Let your heart to be the sanctuary of God by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly Message:Let your heart to be the sanctuary of God.                             Date:6/20/2017
 By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce Christian Arts

Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music

                 My friends, have you ever wondered where God’s sanctuary that your heart can find rest? Recently in my prayers I have been asking, “Where is the sanctuary? Lord, where is your sanctuary? I am seeking a place and location for building up your sanctuary? Where is the place that my heart can find rest?” The Lord answers, “Yet, the Most High does not dwell in that which is made by hands.” even as the prophet says, “Heaven is My throne, and the earth is a footstool for Lord, or what is the place of My rest? Has not My hand made all these things?” (Act.7:49). The word of God indicates,
God would abandon the material temple of the Old Testament and initiate a new dispensation, what His people might worship Him in the spirit (Jh.4:24) in which is God’s spiritual habitation, the church (Eph.2:22). And the Lord was seeking a spiritual habitation in man’s spirit, a contrite spirit. In another words, God delights the spiritual dwelling place in a poor and repentance spirit. God is spirit, when we worship God and give Him praise in spirit and in truth, in God’s glorious presence; every room where we stand is the sanctuary of God. In spirit, we are being built together into a dwelling place of God.    

In June, 1999, Jesus healed my mother’s sickness and let her raised from death. And she had treated kidney dialysis since then. In 2003, when she was hospitalized, and was unconscious, in order to take care of her, I was slept in the sofa next to her in the hospital each night and Bible became my pillow. Each day, I read the Bible to her, prayed for her, played guitar, and sang the songs to worship the Lord in  that room. Each moment of praying and praise, I believed God’s presence was in that room and that room became the dwelling place of God in spirit. In Thanksgiving Day, 2003, my mother passed away in the hospital at 4:00 am. The Word of God came to me in that mid night at 11:55pm, “The peace I leave with you; my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John14:27). Nurses came and took off all the medical needles and equipment support from her body. Immediately, I bow down the knees to pray and praised God, “Holy, Holy, Holy” “you who are highly favored, the Lord is with you, do not be afraid, you have found favor with God…”, At 5:30 am, church members came, we sang the hymn to the Lord in that room. My mother was rest eternally with the Lord. And I realize that the hospital room became the sanctuary of God. After my mother passed away, facing each circumstance, I sang and praised God by a new song, until today, I have composed seventh worship albums and produced more than five hundred worship albums for gospel outreach, each song that I sang out, it became the song of deliverance and strength of my heart.  
      My friends may be you are suffering many sicknesses, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetic, foot amputation, eyes disease, high blood pressure, or maybe you are hospitalized for waiting surgery and unable to attend the church. Let your heart to be light, through praise, you can make the room where you are a special dwelling place for God. Praying, worshiping, praising God in your pains, giving Him glory in all your circumstance, the hospital room can be the sanctuary of God, when you invite God’s divine light and presence into your heart. The praise may not cease your pain or heal your disease; yet, it refreshes and renews God’s presence into your painful circumstance. Each scenario, God’s glorious presence is enough. Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, I will give you rest.” (Matt.11:28). Rest, in Greek, άνɑπɑύω interprets transitively, “cause to rest, refresh”; figuratively, “of giving spiritual rest”. (Matt.11:28), “of taking bodily rest, as in sleep rest” (Matt. 26:45), “of taking one’s ease rest” (LU12:19), “of remaining quiet or restful rest, be still.” (RV.6:11).

                 My friends, to find the rest in your heart, keep praising God for all your circumstances, you will make to your heart and room where you stand the sanctuary of God. In spirit, we are being built together into a dwelling place of God.  

https://youtu.be/r2WyGCz8zHs

Bibliography, 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Gree k New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 
 

 Strong, James. Strong’s: the expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010. 

