The Need for Speed

https://www.sempl.si/news/how-impatient-are-you/

https://neurosciencenews.com/impatience-psychology-25622/

 

https://www.bizspace.co.uk/news/has-technology-made-customers-more-impatient/#:~:text=Interparcel.com%2C%20an%20online%20parcel,in%20the%20last%20five%20years.

Has technology made customers more impatient?

Research suggests that technology is making us more impatient, so how can you make sure your business meets customers’ expectations?

The study found the following average patience times:

• Waiting for a pay rise: no more than 21 months
• Waiting for a web page to load: under 10 seconds
• Waiting for a parcel to arrive: four and a half days
• Sitting in traffic before becoming angry: 13 minutes
• Being kept on hold on the phone: eight minutes

https://www.ohio.edu/news/2020/07/recently-published-ohio-study-reveals-humans-are-impatient-even-down-seconds

Recently published OHIO study reveals humans are impatient, even down to seconds

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=465869

Half a second delay caused a 20% drop in traffic 

https://www.gigaspaces.com/blog/amazon-found-every-100ms-of-latency-cost-them-1-in-sales

Amazon Found Every 100ms of Latency Cost them 1% in Sales

https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/cracking-latency-in-the-cloud-2/

The cost of Latency 

There have been some studies that have examined overall website performance with respect to latency. For example, every drop of 20ms of network latency will result in a 7-15% decrease in page load times.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/page-load-time-conversion-rates#website-load-time

https://www.bigcommerce.com/glossary/page-load/

In fact, a one-second delay in page load time has been shown to cause a 7 percent loss in conversion and 11 percent fewer page views. For an online store earning $50,000 a day, that one-second delay adds up to more than $1 million in lost sales each year (1).

Sermons of Patience

 

https://www.youtubae.com/watch?v=gD9m9GcUWcI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKEUkZlQDFs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJTr0JdEoPM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNg7rznan-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxlRLJKng4Y&t=9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e4TEb1cvcI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzBIMSPH0aU

Good Friday Reflection 2024

 

Lost and Found

​

The Great Commission

1/3 has not heard of Jesus

1/3 thinks Jesus is no deal for them.

1/3 are saved !

Arise, Asia! 

How do we get LOST in this world?

Distractions

Addiction

Materialism 

Matthew 15:12-13

Luke    4-7

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. 

I killed Jesus!

I Came Across *This Wonderful Reflection For  HOLY WEEK* And Would Like To Share This  Thought-Provoking Viewpoint With All Those  Who Believe   . . . . . . .💖.

*"I KILLED JESUS"*  

By Christina Mead.

While I read the story of Christ’s Passion and Death in the Gospel of Matthew, *I was looking for Myself in that  Story.*

 *Which Character Am I ?????* 🤔

*What is God trying to teach me ? ? ? ?*

 

Well . . . . . . .

I Realise that *I am Every Character in the Story of the Passion and Death of Christ.* And I think that’s The Most Significant Point . . . . . 😐

 *I Am The Apostle  . . . .*

I am Like Those Apostles : Sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:40). I’m prone and give in to Laziness in the presence of Holiness. I Don’t put up a Fight against the Pull of Distractions or sometimes even Sleep.

*I Am Judas.*

I Am Judas. Jesus has Every Right to call me Both “Friend” and “Betrayer” Barely 30 seconds Apart !!!!! (Matthew 26:46, 50). *My Heart is Fickle and Weak. And sometimes My Commitment to being Jesus’ Friend is Blown Off on the Whim of an Emotion.* 😢

*I Am Caiaphas.*

I Am Caiaphas, the High Priest. *I want Jesus to Prove Himself to Me* (Matthew 26:63). *I want Signs and Wonders to Know that I Really can Trust Him. I Want my Prayers Answered in My Way. I want Concrete Proof over Humble Faith.*

*I Am Peter.*

I Am Peter. Sometimes I Deny Jesus (Matthew 26:72). I Deny Him in the face of the Homeless when I chose to Look Away. *I Deny Him when I am Afraid of Being Judged and Condemned by those around me.*

*I Am The Crowd That  Roared For His  Crucifixion.*

I Am Part Of That Crowd Yelling “Crucify Him” !!!!!(Matthew 27:21-23). *And I say it Again and Again Every Time I Knowingly Choose To Sin.*

*I Am Barabbas.* 

I Am Barabbas. I Am Chained in Sin and Holed up in the Prison of My Own Pride. And Instead of Suffering the Full Punishment for my Sins for which I am Guilty…  I  Let Christ Take My Place  On The Cross (Matthew 27:26). *And I Often Forget to Thank Him.* 😢

*I Am Pilate.*

I Am Pilate. *I Want to Give Up when Life is Too Challenging (Matthew 27:24). I’m Ready to Wash my Hands of Christianity, when Being a Follower of Jesus Means pursuing Virtue over Mediocrity, a Life of Prayer Over a Life of Pleasure.*

