June 28, 2013 by
We just launched a website in order to make the available Christian resources in the Khmer language more easily accessible. For those of you who live in Cambodia or know someone who does, please spread the word and share this website with your friends. And if you know of additional resources – register to add them! Visit the Cambodian Christian Resources website here!

March 12, 2013 by
New Life Fellowship and EQUIP would like to invite you to the  “Today Matters”conference developed by Dr. John C. Maxwell. Come and be trained by one of EQUIP’s top international speakers and trainers, Jerry McQuay, and receive valuable leadership training and resources for your church, organization or business. The Khmer translation for volume two of John Maxwell's Million Leader Mandate have been completed and will be distributed to those attending the conference. The conference will be held in both English and Khmer.  Registration is free, but the number of participants is limited, so hurry up and register!  Please see the attached document for registration information. The six topics taught in the conference include: 1.  Today can be a Masterpiece 2.  Managing my Attitude, Priorities & Health 3.  Managing my Family, Thinking & Commitment 4.  Managing my Finances, Faith & Relationship 5.  Managing my Generosity, Values & Growth 6.  Managing my Personal Growth The schedule for the conference is: Wednesday April 3 5:30pm-7:30pm Thursday April 4 8:30am – 3:30PM Friday April 5 8:30am - Noon Looking forward to seeing you there! New Life Fellowship of Churches Cambodia and EQUIP Driven by the Great Commission, EQUIP Leadership Inc.®, is a non-profit, global leadership development organization founded by John C. Maxwell and committed to radically changing the leadership landscape. Everyday we think globally, evaluate our leadership strategy, create resources and develop associate trainers, donors, and partners. EQUIP® is committed to train leaders through this vital process to reach every nation around the world through live conferences, biblically-centered resources, technology and partnerships. We respond to nations in crisis, impact nations in progress, and add value to nations with major social issues. We operate with the firm conviction that the highest privilege and responsibility of any leader is to train other leaders.  www.iequip.org

January 16, 2012 by
Let's Press On Philippians 3:12-14   An article from a newspaper says that 2012 could be “the most frightening year in living memory.” The article mentions the possible collapse of the Euro, trouble in the Middle East, the rise of China, and the possibility of a global recession. “In the Middle East, the excitement of the Arab Spring has long since curdled into sectarian tension and fears of Islamic fundamentalism.” In America, worry has become part of our national culture. You could write on countless American gravestones the epitaph: “Hurried, Worried, Buried.” We can’t blame anyone for feeling a bit worried right now. Even though the Bible says “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), most of us are anxious about something. One writer said that worry is “the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.” Surely that stands as a good description for the fear that grips many hearts around the world. Against the prevailing uncertainty in these early days of 2012, we have a clear reminder from our Lord in Matthew 6:27, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  Think about it. Can you add an hour to your life by your worry? No, but your worry may actually shorten your life by causing so much stress that your health breaks down. Jesus gave us this practical admonition that seems well-suited for these days: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).   You’ve got plenty of trouble right now. Why borrow trouble from tomorrow? There are at least seven reasons why worry is counterproductive: It wastes time that could be spent in better ways. It focuses on the problem, not the solution. It causes us to assume responsibility that belongs only to God. It paralyzes us with fear. It saps our joy. It drains our energy. It keeps us sidetracked when we could be doing God’s will. If we want to get off to a good start this year, we need to begin in the right place. Our text helps us at the level of personal motivation by revealing the heart of our faith. It begins with a very frank admission.        I.  Life Humble Evaluation                           “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect“ (v. 12a). There is a refreshing honesty about these words. If anyone had reason to brag about his accomplishments, you would think it would be the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t do that. Despite having met the Lord on the Damascus Road, despite having preached across the eastern Mediterranean region, despite being an apostle called by God, despite writing letters inspired by the Holy Spirit, despite all that he had endured, he does not brag about anything he has said or done. None of that matters to him.   He knows that he is a sinner saved by grace. In another place he even calls himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Despite all that he had done, he makes no claim of being perfect or having arrived in his own spiritual journey. There is no perfection in this life. That fact is hard for some people to grasp. Whenever we face a difficulty in life, we must begin by saying, “It is what it is." My co-worker said when his daughter is on drug but then he said nothing he can do now.  