.

Sexual relationships between a husband and a wife are meant to reflect the intimate love between Christ and the church. Hence, whether married or unmarried, any sexual intercourse other than with one’s spouse is sin. Marriage is a covenant, a commitment of faithfulness. Sexual expression is not just physical, but holy and spiritual. When a man and a woman is united in holy matrimony and consummate the marriage, they become one flesh. They can procreate and bring forth children, who can be a blessing in the home.

Spiritually-speaking, when a person confess and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she experiences the new birth, and is one spirit in union with Christ. This Christian is to be fruitful and make disciples for the Lord. In essence, he or she produces spiritual children in the family of God.

As our bodies are His temple, we are to keep it pure by His grace. We humans have three distinct parts – spirit, soul and body. We are to yield each part to our Lord Jesus Christ. Not one part, not two parts, but all of our being. First Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 23 says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

In Mark 9:2, Jesus took his disciples “Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” Until now, these disciples have seen Jesus perform miracles. They know the power of Christ. However, what they are experiencing now is not just about what Jesus can do, but an encounter and revelation of His glory – of who He is! They see the transfiguration and transformation of Jesus who is not just someone in human body, but also a powerful manifestation of His divine nature, holiness and purity! Jesus is not just a reflection of light, but He is the very source and epitome of light!

Here, the disciples see Elijah and Moses talking with Jesus. We know that through Moses, God gave humankind the laws, which includes the Ten Commandments. As for Prophet Elijah, even though He lived during the time of the Old Testament, He represents grace and the new covenant. At the transfiguration of Christ, where He appeared with Moses and Elijah, it demonstrates a pivotal point in time in the mission of Jesus, where He came to fulfil the law and the prophets, and to establish the covenant of grace. Jesus was to fulfil the law by meeting all the demands and satisfying the curse of the law through His precious shed blood on the cross!

Here, Peter probably had good intentions to make three tabernacles – one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. However, while Moses and Elijah were great men of God, Jesus alone was both God and Man. Jesus was fully divine and fully human. True, we need to honour and esteem those who are called and anointed of God. Yet, only Jesus Christ and Him alone deserves our worship! All others must fade into the background! No one has, is, and will ever be equal with Christ! We must never exalt any individual to be on par with Jesus – the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

In the awesome holy and righteous presence of God, these three disciples cannot but feel unworthy and undone. Not only did they stand in cloud of God’s Skekinah glory, which rested on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, the disciples heard the voice of God the Father declaring Jesus as the Beloved Son and the Messiah! It is a declaration of the deity and mission of Christ! This is not just an ordinary dream or even a vision, but a supernatural revelation that Jesus is preeminent and supreme! Jesus is not just a great teacher and prophet, but the very and only begotten Son of God! Here, even though these three disciples had witness the transfiguration, Jesus charged them to tell no one, until after the resurrection!

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When we have a real encounter with God, we will be transformed. When we seek His face and behold His glory, we will never be the same again! Our hearts and spirits will be filled with awesome wonder and holy fear of God! We will not speak lightly of what we have experienced. Any spiritual and supernatural experience must not contradict what the Bible says. Otherwise, it must be rejected and renounced. We must not elevate spiritual experience above God’s Word. We are not to boast or be proud about such encounters within themselves, but rather to glory in the Lord and His finished work on the cross!

It is easy to be part of the crowd who admire Jesus for His miracles and what He can do. But for Peter, James and John, who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, they experienced Jesus for who He is! You and I may never have exactly the same encounter with Jesus as these disciples, but let’s press in, draw near to God, seek His face and let Him transform us! As Christians, it is wonderful to have mountaintop experiences. Let us behold the glory and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are filled with His Spirit in His presence, let us also go down to the valley, where we can minister to the lost and hurting!

Nicodemus was a Jewish Rabbi, member of the Sanhedrin, and one of the richest men in Jerusalem. He is a type of many people, even religious ones, in our world today. They profess that Jesus is a good moral man, a great Teacher and Prophet, but not the Son of God.