*I Am Simon Of Cyrene.*

I Am Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32). *I Suffer Reluctantly.* I Will Take The Cross but I Won’t Seek it. *I’ll Only take it if it’s Been Placed on my Shoulders…* and I Don’t Love It. 😔

*I Am One Of Those Spectators.*

I Am One Of Those  Spectators Who Mocked Jesus while He was Hanging on The Cross (Matthew 27:30). How Quickly They had Forgotten All the Good Works HE had Done In Their Cities and Towns !!!!. When Popular Opinion about Jesus Changed, They Followed Suit. *How Quickly I  forget The Good HE’s Done for Me !!!! In A Brief Moment of Pain All my Gratitude Vanishes and Is Replaced by Resentment.* 😢

 *I Am One of Those Roman Soldiers.*

I Am One of Those Roman Soldiers. (Matthew 27:35). I KILLED Jesus. My Sins were the Reason HE was Nailed to That Cross !!!! It Was My Fault and I Know it.

*But Sometimes . . . . .*

*I Am Also Like That  Centurion.*

My Eyes are Opened to Who Jesus Is in My Life (Matthew 27:54). My Heart Accepts The Truth that God Became MAN  and Died for ME. And this Knowledge brings me Peace and A Resolution  to Mend my Life Fills My Soul. 💖

*I Am One of the Women Standing By The Cross* (Matthew 27:55-56). 

When I’m Open to God’s Grace, I can be a Faithful and Steadfast Christian. In the Midst of Pain and Suffering, I Can stay Close to The Cross. Jesus, My Beloved Teacher, Is my Strength. And He’s All I Need. 💖

*I Am Joseph of Arimathea.* (Matthew 27:59). 

Again, *Only by God’s Grace, Can I Be Selflessly Compassionate, putting Others’ Needs Before my Own.* Moved by God, I will Use what HE has Given Me, in the Service of Others. My Time, Talent, and Treasure are all for HIM 💖

Sometimes I Am Every Character In The Story of the Passion and Death of Christ.

*I KILLED Jesus.

BUT . . . . . I Am Also The Reason HE Rose From The Dead On Easter Sunday !!!! 🕯⚘🕯⚘🕯⚘🕯

what a glorious end to the Reflection!!

Please continue to keep each other in  prayers and blessings.

Share this in order to help others to reflect on their own lives.

Thank You!!

GOD BLESS YOU!!

Overcoming Temptations

James 1:13-18

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Testing Trial Vs Temptations 

God does not tempt us, He tests us.

God tests us to bring out the best in us and cause us to grow.

Devil tempts us to brng out the worst in us and cause us to sin.

Temptations are like fishing hook, once we get hooked, like the fishes, one day we get cooked by the devil. Sin leads to death. 

3 Key Applications 

1. Flee from temptation 

Collection of all sins, little by little. 

Flee from Idotary, aldultery, evil desires of youth

2 Tim 2:22

1 The 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil

Don’t fight temptation, flee ftom it!

2. Fight the Devil

James 4:7 Resist the devil, he will flee from tou.

3. Focus on God 

The truth of God will deliver us. 

The depth the submarine can go depends on how much it can withstand the water pressure. 

But there are fishes are at bottom of ocean. 

Be like fishes, develop pressure within so we can withstand the pressures from outside. 

James 4:7 Submit yourself to God, Resist the devil, he will flee from you,

Psalm 119:9-11

Living according to Your Word. I seek you with all my heart. 

In the final anslysia, it is a matter of our faith.

Story on the Middle C Tuning Fork

What is the good news ?

The good news is that the Middle C of the Tuning Fork is always accurate ! Even when the school hall piano, the frist floor violin may go out of tune.

Like the middle C in the tuning fork, Christ never changes and be our steer and comfort!

Spiritual Maturity 2 - Marks of Maturity

 

Spiritual Maturity = Christlikeness

Colossians 1:28,29

Contending for 

Spiritual maturity is Christlikeness

His Character is fully complete

2 Cor 3:18 

Measuring our progress against the standard of Christ

The fullness of Christ

Colossians 1:28-29

The more we are Christlikeness, the more we are mature

Biblically- Peter 1:3-4

God has given us everything we need gor a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Possible, moment by moment cases, cause we are living in sinful and satan tempt world.

When we see Him face to face, victory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 Good news

Standard = God (Fullness of God-Christlikeness) only measurement

What does Spiritual Maturity looks like? 