Often we would rather play games, make excuses, cover up, pretend, ignore the obvious, and live in fantasy land. You can’t get better until you come to grips with reality. “It is what it is”. It’s hard to admit your marriage is in trouble. It’s hard to admit your career is on the rocks. It’s hard to admit your dreams are smashed. It’s hard to admit your children are struggling. It’s hard to admit you’re broke. It’s hard to admit you have a problem with alcohol. It’s hard to admit you’ve got a critical spirit. It’s hard to admit you’re filled with anger. But there is no getting better until you say, “It is what it is.” So it is with all the trials of life. First we begin by saying, “It is what it is.” And then by God’s grace we move on from there. Notice that Paul plainly says, “I have not yet obtained.” One translation says, “I do not claim that I have already succeeded.” J. B. Phillips renders it in very pithy English: “I do not consider myself to have ‘arrived’, spiritually." That’s always a danger, especially for those who have been Christians for a long time. It’s easy to become such a “professional Christian” that you look down your nose at the struggles of others and go, “I thank you, Lord, that I am not like that man.” It’s easy to become insensitive to sin because you think you are above it. Martin Luther remarked that pride is so deep within us that we must “repent of our repentance,” by which he meant that even our repenting is tinged with pride, per example, “Look at me! I’m honest enough to repent of my sins. I’m not like you. I don’t cover things up.” Sin is so much with us that even our confession contains within it the seeds of our next transgression. Were it not for grace, none of us could ever stand before the Lord. Good thought to start the year . . . I’m not as strong or as wise as I think I am, but God is stronger and wiser than I can imagine. We’re not as smart as we think we are. We’re not as clever as we think we are. We’re not as wise as we think we are. We’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not as strong as we think we are. The only thing that keeps us going is this. Jesus is a wonderful Savior, and he is everything we are not. He is strong. He is wise. He is good. He is holy. He is righteous. He is loving. He is merciful. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And he is all these things all the time far more than we can imagine.   II. A Divine Aspiration                                 “But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (v. 12b). Pause for a moment over that last phrase: “Christ Jesus took hold of me." The whole Christian life can be found in those words.  Christ found me. Christ saved me. Christ has a purpose for my life. The supreme purpose of my life is to discover His purpose for me! It takes a lifetime. It involves hard work and concentration (I press on....). It leads to progressive growth in grace. It develops the character of Christ in me.   III. A Forward Determination                     “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (v. 13).  Note the fierce concentration implicit in the words “one thing I do.” Here is a secret that applies across the board. To excel in any area of life, a person must say, “This one thing I do,” not “These 20 things I do.” A single-minded focus in any endeavor generally wins a great reward. Greatness in any arena comes to those who can say with the Apostle Paul, “One thing I do.” In his case, it meant looking to the heavenly goal of winning the prize. That phrase covers all that God has for us when we finally stand before Jesus Christ and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." (Matt. 25:21) Paul clarifies his purpose with two key phrases:  A.  Forgetting What Lies Behind Illustration: During a time after the Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee visited a woman who showed him the remains of a grand old tree in front of her home. There she cried bitterly that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Union artillery fire. She waited for Lee to condemn the North or at least sympathize with her loss. Lee paused and then said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it." Surely this is a good word for a new year. What are we to forget? Our worries. Our fears. Our failures. Our victories. Our defeats. The attacks of our enemies. The praise of our friends. Let us lay aside even the accomplishments of the past year, our claim to fame, our name in the lights, the good things we think we have done, the stuff we do to make the world glad that we get out of bed in the morning, all the things we brag about, all the medals and honors and all the awards. B. Pressing on to What Lies Ahead Illustration: Several days ago I watched a football game in which a key play near the end involved a runner stretching out for the goal line. As the opposing team gang-tackled him, he stretched the ball out as far as he could. Did the ball in fact break the plane of the goal line before he fell to the ground? At first it was hard to tell in the pile of players. But one replay showed that just barely, by a matter of inches, he had pushed the ball across the goal line. That’s the sort of effort that wins in football and in the Christian life.   IV. A Heavenly Bound                                                 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (v. 14). In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference. True believers aren’t in heaven yet, but they aim their steps in that direction. In Paul’s case that involved both a sanctified forgetting and a resolute pushing forward. Paul said, “I haven’t arrived yet, but I’m still climbing!” If he were here today, he would say, “Press on!!!!” It’s not enough to start well. You also have to end well. Someone has commented that the chief problem of the church today is that we have too many “amateur Christians." I think he meant that we have too many who just dabble at their faith. They are like the man who jumped on his horse and rode furiously in all directions. Let me pose three questions for you to consider: 1. What is the goal of your life? 2. Why do you get up in the morning? 