Some people take pride in the country, the class or the family that they are born into. Others are religious or perform many good works, thinking that this would get them to heaven. In the natural, Nicodemus has these impressive attributes and qualities. Yet in John chapter 3, Jesus introduces a spiritual truth where an individual needs to be born again to see the kingdom of God. Jesus is not referring to natural birth, but new spiritual birth – to be born again of both water and Spirit. The “water” here is not water baptism, though water baptism is an important outward ordinance of the new covenant. Rather, the “water” here speaks of God’s Word. As Ephesians 5:26 says, “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Also, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and if we repent, put our faith in Christ and what He has done for us on the cross, our hearts and spirit experience a new birth.

Though Nicodemus is a knowledgeable and religious person, yet He needs a revelation of what it means to be born again. His eyes of spiritual understanding needs to be opened. In Mark 10:27, Jesus said, “ …With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Thank God! There is evidence that later on, Nicodemus believed and accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour!

In our pluralistic world, the gospel of Jesus Christ may not be politically and culturally correct. Yet, we must proclaim the truth and light of the glorious good news! In John 14: 6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is only one Saviour. There is only one door of salvation! We must be born again! The encounter between Nicodemus and Jesus reflects one of the most important truths in the Word of God. Being born again is not a cliché. Jesus is not talking about a physical rebirth of entering again into our mother’s womb. He is talking about being born of water and of the Spirit, according to John 3:5. It is being born from above!

We want to invite you to be born again. We were born physically, when we came into this world. But we need to be born again of the water of the Word and of the Spirit – in order to enter the Kingdom of God! We need to ask Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour. As the Holy Spirit brings conviction,

Admit the fact that you are a sinner, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23); Be willing to repent from disobedience and rebellion against God, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3); Believe that Jesus is your only Saviour, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16); Confess and trust, and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10).

Please pray this prayer and do mean it with all your heart:

"Dear Lord Jesus, I now recognize that I am a sinner and I am in need of salvation. I accept the sacrifice You paid for me on the cross of Calvary and I allow Your precious shed blood to cleanse me. I now surrender myself to You and invite You to be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart. Take full control of my life and help me live and serve You from this moment forward. I ask in the name of Jesus. Amen."

If you prayed this prayer in all sincerity, you are now a child of God. We encourage you to find fellowship in a Bible believing, Spirit filled church and obtain a copy of the Bible and that you read it diligently so that you will be the kind of Christian God wants you to be.

The first Pentecost took place some 2,000 years ago. Throughout the church age, there has been moves and waves of the Holy Spirit.

In 1906, there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Azusa Street, Los Angeles, USA. This is the birthplace of the Pentecostal movement that has spread all over the world. Since then, hundreds of millions of believers have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. In the midst of this move of God, there was a prophetic utterance that declared in the last days, there will be an overemphasis on:

· Praise to a God we no longer pray to,

· Power rather than righteousness, and

· Spiritual gifts rather than the lordship of Christ.

We are to avoid these dangers and pitfalls. There are parts of the church that have become seeker-friendly, instead of Spirit-filled. Yes, we are to be sensitive to people, but we must first and foremost, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, but He is also a consuming fire. As we develop various means and methods of outreach in the church, let us not neglect the Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit who still convicts sin, call for repentance and conform God’s righteousness in our lives. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not grieve or quench Him in the process of drawing large crowds to our churches. In the Gospels, when Jesus said, “Follow Me”, it meant forsaking oneself and taking up one’s cross.

In the early church, the Apostle Peter preached a message that pricked the hearts of the hearers and saw 3,000 people saved. Peter’s sermon, under the work of the Holy Spirit, was convicting and hardly comfortable, yet it results in a harvest of conversion. Why? And how?

The key is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When we are sensitive and yield to the Holy Spirit in ministry, He will discern the hearts of the ones being ministered to better than any of us could expect, or at least in the way that He intends. Thank God for the Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit!

We need to allow the Holy Spirit to move in the House of God. A Spirit-filled church is a church that has a heartbeat for anointed worship. True worship is a lifestyle, not just an activity. It is more than simply turning up for church services, but is a reflection of loving “the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength... ” (Mark 12:30). We are called to experience not only the visitation of the Holy Spirit, but to be His habitation too, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).

