A Message from the Chief Executive Officer

Praying for God's Presence

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what
you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"
Hebrews 13:5 ESV

At first glance, Hebrews 13:5 might seem out of place when praying for persecuted Christians. However, its context lies within a series of practical points for living out the Christian faith. God calls His people to be distinct from those who belong to the world; and how we live reflects this difference. The Christian faith is not to be passive, quietly confined to our private lives. Rather, faith propels Christians to action, and that action is best described as 'love at work.'

United in Prayer

"You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you
cannot do more than pray until you have prayed. Pray often, for prayer
is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan."
John Bunyan

Of all the ways we can assist persecuted Christians, prayer is the preeminent appeal. Yet the request for prayer doesn’t negate our obligation to help with practical relief and support efforts. These projects are gratefully received and indispensable for Gospel proclamation and Christian witness in hostile environments. However, without prayer, anything we provide, no matter how substantial, is inadequate.

Stronger Stuff

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,
persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV

A church occupied in Great Commission work will see growth when people discover the love of the Father through Jesus, His Son. Then, fuelled by the Holy Spirit's guidance, these new followers of Jesus mature in the faith through discipleship and the application of God’s Word. Thus, the church becomes a marvellous blending of young and old, immature and mature, growing together in awe and reverence of the one true God.

Fret Not (Part 5)
KEEP LOOKING UP!

"Trust in the Lord, and do good....
Turn away from evil and do good."
Psalm 37:3,27 ESV

Overcoming a fretful mindset requires that we seek the Lord's equipping to do good works in this fallen world. External situations should not determine our level of productivity in bearing the fruit of righteousness. Fretfulness doesn't bring glory to God but rather hinders us from responding as we should, namely by overcoming evil with good.

Fret Not (Part 5)
KEEP LOOKING UP!

How can we live fret-free in a world full of turmoil and trouble, with a heart of love, while demonstrating true humility? Psalm 37 answers this question by coaching us to look ahead (which I covered in my previous blog), keep looking up, and stay productive.

When we look ahead, we see a day of true justice dawning just over the horizon of our present situations. With hearts and minds stayed on Christ, we anticipate the time of His glorious return and rejoice in His providential care until that day comes.

Fret Not (Part 4)
LOOKING AHEAD

Part one of this Fret Not blog series, featuring messages based on Psalm 37 (ESV), concluded that Christians should refrain from unrighteous anger when the campaigns of the ungodly prosper. Part two showed how such fretting leads to general neglect in demonstrating love towards those who reject and oppose the righteous. The third part of the series reflected on how the Holy Spirit empowers those who exhibit Biblical meekness while, in the eyes of the world, such an attribute is considered weakness.