3. Why are you still here?  No one can say with certainty what the New Year will bring or if we will even be here twelve months from now. But that thought should not alarm us in any way. To all our worries the Lord says quite simply: "Fear not.” Will things get worse? Fear not. Will I lose my health?  Fear not. Will I get cancer?  Fear not. Will I keep my job?  Fear not. Will my loved ones undergo hardship?  Fear not. Will my investments collapse?  Fear not. Will I run out of money this year?  Fear not. Will others ridicule my faith? Fear not. Will my cherished plans come to nothing? Fear not. Will my dreams turn to ashes? Fear not. Will I face death this year? Fear not. We of all people ought to be optimistic as we face a new year. We have a great future because we have a great God.  So chin up, child of God. Stop staring in the soup. Pull those shoulders back. Put a smile on your face. Take your troubles, wrap them up, and give them all to the Lord.    Conclusion: Illustration: The heart was being transported by private jet and helicopter to reach the intended recipient in Mexico City. As the medics departed the helicopter and were transporting the organ in a wheeled container, one of the two medics tripped, and the heart, wrapped in a polyethylene bag, rolled out of the container and onto the street. The medic quickly recovered the heart and the group continued rushing into the hospital. Mexico's Department of Health confirmed that the heart did indeed reach the hospital, and AP reported the transplant operation was successful. Don’t look back. Press on.   When we look at the world economy teetering on the brink of collapse, there are reasons for all of us to be concerned. But is it any worse for us than it was for the Apostle Paul in the first century? Living under a pagan Roman emperor whose values were far from Christian, Paul nevertheless found many reasons to press on for Jesus. So we launch out with great faith into the New Year. We’ll have our share of hard times, but overriding it all is the promise of God who said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)     Fear not and Press on!  Amen.

January 14, 2012 by
I Can Do All Things In 2012 Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Happy New Year! I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas season and a grand New Year’s Day. I hope that you are as excited about 2012 as I am. I’m wondering how many of us have made New Year’s resolutions yet? Most of us, I suppose, use January 1 as a place to begin making some changes in life. Perhaps by now you don’t write them down; perhaps you don’t share them with anyone else. The specifics don’t matter. Most of us plan to lose weight, or to start saving money, or to call our parents, or to have a daily quiet time, or to break some stubborn habit. How are you doing so far? This is January 8th. Anyone broken a resolution yet? I thought so. That, of course, is the discouraging side of resolution-making. They are easy to make and hard to keep—even for 1 week! That’s why so many of us are so hesitant to make a new start. Sometimes it’s easier not to try than to try knowing you will certainly fail. However, there is a biblical perspective we need to remember at the beginning of a new year. It’s a perspective that’s wrapped up in one simple word. If you remember not to use this particular word this year, your chances of succeeding are going to go through the roof.   The word is can't. That’s right. The one word you shouldn’t say in 2012 is the little word cannot. We use it all the time, don’t we? We say, “I can’t lose weight.” “I just can’t seem to save money.” “I try and try but I can’t find the time to read the Bible.” “After what she did, I can’t forgive her.” “No matter how hard I try, I can’t change.” The Most Destructive Word On and on it goes. In fact, I think you can make a persuasive case that “can’t” is the single most destructive word in the English language. * It destroys motivation. * It shifts responsibility. * It denies reality. When you say “can’t"—especially with reference to the problems of life—you are simply giving up without a fight. My whole goal in this sermon is to convince you that you can. I firmly believe that this year you can do everything God intends for you to do. No matter how hard, no matter how difficult, no matter how impossible things may seem right now. If God wants you to do it, in 2012 you can!   Five Versions of One Verse My text is only one verse of Scripture. You’ve heard it, you’ve read it, and most of you have memorized it. The verse is Philippians 4:13. It reads like this in the familiar King James Version: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The NIV says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”The Living Bible expands the text this way: “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power.”J.B. Phillips gave us this colorful rendering: “I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me.”Finally, here is the unique translation of the Twentieth Century New Testament: “Nothing is beyond my power in the strength of him who makes me strong!” No matter what version you use, Philippians 4:13 is a verse of unlimited possibility. We have the power of Creator in us to do all good things with Him. For most of you, Philippians 4:13 is an old friend. The Bible says that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. “All things.” Can you really do “all things” through Christ? Is that just wishful thinking, just another piece of hopeful religious propaganda? Or is it literally true? Can you do “all things” in 2012? I am going to give you four answers to that question. These four answers, taken together with the four principles, make up what I call “’I can Christianity.”   