The House of God needs to be ignited with the Holy Spirit. We need a blast of wind, a blaze of fire. We need a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit today. Thank God for the first Pentecost in the early church, as recorded in the book of Acts. Thank God for the move of God throughout different periods of the church, especially the Azusa Street revival that birthed the worldwide Pentecostal movement at the turn of the 20th century. As we move ahead in this 21st century, we need a new Pentecost now.

We cry again for a sound from heaven, a rushing mighty wind. We want to see people being baptized in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking with other tongues, to be equipped for service in the Kingdom of God. We are called as a holy people and a royal priesthood.

Next, we are to be united with one accord in our hearts. In a world of racial and class divide, believers need to be united in love. We are the Body of Christ, one in communion and purpose with the Headship and Lordship of Jesus. At the same time, unity must be based on foundational and fundamental truth. The truth that Jesus saves, heals, baptizes in the Holy Spirit and is coming again. The truth that all blessings comes through the cross of Christ! Unity does not mean conformity. We are one and united in Spirit, but with have different types of gifts and ministries.

A New Testament church is ignited with the fire of the Holy Spirit, is united in love, communion and purpose. It is also to sow and reap an expedited harvest of souls. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit for employment, not enjoyment. We are employed as laborers in His harvest field. We ask the Lord for open doors. Due to the pandemic, the last few years have been difficult with all the shut downs. It’s time to step up again to usher in the final hour harvest of souls. The power of the Holy Spirit will accelerate and expedite the fulfilling of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah was a trusted cupbearer to the King of Persia (Nehemiah 1:11). He received report that Jerusalem was in ruins. The city walls had been torn down, the gates were burned, leaving the residents vulnerable to the enemy’s attack and invasion. There was no peace and no security. Nehemiah was heartbroken and desperate to see the hand of God move and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Today, we see devastation of false doctrines in the body of Christ. Spiritually-speaking, there are gaps in the walls of our churches. We need to proclaim that Jesus saves, heals, delivers, baptizes in the Holy Spirit and is coming again. That we are justified and sanctified by grace through faith, on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary’s cross. It’s time for us to rise up and build the walls of sound Biblical doctrines.

In our life, our ministry and in serving the house of God, there are precious truths we can learn from the life of Nehemiah. For example, there are lessons about defeating distraction, discouragement and distress. Through prayer, Nehemiah responded to God’s call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Although God is sovereign and omnipotent, He is looking for men and women with hearts who are broken and burdened to fulfil and finish His work. Today, there is so little anguish and agony in the house of God.

Do we experience the sorrow and pain of God’s heart over the sins, the backsliding and compromise in the church? Are we also grieving for lost souls and do all we can to reach them with the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ?

To accomplish the task that God has set before us, we need to know that He is the Master Builder. We are to keep in step with the Spirit, know the right timing and opportunity to move in faith and boldness. When Nehemiah stood before the king with sadness on his face to seek permission to build the walls of Jerusalem, it was in essence, a ‘live or die’ moment. Thank God for the king’s compassion and favour to grant Nehemiah’s heart desire to go to Jerusalem. Yet, there are people who opposed Nehemiah. Just because we are doing God’s work does not mean that it will always be smooth-sailing. We will be distracted, discouraged and distressed at times. We can face accusation, attack, intimidation and lies against us from people. We need to stand strong, secure and steadfast in finishing the task, and not allow opponents to shut us down. We need the Word of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to help us not react in the flesh in such times.

Nehemiah was a role model on handling criticism and misunderstanding. He did not let discouragement stop Him from obeying God and carrying out his responsibility. He kept building the wall. Today, we may face all kinds of distractions. Worldly pleasures and wrong relationships may divert our attention from fulfilling our calling. We are to stay the course and refused to be disturbed and disrupted.

When God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls, there was a lack of resources and people thought that the task was going to take a long time. In spite of hindrances, Nehemiah fixed his eyes on the Lord with undivided commitment and complete this massive task in just 52 days.