Biblical precepts of prosperity by Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Biblical precepts of prosperity  by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce 
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel Music

 Introduction

 My friends, what is your hope in Christ? What is your expectation of believing in Jesus? In this era, a lot of people seek prosperity and replace Jesus with money, man’s power, social status, and earthly riches.   Are you seeking “Jesus” my friends? As Apostle Peter said, “Silver, gold, I don’t have, what I have is Jesus.” how many disciples in this Ear, stumble in the earthly wealth, riches, money and misinterpreted the hope of Jesus. We need to re-educate our new generation, fix our eyes on true resource and true provider –Jesus instead of money.

Biblical precepts of salvation: Without money, you will be redeemed  

Living in this generation, many Christian families and couples in their church life often had quarrels and conflicts because of misunderstanding the concept of prosperity or misinterpreting the biblical prosperity, it results “Jesus”, “eternal life”, “salvation” are replaced by the money and earthly wealth. It takes time to re-educate people that salvation through the redemption of Christ Jesus is free,   without money we can be saved and receive the salvation. We are saved by the grace of God, through the garment of Jesus Christ, we, sinners, are justified by faith. In Old Testament Isaiah 52:3 indicates, “You were sold for nothing, and without money, you will be redeemed.” 

 The Biblical precepts of prosperity is not indicated earthly wealth, riches, money in the bank account alone, the prosperity can be rich in moral, ethical, characteristic and the good deeds of Christ, such as fruits of spiritual: gentleness, kindness, love, endurance, patience, forgiveness, compassion, humility, reverence for the Lord with sincerity of heart. 

In New Testament, Jesus as Son of God, he demonstrated the wisdom and integrity dialogues. He put His enemy in silence when His enemy intended to set a trap for Jesus to fall. It was Jesus put the coin in the fish, and instructed disciples to pick it up, then, give the coin to Caesar. But, what is belong to God, give back to God.

There are three factors to gain the wealth:

a)      Fundamental realization: God is the true provider, for the great creator owns it all.

b)      Obedience awareness:  to get the coin, it requires disciples listen and obey Jesus’ instruction, and get right direction to pick up the coin.

c)      Right purpose of using money: Jesus instructed disciples to pick it up the coin from fish in order to pay the tax, and ceased His enemy who intended to set a trap for Him to fall. He also pointed out, what belongs to God; people shall give back to God. Wisely use the money for the purpose will cease the unexpected crisis.

 In this era, the majorities of people stumble and fall, because their life worries, riches, and pleasures, it resulted the words of God are choked and cannot grow mature. To produce a crop, it requires good soil, a noble and good heart. And who hear the word, retain it and by persevering. In God’s timing, it will produce a crop. (Luke 8:14-15).  Unfortunately, many people seek Jesus and hear the word of God with joy, when they hear it, but when the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, they may not believe and be saved. Or when there is the time of testing they fall away.(Luke8:11-13). Therefore, many Christian’s families failed to trust the word of God and stumbled in their church life.  

Conclusion

My friends, does “Jesus” are replaced by the money or earthly wealth in your Christian life? Does biblical prosperity make sense in your Christian life? Do you remind yourself the salvation that Jesus had provided for you 2000 years ago is free ?and without money, you are redeemed.

First, in order to reduce the conflicts of Christian families’ life, because of the wrong concept of prosperity or misinterpreting the biblical prosperity, it results “Jesus”, “eternal life”, “salvation” are replaced by the money and earthly wealth. We need to re-educate people that “salvation” through the redemption of Christ Jesus is free, without money we can be saved and receive the salvation. (Isa.52:3)

Second, the biblical precepts of prosperity not alone indicate earthly wealth, and riches. Biblical precepts of prosperity can be rich in faith, moral, ethical, characteristic and the good deeds of Christ, such as fruits of spiritual: gentleness, kindness, love, endurance, patience, forgiveness, compassion, humility, and reverence for the Lord with sincerity of heart.

Third, to create the sense of biblical precepts of prosperity and the right motivation to pursue the wealth are significant. Jesus’ pattern unveils the three factors to gain the wealth:  1) Fundamental realization: Jesus is the true provider. 2) Obedience awareness: we need carefully listen to his word and guidance. 3) Right motivation and purpose of using the money.