I. You Can If You Want To. I call this the principle of Personal Desire. Before you can, you must want to. Before the deed, there must be the desire. In order to accomplish your goals in 2012, you’ve got to decide what it is you truly want to do. If you want it badly enough, you have a fighting chance of getting it. If both of spouses want to be together, nothing can separate the. But if want start the desire for divorce it won't be long. If you don’t really care, then it probably won’t happen. So many people who say they want to do things really don’t want to. Won’t Versus Can’t Through the years I have learned this much: If you’ve got a problem in your life, you’re going to get better faster if you stop saying “can’t” and start saying “won’t.” Once you start saying “won’t” you’ve put the matter in the right framework. We say, “I can’t lose weight.” For most of us that really means, “I won’t lose weight.” We say, “I can’t forgive.” For most of us that means, “I won’t forgive.” We say, “I can’t find time to read the Bible.” For most of us that means, “I won’t find time to read the Bible.” When you say “won’t” instead of “can’t,” you have started to tell the truth. For most of us “can’t” is simply a convenient excuse. Is it possible for you to do “all things” this year? Yes it is. But you must want to. That’s step number one, the principle of Personal Desire.   II. You Can If God Wants You To. This is the principle of Divine Direction. It’s crucial for you to understand this second answer because it is clearly stated in the text. “I can do all things through Christ.” This verse is not a blank check. It’s not as if Paul is saying, “I can do anything I can dream up.” No. If you read the context, he is speaking about the varying and sometimes difficult circumstances of life. Verse 11, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Verse 12—"Sometimes I find myself with plenty of food and sometimes I have nothing to eat. Sometimes I have a roof over my head and sometimes I don’t.” “I know what it is to have money in the bank and I know what it is to be flat broke. And I’ve learned to be content no matter what my situation might be.” Then verse 13, "I have learned through the power of Jesus Christ that I can face whatever comes my way.” If it’s good, I can enjoy it. If it’s not so good, I can deal with it. Why? Because I have access to the everlasting strength of Jesus Christ. Let me share a simple phrase with you: “If God is in it, you can do it.” That brings it all together, doesn’t it? If God is in your difficulty, you can face it. If God is somehow in your failure, you can overcome it. Here is what God wants you to do: "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Phil. 2:13 If God is in your dreams, your dreams will come to pass. If God is in your goals, you can achieve every single one of them. If God is in your prayers, he will not only hear them, he will also answer them   III. You Can If You Rely on Jesus Christ. This is the principle of Divine Enablement. We come now to the heart of the verse: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” In the Greek, the word itself means “to pour strength into.” It’s like pouring milk into a pitcher or water into a glass or coffee into a cup. It’s the picture of something empty that is filled by an outside source. It’s the picture of a believer facing the problems of life, hopeless and helpless, and in that situation, Jesus Christ pours his strength into the believer’s life. He strengthens us, he pours his strength into us. You’ve got to have Jesus Christ on the inside. Are we who believe better than other people? No. Are we stronger? No. Are we spared the problems of life? No. Are we tougher than others? No. Does God give us a free pass so that what happens to others doesn’t happen to us? No. Are we wiser than others? No. What makes the difference? Only one thing. Jesus Christ within. We have the power of the indwelling Christ and that makes all the difference in the world. Not on your own strength, not on your own power, not on your own wisdom, and not on your own ability to figure things out. But if you will say, “Lord Jesus, this year I’m relying on you,” you can do all things through Christ.   IV. You Can If You Start Today and Don’t Look Back. This is the principle of the Personal Choice. One question: Which way are you going this year? Are you going backwards into 2011 or are you going forward into 2012? Your answer makes all the difference. Let me put it all together. Can you really do “all things” in 2012? Yes, you can. Here are the four principles: *Personal Desire *Divine Direction *Divine Enablement *Personal Choice Notice that the first one is personal, the next two are divine, and the last one is personal. There’s perfect balance here. Two depend on you, two depend on God. Does it depend on you? Yes. Does it depend on God? Yes. Think of the verse this way: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It begins with I, ends with me, and Jesus Christ is in the middle. When you come to the end of this year, you’ll say, “I thought I could.” Right now it’s only, “I think I can.” But remember, through Jesus Christ you can.   