Nehemiah’s motives and motivations are to give God all the glory and praise. It is all about God’s plans and purposes, not our ambitions. Once the walls were rebuilt and gates restored, Nehemiah planned to revive the authority of God’s Word in the land. Gatekeepers and musicians were appointed. Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s days is a picture of the church today. Like the Israelites, many Christians are spiritually apathetic and defeated. False doctrines, idolatry, worldliness, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life have become widespread throughout the body of Christ.

The church is a called-out body, separated from worldly culture. Separated but not isolated. We need to repent of our backsliding and disobedience. Ask the Lord to revive us, restore us, and set us apart for Him, to be light that shines in our dark and evil world.

In the book of Amos, God called Amos as a prophet to Judah and Israel. Yet, Amos considered himself as no prophet. In the eyes of men, Amos was relatively uneducated. His occupation as a herdman and gatherer of sycamore fruit may be modest and unassuming. Yet, God anointed him as a prophetic voice to speak to His people. At that time, Israel and Judah were prosperous and wealthy. Outwardly, they were far from showing any signs of decline. But sin was infecting the land, and the people refused to repent. Israel was on its path to destruction, and would soon be carried off to captivity in a heathen land. The people were given ample warning and yet, they would not heed. When God’s Word is rejected, there will be a spiritual famine.

Even though Amos spoke to Israel at that time, the message has relevance to our day and age. Today, there is also a famine in the land and a famine in the church. I say this with heaviness and sadness. Many nations of the world and segments of the Body of Christ have forsaken the Word of God and the ways of God. We have lost our moral compass. God has ordained three great institutions: the home, the church and the state to be pillars of light and liberty, to stand for righteousness and truth.

There is a rising tide of darkness and sin in the nations of the world. Regrettably, in parts of the Body of Christ, there is lukewarmness and even apostasy. Man-centred, self-help psychology has infiltrated our Bible Colleges and churches. We have added to, or subtracted from the message of the cross. We have quenched and grieved the Holy Spirit. We have mixtures in our lives – we claim to follow God and yet, remain worldly and carnal. We have committed spiritual adultery and idolatry. Most, if not all of us, like to hear words of comfort, peace and prosperity. To be sure, there are times that we need to receive such positive messages. On the other hand, there are occasions when prophetic warnings to nations and churches are necessary to bring us back to the right path.

In every generation, God has voices and vessels whose lips and lives are touched with burning coals from the fire of His altar. These messengers are not always popular. In fact, often, they are despised and opposed by most of the world and even segments of the church. In the face of hostility and tribulation from the world, where evil is called good, and good is called evil, we need preachers to blow the trumpet of God’s righteousness, to sound the alarm that He will judge evil. Yes, God is full of love and grace, but it is His goodness and kindness that leads us to repentance. We need the pure unadulterated and uncompromised Word of God, preached under the power of the Holy Spirit, to speak to the hearts of people. We need Holy Ghost filled preachers who are moved by the fear of the Lord, not the fear and favour of people.

In the wisdom of the world, the preaching of the cross is perceived as foolish. Yet, it is the power of God unto salvation. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most important message on the face of the earth. It can change the destiny of individuals. The world is getting worse and worse, and evil will intensify. Yet, as witnesses and representatives of Jesus Christ, we are called to reach out to our community, to bring the good news to the lost. Today, we have an abundance of Christian churches, books, videos, television and internet programs but regrettably, much of these are hype. We lack preachers who are delivering the true Word of God. In the midst of spiritual scarcity, we must repent and return to the Lord’s table, take time to dwell in His Presence and feast on His Word. We need manna from on high, the Bread who satisfies us completely.

Spiritually, are we hungry and thirsty enough to sit at the Lord’s table in the heavenly places?

In times like these, when there’s a spiritual famine in the land, we can still feast at the Lord’s table. Let’s take time to wait upon the Lord in His Presence. Let’s hunger for the Bread of life, the Word of God and thirst for the living waters of the Holy Spirit. We want to study the Bible, the authoritative, infallible and inspired written Word, which will draw us near to the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.