1 Timothy 1:5 : The goal of this command is love, which from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Love is the hallmark of Spiritual Maturity 

3 Marks of Maturity:

1.  A Pure Love  
• John 13:34-35 love the way Jesus love
• 1 Cor 13:13
• Romans 13:10
• Eph 4:15
• 
  
2. A Good Conscience 

• (1 Tim 1:5) Greek : Suneideseos "to know with" 
• (1 Tim4:1-2) Conscience defiled/seared/corrupted - heart hardens - God outguard - no longer feel guilty (go on sinning) 
• (Titus 1:15) (Hebrews 5:14) 
• (Hebrews 4:12-13)
• James 4:17 Clear Conscience VS Good Conscience 

Clear Conscience = done nothing wrong / done something wrong, repented and stop sinning 

Good Conscience (Spiritual Maturity) = not only done nothing wrong + actively pursuing what is right 

3. A Sincere Faith (1Tim 1:5) Sincere in Greek: "Anypokritos" which means "without hypocrisy" and "without pretence".

• (Hab 3:17-18) (Rom 4:18-21)

• True faith (put your faith in what God says)

• Hebrews 6:11-12 Time we pray until we see the breakthrough, there's always a period of waiting, trial of faith (waiting room) hardest room to be in, waiting for God, breakthrough and unfulfilled purpose that requires robust Faith.

• Waiting in Greek: Two dimensions 

1. Passive and surrender, let God do things. 

2. Active: holding/clinging on, refuse to let go 

 

https://youtu.be/GLeedepVtaM?si=SEW_GOKuQMjGAGOL

Spiritual Maturity 3 - Hindrances to Spiritual Maturity

What Hinders Spiritual Maturity 

Two Critical Things :-

As soon as we became Christian, we are recruited into the army, as soldier of the cross

    

1. Satanic Oppposition

Spiritual Walfare is real) 1 Peter 5:8; Eph 6:10-12

Satanic Opposition

• need for deliverance
• As a Christian, we are enlisted into an army of God
• Who are we fighting against ?
• 1 Peter 5:8What
• Eph 6:10-12

We need to depend on the Blood of Jesus when dealing with the devil.

2 Main Tasks of the devil :-

1. To stop you from becoming a Christian
2. To hinder your walk with God from serving God with all sorts of bondages.

Luke 10:17-19 Satan fell like lightning from heaven.

2. Soulish Oppression

Soulish Orientation = Soulish Carnal Christian :- 

• Mind
• Will
• Emotions
• Living by the soul, by the flesh, in sin
• Sanctification taking place
• I am saved, I am being saved, I will be saved’
• My spirit is saved, my soul is being sanctified, my body will be renewed
• We have the Holy Spirit, does the Holy Spirit has us?

What is a soulish orientation

    1.Mind (think) 

    2.Will (want) 

    3.Emotions (feel) 

which made our personalities, soul

sanctification

My mind, will and emotions are not concecrated yet, do not conform by the living world, soul is being sanctified

The body will not be renewed but our soul is renewed day by day.

3 Manifestations

1. The mind operates with Soulish wisdom

1 Cor 2:10-16

When the Holy Spirit is in charge, our mind is renewed

James 3:12-18

wisdom is the life within in humility - humble life

Who is wise and understanding among you ? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Such wisdom is earthly, unspiritual, demonic

wisdom that comes out from soul is earthly (human ideas) - demonic, unspiritual, which we defends with soulish energy eg: cults 

Heavenly wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

Where you find Godly wisdom operating, people are in harmony and unity. 

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

2. The will is ruled by stubborn self-content

Self-pride, centre of our lives is not God, God is the way, not our way.

I am the man for this task and job. I get the job well done. 

The carnal man thinks of I, me and myself as the key person.

3. The emotions are easily stirred by circumstances

Mood-changing Christians, Hi Hi, Dry Dry period 

Over sensitive, easily offended

Psalm 42:5-7

James 1:13-15

Matt 16:24-25

Gal 2:20 

Gal 5:25

Psalm 42:5-7 

Spirit telling own soul (emotions, will, mind) get in line, align to the Lord 

people don't take attention, we upset, seek other sensation. 

I AM SPIRITUAL MAN 

Walk in spirit not by flesh

James 1:13-15

Key: If flesh is not there, Satan has nothing to do there. Die to ourself, die to our flesh, then we follow Him, go back to the cross! Key to Spiritual Maturity 

Matthew 16:24-25

Galatians 2:20

Galatians 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 

HABIT

In the word HABIT, if we drop H, we still has A BIT, if we drop A, we still has BIT, but if we try to drop I, we will have many challenges to yield it, so need to turn I toward the CROSS (T), then we can cultivate the Godly habit we want.

Christlikeness is the endgame of Christian Discipleship.

• Must experience Transformation by applying God’s Word in our life
• How to apply the Word of God unless you read the Word - spiritual discipline, easy to start but difficult to continue
• Spiritual Discipline as Spiritual Delight then only its sustainable.
• We must have spiritual hunger that give us spiritual Delight
• Only Holy Spirit that gives us spiritual hunger.

END GAME= CHRISTLIKENESS

must experience transformation (Romans 12:2- do not conform by this world, but transformed by the renwing of mind, so that we may discern what is good, pleasing, God's will to us.

Word + Spirit

https://youtu.be/GLeedepVtaM?si=SEW_GOKuQMjGAGOL