In our life journey we often say, “I think I can.” But Paul was saying, “I know I can.” What makes the difference? We are relying on own power to get over the problem. But we have available to us the resources of an infinite God. That’s the difference between “I think” and “I know.” Conclusion: Can you really do “all things” in 2012? Through Christ you can. So it is time for you to resign now: During Christmas time I like what God told us through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Illustration: A manager ran YMCA and he worked very hard 80 hrs a week to get the operation going. But there were many problems that he could not handle. He visited a therapist who warned him he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Somehow he needed to let go and let God take charge of his problems. But how do you do something like that? The breakthrough came one day when he took a notebook and ventured into a forest not far from where he lived. He took out his notebook and decided to let go of the burdens of his life. He wrote God a letter that simply said, “Dear God, Today I hereby resign as general manager of the universe. Love,.” Looking back on that moment, he reflected with a twinkle in his eye, “And wonder of wonders, God accepted my resignation.”   Without Christ, we cannot do all things. When you let Jesus run your life's operation you can do all things through Him. Amen

January 14, 2012 by
Fix Our Eyes on Jesus Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).   The Prayer of Jabez This little book of Bruce Wilkinson is all about a forgotten man of the Bible named Jabez and his amazing prayer. In a very few pages Bruce Wilkinson explains how to pray this prayer and unleash the power of God’s blessing in your life. I can testify that no book I’ve read in recent years has been so helpful in my own prayer life. I believe every person in our congregation would benefit by reading it. I believe it because I started to pray that prayer in the 90s and you all can see what is now to our congregation: a beautiful facility here and many churches in Cambodia.   I also believe that God has important things for us to do in the days ahead. As I have sought the Lord on behalf of our church, I have felt impressed that we should expand our ministry in the coming years.   I. Our Focus “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2a). The word “fix” comes from a Greek word that has the idea of concentrating your gaze. It means to look away from other things so that you can focus all your attention on one object. It is the picture of a lost child walking alone down a carnival midway, enthralled by the lights and sounds and smells. Her eyes flit this way and that. She doesn’t even realize that she is danger. Suddenly through the din she hears her mother’s voice. Looking up, she sees her mother calling for her to come. With her eyes now fixed on her mother, she walks straight ahead, ignoring everything else. Soon she is safe by her mother’s side. In the same way a coach will tell his runners, “When the gun sounds, start running as hard as you can. Don’t look back. Don’t look around. Keep your eyes on the finish line and keep on running.”   To fix our eyes on Jesus requires a holy habit of soul. It demands a continuous and sustained action, like a mariner in rough seas watching his compass to make sure he stays on course. This touches all that we do and asks us to consider how we use our time. What fills your gaze? Is it Jesus? How could it be anything else?   Illustration: Many years ago a woman climbed to the top of Angkor Wat. When she tried to come down she realized the stair way is too steep and she got scared. Looking down, she felt her head growing faint and her knees beginning to buckle. At that moment, I walked in front of her asked her hold the rail and climbed down backward. I told her, “Do not look down. Keep your eyes on the step and know that I am right ahead of you to catch you in case when you fall.” The woman did as she was instructed and soon she got down all the way safe. This is good advice for the beginning of a new year. No one knows what lies ahead for any of us. We all have our plans and dreams but the times and seasons of life are in God’s hands. Sooner or later we will all come to a dangerous pass where the way ahead seems to be washed out. At that moment we can panic and fall into terrible trouble. Or we can fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and mark carefully his steps before us. If we will follow him, we will find at the end of this year that we have been kept safe by his amazing grace.   Our text gives us wonderful motivation when it says that Christ is the “author and perfecter of our faith.” This means at least three things: 1. First, he laid the foundation for our faith by his death and resurrection. He made our salvation possible. 2. Second, he provided the perfect example to follow in that he trusted God perfectly. Even when he was sorely tempted in the wilderness, he did not give in. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, he yielded up his human will to the perfect will of his Heavenly Father. No one was ever tested like Jesus and no one ever passed the test like he did. 3. Third, he gives us the faith we need when we feel like quitting. All true faith comes from him because faith itself is a gift from God. In Christ we find everything we need, always.   II. Our Example “Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2b). Mark two words in this phrase: “joy” and “cross.” Those two words don’t seem to go together. The cross speaks of pain, suffering, shame, ridicule, rejection, and ultimate public humiliation. Crucifixion meant a slow, agonizing death that often lasted for several days. There was nothing beautiful or humane about death on a cross. It was the worst kind of torture, reserved for the very worst criminals. Where is the joy in that kind of death? The answer is that there is no joy in death by crucifixion, but Jesus went to the cross and endured the pain and despised the shame that he might obtain the joy that would be his afterward.   Did Jesus enjoy the cross? No, but he endured it for what would come later. Did Jesus enjoy the shame? No, but he scorned it for what would come from it. In this phrase there is a reference to the joy of obedience to his Father’s will and the joy of completing the work of redemption and the joy of bringing great glory to his Father and the joy of triumphing over death and hell. These joys were his but they came at the cost of a cruel Roman cross.   Illustration: There is a higher level of delayed gratification that involves enduring pain to receive a reward. This is why high school athletes lift weights at 6:00 a.m. when their friends are still in bed. They give up sleep in order to win the championship next year. And this is why aspiring pianists practice for hours when they might be watching TV or playing video games. They put in the hours in the hope that some day they may play for thousands. And in a different way this is why cancer patients endure the rigors of chemotherapy. They take the potent chemicals into their body hoping that one day the cancer will be gone. And this is why our young people keep themselves pure. They want to enter marriage someday with joy and with no regrets. And in yet another realm, this is why families leave their loved ones and travel to the ends of the earth. They want the joy of seeing the nations come to Christ. In all these things there is pain involved, but it is pain endured for the sake of the joy that comes when the goal is finally reached.   Jesus said, “Follow me” and he went to the cross. Are you willing to follow him even to the cross? Are you willing to endure pain and difficulty in order to know the joy of fulfilling God’s will for your life?   If we take this phrase and put it in words that Jesus might have said, it looks something like this: “I want the joy of seeing my Father’s house in heaven filled with his redeemed children. Therefore, I am willing to suffer the pain and shame of a brutal death on a cross.”   No pain, no gain. No suffering, no glory. No cross, no crown. No tears, no joy. Keep your eye on the prize. We all like the empty tomb. But you have to die before you can rise again.   III. Our Hope “And sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2c). Jesus sat down because his work was finished. In the Old Testament the priests on duty could never sit down because their work of offering sacrifices for sin was never done. But once Christ had offered himself as the final sacrifice for sin, no other offering could be made and no other offering would be accepted. That’s why theologians speak of the “finished work” of Jesus Christ. It means that the work of redemption is now complete.   He sat down at God’s right hand, the place of supreme honor in the universe. There was no higher place or position for the Lord Jesus Christ in all the universe. Therefore, to him belongs all praise and majesty. He must have the preeminence in our lives because God has given him a name that is above every name. And when we pray to him, we are praying to One who has been exalted to the highest place of honor, which means that we have a Friend in high places who can help us in our time of need.   IV. Running the Race   Let’s stand back for a moment and ask how this great text can help us in the coming year. Three simple thoughts come to mind:   1) The only way to win the race is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run with patience the race that is set before us. We have everything we need to help us along the way. We have the testimony of the saints who have gone before us, we have the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have the promise of coming glory when we finish our earthly course. So keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t be turned aside or distracted by the things of the world. Keep running. Don’t look back. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run with all your might for the finish line.   2) When hard times come, don’t start with your circumstances and try to find Jesus. Start with Jesus and then go back to your circumstances. This is a profoundly important principle. Hard times often trip us up because we can’t understand how or why God would allow certain things to happen to us. But you will never find Jesus by rummaging around in your tattered circumstances. If you start with your problems, it will be nearly impossible to find the Lord. Start with Jesus. Go back to the Bible. Review what you know about our Lord—his mercy, his grace, his kindness, his power, and his wisdom.   3) When you feel like giving up, remember that in God’s eyes you are already a winner. Recall that even now you are seated with Christ in heaven. In God’s eyes the outcome has already been determined. Even though the score may seem stacked against you, if you know Jesus, his victory is yours. And one day you will openly share in his triumph. Let those who name the name of the Lord rejoice in him. Remember who you are and whose you are. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). Let that truth of God give you strength when you feel like you cannot go on.   Conclusion: A Christian man was asked a few hours before his death, “Is your faith strong,”. “No, but my Jesus is.” It does not matter whether your faith is strong or weak today. During the year to come your faith will rise and fall according to the varying seasons and tides of life. But do not worry if your faith does not seem strong. We are not saved by faith in Christ but by Christ who saves by faith. Even faith like a mustard seed is honored by God.

January 10, 2012 by
ព្រះគម្ពីរខែ្មរ​អាចអានបាន បើកុំព្យូទ័រអ្នកមាន ខ្មែរយ៉ូនីកូតសូមមើលទីនេះ       http://biblecambodia.org/khov54/          http://biblecambodia.org/khsv/​​​  (new version) Â